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having reasonable capital going over and carry-bleachers in the north of Ireland, and some very ing on the linen trade, or to persons already intelligent workmen; and the inferences that resident in the country carrying it on, he should he had drawn, and which he had stated to this conceive, if he were to go to settle in Ireland, Committee, were from the information of those that if he had to consult any person whatever persons. He took pretty copious notes, and he with regard to the mode in which he should submitted his notes to a very intelligent and carry on his manufacture, it would be a consi- extensive Irish bleacher, Mr. Archibald Barkderable impediment to his carrying his scheme lie, of Larne, and he asked him whether he into execution. He thought that it would be thought that his information was correct with impossible to do away with some of the regula- regard to the way in which the trade was contions under which the trade was now carried ducted, and he said that it was: Mr. Barklie on in Ireland, unless there was a complete pointed out some little matters where he was change of system; for instance, if the cloth was inaccurate, and he corrected them, His prinsold in open market, in the brown markets he cipal object in the inquiry was general informeant, in the way it was done at present, and mation respecting a great branch of trade conwith the astonishing rapidity with which the nected with his business; and he conceived, buyer must make his bargain, he should con- with great submission, that a person going into ceive it absolutely necessary that there should Ireland, with the previous knowledge that he be some officer to stamp the length and the had as a manufacturer, and with the sources of soundness of the cloth, otherwise he should con- information that were open to him, was perceive it would be a very difficult thing for the fectly competent, in three weeks, to ascertain purchaser, after he bought his linen, if he found all the facts connected with the trade. When it defective, to come upon the man who had sold asked, " If he did not think that an alteration it to him. But if he supposed the linen trade" of the system at present carried on in Ireland, to exist in this way, that there should be" and the introduction of the Scotch system, persons of capital, employing, perhaps, a hun-" would cause a great convulsion in the trade?" dred or two hundred weavers in their neigh- his answer was, that he did not think it would bourhood, and sending the productions of those be possible to alter the existing laws in Ireland weavers, stamped with their name, and affixing that related to the stamping of linen in a martheir character of responsibility to it, he should ket, while the trade was carried on as it was at not imagine that there would then be the same present: if the bleacher in Ireland had it in his necessity for the existing regulations that there power to go to a great manufacturer, and buy now was. He should imagine that the success of the cloth that he wanted upon the responsibility the manufacturer in his trade, and his character, of that manufacturer, he did not conceive that would entirely depend upon his sending out a good in that instance the intervention of a stampand sound article. He was not aware of the master or inspector was necessary, because the practice existing in any part of Ireland of manu- character and success of a manufacturer defacturers employing weavers, and sending their pended upon his selling a sound article. In the goods into market in the manner just described; present circumstances of Ireland, he thought it might, however, exist. If that law were that the Scotch system could be introduced, with altered, and if goods might be sold in Ireland safety to the capitalists, only very gradually. any where, and at any time, he should not then In point of fact, if there was a change of the conceive that the present regulations and the in-nature referred to, it would be a mere transfer terference of officers would be necessary. When of capital, unless the trade was to increase. It asked, “Whether, as a Scotch manufacturer, he was of opinion that if there was a disposition "amongst Scotch capitalists acquainted with "the linen manufacture, or English capitalists, "to take advantage of cheap labour in Ire"land, and to transfer their capital to Ireland "for the purpose of carrying on the linen "manufacture, they would be in any degree “deterred from such an undertaking, upon learning what the regulations were with "respect to the linen manufacture of Ireland?" his answer was, that he should hesitate himself. certainly. The coarse linen manufacture of Scott id had been an increasing manufacture t a very great extent; and he thought the coarse linen trade would be. When he visited Ireland, he took the whole manufacture in detail, from the supply of the flax to sending is out in a finished state; and he had an opportunity of seeing some of the most extensive

