§ Lord Cochranegave notice of a motion for Monday, for an account of the quantity of French silks, laces, cambrics, &c. imported into this country under Licences, within the last two months, with the amounts of each to the latest period.
§ Lord Cochranesaid, then, if agreeable to the House, he should make his motion now. It was a fact that French silks, I shawls, laces, &c. were to be seen on sale in this country at the present moment, in quantities, to the great prejudice of our own manufactures. It had always been esteemed a wise policy in this country, to prevent the importation of French manufactured goods; and even to give to other foreign goods an advantage over them. He understood, however, that there were, at this moment, to the amount of several hundred thousand pounds of French manufactured goods in the river; and the only clause in the licences, under which those goods were suffered to be imported, which went to secure any reciprocity whatever to this country, was one requiring that sugars or coffee, to the value of 5l. per ton burden, should be exported in lieu of those rich manufactured goods. If this was the policy of our ministers at the present period of unexampled distress to our manufacturing interests, his lordship was not surprised, that the manufacturers were in a state of great dissatisfaction. If such measures were resorted to, for the purpose of the better recruiting our armies in Portugal, he hoped they would fail in producing that effect. He concluded by reading his motion.
Mr. Rosesaid, that as the paper would be shortly before the House, the production of it would afford the best contradiction to the statement of the noble lord. There was one part, however, which he could not even 1159 now suffer to go uncontradicted, and that was the idea of French manufactured silks being permitted to be imported into this country. Such an idea going abroad might produce great discontent, and therefore he could not agree that the motion should extend to silk goods, which were actually prohibited.
§ Lord Cochranecontended, that he himself did actually see French silk goods for sale within these two days. If no silk goods however had really been imported, the return would most effectually shew this.
Mr. Roseasked, would the noble lord take upon him to say, that he had seen French silks in the river within these two days?
§ Lord Cochranesaid he had seen them for sale, and was informed they had been lately imported.
Sir F. Burdettsubmitted, that with the information his noble friend had received, he had done nothing more than his duty in bringing the matter before the House; and he hoped the House would not be satisfied unless the word silks formed part of the motion. The return too, if it shewed that no silks had actually been imported, would most effectually calm any dissatisfaction or fermentation that might prevail.
Mr. Rosethought it hardly worth while to oppose the motion as it stood, as the return would give the best answer to this charge.
§ Lord Cochranedid not pretend to say that the silks of which he spoke had been entered at the Custom-house; but he had been informed, that they had formed part of a cargo of the value of 9,0000l. which bad been imported into this country.
§ Sir J. Newportmoved to add to the motion the words, "Whether for exportation or for home consumption," when
§ The motion so amended was agreed to.
§ The House then resolved itself into a Committee on the Petitions against the Orders in Council.