548 
tyes and judges. Self-ended, (upon ex- 
periment) under the temptation of profit. 
Offenders as well as the stationers; and, 
in all abuses of the presse, confederate 
with them, Beside, they will have the 
same influence upon searches; and, they 
have probably as little stomack to a re- 
gulation, as the other. ’Tis true, the 
printers interest is not so great as the 
Stationers; for where hee gets (it may 
be) 20 or 25 in the 100 for printing an 
unlawful book, the other doubles, nay 
many times, trebles his mony by selling 
it: yet neverthelesse the printer’s bene- 
fit lyes at stake too. 
Qdly. It were a hard matter to pick 
out twenty master-prioters, who are both 
.free of the trade, of ability to menage it, 
and of integrity to be entrusted with it: 
miost of the honester sort being impove- 
rished by the late times, and the great 
business of the press being engross’d by 
Oliver's creatures. 
But they propose to undertake the 
work upon condition to begincorporate. 
That is, to be disengaged the com- 
pany of stationers, and to be made a so- 
ciety by themselves. It may be an- 
swered, that it would be with them as 
*tis with other incorporate societies: 
they would be true to the publique, so 
far as stands with the particular good 
of the company. But evidently their 
gain lyes the other way: and for a state 
to erect a corporation that shall bring so 
great a danger upon the publique, and 
not one peny into the treasury, to bal- 
Jance the hazzard, were a proceeding 
not ordinary. 
But they offer to give security, and to 
be lyable to fines. Let that be done, 
whether they be incorporate, or no. In 
case of failer,” they’ll be content to lose 
their: priviledges. What signifies that, 
but only a stronger obligation to a closer 
confederacy? ’Tis true, ‘the printers in 
a distinct and regulated society may do 
some good as to the general business of 
printing, and within the sphere of that 
particular profession: but the guestion 
js here, how to prevent a publique mis- 
chief, not how to promote a private 
trade. But are not printers the fittest 
instruments in searches? They are, with- 
out dispute, necessary assistants, either 
for retriving conceal’d pamphlets, or for 
_ examination of work in the mettle, but 
whether it be either for the honour, or 
safety, of the publique, to place so great 
a trast in the hands of persons of that 
guality, and interest, is submitted to 
better Judginents. 
' 
Scarce Tracts, &é. 
ws, = 
To conclude, both printers and stas 
tioners, under colour of offering a service 
to the publique, do effectually but design 
one upon another. The printers would 
beat down the bookselling trade, by 
menaging the press as themselves please, 
and by working upon their own copies.. 
The stationers, on the other side, they 
would subject the printers to be abso- 
lutely their slaves; which they have ef- 
fected in a large measure already, by so 
enéreasing the number, that the one 
half must either play the knaves, or 
starve, 
The expedient for this, must be some 
way to disengage the printers from that 
servile and mercenary dependence upon 
the stationers, unto which they are at 
present subjected. The true state of 
the business being as follows: ’ 
First, The number of master-printers 
is computed to be about 60, whereas 20 
or 24 would dispatch all the honest work 
of the nation, 
2dly. ‘These sixty master-printers have 
above 100 apprentices; (that is, at least 
20 more than they ought to have by the 
law.) 
Sdly. There are, besid 
those that are free of ot 
least 150 journy-men, of which number, 
at least 30 are superfluous; to whi ( 
there will be added about 36 more, be~ 
side above 50 supernumerary appren- 
tices, upon the reduction of the niaster- 
printers to 24. So that upon the whole 
reckoning, there will be left a matter of 
60 journy-men, and 50 apprentices, to 
provide for, a part of which charge might 
very reasonably be laid upon those who 
bound or took any of the said number, 
as apprentices, contrary to the limitation 
set by authority. 
These supernumerary printers were at. 
first introduced by the book-sellers, as 4 
sure way to bring them both to their 
prices, and purposes; for the number 
being greater then could honestly live 
upon the trade, the printers were en- 
fore’d either to print treason, or sedi- 
tion, if the stationer offered it, or to , — 
want lawful work, by which necessity on 
the one side, and power on the other, 
the combination became exceeding dan- 
gerous, and soit still continues; but how 
to dissolve it, whether by barely dis- 
incorporating the company of stationers,: 
and subjecting the printers to rules apart, 
and by theinselves; or by making them 
two distinct companies, Ido not meddle, 
This only may be-offer’d, that in ease 
those privileges and benefits should be - 
granted 
. ~~ 
4 
[July 15 
, 