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would be the same capital, he thought, more judiciously applied. He conceived that if the capital that now existed in Ireland for carrying on the linen trade, and which was now diffused over a great number of hands, was concentrated more, it would be more advantage ously applied. He did not see that that concentration would drive all the small capitalists out of business. What he meant by a concentration of the capital, was with reference to the present existing facts: to produce the linen in the brown market, there were now several operations; the farmer who grew the flax employed a capital, then there was the capital of the spinner, who bought the flax, and there was the capital of the weaver who bought the yarn; thus there was a portion of capital employed in each branch. A weaver that was employed by a capitalist did not require any other capital than his loom. He did not see how the elect

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of introducing the Scotch system into Ireland | ". necessary. What those are, it will be for the would be to raise the price of weaver's wages, "Committee to determine. I have said, in a forand consequently the price of Irish linen. He" mer evidence, that the prosperity of the linen was aware that a vast quantity of Irish linen" trade of Ireland is mainly attributable to the went to Scotland annually for sale, and was dis-" wisdom of the laws by which it has been goposed of there. A great deal more of fine Irish" verned, and from that opinion I do not mean to linen went to Scotland, for sale in Scotland," recede. The earliest act, and probably the most than was produced by Scotland itself. When" important in its effects at the present day, was asked, "How it came to pass that he could" one that passed in the third year of the reign of "be of opinion that it would be prudent to "George the Third, in the year 1763. It was "interfere with that which gave a superiority "founded upon suggestions made by a Committee “to the quantum produced in Ireland ?"his" of the Linen Trade, to a Committee of the Linen answer was, that he went no further than say- “ Board. The representative of the Linen Trade ing that he thought the manufacture was capa- was Mr. John Williamson, of Lambeg, in the ble of great improvement. He did not conceive county of Antrim, a very intelligent linen that the bleach of Ireland was in some respects" merchant and bleacher, and the father of a genso good as the Scotch bleach. There was for-" tleman who was examined here yesterday. The merly, as he had already stated, a regulation in" representative of the Linen Board was the late Scotland, with respect to reeling yarn, pretty" Lord Chief Baron Foster, the father of the much the same as existed in Ireland; but it did“ present Lord Oriel; and both gentlemen connot exist now; there was no regulation in Scot-" ducted themselves so much to the satisfaction of land with regard to the inspection of yarn. "those for whom they acted, that each received Hanks of yarn were made up in Scotland pre-" from his own body an acknowledgment of their cisely in the same way as in Ireland. It was "thanks. Many acts have arisen since; some of an immemorial custom, he did not know whe-" them out of local and temporary causes that ther there had been a statute, that all Scotch "have long since passed away, and others with reels should be ninety inches. He understood "adverse and conflicting provisions; so that the that the yarn in Ireland was required to be all" whole code presents, at present, a perplexing brought to market upon a uniform reel, the mass of confused and contradictory enactments, same number of threads in a hank. As to the "calling loudly for revision. The laws that are question, whether he thought the trade in yarn "most in operation may be classed under the folcould be carried on in Ireland without such a "lowing heads. I will state them in the order regulation, he thought the interest of the manu- "they affect the manufacture. First, the laws facturer requiring, when he had a certain quan- “that relate to the examination of flax-seed upon tity of yarn to buy, that it must be prepared in" import. Flax is not the subject of legislative a certain way, would be quite sufficient without" regulation, and probably it is to he lamented any regulation. "that it never has been: we must pass to yarn JAMES CORRY, Esq., examined.— He was se- "therefore. Secondly, the laws that relate to the cretary to the Linen Board of Ireland, and had “ making up and sale of yarn. Thirdly, the laws been so very near thirty years. His attendance" that relate to the length, breadth, quality, had been almost unremitting there. Being re- " measuring, stamping, and sale of brown or unquired by the Committee to state his views of the bleached linen. Fourthly, the laws that relate laws that at present existed for the regulation of " to the same particulars with regard to white, or the linen manufacture of Ireland, and how far" bleached linen. Fifthly and lastly, the laws they required amendment, Mr. Corry answered" that relate to the different aids that are given to as follows: I will state them as briefly as I am "this manufacture in the shape of a foreign linen "able; and first, I would say generally, that the" import duty, a native linen export bounty, and “less any manufacture is encumbered with legis-“ a Linen Board, with funds at their disposal to “lative regulations, the better. They are only" maintain and promote it. Beginning with the necessary in cases where a manufacture employs" first of these heads:- I consider that the laws "the poorest classes of the people, who do not al-" that relate to the examination of flax-seed, at the ways see that it is their own interest to abstain" place of import or elsewhere, may be dispensed

