The National Register.
London, England, 1814-05-22 00:00:00

MAY N•

less h% the numbers of unqu.slified persons (as thb phrase is)
who are suffered to work at his hUsiness. tlis feelings must
be h crowed in the cruelest manner if after lowg seeking for
employment, be at last finds himself riepriited of the means
of getting his bread, by one who has not been regularly
brought up to the trade, having been engaged Wore him. A
person thus circumstanced Most be expected to compiain in
bitterness of heart of the hardship of his case. It cannot be
denied that the complaints of those who Wish the Statute of
Elizabeth to be enforced are not idle. Undoubtedly many
of the cases which they have it in their power to bring for:.
ward are eases of unmerited suffering.

Dux in framing laws to govern and regulate the great mass
of society, it frequently happens that those on whom the du-
ties of legislation devolve, are placed in that situation in
which they are bound to avert their eyes from pat ticulat scenes
of distress, in order to do justice to the community at large.
They must, in succession, impartially look to all the varieties
of woe that may call for their attention. Doing this, they
will see the fifth of Elizabeth is likely to mist more affliction
than can possibly be anticipated from its repeal. A tnan
born to fortune is by some calamity deprived of his all. He
has talents which would enable hitn to maintain himself as
a mechanic, but is prohibited from the exercise of them.
Js he then to turn thief or pauper, because he has not served
a seven years apprenticeship ? For such a reason ought his
family to be deprived of their support, and made a borate')
to the public ? But it is not only those who have not served
an apprenticeshii\ who are placed in this situation. Those
who, thinking themselves secure from their seven yearsservi-
tude, are most anxious to have this Act enforced, may one
day, from its operation, find themselves deprived of bread.
Businesses which no one expected could fail have passed
away. Others may do the same, and those who now petition
against the repeal of the Statute complained of may, In their
turn, be reduced to starvation if their present efforts should
unfortunately be successful. Ought the 40,060 gnn-smiths
who will soon be out of work through the return of peace.
to be prohibited from turning their industry into another
channel ? Are these persons to starve because they have not
served sett eh years to some other ttade ? it is }highly proba-
ble that but one year ago the individuals we speak of, were
as eager as any other class of mechanics to enforce and ex-
tend the provisions of the fifth of Elizabeth. Ano!her rear
may possibly see sortie of' the present admirers of the 1.:.w in
their situation. How then would their misery be at.torravated
by a retrospecti';e glance at their late conduct ?
There arse many men who have been taught their trades by
their fathers or near relations, who never thought it of im-
portance to bind them. Ate these persons to be forbidden, to
exercise their talents and industry, and doomed to misery and
want, because their. uniform good conduct made all bondage
unnecessary ? The alarm that is one abroad is ridieOlenrs
in the extreme. The Petitions sent in against the repeal of
the Act are really entitled to little attention. •We do not
mean to say ,the %Kell being.of the persons signing them Otight
not to be an object of great consideration with the LegYsia-
ture, but weeonthnd, the apprehensions in which the Peti-
tions originated ate groundless. They tell the LegislatUre
that the flourishing state of our manufactories was owing to
the Fifth of Elizabeth, and they believe it. They have been.
told so, and it appears ,to them not improbable. But they
forget that, 41.l.lately, the Statute had lain dormant for many
years. Let them take this into consideration, and they must
see their terrors are groundless. They are not better off if:).v
than they were before this law was brought to bear on the
unfortunate objects who have been persecuted under it. This
ought to suggest to them) that it is notimpossible the progress
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