536 . LAISSEZ FAIRE 
AD.1776 the repeal of this part of the measure, since it had long 
~— 18350. b . 
. fallen into desuetude, and the principle of the Act was con- 
This had " - 
julien into demned by exponents of the fashionable Political Economy of 
desuetude, the day’. The House of Commons does not appear to have 
thought it necessary to make any further enquiry into the 
probable effect of their action on the one class in the com- 
munity who addressed them on the subject. Petitions were 
sent from several centres in Lancashire, but the Bolton 
petition may be quoted at some length. It sets forth that— 
“The Petitioners are much concerned to learn that a Bill 
has been brought into the House to repeal so much of the 
Statute 5 Eliz. as empowers and requires the Magistrates, in 
their respective jurisdictions, to rate and settle the prices to 
be paid to labourers, handicrafts, spinners, weavers, etc, and 
that the Petitioners have endured almost constant reductions 
in the prices of their labour for many years, with sometimes 
a trifling advance, but during the last 80 months they have 
continued, with very little alteration, so low, that the average 
wages of cotton weavers do not exceed 5s. per week, though 
other trades in general earn from 20s. to 30s. per week ; and 
that the extravagant prices of provisions of all kinds render 
it impossible for the Petitioners to procure food for themselves 
and families, and the parishes are so burthened that an 
adequate supply cannot be had from that quarter; and that 
in the 40th year of His present Majesty, a Law was made to 
settle disputes between Masters and Workmen, which Law, 
having been found capable of evasion, and evaded, became 
unavailing ; after which in 1802, 1803, and 1804, applications 
being made to amend that of the 40th, another Law was 
of the cotton weavers, backed with the consent of their employers.” Parl. 
Debates, x1. 426, 427. 
1 Chalmers held that the true interest of a manufacturing community can 
alone be effectually promoted by competition, which hinders the rise of wages 
among workmen and promotes at once the goodness and cheapness of the manu- 
facture. Chalmers, Estimate of the Comparative Strength of Great Britain, 
p. 37. Ricardo gave the sanction of his authority to this manner of dealing with 
the question when he spoke against any delay in the repeal of the Spitalfields 
Acts. * The principles of true political economy never changed, and those who 
did not understand that science had better say nothing about it, but endeavour to 
give good reasons, if they could find any, for supporting the existing act” (Parl. 
Debates, N. 8. 1x. 381. Compare Bonar, Letters of David Ricardo to Malthus, 
p. Xi}.