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B'O OK lified was neceffary to entitle him to become a mafter, teacher, or doctor (words anciently fynonimous) in the liberal arts, and to have fcholars or apprentices (words likewife originally fynonimous) to ftudy under him.

By the 5th of Elizabeth, commonly called the Statute of Apprenticeship, it was enacted, that no perfon fhould for the future exercise any trade, craft, or mystery at that time exercifed in England, unless he had previously served to it an apprenticeship of feven years at leaft; and what before had been the bye-law of many particular corporations, became in England the general and public law of all trades carried on in mar. ket towns. For though the words of the statute are very general, and feem plainly to include the whole kingdom, by interpretation its operation has been limited to market towns, it having been held that in country villages a perfon may exercife feveral different trades, though he has not ferved a seven years apprenticeship to each, they being neceffary for the conveniency of the inhabitants, and the number of people frequently not being fufficient to fupply each with a particular fet of hands.

By a ftrict interpretation of the words too the operation of this ftatute has been limited to thofe trades which were established in England before the 5th of Elizabeth, and has never been extended to fuch as have been introduced fince that time. This limitation has given occafion to feveral diftinctions which, confidered as rules of police, appear as foolish as can well be ima,

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gined. It has been adjudged, for example, that CHA P. a coach-maker can neither himfelf make nor employ journeymen to make his coach-wheels; but must buy them of a mafter wheel-wright; this latter trade having been exercifed in England before the 5th of Elizabeth. But a wheelwright, though he has never ferved an apprenticeship to a coach-maker, may either himself make or employ journeymen to make coaches; the trade of a coach-maker not being within the ftatute, because not exercifed in England at the time when it was made. The manufactures of Manchester, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, are many of them, upon this account, not within the ftatute; not having been exercifed in England before the 5th of Elizabeth.

In France, the duration of apprenticeships is different in different towns and in different trades. In Paris, five years is the term required in a great number; but before any person can be qualified to exercife the trade as a mafter, he muft, in many of them, ferve five years more as a journeyman. During this latter term he is called the companion of his master, and the term itself is called his companionship.

In Scotland there is no general law which regulates univerfally the duration of apprenticeships. The term is different in different corporations. Where it is long, a part of it may generally be redeemed by paying a small fine, In moft towns too a very small fine is fufficient to purchase the freedom of any corporation. The weavers of linen and hempen cloth, the principal

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BOOK manufactures of the country, as well as all other I. artificers fubfervient to them, wheel-makers, reelmakers, &c. may exercise their trades in any town corporate without paying any fine. In all towns corporate all perfons are free to fell butcher's meat upon any lawful day of the week. Three years is in Scotland a common term of apprenticeship, even in fome very nice trades; and in general I know of no country in Europe in which corporation laws are fo little oppreffive.

The property which every man has in his own labour, as it is the original foundation of all other property, fo it is the moft facred and inviolable. The patrimony of a poor man lies in the strength and dexterity of his hands; and to hinder him from employing this ftrength and dexterity in what manner he thinks proper without injury to his neighbour, is a plain violation of this most facred property. It is a manifest encroachment upon the just liberty both of the workman, and of those who might be difpofed to employ him. As it hinders the one from working at what he thinks proper, fo it hinders the others from employing whom they think proper. To judge whether he is fit to be employed, may furely be trufted to the difcretion of the employers whose interest it fo much concerns. The affected anxiety of the law-giver left they fhould employ an improper perfon, is evidently as impertinent as it is oppreffive.

The inftitution of long apprenticeships cangive no fecurity that infufficient workmanshipshall not frequently be exposed to public fale. When this

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is done it is generally the effect of fraud, and CHA P. not of inability; and the longest apprenticeship can give no fecurity againft fraud. Quite dif ferent regulations are neceffary to prevent this abufe. The fterling mark upon plate, and the ftamps upon linen and woollen cloth, give the purchaser much greater fecurity than any ftatute of apprenticeship. He generally looks at these, but never thinks it worth while to enquire whether the workmen had ferved a feven years apprenticeship.

The inftitution of long apprenticeships has no tendency to form young people to industry. A journeyman who works by the piece is likely to be industrious, because he derives a benefit from every exertion of his industry. An apprentice is likely to be idle, and almost always is fo, because he has no immediate intereft to be otherwise. In the inferior employments, the fweets of labour confift altogether in the recompence of labour. They who are fooneft in a condition to enjoy the fweets of it, are likely fooneft to conceive a relish for it, and to acquire the early habit of industry. A young man naturally conceives an averfion to labour, when for a long time he receives no benefit from it. The boys who are put out apprentices from public charities are generally bound for more than the ufual number of years, and they generally turn out very idle and worthlefs.

Apprenticeships were altogether unknown to the ancients. The reciprocal duties of master and apprentice make a confiderable article in

BOOK every modern code. The Roman law is per I. fectly filent with regard to them. I know no

Greek or Latin word (I might venture, I believe, to affert that there is none) which expreffes the idea we now annex to the word Apprentice, a fervant bound to work at a particular trade for the benefit of a master, during a term of years, upon condition that the mafter fhall teach him that trade.

Long apprenticeships are altogether unneceffary. The arts, which are much fuperior to common trades, such as those of making clocks and watches, contain no fuch mystery as to require a long course of instruction. The firft invention of fuch beautiful machines, indeed, and even that of fome of the inftruments employed in making them, muft, no doubt, have been the work of deep thought and long time, and may justly be confidered as among the happieft efforts of human ingenuity. But when both have been fairly invented and are well understood, to explain to any young man, in the completeft manner, how to apply the inftruments and how to conftruct the machines, cannot well require more than the leffons of a few weeks perhaps thofe of a few days might be fufficient. In the common mechanic trades, thofe of a few days might certainly be fufficient. The dexterity of hand, indeed, even in common trades, cannot be acquired without much practice and experience. But a young man would practise with much more diligence and attention, if from the beginning he wrought as a journey

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