Part 7
It's well known that the Exporting our Wool to Foreign Markets hath by the ill Consequences thereof abated its Price at Home; This hath been observed by Calculations made by considering Men, and the reason was, because those Countrys were thereby enabled to work up much larger Quantities of their own into various sorts of Manufactures, which both fitted their occasions at Home, and supplied Markets abroad where we generally vended ours; by this means our Sales growing slack, and finding new Competitors in our Trade, we were forced to sell our Manufactures cheap, and this was done by making them slighter, and by lessening the Prices both of Wool and Labour; whereas had we kept our Wool at Home these Mischiefs had been prevented, and the _French_ and other Nations could not have made such a Progress in Manufactures as they have done; their Wool being unfit to be wrought up by its self (unless mixt with _English_ or _Irish_) must have sought a Market here, and been returned again to them in Manufactures, which is the true way to enrich this Kingdom; This would have drawn over great Numbers of People to be employed in the Cloathing Trade, who would likewise have consumed our Product; and as these had increased so also had their Imployment, which would have kept up the Price of _Wool_, things being of value in Markets according as they are supply'd by Nation's standing in competition for Trade, and it must be allowed that it was not the Interest of _England_ to fall its Manufactures abroad had we been the only Sellers, for according as they yielded there, so much is the Wealth of this Nation advanced; This our Fore-fathers knew when they made Laws not only to prohibit the Exportation of _Wool_ hence, but also from _Ireland_, which Laws cannot be too strong, on whose due observation depends our Wealth or Ruin; now if the Trade of _Ireland_ was reduced to that of our other Colonies, and the same Care taken about the Commodities of its growth, our danger from that Kingdom in Relation to this would be at an end, when Methods may also be used to prevent its being Exported hence.
Nor is there any reason to be offered why _Ireland_ should have greater Liberty than our other Plantations, the Inhabitants whereof have an equal Desire to a free Trade, forgetting that the first design of their Settlement was to advance the Interest of _England_, against whom no Arguments can be used which will not equally hold good against _Ireland_.
1. As it was settled by Colonies spared from _England_.
2. As it hath been still supported and defended at the Charge of _England_.
3. As it hath received equal Advantages with the other Plantations from the Expence _England_ hath been at in carrying on Wars Abroad and Revolutions at Home; And on this last there is greater Reason against _Ireland_ than any of the rest, we having lately paid more Money for the Purchase of that Trade than the Profits thereof may bring to us and our Posterities for many Generations; so that 'twould be a piece of great Ingratitude for the Free-holders of _Ireland_ unwillingly to submit to any thing whereby the Interest of _England_ may be advanced, to the Inhabitants whereof they are indebted for their Lands, who have laid down their Lives and spent their Treasures to reinstate them in their Possessions.
As for Corn, Fish, and Horses, whither a Liberty may not be allowed to transport them thence direct for other Markets on Ships first entring here in _England_ is a point worth serious Consideration.
But the main objection as to _England_ is yet behind, a great part of the Gentlemen of this Kingdom thinking it will sink the Rents of their Lands if _Irish_ Cattle are admitted to be brought over alive, others that the Importation of Provisions thence will fall the Price of our own; and though in the former they do not so generally agree, differing according as their Lands are Scituated, and proper for Breeding or Feeding, yet in the latter they more unanimously consent, and cry out, _This is the great Diana of the Ephesians_, the less Provisions are brought in, the more our own will be expended, whereas if they did impartially consider, they would find it an empty _Idol_; Nothing will advance their Lands like Trade and Manufactures, therefore what-ever turns the Stream of these elsewhere lessens the Number of Inhabitants who should consume their Provisions, and when those increase so do the others, which (besides a home consumption by People engaged in Imployments distinct from Husbandry) doth always invite many Foreigners hither, who being Temporary Residents spend our Product, it being a sure Maxim that _where the Carcass is there will the Eagles be gathered together_.
Besides, when the _Irish_ Provisions are broughr hither, those Markets which were supply'd with them thence before will then have them hence, tho' perhaps at dearer Rates, and with them great Quantities of our own; No Man can imagine what Expence there would be of _English_ Cattle were we once fallen into the Trade of making Provisions here, _England_ as well in its Beef as Manufactures exceeding all other Countrys, with this farther Advantage, that the former for Goodness and Price cannot be supplied from any other place save _Ireland_; nor do I suppose it so much the Interest of this Kingdom when Provisions are advanced only by a Home Expence, as when 'tis done by a Foreign Export, the first makes particular Men grow Rich by preying on their Neighbours, but the Nation grows Rich by the latter, when we vend them abroad at good Prices; nor would our Plantations which now take off the greatest part of the Cattle slaughter'd in _Ireland_ spend one Barrel less if kill'd here.
