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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Discourse on Trade - And Other Matters Relative to it - -Author: John Cary - -Release Date: June 1, 2020 [EBook #62299] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A DISCOURSE ON TRADE *** - - - - -Produced by Mohammad Aboomar for the QuantiQual Project; -Project ID: COALESCE/2017/117 (Irish Research Council) - - - - - - - -[Transcriber's Note: Blank spaces within paragraphs (where apparently -figures were supposed to be) were marked with the symbols ### for clarity.] - - - - -A - -DISCOURSE - -ON - -TRADE, - -AND - -Other Matters Relative to it. - -VIZ. - -Of Trade in general: Of the Trade of England: Of Husbandry, Feeding, -Tillage, Corn, Fruit, Fish, Minerals, Trees, Manufactures, Sheep-Wool, -Cotton-Wool, Hemp and Flax: Glass, Earthen-Ware, Silk, Distilling: The -great Advantages of a universal National Bank demonstrated: Sugar-baking, -Tobacco, Tanning, Clock-Work, Paper-Mills, Powder-Mills: Method to -improve our Manufactures, by imploying the Poor: Of Courts of Merchants, -Silver Coin: An effectual Method to prevent the Running of Wool: Of our -Trade to the East and West-Indies, Africa, the Plantations, Iceland, the -Canaries, Spain, Portugal Turkey, Italy, Holland, Hamburgh, Poland, -Russia, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, France, South-Sea, &c. What foreign -Trades are profitable, and what not. An Essay on National Credit, and the -Irish Linnen Manufacture, &c. &c. &c. - - -Wrote at the Request of several Members of Parliament And now Published -for universal Benefit. - -By JOHN CARY, Esq; Merchant of Bristol. - -LONDON: - -Printed for T. OSBORNE in Gray’s-Inn, - -MDCCXLV. - - - - -TO - -The Right Honourable - -Spencer Compton, Esq; - -SPEAKER. - -And to the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, of this -Present Parliament of Great-Britain, Assembled. - -May it Please your Honours, - - -THE First Edition of this little Tract, Relating to Trade, the Poor, &c. -was Humbly Dedicated to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, when -Governor of the South-Sea Company, which I then thought, as I still do, -might be of Service to the Nation, by alluring the Heir to the Crown, -into an Early liking of Trade, and Setting before him the Advantages that -Accrue from it, with the Methods whereby it may be Improved; and -therefore I Contracted it into a narrow Compass to Encourage his Reading -it. - -THIS second Edition, whereto I have added some sure and practicable -Methods, for Discharging the Public Debts of the Nation, with most Ease -to the People, I humbly Present to this Honourable House; If it may be -Usefull in your Debates, I shall think myself very Happy. - -’TIS the Ballance of our Trade, that supplies us with Bullion; if That -be in our Favour, it brings it to us, if otherwise, it must be carried -away. - -THIS Ballance is supported by our Manufactures, which keep our People at -Work, and enable them to Maintain themselves by their own Labour, who -must else stand still, and become a Charge on our Lands; and therefore I -humbly conceive it to be our Interest, First, to encourage their being -worn at Home, and then to give a Preference to such Things, as are -Purchased for them abroad, rather than to those, which are bought for -Bullion; and if our Trade was well regulated, we should soon become the -Richest, and consequently the Greatest, People in Europe. - -I have made some Essay at such Methods, as I doubt not, being Improved by -your Wisdoms, and strengthened by your Authority, may Tend very much to -the Effecting this great Work; And I humbly Offer the six Propositions -following, as so many Fundamentals, necessary, for the better Ordering of -our Trade, the Discharging of our public Debts, and Supporting the Credit -of the Kingdom, whereby His Majesty will be rendred more Glorious, both -at Home and Abroad. - -THE First is, a Committee of Trade, made up of such Men as are well verst -in the true Principles whereon it is Founded, and thereby enabled to make -right Representations of such things, as shall be referred to them by the -Parliament; who, Holding their Places, according as they are thought -capable of performing them, will be careful to execute those Trusts with -Judgment, Honour and Honesty. - -THE second is, a due Inspection into the Affairs of the Poor, and putting -an End to that Pernicious Trade of Begging, which I can assure this -Honourable House, from the Experience we have had in their Regulation at -Bristol, may be done, and that the Poor may be trained up to an early -Delight in Labour; the Means and Methods whereby That was Accomplished, -though at first Thought Impracticable, I have set forth in the Appendix. -pag. 167. - -THE Third is, the Keeping of our own Wool at home, and preventing the -Wool of Ireland from being Transported any where else except to this -Kingdom; which I am persuaded can never be done, by any other Method, but -by a Register, and that That will effectually do it; towards which I have -made an Essay in the following Treatise. - -THE Fourth is, the Encouraging the Linnen-Manufacture of Ireland; ’Tis -not easy to comprehend the Advantages that will thence arise to both -Kingdoms, when each of them shall be fully employed, on a Distinct -Manufacture: the Hands that are now kept at Work there, on the Spinning -of Wool, might be then turned to Linnen, and a great Part of their Lands -would be taken up, in raising Flax and Hemp, for which they are very -proper; and then a Stop might be put to the Importation of those great -Quantities of Worsted and Woollen Yarn thence, so pernicious to the Poor -of this Kingdom, the Spinning whereof, if Imported in Wool, would amount -to many Thousand Pounds per Annum, to be divided among them; and it is -certain, that Spinning is the most profitable Part of the Woollen -Manufacture, because it is done by Women and Children, who can no -otherwise be employed. - -IN the Year 1704, I was desired by the Ministry to give my Thoughts of -such an Undertaking, which I then did, and printed some Considerations -relating thereto, adapted for that Time, which I have added in the -Appendix, pag. 158. - -NOR can this be any Prejudice to the Linnens of North-Britain, being of -quite different Sorts; which should also for many Reasons be Encouraged, -by such Means and Methods, as on due Consideration may be thought proper. - -THE Fifth is, the carrying on the Fishery, which deserves all the -Encouragement the Legislature can give it; and I think the readiest way -to do it, is, by incorporating such Societies, as are witting to set upon -it with joint Stocks, but not exclusive to any others, which will promote -Industry, and shut out Stock-jobbing, the Bane of so many good -Undertakings. - -THE sixth, and indeed the Foundation of all the rest, is, the -establishing a substantial Credit, large enough to answer all the -Occasions of the Nation, both public and private, which is the Wheel -whereon all the rest must turn, and whereby, not only the Trade of the -Kingdom, but also the Occasions of the Government may be supplied, and -the public Debts gradually sunk, by a good Management; and This, I humbly -Conceive, cannot be settled any other way, but on a parliamentary -Foundation, any Thing less will be too narrow. - -IN the Year 1696, I made some Essay towards such a Credit, which I then -presented to both Houses of Parliament, and have now incerted it in the -Appendix, pag. 174. But the Bank of England having about that time -furnished his Majesty with a considerable Sum of Money, then very much -wanted, for the present payment of the Army, which the Ministry could not -otherwise have raised, tho’ they approved of the Projection, were -unwilling to disoblige at that Juncture, by setting up any thing like -theirs, and so that Matter slept then, as it had ever done, if I had not -observed that the famous Mr. Laws had drawn a Scheme from it, for the -Service of France, as near as the Constitution of that Kingdom will -admit; not that I think it can be lasting, the Foundation being laid on -Sand; Yet it hath served the present Occasion, to pay off the Debts of -that Nation, by an incredible Stock-job, which must in all probability, -end in Confusion and Discontent. - -NOTHING can support a National Credit, but a steady Government, where the -arbitrary Will of a Prince cannot withdraw, or lessen the Security at his -Pleasure; and had such a one been then establish’d here, in all -probability, we bad been several Millions less in Debt, and not felt that -heavy load of Taxes, which hath opprest our Lands, and injur’d our -Trade; nor do I think those Debts can be discharged by any other way, -private Men now carrying off those Profits, which should sink them by -degrees. - -THE Advantages of a National Bank, and the good Effects it will have, in -this Free Government, towards the Lessening our national Incumbrances, -will plainly appear, when it is considered, that one hundred Pounds -borrowed, will circulate two, besides it self, and thereby reduce the -Interest, to one third Part of what is paid to the Lender; but if it -circulates three, then to a Quarter, and it may be, to much less, -according as a Bank hath Credit, and is found Useful. - -BY this Rule, if the Public pays Four per Cent. for Interest, it may by -Circulation be reduced to one, and there is no doubt, but that a -Well-constituted Bank, will be soon fill’d with Money at that Rate; the -great Ground of Buying and Selling Stock being, the vast Sums of Money -which lie dead on Mens Hands, who hope thereby to make some Profit, but -would be glad to dispose of it, on a substantial Security, at a moderate -Interest; besides the Advantage it will be to Widows and Orphans, whose -Money would be safely lodged, and bring them in a certain Income, for -their Maintenance; and here will be no room left for Stock-jobbing, which -hath now got such a Footing, even into our public Affairs, that the -Parliament doth not give a Land-Tax or a Lottery, where the Subscriptions -to it are not Ingrost, by those who have not Money, in order to make an -Advantage, by selling them to such as have, besides the vast Charge in -the management of Lotteries. - -AND as to Trade, the Bank of England hath been very serviceable to this -great Metropolis, by making a little Money serve the Uses of a great -deal, but the Benefit thereof hath extended no farther; and why other -Cities, and indeed the whole Kingdom, should not have the same Advantage, -(which it will, if a National Bank be established, and Chambers settled -where desired) I cannot conceive. - -AND here I must refer to the Appendix, for the better Illustrating the -Benefit thereof, and the manner of its Institution, as then intended, -which must now admit of several Alterations. - -IF such a Bank were settled, the Charge of managing it would be very -little, and the Kingdom might grow richer some Millions every Year, and -the Government have an Addition to its Security, by drawing the Cash of -other Nations hither, whose Interest would thereby become interwoven with -ours; and our Manufactures would be encouraged by a Flux of Money, which -is the Life of Trade; and this, with the easiness of our Government, -would bring the monied Men of Europe to settle here, which would be an -Addition to our Wealth; the Trader might hence be supplied, with such -Sums of Money as he shall want, and for so long time only, as he shall -have Occasion to use it; whereby the Fishery, and other good -Undertakings, may be encouraged, and our Wool be certainly kept at Home; -and the Gentlemen of England may be hence furnished with Money at the -common Interest, and be permitted to make their Payments by such Parts, -as they can best spare it; the want of which is now such a Clog upon -their Estates, that it destroys many good Families; who, when they are -once got into the Usurers Books, can find no way to get out, till they -have paid the whole Debt at once, so that their Estates are devoured, by -Procuration and Continuation. - -NOR is it hereby intended to put a Force upon any Man; ’twill be the -Interest of the Lender to put his Money into this Bank, where he hath so -certain a Security, and of the Bank to take it in; and on the other Side, -it will be the Interest of the Bank to furnish Money on the Terms here -mentioned, and of the Borrower to receive it; and this single thing, will -in time bring so great a Profit to the Public as will very much sink the -Debts of the Nation, whilst a Common Advantage is Interwoven with it. - -NEITHER will this break in on the Priviledges granted to the Bank of -England, by Act of Parliament; for though they are allowed to lend Money -to the Government, on the Terms therein mentioned, yet the Government -hath not bound up it self, from borrowing of any Others, and making their -Payments in such a manner, as shall be thought most Advantagious to the -Nation. - -IF any Objections (not grounded on private Interest) shall be made to -what I have here offered, I believe a satisfactory Answer may be given to -them, if this Honourable House shall think what I have Written, worthy -their Consideration. - -ALL I shall further add, is, that it can scarce be Matter of Doubt, but -that most Men will part with their Securities on private Funds, and rely -on the General Credit of the Nation, though at a lower Interest, whereby -those Funds will by degrees, become a part of the general Security, which -with what new Taxes shall be given, will be so useful in Circulation, -that it will be next to Impossible, for the most malicious Projectors, to -lessen the Credit of such a Bank, or to make a Run upon it; and those -Taxes that are heaviest on the Poor, and most Injurious to our -Manufactures, may be taken off: And there will be this farther Advantage, -that the several Offices, who are entrusted to buy for the Use of the -Public, according to such Sums of Money, as shall from time to time be -Appropriated by the Parliament, will be enabled to Purchase all things on -the lowest Terms, when their Bills on this Bank, shall be as punctually -discharged, at the time when they become due, as if they were Bills of -Exchange, and in the mean time pass from Man to Man in Payment, which -will be an Addition to the Cash of the Nation, whereby a great deal will -be saved in what they lay out; and Men of Industry, but of small Stocks, -will be enabled to deal with the Government, which now they cannot do; -and will Endeavour who shall supply it on the best Terms, when by such -Payments, they shall be Furnished, to go to Market again; and the Debts -of the Nation will be so Incorporated therewith, that it will be every -Man’s Interest to support its Credit; and the Eye of a Parliament, -which hath Power to make Examples of Offenders, who through Fraud or -Malice, shall offer Violence thereto, will be sufficient to deter any -from such Evil Practices. - - I am, - - With all dutiful Respect, - - Your Honours, - - Most Obedient - - Servant. - - John Cary. - - - - -ADVERTISEMENT. - - -THE following Sheets are the Work of a Gentleman, a very considerable -Merchant at _Bristol_, whose extensive Knowledge of, and Judgment in -Trade, induced some Gentlemen who were well acquainted with his Capacity, -to desire him to give them his Opinion on Trade in general, and ours in -particular; he did, without any Design of being an Author, or the least -Intention of printing it; but having shewn his Papers to those Gentlemen, -they desired he would publish them, which he at last consented to, and -had a small Number printed in Bristol, at his own Expence. - -The Book having met with its deserved success, he re-printed it, with -some considerable Additions; but that Edition having been sold of, and -himself dying soon after, it was with much Difficulty I obtained that -Copy from which this is printed, nor should I as yet have thought of -getting it re-printed, but, - -The many Prizes taken by our Ships of War, as well as Privateers, since -the Commencement of the War with _France_, being a sufficient Proof of -the Increase of her Trade, and the Decay of ours, I imagined any Work -that might tend to the promoting our Trade, would meet with due -Encouragement; and I am apt to believe no Book on the Subject deserves it -more than this. - -There is annexed to it, the Act of Parliament made in the 7th and 8th of -King _William_, in favour of the City of _Bristol_, for regulating their -Poor; and by way of Appendix, the Proceedings of the Magistrates in -consequence of that Act, worthy of Imitation. - -Our Streets being daily infested by swarms of Beggars, perhaps the -Publishing these Proceedings may furnish some Hints to those Gentlemen, -who are daily seeking after a Method of preventing the many Robberies, -Cruelties, and Outrages committed in our Streets every Night of late, and -no doubt but many of those who are Beggars in the Day-time, are the very -People who do so much Mischief at Night; could they therefore be brought -under proper Regulations, it would undoubtedly in some Measure be a -Remedy to that Evil, and at the same time encrease the Riches of these -Kingdoms, by keeping so many idle Persons of both Sexes employed. - -I shall not trouble the Reader any further concerning this Work, whose -Merit will I hope speak for itself. - - - - -A - -DISCOURSE - -ON - -TRADE, &c. - -[Sidenote: Of Trade in general.] - -IN Order to discover, whether a Nation gets or loses by its Trade, ’tis -necessary first to enquire into the Principles whereon it is built; for -Trade hath its Principles, as other Sciences have, and as difficult to be -understood; but when they are, ’tis easy to discover whether a Nation -gets or loses by its Management, and without this, we are not capable of -making any true Judgment, it being possible for the Public to grow Poor, -whilst private Persons encrease their Fortunes. - -The Design of this little Treatise, is to dissect and lay open the Trade -of this Kingdom, as it is now driven, that so those Branches that shall -appear to be Profitable may be Encouraged, and those that are Otherwise -may be Amended. - -The Profits of this Kingdom arise from its Product and Manufactures at -Home, and from the Growths of those several Plantations it hath settled -Abroad, and from the Fish taken on the Coasts, all which being raised by -the Industry of the People, are both its true Riches, and the Tools -whereby it Trades to other Nations, the Products coming from the Earth, -and the Manufacturing of them being an Addition to their Value by the -Labour of the People; now where we barter these Things abroad for such as -are only fit to be eat and drank, or are wasted among ourselves, though -one Man may get by the Luxury of another, yet the Wealth of the Kingdom -doth not encrease; but it is otherwise where we change them for Bullion, -or for Commodities fit to be manufactured again. - -[Sidenote: Its Original.] - -The first Original of Trade both Domestic and Foreign was Barter, when -one private Person, having an Overplus of such Things as his Neighbour -wanted, furnished him therewith for their Value in such whereof the other -had plenty, but he stood in need of the same, when one Nation abounding -in those Products which another wanted, supply’d it therewith, and -received for them Things equally necessary in their stead; and by how -much the Products of any Nation exceeds its Wants, by so much it grew -richer, the Remainder being sold for Bullion, or some Staple Commodity, -allowed by all to have an intrinsic Value. - -And as People encreased, so did Commerce, which caused many to go off -from Husbandry to Manufactures, and other Ways of Living, for Convenience -whereof they began Communities: This was the Original of Towns, which -being found necessary for Trade, their Inhabitants encreased by -Expectation of Profit; this introduced Foreign Trade or Trafic with -neighbouring Nations; and this a Desire to settle rather on some -navigable Rivers, than in remote Inland Places, whereby they might be -more easily supply’d from the Country with Commodities fit to export, -and disperse thither those they had imported from abroad. - -[Sidenote: The Trade of this Kingdom.] - -I shall now take the Trade of this Kingdom, as it is divided into -Domestic and Foreign, and consider each, and how they are advantagious to -the Nation, and may be made more so. - -[Sidenote: Inland Trade.] -[Sidenote: Buying and Selling.] - -The Domestic or Inland Trade consists either in Husbandry, Manufactures, -or Buying and Selling; the last of which, whereby one Man lives by the -Profit he makes by another, brings no Advantage to the Public; Peoples -Occasions requiring Commodities to be retail’d to them in such small -Quantities as would fit their Necessities, they were willing to allow a -Profit to him who bought them in greater; and as this Sort of Traffic -came more in use, so the first Buyers not only sold their Commodities to -the Consumers in the Places where they dwelt, but also to others, who -being seated in the Country at a distance, made an Advantage by supplying -the Inhabitants there: This begat the Ingrossing Commodities, and thence -arose Skill and Cunning to foresee their Rise and Falls, according to -their Consumption and prospect of Supply. Hence came the Viciating our -Manufactures, every one endeavouring to underbuy, that he might undersell -his Neighbour; which Way of Living being found in Time to have less -Labour and more Profit than Husbandry and Manufactures, was the Reason so -many fell into it. - -From these Bargains Differencies arising, encouraged another Sort of -People, whose Business it was, either by their Wisdoms to persuade, or by -their Knowledge in the Laws to compel, the unjust Persons to do Right to -their Fellow-Traders (an Honourable Employment at the first, and is still -so in those who keep to the strict Rules of its Institution.) Hence arose -Attorneys, Sollicitors, and other Officers, which were found necessary to -attend on those Suits, and other Services of the Law. - -Trade brought Riches, and Riches Luxury; Luxury brought Sickness, and -Sickness wanted Physic; which required some to separate themselves to -study the Nature of Plants and Simples, as also of those several Diseases -which bring Men to their Ends, who for their Advice received Gratuities -from their Patients: These brought in Apothecaries and Surgeons, as -necessary Attendants to their Employments; all which were maintained by -keeping People in their Healths. Many also of ripe Parts were fitted for -the Service of the Church, others of the State; great Numbers were -employed in providing Necessaries of Meat, Drink, and Apparel, others in -fitting Things for Delights and Pleasure, and by this Means leaving -Husbandry and Manufactures, flock’d off daily to Livelihoods, which -though useful and convenient in their respective Stations, yet cannot be -said to encrease the Riches of this Nation, but to live by getting from -one another; Husbandry and Manufactures being the profitable Employments, -out of which it gathers its Wealth. - -[Sidenote: Husbandry.] - -The next Part of the Inland Trade of this Kingdom is Husbandry, which -anteceded Buying and Selling in point of Time, though the other is -treated of first in this Discourse; and this consists either in Feeding -or Tillage, by both which we raise great Store of Cattle, Corn, and -Fruits, fit for the Food, Service, and Trade of the Inhabitants. - -[Sidenote: Feeding.] - -To begin with Feeding: And here I might enumerate the various Sorts of -Cattle raised and bred by the Care of the Husbandman; but those of most -Note with respect to our Trade, are, - -1. The Beef; which besides the Excellency of its Flesh for Food, affords -many Necessaries for our Trade, and is very serviceable in Tillage; with -this we both nourish our Inhabitants at home, victual our Ships for -Foreign Voyages, and load them with the several Manufactures wherewith it -doth supply us; from the Milk we make Butter and Cheese, from the Flesh, -Beef, from the Skin, Leather, from the Fat, Tallow, and of the Horns -several useful Necessaries; the Overplus whereof, above our own -Consumption, we export, and sell in Foreign Markets. - -2. The Sheep; whose Golden Fleece being the _Primum_ of our -Woollen-Manufactures, does thereby employ Multitudes of our People; which -being of different Lengths and Fineness, makes them of various Sorts; -whereof they afford us a yearly Crop whilst living, and at their Deaths -we have their Flesh and Skins; the first serves for our Food, and of the -last we make Things, fit to be used at Home, and traded with Abroad. - -3. Horses; whose Labour is so necessary, that we can neither carry on our -Husbandry or Trade without them; besides their Fitness for War, being -accounted the boldest in the World; and for all these Uses are -transported abroad; for the first, to our Plantations in _America_; and -for the last, to some of our Neighbouring Nations: But their Flesh is of -no Use, their Skins of little, the Leather made of them being very -ordinary, only the longest of their Hair is used in Weaving. - -There are sundry other Sorts of Beasts, some whereof require no Care in -Raising, others little, such as the Stag, the Deer, the Rabbet, the Hare, -the Badger, the Goat, and many others, whose Skins are necessary for our -Trade, and useful in our Manufactures. - -[Sidenote: Tillage.] - -Tillage is that whereby we raise our Corn by turning up the Earth; the -several Sorts whereof are Wheat, Rye, Barley, Pease, Beans, Vetches, -Oats, &c. which not only afford Nourishment to ourselves, and the Beasts -we use in Labour, but serve also for Trade; as they give Employment to -our People at home, and are transported abroad, more or less, according -to the Overplus of our Expence, and the Want of our Neighbours, besides -the great Quantities us’d in our Navigation. - -These Products are all clear Profit to the Nation, being raised from -Earth and Labour; but their chief Advantages arise from their being -exported, either in their own Kinds, or when wrought up, the Remainder, -which is spent at home, tending rather to supply our Wants, than to -advance our Wealth: Which Exports being more or less, according to the -Price they bear in other Countries, and those arising from the Proportion -their Lands holds with ours in their Yearly Rents, are not so great in -Specie, as when wrought up. Butter is the chiefest, wherewith we supply -several Foreign Markets, and did formerly more, till by making it bad, -and using Tricks to encrease its Weight, we lost much of that Trade, and -are now almost beaten out of it by _Ireland_, which every Year makes -theirs better; besides, they undersell us in the Price, as they do also -in Beef, occasioned by the low Rents of their Lands. - -’Twas the Act of Prohibition made formerly in _England_, that first -ushered them into a Foreign Trade, their sole Dependance before that Time -being on our Markets, and from hence they were supplied with what they -wanted; but being thereby prohibited from bringing hither their Cattle -and other Provisions, they endeavoured to find a Vent for them in other -Markets, which they did with good Success, and to more Advantage; the -Sweetness whereof gave a Spring to their Industry, and put them on the -Woollen-Manufactures, which they also vended where they exported their -Provisions, till in time it became so great and flourishing, as to give -us Apprehensions it would endanger ours. - -[Sidenote: Corn.] - -As for Corn; foreign Markets are supplied therewith, both from thence, -and from the Islands of the _Azores_, cheaper than the Rents of our Lands -will admit; but our Plantations have still some Dependance on us for our -Product, and as the Lands of _Ireland_ rise in their yearly Value, they -will have more. We also raise considerable Quantities of Hemp and Flax, -both which are useful in our Trade. - -[Sidenote: Fruits.] - -The other Fruits of the Earth, such as Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plumbs, -together with the Herbs and Plants, serve rather for Food and Delight -than for Trade: Some Cider we do export; also Spirits raised by the -Distillers, both from some of these, and from Barly. - -[Sidenote: Fish.] - -On the Sea-Coast both of this Kingdom, and also of _Newfoundland_, and -_New-England_, are caught great Store of Cod-Fish, Herrings, and -Pilchards, which are saved, and sold in foreign Markets. - -[Sidenote: Minerals.] - -Nor is this all the Product of our Earth, whose Womb being big with -Treasure, brings forth Lead, Tin, Copper, Calamy, Coal, Culm, Iron, -Allom, Copperas, and sundry other Minerals, which are sold in foreign -Markets, whither we send them: Besides a great Expectation we have from a -much richer and more valuable Discovery, lately made in that Part of -_Great-Britain_ called _Scotland_. - -[Sidenote: Trees.] - -Among the several Trees that adorn our Fields, the Oak, the Elm, and the -Ash, are the chiefest; these not only serve in Building our Ships and -Houses, but also furnish us with materials, wherewith our Artificers make -many things fit for Commerce: And it were much to be wish’d, that -better Care was taken to preserve our Timber, for the Benefit of -Posterity. - -[Sidenote: Manufactures.] - -The third Part of our Inland Trade is our Manufactures, whereby our -Products are improv’d in their Values and made useful in sundry -Manners, both for our selves and others, by the labour of our People; and -fitted for such Services, as of their own Natures, without the help of -Art, they could not have been proper; and those to suit the Necessities -and Fancies, both of our own, and also of foreign Countries to which we -export them; where they yield a Price, not only according to the true -value of the Materials and Labour, but an Overplus according to the -Necessity and Humour of the Buyers: And this adds to the Profit, and -encreases the