3^3 



intemperance, and prodigality; diffufing themfelves, through the whole 

 corporation, from the traders, or manufafturers, who canvafs for the ho- 

 nours, and employments, (which however mean they may be, and even ri- 

 diculous, and degrading, in reality, are always objefts of defire, to certain 

 people) down to the poorefl: eleclor. The experience of every one mud 

 furnifli him with melancholy examples, of families ruined, by the intem- 

 perance and negleft of domeftic concerns, which are the inevitable confe- 

 quences of a fanguine purfuit of corporate honours. 



In faft, corporations, are not only fubverfive of indudry ; they are too 

 frequently injurious to the caufe of morality, and become nurferies of de- 

 bauch, perfidy, falfehood, and wrong, accompanied with grofs peculation, 

 if the corporation has any eftate, or revenue. Ih all thefe corporations, 

 there fpring up a number of idle, and profligate perfons, whofe only merit 

 is their being aftive partifans, the creatures of feme perfons in power, in the 

 corporation. Thefe gradually engrofs, to themfelves, the management of 

 the fociety ; become its ruling members ; difpofe of its property, and re- 

 gulate all its concerns, to the great prejudice, not only of induftry, but of 

 good morals, by their example and influence. 



The inconvenience of exclufive privileges, and corporate monopolies, ap- 

 peared fo palpable, and fo injurious to the caufe of induftry, that the legif- 

 lature of this country, when they were difpofed to encourage the linen 

 manufafture, by law, found themfelves obliged, to interfere with the pri- 

 vileges of corporations, and fufpend them, with refpeft to that favoured 

 branch of induftry ; the fame principle which aftuated the legiflature, on 

 that occafion, applies equally to every other branch of manufacture ; and 

 could people diveft themfelves of prejudice, and private interefts, and meet 

 the fubjeft fairly, and boldly, fliould lead to a total abrogation of all cor- 

 porate privileges, and diftin£lions, that lead to monopoly, and tend to 

 Ihackle induftry. The claufe, to which I allude, is in an aft of the 19th 

 of George the fecond. 



" Every flax-drefl"er, hemp drefl'er, profeft maker of linen wheels, pro- 

 " feffed maker of hatchels, being a proteftant, (I could wifli that incon- 



( Z z 2 ) fiftent 



