A treatise on the origin, progressive improvement, and present state of the silk manufacture / [Anon].

  • Porter, George Richardson, 1792-1852.
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the origin, progressive improvement, and present state of the silk manufacture / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    91/370 (page 67)
    least, double duties might be laid upon all foreign wrought silks. To this prayer their lordships do not seem to have given immediate attention; for in the fol- lowing year, on the day appointed for the meeting of parliament (the 10th of January), the journeymen silk weavers of London, who were suffering from the then prevailing fashion of wearing French silks, assembled in vast numbers, and marched to the parliament house with drums beating and colours flying (as their succes- sors have frequently done on subsequent occasions affect- ing their interests), in order to promote their petitions for relief, making personal application to the several members as they proceeded to the house of commons, and representing the wretched situation of themselves and their families. The weavers were at this time not contented with asking for the imposition of additional import duties in their favour, but prayed for the total prohibition of all foreign wrought silks. The sight of such a multitude of people, who seemed ripe for the commission of almost any outrages, added to a report that the weavers were preparing to set out from inland towns in order to join their London brethren, caused a great consternation in the public generally, and more especially among the principal silk mercers, who, by dealing in the obnoxious articles, conceived themselves more exposed to resentment. To make their peace, these dealers came under engagements with the weavers to countermand all their orders for foreign silks; a con- tribution was made for the immediate relief of the suf- ferers, and parliament reduced the duties payable upon the importation of raw and thrown silks. By these measures the weavers were appeased; and the only vio- lence committed by them consisted in breaking the windows of some of those mercers who dealt in silks of French manufacture. At a later period of the session an act was passed prohibiting the trade in foreign manufactured silk stock- ings, silk mitts, and silk gloves; and the prohibition which already existed against the importation of ribands,