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from any imposition upon those who purchase with. The object of the legislature was to pre"the product of their labour. It is wise, there- "vent seed unfit for sowing from making its way “fore, and often necessary, on their own account," into the interior, and being sold and sown there “to constrain them by legal regulations to the" to the injury of the country; but if the farmer, observance of probity in their dealings. But who buys to sow, and for whose protection the when the manufacturer emerges from that low" law was made, be as good a judge of the quality "grade of life, and acquires with property a sense "of the seed as any officer who may have previ "of the value of character, a motive of action" ously examined it, no such officer is necessary; “arises infinitely stronger than legal obligation," and it is quite inconsistent to suppose that the * and law becomes unnecessary. Referring the linen manufacture of Ireland to that test, I "would say, that inasmuch as it is a poor man's trade, legal regulations are, in some respects,

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Irish farmer should understand seed-oats, or "seed-wheat, or seed-barley, or any other seed he "sows, and be ignorant of flax-seed. Itherefore say that those laws appear to me to be unneces

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regard to the merchant, as they are with regard to the grower. In the year following this occurrence, that is, in the year 1810, an Act was brought in, with a view, as it were, to quiet the right of action. It is an Act which I do not well understand; but as it is very short I will read it: For the prevention of fraudulent Practices in respect to Flax-seed and Hemp. seed, sold in Ireland for sowing, be it enacted,' and so forth. That no action or suit shall be "brought in Ireland whereby to charge any person to answer damages for having at any "time, after the passing of this Act, sold unsound, mixed, bad, or damnified flax-seed or

sary, so far at want as regards the inspection of the quality. Probaidy it may be wise to retain "the regnation that requires the place from 44 whence imported, and the year of its growth, to “be branded on the ease; but any inspection of the "quality of the seed, by a primic officer, appears to 4me to be unnecessary. A case wurred, with "regard to flax-seed, in the year 1861, which in“duces me to think that those laws are equally “useless with regard to the import merchant as "they are to the grower. The case I allude to "was briefly this: In the year 1809 there was an "alarming deficiency of flax-seed in Ireland, ** owing, I believe, to some interruption to our “intercourse with America. The present Lørd | “ hemp-seed, or flax-seed or hemp-seed unfit "Oriel, who was then Chancellor of the Irish" for sowing, unless the warranty, on which "Exchequer, with all that anxiety which he has such action shall be brought, or some memo"ever shewn for the trade, conceived that a sup- randum, or note thereof, shall be in writing,

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ply of seed might be got in the crushing mills" signed by the party to be charged therewith, "of England that would answer the purposes of" or by some other person thereunto by him "sowing; and accordingly he directed inquiries" lawfully authorised, any law, statute, or usage, “to be made into that fact, and also whether the" to the contrary, notwithstanding: Provided, "sowing price in Ireland, which was considerably" always, that nothing in this Act contained shall "raised by the deficiency of seed there, so as "extend to any action or suit relating to any flax. "greatly to exceed the crushing price here, might" seed or hemp-seed sold in any smaller quantities "not tempt some of the holders, in the spirit of" than two bushels.' That Act was brought in for "trade, to export their seed to Ireland. The re-" the purpose of barring those actions which had sult of those inquiries shewed that both was the" been so threatened; but it always appeared to case. Not willing, however, to take the state-"me, that by its giving an impunity to the sale of **ment of the oil merchants with regard to the “bad seed, except under the circumstances there "quality of their seed, he sent for three of the" stated, it placed the whole system of inspection most intelligent of the flax-seed inspectors in" on a footing of more questionable propriety than the service of the Linen Board, who came over" before." He had heard it stated that the in"here, and examined and branded as sound a spection of the flax-seed officers, that year, was "great deal of this seed, which was forthwith ex-directed to be less rigid with regard to the quality "ported to Ireland, and sold and sown there. It

