APP 
K 
the legislature have made express laws to 
give relief to masters. See 17 Geo. Ilf. 
cap. 33. ; which enables dyers, in Middle- 
sex, Essex, Surrey, and Kent, to employ 
journeymen who have not served appren- 
ticeships. And to such a pitch has this 
mischief in the West Riding of Yorkshire 
increased, by the conlpiracies facilitated by 
the act of 5 Eiiz. that it goes to the total 
annihilation of our staple manufactures, and 
every other trade which hopes for success 
not only by the home, but from foreign 
consumption. See the report from the 
committee of the House of Commons, on 
the woollen trade and manufacture of these 
kingdoms, made in the last session of par- 
liament, 4th July 1806. 
After stating the above, let its quote the 
words of the immortal Lord Chief Justice 
Coke on this point, — “That, at the com- 
hion law, no man could be prohibited from 
Working in any lawful trade; for the law 
abhors idleness, the mother of all evil — 
Otimn omnium vitiorum mater — and espe- 
cially in young men, who ought in their 
youth (which is their seed time) to learn 
lawful sciences and trades, which are profi- 
table to the commonwealth, whereof they 
might reap the benefit in their old age : for 
‘ idle in youth, poor in age’.” 
And therefore the common law abhors 
all monopolies, which prohibit any from 
working in ar.y lawful trade. And that 
appears in 2 Hen. Y. 5 b. A dyer was 
bound not to use the dyer’s craft for two 
years : and there Judge Hall held, “ that 
the bond was against the common law ; and 
by G— d if the plaintiff was here, he should 
go to prison till he paid a fine to the king.” 
And vide 7 Edw. III. 65 b. “And, if he 
who takes upon himself to work is unskilful, 
his ignorance is a sufficient punishment to 
him, for imperitia est maxima mecanicorum 
•poena; et quilibet quoerit in queilibet arte peri- 
tos: — which is, ‘that want of skill is the 
greatest punishment of mechanics; for every 
body will employ those that are the best 
skilled in their business.’ And, if any one 
takes upon himself to work, and spoils it, 
an action on the case lies against him.” 
Having observed thus much, and stated 
the opinions of two such great men as Lord 
Coke and Lord Mansfield, we can only add 
one dixit of Lord Coke’s, that, “ acts of 
parliament which are made against the free- 
dom of trade, merchandizing, handicrafts, 
and mysteries, never live long.” 4th Inst. 31 . 
It is to be observed, that this very great 
check upon trade, by not being able to em- 
APP 
ploy any hands that are able to perform the 
work required, and especially in those 
trades which are so easily learnt in a very 
short space of time, greatly enhances the 
prices of all articles, and that a time when 
population is daily increasing, and the de- 
mand proportionably increasing. And tins 
statute is not only a restraining statute, but 
also an enabling statute, as it empowers 
the workmen to enter into combinations 
against their masters, and to dictate their 
own terms, encouraging vice, idleness, and 
drunkenness ; demands being made on the 
masters for an increase of wages; those de- 
mands supported by dangerous combina- 
tions and conspiracies, and extorted by 
threats. And such increase, when obtain- 
ed, not applied for the wholesome purpose 
of supporting themselves and their families, 
but to that very destructive purpose, 
ruinous to their families, and highly detri- 
mental to the public at large, the enabling 
of the parties to spend more days of the 
week in idleness, drunkenness, vice, and 
immorality. In many manufactures, so 
much money is extorted by the journey- 
men, by means of these combinations, from 
their employers, that the journeymen will 
work but three days in the week; so that 
600 are necessarily required to do the work 
that 300 might do. 
Until these laws, restricting the binding 
of apprentices, are repealed, all laws made 
for the prevention of combinations among 
workmen can be of no avail' and will re- 
main a dead letter in the law books : as in 
this free country, (however that freedom 
may be limited as to the checking of mas- 
ters binding apprentices), no law on this 
point can be so worded, that the art, wick- 
edness, and ingenuity of men, will not con - 
trive to defeat. A bad and absurd law is 
made, viz. the “ Apprentice Act,” which, 
by the extension of trade, is found detri- 
mental to trade ; and then, to do away the 
mischiefs of that law, another absurd law is 
made, viz. the law to prevent combination, 
—so that mischief is heaped upon mischief, 
and absurdity upon absurdity. Trade 
should be as free as the air we breathe. 
This is an axiom, the truth of which every 
day convinces us. ' ' 
APPROACHES, in fortification, the 
works thrown up by the besiegers, in order 
to get nearer a fortress, without being ex- 
posed to the enemy's cannon : such, in a 
more particular manner, are the trenches, 
which should be connected by parallels, or 
lines of communication. 