Wealth of the Kingdom. - -These Manufactures, as they employ Multitudes of our People in their -Making, so also in Exporting them, and importing foreign Materials to be -used with our own, such as Oyl, Dye-stuff, Silk, Wooll, Cotton, Barillia -and many others, which are either manufactured here by themselves, or -workt up with our own Product. - -[Sidenote: Sheep's-Wool.] - -And first to begin with Sheep’s-Wooll, whereof either by it self, or -mixt with Silk or Linnen, we make Variety of pretty Things, fit for all -Climates, and proper for the Wearing of both Sexes; wherein the Invention -and Imitation of our Workmen have been so great, that they have out-done -all that went before them. From a strong Cloth, fit to keep out Cold in -Winter, they have turn’d their hands to a fine thin sort, which will -scarce keep warm in Summer; from hence they fell on Perpets, Serges, -Crapes, Stuffs, Sayes, Ratoons, Antherines, and many other Things, fit -both for outward Garments, and inward Linings; of various Colours, -Stripes, and Flowers, some of them so fine and pleasant, as scarce to be -known from Silk: Besides those Multitudes of coarser Cloth for the Poor; -also Rugs, Blankets, and all sorts of Furniture for Houses. And such a -Progress have they made in these Manufactures, that a Man may have his -Picture wrought at the Loom, with the same Exactness as if drawn with a -Pencil; one Work-man vying to excell another, they make Things to answer -all Occasions. And as for Arras and Tapestry, I believe it will be -allowed, that they do not fall short of those from whom they first had -the Art: Add to these, Hats, Stockings, and many other things, which are -both worn at home, and exported abroad. - -[Sidenote: Cotton-Wool.] - -The next material for the Manufactures is Cotton Wool, which is now -become a great Imployment for the poor, and so adds to the Wealth of the -Kingdom; This being curiously pickt and spun, makes Dimities, Tapes, -Stockings, Gloves, besides several things Wove fit for use, as Wastcoats, -Pettycoats, and Drawers, of different Stripes and Finenss; and I doubt -not the Workmen would equal the _East Indies_ for Callicoes, had they -Encouragement; with all which we supply our Plantations and other foreign -Markets, besides what serves for our Consumption at Home. - -[Sidenote: Hemp and Flax.] - -Hemp and Flax are the Grounds for another Manufacture; for tho’ Weaving -of Linnen is not so much used in _South Britain_, as of Woollen, yet in -_North Britain_ it is, and may be farther improved, not so much by Laws -to direct the Workmen in their making it, as by apt Methods to encourage -them; and even in _South Britain_ several Counties are imployed thereon, -who not only supply themselves, but furnish those bordering on them, with -such Cloth as answers the ends of _French_ Linnens: Besides which great -Quantities of Ticking, of all Finesses, Incle, Tapes, Sacking, Girtwhip, -and many other Things are made thereof; also Cordage, Twine, Netts, with -Multitudes of other Manufactures, which imploy the Poor, and bring by -their Exports Profit to the Nation; and I can not here omit Sail-cloth, -wherein we have made a wonderful Progress in a little time, at the Charge -and Expence of private Stocks, who deserve to be encouraged. - -[Sidenote: Glass.] - -Glass is a Manufacture brought to so great a Perfection, that it keeps -many of our People at Work; and the Materials whereof it is made being -generally our own, and in themselves of small Value, costs the Nation -little, in comparison of what it formerly did, when we fetch’d it from -_Venice_; the Noble Plate Glasses which we now make of all sorts, both -for Houses and Coaches, do greatly set forth the Genius of our Workmen; -besides the various Sorts of Utensils made for common use, fit for all -the Occasions of a Family, which look almost as well as Silver, and it -would be better for the Nation that they were more used in its stead; -also the Glass for Windows, of different Beauties; and Glass Bottles; all -which find a greater Vent both at Home and Abroad by their Cheapness. - -[Sidenote: Earthen-Ware.] - -And as for earthen Ware, the Progress we have made therein is such, as -may give us Hopes, that Time will bring it to such a Perfection, as to -equal if not exceed the _Dutch_. - -[Sidenote: Silk.] - -Silk is another Material for a great Manufacture; which being brought -from abroad Raw, we here Twist, Dye, and Weave into different Goodnesses, -both Plain, Striped, and Flowered, either by itself, or mixt with Gold -and Silver; so Richly Brocaded, that we exceed those from whom we first -had the Art; besides great Quantities of Ribbons, Silk Stockings, and -other Things, not only to serve ourselves, but also to Export. - -[Sidenote: Distilling.] - -Distilling is an Art so exceedingly improved, that had it not met with -discouraging Laws, ’twould by this Time have attained to a very great -Heigth, and brings great Profit to the Nation; for next to making -something out of nothing, is the making something that is Valuable out of -what would otherwise be worth nothing; therefore this Art ought to have -been handled charily, to have been trained up with a great deal of -Gentleness, and not loaded with Taxes in its Infancy, by which Means we -were like to discourage it in the beginning; however it hath still bore -up under all the Weight laid upon it; ’twas a great mistake to appoint -Measures by Act of Parliament to the Distillers in their Workings; Mens -Knowledge encreases by Observation, and this is the Reason why one Age -exceeds another in any Sort of Mistery, because they improve the Notions -of those who went before them; Therefore confining the Distillers to Corn -only, was an Error, (’Tis true, other Things were allowed to be used, -but on such Terms and Restrictions, as were next to a Prohibition) who by -degrees would have made Experiments on that themselves, using it with -other Mixtures, and thereby drawing from it a cleaner Spirit than it doth -of itself afford, which they might in Time have rectified to such a -Fineness, as to have encreased very much its Use; no Kingdom can give -more Encouragement to Distilling than this, whose Plantations being many, -and well Peopled, where those Spirits are so necessary, and useful for -the Inhabitants, and these depending wholly on us for all things, would -have caused a Consumption of very great Quantities, besides what is used -in our Navigation; we have many Materials of our own to work on, such as -are Molosses, Cyder, Perry, Barley, and others, all which in Time they -would have used; for as they found their Sales increased, they would have -made new Essays; it was a very wrong Step, to discourage Distilling from -Molosses, Scum, Tilts and Wash; an Error the _Dutch_, nor no Trading -Nation, would have been guilty of, and proceeded from ill Advice given -the Parliament, by those, who under Pretence of advancing Corn, -design’d to discourage Distilling, only offered it by that handle they -thought it would be best received in the House; Trade and Lands go hand -in hand as to their Interest, if one Flourishes so will the other; -Incourage Distilling, and it will spend Hundreds of Things now thrown -away. - -[Sidenote: Sugar-Baking.] - -Refining of Sugars have given Imployment to our People, and added to -their Value in foreign Markets, where we found great and profitable -Sales, till the _Dutch_ and _French_ beat us out, occasioned by the Duty -of 2 s. 4 d. _per Cent._ laid on Muscovado Sugars, 1 Jac. 2d. to be drawn -back at Exportation, whereby they were wrought up abroad cheaper then -they could be at home; but that Law being now expired, and the Parliament -have since granted a draw back on refined Sugars when shipt out, hath -very much helpt that Manufacture. - -[Sidenote: Tobacco.] - -Tobacco also hath imployed our Poor by cutting and Rowling it, both for a -home Consumption, and also for Exportation; but the latter is lessen’d, -as the Places, to which we used to export it, work it up themselves. - -[Sidenote: Tanning.] - -Tanning of Leather is an Employment which deserves to be encouraged, -because it furnishes us with a Commodity, fit to be farther Manufactured -at home, and also to be transported abroad; I know the Exportation of -Leather hath been much opposed by the Shoemakers, and others who cut it -at home, and represented as attended with ill Consequences, one whereof -is the making it dear; but, would it not be of much worse to confine and -limit that Employment to an Inland Expence? On the other side, would it -not naturally follow, that when Leather rises to a great Price, the -Exportation must cease, because _Ireland_ will undersell us? And would it -not seem an unreasonable discouragement to Trade, if Tobacco, Sugar, and -the Woollen Manufactures, were debarred from being exported, only because -they should be sold cheaper at home? For suppose the Occasions of the -Nation could not consume all the Leather that is made, to what a low -Price must Hides be reduced, for no other Reason, but that the Shoemakers -may get more by their Shoes; ’Tis true, if they could make out, that -those Countries must then have their Shoes from us, where we now sell our -Leather, I should be of their Minds; but it must needs be otherwise, -seeing _Ireland_ is able to supply them; this proceeds from a very narrow -Spirit, and such as ought not to be encouraged in a trading Nation; a -good export for Leather, will cause a great Import of Raw-Hides, which -will be more Advantage to the Nation, then if they were tann’d in -_Ireland_, and sent abroad thence. - -[Sidenote: Minerals.] - -Nor can I omit the several Manufactures made of the sundry Mineral we -dig, and render malleable, which would be endless to enumerate, _viz._ of -Tin, Lead, Iron and Copper, wherewith we not only furnish enough for our -own use, but supply our Plantations, and other Places Abroad, the -Workmanship whereof adds much to their Value; and from the last of these -we have of late made Brass and Battery; an undertaking begun by private -Stocks, and carryed on without the help of a Patent for fourteen Years, -and I am of Opinion, it would be much better for the Nation, if good -Projections were rewarded some other way, and left open, to be improved -by all who were willing to make Experiments at their own Charge; this in -all Probability would be a more likely way to bring them to perfection, -and in less Time, then to tye Men down like the Motions of a Clock, to be -directed only by one leaden Weight; of this we have a late Instance in -the Project of _Beech Oyl_, for if but one half of the Profit can be made -thereby, that is set forth by the ingenious Patentee, in his Book written -on that Subject, against which I see no Objection, if the Computations -are rightly stated, I make no manner of doubt, but that private Stocks -would before this Time have made a greater Progress therein, than hath -been done by the present Undertakers, on the joint Stock; and therefore I -think it would be very proper, where such Patents are granted, after some -reasonable Time, to enquire into the Proceedings of the Patentees, least -the Nation be deprived of the Advantages it expected to receive, by the -granting those Patents. - -[Sidenote: Clock-work.] - -There are many other Things which may be, and daily are improved amongst -us; as Clock-work, wherein we sell little but Art and Labour, the -Materials whereof they are made being but of small Value; Watches and -Clocks of great Prices being sold for the Courts of foreign Princes. - -[Sidenote: Paper-Mills.] -[Sidenote: Powder-Mills.] -[Sidenote: Artificers.] -[Sidenote: Methods to improve our Manufactures.] - -Paper Mills are a Benefit to the Nation, as they make that Commodity from -things of themselves worth little; so are Powder-Mills; also Handicrafts, -who supply us with things for our own use, which must otherwise be had -from abroad, and also with others, which when exported, are more or less -profitable, as the Labour of our People adds to their Value, Things being -cheaper to us when we pay only for the first Materials whereof they are -made, the rest being Work done at Home, is divided amongst our selves; so -that on the whole it appears to be the great Interest of this Kingdom to -advance its Manufactures; and this I humbly conceive may be done these -several Ways. - -[Sidenote: By imploying the Poor.] - -1. By providing Work-Houses for the Poor, and making good Laws, both to -force and incourage them to work; But designing to speak larger to this -in the Close of this Tract, I shall refer the Reader thereto. - -[Sidenote: By freeing our Manufactures from Customs.] - -2. By discharging all Customs payable on our Manufactures at their -Exportation, and also in the Materials used in making them at their -Importation; for as one would encourage the Merchants to send more -abroad, so the other would enable the Manufacturers to afford them -cheaper at home; and ’tis strange that a Nation, whose Wealth depends -so much on its Manufactures, and whose Interest it is to out do all -others, by underselling them in foreign Markets, should load either with -Taxes; but there having been something done in this since my offering it -to the Consideration of the Parliament in a former Discourse, both as to -the woollen manufacture exported, and also to dye Stuffs imported, which -hath evidently appeared to be an Advantage to our Trade, it may be -reasonably hoped, that great Council of the Nation will make a farther -Progress therein, when it shall come regularly before them; because the -Exportation of all our Manufacturers ought to be encouraged, and not -receive a check by any _Modus_ of raising Money, that so they may be -rendred abroad on such Terms, as no other Nation may undersell us; this -whole Kingdom being as one great Work-house, wherein if we keep our Poor -imployed, they will advance the Value of our Lands, but if we do not, -they will become a Load upon them. - -[Sidenote: Logwood.] - -And here I cannot but mention that of Logwood, a Commodity much used in -Dying, which pays five Pounds _per_ Tun Custom when imported, and draws -back three Pounds fifteen Shillings when shipt out again, by which means -the dyers in _Holland_ use it so much cheaper then ours do here; now if -it was imported Custom Free, and paid twenty five Shillings _per_ Tun at -its Exportation, the Dyers there would use it so much dearer than ours; -and I think it would be well worth Inquiry, whether a Prohibition, either -total or in Part, of Shipping out our Manufacturers thither, and to the -northern Kingdom, undy’d and undrest, might not be made, I am sure it -would be a great Advantage to this Kingdom if it could be done, without -running into greater Inconveniences; the _Dutch_ discourage their being -brought in dyed or drest, that they may thereby give imployment to their -own People, and encrease their Navigation by the Consumption of -Dye-Stuff; the same Reason should prevail with us to dye and dress them -at home; but this requires the due Consideration of a Committee of Trade, -to hear what may be said both for and against it, before it be offered to -the Parliament. - -[Sidenote: By not importing things manufactur'd.] - -3. By discouraging the Importation of Commodities already manufactured -(unless purchased by our own, or by our Product) such as wrought Silks, -Callicoes, Brandy, Glass, &c. and encouraging the bringing in the -Materials whereof they are made, to be wrought up here; by which Means -more Ships will be freighted, and more Sailors imploy’d, besides the -great Advantage to the Nation in the Ballance of its Trade, which must be -returned in Bullion, as those cost less abroad than the other; and this -will enable us to afford a greater Consumption of foreign Commodities to -please our Palates, such as Wine, Fruit, and the like, all which fill our -Ships, and are fit Subjects for Trade, when they are purchased by our -Product and Manufactures, and that the Profit of our Trade will enable -the Nation to bear the Expence. - -[Sidenote: By freeing our Manufactures from Excices.] - -4. By freeing the Manufactures from burthensome Excises, which do much -discourage small Stocks, who are not able to carry on their Trades, and -make Provision for such great Payments, besides the Swarms of Officers, -to whom We lay open the Houses of those Men, who deserve all the -Encouragement we can give them, and ought to have things made as easy to -them as may be; had they been laid on our Woollen Manufactures, as was -once hastily proposed, we might have repented it at Leisure; Trade ought -to be handled gently, we may tax the Trader without medling with his -Trade; and he that considers the Expence of this Nation at Five Pounds -_per_ Head (accounting only Eight Millions of People) comes to Forty -Millions _per Annum_, and the Lands only to Twelve or Thirteen, which is -more than they can be computed at by the Act of Four Shillings in the -Pound, may see how much we are beholding to Trade. - -[Sidenote: By rendring our foreign Trade safe and easy.] -[Sidenote: Customs.] -[Sidenote: Courts of Merchants.] - -5. By securing the Merchants in their Trades, who export our Product and -Manufactures, and making their Business, in relation to the Payment of -their Customs, as easy to them as may be: To this End good Convoys should -be provided in Time of War, and good Cruizers maintained to preserve -their Ships, it being certain, that whatever is diminished out of the -Merchants Stocks, doth so far disable them in their Trades, and -consequently lessen their Exports; great Care should be taken, that the -_Modus_ of their Entries at the Custom-House made as easy to them as -might be, and a due Attendance given at the loading and discharging their -Goods when the Customs are paid, so that they may be dispatched without -Delay, and no unnecessary Remoras put in their Way, the Loss of one Tide -being many times the overthrow of a Voyage; Courts of Merchants should be -erected for the speedy deciding all Differences relating to Sea-Affairs, -which are better ended by those who understand them, than they are in -_Westminster-Hall_, where all things are tried by the nice Rules of Law, -and therefore after much Attendance and Expence, are often referred by -the Judges to such as are conversant in Trade; by this Means the -Merchants would see short Ends to their Differences; but no General Rules -can be given for these Courts, which must be settled, as they suit the -Conveniencies of Trading Cities. - -[Sidenote: By making the Banks more useful.] - -6. By rendering the Bank of _England_ more applicable to the -Encouragement of our Trade than now it is, which I cannot believe the -Members of that Corporation will oppose, when it shall manifestly appear, -not only to be the Interest of the Nation in General, but also their own. -And I humbly conceive that it may be so directed, that every Subject in -his particular Station, may receive a Benefit by it. - -[Sidenote: Widows and Orphans.] - -Ease, Profit, and Security, will keep a Bank always full of Money, the -first of which was formerly answered by the private Bankers, who received -and paid out Money in the same Manner that the Bank now does, and their -Notes generally were as current; but being founded on their own Credits, -great Losses often happened, which gave great Shocks to Trade; ’tis -true, this Mischief is now guarded against, by the Fund which the Bank of -_England_ hath in the Hands of the Government, yet Widows, Orphans, and -others out of Trade, are not provided for; which might be done, if the -Bank did take in what Money might be tendred to them, for such People who -are not able to manage it themselves, and to allow an Interest of ### -_per Cent. per Annum_, whilst it continued in their Hands; which tho’ -it may be below the common Rate, yet by Reason of the Security and -Readiness of Payment, ’twould be preferrable to a greater, attended -with Hazard and Uncertainties; by this Means none of the Money would lie -dead and useless; and on the other Hand, the Bank might have Liberty to -lend any Sums at the legal Interest, on this Condition, that the Borrower -may repay it by such Parts as he can spare it, and be discharged of the -Interest of what he so pays in, from the Time of its Payment, and from -thenceforward be chargeable with no more, than doth arise from the Money -that remains unpaid. - -[Sidenote: Remittances.] - -Nor is there such a safe and settled Course of Remittances from Place to -Place as Trade, and the other Occasions of the Nation do require; Men -oftentimes paying their Money for Bills which are not punctually -discharged, and sometimes never, tho’ they give a _Præmio_ to the -Drawer, which obliges the travelling with so much Money, and gives -Encouragement to Robbers; but this also might be prevented, if the Bank -of _England_ (that is now settled in _London_) did appoint Chambers in -other Places of the Kingdom, at such Distances as might best suit the -Occasions of the Country, and that their Notes given out for Money, -either at _London_, or in any one of those Chambers, should be demandable -in any other; or by drawing Bills at one Chamber payable in another, the -Receiver allowing for such Returns after the Rate of ### _per Cent._ in -the Chamber where he receives his Money. - -If the Bank was thus regulated, the Nation would soon see its good -Effects; Trustees might place out Orphan’s Money with good Security, -and Widows and others, whose Maintenance depends on their Interest, would -have it duly paid to answer their Occasions; the whole Cash of the -Kingdom would be in a continual Circulation, and not lie dead, as too -much of it now does; the Gentry and Traders, who are obliged on many -Occasions to take up great Sums at Interest, would have it made easy to -them, when they might pay in by such Parts, as they could conveniently -spare it; and on the other Hand, it would be no Inconvenience to the Bank -to receive it, which will by this Means never want Borrowers, and their -Notes passing in Payment, will circulate instead of Money. - -These Methods will prevent many Cheats and Losses, which are often -occasioned by fraudulent and insufficient Drawers, and abate the -excessive _Præmio_’s which are demanded by Remitters, when they can -take Advantages of Men’s Necessities; and the Taxes received in the -Country might be quicker and safer paid into the Treasury. And if the -Bank was likewise extended to _Ireland_, it would be an Advantage to both -Kingdoms, which I shall speak farther to, when I come to discourse of the -Trade we drive to that Kingdom. - -[Sidenote: By increasing the Silver Coin.] - -7. By increasing the Silver Coin of this Kingdom, which are the Tools -wherewith the Trader works: It may at first seem strange, that our Silver -Coin should grow scarcer, at a Time when we are at Peace with all -Nations, our Trade open, and vast Quantities of Bullion yearly imported; -but he that considers how much thereof is carried away to the -_East-Indies_, and how little Encouragement the Importer hath to send it -to the Mint, when he can sell it for more to export, than it will come -too when coined, will cease to wonder; and except some Care be taken in -this Matter, we shall soon be reduc’d to such Straits, that the -Manufacturers must stand still: for tho’ Gold may serve for large -Payments, yet it can’t answer the Occasions of the Manufacturers, who -are to make their Payments among the Poor. - -Now if these, or such like Methods, were made use of, they might very -much encrease our Silver Coin; as, - -1. Let the _East-India_ Company be Limited in the Quantity of Bullion -they shall ship out yearly, whether the Number of Ships they send be few -or many; and let them be oblig’d to carry to the Mint such a suitable -Proportion according to what they send away, as to the Wisdom of the -Parliament shall seem meet. - -2. Let Encouragement be given to all Persons, who shall voluntarily bring -Plate or Bullion to be coined. - -3. Let the Plate of Orphans be brought into the Mint, which will tend to -their Advantage as well as to the Nations, whereas now great Quantities -lie dead, and grow out of Fashion before they come to use it, which will -by this Means be turned into ready Money, and being put into the Bank, -the Interest thereof may be employ’d for their better Maintenance, and -the Trade of the Nation will also receive a Benefit thereby: If it be -objected, that ’tis now sold to Goldsmiths, I think this make the -Argument for sending it to the Mint much stronger, because it is much -better that it were turn’d into the Coin of the Kingdom, then disposed -of in any other Way. - -As for Gold, there is no need to give Encouragement to bring it to the -Mint, ’tis only a Commodity, and not the Standard, as Silver is; -besides, ’tis generally worth more here than in any other Country; and -’tis apparent from the great Quantity thereof which is coined yearly -more than of Silver, that it is every one’s Interest to send it thither. - -[Sidenote: By discouraging Stock-jobbing.] - -8. By discouraging Stock-jobbing: This hath been the Bane of many good -Designs, which began well, and might have been carryed on to Advantage, -if the Promoters had not fallen off by selling their Parts, and slighted -the first Design, winding themselves out with Advantage, and leaving the -Management to those they had decoyed in, who understood nothing of the -Business, whereby all fell to the Ground; which may be prevented (I mean, -so far as concerns incorporated Stocks) by Laws framed for that end, or -by Clauses in their Charters. - -[Sidenote: By preventing the Exportation of Wool.] - -9. By strengthening the Laws against the Exportation of Wool, by such -Practicable methods as may prevent its being done: For seeing the Nations -Interest so much depends thereon, no Care can be too great, nor Methods -laid too deep: Laws concerning Trade, whose sole Strength are Penalties, -rarely reach the thing aimed at; but practicable Methods, whereby one -thing may answer another, and all conspire to carry on the same Design, -hanging like so many Links in a Chain, that you cannot reach the one, -without stepping over the other, these are more likely to prevent -Mischiefs: ’Tis one thing to punish People when a Fact is committed, -and another to prevent their doing it, by putting them as it were under -an Inability; Now where the Welfare of the Kingdom lies so much at Stake, -certainly it cannot be thought grievous to compell submission to good -Methods, tho’ they may seem troublesome at first. - -[Sidenote: The ill Consequences of shipping out our Wool.] - -And that we may the better perceive the Mischiefs that attend the -carrying abroad of Wool unwrought to other Nations, let us consider the -Consequences thereof in what is shipt to _France_; whose Wool being very -coarse, and fit only for Rugs and Blankets, and such ordinary Cloth, is -by mixture with ours and _Irish_, used in the making of many Sorts of -Stuffs and Druggets, whereby the Sales of our Woollen Manufactures are -lessened, both there, and in other Places whither we export them; and by -this Means, every Pack of Wool sent thither, works up two besides itself, -being chiefly combed, and combing Wool, which makes Wool for the _French_ -Wool, and the Pinions thereof serve with their Linnen to make coarse -Druggets, like our Linsey-Woolsey, but the Linnen being spun fine, and -coloured, is not easily discerned; also our finest short Wool, being mixt -with the lowest _Spanish_, makes a middling Sort of Broad-cloth, and -being woven on Worsted Chains, makes their best Druggets, neither of -which could be done with the _French_ Wool only, unless in Conjunction -with ours or _Irish_, _Spanish_ Wool being too fine and too short for -Worsted Stuffs, and unfit for combing, so that without one of those two -Sorts, there cannot be a Piece of Worsted Stuff, or middle Broad-Cloth -made; no other Wool but _English_ or _Irish_ will mix well with _Spanish_ -for Cloth, being originally raised from a Stock of _English_ Sheep, the -Difference, arising from the Nature of the Land whereon they are fed; of -this we have Experience in our own Nation, where we find, that _Lemster_ -Wool is the finest, next, Part of _Shropshire_ and _Staffordshire_, Part -of _Gloucestershire_, _Wilts_, _Dorset_ and _Hampshire_, Part of -_Sussex_, _Kent_, _Somerset_, _Devon_, and _Cornwall_, these are proper -chiefly for Cloth, some Part for Worsted; _Sussex_, _Surry_, _Middlesex_, -_Hertfordshire_, and some other Counties, produce Wool much coarser and -cheaper: But then _Berkshire_, _Buckingham_, _Warwick_, _Oxon_, -_Leicester_, _Nottingham_, _Northampton_, _Lincoln_, and Part of _Kent_ -called _Rumney_ Marsh, the Wool in most of these Counties is so proper -for Worsted, that all the World (except _Ireland_) cannot compare with -it, therefore requires our greater Care to prevent its Exportation; and -more particularly from _Ireland_, whence it is exported to our -Neighbouring Nations, and sold cheap. - -As for the Wool of _North-Britain_, I am not sufficiently verst therein, -to give a true Account of the Nature of it. - -[Sidenote: Methods to prevent the Exportation of Wool.] - -I know many Methods have been thought of to prevent this pernicious -Mischief, but all the Laws I have yet seen, seem to reach but half Way, -they depend too much on Force and Penalties, and too little on Method; we -must begin deeper, and secure the Wool from the Time of its growing, till -’tis wrought up into Manufactures, and I think nothing less Than a -Register, to be kept in every County, will do it. - -Nor will this be attended with so much Trouble and Charge to the Nation -in general, or to private Persons in particular, as may at first be -thought: The Time of Sheering being once a Year, those who keep Sheep may -give Notice to the Officer appointed for that District, of the Number of -Sheep they have to sheer, and the Day whereon they