A.D. 1776 
—1850. 
Friendly 
Societies 
continued 
to exist. 
7134 
LAISSEZ FAIRE 
probably be mischievous to trade. They might readily believe 
that if a fixed minimum of wages, even when it emanated 
from public authority, was an evil and tended to aggravate 
distress, the attempts of private individuals to take the 
matter into their own hands, and enforce such regulations by 
the strength of a combination, were still more to be deprecated; 
this seemed to be doing a bad thing in the worst possible 
way. There wasa diametric opposition between the operatives, 
whose chief aim was to uphold the Elizabethan policy, and 
the legislature, which regarded the old system as mischievous, 
and felt justified in treating all efforts to restore it indirectly 
as criminal. 
The Act did not affect associations which existed for 
approved objects, but merely the employment of the powerful 
weapon of combination for purposes which the legislature 
regarded as mischievous’. There was at this time a very 
general interest in Friendly Societies, and a desire on the 
part of the Government to give them a better status. The 
Act, which Mr Rose had carried through in 17932 had en- 
couraged these societies to bring their constitutions and 
rules before the justices for approval ; and conferred on them 
a definite legal status if they did so; as these bodies were 
able to use their funds to assist their members when out of 
work or when travelling in search of it?, a considerable field 
of activity in connection with trade affairs was open to them. 
There appear to have been many such societies in all parts of 
1 «All contracts...made...between any journeymen manufacturers or other 
workmen...for obtaining an advance of wages,...lessening or altering their or 
any of their usual hours or time of working...or for preventing or hindering any 
person or persons from employing whomsoever he, she or they shall think proper 
to employ in his her or their business, or for controlling...any person or persons 
carrying on any manufacture, trade, or business, in the conduct or management 
thereof, shall be...illegal.” 89 Geo. III. ¢. 81. 
233 Geo. IIL. ec. 54. An dct for the Encouragement of Friendly 
Societies. 
3 A clear account of the objects of one of these societies will be found in the 
evidence given before a Committee of the House of Commons in 1794. It is clear 
that an out-of work benefit was allowed and it was also stated that there was not 
one out of a hundred of the Woolcombers that did not belong to some society. 
William Eales’ evidence, C. J. xL1x. p. 323. The practice of associating for trade 
objects and other benefits had existed among the woolcombers for many years. 
See above, pp. 508 and 652 n. 8.