Star.
London, England, 1829-03-16 00:00:00

MEETING or SPITALFIELDS SILK-WEA VERS.

L t,t Saturday nigh', pursuant to adjournment, a
Meeting of the Journeymen Silk-weavers took ; lace at
the Duke of Gloucester, Seabright-street, fssr it e I.ur-
pose of receiving the weekly report r.f the Constraint...
It having been previosisly *greed upon at two other
trade houses (without any cssi.suitatrun with the mem.,
bers at the Duke of Gloucester) to call a general meet-
ing s f the trade for Monday (this day) to take to
cousiderati n the 'impiety of petitioning his M .jesty
upon the resell di.iressrd state of the Silk trace, and
to accompany the petition in a body to Windsor for
preentalion ; Mr. lisiwaito was called to the Chair.
Mr. Gnosis said that the Committee had n ceived an
infestation from th. Board of Trade, requiring at. in m-
ares,: IA jib them on nest Tuesday, and as the general
meeting was to take place on Monday, the minus pans
of the report would be laid before that Meeting.
Mr. PROUTT (the delegate Irons Macclerfielss)
for the same mason he would also decline entering upon
the duties of his anissi us until he would go hefs e the
general meeting. He could nor, however, refraiu from
obset wing that he brought the petition Irons Mactle.field
(numerously signed) with him. The weavers these were
desirous of living by their Labinr, or sii.k, as became
the character of Englishmen.
Mr. WALLIS took a view of the petition of a fee of
the manufacturers presented to the HOW of CoPit, ons
a few days before by Mr. Huskisson. He th. a teed the
petition from a morning paler. and animadeer-e1
pointed testa, upon that past of the pmrtion wl ieh
prayed for a reduction of 15 per cent. off the foreign
manufactured goods. He ridiculed tl e idea that a reduc-
tion of duty was intended as an antidote for smuggling.
or would have auy other effect than lead to a limber
reduction of wages, notice of which hos been already
given by some houses in the trade. The petitio, how•
ever, did not speak the sentiments of the opuleut aid
influential porti,,n of the manufacturers, and bad only
the signatures of five in Spitalfields and two in the
City, and was evidently got up for the purpcoe of dis-
turbing the views and objects contemplated by his Ma-
jesty's Government. It was admitted that great distress
also nig: in France; but it ought to be boom in mind.
that the French weaver can work from 25 to 90 per
cent. cheaper than we can, and any Res:tut:on of duty
under that standard would be ursju t.
Mr. Dune viewed the petition of the seta i masters io
the same light as Mr. Wallis did. • He then woo over
the names of the petitioners, whom he designated as the
tools of Mr. Huskisson ; and ob.served, that those very
petitioners were the masters who told their men that
nothing short of a recurs to the prohibitory system could
save the country ; and in the same breath, they tell Mr.
Huskisson that a removal of the duty off the organgine
silk would enable to take 15 per cert. off the manufac-
tared article. lo this respect the revenue of the coon rr
would receive a double shock; and in the conflict the
weavers would be tact ificed. With respect to the meet-

big on Monday, although he voted to go in a body to
the Duke of Wellington, who has promised to take their..
ease into consideration, and as his Grace discharged the
first part of his promise, by senilin4 them one thousand
pounds from his Majesty, so he would await his Grace's,
convenience for the peitormanie of the second part of
his letter. •
Mr: DAVIS said, that from the phr .seology of the
handabi.l circulated, it appeared they were intent on
going in a body to Windsor, and which resolution he
considered as highly impolitic, as it would have a ten-
dency to make them enemies. He was the man who
proposed going to the representative of the King; and
as their case w 4$ under consideration, he thought it only
fair play to wait for an answer, and the movers and
centers of such ill timed proce dings were but few, yet
mischievous and dangerous, and against which he would
enter bis solemn protest.
Mr. BASS= and Mr.Wntra, at considerable length,
followed on the same side, arid after a protracted dis-
cussion, thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the
Nearing separated. '

SYNOD OF GLASGOW AND AYR.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CLAIMS.
_

Yesterday a pro re oats meeting of this venerable
body (called at the aeque,t of the Committee appointed
at last synod oh the Roman Catholic Claims) was held
here. The members met in the Tron Session House;
but the cre.wd ass so great, in consequence of the agi-
tated state of the public mind on the question to be dis-
cussed, that the Session House was, all at once, crowded
to excess, and many members were, in consequence. ex-
cluded, 51 that the Meeting adjourned to the Tron
Cborch.--The roll being called over,
Dr. M.LEAN said, that he would rather have been
excused, in the pie.ence of senior Member., of rising on
the present occasion, but, as a diffidence appeared on
their part, he to k the ground which they should have
taken. His sentiments on the question for which the
synod bad been called, namely, to consider the pro.
piety of petitioning Parliament on the Roman Catholic
Cairns, were well known, as he had of late appeared
petty frequently the opposer of granting furthr r pri-
vilegea to that body. He would. therefore. without
delay. move, that the Synod do petition the King and
bosh Houses of Parliament against cnnceiing any fur-
ther privileges to the Roman Catholics.