intend to do it, that -so he may be present to see the Fleeces weighed, and to charge them -therewith; which Charge must remain upon them till they sell their Wool, -and give Notice thereof to the Office, when the next Buyer must be -charged, and so _toties quoties_, till it comes into the Hands of him -that works it up; and all this may be done by the Officers of the Excise, -in such a manner, as may cost the Nation little. - -And to prevent Frauds, let no parcel of Wool above such a Weight as the -Parliament shall think fit, be carried from place to place, but in the -day time, nor without a Letpass, or Cocket, setting forth from whence it -came, and whither it is going; and the same Method must also be extended -to _Ireland_, till it is either used there, or shipt thither; and if the -Wool of both Kingdoms by these or any other Methods could be secured from -being carried abroad, our Manufactures would find a surer Vent in foreign -Markets, and yield better Prices: And the Wool of _France_ would lye on -their Hands, and become almost useless; the Credit of the Nation would be -raised, and our Factories abroad courted as much as formerly they have -been, because the Manufactures we ship out are such, as no Nation can be -without, nor can they then be well supplied elsewhere; they are not -things only for Pleasure, but for Use, and both the Rich and the Poor -stand in need of them; whilst the Profit of this pernicious Practice of -Shipping out the Wool, is sunk in the Pockets of private Men, who former -Laws accounted Felons, and cannot be thought to deserve any favour from -the Nation. - -Besides ’tis well known, that the exporting our Wool hath by the ill -Consequences thereof abated its Price at Home: This hath been observed by -Calculations made by considerate Men; and the Reason is, because those -Countries whither it is shipt; being thereby enabled to work up much -larger Quantities of their own, the Sale of our Manufactures are grown -slack abroad, and we have been forced to sell them cheaper, which beat -down the Prices both of Wool and Labour; whereas if we had kept our Wool -at Home, this had been prevented; and it must be allowed, that it was not -our Interest to fall our Manufacturers, if we had been the only Sellers; -for according as they yield in Price, so is the Wealth of the Nation -advanced, which our Forefathers well knew, when they made Laws to -prohibit the Exportation of Wool, which cannot be too much strengthned, -or strongly put in Execution. - -[Sidenote: By managing Treaties of Peace to the Advantage of Trade.] - -10. By taking Care, that in all Treaties of Peace, and other Negotiations -with foreign Princes, due Regard be had to our Trade and Manufactures; -that our Merchants be well treated by the Governments where they reside; -that all things be made easy to them, and both their Liberties and -Properties secured; that our Manufactures be not prohibited, or burthened -with unreasonable Taxes, which is the same in Effect; that speedy Justice -be done in recovering Debts contracted amongst the Natives, and punishing -Abuses put on our Factories by them: These are Pressures our Trade hath -formerly groaned under, whereby the Merchants abroad, and Manufacturers -at home, have been much discouraged, and the _English_ Nation hath been -forced to truckle under the _French_ in some foreign Parts, only because -that King sooner resented Injuries done to his trading Subjects, and took -more Care to demand Reparation than some former Reigns have done; but -Thanks be to God, we have both Power and Opportunity to do the same; and -there is no Cause to doubt His Majesty’s Royal Inclinations, to make -use of both for the Good of his Merchants, when things are duly -represented to him. - -[Sidenote: Navigation.] -[Sidenote: Manning our Ships of War.] - -And thus I have run through the several Parts of our Inland Trade, and -shewed, that the Profit thereof arises chiefly from our Product and -Manufactures: Before I proceed to our Foreign Trade, I shall speak -something of Navigation, which is the Medium between both: This is -carried on by Ships and Sailors, the former are the Sea-Waggons, whereby -we transport and carry Commodities from one Market to another, and the -latter are the Waggoners who drive and manage them: These are a Sort of -jolly Fellows, who are generally bold in their Undertakings, and go -thro’ any Kind of Labour in their own way, with a great deal of -Chearfulness, are undaunted by Storms and Tempests, the Sea being as it -were their Element, and are allowed by all to be the best Navigators in -the World; they are our Wealth in Peace, and our Defence in War, and -ought to be more encouraged than they are in both, but especially in the -latter, which might be done, if better Methods were used to engage them -in the Service, and better Treatment when they are there: Now I should -think, if no Man was forced into the King’s Ships till he had been -three Years at Sea, nor to stay there above that Time without his free -Consent, and then to be permitted to take a Merchant’s Employment so -much longer, and so _toties quoties_, ’twould encourage them to come -willingly into the Service, which they look upon now to be a Slavery, -whereto they are bound for their Lives: This, and the Manner of pressing -them, hinders very much the making of Sailors, Landmen not caring to put -their Hands to the Oar, least the next Day they should be halled away to -the Fleet, tho’ they understand nothing of the Sea: By this Means our -Men of War would be mann’d with able Seamen, and not with such who only -stand in the Way, and are useless, when they are most wanted; nor do I -take Embargoes to be any Helps towards it, for many Sailors do then lie -hid, who would appear to serve in Merchant Ships, and might be easily met -with at the return of their Voyages: By these Means in a short Time three -would be a double Set of Mariners, enough both for the Service of the -Fleet and of Trade, the last of which would every Year breed more. - -This would also prevent great Mischiefs, which arise from pressing -Sailors out of Merchant Ships whilst on their Voyages, many of them being -thereby lost at Sea, and others have been detained in the _West-Indies_, -to the Discouragement of Trade; and it would also prevent another -Mischief, too much practiced abroad, where Captains of Men of War press -Sailors from one Merchant Ship, only to make Advantage by selling them to -another. - -[Sidenote: Foreign Trade.] - -I come now to the Trade we drive with Foreign Countries. - -[Sidenote: How this Kingdom may be said to be enriched by our Foreign Trade.] - -Here ’tis necessary to enquire, how each encourages our Product and -Manufactures, how our Navigation, what Commodities we receive in Return, -and how the Ballance of our Trade stands with either, that so we may be -the better able to know, which of them we ought to encourage, and which -to discourage; I shall therefore lay down such general Rules, as I -presume will be allowed by all Unbiassed Persons; as, - -1. That Trade is an Advantage to this Kingdom, which takes off our -Product and Manufactures. - -2. Which supplies us with such Commodities as we use in making our -Manufactures, and encreases our Bullion. - -3. Which incourages Navigation, and breeds up Sailors. - -And consequently, any Trade which Exports little or none of our Product -or Manufactures, nor supplies us with things necessary for the latter, -nor incourages Navigation, cannot be supposed to be profitable to the -Kingdom in general, though perhaps it may be so to particular Persons; -especially if it carries away our Bullion. - -[Sidenote: East-Indies.] - -I shall begin with the _East-India_ Trade, which I take to be very -prejudical to us, as ’tis now driven; because it exports our Bullion, -spends little of our Product or Manufactures, and brings in Commodities -perfectly manufactured, which hinder the Consumption of our own, and -discourage the wearing such as are purchased with them; the chief Profit -thereof arising from Underselling the Labour of our Poor, because ’tis -bought there cheaper, than by reason of the Value of our Lands, and the -prices of Provisions, they are able to work here. But having spoken fully -of this in a former Discourse, and the Parliament having since been -pleased, by an Act made in the 10th and 11th Years of his late Majesty -King _William_, to prohibit the wearing of wrought Silks, Bengals, Stuffs -mixt with Silk or Herba, of the Manufacture of _Persia_, _China_, and -_India_, and all Callicoes painted, dy’d, printed or stained there. The -Reason of which, is in the said Act set forth to be, The great Detriment -the Nation received as the Trade was then managed, by exhausting the -Treasure thereof, and taking away the Labour of the People, whereby very -many of the Manufacturers were become excessively burthensome and -chargeable to their respective Parishes, and others compelled to seek for -Employment in foreign Parts, I shall not now repeat what I then wrote, -but will consider how far the Remedy they then provided hath answered the -End. - -The making this Law, gave a new Life to our Manufactures, and would have -given more, if the true Intent of the Parliament had been answered: But -we have since found that it has not; for it neither keeps our Treasure at -home, nor prevents those Commodities from being worn here, which they -design’d it should; and I very much question, whether any thing less -than a total Prohibition of their Importation will do it; for though they -are directed to be exported again, yet there is great Reason to believe, -that they are privately brought back, both from _Ireland_, our -Plantations, and other Places to which they are sent, to the Loss of his -Majesty’s Customs, and the Prejudice of the Stainers and Painters her, -besides the Injury to our Manufactures: Otherwise, how come such great -Quantities to be worn and used here, when the Stock in hand hath been so -long since spent? - -There are other Commodities, which the Company may trade in, and the -Tract of Land within their Charter is large enough to afford an -advantagious Commerce there, the Profits whereof might be returned -hither, in things no way injurious to our Manufactures, such as Raw-Silk, -Indigo, Pepper, Salt-Peter, Spices, Drugs, China-Wares, Coffee, Tea, and -many other Things, if they were industrious to make Discoveries, as -private Merchants would do, if the Trade lay open; and I believe it will -not be disputed, that great Quantities of Raw-Silk, have been brought -thence since the Making of that Law, than were used to be done before. - -I know it hath been alleadg’d, That by the Exportation of those -Manufactures again, more Bullion in _specie_ is brought into this -Kingdom, than is carry’d out for the buying them in _India_; but this -was never yet made out, and it would be much to the Satisfaction of the -People, who daily see that Bullion carried away, and also for the Honour -of the Company, that it was done; which if it be really so, might be set -forth in this, or any other Method that the Parliament shall think fit. - -1. Let them give an Account what Quantities of Bullion they export on -every Ship they send abroad, and on what Commodities ’tis laid out. - -2. Let them set forth, how and in what manner, these prohibited -Manufactures do, on their being Exported again, bring in as much Bullion -in _specie_, as was carry’d out to pay for them in the _Indies_. - -And I think it a proper Work for a Committee of Trade, to receive these -Accounts from time to time, and after a just Examination, to lay them -before the Parliament at every Meeting, with their Opinions thereon. - -But if they only mean, that the Exportation of those Manufactures is a -help to us in the Ballance of our Trade, which must otherwise be paid in -Bullion, I answer, that our own Product and Manufactures always have, and -are still sufficent to support the Ballance of our Trade. - -As for white Callicoes and Muslins, they have beat out the wearing of -Lawns, Cambricks, and other thin _German_ and _Silesia_ Linnens, which -has been the Occasion of turning many of those Looms to the Woollen -Manufactures there, that were formerly employed in the weaving them, and -hath abated the Exportation of great Quantities of Cloth; besides the -hinderance Callicoes give to the consumption of _Scots_-Linnens, which -being thin and soft, are as proper for dying, printing, and staining, as -they are, and may be made as white. - -The _East-Indies_ is a bottomless Pit for our Bullion, which can never -circulate hither again; whereas, if it was sent to any Part of _Europe_, -there might be some hopes, by the Ballance of our Trade, to bring it back -again; and when our Bullion fails, that Trade must cease of course, which -it will soon do, if the Company continue to carry out yearly as much as -our other Trades brings us in. - -I wish the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom would be in Love with our -own Manufactures, and those which are purchased with them, and that they -would by their Examples encourage the using them, which would be attended -with the Prayers of the Poor, besides the Advantage it would bring to -their Estates. - -And as to Navigation, I think it will not be disputed, that long Voyages -rather use Sailors than make them, both the Employers, and the Employed, -chusing rather to make their first Experiments on short ones. - -[Sidenote: West-India and Africa.] - -I will next proceed to the _West-India_ and _African_ Trades, which I -esteem the most profitable we drive, and join them together, because of -their dependance on each other. - -[Sidenote: Whether Settling of Plantations hath been an Advantage.] - -But before I enter farther thereon, I will consider of one Objection, it -having been a great Question among many thoughtful Men, whether the -settling our Plantations Abroad has been an Advantage to the Nation; the -Reasons they give against them are, That they have drained us of -Multitudes of our People, who might have been serviceable at Home, and -advanced Improvement in Husbandry and Manufactures; that this Kingdom is -worse peopled, by so much as they are increased; and that Inhabitants -being the Wealth of a Nation, by how much they are lessened, by so much -we are poorer, than when we first began to settle those Colonies. - -To all which I answer; that though I allow the last Proposition to be -true, that People are the Wealth of a Nation, yet it can only be so, -where we find Imployment for them, otherwise they must be a Burthen to -it: ’Tis my Opinion, that our Plantations are an Advantage to this -Kingdom, though not all alike, but every one more or less, as they take -off our Product and Manufactures, supply us with Commodities, which may -be either wrought up here, or exported again, or prevent fetching things -of the same Nature from other Places for our Home Consumption, employ our -Poor, and encourage our Navigation; for I take this Kingdom, and all its -Plantations, to be one great Body, those being as so many Limbs or -Counties belonging to it; therefore when we consume their Growth, we do -as it were spend the Fruits of our own Land; and what thereof we sell to -our Neighbours, brings a second Profit to the Nation. - -These Plantations are either the great Continent from _Hudson’s-Bay_ -Northward to _Florida_ Southward, containing _Nova Scotia_, -_New-England_, _New-Jersy_, _New-York_, _Pensilvania_, _Virginia_, -_Mary-Land_, _Carolina_; and also our Islands, the Chief whereof are, -_Newfoundland_, _Barbadoes_, _Antegoa_, _Nevis_, _St. Christophers_, -_Montserat_, and _Jamaica_; the Commodities they afford us are more -especially Sugars, Cotton, Tobacco, Piamento and Fustick, of their own -Growth; also Logwood, which we bring from _Jamaica_ (but first brought -thither from the Bay of _Campechia_ on the Continent of _Mexico_, -belonging to the _Spaniards_, but cut by the Subjects of this Kingdom, -who have made small settlements there) besides great Quantities of Fish, -taken on the Coasts both of _Newfoundland_ and _New-England_: These being -the Product of Earth, Sea and Labour, are clear Profit to the Kingdom, -and give a double Employment to our People, first to those who raise them -there, next to those who prepare Manufactures here, wherewith they are -supplied, besides the Advantage they afford to our Navigation; for the -Commodities exported thither, and those imported thence hither, being -generally bulky, do thereby employ more Ships, and consequently more -Sailors, which leaves more Room for other labouring People to be kept at -work in our Husbandry and Manufactures, whilst they consume the Product -of the one, and the Effects of the other, in an Employment of a distinct -Nature from either. - -This was the first Design of settling Plantations abroad, that we might -better maintain a Commerce and Trade among ourselves, the Profit whereof -might redound to the Center: And therefore Laws were made to prevent the -carrying their Product to other Places, and their being supply’d with -Necessaries save from hence only, and both to be done in our own Ships, -navigated by our own Sailors, except in some Cases permitted by the Act -of Navigation; and so much as the Reins of those Laws are let loose, so -much less profitable are the Plantations to us. - -Among these Plantations, I look upon _New-England_ to bring the least -Advantage to this Kingdom; for the Inhabitants thereof employing -themselves rather by trading to the others, than raising a Product proper -to be transported hither, and supplying them (especially the Islands) -with Fish (which they catch on their Coart) Deal-Boards, Pipe-Staves, -Horses, and such like Things of their own Growth, which they cannot be so -well furnished with hence, also with Bread, Flower, Pease, and other -Grain; and from thence fetching the respective Products of those Islands, -and sometimes Tobacco from _Virginia_ and _Mary-Land_, have carried them -to foreign Markets, to the great Prejudice of this Kingdom: But to -prevent this, they have been by sundry Laws obliged to bring them all -hither, except what is consumed among themselves: By which Means this -Kingdom is become the Center of Trade, and standing like the Sun in the -midst of its Plantations, doth not only refresh them, but also draws -Profit from them: And indeed it is a Matter of exact Justice that it -should be so, for from hence it is that Fleets of Ships, and Regiments of -Soldiers are frequently sent for their Defence, at the Charge of the -Inhabitants, towards which they contribute but little. - -Besides the forementioned Commodities, we have from _Carolina_ excellent -Rice, and there has been Cocheneel taken, which as yet is but a -Discovery, and perhaps may not meet with any considerable Improvement, -till that Colony is better peopled; what I have seen thereof in the Hands -of a Gentleman who brought it thence, seems by its Figure, to be much -like what we call a Lady-Cow, or Lady-Bird, but is very small, and I take -it to be the _Fœtus_ of an Insect, which laying its Eggs on a Shrub -called the Prickle-Pear, or something very like it, leaves them there, -till Time brings them to Maturity, in the same Manner as the Caterpillar -does with us in the Cabbage or Collard Leaves, wise Nature thus -directing, that the _Fœtus_ may find its Food, so soon as it wants its -Sustenance. It gives a very curious Colour when bruised, but being -extraordinary small, does require long Time to gather in any Quantity, -and Labour being very dear there, ’twill not yet answer the Charge; but -by cultivating and improving the Plant, which now grows wild, and by -being better acquainted with the proper Seasons to collect them, when -they are at a more mature Growth, greater Quantities may probably -hereafter be procured, and at less Charge; and I think it would be a good -Step towards it, if an Encouragement was given on its Importation hither, -in such a Manner, as to the Wisdom of the Parliament shall seem fit and -proper. - -[Sidenote: Africa.] - -Now, that which makes these Plantations more profitable to this Kingdom, -is the Trade to _Africa_, whereby the Planters are supplied with Negroes -for their Use and Service; a Trade of the most Advantage of any we drive, -and as it were all Profit, the first cost being some Things of our own -Manufactures, and others generally purchased with them, for which we have -in return, Gold, Teeth, Wax, and Negroes, the last whereof is indeed the -best Traffic the Kingdom hath, as it occasionally gives so vast an -Employment to our People both by Sea and Land. These are the Hands -whereby our Plantations are improved, and it is by their Labours such -great Quantities of Sugar, Tobacco, Cotton, Ginger, Fustick and Indigo, -are raised, which employ great Numbers of Ships for transporting them -hither; and the greater Number of Ships, employs the greater Number of -Handicraft Trades at home, spends more of our Product and Manufactures, -and makes more Sailors, who are maintained by a separate Employment; for -if every one raised the Provisions he eat, or made the Manufactures he -wore, Traffic would cease, which is a Variety of Employments Men have set -themselves on, whereby one is serviceable to another, adapted to their -particular Genius’s, without invading each other’s Provinces: Thus -the Husbandman raises Corn, the Miller grinds it, the Baker makes it into -Bread, and the Citizens eats it: Thus the Grasier fats Cattle, and the -Butcher kills them for the Market: Thus the Shepherd sheers his Sheep, -the Spinster turns the Wool into Yarn, the Weaver makes it into Cloth, -and the Merchant exports it, and every one lives by each other: Thus the -Country supplies the City with Provisions, and that the Country with -Necessaries; now the advising a former Reign to monopolize this Trade, -and confine it to an exclusive Company, was the same, as to advise the -People of _Ægypt_, to raise high Banks to keep the River _Nilus_ from -overflowing, least it should fertilize their Lands; or the King of -_Spain_ to shut up his Mines, least he should fill his Kingdom too full -of Silver: This Trade indeed is our Silver Mine, for by the Overplus of -Negroes above what will serve our Plantations, we draw great Quantities -thereof from the _Spaniards_, who are settled on the Continent of -_America_, both for the Negroes we furnish from _Jamaica_, and also by -the Assiento, lately settled by a Compact of both Nations: ’Twas these -which first introduced our Commerce with that People, and gave us -Opportunities of selling our Manufactures to them. - -But tho’ this Trade be now laid open, yet it will not be amiss to -enquire what Reasons should persuade that Government to monopolize it, -and what has been the Consequences thereof, in order to obviate any -future Attempts that may be made to get it done again. - -As for the First; The Necessity of having Forts, Castles, and Soldiers to -defend the Trade which could not be carried on without them, had then -Force enough to prevail. - -But let us consider what these Forts, Castles, and Soldiers were, their -Use, and whither the Trade is not as well secured now it lies open. - -The greatest Number of Soldiers, offered as I remember at a Committee -formerly appointed by the honourable House of Commons to enquire into -that Affair, did not exceed One Hundred and Twenty on the whole Coast, -nor did their Forts and Castles appear to be any thing else than -Settlements for their Factors, nor was it ever made out, or indeed -pretended, that they were fitted to wage a National War, or to secure -against a National Invasion, nor were there any Magazines laid up to -expect a Siege from the Natives; nor could they hinder Interlopers from -trading on the Coast of what Nation soever; but the Company having -obtained Frigates from the Government, destroyed our own Merchant Ships -(unless permitted on the Payment of great Mulcts at home) whilst they let -others alone: This, together with the Powers given them in their Charter, -to seize in the Plantations, such as had the good Fortune to escape them -on the Coast, and also their Cargoes, discouraged private Traders, who -else found no Difficulties, the Natives receiving them as Friends, and -chusing rather to deal with them than the Company, whose Factories also -being at remote Distances from each other, great Part of that Coast was -untraded to. - -Nor do I see what Need there was to fight our Way into a Trade, -altogether as advantageous to the Natives as to us; for whilst we -supplied them with Things they wanted, and were of Value amongst them, we -took in exchange Slaves, which were else of little Worth to the -Proprietors; and there was no Reason to think, that the People of this -Kingdom, who had settled such large Colonies on the Continent of -_America_, (besides it several Islands) where there was at first such -small Hopes of Advantage, without the Help of a Company, should fall -short in securing this Trade, which carried with it the Prospect of so -great a Profit. - -I will next consider the Inconveniencies that have attended this -Monopoly, and the Advantage the Nation reaps by the Trades being laid -open; we now send more Ships, and supply the Plantations with more -Negroes, and vend more of our Commodities for their Purchase: Besides, -every Negro in the Plantations gives a second Employ to the Manufacturers -of this Kingdom; and had we many more to spare, the _Spaniards_ would buy -them, and pay us in Bullion, so there could be no Ground for putting this -Trade into few Hands, unless ’twas designed those few should grow rich, -whilst for their Sakes, the Nation suffered in its Trade and Navigation, -the Company having made this detrimental Use of their Charter, that they -bought up our Manufactures cheaper at home, and made the Planters pay -dearer for Negroes abroad, than could have been done, if there had been -more Buyers for the One, and Sellers of the Other. - -It is not to be doubted, whether the vending our Manufactures, and -encouraging our Navigation, on advantagious Terms, are the true Interest -of this Kingdom, and that all Foreign Commerce, as it advances either, is -more or less profitable to us; but the confining this Trade to an -exclusive Company could promote neither; and I believe ’tis one great -Reason, why we know so little of that great Continent, because the -Company, finding Ways enough to employ their Stock amongst those few -Settlements they had made on the Sea-Coast, never endeavoured a farther -Inland Discovery; whereas, now the Trade is laid open, the busy Merchant, -that industrious Bee of the Nation, will not leave any Creek or River -untraded to, from whence he may hope to make Advantage. - -’Tis to Trade and Commerce we are beholding for what knowledge we have -of foreign Parts, and it is observable, that the more remote People dwell -from the Sea, the less they are acquainted with Affairs abroad. _Africa_ -is a large Country, and doubtless the Trade to it, may be much enlarged -to our Advantage: Use and Experience, make us by degrees, Masters of -every thing, and tho’ the first Undertakers of a Design may fall short -of answering their private Ends, yet they often lay open beaten Paths, -wherein Posterity do tread with Success, though they miscarried: Now that -all Places are permitted freely to send Ships, and to have the Management -of their own Affairs, Industry is encouraged, and Peoples Heads are set -at work how they may out-do each other, by getting first into a new Place -of Trade. Besides, the more Traders, the more Buyers at home, and Sellers -abroad, and by this means, our Plantations on the large Continent of -_America_, are better furnished with Negroes, for want of which the -Inhabitants there could never arrive to those Improvements they have done -on the Islands, the Company having given them little or no Supply, but -chose rather to send their Negroes to the latter, because they were able -to make them better Payments; but the Free-traders have since done it, to -the great Advantage of those Plantations, and of the Nation in general. - -As for the other Commodities brought in returns from _Africa_, _viz._ Wax -and Teeth, one serves for a foreign Export, without any Disadvantage to -our own Product; and the other is manufactured at home, and afterwards -carried to Markets abroad: And as for the Gold brought thence, I need not -mention how much it doth advance our Wealth, all allow it to be a good -Barter. - -On the whole, I take the _African_ Trade, both for its Exports and -Imports, and also, as it supplies our Plantations, and advances -Navigation, to be very beneficial to this Kingdom, and will every Year -grow more so, if it remains open. - -[Sidenote: Ireland.] - -I come now to discourse of _Ireland_, and of the Trade we interchangeably -drive with that Kingdom, with whom it is necessary to maintain a good -Correspondence, which must be done on such Terms, as may be profitable to -us both; and I think nothing is more likely to answer this End, than the -encouraging the Linnen Manufacture there, which it is highly our Interest -to promote, and theirs to set upon, being for the most Part of another -Nature, than what is made either in the _North_ or _South-Britain_; for, -besides the Employment it will give to the Poor, large Tracts of Land -will be taken up for raising Hemp and Flax, both which thrive well in -many Parts of that Kingdom; on the other Hand, the low Labour of -_Ireland_ being employed on that Manufacture, will no way prejudice ours, -but make them better able to trade with us, for such things wherewith -they are supplied hence, it being undoubtedly the Interest of this -Kingdom, that all those Nations we trade with should grow rich, by any -Methods that do not make us Poor; and more-especially _Ireland_, whose -Profits are generally spent here. - -But then, how shall this Manufacture be carried on? Truly, the first Step -must be, by