SILK. 
ing unlawful combinations of workmen em- 
ployed in the silk manufacture ; the pream- 
ble to the act stated, that great quantities 
of 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, 
imported into this country. 
Towards the end of the year 1767, it 
was determined that all future court mourn- 
ings should be shortened to one half of the 
time, which had been usually observed. 
This was considered particularly beneficial 
to the silk manufacture, and the Weavers’ 
Company presented an address to his Ma- 
jesty on the occasion, in which they assured 
him that his benevolent resolution would 
“ greatly promote the silk manufactures of 
this kingdom, give great spirit to the trade, 
tend to the improvement of it in many 
branches, and be the means of giving con- 
stant employment to the workmen, many 
of whom, owing to the late mournings, have 
been out of employ, and in want of bread.” 
They also expressed their obligations to the 
Queen and the rest of the royal family, for 
their patronage and encouragement of the 
silk manufacture, An address was likewise 
presented on the same occasion, signed by 
all the principal merchants, manufacturers, 
and others connected with the silk trade. 
The journeyman weavers, probably sup- 
posing, that by their combination and riot- 
ous proceedings a few years before, they 
had obtained the exclusion of foreign silks, 
now adopted the same' mode for obtaining 
an advance in the prices paid for workman- 
ship, which being resisted by their employ- 
ers, the men proceeded to the most dis- 
graceful acts of violence and atrocity, asso- 
ciating together under the name of cutters, 
and going about in parties at night, dis- 
guised and armed with pistols, cutlasses, 
and other weapons ; breaking into the 
houses of those workmen who did not join 
them, but followed their employ as usual, 
and cutting to pieces and destroying all the 
silk they found in the looms of such work- 
men. The value of the silks thus destroy- 
ed was very considerable j and, in some in- 
stances, they ill-treated or murdered those 
whom they found at work. Several were 
brought to justice ; but it w'as a consider- 
able time before this lawless disposition en- 
tirely subsided. In a dispute between mas- 
f ters and wmrkmen, respecting pay, the op- 
posite interests of the parties must always 
fender jt difficult to come to an amicable 
adjustment, and after various attempts in 
this instance, an act was passed in 1773 to. 
authorise the magistrates of the cities of 
London and Westminster, the eounty of 
Middlesex, and the liberty of the Tower, 
to settle the pay of the workmen in the dif- 
ferent branches of this manufacture, in their 
respective districts. 
On the extension of the w'ar in 1770, 
much inconvenience was experienced from 
the want of a sufficient supply of Italian 
thrown silk, caused in a great measure by 
an act of 2 William and Mary, by which tlie 
importation of Italian thrown silk was pro- 
hibited, unless imported according to the 
Navigation Act, and directly by sea from 
some of the ports of the country of its 
growth or production : this regulation was 
therefore now suspended, and organzine 
silk, of the growth or production of Italy, 
was permitted to be imported from any 
port or place, or in any ships or vessels 
whatsoever. In consequence of this permis- 
sion, the silks of Italy were brought to Ensf- 
land by a circuitous rout over land, and im- 
ported from Ostend and other ports of Flan- 
ders, till the peace. At a period of the 
war when the falling off of the silk trade 
was very considerable, Mr. John Callaway, 
of Canterbury, fortunately introduced a 
new article, which afforded employment to 
many hands. It was called Canterbury mus- 
lin, by which name it is still known, and 
many elegant varieties having been pro- 
duced, it gives employment to many hun- 
dred persons in London and elsewhere. 
As the prohibition of the importation of 
foreign manufactured silks did not extend 
to Italian crapes and tiffanies, which were 
permitted to be imported under a heavy 
duty, it was thought proper, in 1791, in 
consequence of improvements in the manu- 
facture of these articles, to restrict this 
permission, by prohibiting the importation 
of silk crapes and tiffanies, of the manufac- 
ture of Italy, unless brought directly from 
thence, and by discontinuing the allowance 
of drawback on exportation. 
The continual frauds committed by the 
different classes of persons employed in this 
manufacture, by purloining part of the silk 
entrusted to them, and resorting to various 
expedients for increasing the weight of the 
remainder, which fiequently rendered the 
part stolen but a small part of their em- 
ployers’ loss ; and the difficulty of convicting 
the persons who encouraged these practices 
by purchasing the stolen silk, caused an act 
to be passed in 1792, by which persons buy- 
ing or receiving, in any manner, silk, from 
