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palaces, evince a skilful practice of numerous devices to abridge and facilitate labour, and to give a permanence, almost eternal, to their gorgeous structures."-Stuart's Anecdotes.

"The introduction of new inventions seemeth to be the very chief of all human actions. The benefits of new inventions may extend to all mankind universally, but the good of political achievements can respect but some particular cantons of men; these latter do not endure above a few ages, the former for ever. Inventions make all men happy without either injury or damage to any one single person. Furthermore, new inventions are, as it were, new erections and imitations of God's own works."-Bacon.

March 1, 1836.

INTRODUCTION.

A retrospective view of the colonial policy of Great Britain may not be inapplicable to some introductory remarks to this

work.

It has always been the well known policy of that powerful nation, to supply her colonies with the home manufactures. They have of course, as a part of this plan, prevented the introduction of machinery and of all mechanical operations and improvements. Through the influence of fashion, as well as by other means, they have rendered their various dependencies entirely subservient to the mother country; affording them a constant supply, not only of articles of necessity, but those of ornament and fashion. This was the avowed condition of the North American colonies, previous to the war of the revolution.* Chatham said, he "would

* The state of the country, the state of the government, and the state of manufactures at this period, may be learned from the following letter written by John Adams, Dec. 19, 1816.

Extract of a letter from President Adams to Wm. E. Richmond, Esq. Providence. Dec. 14th, 1819.

SIR, I have received your polite favour of the 10th, the subject of which is of great importance. I am old enough to remember the war of 1745, and its end. The war of 1755, and its close. The war of 1775, and its termination. The war of 1812, and its pacification. Every one of these wars has been followed by a general distress, embarrassments on commerce, destruction of manufactures; fall of the price of produce and of lands, similar to those we feel at the present day—and all produced by the same causes:-I have wondered that so much experience has not taught us more caution. The British merchants and manufacturers, immediately after the peace, disgorged upon us all their stores of merchandise and manufactures-not only without profit, but at a certain loss for a time-with the express purpose of annihilating all our manufactories and ruining all our manufacturers. The cheapness of the articles allures us into extravagances, and at length produces universal complaint. What would be the consequences of the abolition of all restrictive, exclusive, and monopolising laws, if adopted by

not have the Americans make a "hobnail;" and they will not have "a razor to shave their beards," was an expression in debate, by a member of the English parliament. Such was the condition of these colonies, previous to their declaration of independence; hence, the inhabitants found themselves bare even of necessary clothing, and of common utensils for the use of their domestic economy. This rendered the war more oppressive, and increased the privations of the Provincials, altogether beyond the sufferings of a state of warfare in modern times. The citizens had, from their first settlement, looked to the other side of the Atlantic for their clothing, their luxuries, &c.; in fact, for every thing, except their fire wood, meats, and bread stuffs. So that at the commencement of their resistance, they were nearly left without a tool to work with; the women were driven to the use of thorns, when their supply of pins failed them. All kinds of hardware and crockery were generally unattainable. Even the article of leather, was very imperfectly prepared. So that not only the army were badly shod, but many of the citizens were bare-footed, and bare-headed. The following remarks will show, that these restrictions on trade constituted a part of the complaints and grievances of the colonies. It was not easy for them to see by what principle their removal to America should deprive them of such rights and privileges. They could not comprehend the justice of restrictions so materially different from those at "home;" or why they might not, equally with their elder brethren in England, seek the best markets for their products, and like them manufacture such articles as were within their power, and essential to their comfort. But the selfish politicians of Britain, and her still more selfish merchants and manufacturers, thought otherwise. A different doctrine was accordingly advanced, and a different policy pursued. Acts were therefore early passed, restricting the trade with the

all the nations of the earth, I pretend not to say: but while all the nations with whom we have intercourse, persevere in cherishing such laws, I know not how we can do ourselves justice without introducing, with great prudence and discretion however, some portions of the same system. The gentlemen of Philadelphia have published a very important volume upon the subject, which I recommend to your careful perusal. Other cities are co-operating in the same plan. I heartily wish them all success, so far as this, at leastthat congress may take the great subject into their most serious deliberation, and decide upon it according to their most mature wisdom.

JOHN ADAMS.

