Part 4

This would also prevent great Mischiefs and Inconveniencies which arise from pressing Saylors our of Merchants Ships whilst on their Voyages, many of them being thereby lost at Sea, and others detained in the _West-Indies_, to the great Discouragement of Trade; whereas better ways might be found out of supply the Men of War abroad, all Merchants Ships bound to the places where they are might have a proportionable Number of Sailors deliver'd them by the Admiralty to be carried out _Gratis_ for their Use and Service; and this would prevent another Mischief too often practised abroad, where Captains of Men of War press Saylors from one Merchants Ship only that they may make profit by selling them to another.

[Sidenote: Short Voyages breed Saylors.]

It's supposed that no Trade raises more Seamen than that of Coals from _Newcastle_, which imploys many Hundreds of Ships to supply the City of _London_ and other Ports of _England_, and being a home Trade doth thereby breed and encourage Saylors more than long Voyages would do.

[Sidenote: Oytland Trade.]

To come now to the Trade which _England_ drives with Foreign Countrys; here 'tis necessary to enquire how each doth encourage our Product and Manufactures, how our Navigation, what Commodities we receive in Returns, and how the Ballance of Trade stands in either; among which I esteem none to be so profitable to to us as that we manage to _Africa_ and our own Plantations in _America_, and none so detrimental as that to the _East-Indies_.

[Sidenote: East-Indies.]

To begin therefore with the _East-India_ Trade, which for many Reasons I take to be mischievous to the Kingdom.

To clear this we are to consider how a Trade may be advantageous or detrimental to a Nation, and then to draw Inferences thence applicable to the above Proposition; I shall therefore lay down such general Notions as may without dispute be allowed by all unbyassed Persons, which are these:

1. That that Trade is advantageous to the Kingdom of _England_ which Exports our Product and Manufactures.

2. Which Imports to us such Commodities as may be manufactured here, or be used in making our Manufactures.

3. Which supplies us with such things, without which we cannot carry on our Foreign Trade.

4. Which encourages our Navigation, and increases our Seamen.

And consequently that Trade which exports little or none of our Product or Manufactures, nor supplies us with things necessary to promote Manufactures at home, or carry on our Trade abroad, nor encourages Navigation, cannot be supposed to be advantageous to this Kingdom; especially when its Imports hinder the consumption of our own Manufactures, and more especially when those Imports are chiefly the purchase of our _Bullion_ or _Treasure_.

And because I would be rightly understood in my third Proposition, I mean those Commodities without which we are not able to fit out our Ships for a Foreign _Trade_, such as are _Pitch_, _Tar_, _Hemp_, _Sail-Cloth_, _Masts_, _Timber_, and such like; These are so absolutely necessary, that we must have them though purchased for _Bullion_, as being the chief Hinges whereon Trade turns, and the Tools by which we Mechannically navigate our Ships, those Bulky _Mediums_ of Foreign _Trade_; but for those things which are Imported only in order to be Exported again as Commodities to trade on, these cannot be so advantageous to this Kingdom as they may be to the _Dutch_, who having little Land are maintained rather by Buying and Selling than Manufacturing, whereas _England_ being a large spot of Ground, and having a great Product of its own, (besides what comes from our Plantations) capable to be wrought up or manufactured here, gets by the Imployment of its People, therefore it would be the great Wisdom of our Government to regulate all Foreign _Trades_ by such Methods as may best make then useful in the promoting our Manufactures.

[Sidenote: How England may be said to be enrich't by Trade.]