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so happened, however, that a considerable por**tion of this flax-seed failed in its growth; and "actions were brought, or at least threatened, on "the part of the farmers, against the persons from "whom they purchased, who threatened in their "turn the persons who had sold to them, and " so on, till the wholesale merchants in the "port of Dublin, who were the first purchasers, "“ got notice of those actions. They present"ed a memorial to the Linen Board on the "subject, in which they stated their situation "to this effect: We are venders of an article, ** of the quality of which you will not, by law, " allow us to be judges. We bought this seed upon the assurance of your brand, and under "its authority we guaranteed the soundness " of the seed to the persons to whom we sold "it; we are now threatened with ruinous "and vexatious actions, and we pray your "interposition to save us from the consequences "to which they may subject us; for the magni“tude of the misfortune is beyond the reach of “individual remedy, and can only be provided for "by public means. The Laren Board conceived, "that to notice the praver of this memorial would, **be letting in a very dangerous prone pie, and ** they accordingly rejected it. And theres ve I ** am led to the opinion with which I set on, ** that the lawx.ppear to me equally useless u 1o

of the seed, with a view of giving a supply to the sowers, which they had no other chance of obtain ing but from the stores of the merchants who had flax-seed for the purpose of crushing therein; but it was not by the Board, or any member of it; and he should be sorry to be understood, in the statement that he had made, to reflect in the slightest degree upon the officers of the Linen Board employed on that occasion, one of whom was at present in attendance on the Committee, and was, he conceived, one of the most intelligent officers in their service. When he said that the establishment of flax-seed inspectors might be removed without, as he conceived, any injury to the interest of the trade, it was not with reference to the expense of the establishment that he spoke. The value of the seed imported into Ireland, calling the quantity 50,000 hogsheads, at 31. or 41. per hogshead, might be said to fluctuate between 1304 and 2000,000. and the whole charge of the officers, none of whom occasioned any expense to the Lim Board, was not more in the last year than about 1,100%, which they received in fees of 34. a hogshead from the import merchants, an. 64. upon such as lay over from the former vor: 1 that it was not from any view at the expense of the thing that he was induced to view the resmom that he had stated, but rather upon, 377espir. lie was to that there was a duty park

