The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1813-01-07
MISCELLANY.
FROM rnE nEw-mAmrsnrnE raraior.

the evidence lately taken in tie House Q,
Commons, 10 ascertain the effect produced by
| the Orders in Council upon the anuGacturing
and mercantile classes Of Great Bfiiain.s
The Witnesses examined, were the most
respectable and wealthy 'mcrch hants and n,si-
utacturcrs.--Wc gather from their testimony,
that no event within the recollection OF the
Witnesses, has ever produced such accumnla-
ted evils, particularly among the poor manu-
facturers, as the soffage Of trade with IL
merTea. II appears 10 Us, that the facts dis
closed by The mass Of testimony, cannot fail
to convince every intelligen, reader that our
non-:mportation law operated very powerful
ly against Greaf Britain, that it produced the
repeal of the Orders in Council, and that its
of our ssamcn's rights.
The merchants formerly in the American
trade concur In stating, that their business
has very much diminished, that numerous
bankruptcies have happened, that other mar
kcts have been tried without success, that
goods have accumulated with individuals to
the amount OF from TWENTY THOUSAND to
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS sTERL-
ING, and that TO prospect Of relief presented
but in an open trade with America. In Liv-
erpool, the number of persons employed in
ship building, had diminished, in TWO years,
from 27oo TO 1000, and the por.ers, from
334 to 35. The trade and situation of the
merchants of Liverpool are represented TO be
worse than ever known.
The manufacturers who were examined,
had In good times employed, some fEy and
some as many as fifteen hundred hands, and
generally from three hundrea 10 fyeEye hun.
dred. But, Tor the want Of the American
trade, had been obliged To discharge one
fourth, one third, one half, aud some, three.
iourths OF their workman, and in many cases
to reduce the wages and emplo,m ment ofthe
residue. They had retained many from mo- .
hycs o!benevolenco, and under the hope that
the trade with America would be re stored 4
without which happening soon, many mere
workmen must be discharged and many man.
utactories shut up----as the Capitals Of the
owners were absorbed in the immence stock
OF goods which had accumulated upon their
hands, which Varied from 5000 TO 90 ,oOoi.--
Most OF the workmen gcs but half or one J
fourth employ, aud those who have full EN-
pIoy do not obtain more than one half their
former wages
But it is among the l.boring manufactur-
mass OF popula,iou) that misery and wretch I
edness wear their most haggard forms. The (
inhabitants of the United State, can form but
an imperfect idea OF the abject wretchcdness
which this testimony described. "If YOU
were to sec !heir,pae faces and their ragged
coats <says one Of the witnesses) you would
be struck wi:hthe sight Of il the distress is
So great cannotcxpress il: it is impos ,ibc
l have been msputacturer twenty one years,
and nsvct ~ my thing equal to il at any
!ime." "lhcdsslress (says a sccond) is TO
be seen in the peoples countenances, every
week getting Thinner and looking worse"
The testimony OF a third, states" have
seen people shed tears l have confined nv
self behind the door, for fear of seeing those
people, least they should inporune me to
give them orders. They have tsld me they
did not know what TO 90 il ! go to the Ma.
Gistrate, he will tell me to 70 Tor soldier:
am married man, and God knows what |
must do, unless steal, and then | shall eo
TO Botany Bay" A fourth declares, thar
: Greaf numbers Of tie fco.tie neper taste AN.
IMAL FOOD at al Their principal food is
'dfmcat, boiled IN a0aier, and sometimes hota-
toes for dinner. Oatmeal is 8. Lad. and I'd.
sterling the pound, or double the same price
Potatoes are about the same proportion.
vas informed by very honest man, that he
had got some little oatmeal and boiled IL in
water that he had to wet it in water, instead
81 milk or any other liquid with his food.
Was informed by another, that he, his wife
snd all his children had to go TO bed, and had
'os eUca morsei Of that oatmeal and zvater
% fnt into their mouths" 81 have gone to
my own tenants to ask them to pay their
tents, (tcsti!ies another witness) and / have
seen them set down to dinner off of dish ar
neat and horridge, as they call it in Lanca-
shire, meal and mater, before them, and |
nave gone away without asking them for rent.
Potatoes are so dear they cannon buy them"
From these facts the reader may form some
dea of the wretchcd condition to which the
people OF England have been reduced by the
mad colCy of their depraved ruler,---.and cl