The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-05-21 00:00:00

SILK TR .1)E.

A general and crowded meeting of the inhabitants of Christ
Church, Spitalfields, took place yesterday in the spacious
vestry room of the parish church, for the purpose of taking
into consideration the propriety of opposing 111.: Bill now in
progress through Parliament, for repealing the existing law
relative to the wages of those engaged in the manufacture
of silk. . .

By eleven o'clock the vestry room was filled to inconveni-
ence by certainly one of the most respectable and orderly
classes of operative mechanics in the metropolis. when
Mr. WILLIAM GALE (a treutleman well ';sown for his se-.
tive and useful exertions in the promotion of the best inte-
rests of ►he weevers) being called to the Chair, a series of
Resolutlotm were moved,secanded, and carried unanimously,
in furtherance of the object of the meetine.
A petition to both !looses of Parliament (of which we sub-
join a copy) having been then reed and agreed to, was sign-
ed by those present.
To the Honour able the Commons of the United Kingilam of
Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament asset':
Th • fumble petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of the
Parish of Christ Church, Spitalfields.
Sheweth :—That your petitioners view with great anxiety
the measures now pending in Parliament for the repeal of
the Act of 13 Geo. 111. c. for reguLiting the wears of
Journeymen Silk Manufacturers.
That it appears to your petitioners that the Act in ques-
tion is found-d on the sto iet principles of justice, whereby
the journeyman is secured the fair and just value of his la-
bour, and during a period of SO years that have elapsed since
the passing of the Att,the numerous population of this neigh-
bourhood,whieli consists principally of journeymen weavers,
hate advanced considerably in moral improseinent. That
duriug the period alluded to the master has in no instance
experienced the baneful effects arisiter from illegal combina-
tion,
and the journeymen has felt secure in the enjoyment of
the fruits of his industry.
That the Act occasions no impediment to the ap;liestion
of the use of machinery, it being well known to every per-
son acquainted with the silk trismulleture of London and Its
vicinity, that the use of machinery has never been so exten-
sively applied in this district vs at tnespresent time ; and
by no means establishes a fixed prig fir bbour, as the rate
of wages may be altered fru:u time to time, ne-mr,ling to
circumstances. . .

That It is the opinion of your petitioners that the mode of
regulating the rate of wages of journeymen weavers has
proved, from long experience, to be wise and good ; and
that a national benefit woMil result from a general adoption
of its principles in the silk manufacture throughout the king-
dom.
That your petitioners cannot conceal their apprcl.ensios
that, if the proposed repeal shall take place, tar (line will
come when the journeymen weavers of this neiulibourhood
will experience the same redaction in the price of wa(cs that
has taken placa at Coventry and other places and, in short,
that the journeymen will be obliged to eke out a tniszrable
existence from the poor rates.
That many of the master manufacturers have removed
from this neighbourhood into the City, lensing their jour.
neytnris still resident here; those masters tarrefore will re-
ceive all the advantage of the poor man's labour, and this
parish milt have to contribute to his maintenance.
The evils therefore that your petitioners anticipate are,
an alarming increase of p..uperism, and its usual demoraliz-
ing effects atnongst a class of society.whose unexclationable
conduct and demeanor deserve the kind attention of those
around them.

Your pet iiinaers theretoe humbly pray your Honourable
!base, that the Ilia now pending in Parliament for the re-
peal or the above-mentioned Act may not be allowed to pass
into a law.

And )our re itioners, as In duty bound, will ever pray,
&c.

Psntan or DROADWATZR.—Stat«ment, shewing the
amount of expenditure on account of the pour, progripia of
population, a. I rate in the pound, from Lady-day, 1811, to
Lady-day, IS:13.
Frotn to Rate in
Lady-day Lad)-day Expenditure. Population. the Pound.

ItilJ lo 1811 -41;SI 15 S

.2300

s. 01

1811 .. 1812 —1505 3 9 2550 6 0
1812 .. 1813 24410 7 0 2709 10 0
1813 .. 1811 919) 11 1 27.10 9 0
181; .. ISIS 2087 8 3 V• 100 8 0
1813 .. 1810 1933 7 9 2840 7 0
1816 • . 1817 2603 II II 29,10 10 0
•1817 .. 1818 3383 19 A 3030 14 0 .
1818 .. 1819 2152 3 8 33►10 7 0
1819 .. 1820 1589 IS 7 35.13 6 0
1890 • . 1521 1612 13 6 3700 6 0
1891 .. 1823 1011 8 9 1800 5 0
1821 .. 1813 1031 10 9 4004) 3 0
• At the latier end of this y.•ar a Committee was appoint.
ed to assist the parish officers.
Tne Poors' Rates of the city of Glasgow, strictly so call-
ed, exclusive of t:ie extensive suburbs, coniainina nearly an
equal population, have (or the last ten years amounted to the
following sinus
ln 1513 C 11,197 In ISIS 215,36;
1814 .13.033 1819 14,110
ISIS .13.177 1890 15,13 i
1810 11,835 1821 14,5 0
1817 .17,031 1894 11,413

WEEKLY REGISTER OF IVesmtn.--.llte tempt ra-
ture of list week was steady about mid-ilay, though
,oine of the mornings, and cdtho evenings particularly.
were very c ,I• 1 for the 'cation: In other respects the wea-
ther wag variable. The qqamity of rain, however, that fell
here, have during the week amounted only to one-tenth of
tit inrh. In the north of England, tie weather has
been ; amt, according to the last accounts
from St. Petersburg, the Nova WWI not free of drifted
ice. In the neighbourhood of London the appearances
of Spring are promising. The fielder-It ise anti Labur-
num were in blossom the latter end of last week.
Strand, May 20.

THERMOMETER.
tfi i 11 11111101RETER.
o'clock. o'clock. at night.
;tiny - _ -.----
11, • B5 60 M 3910 Showery
12. M. 5O 63 60 ,70 Cloudy
is, T.
14, W. .. • 50 (50 47 ,S 7 Fair
15, Th Bl 62 50 30,16 1 Fair
16, F 64 60 64 .416 . Fair
17, S I 65 63 , 60 49,97 SliowerY

MA
ARR. DUE.
I.... Dublin 0
I ....Weiterford 1
0....0 & Jersey 0
o....Gottenburg I

I.S.
ARR. DCE.
2....11ambr0
11.... France 0
o....Flant'era 0
0....Ma1ta

PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK
Rank Stork 217 215 1 India Stock
3 pm' C:. Red.... • .. 7511 f Ditto Bonds 37 36g. 3:IJ pm.
3 p•Ct.Con4 7014 R1.11111.2(1. (
-4 Its 113spaa.
31 per Cent 9Ol 10001.
4 per Cents golf --SW. 144164 —s pm.
New Fours ...... ..09140 --Small I3s 17s —s pa
I.ong Ann 201. LotteryTickets ..... —l.--s.
Imp. 3 per Ct. 75 771 Con.for Age ..........794fi