3^4 



•* inconfiftent relique of illiberality had been omitted) fliall be at liberty, to 

 •' exercife his trade, in any city and town corporate ; and, during his refi- 

 " dence, and following his trade therein, fliall be deemed a freeman thereof j 

 " provided, that he fliall not be at liberty to vote, at the eleftion of any ma- 

 " giflrate, or of any member, to ferve in parliament, for fuch town." 



In corporations there always exifts, as I have faid, a fpirit of party, and 

 a love of jobbing, (a name of great fignificance, denoting an evil, which is 

 peculiarly prevalent in Ireland.) Thefe contentions produce not only in- 

 temperance, and immorality, with beggary in their train, as I have menti- 

 oned, but alfo, perfonal animofities, and rancour, which are highly preju- 

 dicial to the interefts of indufl:ry, by preventing the members of fuch focie- 

 ties, from ailifl;ing each other, in their labours. 



We find the mofl flourifliing manufaftures are carried on, without the 

 aid of incorporations, and exclufive privileges ; fuch is the cotton manufac- 

 ture of Manchejler ; fuch the hardware manufacture, through all its vari- 

 ous extended branches, which is carried on at Birmingham ; and fuch is the 

 linen manufacture of Ireland ; which has reached its prefent (late of profpe- 

 rity ; by the vigour of individual exertion, a ftate which has few parallels ; 

 and this without any other aid, than the interference of the legiflature, to 

 prevent, or punifli fraud, and encourage, by bounties, the importation of 

 the raw materials, and the exportation of the manufactured fabrics. 



Though I am unfriendly to monopolies, and exclufive privileges, I 

 think, it may be neceffary, in fome inftances, to depart from general com- 

 mercial principles, in favour of patents, and chartered companies. In 

 the infancy of commerce, mofl manufaftures were carried on by com- 

 panies. There were, in England, the companies of merchants flrangers ; 

 the German merchants of the ft;eel yard, (who were highly favoured by 

 Henry third,) companies of merchants, of Venice, Genoa, Florence, Lucca, 

 and Lombardy. It appears, that the art of throwing, fpinning, and weav- 

 ing filk, were brought into England, andpraftifed by a company of women 

 in London, who were called filk women. On a petition of this female com- 

 pany, to parliament, in the year 1455, reprefenting, that the Lombards 



imported 



