Star.
London, England, 1829-04-14 00:00:00

the' ww system!! Wo b ant
his iiipinopi 'and tbriuktere
Allithatt have bestir Kopecting
Ointiornan intish

prevent sariviling,

- - _
(and in making-this observatitro lei-
stood to impute negligence of duty., , per
pitied in the Preventive Service)—surely, I _say. it
must be conceded that there is rio mode liy which ef.
fecteally to prevent smuggling but by placing the
*port, duty .et 4 point .so low as to leave two
temptation, no profit, to the smuggler. Bet in doiok
so you destroy the 'horse inanufactorer 'altogether:
I contend that France is capable of manufacturing- any.
Amount of bilks which the consunsption of this tourney
may require., • Reduce tl:e duties to the point at lihiCh•
:smuggling will cease to be advantageous, and she will
monopol se your markets to the utter turn 6f your ohs
manufacturers. Report says that it is in the cutup
Onion of the Right Hon. Gentleman to propose a dm
-crease of the duty•en thrown silks, and that the duties
on manufactured silks are also to be reduced. -But I
ask, what benefit could result from Such meaSurei.
what consequence could flow from them other thud's;
the already low scale of wages of the •manufacturer
must suffer still farther reduction? 'I beg leave to
state to the House that I am in no der connected
with the throwing branch of the silk trade; but I
am bound to say, that those engaged in the other
branches of the manufacture are not desirous of ad,
vantages to the prejudice of the thtowster. Let the
Right Honourable Gentleman bear in mind that the
remuneration of the unfortunate throwster. is already re-
duced from seven shillings and sixpence to five Shillings
(that is, by a full one third of his vested property) by
the arbitrary and speculative .measures of which the
trade hat been the object. Let him bear in mind;
also, the large amount of capital that is locked up in
machinery necessary to that-manufacture; and let them
consider the various other hard,hips he would inflict on
the manufacturer by measures'tending to a still further
competition wit's the foreigner. The question I there-
fore ask is, are vested rights to be obliged to )leld to
the influence of political or experimental opinions? If
the duties shall be reduced in the manner 'reported to
be intended, that on thrown silk will amount to one
per cent. only, and that trine, spread over .the whole
mameacture. will scarcely be-felt. What; -I will ask.f
must that spiels& be which -can only be maintain'
by the bankruptcy of the manufacturer and the *WA*,
famine enforced upon 150.CU0 men? I -must considest
as an argument ..against the further maintenance 114
that system that p new proposition respecting-ithas lase
come necessary. But then 'we are told that these -aril
the triumphs of fie* trade! If they be triumphs, they,
are triumph; like many other results of visionary, la
booted. and speculative innovationr, which liaireentailed
pain, and privation, and suffering, upon hundreds of,
thousands of previously happy and independent indi.
eiduals. Instead of deeming the proposed measure of
the Right lion. Geatleman artattempt. to insposee schen
she ..system, I • should rather call it a struggle td
evade and to ward off the blow,-by which, in the end, ill
cannot fail so beset's...mimed. With respect to themb.
jections which the Right Hon. Gentleman may take ici
my intended motion for a Committee I can only say,
that what distress is so extensive, so extreme, and so
urgent as it is, something should be done, and expedi•
tiously done, to terminate it. The proposed measures
for the discouragement of smuggling. and the reduction
of duties on thrown 'silk, will not be sufficient for that
putpose. We shall have in autumn-neat a repetition
of the distress which at present so lamentably prevails
—(Heat, bear).. his now high time that something,
should be done—that the silk trade should be t). LI
upon a firm basis. If the Right Honourable Gets
shall give a negative to my proposition, then, indeed,
shall tremble for its effects upon the silk trade of the
country. I trust, however, that such will sot be the
CU,. The eyes of the country have been long and
anxiously rivetted upon this question. The Ritht-Hou
Gentleman himself must feel that if .he rejects the,
motion for a Committee. with which I mean tocoaclade,
he will be entailing on himself a heavy sesponsibility.
Half a million of men are at the bar of this Rusk
representing the distress that has been brought lapel
them. Let those unhappy persons be no longer. •thd
victims of speculative legislation. Let us hope that the
Right Hon. Gentleman will not identify himself with
the acts of his predecessor—that he will not take •for, 1
his motto Vestiges lulls mimeses. Let us hope that,
talking into consideration the situation of this particular
branch of trade of the country,. the measures be shall
propose to this House for adoption will be every way
suitable to. the emergency. The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded, by moving for the .appointment of a Select
Committee to consider the State of the Silk Trade.
Mr. ROBINSON, in thing to second the (notice,
culd notrefrain from offering,a few observations to 1
the consideration of the House, although the important
nature of the case, and the peculiar circumstances con-
fleeted with it, obviated the necessity for any powerful
display oforatory. The House would recollect that in
the year ISIS the silk manufecturees, who were thou
labouring under great distress, put forward some claims
requiring that the importation of foreign manufactures
'should be prohibited, and that they. were rejected on
the ground that they had made out no case, and as*
repteeentation.of Abe two Rr., Hoo.Gentlemen o f
the then President and Vice President of the Board'
Trade (Mr. Huskisson • and Mr. C. Grant), that th
ppl
would propose measures which would be found to '
tarn a satisfactory remedy. for the distress compsahml
of ; one of the Right Honourable Gentlemen is penis,
culay, the Member for Inverness (Mr.C. Great), addi
that If !that distress should not be obviated by the
measures, the l before etitiOners would tom
eoustl with increased claiths oa• its arteatiaa-4
His Honourable Friend (Mr. Pyles.) had gone so.
into detail as to render It' .nnneeessary-,for. him.
apply, himself to all the points of the question ;
there was one, and an, important. breach • of- the
trade, to which be could not help particularly toallodes
He meant not to:dilate upon the sufferiagsof the-thew+
sandslof persons who were brought to.dturese and ruii
by the decrease of that branch of the trade i•but,he
should not be doing his slut" did he not .state that tat.
.Macclesfield, Coventry, and, other places•isZo-glud„
and in Ireland. and Scotland also, thzatmost distresain.
that particular branch. prevailed. He did not believe,
that all that distress had. had its origin in the measure`
of the Right Hunourable-Gentlemen opposite; ,but ,it.
bad been so much 'aggravated• by them •that, if•the
imps-ratios of foreign silks was not mina restrained,'
it was impossible that any measures the. Right Hes.,
Gentleman could peptic- would pause the effect of nm
moving it. We were told that we mug• have-foreign
silks, either legalfy introduced or smuggled rand there-
foie the petitigoete wereuskerli.which ere see.to adroit.;
those which pa's A data to bit Majestyi 0e,030511 which'
are snollfliesda by which the *WM is cOlivequesll7'
defrandgd ? . If.‘hativert the only question for 411116 i.
derelicts,, he shssid At:lithe:hate to causerie
otha-ob..
vious argument founds,: on it ; but if he found that
mingling increased with the relaution of the duties,