Note-A meeting was held in London, to assist cotton manufacture, headed by Earl Grosvenor, Lord Folkstone, H. Brougham, Sir Robert Peel, &c., and liberal subscriptions collected.

plantations, 'as well as with other parts of the world, to British built ships belonging to the subjects of England, or to her plantations. Not contented with thus confining the colonial export trade to the parent country, parliament in 1663 limited the import trade in the same manner. These acts, indeed, left free the trade and intercourse between the colonies. But even this privilege remained only a short period. In 1672 certain colonial products, transported from one colony to another, were subjected to duties. White sugars were to pay five shillings, and brown sugars one shilling and sixpence, per hundred ;-tobacco and indigo one penny, and cotton wool a half-penny, per pound. The colonists deemed these acts highly injurious to their interests. They were deprived of the privilege of seeking the best market for their products, and of receiving in exchange the articles they wanted, without being charged the additional expense of a circuitous route through England. The acts themselves were considered by some as a violation of their charter rights; in Massachusetts they were, for a long time, totally disregarded. The other colonies viewed them in the same light. Virginia presented a petition for their repeal; and Rhode Island declared them unconstitutional, and contrary to their charter. The Carolinas, also, declared thein not less grievous and illegal. The disregard of these enactments on the part of the colonies--a disregard which sprung from a firm conviction of their illegal and oppressive character--occasioned loud and clamorous complaints in England. The revenue it was urged would be injured; and the dependence of the colonies on the parent country would, in time, be totally destroyed. Here much interesting matter might be introduced, but nothing more than a general sketch is intended.

A similar sensibility prevailed on the subject of manufactures. For many years after their settlement, the colonies were too much occupied in subduing their lands, to engage in other business. When, at length, they turned their attention to them, the varieties were few, and of coarse and imperfect texture. But even these were viewed with a jealous eye. In 1699, commenced a systematic course of restrictions on colonial manufactures, by an enactment of parliament, "That no wool, yarn, or woollen manufactures of their American plantations, should be shipped there, or even laden, in order to be transported thence, to any place whatever." Other acts followed, in subsequent years, having for their object the suppression of manufactures in America, and the continued dependence of the colonies on the parent country. In 1719, the house of commons declared, "That the erecting of manufactories in the

colonies, tended to lessen their dependence on Great Britain." In 1731, the board of trade reported to the house of commons, "That there were more trades carried on, and manufactures set up, in the provinces on the continent of America, to the northward of Virginia, prejudicial to the trade and manufactures of Great Britain, particularly in New England;" they suggested "whether it might not be expedient, in order to keep the colonies properly dependent upon the parent country, and to render her manufactures of service to the government, "to give those colonies some encouragement." From the London company of hatters, loud complaints were made to parliament, and suitable restrictions demanded upon the exportation of hats, which were manufactured in New England, and exported to various places, to the serious injury of their trade. In consequence of these representations, the exportations of hats from the colonies to foreign countries, and from one plantation to another, were prohibited; and even restraints, to a certain extent, were imposed on their manufacture. In 1731, it was enacted, that hats should neither be shipped, nor even laden upon a horsecart or other carriage, with a view to transportation to any other colony, or to any place whatever; no hatter should employ more than two apprentices at once, nor make hats, unless he had served as an apprentice to the trade seven years; and, that no negro should be allowed to work at the business at all. The complaints and the claims of the manufacturers of iron were of an equally selfish character. The colonists might reduce the iron ore into pigs they might convert it into bars-it might be furnished them duty free; but the English must have the profit of manufacturing it, beyond this incipient stage. Similar success awaited the representations and petitions of this trade. In this year, 1750, parliament allowed the importation of pig and bar iron from the colonies, into London, duty free; but prohibited the erection or continuance of any mill or other engine, for slitting or rolling iron, or any plating forge, to work with a tilt-hammer, or any furnace for making steel, in the colonies, under the penalty of two hundred pounds. Every such mill, engine, or plating forge, was declared a common nuisance; and the governors of the colonies, on the information of two witnesses, on oath, were directed to cause the same to be removed within thirty days, or to forfeit the sum of £500. It appears that no sooner did the colonies, emerging from the feebleness and poverty of their early settlements, begin to direct their attention to commerce and manufactures, than they were subjected by the parent country to many vexatious regulations, which seemed to indicate, that with regard to those subjects, the

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