industrial biography-第37章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


assignees；　and　the　result　of　the　proceeding　was　that　the　whole

benefit　of　Cort's　inventions　was　thus　made　over　to　the　ironmasters

and　to　the　public。　　Had　the　estate　been　properly　handled；　and　the

patent　rights　due　under　the　contracts　made　by　the　ironmasters　with

Cort　been　duly　levied；　there　is　little　reason　to　doubt　that　the　whole

of　the　debt　owing　to　the　Government　would　have　been　paid　in　the

course　of　a　few　years。　　〃When　we　consider；〃　says　Mr。　Webster；　〃how

very　simple　was　the　process　of　demanding　of　the　contracting

ironmasters　the　patent　due　（which　for　the　year　1789　amounted　to

15；000L。；　in　1790　to　15；000L。；　and　in　1791　to　25；000L。）；　and　which

demand　might　have　been　enforced　by　the　same　legal　process　used　to

ruin　the　inventor；　it　is　not　difficult　to　surmise　the　motive　for

abstaining。〃　　The　case；　however；　was　not　so　simple　as　Mr。　Webster　puts

it；　for　there　was　such　a　contingency　as　that　of　the　ironmasters

combining　to　dispute　the　patent　right；　and　there　is　every　reason　to

believe　that　they　were　prepared　to　adopt　that　course。*

　＇footnote。。。

This　is　confirmed　by　the　report　of　a　House　of　Commons　Committee　on

the　subject　Mr。　Davies　Gilbert　chairman）；　in　which　they　say；　〃Your

committee　have　not　been　able　to　satisfy　themselves　that　either　of　the

two　inventions；　one　for　subjecting　cast…iron　to　an　operation　termed

puddling　during　its　conversion　to　malleable　iron；　and　the　other　for

passing　it　through　fluted　or　grooved　rollers；　were　so　novel　in　their

principle　or　their　application　as　fairly　to　entitle　the　petitioners

＇Mr。　Cort's　survivors＇　to　a　parliamentary　reward。〃　　It　is；　however；

stated　by　Mr。　Mushet　that　the　evidence　was　not　fairly　taken　by　the

committeethat　they　were　overborne　by　the　audacity　of　Mr。　Samuel

Homfray；　one　of　the　great　Welsh　ironmasters；　whose　statements　were

altogether　at　variance　with　known　factsand　that　it　was　under　his

influence　that　Mr。　Gilbert　drew　up　the　fallacious　report　of　the

committee。　　The　illustrious　James　Watt；　writing　to　Dr。　Black　in　1784；

as　to　the　iron　produced　by　Cort's　process；　said；　〃Though　I　cannot

perfectly　agree　with　you　as　to　its　goodness；　yet　there　is　much

ingenuity　in　the　idea　of　forming　the　bars　in　that　manner；　which　is

the　only　part　of　his　process　which　has　any　pretensions　to　novelty。。。。

Mr。　Cort　has；　as　you　observe；　been　most　illiberally　treated　by　the

trade：　　they　are　ignorant　brutes；　but　he　exposed　himself　to　it　by

showing　them　the　process　before　it　was　perfect；　and　seeing　his

ignorance　of　the　common　operations　of　making　iron；　laughed　at　and

despised　him；　yet　they　will　contrive　by　some　dirty　evasion　to　use　his

process；　or　such　parts　as　they　like；　without　acknowledging　him　in　it。

I　shall　be　glad　to　be　able　to　be　of　any　use　to　him。　　Watts

fellow…feeling　was　naturally　excited　in　favour　of　the　plundered

inventor；　he　himself　having　all　his　life　been　exposed　to　the　attacks

of　like　piratical　assailants。

　。。。＇



Although　the　Cort　patents　expired　in　1796　and　1798　respectively；　they

continued　the　subject　of　public　discussion　for　some　time　after；　more

particularly　in　connection　with　the　defalcations　of　the　deceased　Adam

Jellicoe。　　It　does　not　appear　that　more　than　2654l。　　was　realised　by

the　Government　from　the　Cort　estate　towards　the　loss　sustained　by　the

public；　as　a　balance　of　24；846l。　　was　still　found　standing　to　the

debit　of　Jellicoe　in　1800；　when　the　deficiencies　in　the　naval

account's　became　matter　of　public　inquiry。　　A　few　years　later；　in

1805；　the　subject　was　again　revived　in　a　remarkable　manner。　　In　that

year；　the　Whigs；　Perceiving　the　bodily　decay　of　Mr。　Pitt；　and　being

too　eager　to　wait　for　his　removal　by　death；　began　their　famous　series

of　attacks　upon　his　administration。　　Fearing　to　tackle　the　popular

statesman　himself；　they　inverted　the　ordinary　tactics　of　an

opposition；　and　fell　foul　of　Dundas；　Lord　Melville；　then　Treasurer　of

the　Navy；　who　had　successfully　carried　the　country　through　the　great

