society, and, by force, compel it to be organised into co-operative
sections. It infers no sympathy with these wild schemes of
destruction, and artificial reconstruction, to desire that our law
should give facility for co-operation and combination--nay, that it
should give to it every encouragement consistent with other interests,
and with civil liberty.

But our law, unfortunately, instead of doing thus, has set heavy
impediments in the way of co-operation; we might speak more strongly,
and say, that it has prepared pitfalls, in which any person guilty of
having joined in a co-operative scheme, may at once find himself
overwhelmed, as a punishment for his offence. Invest part of your
savings in a company in which you have reliance; assist a young man,
of whose capacity and honesty you think well, by investing money in
his business; and some day you may find yourself ruined for having
done so.

Those readers who have turned any attention to this subject, will at
once see that we refer to the law of unlimited responsibility in
partnerships. Except when the company proceeds under an act of
parliament, a charter, or patent, limiting the responsibility, every
partner is responsible for the debts and obligations of the concern,
to the last farthing he possesses. Very often, a young man of
enterprise and ability, acting as manager, overseer, or in some other
respectable capacity, receives a small share in the profits to
encourage him to exertion: he has no control over the management: some
leading man plunges, to serve himself, into dangerous speculations,
and there is a bankruptcy. The young man has done nothing but good
service all along to the partnership, and to its creditors, and all
who have had dealings with it; yet, if he have saved a trifle, it is