§ Mr. Hume moved for the re-appointment of the select committee, to examine the laws respecting the Export of Tools and Machinery. The committee which sat last year had recommended the repeal of the Combination laws, and the abolition of the laws restricting artisans from going abroad; and they further recommended the appointment of the committee for which he was now moving. This was a question which has hitherto been involved in great obscurity: various prejudices had existed on the subject, but those prejudices were gradually disappearing. From the evidence of the Custom-house officers, it was proved, that it was most difficult to distinguish between what was prohibited and what was allowed to be exported. During the last year much prohibited machinery had been exported. In France, the duty imposed upon English machinery allowed to be exported was 35 per cent, whereas upon making oath that the article had been smuggled, there was no difficulty in having it admitted. The pretence for preventing many, of those articles from being exported was, that they required the utmost nicety, in the manufacture; although it was well known that, in a great many instances, they were executed by mere boys, who, were learning their 652 trade. Many of the prohibitions were perfectly useless; such, for instance, as the coining machine. In the machinery used for the manufacture of cloth there was no prohibition, which principally extended to the cotton manufactories. He trusted that in the committee, such satisfactory evidence would be adduced, as would satisfy the most scrupulous and doubtful; for however anxious he was that the measure should pass, he was by no means desirous to pass it in opposition to existing prejudices, if they were general. There appeared to him no reason whatever for preventing the export of machinery, when we permitted the free transit of artisans, who could in foreign countries do the same workmanship as at home.
§ Mr. Huskissonsaid, he should give his concurrence to the motion, first, because he thought that any laws which could not be executed ought not to continue in force, although it might be a question; whether such laws should be wholly abrogated, or only amended; and, secondly, because he quite agreed, that it would be improper to press any legislative measure, in opposition to the sense and feelings of those whose interests might be affected; At the same time, he was bound to say; that those parties greatly overstated the consequences which, in his judgment, were likely to ensue. He had taken upon himself to exercise a discretion which, although perhaps not strictly legal, he hoped the House would not consider criminal, in allowing the export of some articles of machinery, such as the Hydraulic presses, and others, against the prohibition of which all mankind agreed. At present, so great was the demand for machinery, in many branches, that, with all the hands that could be procured, the orders could not be executed for eighteen months to come. Upon these grounds, he thought the re-appointment of the committee would be a great advantage; and he requested the hon. member, who would naturally take a leading part in the proceedings of that committee, to turn his earnest attention to all those points in which parties felt that their interests would be principally affected.
§ The motion was agreed to, and a committee appointed.