furnishing Money on reasonable Interest, and receiving it -again by such Payments as the Borrowers can make, and buying up the -Linnens when made, and then the landed Men will encourage it, on their -own Estates, and thereby enable their Tenants to pay their Rents better; -which last Effect it hath already had in the North of _Ireland_, where by -spinning the Yarn in the Winter Nights, and getting their Cloth ready, -and fit for Sale, early in the Year, they provide for their _May_ Rents, -without being constrained to sell their Cattle whilst they are lean, and -their _November_ Payments do not become due, till they are fat, and their -Harvest is over. - -Now these Loans must be made, either by a Joint-Stock raised for that -Purpose, of by the Bank of _England_, which will be attended with good -Security; for by reason of the Register settled there by Act of -Parliament, I take the Securities of _Ireland_, to be rather better than -those in _England_: and this way of lending Money, must likewise be very -acceptable to all those whose Estates are under different Incumbrances, -which may by this means be reduced into one, and paid off, as they can -spare the Money by degrees. - -Nor can I see how any ill Consequences will attend the bringing the Money -to _Par_ in both Kingdoms, I know it had none when the Crown-piece was -some Years since reduced from six Shillings to pass at five Shillings and -five Pence, and all other Money in Proportion; it neither caused an -Alteration in the Rents to the Landlords, nor in the Price of the Product -to the Tenants; and I cannot see why the falling it to five Shillings (as -it passes here) should carry with it any ill Effect; the Lands of -_Ireland_ would thereby be more worth to the Proprietors, who would then -be more willing, and better able, to spend their Money here, when they -were freed from such high Exchanges; besides the Advantage to the King in -his Revenue. - -The Commodities we have thence are, Wool, Hides, Tallow, and Skins, all -useful in our Manufactures; as also some Herrings, which we export again; -and we ship from thence for other Markets, Beef, Pork, Salmon and Butter; -we likewise supply them with Tobacco, Sugar, and other Plantation Goods; -also with fine Broad-Cloth, Silk Manufactures, and several other things -made here; and with sundry of our Products, as Lead, Tin, Coal, &c. of -which last, so great Quantities are carried thither yearly, that it will -scarce be credited, how much they say there it amounts unto; besides -Muslins, Callicoes, China-Ware, Tea, Coffee, and other _East-India_ -Goods: They have indeed, discouraged the Importation of Callicoes, by -loading them with a great Duty, but I wonder they do not totally prohibit -them, for that single Commodity doth more Injury to their Manufactures, -both of Linnen and Wollen, than all the Things they import besides. - -I should be very glad to see the Linnen Manufacture there brought to a -good Perfection; and I am sure if the Government were at some Charge in -doing it, ’twould not be ill laid out. - -[Sidenote: Canaries.] - -I shall proceed next to the Trade we drive to the _Canary-Islands_, which -brings us nothing but what we consume, and I believe takes from us little -of our Product or Manufactures; but since we must drink Wines, ’tis -better to have them from the _Spaniard_ than the _French_; the first -takes off much of our Manufactures, the other little; and I am apt to -think, those Wines are paid for out of what we ship to _Spain_. - -[Sidenote: Spain.] - -This brings me to the _Spanish_ Trade, which I take to be very profitable -to this Kingdom, as it vends much of our Product and Manufactures, and -supplies us with many Things necessary to be used in making the Latter, -and furnishes us with great Quantities of Bullion; I shall divide it into -three Parts, _Spain_, _Biscay_, and _Flanders_. - -To begin with _Spain_, by which I mean, that Part from the Bay of _Cadiz_ -inclusive, Eastward into the Straits of _Gibraltar_, as far as -_Catalonia_; whither we send all Sorts of Woollen Manufactures, Lead, -Fish, Tin, Silk and Worsted Stockings, Butter, Tobacco, Ginger, Leather, -Bees-Wax, and sundry other Things. And in Return we have thence, some -Things fit only for Consumption, such as Fruit and Wines; others for our -Manufactures, such as Oil, Cochineal, Indigo, Anata, Barillia, and some -Salt, with a great Part in Gold and Silver, wherewith they are supplied -from their large Empires on the main Land of _America_, whither they -export much of the Goods we carry to them. - -The _Spaniards_ are a stately People, not much given to Trade or -Manufactures themselves; therefore the first they carry on by such -chargeable and dilatory Methods, both for their Ships and ways of -Navigation, that other trading Nations, such as the _English_, _French_, -_Dutch_, and _Genoese_, take Advantage of them; only their Trade to their -_West-Indies_, hath, on strict Penalties, been reserved to themselves; -but having no Manufactures of their own, the Profit thereof comes very -much to be reaped by those who furnish them: Nor is it so well guarded -and secured, but that the Inhabitants thereof have been plentifully -supplied by us with Manufactures, and many other Things from _Jamaica_, -and may be more, by the Liberty lately granted to the _South-Sea_ -Company, whereby we get greater Prizes for them, than when they were -first shipp’d to _Cadiz_, and exported thence thither, which adds to -the Wealth of the Nation: This I take to be the true Reason why our Vent -for them at _Cadiz_ is lessened, because we supply _New-Spain_ direct -with those Things they used to have thence before. - -By _Biscay_, I mean all that Part under the _Spanish_ Government, which -lies in the Bay of that Name, or adjoining to it: The Commodities we send -thither are generally the same as we do to _Spain_, and in Return we have -Wool, Iron, and some Bullion, whereof the first is the best and most -profitable Commodity, which could we secure wholly to our selves, -’twould be of great Advantage to the Nation; but both the _Dutch_ and -_French_ come in for their Shares; tho’ I am apt to think the former -might be induced to bring it hither by way of Merchandize, if we did so -far relax the Act of Navigation, as to give them Liberty to do it. - -The third Part of our _Spanish_ Trade is that to _Flanders_, whereby I -mean all those Provinces that were formerly under its Government, but are -now under the Emperors, whether we send Commodities much of the same -Nature as those we send to the other Parts, tho’ not in so great -Quantities, and among our Woollen Manufactures more coarse Medleys; also -Muscovado Sugars and Coals, but not so much Leather as we have formerly -done, being supplied with raw Hides from _Ireland_, which are tann’d -there: We have thence Linnens, Thread, and other Things, which are used -both at Home, and also shipp’d to our Plantations. - -[Sidenote: Portugal.] - -The next is the Trade we drive to the Kingdom of _Portugal_, and its -Islands, where we vend much of our Product and Manufactures, little -different in their kinds from what are sent to _Spain_; and from thence -we have in Return, Salt, Oil, Woad, Fruit, and Wines, besides Gold and -Silver: We have, since the Wat with _France_, increased our Importation -of their Wines, which is more our Interest to do, than to have them from -_France_, whence our Imports have been always more than our Exports would -pay for, and to this Kingdom our Exports are greater than their Products -can make us Returns, especially since we have desisted from bringing -hither their Sugars and Tobacco, Commodities wherewith we are more -advantageously supplied from our Plantations in _America_, and are now -able to furnish foreign Markets cheaper than they can. - -These People were formerly the great Navigators of the World, as appears -by their many Discoveries, both in the _East_ and _West-Indies_, besides -the several Islands os the _Azores_, _Cape de Verd_, and also _Maderas_, -where they have settled Colonies; to these they admit us a free Trade, -but reserve their remoter Settlements on the Continent of _Brazil_ more -strictly to themselves, whither they export many of the Commodities we -send them, and in Return have Sugars and Tobacco, which are again -exported to the _European_ Markets, though little of them hither: Besides -which, they have of late brought from thence great Quantities of Gold; -their Islands we supply directly with our Manufactures, and from the -_Azores_ load Corn, Woad, and some Wines, which we receive in Barter for -them, and are the Product of those Islands; the first we carry to -_Maderas_, where ’tis again bartered for the Wines of the Growth of -that Island, which are shipt thence to our Plantations in _America_: In -these Settlements the Inhabitants live well, and are plentifully -supplied, because they have wherewith to pay for what is brought them; -but those residing on the _Cape de Verd_ Islands, being generally made up -of Negroes, Molattoes, and such like People, and having little Product to -give in Returns, are but meanly furnished, and have scarce enough to -serve their Necessities, much less to please their Luxuries, Asses, -Beeves, and Salt, being all we have from them, which we generally carry -to our Plantations in _America_: some Salt we bring home; Beef might be -made there very cheap, could it be saved, being purchased for little, and -Salt for less, but the Climate will not allow it; only the Island of St. -_Jago_ is rich, well governed, and a Bishop’s See, where they are well -supplied with Necessaries, because they have Money to pay for what they -buy. - -The _Portugueze_, as they are now become bad Navigators, so they are not -great Manufacturers; some Sorts of coarse Cloth they do make, which is -often shipp’d to the Islands of _Maderas_ and the _Azores_, where -’tis worn with great Delight, and preferred before any other of the -like Goodness, because its made in _Portugal_; and they did once attempt -the making Bays, for which they drew over some of our Workmen, but it -soon came to an End, and they returned Home again by Encouragement given -them here, so prudent a Thing it is to stop an Evil in the Beginning. - -[Sidenote: Turkey.] - -The Trade driven to _Turkey_ is very profitable, as it affords us Markets -for great Quantities of our Woollen Manufactures, together with Lead, and -other Product, shipp’d hence to _Constantinople_, _Scandaroon_, and -_Smyrna_, and from thence disperst all over the _Turkish_ Dominions, as -also into _Persia_. The Commodities we have thence in Return are, Raw -Silk, Cotton-Wool and Yarn, Goat’s-Wool, Grogram-Yarn, Cordivants, -Gauls, Pot-Ashes, and other Things, which are the Foundations of several -Manufactures different from our own, by the Variety whereof we better -suit Cargoes to export again; and tho’ this Trade may require some -Bullion to be carried thither, yet there is a great Difference between -buying for Bullion, Commodities already manufactur’d, which hinder the -Use and Consumption of our own, such as those brought from the -_East-Indies_, or Things to be spent on Luxury, such as Wines and Fruit, -buying therewith Commodities to keep our Poor at Work; these must be had, -tho’ purchased with nothing else. - -[Sidenote: Italy.] - -To the several Parts of _Italy_ we send great Quantities of Lead and -other our Product, and many Sorts of Woollen Manufactures, but chiefly -those made of Worsted; also Fish, and Sugars, both white and brown, the -last principally to _Venice_; We bring thence raw and thrown Silk, and -Red-Wooll; also Oyl and Soap, (of the latter we now make a great deal in -_England_,) both used in Working up our Wool, some Paper, Currants, and -other things. - -Both _Venice_ and _Genoa_ have made some Attempts on a Woollen -Manufacture, being furnished with Wool from _Alicant_, and those -_Eastern_ Parts of _Spain_; wrought Silks and Glass are not so much -imported thence as the formerly were, since we have fallen on making them -here. - -[Sidenote: Holland.] - -The _Dutch_ likewise Buy many of our Manufactures, and much of our -Product, as Coals, Butter, Lead, Tin, besides things of smaller Value, -such as Clay, Redding, &c. which are exported to _Holland_, not only for -their own use, but being a Mart of Trade for _Germany_, they disperse -them for the Expence of those Countries; among whom they also Vend our -_West-India_ Commodities, such as Sugar, Tobacco, Indigo, Logwood, -Fustick, Ginger, Cotton-Wool, besides what they use themselves; they are -an industrious People, but having little Land, want Product of their own -to Trade on, except what they raise by their Fisheries, or bring from the -_East-Indies_, whereof Spices and Salt-Petre are many times admitted to -be brought hither, tho’ contrary to the Act of Navigation; indeed the -Trade of the _Dutch_ consists rather in Buying and Selling than -Manufactures, most of their Profits arising from that, and the Freights -they make of their Ships; which being Built for Burthen, are imployed -generally in a Home-Trade, for bulky Commodities, such as Salt from St. -_Ubes_ to the _Baltick_, Timber, Hemp, Corn, Pitch, and such sorts of -Goods thence to their own Country, which Ships they Sail with few Hands; -and this, together with Lowness of Interest, enables them to afford those -Commodities at such Rates, that they are often fetcht from them by other -Nations, cheaper then they could do it from the Places of their Growth, -all charges considered: ’Tis strange to see how these People Buz up and -down among themselves, the Greatness of whose Numbers causes a vast -Expence, and that Expence must be supplied from Abroad, so one Man gets -by another, and they find by Experience, that as a Multitude of People -brings Profit to the Government, so it creates Imployment to each other; -besides they Invent new ways of Trade, by selling, not only Things they -have, but those they have not, great Quantities of Brandy and other -Commodities being disposed of every Year, which are never intended to be -delivered, only the Buyer and Seller get or loose, according to the Rates -it bears at the time agreed on to make good the Bargain; such a Commerce -to this Kingdom would be of little Advantage, and would not advance its -Wealth more than Stock-jobbing, our Profits depending on the improving -our Product and Manufactures; but that Government raising its Income by -the Multitude of its Inhabitants, who pay on all they eat, drink and -wear, and almost on every thing they do, cares not so much by what -Methods each Person gets, as that they have People to pay; which are -never wanting from all Nations, for as one goes away, another comes, and -every temporary Resident advances their Revenue; therefore to increase -their Numbers, they make the Terms of Trade easy; contrary to the Customs -of Cities and private Corporations with us, the Narrowness of whose -Charters discourages Industry, and hinders Improvements both in -Handicrafts and Manufactures, because they exclude better Artists from -their Societies, unless they purchase their Freedoms at unreasonable -Rates. - -[Sidenote: Hamburgh.] - -_HAMBURGH_ is another Market for our Manufactures; this City vends great -Quantities of our Cloth, as also Tobacco, Sugars, and other Plantation -Commodities, together with several of our Products, which are also thence -sent into _Germany_; from whence we have in Return Linnens, Linnen-yarn, -and other Commodities, very necessary both for the Use of our selves and -of our Plantations, and little interferring with our own Manufactures. - -[Sidenote: Poland.] - -_POLAND_ also takes off many of our Manufacturers, wherewith it is -supplied chiefly from _Dantzick_, whither they are first carried, and -thence disperst into all Parts of that Kingdom, which hath but little -Wool of its own, and that chiefly in _Ukrania_; but the Expence of our -Cloth hath been lessened there, since _Silesia_, and the adjoining Parts -of _Germany_, have turn’d their Looms to that Commodity, occasioned by -our disusing their Linnens, and wearing Callicoes in their Room; we have -thence some Linnens, also Potashes. - -[Sidenote: Russia.] - -_RUSSIA_ is likewise supplied by way of St. _Angelo_, with our Woollen -Manufactures, and other Things, also with some Tobacco; but the Sale of -the latter is decreased, occasioned (as I am informed) by the -Indiscretion of our Merchants that imported it; who putting an excessive -Price thereon, caused the Czar to encourage the Planting it in his -Dominions, which being very large, and reaching from the _Mare Album_ -Northward, to the _Caspian_ Sea Southward, besides its vast Extent from -East to West, affords Climates enough proper for it; by which means, we -are in danger of losing the Sale of that Commodity, so profitable to the -Nation, which we might have continued, if they had not been too covetous -at first: We have in Return from thence, Hemp, Potashes, _Russia_ Hides, -with some Linnen, and other Commodities, both useful at Home, and fit to -be carried abroad. - -[Sidenote: Sweden.] - -_SWEDEN_ and its Territories, takes off great Quantities of our -Manufactures, both fine and coarse, and some of our Product, besides -Tobacco and Sugars, and other Plantation Goods; but the Sale of our Cloth -hath been lessen’d there, occasion’d by their loading it with great -Duties, on purpose to encourage a Manufacture of their own; their Wool is -coarse, so consequently the Cloth made thereof must be ordinary; however, -the late King encouraged the Wearing it, by his own Example, and thought -it the Interest of his Kingdom so to do: Yet all sorts of Serges, Stuffs, -and Perpets are carried thither, and I think as freely as before; from -thence we have Copper, Iron, and some other Things. - -[Sidenote: Denmark and Norway.] - -_DENMARK_ is supplied from us with Woollen Manufactures, yet takes no -great Quantities, and _Norway_ less, the People of the latter being -generally poor; some Tobacco and Sugar is also shipp’d hence and spent -amongst them. - -From these three last Northern Kingdoms we are furnished with Pitch, Tar, -Hemp, Masts, Baulks, and Deal boards, all very useful to us, and without -which, we can’t carry on our Navigation, and therefore we must have -them, though purchas’d with Money; but the Parliament having encouraged -the Importation of some of them from our Plantations on the Continent of -_America_, our Dependence on them for those Things, will in all -probability be lessened every Year: I look on any thing that saves our -Timber, to be an Advantage to the Nation, which Baulks and Boards do. - -[Sidenote: France.] - -The _French_ Trade hath every Age grown less profitable to our Woollen -Manufacturers, as the Inhabitants make wherewith to supply, both -themselves and other Nations, which they could not do, were they not -furnished with Wool from hence and _Ireland_, their own being unfit to -work by it self: Nor doth _France_ spend much of the Growth and Product, -either of this Kingdom, or of our Plantations, and furnishes us with -nothing to be manufactured here, so that the Trade we drive thither, -turns only to their Advantage; which being generally for Things consumed -among ourselves, and our Imports exceeding our Exports, must needs be -Loss to the Kingdom; but if the Linnen Manufacture can be settled in -_Scotland_ and _Ireland_, Paper, Distilling, and Silk Manufactures, -encouraged here, the Ballance will soon be altered, especially since the -_Portuguese_ have made such Improvements in their Wines; only their Salt -we shall still want for our Fisheries. - -[Sidenote: South Sea.] - -As to the _South-Sea_ Trade, I cannot undertake to say much to it, being -but lately entered upon, and limited by Act of Parliament to an exclusive -Company, according to whose Management it may prove more or less -Advantagious to the Nation; only in this I believe we may be certain, -that they will never carry away our Bullion, as the _East-India_ Company -does, but in all Probability, will bring us more. - -[Sidenote: What Foreign Trades are profitable to our Manufactures, and what -are not.] - -And thus I have run through the Foreign Trades driven from this Kingdom, -and shew’d how they advance its Interest, by taking off our Product and -Manufactures, and supplying us with Materials to be manufactured again; -wherein ’tis a certain Rule, that so far as any Nation furnishes us -with things already manufactured, or only to be spent amongst our selves, -so much less is our Advantage by the Trade we drive with them; especially -if those Manufactures interfere with our own, and are purchased with -Bullion. Therefore I think the _East-India_ Trade to be unprofitable to -us, hindering by its Silks, Muslins, and Callicoes, the Consumption of -more of our Manufactures in _Europe_, than it takes from us. The -_Spanish_, _Turkey_, and _Portugal_ Trades, are very advantagious, as -they vend great Quantities of our Manufactures, and furnish us with -Materials to be wrought up here, and disperse our Commodities to other -Places, where we could not so well send them ourselves; this _Spain_ doth -to its Settlements in _America_; _Turkey_ to all its Territories, both in -_Europe_ and _Asia_, and also to _Persia_; _Portugal_ doth the same to -_Brazil_. The _Dutch_, _Hamburgh_, and _Dantzick_ Trades are very useful, -as they supply _Germany_, _Poland_, and some Parts of _Russia_, with our -Manufactures, and little interfere with us in theirs. _Sweden_ and -_Denmark_ are profitable, both in what they take from us, and in what we -have from them again. _Italy_ takes off much of our Worsted Manufactures, -and sends us little of its own, save wrought Silks, whereof we shall -every Year import less, as we increase that Manufacture at home; but -above all, I esteem the _African_ and _West-India_ Trades to be most -profitable to the Nation, as they imploy more of our People at Home, and -give greater Incouragement to our Navigation by their Product; but the -_French_ Trade is certainly our Loss, _France_ being like a Tavern, with -whom we spend what we get by other Nations; and ’tis strange, we should -be so bewitcht to that People, as to take off their Growth, which -consists chiefly of things for Luxury, and receive a Value only for the -Esteem we put on them, whilst at the same Time, they prohibit our -Manufactures, in order to set up the like among themselves, which we -encourage, by furnishing them with Wool. - -[Sidenote: The Ballance of each Trade.] - -The Ballance of that and the _East-India_ Trade, is always against us, -from whom we have in Goods more than we ship them, and therefore must -lessen our Bullion; the Ballance of _Spain_ and _Portugal_ is always in -our Favour, and therefore must encrease it; as for the _Dutch_, -_Germany_, and _Hamburgh_, their Ballances are not yet agreed on; some -think we ship them most, others, that we receive most from them; I -incline to the former: The Northern Crowns supply us with more than they -take from us, but they are Commodities we can’t be without, at least, -till we can be better furnish’d with them from our Plantations in -_America_; _Turkey_ may require some Bullion, yet the Trade we drive -thither is very beneficial to us; _Italy_ will grow more and more in its -Ballance on our Side, as the Importation of wrought Silks is lessen’d, -and turn’d into raw and thrown. Now considering, that almost the whole -World is supplied by our Labour, and that our Plantations do daily bring -us such Incomes, ’tis strange, if this Nation should not grow rich, -which doubtless it would do above all our Neighbours, were our Trade -rightly looked after. - -[Sidenote: What Nations chiefly cope with us in our Manufactures.] - -Those who cope with us in our Manufactures, are chiefly the _French_; but -let due Care be taken to prevent their being supplied with Wool from -hence, and from _Ireland_, and we shall soon see an Alteration therein: -’Tis true, they have Wool of their own, but they cannot work it without -ours or _Irish_: The Commodities they make, are generally slight Stuffs, -wherein they use a great deal of Combing Wool; and these they not only -wear themselves, but send them to _Portugal_, and other Parts, with good -Success; to countermine which, We have fallen on making them, by -Assistance of the _French_ Refugees; I wonder at the Fancies of those -Men, who are always finding Fault, that we do not make our Manufactures -as strong as formerly we did, wherein I think they are to be blamed, for -we must fit them to the Humours of the Buyers, and slight Cloth brings as -much Profit to the Nation as strong, and the same Employment to the Poor; -yet where Seals and other Marks are set, let them be certain Evidences to -the Truth of what they certify, either as to the Length of the Piece, or -that the Inside is suitable to the Outside, or that ’tis truly wove, -and without Flaws; the same with respect to the Colour, that ’tis -woaded, or madder’d, or the like: But there is a great deal of -Difference between this, and obliging the Manufacturer to make his Cloth -or Stuff to a certain Weight and Thickness, without respect to the Buyer, -or the Climate to which it is sent. As for the _Dutch_, as I take them to -be no good Planters, so likewise no good Manufacturers, their Heads are -not turned that Way, but rather to Traffic and Navigation. The -_Flanderkins_ were once famous in the Art of Cloth-making, which they -carried on by the Wool they fetch’d hence: But King _Edward_ the Third, -by keeping our Wool at home, put a stop to that Manufacture. If therefore -the prohibiting our Wool to be carried out, had at that Time so good an -Effect and Consequence against those People, why should not our Care to -prevent its being carried out now, have the same against the _French_? We -cannot indeed hinder them from _Spanish_, but we may from our own and -_Irish_. As for _Sweden_, I am apt to think their Manufactures will come -to little. And as for _Germany_, the Woollen Manufacture is not so -natural to them as the Linnen, which they would keep close to, if we gave -them Encouragement, by wearing it here, and sending it to our -Plantations, which would be more advantagious to us, than by the use of -Muslins and Callicoes, to put them on fencing with us at our own Weapons, -which they very unwillingly undertake. The Woollen Manufactures in -_Italy_ are but small, and those chiefly among the _Venetians_, something -among the _Genoese_; these we cannot hinder, being supplied with Wool -from those Parts of _Spain_ which are near them, except we could promote -a Contract with the _Spaniard_ for all he hath; and if it should be -objected that we should then have too much, ’tis better to burn the -Overplus at the Charge of the Public (as the _Dutch_ do their Spices) -than to have it wrought up abroad, which we can’t otherwise prevent, -seeing all the Wool of _Europe_ is Manufactured somewhere; and if the Act -for burying in Woollen did extend to our Plantations in _America_, -’twould be of great use towards the Consumption of our Wooll; thus, -when the Nation comes to see, that the Labour of its People is its -Wealth, ’twill put us on finding out Methods to make every one Work -that is able; which must be done, by hindring such swarms from going off -to idle and useless Employments, and by preventing such Multitudes of -lazy People from being maintained by begging. - -[Sidenote: Difference in Employing our own Ships and those of other Nations.] - -And this is farther to be noted in our Trade with Foreign Nations, that -where they fetch from us our Product and Manufactures, and make their -Imports to us, in their own Ships, we get less by the Trade we drive with -them, than if we did it in ours, because that doth also encourage our -Navigation; and Freights are a great and profitable Article in Trade; -therefore we get more by the _Spanish_ Trade, because we generally drive -it in our own Bottoms; and we lose more by the _French_ Trade, when they -bring us their Wines and Brandy, than when we fetch them ourselves; and -accordingly we may take our Measures in judging of all other Trades. - -[Sidenote: Whether a true Judgment may be made of the Ballance of Foreign -Trade.] - -It hath been a great Debate how the Ballance of our Foreign Trade shall -be Computed, and what Methods we should take whereby to know it, and it -has been thought, that the most proper way to make a true Judgment -therein is, by taking an Account from the Custom-house Books of our -Exports and Imports; but if this Method would do, yet I do not think -there can be any Certainty, either of the one or the other, drawn from -thence; for, as for our Imports, the Bullion, and such Things of Value, -are not entered there, and seldom presented; and as to the Exports, -seeing our Woollen Manufactures go out Custom-Free, the Entries there -made of them cannot be depended on; but suppose a more exact Account of -our Exports and Imports could be had, yet, since so great a part of the -Trade of this Kingdom is driven by Exchange, and such vast Quantities of -Commodities are Imported from our Plantations for Account of the -Inhabitants there, the Produce whereof they leave here as a stock at -Home, and that they are supply’d hence with so many Things for their -own Consumption, I cannot see how any moderate Computation can be this -way made of our general Trade, much less of that we drive with any -particular Nation, the Commodities which we receive at one place, being -often carried to another; thus we transport to _Italy_ the Sugars we -receive for our Manufactures in _Portugal_, and bring thence Silk and -other Things to be manufactured here, and yet we must not conclude we -lose by the _Portugal_ Trade, because the Returns thence fall short by -the Custom-House Books, or that we get more by the _Italian_ Trade, -because it doth not appear by those Books how we exported Commodities to -pay for what we Import thence; and as to the Profits