If we may credit the assertions of the best-informed of
the London journals, the Times, the country is slowly but progressively recover- ing from its commercial depression. The trade of London is certainly better, and cotton in the Liverpool market is rising. The Courier announced the commencement of this improvement long ago, but got credit for the ardour of its wishes only. The Globe, commenting on the Times' intelligence, remarks very truly, that much of the commer- cial distress may be fairly attributed to the continued and hitherto unaccountable fall in produce, which has of late scared every specu- lator from the market; no one, however long-sighted, being able to say when it was safe to purchase or to hold. If, as seems the case with cottons, produce generally has now reached its minimum of price, we may look for a speedy and salutary reaction. Considerable alarm was excited in Coventry and its neighbourhood, a few days ago, in consequence of a general turn-out of the weavers there. Matters wore so serious an aspect, that on Tuesday last the Magistrates found it necessary to issue-the following proclamation.
"City and County of the City of Coventry.—The Mayor and Magistrates having this day been informed that a tumultuous assembly of the operative weavers has taken place, and that they have, when so assembled, by threats of violence, induced many persons to abstain from working, and committed other flagrant breaches of the peace : the Mayor and Magistrates therefore give notice, that they are ready and desirous to receive informations against any person or persons who have so offended, in order that they may be forthwith proceeded against as the law directs. The Mayor and Magistrates hereby strictly enjoin all persons from holding any public meeting, or assembling in numbers, within this city and county, during the present excitation. "S. WHITWE LL, Mayor; S. VALE; N.MBRRIDE ; J. WEARE j W. CARTER. " September 29, 1829."
A meeting was notwithstanding held, at which the Magistrates at- tended, and where a committee of the men was appointed., in order to bring their disputes with the masters, if possible, to an amicable issue. Some trifling rioting took place between the turn-out and those who continued to work; but this has happily ceased, by the agreement of the masters to the terms demanded by the men, and the return of the latter to their labours. We may notice, by the by, that the cry against French ribbons must be utterly unfounded, for it is a notorious fact, that ribbons can be purchased in England 50 per cent cheaper than in France.
At Manchester, the masters are taking the only effectual method of getting rid of the combination, by encouraging workmen from distant places to settle there. The turn-out weavers have published an address on the occasion, in which they earnestly dissuade their brethren all over the country from taking the bread out of their mouths by listening to the masters invitations. This deprecation seems odd: the Man- chester weavers will not work, that is, they will not put bread into their mouths, and yet they clamour about the oppression of others taking it out ! The masters seem indignant at these perpetual mutinies among the workmen, and offer larger wages to strangers than they will agree to give to known hands. No great damage will accrue to the Manchester workmen after all. They will migrate to the place whence the supply of new hands is drawn, and where, in consequence of the withdrawal, the prices of labour will not fail to rise. The latest news from Barnsley speak of a disposition on the part of the weavers to return to work; some of them had already returned. Turn-outs are perhaps useful in cases of glutted markets ; at all events they are lawful, where no compulsion but that of reason is used to in- sure their adoption. But they do not bespeak a very general dis- tress. If the weavers can go idle for six weeks, either their pre- vious wages have been good, or if they receive assistance from other traders, those who assist them are not badly off. As indicative of a tolerable if not prosperous state of the labouring classes, we confess we like to hear of their combinations : they are a much better proof of the state of the country than the idle raving of a newspaper, whether Opposition or Ministerial A great and important meeting took place last week in Dublin, to consider the distress of the Liberty. The meeting was addressed at great length by Mr. G. 0. MOORE, one of the city members, and by Mr. SHELL. The speech of the former gentleman was principally di- rected to the deprecation of discussion. O'CONNELL was not present, nor was either of the GRATTANS. It was said that one way in which the distress might be temporarily relieved, and easily, was for all who compassionated the suffering workmen to use their utmost endeavours to promote the sale of Irish manufactures in preference to foreign. This has always been a favourite remedy for distress in Ireland. An important letter, which appeared in the Courier of yesterday, speaks thus of the South of Ireland:— "The tranquillity of this part of the kingdom, I am happy to inform you, continues undisturbed; and the state of the county of Tipperary, subsequent to the meeting of Magistrates at Thurles on the 7th instant, confirms, in a very conclusive manner, the view taken by his Excellency the Lord Lieute- nant, that the conjoint exertions of the civil and military authorities would be sufficient to preserve the peace of the county, without resorting to the Insurrection Act. I have learned from an intelligent individual resident in the county of Tipperary, that the dissatisfaction which improperly, and without the shadow of a foundation, pervaded the minds of the lower classes in that county, in consequence of the acquittal of the parties prosecuted for the affray at Borrisokane, has altogether subsided: and that by carrying into effect the various precautionary measures suggested by the magistracy, and sanctioned by the Government, thelocal authorities confidently expect that the county of Tipperary will very shortly be relieved from the disgrace of standing as an exception to the general tranquillity of the kingdom."
Previous page