of, mailufactuses and commerce; but he would ask,was
not the-mischief productirby ovettrading incredied by
allowhigtheimportatiosof foreign "undreamed goodi.
by *bid% the possibility .of recovering from the conse-
quences of overthatfin- twos elhottialry prevented ?-.-.
Mit was also told Thar .shis., Rho all other branches
of manufactiim, was liable lb altethations of pros-
'pricy and adversity ;•4sist be would ask, could that
Distress be termed local or temporal y which had been
revelling wove 189&?` He mewed,. therefore, that
bough.heitcnitted that 'there had been overtrisding.
vihish had a past in producing the existing distress; still
thepriocipal evil was. thee importation of foreign silks,
which rendered it impossible for the home manufacturer
ter meet his opponent. 'fie had taken some. pains to in-
form himself respecting the principle of what was termed
sae trade, and pnneipdly by reading with. attention the
h efts Noble Lord (Gliderich) then, 111824, Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, who recommended the relaxation
of the restrictive system of the country. That Noble Lord
Geld out, &monarch's arguments for the adoption et his
, proposed alteristionso the great advantages that would
arise -out 'of .relazatioo by the increase 'of our export
trade; bat he would ask that Noble Lord to what ex-
mat bad his anticipations been jostified.to what caned
bad exportation taken place toliussia,. to France; or par.
titularly' ow the United Stater of Ativericit,-lhe flioitern
meat of which had last year calmed an almost probid
bitory tariff? Foreign States were aware that at present
.they could not compete with us in meoufacturtm 'and
therefore they abstained from actual provocation to
reptirals; • and, in par* (dart the United 'States knew
very well that, their manufactures being only its
their infancy. they would.. were • they to enter into
ita race with us, be completely broken: A distinguished
'Frenchmen had atso• stated' tharthe liberal .s stem of
England was admirable, and that, when they (the
French) were able tooompete with us, theysiould. adopt
it,:but that.for the mown ithty ,woeld . abstain -from
imitating us, acrd standby theft itstrielivelcws. He did
not deny that advantages might restart from the. re.
.move) of restrictions.bot whet he vt. old eontend forwas;
-that we gave &demitasse teforei goer si and he defied the
Right Hon.theot. to- point' out one instance in. which the
country bad derived any lietiefit from those relaxations.
How lamentable• was it a. t, thereto., that those poet
persons. (the silk manufacturers) should trot . only suffer,.
bet that 'their 'suffering- trad-beiglisated " in imageries
which. had produced no Wee& to the cooetry at large:
'He would ask.the Right •Ifee..Gentlereas whether it
would, not be wiser t° receardettlie whole questfoothad
perilek. and by firsesistinivermtinor to inSetgreit (Viii
opou the coootty P It pras qbite impossible. for Sakai
. well known, that Abe. labourer of chi* country meld
'compete with-the labourer of France—(Hear; hear): It
warrld, asoreoventbr inrpterant to -brat id mind the
.certain consequences that must result from an bleeped,
bility to supply a sufficiency of labour for the poor.
Machinery had, both its manufactures and agriculture,
'already dune a great deal *abridging labour. 'Whit
would, therefore, be the hate' bf the Country *hen I
large proportion of its population should be destitute
of employment, and :driven -ism phone and poet
houses by crime and poverty. instead of being hides.
.triously employed ? A Mod= similar to that helots the
House bad been brought forward in. 1626, and was
opposed by his Majesty's Governments principally on
,thelptooad *ODIC *Wear flOrtire proper moment. 'lle
did not call upon Goometheist to retrace
