418 Important Evidence 



and, from the dra«iii2;s he took out to 

 Petersburgh, he maile (he articles liim- 

 selr", and lias contiiuiud to <lo so ever 

 sinco. 



(Mr. Hague.) I refused orders for 

 an iron mill to be sent to France; after- 

 wards thty had drawings sent out from 

 an engineer in London : a workman 

 went out and made models of it, and 

 allerwards executed the work; and lie 

 has been there ever since. 



(BTr. Bramah.) J can state an in- 

 stance which happened within this fort- 

 night. I am makiniy son:c machinery 

 for packing cotton, to be sent to Egypt ; 

 the agent in London wanted a nuiiil)er 

 of machines for carding wool : ho refer- 

 red to me, to know how he could get 

 them supplied, as they were not allowed 

 to go out of this country. I gave iiim 

 the address of Mr. Cockerell, of Liege, 

 who is one of the largest maiiufacturers, 

 and has been almost exclusively cm- 

 ployed, for twenty-seven yeiirs, in 

 making machinery for cotton and wool- 

 len manufactures: he is an engineer, 

 who went out from Manchester, and 

 'las realized an immense fortune. 



(BIr. Maudslay.) It is a large manu- 

 factory : they have one at Liege, another 

 atSarang, about four miles off; that at 

 Sarang was the Bishop of Liege's pa- 

 lace. I suppose that manufactory must 

 at least cover seven acres of land, and 

 they employ about 6 or 600 people: 

 they wanted me to take orders for a 

 great deal of machinery, but I told them 

 it was impossible. The King of the 

 Netherlands has given Mr. Cockerell 

 30,000/. for the puiposc of cstablisliing 

 an iron mill, and extending his manu- 

 factory to the making boat-engines and 

 steam-engines in general. The manu- 

 factory at Liege is principally for card- 

 ing and woollen machines. 



Are there many English workmen 

 there ? — Not now : they have had a great 

 many. 



Was it originally established with 

 English workmen? — Yes; Mr. Cocke- 

 rell, who went from Manchester, origi- 

 nally established it, and he has made an 

 immense fortune. 



What countries do tiicy principally 

 supply? — The whole of the Continent: 

 I have seen hundreds of Ihoir caiding- 

 maehines in France. 



What would be the effect, in yonr 

 opinion, of the open exportation of every 

 article of machinery upon the various 

 macbiue-establishmcnts now on the 

 Continent? — 1 have no hesitation in 



before the Committee [June I 



saying, that it would very m'.jch increase 

 our demand for ma(;!iinery in general. 



Would it check their increase? — 

 They can have any price lliey please for 

 machines, because they arc the only 

 persons established; but, if we had the 

 liberty of sending out cardiiig-inaehines 

 at 50 per cent, profit, vvc niigiit do it, 

 as tliey are getting 100 per cent. 



(To Mr. Hao-iie.) Have you visited 

 any manufiictory on llic Cnntiuent? — 

 Yes, a good many: I have been tour or 

 five months at a time at those at Liege, 

 and Aix-laChapelie, and Vervais. 



From tlie knowledge you acquired 

 there of the qualities and prices of the 

 different niaeliinery, what is jour idea 

 of this country supplying that machi- 

 nery, if the laws now in existence were 

 repealed? — A good workman is hardly 

 to be got there, unless he is from Eng- 

 land : I have no doubt we should snp|ily 

 them with machinery, if we were nut 

 prohibited by the law iVom doing it. 



Cannot an ordinary man make a 

 machine, by seting specifications and 

 plans? 



(3Ir. Donliiii.) Competent men can. 



(Mr. Taylor.) Plans and engravings 

 of the machines invented in this coun- 

 try are very extensively circulated in 

 France : their works on machinery, with 

 engravings, are far more complete and 

 beautiful than any thing we have. 



(To Mr. Donhin.) You are chairman 

 of tlie commitlee of mechanics in the 

 Society of Arts?— -Yes. 



You are aware that annually a pub- 

 lication takes place of the descrijjtions 

 of machinery which yon think it desi- 

 rable to be made known? — Yes. 



Do not those volumes circulate all 

 over tlie woild? — As widely as possible. 



Cannot an able workman, from those 

 plans and specifications, prodi:ce or 

 make the machinery there des(rii)ed ? — 

 Most undoubtedly. 



Is not the policy of our laws prohibiting 

 machinery tliercfore at variance with 

 the whole proceedint;s of that society, 

 and other scientific societies existing in 

 this country? — Entirely so. I think the 

 law has another prejudicial effect; it is 

 not only futile with regard to the object 

 it aims at, but it has a tendency to 

 demoralization. Whenever a machine 

 is brought info extensive use in this 

 country, a foreigner too frequently gets 

 it by bribing the servants of the person 

 using the machine : there have been 

 many instances of this. Besides, a 

 foreigner, or any person, for a few shil- 

 lings 