Mr. Locarr, of Eastwood, seconded the motion.
Dr. Baca sild, that as it appeared that no person was prepared
to oppose the motion, he would not say a single word.
Mr. %Vac's', of Sr. David's, begged to tell the Reverend Gen-
t groan that such a motion would be opposed.
. Dr. Bien—Let us hear what you hate got to say, then.
Mr. WELSH, after a shoat pause, said, that he was
sorry that such a )oung member as he was should havr
been compelled to vise on she present occasion. As it
was not hi, intention to make any extended remarks, be
hoped it st ould bel ve his put pose suffic ently at the pre-
mit time by simply rt•aiing the draught of a motion
which he had prerared and intended to bring forward.
For hi. own part be uow thought, horn what had taken
place in another quarter, and from the present excited
state of the public feeling cm this mnmentous question,
that 'riling little was the mo.t prudent course to pursue.
He then read the draught of his motion, wh ch went to
state that unless Evancipation be granted to the Cath
lies, the fountain of justice would be polluted, and the
c..i.nti) involved in a civil war.
lleawsrea. bona Paisley, seconded the motion.
Di. BEGG made a shoot but forcible speech against
gra tit% 'Luther liberties. He maintained that the
people of G eat (Vitali: were lulled asleep into the pre-
sent mea-ures adopted by his ttlajest)'s advisers, who.
le said, have st len a match on th, minds of thepeople.
The riNhis which we at pri sent e joy were sealed to us
by the blond of our forefathers, and whenever these are
tak n away and tramped upon, then civil liberty and
'Christian knowledge w• 11 inesitably disappear.
Wrl,tlt, f Cal lt.ke, spoke in favour of Mr.Welsfi's
nit Lion. He was decidedly in favour of seligious tole-
ration, and sie recated in no measured terms that man's

ilosophy which says the keeping the Roman Catholics
fions then cis it and religious liberties would either make
them goad subji.cts or a virtuous people. The only way
to make them true and constitutional subjects was to
give them ur fettered liberty, and place them on an equal
ft oung with the Piotestan sof this country. We have
now, said the Reverend Gentleman, long taken the pest
of exclusion, and what has been the consequence ? No-
thing but eternal bunk and uproar; but grant them
their just rights, and he would be bound to say that
different results would en•ne.
VISSIIC. of West Kilbride, said a few words in
favour or Dr. M.T.ean's motion.
' Mr. SMITH. of St. George's, had been hitherto un-
willing to s.y touch about the question till he had
more seriously studied the whole subject. He therefore
considered himself, to a cest.in extent, unqualified, and
never. as it were, at liberty, till this day, to vote and
speak on it. He had now made up his mind. and the
result was, alter exten•ive res,atch and much reading,
be was decidedly averse to granting further concessions.
He deprecated the I resent Bill brought in by his Ma-
j st)'s advice s, and altogethi r considered the Roman
Catholics unlit to hold the cisi! offices of the State. He
therefore gave his vote in favour of Do.M•Lean's motion.
Mr. LOGA of East•rold, and Mr. MUIR, of Saint
,I4oces's, severally spc ke in favour of Dr. M Lean's
sno;ion.

Mr. bt~Gttc, Modentt.r of the General A,sembly,

said. th it fie had spok.n so often on the subject in
dt•i.ute, that any lei% hened ternatks from him would
be uncoiled for, and altogether unnecesAny. Fiona
the measures that had been prepos,d in auotber quar-
ter, arid the reception which they had got, he had
no doubt but their petition would be unavailing.
But be wouid say. neseitheless. petition by a 1 means ;
and, likewise, on tie'', o her, occasion whine the re
ligious liberty of this eoun•ry is involved. H was
Frond to say that their weapons woe n t carnal.
♦there there is a person bolding an offi:e where tt.e
public is concerned, then that person is the servant
of he public. and the public have a right to el Weise his
actions. Bus the question it, are the Roman Cott° kr fit
to hold the offices oh the State? He thought not, ai.d he
viewed the que,tion as one of self-defe..ce; for it wa• A.

