Class XIII.]
363
for their sale and consumption. It is remarkable thatthough the raw material is, like cotton, an exotic, thejudicious application of skill and capital has overcomethat natural impediment; and articles of extensive con-sumption, for the supply of which England was a tewyears since almost entirely dependent on foreign pro-ducers, are now nearly exclusively manufactured inSpitalfields, Lancashire , and other favourable districts.Of this fact the Exhibition furnishes many examples.The Jury do not allude to this as depreciatory of similargoods of foreign production, ■which are equally wellmade, but as illustrative of the beneficial effect of thepolicy by which the incubus of heavy duties ou the rawand thrown material was removed, and that which ope-rated as a practical prohibition on the foreign manufac-tured article was reduced to an almost nominal impost.
Goods are now made, both for the home and foreignmarkets, which were heretofore exclusively supplied bycontinental manufacturers, lu Macclesfield , for instance,there are siugle houses which produce boys’ ties, andladies’ silk handkerchiefs alone, both plain and fancy, tothe extent of from 4 >,000 to 50,000 dozen per annum,averaging from 75. to 20s. per dozen, employing 1500hands, many of them under twenty years of age, andpaying from 800/. to 1000/. per week in wages. In Essex,also, this liberal policy has been followed by resultsequally striking. Very extensive silk-throwing millshave been established in the towns of Colchester, Cog-glesliall, Braintree, Booking, and Halstead; and in thethree latter towns, where, under the system of heavyimport duties or absolute prohibition, silk manufacturesscarcely existed, articles of crape, gauze, aud other similarfabrics are now produced upon the largest scale.
It may be doubtful whether excess of competition isnot rather calculated to lower the standard of perfectionthan otherwise; but where, as in the silk manufacture,the market is the world, and the consumption unlimited,the scope for the exercise of taste and skill in all pro-ducing countries is proportionately extensive and pro-fitable.
Before terminating these preliminary remarks, the Jurydeem it right to mention that the house of Lewis andAllenry, of London ' p. 505), exhibit some brocadedsilks of the highest order of artistic and manufacturingskill, of which they are the sole designers; but althoughthey furnished both the pattern and the pecuniary meansfor producing it by the weaver, yet as they are not them-selves manufacturers, the Jury did not conceive it to bewithin their province to award these exhibitors the Medalto which, under other circumstances, they would beentitled.
The Jury are of opinion that those only should havethat distinction conferred upon them, in this Class, whoembark their capital and taleut in the manufacture ofarticles which, by the quautity and quality produced,assume a character of national importance; and thattherefore an isolated case like the present, howevermeritorious, should not be made exceptional also. If theJury had felt themselves justified in making exceptionsto this rule, they would have noticed the silk goods ex-hibited by many firms, both wholesale and retail, whichare distinguished by manufacturing talent and artistictaste. It is, however, due to their public spirit to makespecial mention of the following:—
Candy and Co. (p. 1232); J. Howell and Co. (p. 505);Marshall and Snelgrove (p. 505); J. W. Pl t gh (p.503); Rf.dmayne and Co. (p. 503); Sewell, Evans, andCo. (p. 504); Swan and Edgar (p. 504); and Tuvee audCo., of Paris (p. 1212).
France,
Long the cradle and chief seat of the silk manufacture,amply sustains its position in the present Exhibition. ItM’ould be difficult to do adequate justice to the variedclaims of the throwster, dyer, designer, and weaver, ofthe maguificent assortment of goods which occupies thedepartment assigned to that country, and which excitesthe admiration of all who take an interest in this im-portant branch of industry. The Jury have had no hesi-tation in awarding Medals to the large number of exhi-
bitors whose names will be found below, and have re-luctantly omitted others whose merits are scarcely lessdeserving of that mark of distinction. The well-meritedreputation of the manufacturers of France , and the numberand extent of the European and transatlantic marketsthey have hitherto so largely supplied, supersede the ne-cessity for extended observations. The Jury cannot,however, conclude this brief notice without directingattention to the striking fact, that although Lyons liasbeen unfortunately too frequently exposed to fierce localdisturbances, and has shared in the misfortunes whichattend national revolutions, the peculiar trade of the dis-trict lias not degenerated in character or importance—afact which they attribute mainly to the circumstance thatprohibitive duties, which oppress other branches of manu-facture, are removed from this.
Only exhibits a few articles of comparatively small im-portance.
Tlie same remark applies to the comparatively smallassortment from this country.
The manufactured silks from this important dependencyof the British Empire which have been exhibited, are in-considerable in quantity, and not very novel in character.The Jury have been unable to award Medals to exhi-bitors, not only for this reason, but also because theparties exhibiting are not the producers or manufacturers.They are not, however, the less entitled to thanks fortheir liberality in causing the samples found in this de-partment of the Exhibition to be manufactured audexhibited.
The reputation of this country, as the chief producer ofthe raw and thrown material, is well sustained by thesamples exhibited. Manufactured goods of great meritare also to be found in this department, among which thevelvets of Genoa and Turin must be signalised as fullysustaining their ancieut character for beauty and quality.
The manufacturers of this country exhibit a smallassortment of rich gold and silver brocades for ecclesias-tical purposes, and miscellaneous articles in gauze, velvet,satin, &c., but nothing of sufficient importance to meritspecial notice. Considering the advantages of climate,and the abundant labouring resources which this countryenjoys, this sterility of skill, enterprise, and application ismuch to be regretted.
Although, as before observed, raw silks are not com-prised in their Class, the Jury have noticed some veryfair samples from this country; which, as also somethrown silks, afford promise of an important branch ottrade being opened at no distant period. The same maybe emphatically said of the manufactured silks to befound in this department. They are highly creditable tothe producers, whether as regards the choice of the ma-terial, the colours, the design, or the manufacture. Somemaguificent silks for furniture and ecclesiastical purposesdeserve special notice.
The progress made in this important branch of manu-facture during the last few years, is illustrative of theadvantages which seldom fail to result from the removalof prohibitory duties, and the introduction of a low tariff.
The Jury have only been able to award one Medal toan exhibitor from this country; but specimens of goodraw silk, and of considerable manufacturing merit iuribbons, broad silks, &c., may be found in this depart-ment.
A very little attention to details might make this branchof manufacture of great importance to the country.