§ Mr. P. Moore rose, pursuant to notice, to move the appointment of a committee to examine the petition he had the honour to present to the house in time month of March last, from the journeymen calico printers; and also to move, that the evidence taken before a committee in the course of the last session upon this subject 147 should be referred to the consideration of the said committee, in order to make a report thereon. In bringing forward this business, the hon. member was glad to see the right hon. the chancellor of the exchequer in his place, as he was led to believe that that right hon. gent. was not unfriendly to the object of the petitioners; but, on the contrary, rather disposed to accelerate their relief, and to render them complete justice. The knowledge of this circumstance without doors would, he hoped, have the effect of urging the masters in the calico printing trade to accede to that amicable adjustment with the journeymen, which had been so strongly recommended by an hon. friend of his (Mr. Sheridan) about the close of the last session. It was very much to be regretted that such an adjustment had not taken place, and the disinclination of the masters to consent to it, rendered it indispensably necessary to the cause of justice, that some legislative proceeding should be adopted. He had consulted with the chairman of the committee which sat last sessions, and it was his opinion, with that of many other members of that committee, that it was highly proper that something decided should be done. The question for consideration, as it struck him, was this, whether the ordinary and established relation between masters and journeymen in the other mechanical professions should exist in the trade of the calico printers. At present no such relation did exist. All the advantages of the system of apprenticeship were, in this trade, on the side of the masters, which, the moment an apprenticeship ex?pired, the person who served it was likely to be thrown out of bread, without even the chance of future employment. It was, he contended, one of the first duties of a good government, particularly in a trading country, to attend to a case of this nature. While the system of apprenticeships went on, it was surely unfair that it should operate altogether in favour of one of the contracting parties; the one devoting so many years of his life to qualify himself to work as a journeyman at a trade, from the op?portunity of employment at which the master excludes him, by the extreme and successive multiplication of apprentices. In consequence of this practice, there were at present some thousands of journeymen calico printers out of work; the greater part of whom are refused employment, unless they consent to sign a second con- 148 tract, or indenture, binding themselves tor serve a kind of second apprenticeship, on the terms. prescribed by the masters. The difference between the wages of an apprentice and a journeyman was, he observed, from 4s. and 7s. to 24s. and 30s. per week. Of course the masters were naturally disposed to prefer the former. It was, however, incumbent on those to whom the duty of legislative arrangement belonged, to consider fairly the interests of all classes. And the interest of the master was not, surely, entitled to such a preference as should put that of the journeyman entirely out of view. But with respect to the interest of the community; the value of any article of manufacture was to be estimated in a great measure with reference to the price of labour. Now, as the calico printers sold their goods at a price, founded on the rate of wages at 30s. per week, although they obtained persons to work at 4s. and 7s. it struck his mind that they had more profit than they were justly entitled to. For the fact was, that although the journeymen were deprived of their subsistence, to make way for the employment of boys, and thus to reduce the expence of manufacture, no reduction whatever took place in consequence of the price of the article to the public. All the profit was confined to the master, none whatever was given to the consumer. It really appeared to him, that such a case formed a fit subject for taxation, and ought to be made productive to the revenue. The hon. member concluded with submitting his motion.
§ Mr. Rose, was ready to admit the importance of this question, and was fully inclined to give the utmost attention to the prayer of the petitioners. Their case, he was well assured, was deserving of consideration. But from the knowledge be had of a similar business in the course of the two last sessions, he was much afraid that the subject was too complicated to be gone into at the present advanced period of the session; that it could not be disposed of in one or two days, as the hon. mover seemed to imagine, nor in so many weeks. He therefore submitted to the hon. gent. whether it would not be better to postpone the matter till the next session, when, as early as he chose to bring it forward, he (Mr. Rose) should be ready to give him any assistance in his power.—Mr. Egerton and Mr. Lascelles thought the case of the petitioners highly deserving of atten- 149 tion, but concurred with the right hon. gent. who spoke last, that it was too late in the session at present to give it all the consideration that was due to it.
§ Mr. P. Moore expressed his unwillingness to press the subject at present. He wished and hoped that ministers would take up the case of the petitioners, and have justice done to them. They could hardly select a case where the exertion of their influence would do them more honour. The petitioners he felt to be treated with great injustice, and he trusted that the gentlemen who professed a disposition to attend to their claims, would give him their assistance next session, when, at an early period, he pledged himself to bring the subject before the house.—The hon. member, with leave of the house, withdrew his motion.