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THE REIGN OF LAW. 



tion — that is, it is the attraction exerted upon the 

 Wills of a multitude of individual men by the 

 rewards of labour. The pressure of this attraction 

 can only be lightened by bringing those Wills 

 under the power of counter motives which may 

 induce them to postpone, to some higher inte- 

 rest, the immediate appetites of gain. And this is 

 the work which Combination does. It comes in 

 the place of Positive Institution. Those who are 

 under it " are a Law unto themselves." 



Nor is it unimportant to observe that what Com- 

 bination does for the protection of labour it does 

 better, and with better consequences, than Positive 

 Institution can ever do. Men are driven to exces- 

 sive labour, because if they don't work excessively, 

 others will. But it is the effect of Combination 

 that others wont. Under Positive Institution 

 they are not allowed. Under Combination they 

 are determined not. And as the forming of an 

 intelligent resolution, and the abiding by it, are 

 higher exercises of mind than the mere passive 

 obedience to authority, so is the good effected by 

 Combination a higher good than that resulting 

 from Factory Legislation. It tends to form and 



