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those movements that have since changed the face and 
structure, as it were, of society throughout all of the civi- 
lised nations. 
I shall not here enter into any of the details of the succes- 
sive inventions and discoveries that followed in rapid 
succession those above referred to, but merely notice some 
of the marvellous effects resulting from them, on wlmt 
we call trade and commerce. It would indeed be a very 
important work, for anyone competent to the task, to give a 
succinct account of the many great inventions and improve- 
ments that have come into use since those above mentioned. 
It would however require far more time and space than in 
a casual paper like this. I venture then to invite my 
friend Dr. Fairbairn to undertake such a work. I consider 
him to be more able and likely to do justice to the subject 
than any other now left among us in this district or else- 
where that I knew of. The labour of giving even a brief 
account of them forbids the thought of engaging in it by 
one of my age, or to attempt making my further contribu- 
tions towards “A History of Modern Inventions,” than those 
already made in the several papers read before the society 
in past years. Nearly all of the tools and implements used 
in aid of labour remained for many ages in their simple 
primitive forms, down to nearly the end of last century; 
when, as before said, the new system of using “power driven 
machinery '' ’ took its rise, and attracted the enterprise of 
capitalists. Before that remarkable epoch Great Britain and 
all the nations of Europe had made but little real progress, 
either in the increase of her wealth or of population. This 
progress, too, was greatly hindered by the many wars, im- 
peding all steps towards advancing civilization. Wherefore 
the fixed capital of the nation fell far short of the surplus 
productions over the consumption of the people, the balance 
being thus squandered in foreign wars. If this continuous 
waste of wealth had not taken place the entire surplus pro- 
