The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-07-05
SPEECH
SE
HON. SAMUEL S. BLAIR, OF PEHk'A.
Delivered i'm the a.. S. House Of
Representative, lIay7, 1850.
TCONCTUDED I


To accomplish this end, it was her con-
slant effort, until recently, to cut off all
other nations from the means of improve
ment in manufacturing industry, which
they might derive from the skill of her
artisans. Her statute books abound in
themOs5arbitrary and iliiberal enactments,
forbidding all persons from entering into
contracts with British operatives, who
We're ingenious and skillful in any of the
various branches Of manufactures, to 90
into foreign countries, for the avowed
purpose, in almost every instance, Of pre-
venting foreign nations from availing
themselves Of their knowledge, and there
by building up factories for themselves
Her restrictions, however, did not stop
here; but, with the same spirit and intent,
laws were enacted to prevent the eXpOrta-
tion of all tools and machines used by her
manufacturers. Such restrictive and pro-
| hibitory laws for the encouragement of
trade. meet the eye so often, in turning
| over the statutes Of the last century, that
| it would almost seem to have been the
chief business Of legislation, to build up
! British manufactures, and British ship
! ping, and to counteract the efforts Of all
other nations to diversity their pursuits,
aud supply themselves. As an example,
! | present the following, passed i'll l783,
chapter 68:
can act to prohibit the export of tools
and utensils made use Of in the iron and
steel manufactures of the Kingdom, and
| TO prevent the contracting with artisans
in these factories TO go abroad" The
preamble read thus ''Whereas the ex-
poration Of the several tools and utensils
made use of in preparing, working up,
and finishing iron and steel manufactures
Of this Kingdom, VIII enable foreigners
to work at such manufactures, and there
by greatly diminish the expectation of the
same from this Kingdom therefore, for
| the preserving as much as possible the
benefits arising from those great and reli-
able branches Of trade and commerce, &c,
| be it enacted"
The act then proceeds TO forbid the OK
port of machinery, such as rollers, moulds,
punches, Nc. enacts heavy penalties tor
its violation, besides confscation Of the
machinery when seized. An additional
| preamble declares:
"And whereas, for the encouraging Of
such manufactures in this Kingdom, 1t is
necessary that provision should be made
to prevent artfcers ard others employed
therein from departing" &c. and then
follows the prohibitary provision against
seducing, soliciting, or contracting with
workmen to go into foreign Countries
There was not until recently an important
branch of industry in the Kingdom that
was not protected by enactments oi
like extreme and arbitrary severity. Yet
it was not enough to prevent foreigners
from employing their workmen and buy
ing their machines !; for other nations
would gradually direct their endeavors tc
manufacture their own materials, unless
restrained. But it has been her concurrent
policy, in perfect harmony with the law;
here mentioned, to push her armies anC
navies around the world, conquerlng EN-
pires upon which the sun never sets
ri whereto her merchants may carry hel
manufactures unmolested by competition
1t is not for fame that she has won hel
most splendid victories, so much as fol
her markets 1t is not SO much the love
of glory that fires her. ambition, as the
calculation of the merchant, who seeks ;
place to sell his woollens, his cottons, anC
his iron For this, she wars with th'
weak ana IlIIiSuCS WIN tIlC 0'AO4io
, short, her design is to manufacture tht
raw materials Of her own and of other ma
tions, not only for her own supply, bu
for the supply of the world / he chic
element of her power to underWofk othe
nations and supply them with her fabric
is the low wages of her nranufacturin:
operatives. Competition for employment
reduces wages as it reduces the prices o
all other commodities and the inquiry
. presented, why it is that III q cogntr
3, where manufactures have been highly ia
yorcd, the condition Of theoperativcs IN tn
manufacturing districts, mas 50 generail
4 excited the commiseration of the humane
Accustomed as men are to associate pos
cr and dignity with the perPetuatlon g
large Landed estataes in families, especial
= lv where the spirit of fedualism has bee
:. infused into the framework OF society, a
was the case in England, it is not to
!. wondered at that the lands of the hinS
dom were chiefly concentrated into tn
hands of the few The titles ben
generafiy under family settlements, b
I. deeds, wills, and other assurances, gay