gitsi•bit
but be would say that the distress of 1626
to eighths .act exaggerated degree formed the
grouod% for inquity. Reports.' falls tae' Oaf ed.
frequently inched that Houle; and, being.* forward
unexpectedly. passed without contradiction or refute.
lionr—He confessed that he hid bear greatly surprised
when .be heard she Right Honourable' Gentlemen (*#
Member.for'Llverpobl)' last year.' When• the shipping
*platted bas under ditaussion. read a letter:from the
*gent. of 'certain shipowners in the north of Eng,
land, which -stated, that there win do want of em-
ployeieet for thippitig, but, on the contrary, they bad
more than they, could Undertake: In.* few days after.
wards he (Mr. a.) met -the winner chat letter, lied
asked hint bow beosulct think iNf potting such a wea-
pon into the 'hinds of e Rightelonoutable Gentleniatt
already 's'ufficiendy liable CO attack? He replied (bin he
(Mr. Robinson) wished not to insinuate that the Right
.ffonnerableGentleman had bees rainy of intentional
suppression or omission 'of thee fact) that he '(Mr. Hite.
kisson) had not'tead tbe whOle of the pissage--forßirit,
after .stating that there :wawa mildewy of employment,
be (the writes) had added that it wasiborrever; without
leaving. any 'profit to 'the shipostuet. One arguldeet
end by Hon. Members agaidst key alteration is she
regulations 'of the silk trade . is, that there in
of employment. to be had la the imanufacturst elitist
article; and' I particularly ittersuber -the Heetarable
Member for Inverness (Mr. C. glean-I) lairteor :(liodelf
the great increase of import of ease raw materiel ara proof
of that fact. But the Right Honourable Member
swat initials' in. hie opinion spot that lnibjekt. • 'He
-should have recollected' that the alteration in the Saban
required a greater quantity-of the raw material to be
used in thensenefacture of theartiele; bat even if the
.ioeteastt of memniectore hid teen; &AIWA, stalit'would
be no proof of the prosperity of the wide, so lees as
the prices afforded-no pfit to the snansfacturer.--
(Hear, bear).—lt is DM my intention to enter into**
detail of the principles if hire -trade; 'bet. I contend
'they trethteg..it'eetetr libtted thila to "apply those
principles to one Antioch •of one smseafactere to the
MICIIIO9II 4i the -Wiwi. and vitheue any thing like
sesipsvei4oollsrpunwlforeignitatieas.• if the princi-
ples of fir e trade scold be veraiscitatly established its
this seeetey,•and at the sametase acted' upset in Our
inaoisleureers4dalother satinet, tomtit, most gladly sup-
Ireettthiste Eirlditsksi Set I -tad** eonshit to ippty those
itprindotet tai lbekhstiecit ttresielselitea lean& of ear;
iands Another piedictioebastmen hazarded by a Right"
ciao. Geotlematvnernely.lthet we &mild, by thw
latioot termer introthitedtile INV to comps* with
trigs mitrbela in thentabefaititittand beret Ofrilks- Own
my Lord GOderikh went So Eat lista lay that we should
Altai* litho lo *e wbeleteorld: -But hoer, I ask.. his:
that pseditlitnt bentiverilled?. The trade ii at this db.'
ment at ,it 'Stead still. 'Theed. ii: 'Gee `other Seisarli I
wish to make spots this subjectr•Tbe Right Hon. Member;
for LiverpeoliMt. -linakbeno).'. in • leek founded hie'
orgessentsfressi epatieiestopreeinted brthi liteasteatime(
for Taunton (Mr. .1110.1)- petition' containing u
found-principles of pistitse4 etinomy as any I have swat
'restated to sit-fit bet illieotthialtobatboreeml
abet .:Hight.bitnuttlievidemeirl?nothe, Odiftittione- Siblithi
he has drawn frottait. Ido MIMI sefi )4' Itellioitld'ilf4
low Yet dikweiif toati4i-*),* 1.4 s4l: time of this►
codriAty;uniess they idopied the piinciples upon which
OM Government thOOPIA it expedient to act. If propel
regulations were introduced for the due ptotection o

