APPRENTICESHIP. 



been exercised in England before the 5th 

 of Klizabeth. But a wneel-wright, though 

 he has never served an apprenticeship to 

 a coachmaker, may, by himself or jour- 

 neyman, make coaches, because this trade, 

 being of a later origin, is not within the 

 statute. Thus also the manufactures of 

 Manchester, Birmingham, and Wolver- 

 hampton, are, many of them, upon this 

 account, not within the statute, not having 1 

 been exercised in England before the 5th 

 of Elizabeth. 



The regulations of apprenticeship in 

 Ireland are upon a different footing, and 

 somewhat less illiberal than in England. 

 Prohibitions, similar to those of the statute 

 of the 5th of Elizabeth, obtain in all cor- 

 porate towns, by authority of bye-laws of 

 the several corporations : but these pro- 

 hibitions extend only to natives of Ireland ; 

 for, by a regulation made by the lord lieu- 

 tenant and privy -council, having in this in- 

 stance, by 17 and 18 Car. IF. the force of a 

 law, all foreigners and aliens, as well per- 

 sons of other religious persuasions as 

 Protestants, who are merchants, traders, 

 artificers, &c. shall, upon coming to reside 

 in a city, walled town, or corporation, and 

 paying twenty shillings, by way of fine, 

 to the chief magistrate and common- 

 council, or other persons authorised to 

 admit freemen, be admitted to the free- 

 dom of that city, Jtc. and to the freedom 

 of guilds of their respective trades, with 

 the full enjoyment of all privileges of buy- 

 ing, selling, working, &c. ; and any ma- 

 gistrate refusing to admit foreigners, so 

 applying, shall be disfranchised. 



In Scotland, there is no general law 

 which regulates universally the duration 

 of apprenticeships. The term is different 

 in different corporations; where it is long, 

 a part of it may generally be redeemed 

 by paying a small fine. In most towns, 

 too, a very small fine is sufficient to pur- 

 chase the freedom of any corporation. 

 The weavers of linen and hempen cloth, 

 the principal manufactures of the country, 

 as well as all other artificers subservient 

 to them, wheel-makers, reel-mak 

 may exercise their trades in any town cor- 

 porate, without paying any fine. In all 

 towns corporate, all persons are free to 

 sell butchers' meat upon any lawful day 

 of the week. Three years are, in Scot- 

 land, a common term of apprenticeship, 

 in some very nice trades ; and, in general, 

 there is no country in Europe, in which 

 corporation laws are so little oppressive. 

 In France the duration of apprenticeships 

 is different in different towns, and in dif- 

 ferent trades. In Paris, 5 years are the 

 term required in a great number ; and 



before any person can be qualified to ex- 

 the trade as a muster, he must, in 

 many of them, serve 5 years more as a 

 journeyman. During this latter time, he 

 is railed the companion of his master, and 

 the term itself is called his companionship. 

 The institution of long apprentic 

 says Dr. Smith, can give no security that in- 

 sufficient workmanship shall not frequent- 

 ly be exposed to sale ; nor has it am t> n- 

 dency to form young people to industry. 

 Apprenticeships were altogether un- 

 known to the ancients : the Roman law is 

 perfectly silent with regard to them. 

 There is no Greek or Laun word, which 

 expresses the idea we now annex to the 

 word apprentice. 



Long apprenticeslu'ps are altogether un- 

 necessary. The arts, which are much su- 

 perior to common trades, such as those, ot 

 making clocks and watches, contain no 

 such mystery as to require a long course 

 of instmction. In the common mechanic 

 trades, the lessons of a few days might 

 certainly be sufficient. The dexterity of 

 hand, indeed, even in common trad 

 not be acquired without much practice 

 and experience. But a young man would 

 practise with much more diligence and at- 

 tention, if, from the beginning, he wrought 

 as a journeyman, being paid in proportion 

 to the little work which he could execute, 

 and paying, in his turn, for the materials 

 which he might sometimes spoil through 

 awkwardness and inexperience. H 

 cation would generally in this way be more 

 effectual, and always less tedious and ex- 

 pensive. The master, indeed, would be 

 a loser; he would lose all the wages of tlu* 

 apprentice, which he now s:r 

 years together. In the end, perhaps, the 

 apprentice himself would be a loser; in a 

 trade so easily learnt he would have more 

 competitors ; and his wages, when he 

 came to be a complete workman, would 

 be much less than at pit-sent. Tli 

 increase of competition would reduce tin* 

 profits of the masters, as well asth-- 

 of the workmen: the trades, th. 

 the mysteries, would all !>e losers; Imt 

 the public would hi- a ga-ini-r. th* 

 of all artificers coming in this way much 

 cheaper to market. 



nnot conclude this article 

 than by insert ing an admirable paper on 

 iect of apprentice laws, drawn up, 

 and printed for private circulation, by :i 

 gentleman of high legal authoir 

 member of parliament, entitled M 

 Opinions of some great an<! g' 

 sound I 

 of Qur- : I 

 of 1806-7 " 



