§ Mr. O'Connellpresented a petition from Journeymen Silk-weavers of Spitalfields. The petitioners stated that there was too much money spent in building churches and palaces; that there was a German prince who had 50,000l. 830 a year, and who ought to be contented with 5,000l.; they complained of distress, and said that their condition was worse than that of the negroes, and they prayed for the repeal of the corn-laws, for reduction of taxation, and for reform in Parliament.
§ Mr. Fylersupported the prayer of the petition, and bore testimony to the sufferings of the petitioners. They were obliged to work sixteen hours a day, and that was not enough to obtain them the means of subsistence. It was a mistake to suppose that any improvement had taken place in the silk trade; and the petitioners complained, with justice, of the foreign competition and high price of provisions against which they had to contend.
§ Petition to be printed.