OF THE LATE JOHN KENNEDY, ESQ. 157 



he was the oldest member of the society. He was 

 elected in April 1803, and during a long period of years 

 was a regular attendant at the meetings. His writings 

 were few in number, but he contributed to the society^s 

 memoirs four valuable papers, " On the Rise and Progress 

 of the Cotton Trade/^ read November 2, 1815; "On the 

 Poor Laws/' read March ^, 1819, a paper much spoken of 

 at the time, ably reviewed in the Edinburgh, and not 

 without results in the improvements which subsequently 

 took place in the amendment of those laws. The next, 

 entitled " Observations on the Influence of Machinery on 

 the Working Classes of the Community," was read 

 February 10, 1826; and a brief " Memoir of Crompton," 

 with a description of his mule, read February 20th 1830, 

 was the last of his literary effbrts. In these communica- 

 tions he displayed consummate judgment, and a thorough 

 knowledge of the subjects on which he treated ; yet it 

 must be confessed that the views he entertained upon the 

 subject of free trade and national intercourse have since 

 that time been greatly modified, and a totally difierent 

 system of commercial relations between this country and 

 the rest of the world has been adopted. 



