EARLWALDEGRAVEcalled the attention of Her Majesty's Ministers to the case of the journeymen tailors in the metropolis, as regarded the contracts for the supply of clothing to the Custom House, Ordnance, Police, and Navy of the country. The noble Earl was almost inaudible, but was understood to represent the wretched condition of the journeymen tailors of the metropolis, and especially of those who were employed by the middlemen who undertook the execution of portions of the Government contracts. He believed that such scenes of distress might be witnessed among this class of persons as their Lordships could scarcely conceive of, for their earnings were so small as to enable them with difficulty to pay for their lodgings, leaving them scarcely anything for board and lodging. He trusted the Government would take the case of the journeymen tailors into its consideration, especially of those employed in the execution of Government contracts, and see if something could not be done for their relief.
The EARL of MOUNTCASHELLbelieved that the condition of these journeymen tailors was most deplorable, and was only to be paralleled by the state of the unfortunate needlewomen. The whole operative class, he believed, were suffering the greatest distress at the present moment; and any one reading the letters in the Morning Chronicle on "Labour and the Poor," would find that the journeymen shoemakers were equal sufferers with the journeymen tailors. He admitted the difficulty of legislating upon the subject, and that it was not easy to give effect to any regulations upon the question of labour. There were two main causes from which, in his opinion, the sufferings among these artisan classes sprang—over population 1088 and free trade. In proportion as the salaries and purchasing means of the population were contracted, and consumption diminished, so were the means of obtaining employment by these artisan classes diminished. It was in times of great want and pressure that Jews, like Moses and Son, stepped forward and offered articles at so cheap a rate, that persons with contracted means could not afford to go to other sources for their clothing. He believed that thousands and tens of thousands of the working population were suffering, and that their numbers were increasing every day. He thought that this suffering was the natural result of unduly reducing the means of one class of the people, to the necessary injury of other classes. The surplus wages of the artisan and labourer had come down; he believed they would come still further down, and that their sufferings would be augmented. He should be glad to know that he was wrong in entertaining these views; but how by and by these people were to provide out of their wages for their wives and families he was thoroughly at a loss to conceive.
The MARQUESS of LANSPOWNEAs the noble Earl (Earl Waldegrave) has thought proper to call the attention of Her Majesty's Government to this subject, and has expressed a hope that they will provide a remedy for the evils of which he complains, I think it necessary to address a few words to your Lordships. Confining myself to the particular case with which the noble Earl has made himself familiar, the case of the journeymen tailors, I am not for a moment going to contend that they are not a class as deserving the attention of the Government and of the country as any other description of workmen in the country. But I do not think it possible for the Government, or for Parliament, in the face of the laws of supply and demand, to ameliorate the condition of that class, or to do anything to guard against that depression which may affect those carrying on any trade in this country. The noble Earl has adverted to the system of contracts, and has expressed his belief that it is in the power of the Government, by regulating these contracts, to ameliorate the condition of the workpeople. But the noble Earl must be aware that the whole business of the country in this respect is carried on by a system of contracts; and if the Government abandons that system, the only course left open to the Government is to take into its own hands the whole ma- 1089 nufacture of clothing, and all those other things with which it is necessary that the Government should be supplied. Short of this—if, for instance, we attempted to introduce a system with respect to limiting the amount of wages, and with respect to the nature of the articles and work required, I think we should be opening the door to a system of imposition which would throw additional burdens on the Exchequer, and prevent the public being served on the same terms as now. With respect to the Government either altering the present system of supplying the public necessaries, or recommending the Legislature to adopt any measure for altering by law the wages now given, and for introducing a scale, possibly required in this trade, and not by other classes, I do not think that any such interference would be attended with success, or ultimately with advantage to that particular class of persons to whom the noble Earl has alluded, however deserving they may be.
§ Subject at an end.
§ House adjourned to Thursday next.