Star.
London, England, 1824-02-13 00:00:00

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shew the importance of these subjects. Tho,e who
wished that the existing state of things might continue,
would have an opportunity of stating their objections
before a Committee, in thu coosecution of the inquiry:
and in any measures it might he judged expedient to
found' on tiii,ted in a great measure to the assist-
ance of hi, 7.lajesty's Ministers ; and he entertained well
founded i:oce; of a benebcial result from the just prin-
ciples on which they seemed di,po ed to act with re-
spect to eve, ything connected with the industry and
commerce of the country. Without their concuirence
comillete effect could not be given to the labours of the
Committe-. With their aid he was disposed to think
that existing prejudices might be removed. The Ho-
nourable Gentleman coochided by moving for a Select
Committee to inquire into the state of the laws and their
consequences, re-petting artisans leaving the country,
the exportation of machinery, and the combination of
vLoi kmen.—Mr. ELLICE seconded the motion.

Mr. HUSXISSON said he did not mean to give any
opposition to the motion : on the contrary, he ruse to ex-
press his concurrence. At the same time, he wished it
to be understood that he held himself free as to the
cons se he should adopt, which would depend on the evi-
dence brought before the Committee. In much of the
general reasoning of the Honourable Gentleman (Mr.
Hume) he concurred. Of the impolicy of the laws
which went to restrain artisans from converting their skill
and dexterity to the best advantage he had little doubt.
However long any laws might have ramained on the
Statute Book, when a question was raised as to their
utility, it rested with those who maintained an opposite
s :e,v to prove the necessity of their existence. That
necessity must depend upon, and have reference to some
great and paramount public interest—(Near!)—not
merely the interest of any particular class who em-
ployed artisans, and whom alone it concerned that the
laws should remain. Upon no other principle than that
of being opposed to a paramount public interest could
any artisan be precluded from converting his skill and
labour to the best advantage, and carrying them to
whatever market he might judge most conducive to his
interest. He ought to be at liberty to secure his own
comfort wherever he thought there was the greatest
likelihood of success. They must first inquire whether
the laws restraining artisans fi om going out of the coun-
try were just and necessary; secondly, whether they
were efficient? For his own part he believed they led to
nothing but perjury.—They were ineffectual to prevent
any person from going out of the country—he had no-
thing to do but to take what was called a Custom-house
Oath. la France there were many manufactories, the
directors of which, and all the ts or kmen, were English.
If they could find as good a mar ket fur their skill and
labour at home, they would not go abroad. There were
few who would not willingly return, if they had a bet-
ter prospect of employaont. Though he had no doubt
upon the subject, still inquiry and discussion were ne-
cessary to remove any doubts that might exist in the
minds of those interested in the laws airuJed to. Opi-
nions were more divided upon the question of exporting
machinery. There were many who might think that it
would be injurious to the interests of those who held
patents. Still on this point too, he was disposed gene-
rally to coincide with the reasoning of the Honourable
Gentleman (Mr. Hume). If mechanics were allowed
to emigrate, it would be a diffiCtilL matter to prevent the
machinery also from leaving the country. Age, indeed,
since there was no effectual check upon the emigration
of artisans, the probability was that the machinery
which they used, if not made at home, and allowed to
be exported, would be made in foreign countries. It was
also a question for consideration, whether this part of
the law was practicable? For his own part he thought
it was not: for he had very good reason to know that
there was no piece of machinery, however cumbrous,
that could not be carried out of the country clandes-
firmly. He therefore fully agreed with the lion. Mem-
ber, in deeming it well worth inquiry, whether it would
not be better to avail our selves of the advantages to be
derived from the manufacture of the machinery for the
supply of other countries, than to continue in force laws
for restraining the exportation of machinery which could
not effect that object, but which might have the effect
transferring those advantages to other countries?—
With respect to that branch of the Hon. Member's
motion which related to what were commonly called
the Combination Laws, he had no hesitation in stating
his opinion to be, that so far from operating in any de-
gree to check the spirit of combination among work-
men, all the laws that had ever been enacted on that
bead had only tended to increase such combination.
The disputes and misunderstandings which had been
of such frequent occurrence for many years past, be-
tween the masters and workmen in the manufacturing
districts, the constant jealousies that had been fomented
among them, and the heat and irritation with which
they bad been kept up, all arose out of the impression
that those laws were framed 1. r the prejudice of the
working classes, and for the advantage of their em-
ployers. It was no unimportant objection to any law,
that it created between the masters and die workmen a
different relation from that which ought to be kept up.''
And it was enough for him to know that an improper
state of feeling, arising out of the state of die laws, did
subsist between those parties, to induce him to support
a proposition for an inquiry into all the laws that re-
strained labour, or controuled the artisan, either in
the choice of the place where his labour should be em-
ployed, or of the mode of employing it, or which at
all interfered with the contract between niaste, s and
workmen, with :t view to the removal of such of those
lan s as should be found to be too oparta;sive to be car-
ried into operation, or otherwise im;aslitic in their na-
ture and tendency ; though from want of fuller inkr-
mation on the subject, he was not prepared to go the
length of the Honourable Mem'>er in saying that it
would be better that all those laws shauld be reae.oed.
There were indeed some among them which, as it ap-
veered to him at present, it would Lc impossible to do
without. Where, for instance, a et orkman was on,
ployed on work which he ought in a given time
to finish, there must be souse law by %%Inch he
must be compelled to do it, or punished for his
ne.;lect. In like manner, when workmen combined
together to prevent others from wurl.ing, fur the pur-
pose of carrying some particular object, it was trot
to be supposed that they could be pertnh:ed to do so
with impunity ; perhaps, however, the Common Law
be found adequate to the punishment and repres-
sion of this offence. On the whole he was convince.:
there could be outhing more desirable than that the
lharae of Commarra should apply its attention seriously
to the consideration of the subject ; so far, therefore,
from opposing the motion, he would rather afford the
honourable Member all the encomagemeut arid assist-
: nce in power in pursuing the inquiry, and in seek-
ing out the best. means of promoting the object which