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complete justice. The knowledge of this circumstance without doors would, he hoped, have the effect of urging the masters in the calico printing trade to accede to that amicable adjustment with the journeymen, which had been so strongly recommended by an hon. friend of his (Mr. Sheridan) about the close of the last session. It was very much to be regretted that such an adjustment had not taken place, and the disinclination of the masters to consent to it, rendered it indispensably necessary to the cause of justice, that some legislative proceeding should be adopted. He had consulted with the chairman of the committee which sat last session, and it was his opinion, with that of many other members of that committee, that it was highly proper that something decided should be done. The question for consideration, as it struck him, was this, whether the ordinary and established relation between masters and journeymen in the other mechanical professions should exist in the trade of the calico printers. At present no such relation did exist. All the advantages of the system of apprenticeship were, in this trade, on the side of the masters, in which, the moment an apprenticeship expired, the person who served it was likely to be thrown out of bread, without even the chance of future employment. It was, he contended, one of the first duties of a good government, particu larly in a trading country, to attend to a case of this nature. While the system of apprenticeships went on, it was surely unfair that it should operate altogether in favour of one of the contracting parties; the one devoting so many years of his life to qualify himself to work as a journeyman at a trade, from the opportunity of employment at which the master excludes him, by the extreme and successive multiplication of apprentices. In consequence of this practice, there were at present some thousands of journeymen calico printers out of work; the greater part of whom are refused employment, unless they consent to sign a second contract, or indenture, binding themselves to serve a kind of second apprenticeship, on the terms prescribed by the masters. The difference between the wages of an apprentice and a journeyman was, he observed, from 4s. and 75. to 24s. and 30s. per week; of course the mas ters were naturally disposed to prefer the former. It was, however, incumbent on those to whom the duty of legislative arrangement belonged, to consider fairly the interests of all classes; and the interest of the master was not, surely, entitled to such a preference as should put that of the journeyman entirely out of view. But with respect to the interest of

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the community; the value of any article of manufacture was to be estimated in a great measure with reference to the price of labour: now, as the calico printers sold their goods at a price founded on the rate of wages at 30s. per week, although they obtained persons to work at 4s. and 75. it struck his mind that they had more profit than they were justly entitled to. For the fact was, that although the journeymen were deprived of their subsistence, to make way for the employment of boys, and thus to reduce the expence of the manufacture, no reduction whatever took place, in consequence, of the price of the article to the public. All the profit was confined to the master -none, whatever, was given to the consumer. It really appeared to him, that such a case formed a fit subject for taxation, and ought to be made productive to the revenue. The hon. member concluded with submitting his motion.

Mr. Rose was ready to admit the importance of this question, and was fully inclined to give the utmost attention to the prayer of the petitioners. Their case, he was well assured, was deserving of consideration. But from the knowledge he had of a similar business in the course of the two last sessions (the cotton weavers' petition), he was much afraid that the subject was too complicated to be gone into at the present advanced period of the session; that it could not be disposed of in one or two days, as the hon. mover seemed to imagine, nor in so many weeks. He therefore submitted to the hon. gentleman, whether it would not be better to postpone the matter till the next session, when as early as he chose to bring it forward, he (Mr. Rose) should be ready to give him any assistance in his power.

Mr. Egerton and Mr. Lascelles thought the case of the petitioners highly deserving of attention, but concurred with the hon. gentleman who spoke last, that it was too late in the session at present to give it all the consideration that was due to it.

Mr. Moore expressed his unwillingness to press the subject at present. He wished and hoped that ministers would take up the case of the petitioners, and have justice done to them. They could hardly select a case where the exertion of their influence would do them more honour. The petitioners he felt to be treated with great injustice, and he trusted that the gentlemen who professed a disposition to attend to their claims, would give him their assistance next session, when, at an early period, he pledged himself to bring the subject before the house.

The

The hon. member, with leave of the house, withdrew his motion.

STIPENDIARY CURATES' BILL.

The Attorney-General moved the order of the day for the third reading of the stipendiary curates' residence bill.

On the question being put, a discussion took place, in which Mr. Barham, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Fuller, Mr. Deverel, Mr. Eyre, and Lord Porchester, opposed the bill, on the grounds that it would have the effect of giving to bishops too much political power, which might be unconstitutionally exerted at general elections; that it would be a deviation from the principle of law with respect to the manner of interfering with the property of the subject; that it had not yet been sufficiently considered; that the deduction from the incumbent ought to go to a general fund, and not to be given to the ticular curate; that it would dissolve the connexion between rector and curate; that it would be a reform in the church establishment, and that it might lead to other reforms, which it would not be safe, even in discussion, to anticipate.

