CHAPTER XIII. 



JOSIAH WEDGWOOD'S OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT TO THE 

 EXTENSION OF CHAMPION'S PATENT. " MEMORIAL " OF 



WEDGWOOD AND OTHERS. CHAMPION'S " REPLY." 



JOSIAH WEDGWOOD ISSUES HIS " REMARKS." WEDG- 



WOOD'S " REASONS " FOR OPPOSING THE ACT. " CASE 

 OF THE POTTERS." THE BILL PASSES THE HOUSE OF 

 COMMONS. AMENDED BY THE LORDS. PASSING OF THE 



ACT. EXAMPLES OF CHAMPION^ BRISTOL CHINA. 



DECAY OF THE WORKS. CHAMPION SELLS HIS PATENT 

 RIGHT TO A COMPANY IN STAFFORDSHIRE. 



I HAVE stated in my last chapter that Richard Champion, 

 having applied to Parliament for an extension of the term 

 of his patent-right, such petition was referred to a select 

 committee of the House. Immediately this was done, Josiah 

 Wedgwood, ever alive to the interests of the potters, saw 

 that the extension would be injurious, and resolved upon 

 giving the scheme his determined opposition. He therefore, 

 ostensibly on behalf of the potters of Staffordshire, but really 

 at first alone, opposed the petition with his usual zeal and 

 energy. He therefore presented a "Memorial" to the 

 House, of which the following is a copy : 



" A Petition being presented to the Honourable House of Com- 

 mons by Mr. Champion,of Bristol, Merchant, praying for an Exten- 

 sion of a Patent granted by his Majesty, March 17th, 1768, to 

 William Cookworthy, Chemist, for the Sole Use of certain Materials 

 for making Porcelain; and reciting that the said William Cook- 

 worthy had assigned all his Eight and Interest in the said Letters 

 Patents to the Petitioner. Josiah Wedgwood, in behalf of himself 

 and the Manufacturers of Earthen-ware in Staffordshire, begs Leave 

 to represent : 



" That the Manufacture of Earthenware, in that county, has 



