254 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



leave their employment in Staffordshire. A Mr. 

 Bartlem induced some potters to follow him into South 

 Carolina, but the result was very unsuccessful. Others 

 went to Pennsylvania. A few went to France and 

 Germany, but they did not succeed. Wedgwood pro- 

 ceeded to address the Staffordshire men on the subject 

 of entering into the service of foreign manufacturers. 

 He pleaded with them that they should not wantonly 

 throw into the hands of foreigners, perhaps of enemies, 

 the superiority the potters of Staffordshire had laboured 

 for and achieved. 



A Chamber of Commerce was established in 1785 

 for the purpose of maintaining the interests of British 

 manufacturers. Wedgwood and Boulton were the 

 leaders of this movement. The first meeting was held 

 in London at the close of the year, and many of the 

 leading manufacturers of England were present. Ire- 

 land had then Home Eule ; but the Irish Parliament 

 legislated in a hostile spirit towards English commerce. 

 They imposed heavy taxes upon all manufactures im- 

 ported into Ireland from England ; whilst Irish manu- 

 factures were not only sent into England duty free, 

 but their own Parliament encouraged their constituents 

 by giving a bounty upon exportation. 



The Chamber of Commerce expostulated against 

 the partial and unjust spirit of this legislation, and 

 petitioned the British Parliament for free interchange 

 on equal terms. James Watt, inventor of the con- 

 densing steam-engine, though averse to taking part in 



