The Industrial Revolution

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1027928145

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-159926

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Cunningham, William http://d-nb.info/gnd/128907487

Title:: The Industrial Revolution

Place of publication:: Cambridge

Publisher:: The University Press

Year of publication:: 1922

Scope:: xxii S., S. 404-886

Digitisation:: 2021

Collection:: Economics Books

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LAISSEZ FAIRE ee 264. The anomalies of the system of representation at The wor. UD beginning of last century were a discouragement to the ing classes artisans in seeking for redress on conservative lines. The Fated bn operatives and labourers had reason to be embittered at the Glam rer, failure of the government to administer the law of the land fie esisting a3 contained in the Statute book, and to enforce reasonable rates of wages by authority. It was a still greater grievance that they were prevented from trying to do their best for themselves, and that all attempts on their part at collective bargaining were treated as criminal. The measures which had been devised in old days for the protection of the work- man were allowed to become a dead letter, while those which hs suffered limited his powers of self-defence against capitalist oppression passing of Were re-enacted! in a more stringent form. The passing of Combine. the Combination Act of 17992 which was amended and re- Hom det firmed in 18003, was on the face of it a piece of gross injustice ; and the information regarding the history of the measure is so slight, that there is great difficulty in understanding the reason for inflicting it. There was much distress in the country, and long debates took place in both houses in 1800 on the best methods of alleviating the general suffering; but there were no special features in the economic conditions of the day which render the introduction of such a drastic measure at all intelligible. It seems reasonable to suppose that the motives, which weighed with the Government of the day in 1799, were political ee lime ,and not merely economic. This bill gave an additional panic, ~~ weapon to deal with those who were concerned in any out- breaks which might arise in a period of scarcity, and ib provided an engine for suppressing seditious societies, which might cloak themselves under a pretence of trade objects®. ! See Vol. 1., also S. and B. Webb, 7'rade Unionism, 63. 2 39 Geo. IIL. c. 81. An Act to prevent unlawful combinations of workmen. 3 39 and 40 Geo. III. ¢. 106. The principal modification was the addition of §§ 18 to 22 which gave greater facilities for arbitration between masters and men on any trade disputes, and § 17 which rendered combinations among masters illegal. This view is confirmed by the fact that a very severe measure against debating societies passed in the same year. 89 Geo. ITI. ¢. 79. The only suggestion I have come across of a connection between workmen's societies and seditious gatherings occurs in April 1801. before the Combination Acts had rendered 732

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