1824.] 



r 321 1 



EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARTIZANS 

 AND MACHINERY. 



[Two of the most important questions, connected witli British interests, which ever, 

 psrliaps, claimed public notice, are now in course of enquiry and discussion. One 

 relates to (he Combination Laws, by which the price of labour is reduced to a 

 minimum ; and the other to the Exportation of Machinery, which it is proposed to 

 set free. To enlighten the public at laree on the subject, we have considered it onr 

 duty to introduce an abstract of the evidence. It is unavoidably of considerable 

 length ; but we err in our Judgment if it do not prove, in various senses, the most in- 

 teresting article which, for a great length of time, has been submitted to tlio 

 public. We sball proceed through the evidence, in like manner, in future Numbers, 

 and conclude it with the Report of the Committee.] 



Mr, John Martineau. 

 AVE yoii, in the cour.'se of your 

 business, received orders for tools 

 and machines from abroad ? — Fie- 

 <jucntiy. 



Have you executed those orders? — 

 That has dejiendcd upon the description 

 of machine ordered : whenever they 

 Iiave come under the description of 

 inacliines prohibited by Act of Parlia- 

 Uient, I have refused to e.\ecule them. 



Why have jou refused to execute 

 them ? — Because it would be necessary 

 to enter lliem under false names, in 

 order to deceive llie ofiv^ers of the 

 Customs. 



Could you have exported them by 

 entering tliem under auotber name, if 

 your scruples of violating the law bad 

 been satisfied ? — Certainly ; it would 

 liavc been utterly impossible for the 

 ofliccrs of the Customs to detect the 

 nature of the machine when it was sent 

 away in parts. 



Have not some manufaclories i)een 

 established in foreign countries, for tl-.o 

 purpo.se of making machines and tools 

 Avhich the laws forbid you to export? — 

 Many manufactories have lately been 

 eslahlisiied, and more particularly in 

 France ; and no doubt one of their 

 objects was to manufacture those ma- 

 chines, the exportation of which from 

 this country is prohibited ; but they like- 

 wise nianufaclurc various machines 

 which are not |)rohibited to be exported 

 from this country. 



Are not those manufactories, or many 

 of thrni, conducted by Englishmen? — 

 I believe almost entirely; the three 

 jirincijial manulactories at Paris are 

 conducted by Englishmen, viz. the 

 works at Charenton, by Mr. Manby ; 

 those at Chaillot, by Mr. Edwards ; and 

 9 third, by a Mr. Steele. 



Ill the event of the laws remaining as 

 they now arc, would foreign nations ii; 

 Jiuropc .soon be able to supply them- 



selves, and America also, with that ma- 

 chinery and those tools which our laws 

 prohibit the exportation of? — Certainly, 

 if the laws remain unrepealed and 

 strictly adhered to, that must necessarily 

 be the case. 



Do you think that, if the trade was 

 free, English engineers would supply 

 the greaier part of the world wilii tools 

 and machinery?—! have no doubt but 

 that they would. 



Consequently, we deprive our own 

 countrymen of that profitable branch of 

 manufacture, and give it ^o foreign coun- 

 tries? — Certainly. 



The alteration of the law would give 

 to our country that branch of trade? — I 

 think, to a very great extent, it would. 



Do you know whether there are many 

 artizans go abroad ? — Certainly. 



What is the greatest number you 

 iiave known at any one manufactory on 

 the Continent? — I am informed, at 

 Chaillot there are about 500 EiiglisU 

 workmen at the present time. 



What kind of workmen is it that are 

 generally enticed to go abroad ? — They 

 invariably entice the best workmen : a 

 considerable risk and expense is incur- 

 red in getling workmen over front this 

 country, and, added to tiiis, a large biihp 

 is necessary; so that it would not be 

 worth while to incur all this risk and 

 expense for the sake cf obtaining infe- 

 rior workmen. 



Have you any fear that the country 

 would sutfer by the rivalry of olh« r 

 countries, if perfect freedom was given 

 to the artizans to gp abroad? — I am sa- 

 tisfied that it would not siiH'er, for tl.o 

 reason I have already given, viz. the 

 interior woiknieu going instead of thu 

 superior. 



What is your opinion of the elTcct of 

 the law against the combinalion of 

 workmen, so far as it prohibits them 

 from combining to raise their wages, to 

 regulate them, or to regulate their hours 



or 