Here it will not be amiss to consider again how and in what manner a Nation may be said to be enrich'd by _Trade_; for there must be a difference made between a Nations growing rich and particular Mens doing so by it, and I humbly propose that it may be possible for private Men to be vastly improved in their Estates, and yet at the Years end the Wealth of the Nation not to be a whit greater than at the beginning, and this both in an _Inland_ and an _Outland_ Trade; for whilst the thrifty Shopkeeper buys at one Price, and sells at another to the prodigal _Beaux_, and the industrious Artificer vents his Labour to the idle Drone, and the politick Contriver outwits the unthinking Bully, one raises his Fortunes on the other's decay; the same for our _Outland Trade_, if we Export the true Riches of the Nation for that which we consume on our Luxury, tho' private Men may get by each other, yet the Wealth of the Nation is not any way encreased: For suppose by one Hundred Butts of Wines the Importer gets Five Hundred Pounds, yet when drank among our selves, the Nation is not thereby Richer but Poorer, and so much poorer as those Wines cost at first; for if Imported by _English_ Men in _English_ Ships we loose but the first Purchase, the rest being Freights, Customs, and Profits, are divided amongst our selves, but if they are brought in by Foreigners, the Nation loses all but the Customs; I take the true Profits of this Kingdom to consist in that which is produced from Earth, Sea, and Labour, and such are all our Growth and Manufactures.

To apply this now to the _East-India Trade_, we will first consider what are its Exports and Imports, and then inquire _Cui Bono_? whither the Contest for this Trade doth proceed from a design to serve the Nation, or from Principles of Self-Interest? or whither the Members of that Company who strive so much about it, would if in other Circumstances still be of the same Mind? for Principles that are in themselves true are always so, we may change our Opinions, but they do not change their Certainty; I confess as the state of a Nation alters so must our measures in _Trade_, but then it must appear that the State of the Nation and not our private Interests makes us to alter them; Now when I find that it is not the true Interest of this Nation to advance the Product and Manufactures thereof I shall change my Opinion.

First then to begin with their Exports; and here I need not say much, it's generally allowed by the Traders themselves that our Product and Manufactures are the least part thereof, consisting chiefly in Gold and Silver.

But it's alledged that in Returns they Import such Goods which being again Exported do bring from Foreign parts much more Treasure in specie; which leads me secondly to consider what those Imports are, and what becomes of them; They chiefly are, _Saltpeter_, _Pepper_, _Callicoes_, _Druggs_, _Indigo_, and _Silks_ both wrought and raw, many of which Commodities are very necessary as well for our Home Expence as to export again, others vastly prejudicial to us, as they hinder the consumption of our own Manufactures both Abroad and at Home, and this latter outweighs the former; _Calicoes_ and wrought Silks are the things I chiefly aim at, and hope to make it plainly appear that those two Commodities do us more prejudice in our Manufactures than all the Advantage they bring either to private Purses or to the Nation in general, and it were to be wisht the Wisdom of our Parliament would prohibit their being worn in _England_, else like the ill-favoured lean Kine they will destroy the use of our Manufactures, which might be fitted to answer all the ends they serve for; Nor is the lessening the wearing our own Manufactures at home all the Mischief _Callicoes_ have done us, their Importation having thrown out the wearing of _Silesia_, and other _German_ Linnens hath been attended with as bad a Consequence from thence, where those Looms which were formerly imployed on weaving them were thereon turned to the Woollen Manufactures, wherewith they not only furnish themselves but _Poland_, which hath made those Countrys very careful to increase and improve their breed of Sheep, whose Wool was generally brought hither before, and used in making Hatts, but is now much of it wrought up there; for when we slighted their Manufactures they fell on ours, whereas if we had encouraged the Wearing their Linnen they would have still depended on us for Woollen; This hath been a means to abate the Exportation of many thousand Peeces of Cloth, which would have brought more Advantage to the Nation than all the Trade we have driven to the _East-Indies_, and will never be retrieved till we return again to the use of their Linnens.

