§ Lord King presented a petition from the Journeymen Calico Printers of Lancashire, Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lanark, Renfrew, &c. complaining of the distress they suffer in consequence of their inability to procure employment owing to the excessive multiplication of apprentices, and stating other grievances to which they are subject. The noble lord prefaced his motion, that the petition should lie on the table, by assuring the house that the case of the petitioners was one of peculiar severity, and strongly entitled to the attention of the house. It was a great hardship, he observed, that those poor men should not, after serving a long apprenticeship, have at least a fair opportunity of employment. But the number of apprentices introduced 118 of late years into their trade, which exceeded very far indeed the proportion ever known before in any mechanical profession in this country, excluded the journeymen from almost even the chance of being able to earn their subsistence. Indeed in many instances these journeymen were refused employment, unless they consented to sign a second contract or indenture for five or seven years, on such terms as the masters thought proper to prescribe. This was a case without parallel, and which could be scarcely heard of without surprize. However, notwithstanding those acts of injustice and oppression, it was not the wish of the journeymen to engage in any litigation with their masters, but rather to have matters settled amicably. It was not his desire, the noble lord stated, to interfere with the freedom of trade, but the house would recollect that such an interference was warranted by the operation of the combination law, and that in this instance he had a precedent precisely in point, he meant the silk weavers' act, which limited the number of apprentices which masters should take. The petitioners, he trusted, would meet that consideration from the house which their conduct deserved. They had not resorted to those combinations which were so injurious to trade and the peace of the country, but appealed to that house for redress. It was much to be wished that their example should have a due influence upon all the journeymen throughout the country, and he had no doubt that the fate of this petition would be such as to encourage those journeyman who feel that, when they had any real grievances to complain of, they might apply to that house with confidence of redress. The noble lord concluded with observing, that he did not mean to take any proceeding this session upon this petition, and he hoped the conduct of the masters in the course of the recess would render any further proceeding unnecessary. If, however, he should be disappointed in this just expectation; if no amicable adjustment should take place between the parties, he should feel it his duty at an early period of the next session to bring forward a measure grounded on the prayer of this petition.
§ The Earl of Suffolk considered the case of the petitioners as peculiarly entitled to the consideration of the house.—The petition was ordered to lie on the table.—Adjourned.