HAND-LOOM WEAVERS. (Hansard, 12 May 1837)

§ Mr. John Maxwell
rose to move, as an amendment to the motion of the noble Lord for an adjournment, for leave to bring in a Bill to give publicity to the prices of hand-loom weavers. He should persist in this motion if the noble Lord or the President of the Board of Trade did not promise that the Government would take up the subject, and do something for that most deserving class of persons whose cause he advocated. He trusted that the noble Lord would not be led away on this subject by the President of the Board of Trade. The hon. Member concluded by moving accordingly.

§ Mr. Poulett Thomson
denied that Government had opposed any obstacles in the way of the hon. Member. He (Mr. P. Thomson) had been there twice on notice days when the hon. Member had given notice of his intention to bring in the Bill 825 in question. On one occasion the House had been counted out, and on the other the hon. Member was not in his place. The hon. Member, not having availed himself of his legitimate opportunity, now wished to interpose his Bill by way of an amendment on the question of the adjournment of the House. If his hon. Friend would postpone his notice to an ordinary notice day, he would have plenty of opportunity for introducing his measure. He would tell his hon. Friend candidly he had no sort of objection to the introduction of the Bill, though he should vote against it in its future stages, because he was satisfied no plan could be devised by means of a bill by which the object of his hon. Friend would be attained. He should like, however, to see the Bill introduced, in order that his hon. Friend might be convinced of its impracticability. His great objection was to the introduction of the measure at the present moment; and if his hon. Friend persevered in his motion he should certainly vote against it. At the same time, also, his hon. Friend should recollect that there were other Members present who would oppose even the introduction of such a Bill.

§ Mr. Wortley
hoped that the House would do justice to the suffering hand-loom weavers, by allowing the Bill to be introduced.

§ Mr. P. Thomson
explained that he had no objection to the introduction of the Bill. His objection was to its being introduced at the present moment.

§ Mr. Aglionby
implored his hon. Friend not to press his motion for the introduction of the Bill at the present moment, for it would injure the cause he had in view if he thus endeavoured to force it.

§ Lord John Russell
had no objection to such a Bill being brought in, if the motion was made at a proper time; but he certainly did object to its being moved as an amendment when there was another question before the House. As it was, if the hon. Member made his motion it would lead to a discussion, which would probably last the whole evening; he therefore recommended him to postpone it to a future day.

§ Mr. Hindley
proposed that the discussion be postponed till Wednesday.

§ Mr. Maxwell
said, that he should persist in his motion.

List of the AYES.
Angerstein, J.	Knight, H. G.
Barclay, D.	Lennox, Lord George
Baring, F. T.	Lennox, Lord Arthur
Barnard, E. G.	Leveson, Lord
Berkeley, hon. C.	Lowther, J. H.
Bernal, R.	Lynch, A. H.
Bowes, J.	Morpeth, Viscount
Buller, C.	Nicholl, J.
Byng, rt. hon. G. S.	O'Brien, W. S.
Callaghan, D.	O'Connell, D.
Campbell, Sir J.	O'Connell, M. J.
Chapman, M. L.	O'Connell, M.
Clay, W.	O'Conor Don
Clements, Viscount	O'Ferrall, R. M.
Clerk, Sir G.	Palmer, General
Clive, E. B.	Palmerston, Viscount
Clive, hon. R. H.	Parker, J.
Colborne, N. W. R.	Pattison, J.
Collins, W.	Pease, J.
Conolly, E. M.	Ponsonby, hon. J.
Coote, Sir C.	Pusey, P.
Corbett, T. G.	Rice, rt. hon. T. S.
Divett, E.	Robarts, A. W.
Duncombe, hon. A.	Rolfe, Sir R. M.
Dundas, J. D.	Russell, Lord J.
Fox, C.	Sandon, Viscount
French, F.	Smith, R. V.
Gaskell, J. Milnes	Stanley, E. J.
Graham, rt. hon. Sir J.	Stanley, Lord
Grattan, J.	Stuart, V.
Grey, Sir G.	Thomas, Colonel
Hall, B.	Thomson, rt. hn. C. P.
Harcourt, G. G.	Thompson, Colonel
Hastie, A.	Vesey, hon. T.
Hawes, B.	Warburton, H.
Hawkins, J. H.	Weyland, Major
Heathcote, J.	Whalley, Sir S.
Herries, rt. hon. J. C.	White, S.
Howick, Viscount	Wrottesley, Sir J.
Hume, J.
Hutt, Wm.	TELLERS.
Jephson, C. D. O.	Seymour, Lord
King, E. B.	Steuart, R.

List of the NOES.
Agnew, Sir A.	Gordon, hon. Capt.
Arbuthnot, hon. H.	Gore, O.
Attwood, M.	Hamilton, G. A.
Attwood, T.	Hayes, Sir E. S.
Baines, E.	Hindley, C.
Baring, T.	Hoy, J. B.
Bateson, Sir R.	Lucas, E.
Borthwick, P.	Mackinnon, W. A.
Brocklehurst, J.	Mosley, Sir O.
Brotherton, J.	Mullins, F. W.
Chandos, Marquess of	Ross, C.
Crawford, W. S.	Rushbrooke, Colonel
Denistoun, A.	Shaw, rt. hon. F.
Ellice, right hon. E.	Somerset, Lord G.
Fector, J. M.	Trevor, hon. A.
Freshfield, J. W.	Wemyss, Captain
Gillon, W. D.	Whitmore, T. C.

Wilmot, Sir J. E.	Young, G. F.
Wodehouse, E.	TELLERS.
Wood, Colonel T.	Maxwell, J.
Wortley, hon. J. S.	Aglionby, H. A.