we make by the -Freights of our Ships, it doth not at all appear from them, nor at what -Rates our Product and Manufactures are sold Abroad, or our Plantation -Goods to Foreigners at home; so the Thing must still remain doubtful; and -I know no more certain way to Judge of it, than by the Increase the -Nation makes in its Bullion, which always arises from the over Ballance -of our Foreign Barter and Commerce. - -[Sidenote: Committee of Trade.] - -And for the better Encouraging the Trade of this Kingdom, I think it well -worthy the Thoughts of a Parliament, whether a standing Committee, made -up of Men well verst therein, should not be appointed; whose sole -Business it should be to consider the State thereof, and to find out Ways -to improve it; to see how the Trades we drive with Foreign Kingdoms, grow -more or less profitable to us; how, and by what Means we are out-done by -others in the Trades we drive, or hindered from enlarging them; what is -necessary to be prohibited, both in our Exports and Imports, and for how -long Time; to hear Complaints from our Factories Abroad, and to -correspond with our Ministers there, in Affairs relating to our Trade, -and to represent all Things rightly to the Government, with their Advice, -what Courses are proper to be taken for its Encouragement; and generally -to study by what means and Methods the Trade of this Kingdom may be -improved, both abroad and at home. - -If this was well settled, the good Effects thereof would soon be seen; -but then, great Care must be taken, that these Places be not fill’d up -with such who know nothing of the Business, and thereby this excellent -Constitution become only a Matter of Form and Expence. - -In the Management of Things of much less moment, we employ such who are -supposed to understand what they undertake, and believe they cannot be -carryed on without them; whilst the general Trade of the Nation (which is -the support of all) lies neglected, as if the Coggs that direct its -Wheels did not need skill to keep them true: Trade requires as much -Policy as Matters of State, and can never be kept in a regular Motion by -Accident; when the Frame of our Trade is out of Order, we know not where -to begin to mend it, for want of a set of experienced Builders, ready to -receive Applications, and able to judge where the Defect lies. - -Such a Committee as this, will soon appear to be of great Use and -Service, both to the Parliament in framing Laws relating to Trade, and -also to the Government in the Treaties they make with Foreign Nations. - -As to the first, it hath sometimes been thought, that when that great and -glorious Assembly hath medled with Trade, they have left it worse than -they found it; and the Reason is, because the Laws relating to Trade, -require more time to look into their distant Consequences, than a Session -will admit; whereof we have had many Instances. - -To begin with the _French_ Trade; in the 22d _Car._ II. a new Import was -laid on Wines, _viz._ Eight Pounds _per_ Ton on the _French_, and Twelve -Pounds _per_ Ton on _Spanish_ and _Portuguese_: This Difference (with the -low Subsidies put on their Linnens by former Acts, in respect to those of -other Places) was a great Means of bringing the Ballance of that Trade so -much against us, that the Parliament in the 7th and 8th of _Gul._ III. -thought fit to make an Act, (and is continued by this present Parliament -for a longer time) which in Effect, prohibited all Trade with that Nation -for One and Twenty Years, by laying a great Duty on the Importations -thence, in order to prevent a Correspondence, till the Trade should be -better regulated. - -In the 14th _Car._ II. Logwood was permitted by Act of Parliament to be -imported, paying five Pounds _per_ Ton Duty; the same Act repeals two -Statutes of Queen _Elizabeth_ against Importing and Using it in Dying -here, and sets forth the Ingenuity of our Dyers, in finding out Ways to -fix the Colours made with it; and yet at the same time gave a Draw-back -of three Pounds fifteen Shillings _per_ Ton on all that should be -Exported, whereby Foreigners use it so much cheaper in their Manufactures -than ours can here; which proceeded from a too hasty making that Law, and -being advised, or rather abused, by those, who regarded more their own -Interest, than that of the Nation. - -By an Act made 1 _Ja._ II. an Impost of Two Shillings and Four Pence _per -Cent._ was laid on Muscovado Sugars imported from the Plantations, to be -drawn back at Exportation; the Traders to the Plantations stirr’d in -this Matter, and set forth, That such a Duty would discourage the -Refining them here, by hindering the Exportation of refined Sugars, which -was then considerable, and carry that Manufacture to _Holland_ and -_Flanders_; but the Commissioners of the Customs prevailed against them, -and the Bill past; the fatal Consequences whereof soon appear’d; for -the Exporters of Muscavado Sugars, drawing back two Shillings and -Four-pence _per Cent._ by that Act, and Nine-pence _per Cent._ by the Act -of Tunnage and Poundage, foreign Markets were supplied with refined -Sugars from other Places cheaper, by about Twelve _per Cent._ than we -could furnish them hence, by which means we were beat out of that Trade: -and though the Duty of two Shillings and Four-pence _per Cent._ was not -continued on the Expiration of that Act, by the Parliament 2d W. and M. -(as they did the Three-pence _per_ Pound on Tobacco) the bad Effects -thereof being then apparent, yet ’tis Difficult to retrieve a lost -Trade, trading Nations being like expert Generals, who make Advantages of -the Mistakes of each other, and take care to hold what they get. - -By a Statute 4th and 5th W. and M. twenty Shillings _per_ Ton was laid on -_Lapis Caliminaris_ dug here and Exported, on an Information given to the -House of Commons, that it was not to had any where else; the Merchants -concerned in exporting that Commodity, made Application, and set forth, -that such a Duty would bring in nothing to the Crown, but be a total Bar -to its Exportation; yet the Act past, and we were like to have made a -fatal Experiment; for till the Statute of the 7th and 8th of the same -King, which reduced the Duty to two Shillings _per_ Ton, the Exportation -ceased; and in the mean Time, those Places which had been discouraged -from digging, and calcining it, because we undersold them, set again to -work, and supplied the Markets where we vended ours. - -What Injury was done by the Act made in the 9th and 10th W. III. for the -more effectual preventing the Importation of Foreign Bonelace, &c. doth -sufficiently appear by the Preamble of that made in the 11th and 12th of -the same Reign, for repealing it three Months after the Prohibition of -our Woollen Manufactures in _Flanders_ (which was occasioned by it) -should be there taken off; but I don’t understand that is yet done, and -it may prove an irrecoverable Loss to the Nation. - -I mention these Things with great Submission to the Judgment of that -glorious Assembly, the Wisdom and Strength of the Nation; to whom I only -presume with all Humility to offer my Thoughts, that it would very much -tend to the putting Matters of Trade into a true Light before them, if -they were first referred to a Body of Men, well versed in the true -Principles thereof, and able to see through the Sophistical Arguments of -contending Parties, to be by them considered, and well digested, before -they received the Sanction of a Law. - -And as to foreign Treaties; I do not think our Trade hath been so much -bettered by them as it might have been, for want of such a Committee; the -Representations made by private Merchants, (who generally differ -according as their Interests clash with each other) tending rather to -distract, than to inform the Government; which would not be, if their -first Applications were made to an experienced Committee, who had -Judgment enough to substract out of them what was proper to be offer’d; -by which means, our Demands might be rendered short and comprehensive. - -We have natural Advantages in Trade above other Nations, besides the -Benefit of our Situation, the Foundation of our Woolen Manufactures being -as it were peculiar to our own Growth, and may be retained amongst -ourselves; an Advantage the _French_ have not, whose Wealth arising -chiefly from the Exportation of their Wines, Brandy, Salt, Paper, Silks, -and Linnens, both we and other Nations, have made such a Progress in them -all since the War began, as to render theirs less sought for; whereas, -nothing but our own Neglects, and ill Managements, can let our Neighbours -into our Manufactures, which we may soon put a stop to, by securing our -Wool at Home. - -[Sidenote: Insurance.] - -I cannot close this Discourse without speaking something of Insurance. -The first Design whereof, was to encourage the Merchants to export more -of our Product and Manufactures, when they knew how to ease themselves in -their Adventures, and to bear only such a Proportion thereof as they were -willing and able to do; but by the Irregular Practices of some Men, this -first Intention is wholly obviated; who without any Interest, have put in -early Policies, and gotten large Subscriptions on Ships, only to make -Advantage by selling them to others; and therefore have industriously -promoted false Reports, and spread Rumours, to the Prejudice of the Ships -and Masters, filling Mens Minds with Doubts, whereby the fair Trading -Merchant, when he comes to insure his Interest, either can get no one to -underwrite, or at such high Rates, that he finds it better to buy the -others Policies at advance; by this means these Stock-Jobbers of -Insurance, have, as it were, turn’d it into a Wager, to the great -Prejudice of Trade: likewise many ill-designing Men, their Policies being -over-valued, have (to the Abhorence of honest Traders, and to the Scandal -of Trade itself) contriv’d the Loss of their own Ships: On the other -Side, the Underwriters, when a Loss is ever so fairly proved, boggle in -their Payments, and force the Insured to be content with less than their -Agreements, for fear of engaging themselves in long and chargeable Suits. - -Now, if the Parliament would please to take these Things into their -Consideration, they may reduce Insurance to its first Intention, by -obliging the Insured to bear such a proportionable Part of his Adventure, -(the Premio included) as to them shall seem fit, and also the Insurers, -when a Loss is fully made out, to pay their Subscriptions without -Abatement, which will prevent both; and if any Differences should arise, -to direct easy ways for adjusting them, without attending long Issues at -Law, or being bound up to such nice Rules in their Proofs, as the Affairs -of foreign Trade will not admit. - -[Sidenote: Wilful casting away Ships by the Owners.] - -I know, that by a Clause in a Statute made _primo Annæ_, the wilful -casting away, burning, or otherwise destroying a Ship, by any Captain, -Master, Mariner, or other Officer belonging to it, is made Felony, -without Benefit of Clergy; but that Statute is so qualify’d, that it is -difficult to convict the Offender, because the Fact must be done, to the -Prejudice of the Owner, or Owners, or of any Merchant or Merchants that -shall load Goods thereon, else he doth not come within its Penalty, so it -doth not reach the Evil I here mention, _viz._ the abominable Contrivance -of the Owners to have their own Ships destroyed, in order to make an -Advantage by their Insurances; (a Crime so black in itself, that it -cannot be mentioned without Horror.) These Men, when they frame their -dark Designs, will take Care, for the Security of those they employ, that -none besides themselves shall load Goods on the Ships they intend shall -be thus destroyed, and it cannot be supposed that they receive Prejudice -thereby themselves, so the Prosecution on that Statute is evaded; but if -the Insured were bound to make out their Interests, and to bear a -Proportionable Part of the Loss themselves, this would, as it were, -naturally prevent such scandalous Practices. - -[Sidenote: Whether the Price of Labour is a Hindrance to Improvements in -our Products and Manufactures.] - -Before I enter on the Business of the Poor, I will consider of a Question -that hath arrisen, and I have heard sometimes debated by Men of good -Understanding, which is, Whether the Labour of the Poor being so high, -does not hinder Improvements in our Product and Manufactures; which -having some Relation to the Subject Matter of this Discourse, I shall -offer my Thoughts thereon, with Submission to better Judgments, _viz._ -That both our Product and Manufactures may be carried on to Advantage, -without running down the Labour of the Poor. - -As to the first, our Product, I am of Opinion, that the running down the -Labour the Poor, is no advantage to it, nor is it the Interest of that -part of the Kingdom called _England_ to do it, nor can the People thereof -live on so low Wages as they do in other Countries; for we must consider, -that Wages must bear a Rate in all Nations according to the Price of -Provisions; where Wheat is sold for one Shilling _per_ Bushel, and all -Things suitable, a labouring Man may afford to work for Three-pence a -Day, as well as he can for Twelve-pence, where it is sold for four -Shillings; and this Price of Wheat arises chiefly from the Value of the -Land; for it cannot be imagined, that the Farmer who gives twenty -Shillings _per_ Acre, can afford it as low as he whose Lands cost him but -five Shillings _per_ Acre, and produces the same Crop, nor can Labour be -expected to be so low in such a Country, as in the other; this is the -Case of _England_, whose Lands yielding great Rents, require good Prices -for the Product; and this is the Freeholders Advantage; for supposing -Necessaries to be the Current Payment for Labour, in such Cases, whether -we call a Bushel of Wheat one Shilling, or Four Shillings, it will be all -one to him, for so much as he pays, but not for the Overplus of his Crop, -which makes a great Difference into his Pocket; you cannot fall Wages, -unless you fall Product; and if you fall Product, you must necessarily -fall Lands. - -And as for the second, our Manufactures, I am of Opinion, that they may -be carried on to Advantage, without running down the Labour of the Poor; -for which I offer, - -1. Observation, or Experience of what hath been done; we have and daily -do see that it is so; the Refiners of Sugars sell for Six-pence _per_ -Pound, what yielded formerly Twelve-pence; the Distillers sell their -Spirits for one half of what they formerly did: Glass Bottles, Silk -Stockings, and other Manufactures (too many to be here enumerated) are -sold for not much more than half the Price they were some Years since, -without falling the Poor. - -But then the Question will be, how this is done? Truly it proceeds from -the Ingenuity of the Manufacturer, and the Improvements he attains to in -the Ways of his Working: Thus the Refiners of Sugars go through that -Operation by easier Methods, and in less Time, than their Predecessors -did: Thus the Distillers draw more Spirits from the Things they work on, -than those formerly did who taught them the Art. The Glass-Maker hath -found a quicker way of making it out of Things which cost him little. -Silk Stockings are wove; Tobacco is cut by Engines; Books are printed; -Deal Boards are sawn with Mills; Lead is smelted by Wind-Furnaces; all -which save the Labour of many Hands, so the Wages of those employed need -not be fallen. - -Besides which, there is a Cunning crept into Trades: The Clock-Maker hath -improved his Art to such a Degree, that Labour and Materials are the -least Part the Buyer pays for. The Variety of our Woollen Manufactures is -so pretty, that Fashion makes a Thing worth twice the Price it is sold -for after, the Humour of the Buyer carrying a great Sway in its Value. -Artificers, by Tools and Laves, fitted for different Uses, make such -Things, as would puzzle a Stander-by to set a Price on, according to the -worth of Mens Labour. The Plummer by new Inventions casts a Tun of Shot -for ten Shillings, which might seem to deserve forty. - -The same Art is crept into Navigation; Freights are much fallen from what -they formerly were at, and yet Sailors Wages are still the same: Ships -are built more for Stowage, and made strong enough to be loaden between -Decks, and Voyages are performed in less Time. Wool is steved into them -by such proper Instruments, that three or four Bags are put, where one -would not else lye; Cranes and Blocks help to draw up more for one -Shilling, than Mens Labour without them would do for Five. - -New Projections are every Day set on Foot to render the making our -Woollen Manufactures easy, which should be rendered cheaper by the -Contrivance of the Manufacturers, not by falling the Price of Labour: -Cheapness creates Expence, and gives fresh Employments, whereby the Poor -will be still kept at Work. - -The same for our Product; Mines and Pits are drained by Engines and -Aquæducts instead of Hands: The Husbandman turns up the Ground with his -Sullow, not digs it with his Spade; covers his Grain with the Harrow, not -with the Rake; brings home his Harvest with Carts, not on Mens Backs; and -many other easier Methods are used, both for improving of Land, and -raising its Product, which lessen the Number of Labourers, and make Room -for better Wages to be given those that are employed. - -Nor am I of their Opinion, who think the running down the Price of our -Growth and Product, that so they may buy Provisions cheap, an Advantage -to the inland Trade of this Kingdom, but of the contrary. - -To understand this rightly, let us begin with the Shop-keeper, or Buyer -and Seller, who is the Wheel whereon the inland Trade turns, as he buys -of the Importer and Manufacturer, and sells again to the Country; suppose -this Man spends two hundred Pounds _per Annum_, in all Things necessary -for himself and Family, as Provisions, Cloaths, House-Rent, and other -Expences, the Question will be, what Part of this is laid out in Flesh, -Corn, Butter, Cheese, &c. barely considered according to their first cost -in the Market? I presume fifty or sixty Pounds _per Annum_ to be the -most, whereon the Advance to him will not be so much, by keeping up our -Product to a good Rate, as the Profits which will consequently arise in -his Trade will amount unto: For by this Means the Farmer will be enabled -to give a better Rent to his Landlord, who may then keep a more plentiful -Table, spend more Wine, Fruit, Sugar, Spices, and other Things wherewith -he is furnished from the City, suit himself and his Family oftner, and -carry on a great Splendor in every Thing; the Farmer according to his -Condition may do the same, and give higher Wages to the Labourers -imployed in Husbandry, who may then live better, and buy new Cloathes -oftner, instead of patching up old ones; by this means the Manufacturers -will be encouraged to give a better Price for Wool and Labour, when they -shall find a Vent as fast as they can make; and a Flux of Wealth causing -a Variety of Fashions, will add Wings to their Inventions, when they -shall see their Manufactures advanced in their Values by the Buyer’s -Fancy; this likewise will encourage the Merchants to encrease their -Exports, when they shall find a quick Vent for their Imports; by which -regular Circulation, Payments will be short, and all will grow rich; but -when Trade deadens in the Fountain, when the Gentlemen and the Farmers -are kept low, every one in his Order feels it: It being most certain, and -grounded on the Observation of all Men who have lookt into it, that in -those Countries where Provisions are Cheap, the People are generally -Poor, both proceeding from the want of Trade; so that he who will give a -right Judgment in this Matter, must not consider Things only as they -offer themselves at the first Sight, but as they will be in their -Consequences. - -As to the other Part of _Great Britain_, called _Scotland_, I can say -little with Relation to this Matter, my Knowledge of that part of the -Kingdom being not sufficient to enable me to do it: But I am apt to -believe, that the same general Maxim must hold good there also, _viz._ -That the Rates of Labour must be according to the Prices of Provisions, -and those according to the Rents of the Lands. - -[Sidenote: The Poor.] - -Having thus gone through the State of the Nation with respect to its -Trade, I will next consider it with respect to the Poor. - -And here it cannot but seem strange, that this Kingdom, which so much -abounds in Product and Manufactures, besides the Imployment given in -Navigation, should want work for any of its People; the _Dutch_, who have -little of the two former, if compared with us, and do not exceed us in -the latter, suffer no Beggars; whereas we, whose Wealth consists in the -Labour of our Inhabitants, seem to encourage them in an idle way of -Living, contrary to their own and the Nations Interest. - -The Curse under which Man first fell, was Labour; _That by the Sweat of -his Brows he should eat his Bread_: This is a state of Happiness, if -compared to that which attends Idleness: He that walks the Streets of -_London_, and observes the Fatigues used by _Beggars_, to make themselves -seem Objects of Charity, must conclude, that they take more Pains than an -honest Man doth at his Trade, and yet seem not to get Bread to eat: -Beggary is now become an Art or Mystery, to which Children are brought up -from their Cradles; any thing that may move Compassion is made a -Livelyhood, a sore Leg or Arm, or for want thereof a pretended one; the -Tricks and Devices I have observed to be used by these People, have often -made me think, that those Parts, if better employed, might be made useful -to the Nation. - -Here I will consider, - -1. What hath been the Cause of this Mischief of Idleness, and how it hath -crept in upon us. - -2. What must be done to restrain its going farther. - -3. What Methods are proper to be used, in order to make a Provision for -those who are past their Labour. - -As to the first, we shall find that it hath proceeded, partly from the -Abuse of those Laws we have, and partly from want of better; Licences for -Alehouses were at first granted for good Ends, not to draw Men aside from -their Labour by Games and Sports, but to support and refresh them under -it; and as they were then a Maintainance to the Aged, so poor Families -had Opportunities of being supplied with a Cup of Ale from Abroad, who -could not keep it at Home; great Observation was also made to prevent -idle Tipling, our Fore-fathers considered, that Time so spent, was a Loss -to the Nation, whose Interest was improved by the Labour of its -Inhabitants; whereas, Alehouses are now encouraged, to promote the Income -of Excise, on whom there must be no Restraint, lest the King’s Revenue -should be lessened; thus we live by Sense, and look only at Things we -see, without revolving on what the Issue will be, not considering, that -the Labour of each Man, if well employ’d, whilst he sits in an -Ale-house, would be worth much more to the Nation, than the Excise he -pays. - -But above all, our Laws to set the Poor at Work are short and Defective, -tending rather to maintain them so, then to raise them to a better way of -Living; ’tis true, those Laws design well, but consisting only in -Generals, and not reducing Things to practicable Methods, they fall short -of answering their Ends, and thereby render the Poor more bold, when they -know the Parish Officers are bound, either to provide them Work, or to -give them Maintenance. - -Now, if we delighted more in the Encouraging our Manufactures, our Poor -might be better Employed, and then ’twould be a shame, for any Person -capable of Labour, to live idle; which leads me to the second -Consideration, What must be done to restrain this Habit of Idleness from -going farther. - -Here I find, that nothing but good Laws can do it, such as may provide -Work for those who arc willing, and force them to work that are able; and -for this use, I think Work-houses very expedient, but they must be -founded on such Principles, as may employ the Poor, for which they must -be fitted, and the Poor for them; wherein Employments must be provided -for all sorts of People, who must also be compelled to go thither when -sent, and the Work-houses to receive them; and the Materials which seem -most proper for them are Simples, such as Wool, Hemp, Cotton, and the -like, which may either be sent in by the Manufacturers, or be bought up -on a Stock raised for that End; these will employ great Numbers, of both -Sexes, and all Ages, either by beating and fitting the Hemp, or by -dressing and spinning the Flax, or by carding and Spinning the Wool and -Cotton, of different Finenesses; and if a Reward was given to that Person -who should spin the finest Thread of either, as they do in _Ireland_ for -their Linnen, to be adjudged Yearly, and paid by the County, or by any -other manner as shall be thought fit, ’twould very much promote -Industry and Ingenuity, whilst every one being stir’d up by Ambition -and Hopes of Profit, would endeavour to exceed the rest; by which means -we should also grow more excellent in our Manufactures. - -Nor should these Houses hinder any who desire to Work at Home, or the -Manufacturers from employing them, the Design being to provide Places for -those who care not to Work any where, and to make the Parish Officers -more Industrious to find them out, when they know whither to send them, -by which means they would be better able to maintain the Impotent. - -It seems also convenient, that these Work-houses, when settled in Cities -and great Towns, should not be only Parochial, but one or more in each -Place, as will best suit it; which would prevent the Poors being sent -from Parish to Parish, and provided for no where; and when once the Poor -shall come by use to be in love with Labour, ’twill be strange to see -an idle Person; then they will be so far from being a Burthen to the -Nation, that they will become its Wealth, and their own Lives also will -be more comfortable to them. - -There are other things which will employ the Poor besides our -Manufactures, and are also equally Beneficial to the Nation; such as -Navigation, Husbandry, and Handicrafts; here if these or such-like Rules -were observed, they might be made more advantagious to all. - -As first, Let the Justices of the Peace have Power to assign Youth to -Artificers, Husbandry, Manufacturers, and Mariners, and to bind them -Apprentices for a Time certain, at such Ages as they shall think ’em -fit to go on those Employments, who should also be obliged to receive -them; and though this may at first seem hard, as hindring the Masters -from taking Servants who may bring them Money, yet after some time it -will not, when those who were so bound out themselves, shall only do for -others, what was done for them before; and this also may be now made good -to them, by such an Overplus of Years in their Apprentiships, as may be -an Equivalent to the Money. - -And as for those of elder Years, who will rather Beg than Work, let them -be forced to serve the King in his Fleet, or the Merchants on board their -Ships; the Sea is very good to cure sore Legs and Arms, especially such -as are Counterfeits, against which, the Capstern, with the Taunts of the -Sailors, is a certain Remedy. - -Next, for Ale-houses, Coffee-houses, and such like Employments, let them -be kept only by aged People, or such who have numerous Families. - -Let Masters of Ships be obliged to carry with them some Landmen every -Voyage, which will increase our Seamen; and let the Justices have Power -to force them to receive such as are willing to enter themselves, and to -settle the Rates of their Wages. - -Let young People be prohibited from Hawking about the Streets, and from -Singing Ballads; if these Things be allowed, they are fitter for Age. - -Stage-Plays, Lotteries, and Gaming-houses should be strictly look’d -after, Youth, in this Age of Idleness and Luxury, being not only drawn -aside by them, but also more willing to put themselves on such easy ways -of living, than on Labour. - -These, and such like Methods, being Improved by the Wisdom of a -Parliament, may tend, not only to the Introducing a Habit of Virtue -amongst us, but also to the making Multitudes of People serviceable, who -are now useless to the Nation; there being scarce any one, who is not -capable of doing something towards his Maintenance, and what his Labour -doth fall short, must be made up by Charity: but as Things now are, no -Man knows where ’tis rightly plac’d, by which means those who are -truly Objects do not partake thereof; and let it be consider’d, that if -every Person did by his Labour add one Half-penny _per diem_ to the -Public, ’twould bring in Seven Millions six Hundred and four Thousand -one Hundred Sixty-six Pounds thirteen Shillings _per Annum_, (accounting -ten Millions of People to be in the Kingdom) so vast a sum may be raised -from a Multitude, if every one adds a little. - -Nor is the sending lazy People to our Plantations abroad (who can neither -by good Laws be forced, or by Rewards be encourag’d to work at home) so -prejudicial to the Nation as some do imagine, where they must expect -another sort of Treatment, if they will not labour; ’tis true, they -give no help in the Manufactures here, but That is made up in the Product -they raise there, which is also Profit to the Nation; besides, the -Humours and other Circumstances of People are to be enquir’d into, some -have been very useful there, who would never have been so here: And if -the People of this Kingdom be employ’d to the Advantage of the -Community, no Matter in what part of the King’s Dominions it is; many -hundreds by going to those Plantations, have become profitable Members to -the Common-wealth, who, had