clear a propriotion as could possibly be, that where their
influence can predominatt it will, and history and esp.: i•
ence has proved it to be so, be turned to the overthrow and
annihilation of the Protestant Church. He asiet tedocith.
*out fear of contradiction, that it established religion is e •
sentially necessity to the welfare of any cnui,try, that
coun ry is this one. It bad been said that the Roman Ca-
tholics by their admissinn to power, will not in any way
militate against the religious institutions of this country.
This assertion has been mud-, and he has no hesitation
in giving it a flat contradiction; he was as sincerely per•
miaowd that they would use eves, exertion. to destroy
t e e religious barriers, and as firmly impressed with the
conviction of such ue.tair steps being taken, as he was
of !is existence. He ha; heard a great deal said about

the rebpectat. y and enligliteniriut of those who held
epposite opinions, and much more about their liberal no-
lions, and all these sores of things. That these weir,

, . •

such liberal and wise pzople he did not wish to dis.
pate; but this much he could say, that there were as
mani oq the other side who could stand with them on
an equality in enlightenment, power, and knotakdge.
It has been insinuated that it was the Scotch Episco-
palians that persecuted the Protestants in the times of
our tosetathers; but this remark might well have
been spared, for it was well known to any person
At all conversant with hist ry that it was Charles
the Second, a Papist and profligate, and his corrupt
advisers, who were also Papists. Nay, so base and
unnecessary were the motives of this avaricious Prince,
that he had the meanness to accept of money from a
French King, to establish and hand down his P. pith
principles. His successor was also a Papist, and the rai -
lament under him venal and corrupt. The Rev. Gen.
demur; in conclusion, maintained that the King could
not reign without Protestant Ministers and advisers.—
He was as much given to toleration in religion as any
man could be, but he could not yet bring his mind to
admit Roman Catholics to equal privileges with Pro.
testants. _

The roll was then called, when there appeared to be
.57 to petition against further concessions, and six not
to petition.
A Committee was then appointed, who adjourned to
the Session House. where petitions to his Maj .sty
and the Legislature were produced, read, avid adop.ed.
They were signed by the Moderator, aid were to
be transmitted to the King through Lord Eldon ; to the
House of Peers, through Lord Winchilsea ; and to the
Commons through Sir R. H.l tglis.—Glasgow Laurier
of Thursday,

THE EVENINt; STA it.

LO N DON.

-.W.-

MONDAY. MARCH 16, 1899
PRICE OF STOCKS AT TWO crriock.
Bank Stock Shut India Bon& 47 8 6
3 per Cent. lied. Shut South Sea Stuck 944
3 per Ct. Can. 67* * £lOOO Rachel. Bills 52 fi
34 per Cent. 1618. Shut £5OO Ditto
3f per Cent. lied. Shut £lOO and .8200 Ditto 54 6
4 per Ct. New, 101 f I India for Acct.
4 per Cent. 1826, Shut Advertised
Long Anti. Shut Bank for Acct.
India Stock Shut Consols for Acct 871
FORRIGN FUNII.4, TWO syclAst K.
Brazilian Bds. 5 pLI. 616 Do. Acct. 14;
Do Acct 614 Portug.Bds Spe. 444
D wish lids. 3 pet. 641 544 4 Fr. Rages, 5 pC. 107 If
Greek B 1..1825, 5 pCt. Exchange 11.5 f 35c
BRITISH AND FOREIGN SHARKS, TWu O'CLOCK.
SWAIM PAIN
300 500
35 20
400 400
150
71

Bolan**
itrazilign
dcl Monte

Dino Subscription
Van Diensen's Land Agric. 100

500
57

MI. NIVIIIIAN, one of the ICiTies Messengers, arrived
last night at the Foreign Office, in Downing.street,
with dispatches to the Earl of ARRRDIEN from Mr
STRATFORD CANNING, at Naples.

We have received since our last three days Paris
Papers, including the Gazette de France dated Saturday
morning. They contain the expose made by the Minister
of Finance in the Chamber of Deputies oil Wednesday.
The result is not very promising; but as the excess of
expenditure over the public income in the last two years
is to be covered by an increase to the floating debt, and
not by a ca cation of stock, as was expected, the French
Fan& advanced about a half per cent. The expendi-
tuie of the present year will exceed the estimate. b)
about 1:2,000,000 sterling, and the vote. of credit for
the year 1830 are to be fixed at a sum equal to about
109,000,000 sterling.
We have given extracts of these Papers in another
column.

A Flanders Mail ariii,ed yesterday, by which we
have received the Algenteine Zritung and Prusuan state
Gazette to the 9th inst. and Mussels Papers to the 14 h.
Hostilities between the Turks and Russians re-com-
menced immediately after the arrival of the GRAND
Vat= at Saturnia, on the 6th January, who had col
lected near 30,000 men to attack Paravady. The ope-
rations had as yet been confined to a few skirmishes
between post.. Extracts cf these papers are given iii
another column.

The German Papers of this morning are similar to
those lately receiveJ from the Continent. with regard
to a total absence of political news. The following are
farther particulars rest ecting the s!etention of some
Amulet, vessels laden with corn, by Greek cruisers
while on their passage to Constantinople.