164 



SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The legislature did more than this. Under the favorable auspices of 

 the State woolen factories had .sprung up in variouiS parts; some of ■ 

 them languished and struggled hard for existence, and the legislature 

 loaned them money and otherwise assisted them. This legislation had 

 the sympathy and support of Mr. Livingstou. 



It appears by a report of the State comptroller, made March 5, 1816, 

 that the sums paid out in premiums under the law for the encourage- 

 ment of the woolen manufacture were: 



In 1809 $2,770 



In 1810 3,490 



In 1811 4,095 



In 1813 $2,790 



In 1814 3,350 



In 1815 ,.... 3,970 



The law of 1812 expired by its own limitation at the end of 1815, 

 and was not renewed. The council of the Society for the Promotion of 

 Useful Arts reported through their chairman in 1815, that the liberal 

 bounties granted by the State " in combination with other circum- 

 stances," had " contributed to raise, in many respects, the fine cloths 

 of America to a degree of perfection equal to those manufactured in 

 Europe." 



In the same year ^dth Chancellor Livingston's importation (1802) 

 Col. David Humphreys, of Connecticut, United States minister to 

 Spain, being about to return from that country after an of&cial resi- 

 dence in it of seven years, secured a flock of 100 Merinos. 



David Humphreys was born at Derby, Conn., July, 1752, graduated 

 at Tale College in 1781; was for a time a teacher; entered the Revolu- 

 tionary army as a captain, and in 1780 was appointed aid to Washing- 

 ton with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, which position he retained until 

 the close of the war. He distinguished himself in the service, and 

 when the army was disbanded accompanied Washiugton to Mount Ver- 

 non and remained a member of his family until 1784, when he was 

 appointed secretary of legation to Thomas Jefferson, who was sent to 

 negotiate treaties of amity and commerce with European powers. He 

 was absent on this mission two years, residing chiefly in Paris and 

 London. He served one year as colonel of a regiment in the western 

 service, when, the regiment being disbanded, Washington invited him 

 to Mount Vernon, where he resided until the formation of the Fed- 

 eral Government, when he accompanied Washington to New Tork and 

 remained a member of his family until next year (1790), when he was 

 ap]iointed the first United States minister to Portugal, assuming the 

 duties in 1791. He remained in Lisbon until 1797, when he was trans- 

 ferred to the court of Madrid as minister plenipotentiary, in which 

 capacity he served until 1802. He was an elegant gentleman, with 

 varied accomplishments as a soldier, a poet, a wit, and a man of the 

 world ; and his fondness for Spanish society rendered him a favorite at 

 the Spanish court. The grandees, who owned the pure flocks of Spain 

 also resided at Madrid, and Col. Humphreys became personally 