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upon flax-seed coming into Ireland of 5d. a "deputies under them without salary. Those bushel, but he did not know the fact. He be-" deputies, by a return lately made to me, lieved that the farmers in the interior of the "amount to 158 in number, making together country in Ireland were supplied with flax-seed" 193 persons. Now, according to other returns by jobbers, who attended the ports of import," made to me, the whole income which those and conveyed the seed to different towns in the" principal inspectors and their deputies derived interior for their supply; but, admitting that “ from fines and seizures of linen and yarn, in they felt a confidence from the seed having been" the year ended the 5th of January, 1825, previously inspected, it did not follow therefore" amounted only to the sum of 9261. which that the officer was necessary, unless it was sup-" would afford so very insufficient an annual posed that they could not judge for themselves." allowance for the whole class of persons emIf the Committee did not think with him, that" ployed in the inspection of yarn, that more, the Irish farmer could be as good a judge of the " I am afraid, is levied than we hear of, particustate and quality of flax-seed, under any cir-"larly in the west of Ireland, to which province cumstance of preparation that could be sup- I particularly allude, and next to Munster, but posed, as the officer himself, then the opinion he "least of all to the north, where the officers are had given must of course fall to the ground." of a better description. The yarn trade of By desire of the Committee, Mr. Corry pro-"Ireland is not perhaps in that state which is ceeded as follows to the laws that regulated the "best calculated to serve our linen manumaking up of home-spun yarn for market. "I" facture. A description of this trade is given "believe the existing regulations to be neces- "in a letter addressed to me by one of the sary, because yarn is bought and sold in Dublin factors, who was examined before this "crowded markets in Ireland, where there is" Committee, and if they will indulge me I "little time or opportunity to examine its con- "will read it. Comparing the state of the "dition, and where the purchaser generally" Irish with the English and Scotch manubuys from the seller in the belief that the "facturers, he says, The Scotch and English 'yarn exhibited to him is in a regular state "manufacturer is a man of capital, who can “with regard to reel and count, or that the" buy his yarns where he can get them cheap“seller would otherwise have been afraid to" est; he adapts his manufacture to some expose it for sale; but I would humbly sug-" particular object, which is a more material gest, that the laws with regard to yarn ought" thing than many, not conversant with the to be totally altered; all those regulations" trade, would believe; and he can sort his “should be confined to the sales in public" yarns exactly to the purposes they suit. Con"market, and any person who manufactured "trast this with our Irish system: the poor yarn, and wished to sell it elsewhere than in "spinner comes to market in many cases with "public market, should be left at liberty, without" but a few hanks of yarn, as poor a weaver "the interruption of any law, or any officer, to" buys them, and so on till he gets sufficient to carry that yarn to any place or any person "make a web, this mixture of yarns is made "that he pleased. Another material alteration" into cloth, and easily accounts for the uneven"in these laws is advisable—there should be "ness of our coarse manufacture, a matter of a thorough mitigation of the penalties ex- "most injurious consequence to it.' It is "acted, which are infinitely too severe; and" chiefly by machinery that we can hope to "the forfeiture of yarn should in no case be" introduce the manufacture of even yarns for "allowed. I am free to admit that regulations" those fabrics to which mill-yarns are appli" left to be enforced by officers are subject to this" cable. A good assorting of yarns could also objection, and it is an inconvenience strongly be had by the establishment of intermediate "felt with regard to the yarn trade of Ireland, “ agents, who would buy from the spinner, and “that the business is differently done in different" assort and sell to the weavers; but all this "places, as the officers differ in diligence or pro-" must be the work of time. Some of the Combity. In the north of Ireland, where from the "mittee, who are members of the Linen Board, improved habits of the people the market is in " may remember, that between the years 1805 "the best state, the best officers are to be found;" and 1810 the Board endeavoured to encourage “but in the south and west of Ireland, and parti- " the spinning of yarn by mill machinery, by "cularly in the west, where good officers are most" offering bounties,at the rate of 30s. a spindle, "wanted, they are of a very inferior description." for every spindle erected. The experiment “Care also must be taken to prevent those in-" has been successful to a certain extent, but it "stances of petty tyranny, which I am afraid has not led to that general establishment of "occur oftener than we hear of them. I am led" mills, which they had reason to hope would "to this opinion from looking to the number of" "officers employed, and the income they would seem to receive. The county inspectors of “linen and yarn in the service of the Linen "Board are 35 in number. They have each a

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have attended their efforts." Yarn, under certain situations, was forfeitable to the trustees. He would remove that power altogether, which was often commuted for excessive fines; in short, he would, by the mildest system of legislation, lead the spinners to the observance of regularity.

The poor people employed as deputy inspectors | capitalists from embarking in it; but he was

