GLOVE TRADE. (Hansard, 19 January 1832)

Mr. Grampton
presented a Petition from the Glove Manufacturers of Milborne Port, against the importation of French Gloves. The petitioners 590 stated, that since that importation had been permitted, the English glove manufacturers were reduced to a state of unprecedented distress. The trade had suffered so much depression during the last year, that prices had fallen from twelve to fifteen per cent; in consequence of which the present prices were scarcely adequate to pay for the bare manufacture of the articles. The petitioners represented, that their trade was one of a domestic nature, and was carried on in such a way as to prevent the necessity of children being separated from their parents. The petitioners attributed the depression of their trade, entirely to the importation of French gloves; and they considered this country was not able to undersell the produce of foreign markets. They further stated, that unless the Legislature afforded them some protection, they must leave the country or he reduced to the last extremity. The gentlemen whose names were affixed to the petition, employed not less than 500 persons each; and he was sorry to state, that within a very short period they had been obliged to diminish their work by at least one-third; the consequence of which was, that a number of persons were thrown out of employ, many of whom were already in the workhouse. The petitioners concluded by praying, that the importation of foreign gloves might be prohibited. This was a subject of great difficulty; but he certainly hoped, that some measure might be devised, to afford these petitioners relief, and which at the same time, might be compatible with those great principles of unshackled commerce, which had been for some time pursued, and he further trusted, that such relief might be given without detriment to the public revenue.

§ Mr. Hunt
regretted, that he did not see the hon. members for Worcester and Woodstock in their places as he wished to address them particularly, because he was constantly receiving letters from those places, and from Yeovil, complaining of the distress under which the glove trade laboured. Unhappily, these towns, which for so many years, had ranked among the most prosperous in England, had now become the most miserable, and he had, therefore, hoped, the Members of the two former places at least, would have attended on this occasion.

Mr. Hume
hoped, that the petitioners would not allow themselves to be led away by the representations which had been made to them, as to the cause of their present 591 condition. He would ask them, when they complained of the pressure under which they laboured, to say, what branch of our manufactures was not in a distressed state. His great object was, to direct their attention to the proper cause of their distress, and to remove from their minds the impression, that if this trade were thrown open to-morrow, it would in any degree aid their return to a more prosperous condition. With the sentiments which he entertained on the subject, he did hope the House would suspend their opinion for the present; because, when the persons interested in this trade, brought the matter fully under the consideration of the House, he conceived they were bound to make out a case to shew that what they complained of had been created by the free-trade system. He was satisfied, that no alteration which could be effected in our present commercial policy would benefit the glove-trade and that the cause of its present stagnation did not originate in the adoption of the system of free-trade.

Mr. Warburton
had been requested by persons interested in the glove-trade at Yeovil to support the prayer of the petition; and, so far as it prayed for relief, he had no objection to do so. But he apprehended, that no Gentleman in that House, whatever interest he represented—whether agriculture, manufactures, or commerce—would support a proposition for extending relief to one body of persons exclusively, to the prejudice of the general interests of the country. The whole of the manufacturing interests were suffering under pressure—for instance, the iron trade. This country exported her iron to the whole world, in various shapes; and yet no branch of her commerce suffered greater distress. The petitioners ought not to delude themselves by erroneous conjectures as to the origin of their present depression, and ascribe it to free-trade: because, before the present system was introduced, smuggling had been carried on to an immense extent. What the circumstances were which had led to the existing depreciation of our trade, he would not stop to explain; but he was persuaded that, so far from the distress of the petitioners being removed by the adoption of a prohibitory system, such a course would only aggravate the evil.

§ Sir Richard Vyvyan
felt it to be impossible to allow one observation of the hon. member for Middlesex to pass unnoticed, as that hon. Gentleman had said, that a case could not be made out by the petitioners, 592 to show that the prevailing system of free-trade had been the cause of their distress. But it was a notorious fact, that a very large quantity of French gloves was imported into this country, and he apprehended, that it was not for the petitioners to make out a case, but for hon. Gentlemen who supported the principles of free-trade, and who upheld the system which had permitted this large foreign importation, to prove that the present policy operated beneficially to the home manufacturers.

§ Mr. Sanford
was glad to hear the observations which had just been made by hon. Gentlemen who had spoken on the petition; because, during the last Session, the hon. member for Worcester had moved for a Committee to inquire into the causes of the distress under which the glove-trade laboured, which had not been granted, and he regretted this, as he was sure many persons could be found competent to prove whether the country had been benefitted or not by the present system. The present condition of the manufacturers was such as to force the consideration of the different systems upon the attention of the Legislature.

§ Mr. Spring Rice
said, he had the honour of recently receiving a deputation of gentlemen connected with the glove-trade, who had stated the great difficulties under which they laboured, and had endeavoured to convince him that no other remedy could be devised to lessen their distress than the prohibition of foreign gloves. They had asked, whether there existed any insuperable objection to revert to the old system? Then a doubt arose, whether it would be possible to put down smuggling to such an extent as to protect the manufacturer? Or whether it was possible to prevent the continual intercourse between the dealers in the two countries in England and France; upon this view of the case, the gentleman suggested schemes to protect themselves by. To all their suggestions, the utmost attention was given, and many communications took place in consequence, between them and the Government, and the ultimate result was, he believed, that the parties were satisfied that any prohibitory system, instead of lessening would only aggravate the evils they laboured under, because smuggling would, of necessity, increase to an amazing extent. With regard to stamping gloves, it was made quite clear, that forged stamps would speedily be fabricated, and thus the invention would become useless. He had only to add, that there existed on the part of 593 Government, every disposition to receive communications from the glove-trade, and adopt any suggestions, that were likely to lead to a beneficial result.

§ Mr. Daniel Whittle Harvey
thought it curious to observe, upon every discussion in which the subject of free-trade was introduced, how careful hon. Gentlemen were, to avoid all sort of reference to that which was the real remedy of these evils. The petitioners felt the effects of a system which, although it might be sound in theory, must, under the existing circumstances, press heavily on them; and he asked any man—whether he was a glove manufacturer, or a manufacturer of any other articles—whether he could (generally speaking) compete with foreign markets? There was but one remedy for the evil, and that was, to relieve the productive industry of the country from an unjust, excessive, and partial taxation, which weighed down the millions of un represented Englishmen, until this was removed, it was in vain to have learned disquisitions on free-trade or prohibitive systems.

§ Mr. Crampton
then presented another petition, with the same prayer from Milborne Port. He felt himself incompetent to enter on the great question of free trade, but he could assert that the petitioners were in such a distressed state that he did hope some remedy would be found to mitigate it.

§ Mr. Robinson
had unfortunately not been in the House when the last petition was presented; he, therefore, gladly availed himself of the present occasion to say, that if Government were determined to continue the free trade system, the manufacturers of gloves must give up their business, and the trade would thereby be totally lost to this country. He understood that his hon. colleague had certain propositions to make, with reference to the glove trade, and he should reserve himself, to enter minutely into the business, for that occasion, but he had hoped such a course would have been unnecessary, as he expected Ministers would have made up their minds, either to propose some remedy or allow of the appointment of a Committee to investigate fully the hard case of the glove manufacturers, to see if any legislative enactment could improve their condition.

§ Mr. Weyland
regretted, that the free trade system had been introduced, as he was fully convinced that it was impossible for our manufacturers to compete with 594 those of foreign countries, so long as we were oppressed with such heavy taxes. With respect to this particular trade which employed so many women and children, and was quite a domestic occupation, some relaxation of these principles ought to be immediately made in its favour.