240 THE WEDGWOODS. 



" Mr. Wedgwood is pleased to represent his memorial on behalf 

 of himself and the manufacturers of earthenware in Staffordshire. 

 Mr. Champion says, as has heen already hinted, that Mr. Wedg- 

 wood had not any authority from such manufacturers, or any others, 

 to make any representations in their behalf. 



" Mr. Champion most cheerfully joins in the general praise 

 which is given to Mr. Wedgwood for the many improvements 

 which he has made in the Staffordshire earthenware, and the great 

 pains and assiduity with which he has pursued them. He richly 

 deserves the large fortune he has made from these improvements. 

 But should he not be content with the rewards he has met with, 

 and not have the avidity to grasp at a manufacture which another 

 has been at as great pains as Mr. Wedgwood has employed in 

 his own, to establish? a manufacture entirely original in this 

 kingdom, and which all nations in Europe have been desirous to 

 obtain ? 



" Mr. Wedgwood says the application and free use of the raw 

 materials of this country will make a great improvement in the 

 manufacture of Staffordshire earthenware. Mr. Champion has no 

 objection to the use which the potters of Staffordshire may make 

 of his or any other raw materials, provided earthenware only, as 

 distinguished by that title, is made from it. He wants to interfere 

 with no manufacture whatever, and is content to insert any clause 

 to confine him to the invention which he possesses, and which he 

 has improved. He is contented that Mr. Wedgwood, and every 

 manufacturer, should reap the fruit of their labour ; all he asks is, 

 such a protection for bis own as the legislature in its wisdom shall 

 think it merits. 



" Mr. Wedgwood's remark on the difference of merit betwixt Mr. 

 Watt and Mr. Champion is ungenerous and unjust : ungenerous, as 

 Mr. Champion has not, or does not, compare himself to Mr. Watt ; 

 he has not even mentioned his name in any of his applications. 

 His business is not with comparative or similar merits ; it is his 

 duty to prove the merit of his own manufacture, for which he 

 solicits the encouragement of the legislature. He hopes that the 

 specimens which he has produced before the committee are incon- 

 trovertible evidences of it. The remark is unjust, because he has 

 been many years concerned in this undertaking : nearly from the 

 time the patent was granted to Mr. Cookworthy, in whose name it 

 continued till assigned over to Mr. Champion. To deny the advan- 

 tage of any part of Mr. Cook worthy's merits to his assignee is to 

 deny that advantage to Mr. Cookworthy himself. One part of the 



