347 



leflhefs, fraud and extortion, among our manufafturers ; to enhance the 

 price, and deprave the quality, of our manufaftures. Competition is not 

 only the ftrongefl incitement, to the exertion of Ikiil and induftry, in the 

 workman ; it furniflies, alfo, powerful motives, to induce him to content 

 himfelf, with moderate profits, and to diftinguifh himfelf, by the fairnefs 

 of his dealings, as the mod efFedual means of vanquiihing his antagonift, 

 in a ftruggle for pre-eminence in the market. Were we reftrifted, to the 

 ufe of our own manufaftures, in every inftance ; the immediate confequence 

 would be, combinations among the mafler manufafturers, to raife the price 

 of their labour. We fliould be obliged, either to recall the reftridions, 

 which were the caufe of this arrangement, or fubmit to be worfe cloathed 

 and accommodated, than our neighbours, at an expence greater, than what 

 they pay for commodities of fuperior quality. 



There is a paffage in Toun^^ tour in France, very appofite, to ihew, 

 that monopolies, and prohibitory claufes, are not the mofi: effectual means, 

 of promoting manufactures. " At the fair of Guibray, I found the quan- 

 " tity of Englijh goods confiderable. A dozen of common plates, three 

 " livres ; and four livres for a French imitation, but worfe.. L aiked the 

 " man, (a Frenchman) if the treaty of commerce would not be injurious, 

 " with fuch a difference ? — c'ejl precifement le contraire, monfieur ; quelque 

 " mawvaife quefoit ceite imitation, on r^a encore rienfait d'aiijji bien en 

 '•^France; r annee prochaine on fera viieux ; nous perfeBionnerons , et enfin^ 

 " nous I' emporterons fur vous. — I believe he is a very good politician, (con- 

 " tinues the tourift), and that, without competition, it is not poffible to per- 

 " feet any fabric. The frauds, and extortion of the mailer manufacturers, 

 " the diffipation, and combination for encreafing of wages, among the in- 

 " ferior workmen, where a monopoly is eftabliflied, by law, muft effectu- 

 " ally retard the progrefs of manufactures." It is fmartly obferved, by 

 Young, that the party of the plough, never had a monopoly on its fide. 



Another reafon, why I would leave the importation of all fabricks, whe- 

 ther Britifli or foreign, free, is, that our manufacturers might be furniihed 

 with patterns of all that was mofl perfect, and eftimable in manufactures, 



(2 X 2) by 