; '

'the silk trade, the capital sod industry of this emamy
were such as to WON its success. But I would oat,
are we prepared to continue the system of free tied,
after Noce and America have refused to adapt
Jill*: principles, and have met ever; effort of ours by
a enotinisante of their prohibitor; syitifin? We hist Re
on with our system, but by,&big so owe shall add to
the distress and misery to which the silk trade is
reduced inn eiely part of the Upon shale
grounds I feel bound to support the !Dotson of the Nos,
Meals► r for Coventry. That motion is only for a Como
suttee of Inquiry, and If inquiry was to be Mime at
present, the time may come 'Own •it wiltioree %kip
upon us. and that too at a petiOd when It will be aaadi
more difficult to• enter upon it, or provide a samedn
than at present. It is not my intention to deters the
H% use any further. and I bhalicoackide with 4ptedios
al hope that. after hearing the statement prososnoedk,
the Bight Hon. the President of the Board of Tradi,
the Home wdl consent to the motion fertile appoin,
nsent of a Select Committee, to inquire into the dip.
tresses which are oo all hands admitted to cast in the
silk trade. • -- I

Mr. V. FITZGERALD said be bad listened with the
greatest possible ittentida to the itaternentS Of the Roo.
'lslember who introduced the motion, ai well as whose
of the Hon. Member who seconded It ; btu nothing had
occurred to shake his opinions is to the soundnesa pad
good policy ofthe ezisthig tegtflationr.' AltboegValase
of the many and peculiar difficulties with winch the
S'ilk Trade was 'surrounded on every side..olthettgli
warned by both the Hoe. Members not tiiesiskintstry
—although he coofessed his inability tomer minutely
into all the details of this great and complicated questisi
—although be felt all the difficulty. of *Mails*: armlet.
stances, and the suffering aid distress whleh 'atiteMeot
existed in districts in which Trade Was carried
op; although he felt the full 'foie of all these ergs.
Mew, be felt it his duty to oppose the motion.
'He *Driblet& sintsfelyerith 'the -unfortunate suf.
firers, Set be meld not meek to cheap the existing
law upon the soisetateaseuts and •nstsappeehinsioas
under which they laboured: He would; 'with ei
leave of the 'Home, state the outline of the Mew
'sores which •Goieninsent Meant to adopt with ro.
spect to dub important branch of our manufactories
It would then become his duty to show that the din.
tresses which ...sifted in the lilt trade did not mire, hos
the causes stated by the Hoe. Mover and Seconder of
the present molds, but from circumstances over which
neither the -Government not Parliament hid any cos.
troll; sand further, he should show that the remedy
proposed by the: Hoomeable Mover sad Seconder
would, instead of curies, aggravate the evils corn plaine4
of tenfold. Set beforwhe proceeded to do kith. he Wilted
the Housesto consider the manner in which the question
was placed before them. He did only justice eo his owe
feelings in paying i tribute Of justice to the manner is
which the Hon. Meniber has•discharged his, day whit
conditions% is introducing the motion. But, at she
nose time, be 'could not -couteal frees himself the fact
that he has headed his argotneiftstipdti mistakes pants,
to -Which *big d lave oceesiosi to advert more par.
deeded** and by. He would, however, declare here,
that if he believed the proposed ingeire weeldteatribme
'to 'alleviate the .distems and 'Wiring' Which existed in
'that trade—bovietter how far be Might differ front the
Hon. Members ors other points cossetted with it—ibe
would dome give way, and coasent to the apptintmed
:a fsitycommiture. But It was because be entertaiatta
opialdn—it iras becalms be felt that a stateef
suspense would be a state of iicreiried distress, that he
opposed it. The very fact of a doubt being eassmaisedby
the House of Comaloin, *bleb the appointisent o( the
proposed Conimittee would imply, would have a ow
deacy toidd to that distress, as k would give rise to as
impression that the Legislature was about to recede from
show regulatidni by•whith the Silk trade was regulated.
The HOB. Meiriber who 'seconded the Motion had not
left the Rouse in Mr difficulty as to what his objects
were upon that occasion: The Holm must see if the
silk tradestelpflret an impulse, that impulse Oleo be
slow-Idd fewes totem upon an inquiry by a Select
Coninsittie: Theligisiry by a Select Committee weal/
lead to opinion No w ids and vet loss that the trade mast
,be strangled before any salutary tesult could be arrived
From the i,pe of the Hon. Member who screeds/
the motion, it Clear that his object is the appals.
meat of the Committee was a retura to those laws ipso.
-hibittcarethich it • bud been found necessary to repeal.
Did the Hoi. Meagher or the House forget that only a
few moments before the Honourable Member 'deemed
the-nation Ira inquiry, he stated the necessity of re-
turning to theisrollibitoersystern 1" Let it not go forth
to the country that there was in .that Hpsse less spa-
pitchy for the sufferings of the Mk-Trade than easited
in the country generally. .It had bees said that every
Mick .of foreign manufacture. iatrodoeid late the
(gantry, was so mach takes front Abe industry of the
booms maaufacturer. This was an assertion which he