He that considers how wonderfully Fashions prevail on this Nation may soon satisfie himself how things of little value come to be prized, and to justle out those of greater worth; Fashion is Fancy, which as it hath of late Years brought in a disuse of our native Commodities by Imitation, so if our Nobility and Gentry would turn their Fancies to them again I doubt not it would have the same effect, and if our Workmen could receive Encouragement, no question the Genius of this Kingdom would soon reach to such a pitch as to answer all the Uses of both those Commodities, even with a Thread spun out of Sheeps Wool; It was scarce thought about twenty Years since that we should ever see _Calicoes_ the Ornaments of our greatest Gallants (for such they are, whither we call them _Muslins_, _Shades_, or any thing else) when they were then rarely used save in Shrouds for the Dead, and that chiefly among the Poor, who could not go to the Price of finer Linnen, and yet were willing to imitate the Rich, but now few think themselves well drest till they are made up in _Callicoes_, both Men and Women, _Callicoe Shirts_, _Neckcloths_, _Cuffs_, _Pocket-Hankerchiefs_, for the former, _Head-Dresses_, _Night-royls_, _Hoods_, _Sleeves_, _Aprons_, _Gowns_, _Petticoats_, and what not, for the latter, besides _India-Stockings_ for both Sexes; and indeed it will be a hard matter to put them out of this Fancy, nothing but an _Act of Parliament_ or humour of the _Court_ can do it, the latter is the most natural means, and would easier make way to introduce the former, for besides that 'twould bring with it the Prayers of the Poor for those who have cut them out new Imployments, it would likewise wonderfully tend to advance the Gentlemen's Estates, first by expending their _Wool_, and next by keeping the Poor at work, who would consume more _Wheat_ and _Barly_, _Beef_ and _Mutton_ in their Houses, and yet they need not fear having Labourers enough in their Harvests, though perhaps at a little higher Rates, which would be abundantly made up by an Advance on the Product of their Lands, besides what would be saved in the Poor's Rates, and it hath been a constant Observation grounded on reason that this Nation never thrives more than when the Labour of the Poor is at such Prises as they may live comfortably by it.

We will next consider:

1. How far the Manufactures of this Kingdom have been already made to answer the uses of _Indian Silks_ and _Callicoes_, and what did encourage it.

2. What farther Improvement may be made thereon, and the means to bring it about.

3. Why the People of _England_ are so much against their Native Manufactures as to be more in love with _Calicoes_ and _Indian Silks_.

1. As to the first, I will go no farther than the _Act for Burrying in Woollen_; how averse were the People of _England_ to it at first? as if the Dead could not rest easie in their Graves if wrapt in our Native Commodities, or that it would trouble them _inter Hades_ that they had occasionally given Imployment to their poor surviving Country-men; no, the fault was not there, Experience hath taught us that it's all one to them, and Time hath more reconciled us to that Statute when we saw the good effects it produced by putting our People on making so many pretty sorts of Woollen Vestments, as Ornamental to the Dead as the others formerly were thought to be, and of such different Finenesses and Prizes, that Qualities are as easily distinguished by them; and since our dead Friends were to be drest in our native Wool, we thought it most seemly to imitate them by wearing the same at their Funerals, hence it came to pass that our Mourning Attire was made of White Crape, a Garb not only Decent and Profitable, but Honourable to the Nation, as it both shew'd our Esteem for our Woollen Manufactres, and also how soon those imployed therein could turn their Hands to any sort of Work.

2. Let us consider what farther Improvements may be made on the Manufactures of this Kingdom to answer the ends of _Indian_ Silks and Calicoes, and the means to bring them about; Here let us see what Progresses have already been made step after step by our Manufactures to imitate, and in many things to exceed all they have seen from abroad; witness those noble rich Silks, wherein they have attained to so great a height; Our brave noble _Arras_ or _Tapestry_ of all Prises, not to be out-done by those very Nations from whom we at first learned the Art; And this is allow'd by all, that the _English_ Workmen in great things outdo their Patterns, and no doubt they may soon turn their Hands to a slight Manufacture, which People do now chiefly desire, and I take to be as profitable to the Nation; How are we come from a strong and stubborn to a slight thin Broad Cloth, from thence to _Stuffs_, _Perpets_, _Sayes_, _Rashes_, _Shalloones_, _Gauzes_, and lately to _Antherines_, which last look as handsome as _Indian Silks_, and serve as well in Linings for our Cloaths, also _Crapes_ of such different sorts both of _Silk_ and _Wool_, that not only Cloaths for Men and Women are made thereof, but also _Hatbands_, _Cuffs_, _Neckcloths_, _Hoods_, _Head Dresses_, &c. Now was there a Law to encourage, or would the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom by their Examples promote the wearing our own Manufactures, no doubt they might be soon brought to answer all the ends of _Indian Silks_ and _Calicoes_, and I cannot see what reason may be given against a total Prohibition of their being worn in _England_, which will be the quickest way to have them disused.

