DUBLINSOCIETY. 97 



manufactures depends. If the Dublin fociety's conduct is right 

 in part it is right in the whole, which would be attracting all 

 the demand to tl.eir own warehoufes ; in which cafe there 

 would not be a iwcrcer or draper left in Dublin. Their com- 

 mittees, and gentlemen, and weavers, may choofe and pay 

 clerks, and discharge their rent, but where are the directors of 

 finer fabrics to coaie from ? Where the men of tafte who are 

 to invent ? Where the quLcknefs and fagacity to mark and fol- 

 low the caprice of fathion ? Are thele to come from wea- 

 vers ? Abfurd the idea ! It is the active and intelligent matter 

 (hat is to do all this. Go to the weavers in Spitalfields, and 

 lee ihm mere tools directed by their matters. Goto any other 

 fabric upon earth, and lie vrhat wcnild become of it if the 

 heads were coniidered as ufelefs, and rivalled in their profits 

 with public money. If the manufacture is of fuch a fickly 

 growth, that it will not fupport the mafter as well as the man, 

 it is not worth a country's notice. What is it that induces in- 

 dividuals to embark in a fabric their capital and induftry ? Pro- 

 fit. The greater this js, the greater the capital that will be 

 attracted ; but eftaliifli a fyftem that fhall rival, leflenandde- 

 ftroy this profit, who will bring their capital to fuch a trade? 

 Am! can any people be lo fenielels as to imagine, that a manu- 

 facture is to be encouraged by baniihing capital from it ? 



There is another eftect, which I fhould fuppofe muft flow 

 from thjs extraordinary idea, which is, that of raifing great 

 heart-burnings and jealoufies among the trad*e j the drapers 

 and .mercers are not probably at all.pleafed with the weavers, 

 who work for the fociety's warehoufes this muft be very de- 

 trimental to the bufmefs at large. I may alfo obterve, that 

 rnafter-manufacturers have more ways of encouraging (kilful 

 and induftrious workmen, than the mere buying their goods 

 and employing them ; there are a thoufand little points of fa- 

 vour in their power, which the fociety cannot practice ; but 

 how can they be inclined to fuch things, while fteps are taken 

 to deprive them of every workman that can do without their 

 alfiftance ? 



Fortunately for the kingdom, it is at Dublin as in other cities, 

 the ready money trade is by no means equal to that of credit, 

 confequently the pernicious tendency of this meafure cannot 

 fully be feen. The drapers and mercers do and will fupport 

 their trade in fpite of this formidable rival, backed with a 

 premium of two thoufand five hundred pounds a /ear, appro- 

 priated to their ruin, in order to encourage their trade ! The 

 tendency of the meafure is evidently the deftructioa of both 

 the manufactures. 



This is a fact, which appears fo obvious, that I fhould appre- 

 hend it muft have done mifchief, in direct proportion to the 

 amount of the operation. Jt is extremely diificult to dilco- 

 ver fa els that can prove tl)i* from the nature of the cafe ; no 

 v/onder it" the import of tore^n filk. and woollens fliould have 

 crcreafed from fuch a uieafure. Let us examine this point. 



VOL. I!- G Accouat 