they continued here, had still remain’d -idle Drones; now they raise Sugar, Cotton, Tobacco, and other Things, -which employ Sailors abroad, and Manufacturers at home, all which being -the Product of Earth and Labour, I take to be the Wealth of the Nation. - -The Employment of Watermen on the River _Thames_ breeds many Sailors, and -it were good to keep them still fill’d with Apprentices; also the -Employment of Bargemen, Lightermen, and Trowmen, both on that and other -Rivers, does the same, who should be encouraged to breed up Landmen, and -fit them for the Sea. - -Idleness is the Foundation of all those Vices which prevail among us, -People aiming to be maintain’d any way rather than by Labour, betake -themselves to all sorts of Villanies; the ill Consequences whereof cannot -be prevented, but by encouraging Youth in an early delight of living by -Industry, and on what they call their own, rather than by Dependance on -others, which will keep up a true British Spirit, and put them on honest -Endeavours, and will get them Credit and Reputation, and give them -Opportunities of advancing their Fortunes; and if such an Emulation went -through the Kingdom, we should not have so many lazy Beggars, or -licentious Livers, as now there are; nor is God more honoured among any, -than He is among such industrious People, who abhor Vice, on equal -Principles of Religion and good Husbandry, Labour being usually a Barrier -against Sin, which generally enter at the Doors of Idleness. - -[Sidenote: Mr. Edward Colson's two Almshouses in Bristol.] - -The third Consideration is, what Methods must be used to provide for -those, who either are not able to work, or whose Labour can’t support -their Charge; here I take Alms-houses to be good Gifts, where they are -designed to relieve old Age, or educate Youth; not to maintain idle -Beggars, or ease rich Parishes, but to provide for those who have been -bred up in careful Employments, tho’ not able to stem the Current of -cross Fortunes: Two such have been sumptuously founded, and suitably -endowed, in the City of _Bristol_, _Edward Colson_, Esq; a Merchant and -Native thereof, who is still living; one of them for twenty-four Men and -Women, who had formerly lived well; the other for one hundred Boys, to be -educated in the Principles of Vertue, and afterwards set out to Trades, -whereby they may get their Livelihoods; a Charity so great in itself, and -carried on so free from Ostentation, that the like is not to be seen in -any Part of this Kingdom, of the free Gift of one Gentleman in his -Life-time; which he hath settled in the Society of Merchants-Adventurers -within that City, of whose Care and Fidelity in the well Management -thereof, he is fully satisfied. - -Another way to provide for those who are true Objects of Charity, is, by -taking Care that the Poors Rates be made with more equality in Cities and -great Towns, especially in the former; where the greatest Number of Poor -usually residing together in the Suburbs or Out-parishes, are very -serviceable by their Labours, to the Rich, in carrying on their Trades; -yet when Age, Sickness, or a numerous Family, may make them desire -Relief, their chief Dependance must be on People but one step above their -own Conditions; by which means these Out-parishes are more burthened in -their Payments, than the In-parishes are, though much richer, and is one -Reason why they are so ill Inhabited, no Man caring to come to a certain -Charge: And this is attended with another ill Consequence, the wanting of -better Inhabitants making way for those Disorders which easily grow among -the Poor; whereas, if Cities and Towns were made but one Poors Rate, or -equally divided into more, these Inconveniencies would be removed, and -the Poor be maintained by a more equal Contribution. - -[Sidenote: Hospital for ancient Sailors and their Widows.] - -And that a better Provision may be made for the Relief of Sailors (who -having spent their Labours in the Service of the Nation, and through Age -and Disasters are no longer fit for the Fatigues of the Sea, ought to be -taken Care of at Home) let a small Deduction be made from the Freights of -Ships, and from Seamens Wages, to be collected by a Society of honest Men -in every Sea-port; this, with what Additions might be made by the Gifts -of worthy Benefactors, would be sufficient to raise a Fund, to maintain -them in their old Age, who in their Youths were our Walls and Bulwarks; -but it must be settled by Law, and no Man left at his Liberty whether he -will pay or no; these are generally the most laborious People that we -have; I do not mean those scoundrel Fellows, who often creep in under -that Name, but the true Sailor, who can turn his Hand to any thing rather -than begging, and I am many times troubled to see the miserable -Conditions they and their Families are reduced to, when their Labours are -done. Alms-Houses raised for them, are as great Acts of Piety as building -of Churches, Age requires relief, especially where Youth hath been spent -in Labour so profitable to the Public as that of a Sailor; and not only -themselves, but their Widows ought to be provided for; in this, the -Worshipful Society of the Merchants-Adventurers within the City of -_Bristol_ are a worthy Pattern. - -And as for those who loose their Lives or Limbs fighting against the -Enemy, themselves, or families ought to be rewarded with bountiful -Stipends, which if raised by a Tax, I doubt not would be cheerfully paid: -’Tis attended with sad Thoughts, when a Woman sees her Husband prest -into the Service, and knows, if he miscarries, her Family is undone, and -she and they must come to the Parish; whereas, if this Provision was -made, the Fleet would be more easily mann’d, our Merchants Ships better -defended, Sailors more ready to serve in both, and their Wives to let -them go; but great Care must be taken, that Charity be not abused, by -being put into the Pockets of those who are appointed to dispose of it. - -These, or such-like Heads, being laid down in a former Discourse on this -Subject, the Magistrates of the City of _Bristol_ were the first that -approved of the Scheme, and desired the Substance thereof might be -reduced to Particulars, suitable for that Place; whereupon the following -Proposals were laid before them, _viz._ - -1. That a spacious Work-house be erected in some vacant Place within this -City, on a general Charge, large enough for the Poor who are to be -employed therein, and also with Rooms for such, who being unable to work, -are to be relieved by Charity. - -2. That the Rules of this House be such, as may force all Persons to -work, that are able, and encourage the Manufacturers of this City to -supply them with Materials to work on; which they will be ready to do, -having so good a Security as this will be, for their being returned to -them again when wrought up. - -3. That all People who are not able to maintain their Children, may put -them into this Work-house or Hospital at what Ages they will, where they -shall be settled till the Age of ### Years, by which means they may in -the end be of no Charge to the said Work-house or Hospital: And the good -Effects will be these, Children will be bred up to Labour, Principles of -Virtue will be implanted in them early by the good Government thereof, -and Laziness and Beggary will be discouraged. - -4. That the antient People who are past their Labours, shall have -Lodgings, and weekly pay, or be otherwise provided for, according to -their Wants, who may still do something towards their mantenance, and the -Women may look after the young Children. - -5. That the Rates of the Poor of this City, being all united into one -common Fund, may be enough to carry on this good Work; by which means the -Magistrates will be freed from the Trouble which they daily have about -the Settlement of the Poor, the Parish-Officers will be eased, the Poors -Stock will not be spent in Law, but they will be provided for, without -being sent from Parish to Parish, and their Children will be settled in -ways of being serviceable to the Public Good, and not be bred up in all -manner of Vice, as now they are. - -6. That the Governors of this Hospital, or Work-House, have Power to -force all poor People to work in it, who do not betake themselves to some -lawful Imployment elsewhere, but spend their Time lazily and idly. - -7. That the said Governors have Power to settle out the young People at -such Ages as they shall think fit; the Boys to Navigation, Husbandry, and -Manufactures; the Maids in Service, and to bind them Apprentices for -certain Years. - -8. That this will prevent Children from being Starved, by the Poverty of -their Parents, and neglect of the Parish-Officers, which is now a great -Loss to the Nation; forasmuch as every Person if imployed, would by his -Labour add to the Wealth of the Public. - -9. That this will encourage Men of Charity to make Endowments, when they -shall see their Bounties so well laid out. - -10. That Application be made, in order to procure an Act of Parliament, -for the better carrying on this Work. - -Which Proposals being considered of in several Meetings of the Citizens -appointed for that Purpose, were with some Alterations made the Model for -an Act of Parliament, which past _Anno Septimo & Octavo Gulielmi Tertii_, -being the first Act of that Nature, from which sundry Acts for many other -Places have taken their Frame; and though the Promoters thereof, met with -more difficulties and discouragements in the Execution, than they did -expect, yet to the Honour of those Gentlemen it must be said, that they -never looked back, but with the utmost Application, prosecuted what they -had undertaken, till they brought it to such a State, as to render it -plain and practicable to their Successors; and this good Effect it hath -had, that there is not a common Beggar, or disorderly Vagrant, seen in -their Streets, but Charity is given in its proper Place and Manner, and -the Magistrates are freed from the daily Trouble they had with the Poor, -and the Parishes they lived in, and are discharged from the Invidious -Fatigues of their Settlements, when a great deal of what should have -maintained them, was spent in determining what Parishes were to do it. - -I wish it could be said so of the two Metropolitan Cities of _England_ -and _Ireland_, where such Swarms of lazy Beggars pester the Streets, that -they are not only troublesome, but also nauseous to the Beholders; and -the Church Doors are so crouded with them, that you can scarce pass to -your Devotion; nor do you know when you bestow your Charity rightly, -those who do not deserve it, taking such Methods to move Compassion, that -you cannot easily distinguish them from those who do. - -And since I have mentioned this Act, and the well executing thereof by -the first Undertakers, I think it cannot be amiss to set it forth -_Verbatim_ (being never yet printed, save only some Copies for the Use of -the Corporation) together with the Steps whereby the first Guardians -proceeded, and as it was laid before the Parliament _Anno_ 1700; which I -have done in the Appendix, because it may probably be of use to those, -who shall be willing to take Pains in a Work of such Service, both to God -and the Public. - -But because this Act was adapted only for Cities and great Towns, and -can’t be a Model for the Counties at large, I will here subjoin such -Methods as may be proper to carry on this charitable Design throughout -the whole Kingdom, if Power be given by some public Act of Parliament, -for all Places to incorporate who are willing (but may not be able to be -at the Charge of a private Act) and to build, or otherwise provide, -Hospitals, Work-Houses, and Houses of Correction, for the better -maintaining and imploying their Poor, under the Management of such -Corporations; which in the Counties must be by uniting one or more -Hundreds, whose Parishes must be comprehended in one Poors Rate, and each -of them contribute to the Charge thereof, not by bringing them to an -equal Pound Rate on their Lands and personal Estates, as in Cities and -great Towns, but by Taxing every Parish according to what it paid before, -there not being the same Parity of Reason for that way of raising Money -in the Hundreds, as there is in Cities and Towns; because in the former, -the Parishes do not receive an equal Benefit from the Labour of the Poor -of other Parishes, as they do in the latter; which Hospitals, -Work-Houses, and Houses of Correction, to be provided at the general -Charge of the Parshies thus united, according to the Proportion that each -of them pays to the Poor. - -The Guardians of these Corporations to consist of all the Justices of the -Peace inhabiting within the several Parishes thus united, together with a -Number of Inhabitants chosen out of each Parish, in proportion to the Sum -of Money it pays; which Choice to be made every Year, or once in two -Years, when one half of those that were first chosen must go out, and the -Remainder stay in, to instruct those who were last chosen; the Electors -to be the Freeholders of ### _per Annum_; and on the Death of any -Guardian, another to be chosen in his Room, by the Parish for which he -served. - -That the Guardians being thus settled, they shall have Power to choose a -Governor, Deputy-Governor, Treasurer, and Assistants, Yearly, and to hold -Courts, and make By-Laws, and appoint a Common Seal; and also to Summon -the Inhabitants to answer to Matters relating to the Corporation; and to -compel all People, who seek for Relief, to dwell in their Hospitals and -Work-Houses, if they see fit; and to take in young People of both Sexes, -and breed them up to work, who they shall also be obliged to teach to -Write and Read, and what else shall be thought necessary, and then to -bind them out Apprentices; and likewise to provide for the aged and -Impotent, and to assist those whose Labours will not maintain their -Charges, and to apprehend Rogues, Vagrants and Beggars, and cause them to -be set at Work, and also to inflict reasonable Correction where they see -it necessary, and to entertain proper Officers, and pay them out of the -Stock; with a Clause to secure them from vexatious Suits; and they must -be obliged once in ### at least to hold a General Court, where the -Governor, Deputy-Governor, or one half of the Assistants, together with -such a proportionable Number of the Guardians as they shall agree on, -shall be present. - -That the Court shall once in six Months agree and settle how much Money -will be necessary for maintaining and imploying the Poor for the six -Months next ensuing, and certify the same to the Justices inhabiting -within the said Hundred or Hundreds, at a Meeting to be had for that -Purpose, who shall proportion the same Regularity in each Parish, and -grant out their Warrants to proper Persons to Assess the same, and -afterwards, other Warrants to collect, and pay it to the Treasurer of the -Corporation; with a Power to inflict Penalties on the Assessors and -Collectors, if they refuse or neglect to do their Duty, in Assessing, -Collecting, and paying the said Money, according to their Warrants. - -That each Corporation be one Body Politic in Law, and be capable of Suing -and being Sued, and be enabled to Purchase, Take and Receive, Lands, -Tenements and Hereditaments, Goods and Chattles, for the Benefit of the -Poor. - -These, or such like Methods, being rectified by the Wisdom of Parliament, -will soon appear to be of great use to the Nation, and also to the Poor -who are truly Objects of Relief; and will also put a Stop to wand’ring -Vagrants, against whom, every Corporation will then be a Barrier, and -none will expect Charity, but from the Parishes to which they belong, and -who are the most proper Judges whether they deserve it. - -[Sidenote: Conclusion.] - -And thus I have gone through what I undertook, and have given my Thoughts -of these important Subjects; wherein I have no other View than promoting -the Welfare of this Kingdom, by improving its Trade and Commerce and -providing for the Poor in a regular Method: Both which will tend to the -Honour of His Majesty’s Government, and the advancing the Wealth and -Prosperity of the Nation. - -FINIS. - - - - -THE - -APPENDIX. - -Anno Septimo & Octavo - -_GULIELMI_ III. Regis. - -An Act for Erecting of Hospitals and Work-Houses within the City of -Bristol, for the better Employing and Maintaining the Poor thereof. - - -WHEREAS it is found by Experience, That the Poor in the City of _Bristol_ -do daily multiply, and Idleness and Debauchery amongst the meaner Sort, -doth greatly Increase, for want of Work-houses to set them to Work, and a -sufficient Authority to compel them thereto, as well as to the Charge of -the Inhabitants, and Grief of the charitable and honest Citizens of the -said City, as the great Distress of the Poor themselves; for which -sufficient Redress hath not yet been provided: For Remedy whereof, Be it -enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice -and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in -Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and -after the Twelfth Day of _May_, which shall be in the Year of our Lord, -One thousand six hundred ninety and six, there be, and shall be, a -Corporation to continue for ever within the said City of _Bristol_, and -the County thereof, consisting of the several Persons herein -after-mentioned (that is to say) of the Mayor and Aldermen for the time -being, and of eight and forty other Persons, to be chosen out of the -honestest and discreetest Inhabitants of the City and County, by the -Eleven Wards in the said City, and the Castle Precincts there, which to -all Intents and Purposes, shall be from henceforth for ever a Ward within -the said City, (that is to say) Four out of each Ward, and of such other -charitable Persons as shall be Elected and Constituted Guardians of the -Poor of the said City, in a manner as is herein after expressed: And the -first eight and forty Persons shall be Elected at a Court for that -purpose to be held within each Ward, by the Alderman of the same, or his -Deputy, by the Votes of the Inhabitants of such Ward, paying one Penny -_per_ Week, or more, in his own Right, for and towards the Relief of the -Poor of the said City, or of the major part of them then present. - -And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that the said Eight -and Forty Persons shall be chosen in manner, as aforesaid, the Twelfth -Day of _May_ next following, and shall continue in their Office until -others shall be elected in their Rooms, according to the Direction herein -after-mentioned; and in case any of the said Persons so Elected, or any -other Person so Elected in their Room, shall, after their respective -Elections, happen to die, That then it shall, and may be Lawful to and -for the Alderman of the Ward, for which such Person so dying was Elected, -or his Deputy, at a Court to be held within the said Ward for that -purpose, within the Space of ten Days next after the Death of such -Persons, to Elect others in their Place, in manner, as aforesaid; which -Court and Election, such Alderman, or his Deputy, is and are hereby -required to Hold and Make: Which said Mayor and Aldermen, and Forty-eight -Persons, and such other Charitable Persons, so Elected and Constituted -for the Time being, shall be called Guardians of the Poor of the City of -_Bristol_. - -And to the intent that the said Guardians so Elected out of the said -Wards may have perpetual Succession: Be it further Enacted by the -Authority aforesaid, That the said respective Aldermen for the Time -being, or their respective Deputies, shall and may, and are hereby -required, on the first _Thursday_ in _April_, in every second Year, from -henceforth, to hold a Court in their respective Wards, and then and -there, by the Votes of the Inhabitants of such Ward, so qualified, as -aforesaid, or of the Majority of them then present, to Elect and Choose -two of the honestest and discreetest Persons out of the said Inhabitants -of the said City, to be Guardians of the Poor of the said City for the -said Ward; which Paid two Persons, so Elected, shall be Guardians, and -shall succeed the two Persons before that first Elected, and then being -Guardians for the said Ward; and the said two Persons so first Elected, -shall immediately upon such Election, and Notice thereof given to them, -cease to be Guardians. - -And be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Mayor, -Aldermen, Eight and forty Persons, and such other Charitable Persons -elected and constituted, as is herein mentioned and expressed, for the -time being, shall for ever hereafter in Name and Fact, be one Body -Politic and Corporate in Law, to all Intents and Purposes, and shall have -a perpetual Succession, and be called by the Name of The Governor, -Deputy-Governor, Assistants, and Guardians of the Poor in the said City -of _Bristol_; and that they shall be enabled to Plead and Sue, and to be -Sued and Impleaded by that Name, in all Courts and Places of Judicature -within this Kingdom; and by that Name shall and may, without License in -Mortmain, Purchase, Take, or Receive any Lands, Tenements or -Hereditaments, of the Gift, Alienation or Demise of any Person or -Persons, who are hereby, without further Licence, enabled to transfer the -same, and any Goods and Chattles whatsoever, for the Use and Benefit of -the Corporation aforesaid. And for the better governing of the said -Corporation, the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Eight and forty Persons, or -the Majority of them, shall have, and hereby have Authority to meet on -the Nineteenth Day of _May_ next following, in St. _George’s Chapple_ -in the said City, or in some other convenient Place there, and shall on -that Day, or any other Day or Time, that to them shall seem convenient, -Elect and Constitute out of and from amongst themselves, the several -Officers following (that is to say) one Governor, one Deputy-Governor, -one Treasurer, and twelve Assistants, to continue in the said Office for -one Year, and no longer; and from thenceforth the said Governor, -Deputy-Governor, Assistants, Treasurer, and other Officers, shall Yearly, -and every Year, by the said Mayor, Aldermen, Forty-eight Persons, and -such other charitable Persons as shall be Elected and Constituted as is -herein mentioned and expressed, or the Majority of them, be Elected and -Constituted out of and from amongst themselves, on the Second _Thursday_ -in the Month of _April_, or any other Day or Time, as they shall think -convenient, to continue in their respective Offices for one Year and no -longer; and the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Forty-eight Persons, and such -other Charitable Persons that shall be Elected and Constituted, as herein -mentioned and expressed, for the Time being, or the Majority of them, -shall have Power, in case of the Death of any such Officer so Elected and -Constituted, before the said Year expired, to Elect and Constitute others -in their Room, to hold the said Office for the Remainder of the said -Year, and shall have Power and Authority at any Time or Times, for just -Cause, to remove, displace, and put out any such Officer out of his said -Office, and to Elect and Constitute another in his Room. - -And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said -Governor, or in his Default, the said Deputy-Governor, or in both their -Defaults, Six of the said Assistants for the Time being, shall have, and -hereby have Power and Authority, and are hereby Enjoyned and Required -from time to time, upon the Second _Thursday_ in every Second Month in -every Year, accounting _January_ for the first Month, to hold and keep a -Court or Assembly of the said Corporation within the said City of -_Bristol_, of one and Twenty of the said Guardians at least, on the Days -and Time, and in manner, and for the ends in this Act mentioned; (that is -to say) The said Governor shall hold the said Court or Assembly between -the Hours of One and Two in the Afternoon; and in his Default, the said -Deputy-Governor, or any Six of the said Assistants, shall, after the Hour -of Two, hold the same; and also, the said Governor for the time being, -shall have, and hereby hath Power and Authority, at any such other time -or times as to him shall seem meet, to Summon, Assemble and hold a Court -or Assembly of the said Corporation, upon two Days Notice or Warning at -the least to be given of such Court or Assembly to be held; and in case -any twenty of the said Guardians, upon any Emergency, signifying it under -their Hands to the Governor for the time being, That it is their Desire -that an extraordinary Court or Assembly of the said Corporation may be -called and held, the said Governor shall be bound, and is hereby Enjoyned -and Required to call and hold such Court or Assembly at such Time as the -said twenty Guardians shall so desire; and on his Refusal, the said -Deputy-Governor for the Time being, on such Signification, shall be -Bound, and is hereby likewise Enjoyned and Required to call and hold the -said Court or Assembly, and on his Refusal, any six of the said -Assistants shall have, and hereby have Authority to call and hold the -said Court or Assembly; at all which Courts or Assemblies all and every -Member and Members of the said Corporation for the Time being, are hereby -Enjoyned to appear and be present, and not to depart from the same -without the Licence of the said Court or Assembly, on pain to Forfeit -such reasonable Sum and Sums of Money, not exceeding Five Shillings, to -the Use of the said Corporation, as by the said Court or Assembly, or any -succeeding Court or Assembly, shall be Assessed upon them, unless they -can shew some reasonable Excuse to be allowed of by the said Court or -Assembly; and the said Court or Assembly are hereby Impowered to Summon -to appear before them any of the Inhabitants of the said City to answer -to Matters relating to the said Corporation, who are hereby required to -appear upon such Summons, and answer such Questions, on Forfeiture, to -the Use of the said Corporation, of a Sum not exceeding two Shillings and -Six-pence for every Default to be Levied as is herein after directed. - -And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, Thar the said -Corporation, at the said Court or Assembly, shall have, and hereby have -Power and Authority from time to time to make and appoint a Common Seal -or Seals for the Use of the said Corporation, and to make and ordain -By-Laws, Rules and Ordinances for and concerning the better Governing the -said Corporation, and the Poor of the said City, and shall have, and have -hereby Power to Purchase, Buy or Erect an Hospital or Hospitals, -Work-house or Work-houses, House or Houses of Correction, and to provide -other Necessaries they shall think convenient for the setting to work the -Poor of the said City, of what Sex or Age soever they be, and shall have, -and hereby have Power and Authority to compel such idle or poor People -begging or seeking Relief, who do not betake themselves to some lawful -Imployments, and such other Poor who do or shall hereafter receive Alms -of the respective Parishes or Places where they Inhabit or Seek the same, -or by any of the Laws now in force ought to be maintained or provided for -by any Parish or Place within the said City, to Dwell and Inhabit in such -Hospital or Hospitals, Work-house or Work-houses, and to do such Work as -they shall think them able and fit for; and to detain and keep in the -Service of the said Corporation, until the Age of sixteen Years, any poor -Child or Children of the said City, left to be maintained by the said -City, or any Parish or Place in the same, or begging or seeking Relief, -or which by any of the Laws now in force ought to be maintained and -provided for by any Parish or Place within the said City, or the Child or -Children of any other Person or Persons, that are or shall be willing or -desirous to place or put their Child or Children in such Hospital or -Hospitals, until their said Age of sixteen Years; and after they shall -have attained their said Age of Sixteen Years or sooner, the said -Corporation, by Indenture, shall have Power to Bind and Put forth such -Child or Children Apprentices, to any honest Person or Persons within the -Kingdom of _England_, for any Number of Years, not exceeding seven Years, -as they shall think convenient; which Indenture shall be binding to such -Child or Children. - -And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Court -or Assembly so constituted, as aforesaid, shall have, and hereby have -Power to inflict such reasonable Correction and Punishment on any poor -Person or Persons within the said Hospital or Hospitals, Work-house or -Work-houses, House or Houses of Correction, that shall not conform to -such Rules, Orders and Ordinances so made, as aforesaid, or misbehave -themselves in the same; and that the said Court or Assembly so -constituted, as aforesaid, shall have, and hereby have Power to appoint a -Committee to consist of One and Twenty of the Guardians at the least, -who, or any five of them, of which two shall be Assistants, shall from -time to time, or at any time until the next Court, have Power to inflict -such reasonable Correction and Punishment, as aforesaid, on any such poor -Person or Persons offending as aforesaid. - -And for the better carrying on so Pious and Charitable a Work, be it -Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be Lawful for -the said Corporation, in their said Courts or Assemblies, from time to -time, to set down and ascertain what Sum, or Sums of Money shall be -needful for the Building and Erecting of such Hospitals, Work-houses, or -Houses of Correction, so that the same do not exceed the Sum of five -Thousand Pounds, to be raised within the Space of three Years, or any -longer Time, as to them