3. The third is to enquire why the People of _England_ are so much against their Native Manufactures as to be more in love with _Calicoes_ and _Indian Silks_? The chief reason is Fashion and Imitation of One another, though many others are alledged, as the Ruffness and Ill Colour of Woollen, which keeps it from answering the ends of _Calicoes_, Its weight and thickness, which renders it improper for the ends of slight Silks in Linings; These are not substantial but pretended Reasons, and would as well serve against _Calicoes_ and _Indian Silks_ were we more used to our Native Manufactures, and they now to be introduced; for as to the Ruffness of Woollen, may not that be helpt by its fineness? and are not course _Calicoes_ altogether as Ruff? A fine Flannen-Shirt feels soft and pleasant to him that hath been used to wear it, so strange Impressions do Custom and Fashion make on us; and as for Colour, it is only Fancy, when Yellow is in Fashion it looks as decent as White, and as much Art is needful to strike it well as there is Curiosity about the other, witness when Women wore Yellow Hoods, both Men and Women Yellow Vestments, besides, no doubt ways might be found out to add to the Native Whiteness of our Woollen Manufactures, which do not therein fall shorter of Calicoes than they do of _Hollands_ and _Cambricks_ and as to the ends of Silks, Thinness and Lightness, I think our Workmen have given very great Instances in their _Crapes_, _Gauzes_ and _Antherines_ what they could do had they Encouragement.

But if a Manufacture of _Wool_ will not please, why may not one of _Cotton_, the _Primum_ of which _Calicoes_ are made, whereof we have great quantities imported every Year from our own Plantations in _America_, and no doubt we might in a short time attain to an excellency therein, not only to supply our selves, but also Foreign Markets; He that considers how far we have gone in this already will have no cause to doubt a Progress, and if Encouragements were proposed to that Person who should spin the finest Thread either in Cotton or Wool, to be adjudged and paid in each County, 'twould excite Industry and Ingenuity, and no doubt we might in time make Calicoes equal in their sorts with those Imported from _India_, and afford them as cheap as that Company now sells them, enough not only for our home Expenee, but also for Exportation.

We will next see what Employment this Trade gives to Ships as it's now managed in a Company, and how far it promotes Navigation by making Saylors; The Number of the first is but small, and I think far from making Seamen, long Voyages being usually their Bane, those Ships seldom bringing home so many Saylors as they carry'd forth, whereas shorter Voyages do more, made out of Land-Men, both the Imployers and the Imployed being desirous to make their first Tryals on such Voyages; besides, longer require better Saylors to provide for the Casualties which attend them, and may be said rather to use Seamen than to make them; and this is one great Reason why the _Dutch_ raise them so easily, most of their Imployments being a home Trade.

If then it appears this Trade is no more profitable to the Nation in general we will next see how it is to that Company in parricular; I do not say to the particular Members thereof, who by ill Practices have raised their private Fortunes, many of which have been lately laid open, but to the Company as such; and here we find that a former failed; the last is thought to have gotten little, considering the long time they have been a Monopoly; and what Advantage the new _Fund_ will make Time must shew, the Tricks used to engage Men therein causes me to doubt whither 'twill answer the Expectations of the Subscribers.

