114 



session of our state legislature, an act was passed, 1 entitled 

 " An Act to encourage the Manufacture of Woolen Cloth in 

 this state," to continue three years. 



The Society for the Promotion of Arts had anticipated 

 this encouragement, by voting a piece of silver plate to be 

 presented to Walter Briggs of Schoharie county, in con- 

 sideration of his having laid before the society five speci- 

 mens of woolen cloths of superior quality, made from the 

 wool of his flock, consisting of about three hundred sheep. 2 

 It appeared in evidence that about twelve hundred yards 

 of different kinds of cloth were made annually by the 

 daughters of Mr. Briggs, and the society deemed this a fit 

 opportunity for calling public attention to a praiseworthy 

 example of household industry, in the hope of exciting 

 emulation in a pursuit which the political relations of the 

 country had rendered inseparable from its welfare. 



The legislature had also been accustomed to loan moneys 

 to individuals and companies engaged in manufactures, and 

 the policy was continued till the return of peace. 



The law of 1808, to which we have alluded, empowered 

 the society to award a premium of $150 upon the best 

 specimen of woolen cloth of uniform texture and quality, 

 not less than two hundred yards long and three-fourths 

 of a yard wide, made in the state. A second premium of 

 $75 was to be paid for the next best piece of one hundred 

 and fifty yards, and a third of $50 for the next of one 

 hundred yards. The judges of . the Court of Common 

 Pleas in each county, were empowered to determine the 

 best samples of cloth of not less than thirty yards, to be 

 submitted to their examination, and to award a premium of 

 $80, to be paid as other county charges. Duplicate certi- 

 ficates of the award were to be sent to the Comptroller and 

 to the Secretary of the Society for the Promotion of Arts, 

 the latter to be accompanied by a quarter of a yard of the 

 premium cloth. 



1 April 8, 1808. 2 Resolution of Feb. 11, 1807. Tr. Soc. for Promotion of 

 Useful Arts, i, 232. 