of yarn had remunerated themselves by the not able to see how. A capitalist wishing to forfeiture of the article. He had already said spin yarn by giving out flax, might be deterred that the deputy inspectors had no salary what- from undertaking it by finding that all his yarn ever. As to whether he believed that they ex- must be sold in open market; the laws, as they acted penalties which they did not make returns now stood, were calculated to create such an of to the Board, the Committee would observe apprehension; but mill-spinners, being people that it was the principal who made the return, of capital and character, would make their yarns not the deputy; and it was perfectly consistent conformable to regulation, and should not therewith the supposition of integrity on the part of fore fear. He was aware that Mr. Crossthwaite, the principal, that a deputy should exact, and and others of those who had established spinthat the exaction should be unknown to him, ning yarn mills, were not subject to the necesand therefore that his return should be true, in sity of sending their yarn into open market; but his opinion, though calculated to mislead the that arose from their course of trade. If Mr. Board. All his observations on this head ap- Crossthwaite wished to sell the yarn he manuplied to the deputies. The amelioration of the factured in public market, his yarn would be yarn laws altogether would deprive them of the subject to the inspection of the officer there; means of severe exactions. He believed that it but Mr. Crossthwaite wove a great deal of his was imperative upon a magistrate, according to own yarn, and sold the rest by private sale, and the present law, where fraud was detected therefore he did not feel the practical inconve against the seller of yarn, to order the for- nience that the Committee would point at. No feiture of the yarn. A small fine, or any thing, mill-spinner of yarn, who manufactured the would be a better substitute to prevent fraud article with a view to sell it in public market, than the absolute forfeiture of the article. All would like to embark in the trade if his yarn yarn found irregular ought to be made regular, would be necessarily subject to inspection, which and given back to the owner, upon paying a mo- he would consider a great inconvenience; not derate fine, and the expense of making it re- that he should fear any seizure, if his yarn was gular; the fine to be at the discretion of the regular, but an inspection by a petty officer, magistrate. When asked, “Whether he would and that person his inferior, would tease him. "not recommend that every fine, of every de- When asked if he imagined that it would be "scription, that was imposed should be put on worth the while of any capitalist to establish a "record ?" he observed, that according to the mill for spinning yarn for the purpose of selling printed form of quarterly returns prepared by the yarn without manufacturing it? he replied, him, to be furnished by the county inspectors, that he was bound to believe that such yarn. it was expected and hoped that all fines and for- spinners might be found in Ireland, as well as feitures levied should have been recorded; but in Scotland, where there were some very affluent he had already stated to the Committee, that and extensive mill-spinners, who sold all the many of the deputies, according to his appre- yarn which they made. The highest rate of hension, made seizures and received fines with bounty offered by the Board for mill-spun yarn out the knowledge of even the principal, and was 30s. per spindle. The largest sum that apthat therefore the return of the principal was, peared to have been received by one house in without his knowledge, often incorrect. He was one year was 1,1917.; that was in the year but a poor judge of the various processes for 1809. It was the house of Crookshank, Kenmaking yarn pursued even in Ireland, and much nedy, and Company, at Buncrana, in the county less of that abroad; but he had often heard that of Donegal; he believed they were still in busiour own process was defective compared with ness. He had already said that the efforts of that of other countries; he did not know the the Board did not produce the extended benefit fact. The belief that a better system prevailed that had been expected. He knew of no inin the Netherlands with regard to the steeping stance in which a capitalist had been prevented of flax, induced the Linen Board, not long since, embarking his capital in consequence of the to send an experienced officer to that country regulations which required the exposure of his for the purpose of learning their habits. When yarn in the public market for sale only; he had asked, “If the method of managing the yarn spoken only of the probable effect of the present "business was changed in Ireland, and the laws upon any person having such an intention, "Scotch method was introduced, would not so far as those laws required a sale in public "that alone contribute to the having all those market. Mr. Corry then proceeded as follows processes carried on in a more perfect manner, to the next head of his statement. "The "by each particular process being carried on next head relates to the laws which regulate upon a more divided principle of labour ?" he" the breadth, quality, measuring, stamping, answered, that a better division of labour might" and selling of brown or unbleached linen. 1 lead to better general results. The present "cannot contemplate, without serious alarm, regulations by which yarn was sold in the mar- any repeal of the laws respecting a stamp on kets might have the effect of obstructing the "brown linens: such a repeal would be calcuintroduction of the Scotch system, by deterring“ lated to abolish the brown linen markets of

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