naval　war　with　revolutionary　France。　　They　scrupled　not　to　tax　him

with　gross　peculation；　and　exhibited　articles　of　impeachment　against

him；　which　became　the　subject　of　elaborate　investigation；　the　result

of　which　is　matter　of　history。　　In　those　articles；　no　reference

whatever　was　made　to　Lord　Melville's　supposed　complicity　with

Jellicoe；　nor；　on　the　trial　that　followed；　was　any　reference　made　to

the　defalcations　of　that　official。　　But　when　Mr。　Whitbread；　on　the　8th

of　April；　1805；　spoke　to　the　〃Resolutions〃　in　the　Commons　for

impeaching　the　Treasurer　of　the　Navy；　he　thought　proper　to　intimate

that　he　〃had　a　strong　suspicion　that　Jellicoe　was　in　the　same

partnership　with　Mark　Sprott；　Alexander　Trotter；　and　Lord　Melville。

He　had　been　suffered　to　remain　a　public　debtor　for　a　whole　year　after

he　was　known　to　be　in　arrears　upwards　of　24；000L。　　During　next　year

11；000L。　more　had　accrued。　　It　would　not　have　been　fair　to　have　turned

too　short　on　an　old　companion。　　It　would　perhaps；　too；　have　been

dangerous；　since　unpleasant　discoveries　might　have　met　the　public

eye。　　It　looked　very　much　as　if；　mutually　conscious　of　criminality；

they　had　agreed　to　be　silent；　and　keep　their　own　secrets。〃



In　making　these　offensive　observations　Whitbread　was　manifestly

actuated　by　political　enmity。　　They　were　utterly　unwarrantable。　　In　the

first　place；　Melville　had　been　formally　acquitted　of　Jellicoe's

deficiency　by　a　writ　of　Privy　Seal；　dated　31st　May；　1800；　and

secondly；　the　committee　appointed　in　that　very　year　（1805）　to

reinvestigate　the　naval　accounts；　had　again　exonerated　him；　but

intimated　that　they　were　of　opinion　there　was　remissness　on　his　part

in　allowing　Jellicoe　to　remain　in　his　office　after　the　discovery　of

his　defalcations。



the　report　made　by　the　commissioners　to　the　Houses　of　Parliament　in

1805；*

　＇footnote。。。

Tenth　Report　of　the　Commissioners　of　Naval　Inquiry。　　See　also　Report

of　Select　Committee　on　the　10th　Naval　Report。　　May；　1805。

　。。。＇

　the　value　of　Corts　patents　was　estimated　at　only　100L。　　Referring　to

the　schedule　of　Jellicoe's　alleged　assets；　they　say　〃Many　of　the

debts　are　marked　as　bad；　and　we　apprehend　that　the　debt　from　Mr。

Henry　Cort；　not　so　marked；　of　54；000L。　and　upwards；　is　of　that

description。〃　　As　for　poor　bankrupt　Henry　Cort；　these　discussions

availed　nothing。　　On　the　death　of　Jellicoe；　he　left　his　iron　works；

feeling　himself　a　ruined　man。　　He　made　many　appeals　to　the　Government

of　the　day　for　restoral　of　his　patents；　and　offered　to　find　security

for　payment　of　the　debt　due　by　his　firm　to　the　Crown；　but　in　vain。　　In

1794；　an　appeal　was　made　to　Mr。　Pitt　by　a　number　of　influential

members　of　Parliament；　on　behalf　of　the　inventor　and　his　destitute

family　of　twelve　children；　when　a　pension　of　200L。　a…year　was　granted

him。　　This　Mr。　Cort　enjoyed　until　the　year　1800；　when　he　died；　broken

in　health　and　spirit；　in　his　sixtieth　year。　　He　was　buried　in

Hampstead　Churchyard；　where　a　stone　marking　the　date　of　his　death　is

still　to　be　seen。　　A　few　years　since　it　was　illegible；　but　it　has

recently　been　restored　by　his　surviving　son。



Though　Cort　thus　died　in　comparative　poverty；　he　laid　the　foundations

of　many　gigantic　fortunes。　　He　may　be　said　to　have　been　in　a　great

measure　the　author　of　our　modern　iron　aristocracy；　who　still

manufacture　after　the　processes　which　he　invented　or　perfected；　but

for　which　they　never　paid　him　a　shilling　of　royalty。　　These　men　of

gigantic　fortunes　have　owed　muchwe　might　almost　say　everything　to

the　ruined　projector　of　〃the　little　mill　at　Fontley。〃　　Their　wealth

has　enriched　many　families　of　the　older　aristocracy；　and　has　been　the

foundation　of　several　modern　peerages。　　Yet　Henry　Cort；　the　rock　from

which　they　were　hewn；　is　already　all　but　forgotten；　and　his　surviving

children；　now　aged　and　infirm；　are　dependent　for　their　support　upon

the　slender　pittance　wrung　by　repeated　entreaty　and　expostulation

from　the　state。



The　career　of　Richard　Crawshay；　the　first　of　the　great　ironmasters

who　had　t