shall seem meet, by such Quarterly or other -Payments, as they in their Discretion shall think fit; and also from time -to time, to set down and ascertain what Weekly, Monthly, or other Sums, -shall be needful for the Maintenance of the Poor in the said Hospital or -Hospitals, Work-house or Work-houses, House or Houses of Correction, or -within the Care of the said Corporation, so that the same do not exceed -what hath been paid in the said City towards the Maintenance of the Poor -thereof, in any one of the three last Years; and shall and may, under -their Common Seal, certify the same unto the Mayor and Aldermen of the -said City for the time being; which said Mayor and any two of the -Aldermen, or any Five of the said Aldermen without the Mayor, may, and -are hereby required from time to time, to cause the same to be raised and -levied by Taxation of every Inhabitant, and of all Lands, Houses, Tythes -Impropriate, Appropriation of Tythes, and all Stocks and Estates in the -said City and County of the same, in equal Proportion, according to their -respective Worth and Values: And in order thereunto, the said Mayor and -any two of the said Aldermen, or any five of the said Aldermen without -the Mayor, shall have power, and are hereby required indifferently, to -proportion out the said Sum and Sums upon each Parish and Precinct within -the said City, and by their Warrants under their Hands and Seals to -authorize and require the Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor of -each respective Parish and Precinct, to Assess the same respectively; and -after such Assessment made, by like Warrant under their Hands and Seals, -to authorize the said respective Church-wardens and Overfeers to Demand, -Gather, and Receive the same, and for Non-payment thereof (being lawfully -demanded) to Levy the same by Distress and Sale of the Goods of the -Offender, restoring the Surplusage to the Party so distrained; and if no -Distress can be found, then it shall and may be lawful to and for the -said Mayor, and any two of the Aldermen, or any five of the said Aldermen -without the Mayor, to commit such Offender to Prison, there to remain -without Bail or Mainprize, till the same shall be paid: And after the -same shall be received, to pay the same unto the Treasurer of the said -Corporation for the time being. Provided always, That if any Person or -Persons, Parish or Precinct, find him or themselves to be unequally Taxed -or Assessed, he or they may Appeal to the Justices of the Peace of the -said City and County, at their next General Quarter-Sessions after such -Assessment made and demanded, who shall and hereby have full Power and -Authority, to take and make a final Order therein. - -And for the Encouragement of such as shall be Benefactors to so good a -Design, Be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Man -charitably disposed, shall give one hundred Pounds, or more, towards -carrying on the said Work, It shall and may be Lawful for the said -Corporation, at a Court where there shall be present three and thirty of -the said Guardians at the least, to elect and constitute such charitable -Person to be Guardian of the Poor of the said City, and to continue in -the said Office, as long as to the said Corporation shall seem meet. - -And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said -Corporation shall have the Care of, and provide for the Maintenance of -all the Poor of the said City, of what Age soever they be, except such as -shall be otherwise Efficiently Provided for by the charitable Gifts of -other Persons, or in Hospitals or Alms-houses within the said City -already erected: And in order thereunto shall have full Power to examine, -search and see what poor Persons there are come into, Inhabiting and -Residing within the said City or any Part thereof; and shall have Power -to apprehend or cause to be apprehended any Rogues, Vagrants, or -Sturdy-Beggars, or idle or disorderly Persons within the said City and -the County thereof, and to cause them to be kept and set to Work in the -said Work-houses, Hospitals or Houses of Correction, for the Space of -three Years. - -Provided always, and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That this -Act, or any thing herein contained, shall not any ways extend to give the -said Corporation any Power or Authority over any Alms-house or Hospital, -or any other charitable Gift or Use, within the said City, already Given, -Settled or Erected, but that the same shall be wholly exempted therefrom; -any thing herein to the Contrary notwithstanding. - -And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said -Corporation in their said Court or Assembly, shall have hereby Power to -choose and entertain all such other Officers as shall be needful to be -employed in and about the Premisses, and them or any of them, from time -to time to remove as they shall see Cause; and upon the Death or removal -of them, or any of them, to choose others in their Place, and to make and -give such reasonable Allowances to them, or any of them, out of the Stock -or Revenue belonging to the said Corporation or Hospitals, as they shall -think fit. - -Provided always, and be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, -That no Officer or Officers, who shall be elected, chosen, appointed or -employed, in the Execution of, or by Virtue of this Act, or any of the -Powers or Authorities thereby given, shall be liable for or by reason of -such Office or Execution, to any of the Penalties mentioned in an Act -made the Five and Twentieth Year of the Reign of King _Charles_ the -Second, for the Preventing the Dangers which may hapen from Popish -Recusants. - -And it is further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said -Treasurer for the Time being, and all other Officers belonging to the -said Corporation, Hospitals, Work-houses, or Houses of Correction, shall, -from time to time, before such Person or Persons as the said Corporation -shall thereto appoint, account for such Moneys, Stock, and other Things -belonging to the said Corporation, Hospitals, Work-houses, or Houses of -Correction, as shall come to their respective Hands, or be under their -respective Care, upon every reasonable Warning and Notice thereof, by the -said Corporation to them respectively given; and on their Neglect or -Refusal to Account, as aforesaid, shall or may be, by the said Mayor, or -any two of the said Aldermen, committed to the County Goal for the said -City and County of _Bristol_, there to remain without Bail or Mainprize, -untill they shall become conformable, and Account, as aforesaid; and if -upon such Account there shall appear any Thing to be in their Hands -belonging to the said Corporation, Hospitals, Work-houses, or Houses of -Correction, they shall pay and deliver the same, as the said Corporation -shall direct, or give such Security for the same, as the said Corporation -shall approve of, on pain to forfeit double the Value thereof, to be -recovered by the said Corporation, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or -Information in which no Protection, Essoign, or Wager in Law, or any more -than one Imparlance, shall be admitted or allowed. - -And it is further enacted, That all other Pains, Penalties and -Forfeitures by this Act appointed, shall be Levied by Distress and Sale -of the Offenders Goods, by Warrant under the Hand and Seal of the said -Treasurer for the time being, restoring to the Offender the Overplus. - -And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person -or Persons shall be sued for any Matter or Thing which he shall do in -Execution of this Act, he may plead the General Issue, and give the -special Matter in Evidence: And if the Verdict shall pass for the -Defendant, or the Plaintiff shall be nonsuited, or discontinue his Suit, -the Defendant shall recover his Treble Costs. And this Act shall be taken -and be allowed in all Courts within this Kingdom as a Public Act; and all -Judges and Justices are hereby required, as such, to take Notice thereof, -without specially Pleading the same; and all Mayors, Justices, Sheriffs, -Bayliffs, Constables, and all other Officers and Ministers of Justice, -are hereby required to be aiding and assisting to the said Corporation, -and to such Officers as shall be employed by them, or any of them, in -Execution of this Act, or any of the Powers or Authorities hereby given. - - - - -AN - -ACCOUNT - -OF THE - -PROCEEDINGS - -OF THE - -Corporation of Bristol, - -In Execution of the - -Act of Parliament - -For the Better - -Employing and Maintaining - -the - -POOR - -Of That CITY. - - - - -TO THE - -Right Honourable - -AND - -HONOURABLE, - -THE - -Lords Spiritual and Temporal, - -AND - -Commons in Parliament - -assembled. - -May it please your Honours, - - -I HUMBLY make bold to lay before You, an Account of our Proceedings in -the City of _Bristol_, on the Act of Parliament for Erecting Hospitals -and Work-houses for the better employing and maintaining the Poor of that -City, which passed in the first Sessions of the Parliament begun at -_Westminster_ the 22d of _November_, 1695, whereby the Power invested in -the Corporation commenced from the 12th of _May_ 1696. - -The first Thing we did, was to choose four Guardians for each of our -twelve Wards, as the Statute directs, which, with the Mayor and Aldermen, -amounted to sixty Guardians, and made up our Court. - -The Court being thus constituted, at our first Meeting we chose our -Officers appointed by the said Act, _viz._ a Governor, a Deputy-Governor, -twelve Assistants, a Treasurer, a Clerk, and a Beadle. - -This being done, we order’d the Guardians who dwelt in each Parish, to -bring in an Account of all the Poor in their respective Parishes, their -Names, Ages, Sexes, and Qualifications. Also an Account of the Charges -expended for maintaining them in each of the last three Years, that so we -might bring it to a _Medium_. We also appointed certain standing Rules -for the better governing our Debates, and ordered all Things done in the -Court to be fairly enter’d in a Journal. - -We likewise considered which would be most for the advantage of the -Corporation, to build Work-houses, or to purchase such Houses, which -being already built, might be alter’d and made fit for our purpose. - -These Things spent much Time, and it was about the Month of _September_ -before we could settle the _Medium_ of the Poor’s Rates, in order to -certify to the Mayor and Aldermen what Sum was necessary to be raised on -the City for the next Year. - -But here we met with an unexpected _Remora_, Mr. _Samuel Wallis_ was -succeeded in his Majoralty by Mr. _J. H._ and this Change made a great -Alteration in our Affairs: For whereas the former had given us all the -Incouragement we could expect from him, and had done us the Honour to be -our first Governor, the latter resolved to obstruct us all he could. And -because the Power of raising Money was vested in him and the Aldermen, he -absolutely refused to put that Power in Execution. - -This, together with his other Endeavours to Brow-beat the Corporation, -kept us at a stand till _October_ (97.) only our Court met, and discourst -things, and we laboured to keep up the Spirits of our Friends, who began -to sink under these Discouragements, and to despair of Success, the Work -seeming difficult enough in it self; our undertaking being nothing less, -then to put to Work a great Number of People, many of which had been -habited to Laziness and Beggary; to civilize such as had been bred up in -all the Vices, that want of Education could expose them to; and to cloth, -lodge, and feed them well, with the same Sum of Money which was -distributed among them when they beg’d, lay in the Streets, and went -almost naked. - -Yet all this would not have discouraged us, could we have prevailed on -Mr. Mayor to have joyned with us. We often sought it, and he as often -refused us, till his time being expired, his Successor granted our -Request; and then, having lost much time, we were forced to make large -steps. - -The first we made was, a Vote to take on us the Care of the Poor of the -City; and as I remember, this Vote passed in _October_ or _November_ -1697, though we had then no Money raised, nor could we expect any till -after our _Lady-day_ 1698. So that from the passing that Vote to this -Time is about two Years. - -The next step was to appoint a Committee of Twelve to hear the Complaints -of the Poor, to relieve them, and set them at work; six whereof were to -go out every Month, and to be succeeded by Six more, to be chosen by -Ballating. - -We had formerly obtained from the Mayor and Common Council, in the -Majoralty of Alderman _Wallis_, the Grant of a Work-house, which then lay -unoccupied, and the Court had appointed a Committee to place as many -Girls in it as it would conveniently contain, both as to Lodging and -Working. This is that we called the _New work-house_. - -But all things having stood still so long, we resolved now to loose no -more time; yet we had no Money, nor could we expect any in less than six -Months, from the Poor’s Rates; therefore we resolved to make our -several Loans for twelve Months without Interest to the Corporation on -the Credit of their Common Seal; in which Design many of the Citizens -lent their Assistance, whereby we became soon Masters of about six -Hundred Pounds Stock. Likewise our Guardians, who were appointed to pay -the Poor in their several Parishes, voluntarily advanced their weekly -Payments, till they could be reimburst by the Treasurer. The other Stock -we employed to furnish Beds, and other Necessaries for our Children to be -taken in, and Materials for their working. - -We had now two Committees; one for the Poor, the other for the New -Work-house. - -The Committee for the Poor met twice every Week: And in this Committee we -proceeded thus: - -_First_, We voted that the Poor of the City should be visited in their -respective Parishes, and that new Poor’s Rates should be made; and -accordingly we ordered the Guardians of each Parish to bring together the -Poor on a certain Day in some convenient Place, where the Committee met, -and without Partiality endeavoured to provide for every one according to -their Wants, we likewise took Notice of all the young Girls that were on -our Poor’s Books, and of such whose Parents took no due Care of them: -and these we recommended to the Committee of the New Work-house, to be -taken in, and employed by them. - -Our Poor’s Rates we made in this manner: Every one that expected -Relief, came before us with their whole Families, except such as was -impotent and could not come: In our Books we put down the Name of the -Man, the Woman, and each Child; together with the Qualifications of all, -either as to Age, Health, Civility, &c. what each Person did, or could -get by the Week, and in what Employment. We likewise set down for what -Reason the Charity was bestowed; that when that should cease, or we could -find out any other Way to provide for it, the Charity should likewise -cease. - -Having thus seen the State of all our Poor, and provided for them, the -Committee sat twice a Week in the Public Court, to hear and provide for -all casual Complaints; which we did in this Manner: We ordered that the -Poor in their respective Parishes, should first apply themselves to their -Guardian or Guardians, who were to relieve them as they saw fit, till the -next Sitting of the Committee, when they were to bring them up with their -Complaints, if they were able to come; and this we did, lest the -Committee (three whereof made a _Quorum_) should be deceived; who could -not be supposed to know the State of all the Poor in the City, and by -this Means we had the Opinion of the Guardian of each Parish; nor could -he easily deceive us, because he brought the Poor with him, and thereby -the Committee became Judges of the Matter laid before them. At these -Meetings, Care was taken of the various Cases and Exigencies which -offer’d, and in all Things there was a Regard, as much as could be, to -put People on living by their own Labours. - -To such as were sick, we gave Warrants to our Physician to visit them; -such as wanted the Assistance of our Surgeons were directed to them, and -all were reliev’d till they were able to work; by which Means the Poor -having been well attended, were set at work again, who, by Neglect, might -with their Families have been chargeable to the Corporation; for some we -provided Cloaths, for others Work; where we found People careful, but -wanted a Stock to employ themselves and Children, we either lent or gave -it; where they wanted Houses, we either paid the Rent, or became Security -for it; where we found them opprest, we stood by them; where Differences -arose, we endeavoured to compose them; so that in a little time all the -Complaints of the Poor came to this Committee, which saved our -Magistrates a great deal of Trouble, and Care was taken that none went -away unheard. - -The Committee at first sat twice a Week, but now only once in a -Fortnight; not that we grew slack in the Care of our Poor, but because -their Number being so much abated, by those received into our several -Work-houses, the Business not requiring their meeting oftner. - -The other Committee, _viz._ That for the new Work-house, having first -furnished it in order to receive in the young Girls, began with such as -were recommended to them by the Committee for the Poor; and this Method -hath been generally observed ever since, both by that Committee, and also -by the Committee since chosen for our other Work-house; not that either -of them depends on the other, but because the first application for -Relief is made to the Committee for the Poor. - -But before we took in the Girls, we first considered of proper Officers -to govern them; and these consisted of a Master, whose Business was to -receive in Work, and deliver it out again, and to keep the Account of the -House, &c. - -A Mistress, whose Business was to look after the Kitchen and Lodgings, to -provide their Meals at set Times, and other Things which related to the -Government of the House. - -Tutresses to teach them to Spin, under each of which we put Five and -Twenty Girls. - -A School-Mistress, to teach them to read. - -Servants in the Kitchen, and for washing, &c. but these we soon -discharged, and caused our biggest Girls to take their Turns every Week. - -We also appointed an old Man to keep the Door, and to carry forth and -fetch in Work, and such kind of Services. - -Being thus provided, we received in one hundred Girls, and set them to -work at Spinning of Worsted Yarn; all which we first caused to be stript -by the Mistress, washed, and new Clothed from Head to Foot; which, -together with wholesome Dyet at set Hours, and good Beds to lie on, so -incouraged the Children, that they willingly betook themselves to their -Work. - -We likewise provided for them Apparel for _Sundays_; they went to Church -every Lord’s Day; were taught their Catechisms at home, and had Prayers -twice every Day; we appointed them set Hours for working, eating, and -playing; and gave them leave to walk on the Hills with their Tutresses, -when their Work was over, and the Weather fair; by which means we won -them into Civility, and a love to their Labour. But we had a great deal -of Trouble with their Parents, and those who formerly kept them, who -having lost the sweetness of their Pay, did all they could to set both -their Children and others against us; but this was soon over. - -Hitherto things answered above our Expectations; our Children grew sober, -and worked willingly, but we very much questioned, whether their Labours -at the Rates we were paid, would answer the charge of their Maintenance; -and if not, our great Doubt was how we might advance it, without -prejudicing the Manufactures. - -To clear the first, we supposed ourselves in a fair way, having appointed -their Diets to be made up of such Provisions as were very wholesome, -afforded good nourishment, and were not costly in Price, _viz._ Beef, -Pease, Potatoes, Broath, Pease-porridge, Milk-porridge, Bread and Cheese, -good Beer, (such as we drank at our own Tables) Cabbage, Carrots, -Turnips, &c. in which we took the Advice of our Physician, and bought the -best of every Sort. They had three Meals every Day, and as I remember, it -stood us (with Soap to wash) in about Sixteen-pence _per_ Week for each -of the one hundred Girls. We soon found the effect of their Change of -Living, Nature being well supported, threw out a great deal of Foulness, -so that we had generally twenty down at a Time, in the Measels, -Small-pox, and other Distempers; but by the Care of our Physician, and -the Blessing of God on his Endeavours, we never buried but Two, though we -have had seldom less than one hundred in the House at any Time. - -Having thus provided for their Diets, we next appointed their Times of -Working; which in the Summer was ten Hours and a half every Day, and an -Hour less in the Winter; by which means we answered the two Objections -raised against the Poor, _viz._ Thar they will not work, and that they -spend what they get in fine feeding. - -But we soon found, that the great Cause of begging did proceed from the -low Wages for Labour; for after about eight Months time, our Children -could not get half so much as we expended in their Provisions. The -Manufacturers, who employed us, were always complaining the Yarn was spun -coarse, but would not advance above Eight-pence _per_ Pound for Spinning, -and we must either take this, or have no Work. On the other side, we were -labouring to understand how we might distinguish, and put a Value on our -Work, according to its Fineness. This we did by the Snap Reel, which when -we were Masters of, the Committee made an Order, That the Master should -buy in a Stock of Wool, and Spin it up for our own Accounts, and then -proceeded to set the Price of Spinning by the Snap Reel, wherein we -endeavoured to discourage coarse Work, and to endeavour fine, because we -saw the latter was likely to bring more Profit, not only to the Poor, but -to the Kingdom in general. We likewise ordered some Things to be made up -of the several Sorts of Yarn, at the Rates we had set them; and on the -whole, we found the Commodities made of fine Yarn, though they were much -better than those made of Coarse, yet stood us in little more; because -what the one exceeded in the Charge of Spinning, was very much made good -in Abatement of the Quantity used. We therefore sent to the -Manufacturers, and shewed them what Experiments we had made; but finding -them still unwilling to advance above the old Rate, the Committee voted, -that they would give Employment to all the Poor of the City, who would -make Application to them, at the Rates we offer’d to work, and pay them -ready Money for their Labour. - -We soon found we had taken the right Course, for in a few Weeks we had -Sale for our fine Yarn as fast as we could make it, and they gave us from -Eight-pence to Two Shillings _per_ Pound for Spinning the same Goods, for -which a little before they paid but Eight-pence, and were very well -pleased with it, because they were now able to distinguish between the -fine and the coarse Yarn, and to apply each Sort to the Use for which it -was most proper: Since which, they have given us Two Shillings and -Six-pence _per_ Pound for a great many Pounds, and we spin some worth -Three Shillings and Six-pence _per_ Pound Spinning. - -By this Means we had the Pleasure of seeing the Children’s Labour -advanc’d, which a little before I came up, amounted to near Six Pounds -_per_ Week, and would have been much more, but that our biggest Girls, we -either settle forth, or put in the Kitchen; and those we receive in being -generally small, are able to do but little for some Time after. - -The Encouragement we had received on this Beginning, put us on proceeding -further: The Court resolved to purchase a great Sugar-House, out of the -Money directed by the Act to be raised for Building of Work-Houses, and -fit it up for the receiving in the Remainder of the Poor, (_viz._) -ancient People, Boys, and young Children; which was accordingly done, and -a Committee was appointed to manage it. This we called the _Mint -Work-House_, because it had been hired by the Lords of the Treasury for -that Use. - -The Committee began to take in the Boys in _August_ last; these we -cloathed, dieted, and governed, much after the same Manner as we had done -the Girls, but put them on a different Employment, (_viz._) Spinning of -Cotton Wool, and weaving of Fustians: We have now about one hundred of -them together, who settle well to their Work, and every Day mend their -Hands; they get us already six Pounds _per_ Week; they are likewise -taught to read, and we shall hereafter teach them to write. - -We next took in our ancient People; and here we had principally a Regard -to such as were impotent, and had no Friends to help them, and to such as -we could not keep from the lazy Trade of Begging; these we cloath’d as -we saw they needed, and put on such Employments as were fit for their -Ages and Strengths, having our Eyes chiefly on those to which they were -bred; we found it difficult at first to bend them down to good Orders, -but by Degrees we have brought them under Government. - -Then we called in all the Children that were on our Poor’s Books, and -put them under Nurses; those who can speak and go, are carried down into -the School, to learn their A, B, C, &c. As they grow up, we shall put -them into the working Rooms. - -The Boys are kept at a Distance from the ancient People, who do also -lodge in distinct Apartments, the Men in several Chambers on one Floor, -and the Women on another; all do something, though perhaps some of their -Labours comes to little, yet it keeps them from Idleness: Both the Old -and Young attend Prayers twice a Day, (except the Bedridden, for whom -other Care is taken) and go to Church twice on _Sundays_. - -We have now three standing Committees, (_viz._) For the Poor, for the New -Work-House, and for the Mint Work-House: The first gives all Directions, -and makes all Allowance, for the Poor, without whose Order no Guardian -can act any Thing considerable, except in Cases of absolute Necessity, -which at the next Meeting of the Committee he must give an Account of, -and desire their Approbation. The other two Committees have Power to act -in the Affairs of that Work-House for which they are chosen: They receive -in both Old and Young; they bind forth Apprentices, correct, order the -Diet as they please, oversee the Working, sell the Manufactures, when -made, order the Payment of all Moneys, which cannot be done unless the -Note be sign’d by the Chairman; and generally direct every Thing -relating to those Houses. - -The Accounts are made up thus: The Treasurer’s Account is audited every -Year, by a Committee chosen for that purpose; at which Time he is -succeeded by another Treasurer, chosen by the Court: The Accounts of the -Guardians who pay the Poor in their several Parishes are audited every -three Months, by a select Committee chosen likewise by the Court, and are -then paid by the Treasurer: The Accounts for each Work-house are audited -by the respective Committee every Month, when the Master adjusts, not -only his Account of Cash, but also of each particular _Specie_ of Goods -he hath under his Care, the Ballance whereof is still carried forward to -the next, which when allowed of is signed by the Chairman: And the -Account for each House is so stated, that it shews at one Sight, what the -House is indebted; what Debts are out-standing, and from whom; what Goods -remain in the House, and the Quantity of each _Specie_. - -At the making up these Accounts, nothing (unless very trivial) is -allowed, for which an Order is not produced, or found entered in our -Books, so that ’tis very difficult to wrong the Corporation of any -thing, if the Guardians should endeavour it. - -These Committees keep their Journal Books, wherein all they do is fairly -transcribed, and signed by the Chairman. - -This is what at present occurs to my Memory touching our Work-houses at -_Bristol_. I have been as brief as the nature of the Thing would admit: -The Success hath answered our Expectation; we are freed from Beggars, our -old People are comfortably provided for; our Boys and Girls are educated -to Sobriety, and brought to delight in Labour; our young Children are -well lookt after, and not spoiled by the neglect of ill Nurses; and the -Face of our City is so changed already, that we have great reason to hope -these young Plants will produce a virtuous and laborious Generation, with -whom Immortality and Prophaness may find little Incouragement; nor does -our hopes appear to be groundless, for among three hundred Persons now -under our Charge within Doors, there is neither Cursing nor Swearing, nor -prophane Language, to be heard, though many of them were bred up in all -manner of Vices, which neither _Bridewell_ nor Whippings could fright -them from, because, returning to their bad Company, for want of -Employment, they were rather made worse, than bettered by these -Corrections; whereas, the Change we have wrought on them, is by fair -means. We have a _Bridewell_, _Stocks_, and _Whipping-Post_, always in -their Sights, but never had occasion to make use of either. - -What is done in that City, I humbly hope may be carried on by the same -Steps throughout the Kingdom; the Poor may be set at Work, their Wages -advanced without Danger to our Manufacturers, and they thereby enabled to -live on their own Labours, whereby the Charge of the Poor’s Rates may -be saved, and a great many worthy Benefactors encouraged to give, when -they shall see their Charity so well disposed of. This I have great -reason to hope, because we have had near one Thousand Pounds freely given -to us within the Compass of one Year, and much thereof by