In 1713, the Weavers' Company, alarm ed at the tendency of a treaty of commerce which had been concluded with France, under which the general introduction of French silks would soon have ruined the English manufacture, petitioned parlia ment against the bill for rendering effec tual the eighth and ninth articles of the treaty,and in their petition they represent the state of the manufacture at that pe riod in the following words: "That by the encouragement of the crown and of di vers acts of parliament, the silk manufac ture is come to be above twenty times as great as it was in the year 1664 ; and that all sorts of as good black and coloured silks, gold and silver stuffs and ribbons, are now made here as in France ; that black silk for hoods and scarfs, not made here above twenty-five years ago,hath amount ed annually to above three hundred thou sand pounds for several years past, which before were imported from France, &c. As not only persons concerned in the silk trade, but most other manufacturers and merchants, were against the articles of the treaty which caused this petition, the bill was rejected by the House of Commons, to the great joy of the drapers, mercers, and weavers of London, who ex pressed their satisfaction at the event by bonfires and illuminations.
A few years after, the art of throwing fine raw silk into organzine was introduced into this country by Messrs. Thomas and John Lamb ; but some impediments aris ing to the success of the undertaking, their machinery was afterwards applied to throwing train and singles. See Oa OANZINE.
The decline of the Turkey trade being attributed at this period to the French exporting woollens to Turkey, and taking raw silks in return, which were after wards brought from Italy into this coun. try, an act was passed prohibiting the im portation of raw silk, the produce of Asia, from any ports in the Straits or Levant seas, except such ports and places as are within the dominions of the Grand Seig nior. It was also thought proper to pass an act for encouraging the consumption of raw silk, by rendering more effectual a former act respecting the trifling articles of buttons and button boles. In 1721, a much more important act was passed, al lowing drawbacks on different descrip tions of manufactured silk goods, when exported. In 1730, an act was passed for reducing the duties then payable on the importation of China raw silk, to the same duty as was payable on raw silk imported from Italy, which was certainly an advan tage to the manufacture. China silk being of a quality peculiarly adapted to several purposes,particularly in the gauze branch, which, at one time consumed a large pro portion of it, though it has since become inconsiderable. By the act just mention ed, the East India Company were ena bled to increase with advantage their im port of silk, which at that time was not very considerable, raw silk being still principally brought from Turkey.
Total quantity of raw silk imported into Great Britain in the year 1750.
From Flanders - . 1,407 Me. Spain and Portugal - 2,564 Straits 14,897 Italy 36,301 Turkey - - - 132,894 East Indies - - - 43,876 231,959 In 1763, an act was passed for render ing more effectual the act of 19 Henry VII. by imposing fines on the importers or venders of the articles therein prohi bited, in addition to the forfeiture of the goods. This measure, though it might in some degree check the introduction of foreign articles, was by no means ade quate to the object it had in view, as the importation still continued, which, from the jealousy and discontent it excited among the workmen in this manufacture, appeared likely, in the beginning of the year 1765, to be attended with serious consequences. The journeymen weavers and others connected with the trade, who conceived themselves injured by the com mon use of French silks. assembled in Spitalfields and Moorfields by beat of drum, in order to petition Parliament for redress by a total prohibition of such arti cles, and from thence proceeded in dif ferent bodies to St. James's and West minster Hall. This disposition, and the report that the weavers in the inland towns were coming to London to join their distressed brethren, excited consi derable alarm ; they were, however, pre vented from committing any great out rage, and finally appeased, by a season. able subscription for their relief, and an association among the principal mercers to recall all the orders they had given for foreign manufactures. An act was also passed, prohibiting the importation of fo reign manufactured silk stockings and gloves into Great Britain and the British dominions, and for rendering more effec tual the act passed in 1763 for prohibit ing other articled. For the encourage ment of the throwing part of this manu facture, an act was likewise passed in 1765, for reducing the duties then pay able on the importation of raw silk, for allowing a drawback on the exportation of raw and thrown silk to Ireland, and for prohibiting the exportation of raw silk from Ireland. In the next year an act was passed toprohibit the importation of foreign manufactured silks and velvets, and for preventing unlawful combinations of workmen employed in the silk manu facture ; the preamble to the act stated, that great quantities a foreign wrought silks and velvets were daily brought into and sold in Great Britain. By another act a heavy additional duty was imposed on Italian silk crapes and tiffanies, im ported into this country.