Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-11-10
mOnoPoIIes in England.

III.
,oss and freedom of trade seem to be regarded by
the most enlightened men of modern times as
the most valuable. if not inaienable, rights OF
the human family, and as those most necessary
70 the Intellectual moral and industrial progress OF
mankind Our rude Anglo-Ssxon forefathers' Wnen
they emerged from the forests of Germany, SEEM
from the accounts of the most accurate hlsforlars'
TO have brought with them to England an extraordi
nary share of these liberties for so early Perioa
in the history Of Human Progress. They declared
that he who had made three voyages on mereantle
adventure should be titular dignitary, whilst the
freedom of internal trade was unrestraned Inc
overthroy Of Saxon liberty, and the establishment
of the feudal system in England by the Normans,
placed all the mos. important liberties OF the people
IN the hands of military Gespots. The people were
for centuries seeking the restoration of AngloSaTen
laws and liberties.
The freedom Of Internal trade, founded on usage |
and established by Isqgtb of time as common law |
was broken down. Ii has been the practice OF
monarchs in all ages and countries, says Resces Eac
TO seize upon the most profitable trades and Yalpai
bic articles Of Internal and foreign trade and farm
them out to rapscious engr0ssers for large sums,
and they reimbursed themselves By the most OPP
pressive exactions on the people. So it was N Eng
land The Barons met King JoHN sword in h2nc,
in battle array, on the plain Of Runymede and ex-
acted from him the recognition Of one of the old
princfples of Anglo-Saxon liberty in the following
stimulation: ~AI the merchants, if not openly pro
hibited before, shall have their safe and just con-
duct to depart Of England TO tarry and go through
England as well by land and sea, 70 buy and sell
without any manner of evil tolls, BY the eid ana
rightful customs"
This was the law, fortiori. as to natiVes.-z
Inst, 81 Bacon, 582; Bacon, 32S. This great
charter from which so many of the most valuable
provisions Of the American State Constitutions are
| derived was constantly violated by succeeding
Kings 1t was confirmed, says HUME, thirty-twO
times. At lRteF period, it enacted by p Ed 3,
1925 that all persons foreigners well as natives
may buy and sell by Wholesale and by retail, when,
where and how they please paying the usual duties
and customs notwithstanding any grants franchises,
or usages to the conrary seeing such grants, usages
and franchises are to the common prejudice Of the
King and people.
ANDERSON, in his History of Commerce, vol l, P.
32s says that if this excellent and well judged stat
ute had been suffered TO remain in full force, the
nation would have increased much faster in Eefith
and population; but the monOPoising grants from
the crown, and the weight Of the towns, had cur
tailed and prohibited the privileges allowed to all
| by the act, and though all saw and lamented the
evil it was not easy to be remedied, by reason OF
the estates Requested and settled on mOnopolising
societies.
HUME first notices the progress of these monOpo-
lies in the time of HENRY VII, as having given
check to industry A company of London merchants
| % +I,ai,, from
trading to the Low Countries, except payment of
$40. So HENRY granted to an Italian the sole right
TO mport and vend in England 1900 quintaS of alum
and none else to import or vend alum till he sold on
his quantity Thus did this avaricious monarch
raise money.-AaderSor, UoL 2, p H.
So HENRY VII granted the sole right to manufacture
and Yend certain articles to certain towns excluding
the open country and prohibiting any one from ex-
ercising such trade, who was not a member OF the
| association. '-Hsme. The town Of Bridgeport had
the sole right TO manufacture and Tend hats, rope
and other articles, conferred on it on the pretext
that it was necessary to encourage the investment OF
capital in these branches of manufacture. But 1t
was in the reign of ELIZABETH that these monopohes
were carried to the greatest extreme. She granted
saws Hume to her servants and cortiers patents for
monopolies, and these patents they sold to others
who were thereby enabled to raise commodities to
what price they pleased, and who put invnclble re-
strants on all commerce, industry and emulation IN
the arts 1t is astonishing to consider the number
and importance of these commodities, which were
thus assigned over to patentees Salt, Iron, Cards
Oil Coal. Glass, Powder, Sulphur, beer, Leather
Spanish Wool &c. These but part Of the
commodities which had been appropriated to mo,
nopolists When list Of them was read IN the
| House af Commons a member cried, Is Bread in
the number" " Yes" another replied, if matters
20 on at this rate we shall have bread reduced to
monopolv before the next Parliament These
monopolists were SO exorbitant in their demands
that in some places they raised the price Of Sal
from I6 pence per bushe to 14or Is shillings suei
high prices naturally begot ntruders upon their tFad
I and in order to secure themselves they were IN
vested with high and arbitrary powers by which
thevwere enabled To opp"ess the people, thep power
TO search houses indict, and imprison,) whist al
domestic intercourse was thus restrained, lest an.
scope should remain for industry almost every spe
{ cics of foreign commerce confined to sXciusV
G comnapies. who bought and sold at any price the.
: themselves thought proper to offer and exact
fAmonGst others she granted, by charter the exciu
sive right to the Earl of Leicester to the profits
all trade with Morocco, to others the exclusive rlst
-, to the trade with Museovy, and to siR WALTEE ~
LEIGH the exclusive right to work the Tin Mines an
e vend Tin in Engand.)
, These grievances" says Mr.. HUME, " the moi
intolerabe for the present, and the most perciou
. in their consequences, that ever were known III an
age or nation were brought to the attention OF a.
Il lament in the 44th year of the Queens reign
bill entitled An Act to explain the common law
certain cases was introduced TO abolish all tines
= monopolies" II was said by Sir FRANeTs BACON,
% the debate, that the Queen had both en- enlargin
! and restraining prcrogative; that she could graz
:, anv subject the right to buy and sell when 1t WI
prohibited by act of Parliament and she could pr
= bibt the buying and selling except to her pate
: tees. where the law authorized all to buy and sell
:, that by either of these prerogatives she had Il
. riobt TO create the monoPolies complained Of
i, MOORE said #: .. cannot utter with my tongue NJ
:, conceive with my heart, the great grievances tn
tho town and country sufereth by reason of the'
N monopolists 1t bringeth the general profit into
as private hand and the end OF all this Is beggaFy al
IN bondage to the subject To what purpose Is 1t to
IN any thing bv act of Parliament when the Queen W
undo the same by her prerogative.'
n, Mr.. MAIrrrN sad i speak for a.town that griev
os and country that languishes under the burdens
= monstrous and inconcei1abe monoPoliss of tin, ifs
,s oil salt and know not what; nay, what not r
o. PRINCIPAL commodities of my town and country a
j. jnrrossed bv these blood-suckers Of the commo
so wealth; what will become of us when the fruits
- the soil and the commodities of our labor are tn
lv taken from us by warrant of supreme authority
ev Sir WALTER RALEIGH sand he bad increased the e
1I poyment of her maestys subjects in the TN MN
am Parliamentary Debates, H,iHe's Enyld'ad
IA MACAUIEY says: There was scarcely family
M tpe kinguoni "n'0" was n'' oPpiesseu ~ w.
ant horOi'@h' prices - ..o