Gentlemen who -dwelt at a Distance from us, only were willing to encourage a Work they -saw likely to be carried on, which might be of good Example to the Nation. - - I am, - - Right Honourable - - And Honourable, - - Your Honours most - - Obedient Servant, - - JOHN CARY. - - - - -AN - -ESSAY - -Towards Settling a - -NATIONAL CREDIT. - -By John Cary, Esq; - -The Fifth Edition, Corrected. - -LONDON: - -Printed in the Year M.DCC.XLV. - - - - -To the Right Honourable the LORDS Spiritual and Temporal, and to the -Honourable the Commons of ENGLAND in Parliament Assembled. - - -HAVING lately presented your Honours with _An Essay on Coin and Credit_, -the chief Design whereof was to shew the Necessity of Settling a -well-grounded Credit in this Nation, for Support of the Government, and -carrying on its Trade; I do now with all Humility lay before you -Proposals to answer that End, which I have not clogg’d with Compulsion -to the Subject, supposing nothing of this Nature can be good, where a -common Consent, grounded upon Interest, doth not make it valuable. - -Banks, as I humbly conceive, ought chiefly to be calculated for the Use -of Trade, and modeled so as may best content the Traders. What gives them -Satisfaction, will answer all other Occasions of the Kingdom. Money -passes through the Hands of the Nobility and Gentry, only as Water doth -through Conduit-Pipes into the Cistern, but Centers in the Hands of -Traders, where it circulates, and may be said to be used; and among -these, Ease, Profit, and Security, are Arguments to keep a Bank always -full: Besides, when the Streights of the Government are taken of, greater -Sums will come into Trade, which are now drawn out, in order to make -Advantages, above what the Profits of Trade will bring in. - -The Heads whereon I propose to build this National Credit, are these -which follow: - -That a Bank be erected on the Credit of Parliament, the Profit or Loss -thereof to redound to the Nation, whose chief Chamber shall be settled in -_London_, but lesser Chambers in other Places of this Kingdom, at such -Distances, as may best answer the Occasions of the Country, which -Chambers to account with that of _London_, and that to Commissioners -appointed by Parliament. - -That this Bank shall take in what running Cash shall be offered, and -shall give their Notes for it; and shall also allow Interest after the -Rate of ### _per Cent. per Annum_, after the first ### Days, till those -Notes be paid, and shall also pay it again to the Proprietors, or any -Part thereof, when demanded. - -That if any Man put in his Money for a Time certain, not less than ### -Months, he shall receive Interest from the Time of paying it in, to the -Time he is Repaid. - -That this Bank shall let out any Sum again on reasonable Security, either -Real, Personal, or Goods, receiving Interest after the Rate of ### _per -Cent. per Annum_, till the Borrower shall think fit to pay it in, which -he shall do, by such Parts as will best suit his Occasions, and be -discharged from the Interest of what he so pays, and only pay after the -Rate aforesaid, for so much as doth remain in his Hands. - -That Lombards be erected to attend this Bank, for the Benefit of Traders, -under Regulations, which may Encourage Trade. - -That for the Benefit of Returns, the Notes given in any one Chamber of -this Bank, shall be demandable in any other, together with the Interest -due till Payment, the Receiver allowing for such Returns after the Rate -of ### for each Hundred Pounds, in the Chamber where he receives his -Money. - -That to prevent Counterfeits, all Notes given out at any Chamber, shall -be made payable to ### or Order, and assigned from one to another, each -Assignee to be Warrantee for the Note, both to the Bank, and also to -every later Assignee. - -That these Notes shall be taken by the King in all Payments, which will -make them current among the Subjects. - -That this Bank do supply the King with all Loans at _per Cent._ Interest -_per Ann._ from the Time of borrowing, to the Time the Money is paid in -again, and that it hath the Taxes, or Funds settled by Act of Parliament, -for its Security. - -That all Debts contracted to this Bank, shall be of the same Nature with -Debts contracted to the King, and be first paid out of the Estates of the -Debtors; and that Extents shall lye accordingly. - -That an Account be kept of Profit and Loss in each Chamber, together with -the Charges of the Officers, &c. And that it be return’d up every three -Months, as also Accompt Current, to the Grand Chamber in _London_, where -the whole shall be Examined by the Commissioners, and they be liable to -the inspection of the Parliament. - -That Registers for Lands be erected in all Countries, &c. where desired, -by Act of Parliament. - -That Bills be past on the Bank by such as are appointed to buy for the -Public Use of the Nation, payable at the Time of their Agreement; by -which means every one will endeavour to furnish the Government cheapest, -when their Payments shall be punctual; the King will save a great deal of -Money, paid now for Procuration, Excessive Interest, &c. and the Fleet -and Army will be well paid. - -That the Commissioners do once every Year at least, make up the Accounts -depending between the Public and the Bank, allowing ### _per Cent._ -Interest as before; and make Application to the Parliament for its -Reimbursement. - -That Bills and Bonds be made Assignable by Law, and the Property be -thereby transfer’d to the Assignee. - -That Trustees may put the Money belonging to _Orphans_ into this Bank, -which shall be a Discharge to them for so much of their Trust, the -Interest to be duly issued out for the Maintenance of the said _Orphans_; -and that all Plate and Bullion belonging to the said _Orphans_ be by the -Trustees coined up at the next Mint, and the Money put into the Bank for -the use of the said _Orphans_. - -That the Money in this Bank be freed from Taxes. - -Concerning which Credit I shall briefly speak to these Four Things. - -I. First, _Its Security_. - -II. Secondly, _Some of those Advantages the Nation will reap by it_. - -III. Thirdly, _I shall make some Comparison between this Credit, and the -present Bank of_ England. - -IV. Fourthly, _I shall set forth the necessity of setling the Nations -Credit in this present Sessions_. - -I. As to the _First_, It hath the Legislative Power of the Kingdom of -_England_ for its Foundation, a Security strong enough, and nothing else -can be so, to build this Great Superstructure upon, the well modeling -whereof, will keep it from being subject to the Designs of private -Persons: This will last so long as the Peoples Liberties last, for no -Change can weaken it, so long as the People of _England_ have a hand in -making their own Laws, whose Common Interest will be riveted and made up -with the Security of this Bank, that they will in a short time become one -thing, so that nothing less than a Conquest will be able to shake it: -This we cannot fear from any Nation besides the _French_, nor from them -neither, till _Holland_ is first subdued; therefore, as those States must -first truckle, so far will our Bank be more secure than theirs: _France_ -cannot erect a Bank on any sort of Security, because the Will of the -Prince being his Law, alters according to his present Occasions: Nor can -_Spain_ do it; where, not only the Government but also the Profits -thereof, are divided amongst its Ministers: As for _Sweden_, _Denmark_, -and _Portugal_, the Princes of _Italy_ and _Germany_, few believe their -Circumstances to be such, as to render them capable of erecting a Bank, -which may draw the Eyes of _Europe_ to look towards it; _England_ only -can do it, for as an easy Government is its own Security, so that -Security encourages Trade, and these two, accompanied with the Profits -offered to a running Cash, will make all _Europe_ desire to settle their -Monies here. - -Seeing then, that nothing but the same Power which first constituted this -Bank can destroy it, (a Power with whom we intrust our Lives, Liberties, -and Estates) I cannot see the least Room left for distrust; for what -Advantage can any future Parliament expect by a design of seizing this -Bank, when the Treasure thereof may be drawn out, whilst they are framing -the Law; and the Consequence thereof will be, the Ruining their own -Estates, for which they can promise nothing to themselves, save the being -possest of empty Papers. - -What farther Hazard the Nation can run, must proceed from the Neglect of -the Managers, or the Fraud of under Officers, which, Care in the First, -and Security for the Last, will prevent. - -II. The next Thing is to shew the Advantages which _England_ will reap by -setling the Credit here proposed; whereof some do immediately attend it, -others are consequential. - -Those which immediately attend it, are, - -1st, The Rate of Interest will hereby be brought lower, to the Advance of -our Lands, and Encouragement of our Trade, by Methods altogether as -profitable to the Usurer, who will be willing to let his Money Cheaper, -when it shall never lie dead without his Consent, his Security be -unquestionable, and freed from the Charges of litigious Suits, which so -frequently accompany doubtful Mortgages. - -2dly, Both Gentlemen and Traders will hereby be supplied with Money to -serve their Occasions, on such reasonable Security as they are able to -give, when that Security shall be strengthned, by having the Preheminence -above all other obligations; they may also have Liberty to pay it in by -such Proportions, as they can best spare it, when it shall be equally the -Interest of the Bank to receive it so, which will never want new -Opportunities to let it out again. - -3dly, This Credit will give us an Esteem in Foreign Parts, draw their -Moneys hither, and consequently their Trade, and thereby their People, -all which will be an Advantage to _England_. - -4ly, It will supply the Government with Money to carry on the War at -moderate Interest, and make its Credit good; whereby the public Revenues -will reach farther to serve its Occasions, and the Ministers of State be -freed from many anxious Thoughts, which now make them uneasy. - -5ly, It will make Returns from place to place in _England_, both cheap -and certain, which will help our Inland Trade, and prevent Robberies, now -too much encouraged by travelling with Money; It will also be profitable -to our Foreign Trade, by bringing Exchanges low in our favour. - -6ly, The Frauds put on the County, by Counterfeit Notes will be -prevented; for though the Method of Indentures and stained Paper now used -by the Bank of _England_, may be a Security to it self, yet it is not so -to any one else, seeing Art is able to counterfeit every Thing, at least -so like, as not to be easily discover’d: Now, what Satisfaction will it -be to those who have received their Notes instead of Money, to be told by -the Managers that they are counterfeit, when they know not where, nor -from whom to get Reparation; whereas, being Assigned from Man to Man, -they are taken on the Credit of the Assignor, who runs no other risque -thereby, save his Warrant that they are truly what he pays them for. - -7ly, This Bank will be free from Stock-Jobbing, the Bane of all good -Designs, which will find no room here, because it cannot be divided into -private and particular Interests. - -The Consequential Advantages will be these, - -1st, By this means the Taxes for carrying on the War the ensuing Year, -together with the Twenty-five hundred and Sixty-four Thousand Pounds, -which fell short on the Salt Fund, may be raised, by Methods, wherein the -King’s Revenue, and the Peoples Profits, shall go hand in hand, without -Anticipations. - -2ly, The Funds now settled on our Manufactures, which discourage our -Trade, and ruin our Poor, may be sunk and taken off; such as those on the -_Glass-makers_, _Tobaccopipe-makers_, _Distillers_, and others, many -whereof have yielded little to the Government, above the charge of -Collecting, and the best of them have done great Mischief to our Trade; -now seeing these are only so many several Modus’s of raising Money, -those Methods must doubtless do best, which least injure our Trade. - -3ly, The Debt due to the Transport-Ships may be paid off, and those -People, to whose early Loyalty and Reduction of _Ireland_ is very much -owing, be contented. - -4ly, The Mints may be kept Imployed, and the Kingdom thereby filled with -Coin. - -5ly, Our Wool may be kept at home, which I humbly conceive can never be -done, till a good Credit be settled, any thing less will not be large -enough to cover the Sore intended to be cured. - -6ly, The Plantation Trade may be better secured, especially that of -Tobacco, and Methods may be proposed to render it more profitable, both -to the King, and also to the Subject. - -7ly, The Bank of _England_’s Notes may be brought to Par, and Tallies -of all sorts in a short time be paid off at their full Value, which I -humbly conceive will be difficult to be done, any other way, the settling -a Credit on either, or grafting them both together, seem improbable -Methods to answer those ends. - -I humbly hope to make Proposals in this present Sessions for putting -these into practise, if a good Credit be timely settled. - -Besides these, many other Advantages will accrue to the Nation, many of -which I have set forth in my before recited Essay on Coin and Credit. -Pag. 27, 28, 29. - -III. The third Thing is to make some Comparison between the Credit here -proposed, and the present Bank of _England_; which I humbly conceive is -so shaken in its Reputation, as hath rendred it uncapable to be made the -Foundation of a national Credit; and whilst we labour to recover it, we -may run the hazard of destroying our Trade, disturbing the Government, -and keeping our selves under a lingring War, whilst we encourage the -_French_ King, to try his utmost Efforts, hoping, that our Difficulties -at home, will force us to accept of a dishonourable Peace. - -’Tis certain, nothing can be the Support of a National Credit, which is -not better, or at least so good as Money; and this is not to be found in -the Bank of _England_, whose Notes whilst they are One _per Cent._ worse -than Specie, will always keep their Coffers empty, because no Man will -put into it a hundred Pounds in Money, when he can purchase a Note of the -same Value for Ninety-nine; and the Consequence will be this, that the -Lender, or rather the Jobber, will never rest till he is repaid, that so -he may be making advantage by a new Purchase; and if this will be the -Effect of a Credit worse only by One _per Cent._ than Money, what will it -be when ’tis sunk to sixteen; Whereas, on the other side, when a Credit -is better than Money, the Coffers will ever be full, because all Men will -endeavour to put in their Money, and be impatient till ’tis done; and -thus it will be, when the Lender thinks himself secure, and makes more -Profit by having his Money in the Bank then in his Chest, who will -therefore receive out no more at a Time, then his Necessities shall -require, and for the same Reason, those to whom he pays it, will -endeavour to return it thither again so soon as they can. - -IV. As to the fourth Thing proposed, The Necessity the Nation lies under -to have its Credit settled this present Sessions, it will appear, if we -consider, how _London_ now stands in Competition with all _England_ -besides, as to the Specie of Money, and how it will stand before another -Sessions: ’Tis generally agreed, that about one Moiety of the Money of -_England_ is already Center’d in that great City, and the rest is not -enough to pay the Debts owing to it, together with his Majesty’s -Revenues, Bonds already entered into, and Taxes now to be given, for Six -Months longer, besides the Foreign Bills, which are generally made -payable there, all which must be return’d in Specie; for though by an -Act of this present Sessions: Intituled, _An Act for the farther -Remedying the ill State of the Coin of this Kingdom_, it is among other -things provided, That all Money that shall be brought in upon Account of -Taxes, or Revenues, or Loans, at Five Shillings and Eight Pence _per_ -Ounce, shall be carried to the next adjacent Mint, in order to be -Re-coined, yet this will no way be Serviceable to the Country, unless a -Credit be settled, it must otherwise be sent up to _London_ after coined -for want of Returns, the Debts due to the Country being paid there in -Bank, which is Sixteen _per Cent._ worse than Money, and those due from -the Country demanded in Specie, so that the Money of _England_ is every -Week brought up thither; and then, if it be next considered, what Methods -are left to the Country to draw it back again, _viz._ by Provisions and -some few other Things, ’twill be reasonable to believe, that seeing the -supply made from that City to the Country is greater than what is made -from the Country thither, all the Cash of _England_ will center there in -a short Time, to the Ruining of the other Trading Cities, and disabling -of the Country to pay future Taxes; and this will make the dependence on -_London_ still greater, till by its own Bloatiness it must at last burst, -when the Estates of the Traders shall consist only in Debts due from the -Country, which must still lye out for want of a Specie to pay them in; so -that all the Advantage _London_ will receive, is, that it will be last -ruined. - -Now if a good Credit be settled out of Hand, and the Mints continued in -the Country, the Money that is now there, may be still kept there, and -Methods found out to increase it, and the Trade of _England_ carried on -with an equal Circulation in all places; this will keep up the Rents of -the Lands of _England_, which must otherwise fall in their Values, -suitable to the distance they stand in from that great Metropolis. - -If it be objected, That the Management of this Credit will be very costly -to the Nation; I humbly conceive, that the Profits thereof will not only -support its Charge, but also bring in a great Overplus, which may be -usefully Imployed to the Nation’s Advantage; yet were this Objection -true, nothing can be termed good Husbandry which spoils our Trade, the -stopping whereof but for one Month, will be many Millions lost to the -Kingdom. - -If by rectifying this, or any better Proposal from a more thinking Head, -the Credit of the Nation may be settled in this present Sessions, I have -reaped the End I aimed at, the Good and Welfare of my Native Country; -which I humbly submit to your Honours great Wisdom, and shall be ready to -explain any Thing that may seem doubtful, when I am thereto commanded. - - Your Honours, - - Most Obedient Servant, - - - - -SOME - -CONSIDERATIONS - -Relating to the carrying on - -The Linnen Manufacture - -IN THE - -KINGDOM - -OF - -IRELAND. - -By John Cary, Esq; - -The Fifth Edition, Corrected. - -LONDON: - -Printed in the Year M.DCC.XLV. - - - - -SOME - -CONSIDERATIONS - -Relating to - -The Linnen Manufacture - -In the Kingdom of - -IRELAND. - - -THE Linnen Manufacture in _Ireland_, being a Subject so much discours’d -of the last Sessions of Parliament, I humbly presume to offer some -Thoughts how it may best be carried on. - -But, before I enter upon it, I will consider the State of that Kingdom, -with respect to its Foreign Trade; the Ballance whereof I take to be -against them, and must therefore be supplied, by carrying out their Coin, -which is already grown so scarce, that ’tis to be fear’d, in a short -time there will be little left. - -To explain this, I will lay down some of those Steps, by which the -Ballance of Trade daily alters to their Prejudice. - -1st, The great Fall of their Products, _viz._ Wool, Tallow, Hides, Beef, -&c. which are abated in their Prices above one Third of what they yielded -before the War; so that should the same Quantities of those Commodities -be bought up for Exportation, as formerly there were, yet they would not -amount to the Value they then did. - -2ly, The Ports of _Spain_, _France_, and _Flanders_, which were their -great Markets, being now shut against them, the Profits which they made -by their Foreign Trade in the Times of Peace, over and above the first -Value of the Commodities exported, are also lost to the Kingdom. - -3ly, The Prohibiting the Exportation of their Woollen Manufactures, -whereby their People were employed, and their Labours sold to Foreign -Nations, hath very much lessened the Ballance of their Foreign Trade, - -4ly, The great Sums of Money spent in this Kingdom by the Nobility and -Gentry of _Ireland_, who come over hither for Pleasure, or necessary -Attendances, on the Court, Parliament, or private Affairs, and send -hither their Children for Education; the Purchases they have lately made -of the Forfeited Estates; and the yearly Remittances thence for the Rents -of Lands belonging to the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, do all -make against them. - -5ly, The great Consumption of Commodities among them from this Kingdom, -which, though it encreases our Trade, and makes it our Interest to -Support that Kingdom, must be allowed to be a Prejudice to them. - -All which being laid together, it seems apparent to me, that the Ballance -of their Trade must every Year grow more against them, till their Money -is drawn away, except some New Manufacture, fit for Exportation, be -encouraged amongst them. - -And I think none more proper than that of Linnen; which, besides the -Employment it will give to their Poor, will also take up large Tracts of -Land for raising of Hemp and Flax; and being a Manufacture no way -Interfering with our own, we may take it from them, in Barter for what -they have hence, without any Manner of Prejudice to the Trade of this -Kingdom. - -Besides, The People of _Ireland_, being employed on the Linnen -Manufacture, would by degrees be taken off from making so much Worsted -and Woollen Yarn as they now do, which they send hither at Cheaper Rates -than we are able to make ’em: The Price of Labour in all Places being -according to the Rents of Lands, the Poor can afford to work there on -lower Terms than it can be expected they should do here: On the other -side, if the low Labour of the Poor of _Ireland_, was employed on -Spinning of Linnen Yarn, it would be an Advantage to the Kingdom of -_Ireland_, to have it sent hither, because it would enable us to make our -Fustions, and other Manufactures, where it is used, cheaper than now we -do; whilst our own Poor might be employed on Spinning of Wool; and we -might afford to give them better Wages, without fear of being beat out of -our Manufactures by any other Nation, provided Care was taken to keep our -Wool at Home. - -The next Thing to be considered is, how this Work may be best carried on; -which I am of Opinion must be done by a Corporation, with a Joint-Stock, -sufficient, not only to buy up what Linnens shall be made, but also to -furnish the Kingdom with Money on easy Terms; which will likewise -encourage the Raising of Hemp and Flax. - -If the High Rates of Interest in _Ireland_ be considered, and the present -State of the Linnen Manufacture there, ’twill not be difficult to see, -how unlikely it is to be carried on by private Stocks, who can make Ten -_per Cent. per Annum_, by letting out their Money; ’tis true, the late -Act hath reduced it to Eight, but that Act having no regard to -Incumbrances entred into before the 25th of _March_, 1704, I do not see -how it will much help the People of _Ireland_ at this Time, when the -Scarcity of Money does disable them to discharge prior Engagements; so -that private Men have Opportunities enough to settle theirs at Ten _per -Cent._ which in all probability they will rather chute, than to lay it -out in Linnens, unless they can be assured of a far greater Profit, than -they can make by letting it out. - -Besides, as Interest is now managed, ’tis both a Clog to the -Gentlemen’s Estates, and a Discouragement to Traders and Manufacturers, -considering, that the whole Sum borrowed must be paid in at once; by -which means, being got into the Usurer’s Books, they can scarce ever -find the way out; Now if the Borrower had Liberty to pay in the -Principle, by such Parts as he is able to raise it, and the Interest for -so much to cease from that time, this would encourage Industry, and -promote Improvements, both in Product and Manufactures, which are the two -Things that encrease the Wealth of a Nation. - -An Infant-Manufacture must be carried on at a small Profit, and must as I -may say, Fight its way through; which cannot be done, where Interest -carries such a Load with it; and, therefore, I am of Opinion, that -nothing less than a Joint-Stock, can make _Ireland_ Flourish; which will -in the Consequence turn likewise to the Advantage of _England_; the -Gentlemen of _Ireland_, being by these Means made more easy in their -Circumstances, and having their former Incumbrances brought Lower, will -spend more of their Money here, and wear more of our Manufactures there. - -Nor will this way of Lending out Money be any Disadvantage to a -Corporation, who will find fit Opportunities of Employing their Stock, as -fast as it is paid in; and the Profits thereof being returned hither in -Linnens, they may afford to sell them cheaper than private Stocks can do. - -But I do not think this Work can be presently brought about; ’twill not -be easy to persuade the Landlords nor Tenants of _Ireland_, to leave off -the way of Husbandry they are now upon, and to turn their Lands to Hemp -and Flax, till they see some Encouragement; but when they shall find this -new Product bring ready Money, they will soon Set upon it; if the -Manufacturer receive ready Money for his Cioath, he will be able to pay -ready Money both for Materials and Labour, which Circulation will -Encourage both the Farmer and the Manufacturer; and by Degrees, Hemp and -Flax-seed will be Sowed in all Lands proper for them, and the Owners will -soon see the Difference, between raising Commodities, for which there is -a present Demand, and such, as lye on their Hands: For though _Ireland_ -may in time produce greater Quantities of Hemp and Flax than they can -work up, yet not more than _England_ may Take off, without Prejudice to -any Foreign Trade we drive; and their Number of Hands will in all -Probability be encreased by the _French_ Refugees, who will be glad to go -thither, where they may be employed in a Manufacture, so natural to them -as Linnen is; which will also give a fatal Blow to the Kingdom of -_France_ in that Manufacture. - -The People in the North of _Ireland_, make good Cloth, sell it at -Reasonable Rates, and would every Year make much more, had they Vent for -it; and it is to be observed, that Money is not plentier, nor Rents paid -better, in any Part of _Ireland_, than there. - -The Rents of _Ireland_ grow due at two Times of Payment, _viz._ 1st of -_May_, and 1st of _November_, the first becomes payable whilst their -Cattle are lean, which puts the Tenants under great Straits, and forces -them to sell very low, if they are prest for Money; but the Second -Payment is more easily made, their fat Cattle being sold, and their -Harvest over: This is the State of that part of the Kingdom that depends -on Feeding and Tillage; but where the Linnen Manufacture is, the Tenants -are much easier; they spin in the Winter Nights, and at other leisure -times, which being wove into Cloth, and whiten’d early in the Year, -provides Money for their first Payment, without selling their Cattle -before fatted for a Market. - -It is necessary for a new Undertaking, to be attended with some lucky -Accident; the Linnen Manufacture can never be begun in _Ireland_ at a -more seasonable Time than now, being imported hither Custom-Free, when -all the other Linnens of _Europe_ pay considerable Duties. - -The Gentlemen of _Ireland_ at this Time, seem to be Discontented, they -find themselves Uneasy, but cannot tell where the Sore lies; therefore, -sometimes they Complain of one Thing, and sometimes of another; but the -true Ground of all is this: Their Exports are lessened, whilst their -Imports encrease upon them, and the Specie of their Money decreases every -Day; by which means their Rents come in slowly, their Products fall on -their Hands, and will more, as they encrease above their Expence; so that -their Improvements rather turn to their Disadvantage; and their Lands -must fall (which ’tis our Interest to keep up) unless some new Product -be encouraged, which may be Manufactured amongst them: If this was done, -They would soon see where their Interest lay; and though I do not believe -they would all fall on sowing Hemp and Flax, nor is it necessary they -should, yet there would be so much Land turned that way, as might -restrain their other Products, within the Compass of their Exports, and -Home Consumption, and cause a Circulation of Money through all Parts of -the Kingdom. - -This will give a greater Employment to the Poor of _Ireland_, and -encourage People to settle among them, without any Manner of Prejudice to -_England_; and Create a mutual Friendship, and a profitable -Correspondence, between both Kingdoms. - -And as the Establishing such a Fund will be an Advantage to that Kingdom, -so it will bring a considerable Profit to the Undertakers, besides the -Benefit which may arise from it to the Government, during the Continuance -of this War. - -FINIS. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Discourse on Trade, by John Cary - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A DISCOURSE ON TRADE *** - -***** This file should be named 62299-0.txt or 62299-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/2/9/62299/ - -Produced by Mohammad Aboomar for the QuantiQual Project; -Project ID: COALESCE/2017/117 (Irish Research Council) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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