The Sun. — 1842-01-03 (London, England)

MEETING OF SPITALFIELDS SILK WEAVERS.  On Saturday night a general meeting of the trade of the Spitalfields silk weavers was held at the Crown and Anchor, Waterloo-town, Bethnal-green, for the purpose of receiving the report of the acting Committee appointed to investigate the state and condition of the silk weavers in that district. Several femalei were present. Mr. BRITTEN having been appointed to the chair said, that he was sorry he was under the necessity of again having to address them on the subject of their present state of starvation. There was 500 or GOO men there that night, many of whom had not a dinner for their families to-morrow. This is a most distressing case, to have no food for your wives and familieS, and if you apply to the parish what do you get? Stone-breaking! And a man who has a wife and four children, what can he earn at that ? He must go again and again to the stone-yard before he can earn a shilling. A weaver knows nothing at all about stone-breaking ; he is not fit for it ; yet he is sent to the stone-yard if he applies fur relief, and there he is confined and locked up. Mr. Fox said, that at the last meeting they were informed that three of the Committee would pay a visit to the district, and which bad been done. He (Mr. Fox), Mr. Claisse, the Secretary, and Mr. Hornhy, had visited nearly 800 families in three days, and they had found that their previous account as to the state of the distress was not at all exaggerated.—(Hear, hear.) They had seen many instances where children had been crying for bread. One-half the looms were unemployed, while those at work were not fully so ; there were many houses, also, which were unoccupied where there used to be weavers who had their looms. There were several cases where a weaver had formerly his looms with decent furniture, but it was gone, and he was now left without bed or lothing for his large family. They had Mr. Millar, Secretary to the Committee in communication with the Lord Mayor, at Mr. Hanbury's brewery, and he informed them that an early meeting of the Committee would take place to make arrangements for the distribution of the funds raised for their relief. He was glad that some. allusion had been made to the eruelties of the stone-yard. It was an act of cruelty toy put a man who had been brought up to the silk trade to the task of stone. breaking.--(Hear.) In the year 1837 there was a special order that no man who was engaged in the silk trade should be put to stonebreaking, and the reason was, that if, on leaving the workhouse, they had work, they could not do it on account of the state of their hands.—(Hear.) That order was obtained in consequence of certain disclosures made at a meeting held at the Camden Head. Their cause was taken up by the press, and the consequence was, that there was a spicial meeting of the Board of Guardians to inquire into the case, and that a special order was made that no silk-weaver should he put to the stone-yard. But time had gone on, and the old system had come round again. He knew that the parish was in difficulties, and that it was impossible for them to support the poor they had. But if the weavers were broken down by poverty, they might be treated with humanity. Afeer soma further discussion the report of the Committee was then unanimously received, and Mr. Honsrssr moved, and Mr. CLAISSE seconded, a resolution pledging the meeting to oppose the cruel practice of sending the silk-weavers to the stone-yard, which was una4imonsly agreed to.  FRIGHTFUL MURDER of an