On the whole let us consider what Arguments can be offered to the Wisdom of the Nation to limit this Trade to an exclusive Company as was desired, or (as in truth it is) to turn it into a Monopoly by Law, a thing very contrary to the Genius of the People of _England_, and seems to barr the Freedom and Liberty of the Subject.

Were Monopolies to be allowed it must certainly be in One of these three Respects.

1. That we might put off our own Commodities to other Nations in Barter for those we received from them.

2. That we might keep down the Prices of their Commodities, whilst we advanced our own.

3. That as the Consequence of these two we might encourage our Manufacturers at home, and furnish Foreign Commodities cheap.

But when a Monopoly shall cause quite different Effects it's not to be allow'd on any Terms.

As for the first; the _East-India_ Company takes off little of our Manufactures, nor do I think the Trade will admit it, for I cannot see how that Nation can be supplied with Manufactures hence fit for their Wearing answerable in Price to their own, except they were a Luxurious People who cared not what they gave to please their Fancies, which I do not take them to be, but generally very Provident; for if we consider that when the _East-India_ Company hath brought their Calicoes and Silks hither with great Charges, and sold them at an extraordinary advance, they find vent by their cheapness, how can we believe that any of our Manufactures can afford them a profit in _India_, where they must be sold suitable in price to the others first cost; and therefore 'twould not be amiss if the Government were put on making a narrow Inquiry whither the Company do _boná fide_ export so much of the Product and Manufactures of rhis Kingdom and land them in _India_ as they are obliged to do by their Charter, elfe many ways may be found out to evade it, and the Nation be deprived of the only Advantage expected from that Monopoly.

The _Dutch_ and we deal not thither on the same Terms, their Manufactures are small, and so no Matter what they Trade on, besides their Settlements in the _East-Indies_ are so great, that what they bring thence may almost be called their own Product, whereof by monopolizing that Trade they make greater Prices in _Europe_, which being chiefly spent either in Foreign Markets or by Temporary Residents brings them more Profit; They have also great Advantages above us in their _East-India_ Trade, being possest of the whole Traffick to _Japan_, whither they carry _Cloth_, _Lead_, and other Commodities from _Holland_, _Calicoes_, _Spices_, &c. from _India_, which they sell for _Gold_ and _Silver_, increasing thereby their Bullion as we diminish ours; Besides their _East-India_ Company is not settled on such a narrow Foundation as ours, which being limited to one City exclusive of all others sells their Commodities for greater Advance than any other Traders, whither we consider their Risque, or the time they are out of their Money, which should be the standing Rules in Trade; Nor can it be otherwise whilst they remain a Company, the Charges both abroad and at home being much more than when manag'd by private Stocks, besides the affected Grandeur in all which must be paid by the Nation, whereon I take that Monopoly to be a Tax so far as it might be supply'd with them on cheaper Terms if the Trade were laid more open by a Regulation; I know there is much talk'd by the Company about Forts Castles and Soldiers to defend their Interests in _India_, but I cannot see the use of them, for either they are thereby defended against the Natives, or the _Dutch_ their Competitors; the former have no reason to quarrel with them, for bringing them a Trade so highly their Advantage as the purchasing their Product and Manufactures with Money, especially if they pay for what they buy; And as for their Competitors the _Dutch_, if they were not better defended against them by our Fleets at home, and the Protection of the Princes they trade with, than by all the Force they have there, the Trade had been but ill-secured, and must have sunk long ago; Only those great Words serve to hold us amused, whilst their _Guineas_ in the two last Reigns were the Support of their Charter.

One thing which I aim at in this Discourse is to perswade the Gentry of _England_ to be more in Love with our own Manufactures, and to encourage the wearing them by their Examples, and not of Choice to give Imployment to the Poor of another Nation whilst ours starve at home.

[Sidenote: West-Indies.]

We will next proceed to the _West-India_ and _African_ Trades; which I esteem the most profitable of any we drive, and do joyn them together because of their dependance on each other.