Sitting of 17 July 1823

SILK MANUFACTURE BILL.
On the order of the day for the third reading of this bill,
Lord Bexleysaid, that with the assistance of the noble and learned lord on the woolsack, and other noble lords, he had been endeavouring to prepare the amended clauses in such a manner as to meet, what he understood was the opinion of the majority of their lordships. It was now proposed, that the power of the magistrates to regulate the wages of journeymen within the districts in question, should be left untouched; but that the master manufacturers should be allowed to employ any part of their capital out of those districts; and that the period within which information should be allowed for offences against the existing law, should be limited to three months. Such were the amendments proposed, and he now moved that they be introduced into the bill.
Lord Ellenboroughexpressed his conviction, that the adoption of these amendments would be more advantageous to the journeymen, than if the bill had been thrown out altogether; because, in the latter case, the manifest injustice of the restriction on the employment of capital out of the districts in question, would no doubt have caused the renewal of the bill in the next session, under circumstances highly favourable to it. He trusted that the only advantage the journeymen would take of their triumph, if they chose to call it so, would be to come to some terms with their masters respecting the rate of: wages for figured articles. If not, it would be their own fault should the masters employ: their capital in districts where more moderate wages were paid. If they met their masters fairly they would not have apprehend, hat the masters would avail themselves of the provisions of the bill to remove any part of their capital from the districts in which it was at present employed.
The Earl of Harrowbyconcurred completely in all that had just fallen from the noble baron. He trusted the workmen would be sensible that to the uncommon prudence and propriety of their conduct, what had taken place was attributable; and he trusted, with the noble baron, that they would now show a disposition to come to fair terms with their masters on the score of wages, especially with regard to fancy articles. If they stickled for much higher wages than were paid in other places, they must necessarily be thrown out of much of their present employment.
Lord Calthorpefelt sincere regret that the bill had not passed e in which it had entered their lordships' House; convinced as he was, not merely that it consulted the best principles of political economy, but that it was due, in humanity and justice, even to the very individuals by whom it had been so strongly opposed. He hoped, however, that ministers would not be deterred from pursuing, with regard to other branches of our trade, that liberal policy which he firmly believed was calculated to give a stronger impulse to the manufactures and commerce of this country than they had hitherto received from any legislative proceeding.
The Earl of Darlingtondeclared his hearty concurrence in the alterations which it was proposed to make in the bill, and without which he could not have voted for it.
The amendments were then agreed to, and the bill was read a third time and passed.