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The bill, on the other hand, was defended by Mr. I. H. Browne, whose opinion, as to the expediency of the measure, had not been altered, though he had given every attention to the arguments on the other side, which appeared to him to apply equally against every former measure on this subject as against the present; by Mr. Pole Carew, who, though admitting the measure to be liable to some objections, was disposed to receive it in the present instance, as some such measure was necessary; and by the Attorney General, who insisted that this bill proceeded on the principle of the former bills, differing only from them by enlarging the maximum of income which in certain tases the bishops might allow the curates, and that it was subsidiary to a bill which had passed the legislature in a former session, and had the effect of multiplying non-residence by enlarging the time that rectors may be non-resident any year from one to three months, which had given the claim on the legislature to provide an adequate resident clergyman.

A division took place after an amendment by Lord Porchester, that the bill be read a third time that day three months....

For the third reading

For the amendment

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The bill was then read a third time and passed.

VOL. III. 1805.

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On the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the smuggling prevention bill passed through a committee; when the house being resumed, the report was brought up, ordered to be printed, for the purpose of being taken into further consideration that day se'nnight, and an order made that the petitioners against the bill be heard by counsel, if they think fit, on the further consideration of the report.

The order for receiving the report of the prize agency bill the next day, was put off to Wednesday next, to allow time to prepare some amendments.

The Irish stamp duties bill, the Irish malt bill, and the Irish excise license bill, were read a third time and passed.

The Irish distillery bill, the West India free ports bill, the post horse duty farming bill, and the auditors of public accounts bill, passed severally through committees. To be re

ported next day.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the committee on the propriety of allowing the lord lieutenant of Ireland to grant the sum of twenty thousand pounds to the paving board of Dublin for paving that city. The resolution was agreed to; and it was ordered to be an instruction to the committee on the paving commissioners bill, to make provision therein pursuant thereto.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the committee for exempting woollens exported to the East Indies from duties of customs; the resolution was agreed to, and a bill ordered accordingly.

The house went into a committee on the southern whale fishery act; and, on the motion of Mr. Rose, resolved, that the bounties at present existing for the encouragement of that trade should be continued. The report was ordered to be received next day.

Mr. Alexander brought up the report of the Irish excise and customs offices bill, which was agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read a third time next day.

On the motion of Mr. Foster, an order was made for a committee of the whole house to consider of the propriety of improving the harbour of Dublin on the north side of the hill of Howth, and making it a fit station for his majesty's packets. Adjourned.

HOUSE

HOUSE OF LORDS.

FRIDAY, MAY 31.

Some bills were brought up from the commons, and read a first time.

The order of the day was then read, for the house to resolve itself into a committee on the matters respecting Mr. Judge Fox; and that venerable person, accompanied by his counsel, Mr. Adam and Mr. Nolan, immediately entered the house, where Mr. Justice Fox was placed in a chair below the bar, habited in his judicial robes. Mr. Adam, as soon as the charges contained in the address were read at the table, rose in behalf of his venerable client, and after passing over in review the various matters set forth in the petitions, and enumerated in the address, observed, that what now stood as matter of charge against his venerable client, materially differed, at least in point of expression, from what was in the first instance alleged against him. He more particularly insisted on the words, illegal fines, said to have been imposed by that respectable judge on certain jurymen of the county of Fermanagh, which very strong expression, together with many others of a similar nature, were to be found in the petitions now before the house, and of which his learned and venerable client had no knowledge until within these ten or twelve days. The learned counsel, after commenting on the serious nature of these material alterations, concluded with praying that his learned and respectable client should be allowed the inspection of the minutes of evidence taken before the former committee.

On this request a conversation ensued.

The Lord Chancellor opposed the request, as being contrary to every form and precedent of that house, and by no means necessary to do justice to Mr. Justice Fox, as the petitioners could not be better acquainted with the proceedings before the committee than he must be.

Lord Grenville, on the other hand, contended, that substantial justice required, that the prayer of the counsel for the learned judge should be complied with, and wherever justice intervened all ideas of form must yield. It was a fact that three of the charges exhibited against the learned judge were not contained in any of the petitions presented against him, but were founded on the accusation of the noble marquis who had brought them forward. He did not mean to say that the noble marquis himself felt individually as a party against the

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