must combat and contradict...lb could ark the Has.
Member who made it to refer to the year. when
prohibition misted, and ask bias whether there
was then a fair epeeist for competition I He
would ask him further, whether be was permed a
resist competition, when all temptation to the improper
introduction of foreign articles was removed ? He would
ask him, if prohibition were to be again resorted to,
whether with it be could restore the high prices for-
merly enjoyed by the silk throwster and wearer?
Would he be enabled, by the adoption of that aseassee,
to secure or increase the consumption; or by what
means would he prevent the public from resorting le
the use of cotton? He would refer to the amoem
of crag paid when a certain portion of foreign Alb
was allowed to be impacted--would the same cooked,.
tion arise when restriction was introduced ? The Hoe.
Member said it leas in vain to attempt to pat dews
smuggling, unless they loomed the duties;e and yet he
asks, will prohibition prevent smuggling ? In I 821„whea
the other House of Parliament inquired into the object
the silk trade, they found themes of the distils' thse
sting to arise from over-wading, and abate therm.
sire of smuggling French silks • into this country. Ii
11116, when upwards of 40,000 persons were out of
employ in that trade, the whole was attrffieted to smug-
gling-a-so Much so, that persons interested is the trade
proposed to Government the conditional admissim al
franc% silks, with a Timm the prevention of uniullag.
It had been said that it was easy to ffistinguish Mtwara
English silks and silks of French saanufamore. Was the
Hon. Mosher sure of that fact.? He would tell the
Hon. Mamba, that whoa the prohibited laws were is
force, the English silks were easily knows by their its
feria*, to those of fors*, isandattere; but slats
competition was allowed, the Eighth manufacture had
intichimpmved, thaterizersis bad by mistake bee*
of &OA goods, which seisms were; aped
vary, obliged so be abandoned.llleas). But if the
prohibitory system• were to he re.esseted, bow woad
be Honourable Member proper* to -eaforce k? We,
they to 'return t 6 claw diniticilarr visits into ',Mr
man's rmittenek upc the bob of any comma is
former ? Were they upon every occasion to copy
he revenue officers in the enforcement of a fiscal is.

still in the dart rep-ilkom the' diffienlas444ol,4*wilibilig In thelikeis the
are of . his propeettifilkieliroen the i 'if in coult not be de=
til
'*petting them aid that the sellout." aggravated the Vistzess idlthe
ends to use his at: home manufactures- ' It had Iwo .Isosnesied also
sling,. _Da surety. that the distress sew !sitting resuked not (tom hare.-
mrsorse neck:. utiosvinnfrosi wounding: tie admitted that over-
to,the persons em. wadi,' bad iieeerrrein that as well as in other branches