)fe05.] On the Utility of puhlifl/mg ManufaSiunng ProceJeS. f9 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. ■ 



SIR, 



ALLOW me, Sir, to intrent the al- 

 ien; ion ot fome of your numerous 

 Contfpondtnis to a queft-on which muft 

 certainly be intereliirg to every manurac. 

 furer, but of whica no iep,ular tliiciiflicn 

 has yet been effefled. Is it proper or nn 

 proper to lay before tVe public a full and 

 impartial llate/nent ot the various pio. 

 celTcs of our mar.ufaclorits ? 1 (hM liate 

 foch reafons as have iffcred theuirtlves to 

 ni8 why they (liould be difplayed ; but I 

 am principally anxious to rtceive further 

 iriformation on a fubjeft that apptars to 

 me peculiarly intereifing. The firft ar- 

 gument I (hall adduce is that of Mr. 

 Boyle, ab quolcd by Dr. Johnfon in the 

 aoitt number of the '• Ranjbi.r." " The 

 e.'»cellcnce of innnufaftones and the faci- 

 lity of 1 ibour would be much piomoted, 

 if (he various expedients ^nl contrivances 

 which lie concealed in private ha d vvere 

 by reciprocal communicat on ma^s gene- 

 rally known i fcr tiieie aie t.w opeia- 

 tions that aie not pci formed by one or 

 ani)iher with fome peculiar advantages, 

 Wiich, though fingly of little importance, 

 would by conjunition and concurrence 

 open new inlets to knowledge, and give 

 rew powers to diligence." The fecond 

 is, the very conlidcrabie improvements 

 that have taken place in thole few manu- 

 factories which have yet been under the 

 influtnce of chemical inquiry ; thus realiz- 

 ing, but on a very extenlive fcale, the 

 fuggeltii)nsof Mr. Bovic. Sofhr,therclore, 

 as we are tu be guided on the one hand by 

 txperience, and on the other by the influ- 

 ence of Icieniific inquiry on liberal dif- 

 play, ivil! the argument in tavour of I'uch 

 c.-ndui5t be Itren-.hcncd. 



In the third phire, I would obferve, 

 that, as many vaUrable difcovenes arc om- 

 irg to chance, thofe with whom they ori- 

 ginate are perh.Tfs not unfrequcntly inca- 

 pable of iiniiroving them to the extent they 

 would admit of in the hands cf men of 

 fcience ; and thus by a fpirit of nionojoly 

 they preclude even tht.mfclves from the 

 ailvaniageoui cultivation of fuch diico- 

 Veries, merely Ita.t others miglit enjoy it 

 alfo ! 



If again we confider the rap'd progrefs 

 that has been made of lae years in cveiy 

 department of ulcful and pra'iical know. 

 ledge, we muft attribute it eiiirely toihofe 

 liberal communications that have been 

 made by men whofe attention has been 

 immediately direfled to the promotion and 

 improveiDwnt of every thinj valuable 19 the 

 fubtic. 



Again, the profits of every bufinefs de- 

 pend 01 the regularity and knowledge .^iih 

 which it is con uCttd ; but how is tiie lalt 

 to be enjoyed without refrurces to apply 

 to ? How much more eafily would ^t be 

 </h'ained if fcience could regulate and fim- 

 plify the combina-ions o' the manufac- 

 turer ? To thcfe may be add-.d, that if 

 to acrompllfli by every thing em^iloyed its 

 utm-fl; poiTible ule ; nay, if even to diaw 

 a ivantage fiom the very wafte and refuftf 

 of every mmufaftoiy be a favourite prin- 

 ciple v^ith the conduttorsof each, to take 

 the moft accurate mean to elFeii: it ought 

 certainly to be as powerful with ihem.— 

 I» it nor alfo obvious, that to difcnrd all 

 niyifery anJ quackery, and fairly to dif- 

 clol'e each procefs, is to invite the atten- 

 ti n of men ot i'cience and refearch, to ex- 

 tsnd and fecure the advantages aheady 

 gained, and difcover greater powers of 

 utility and new etFefts from other combi- 

 nations in ih: various fubftances em- 

 pLyed. 



The origin, progrefs, prefent fiafe, and 

 hints for t.ie improvement ot our " arts ot 

 life," would certainly be worthy, the con- 

 templation rf our molt able chymilfs, and 

 are fubjefls that have appeared of fuch 

 importance to a neighbouring nation, that 

 many of their mi.ft eminent men have 

 been employed in fuch a work. Some vo- 

 lumes of thi " Encyclopedie Metho- 

 dique" are dedicated to fuch information, 

 with plates, too, In many cafes difi)laying 

 even the moit minute work tools employ- 

 ed in each. 



The hiftories and detail of manuf.^fto- 

 ries conduced in each place, ought, I 

 prefume, to lonn a principal objc6l with 

 the writers ot l-jcalhillories ; yet very tew 

 of thele gentlemen aie enabled to obtain 

 fuch accounlsas they can depend on, frortl 

 the felfifli and monopolizing fpirit of the 

 manulafturers in general. 



To thele various advantages an objec- 

 tion may be iffcied — ;hat dilpliy is plac- 

 ing ol'jects of taxa'.ion in the view of the 

 Mniller. Be it fo : dilpiay wiil make it 

 eafier to collecf the tax, will make it moie 

 cer ain, and it may be, let's npp tflive.— 

 It to thele be aodfd the nbove advantages, 

 it iti'.y f^iily be prefumed thai dilcovcry 

 and coniiquent improvenient is ihe molt 

 advantageous tiatk to be pnrfued. But 

 en tills fubjeft I do not mean ib mucb to 

 offer only my own fentimeiit-, a^ to ftiiicit 

 the opinion of your correlyonaents. 

 Inn), Sir, your's, &c. . 

 Keivcpjllc, John CliiNnell. 



i-jtb F. '■. 1S05. 



