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position, that the linen fabrics of that country were fast displacing 
all others in the markets of the world. 
Another very important power vested in this Board related to. 
the appointment of persons to examine all cloth before being 
offered for sale; to measure each web, and to stamp it with a 
seal. A penalty of £5 was inflicted for selling unsealed linen. 
At first the Act met with violent opposition on the part of the 
weavers. Mobs assembled, and various outrages were committed, 
in order to force drapers and others not to recognize the sealing of. 
the goods. This was a foolish opposition on the part of the 
weavers, against regulations which were intended for their own 
protection. Before the appointment of Seal Masters by the Board 
of Trustees, the weavers were entirely at the mercy of the buyers, 
many of whom used no just standard of measurement. Very often 
when a proper yard-stick was not at hand, they would cut a stick 
out of the nearest hedge, which was often an inch or two longer 
than the statute measure. In measuring, also, it was stated that 
by sleight of hand they could often take from half to a whole yard 
above the just measure. 
The export and home trades were at this time injured very 
much by the weavers making up inferior linen with a good outside 
look ; often too short in measure, and damaged throughout. They. 
were thus ruining the trade. The Board now appointed Juries to 
examine the cloth, which was reported to be unmerchantable, 
although passed by some of the Seal Masters, who took bribes, and 
became parties to a general system of fraud. On the 16th March, 
1784, the Juries condemned three hundred and forty-three pieces 
as tender and unmerchantable. Each piece was ordered to be cut, 
to prevent its being exported. The Seal Masters who passed these 
damaged goods were heavily fined. The precautions thus taken 
to prevent the exportation of bad cloth were wise and judicious, 
and did much towards maintaining the first class reputation which 
Trish linens had enjoyed in the markets of the world. It was high 
time that strong measures were adopted to save the trade. The 
exports had fallen off one-fourth in two years. The consequence 
was, that three-fourths, and in some places more than this propor- 
tion, of the looms throughout the north were silent. 