All Trade had a beginning, occasioned by some lucky Accident which put People on new Projects, and why _England_ which hath so many Plantations depending on it should suspect a consumption for its Cattle I cannot imagine; we might then set the Rates of Provisions there, and the Merchants afford to give better Prices for them here, when they shall load them at Home, and save the Charges of going to _Ireland_, without fear of having their early Markets forestall'd thence; and the Planters being now grown rich are likewise able to give greater Rates for them than they could at their first Settlement; _England_ had never a fairer Opportunity of making an Entry on this Trade than now it hath, which would soon consume great Numbers of Cattle, and consequently give Encouragement to our Breeding Countrys as well as the Feeding.
But if a Manufactury is thought fit for _Ireland_, and its Circumstances will admit thereof, let that of Linnen be encouraged, this may draw over Multitudes of _French_ Refuges, and put them upon an Imployment wherewith they were formerly acquainted, which we must assist by the benefit of Importation Custom free, and the Advantage of Fashion; and then these two Kingdoms encouraging different Manufactures will be serviceable to each other, for which Stocks would not be wanting even from the People of _England_, who would delight to see _Ireland_ thrive when their Manufactures crost not ours; This would in time alter the Ballance of our Trade with _France_, when we shall send thither more Woollen, and receive thence less Linnen.
If the wisdom of the Parliament shall think fit by these or any other Methods to make _Ireland_ more serviceable to the Trade of _England_ it will advance both the Lands and Traffick of this Kingdom, and so make us all better able to pay the Charge of this long and expensive War.
[Sidenote: Scotland.]
I shall next say something to the Trade of _Scotland_, which hath formerly consumed more of our Woollen Manufactures than now it doth, since that Nation is fallen on making them there, which they do out of their own Wool, with the help of what they get from us, also of _Spanish_, both from hence and from _Holland_.
But their chief Manufactures are Linnen, Butter, and Herrings; 'twere to be wish'd the former was more encouraged by this Government, with Liberty to bring it hither Custom free, provided they would send us also their Wool, and then our Manufactures would not justle with each other; King _James_ the II. limited their Trade to his Pleasure by Act of Parliament, which I take to be a great reason why that People were so much at his Devotion, but the Liberty of a free Trade was made one of the Terms whereon his present Majesty received the Crown, who hath since given them Encouragement to settle Plantations abroad, such as they shall either plant, or buy from Foreign Princes, which he hath promised to enfranchise with the same Rights and Priviledges he doth grant in like Cases to the Subjects of his other Dominions.
They have also fallen lately on the thoughts of Codd-Fishing, whereof they have great shoals about their Coasts, which formerly they used to pickle and send away in Casks, but now intend to cure after the manner 'tis done in _Newfoundland_.
And doubtless these three things would much encourage Trade had they Stocks to manage them, but those they want; I have heard it discours'd that the Cash of that Kingdom amounted to One Million of Pounds Sterling, but I scarce believe it does to One Half, perhaps not one Third which properly belongs to its Inhabitants; therefore they propose to carry on the Woollen Manufactures Plantations and Fishery by _English_ Stocks, the two last by Companies, which will consist chiefly of _Londoners_, who first promoted the Designs, and will furnish Monies for managing them; Now I cannot think any Nation can settle Plantations abroad to advantage which wants Stock and Manufactures of its own to supply them, the great Profit of Plantations being to encourage Manufactures at Home, and the means to settle them is by giving long Credits to the Planters abroad, and when this is done by Money taken up at Interest from another Nation the whole Profit will redound to the Lenders, so that the _Scotch_ may make Settlements abroad, but if neither the Stock nor Manufactures are their own, they will have only the name of being Proprietors whilst others carry away the Profits, like a Gentleman who pays as much for Interest yearly as the Rents of his Lands bring in, he may have the Possession, but the Userer has the Income of his Estate; so for their Fishing, which being managed on _English_ Stocks will bring them only so much as shall pay for the labour of those imployed about it; The same for their Woollen Manufactures.
On the other side if the Trade to these Plantations is driven by an _English_ Corporation, the _Scotch_ indeed will get Imployments for their Saylors, but all the Product will be other Men's, who will take care for their own advantage to keep the Planters poor abroad, and the Inhabitants from inspecting into it at home.
Besides, that Kingdom being now supplied from _England_ with _West-India_ Commodities at cheaper Rates than they can expect to raise them, will want vent for their new Product when brought Home, unless absolutely prohibited to be imported thither from hence, which will be a new Tax on the Spender, paid only to a Foreign Monopoly; neither can they Export them to sell on equal Terms with the English; so that on the whole I cannot see what advantage the _Scotch_ can make at this time of day by setling Plantations, which if they do attempt, we must besure to take care of _Ireland_, and by reducing it to the terms of a Colony prevent their selling the Product there, which I am apt to think is the main thing they aim at.
[Sidenote: Canarys.]
The _Canary_ Trade brings us nothing but what we consume, and takes from us little of our Product or Manufactures, we chiefly purchase those Wines for Money therefore if it was reduced to the same Terms I have proposed for _Maderas_ it would do very well: By this means we should at least buy _Wines_ cheaper there, and then their Prices must be limited at Home, both on the Importer and Retailer; 'twill be convenient to regulate this Trade, but not to discourage it, for since we must drink Wines, 'twere better we had them from the _Spaniard_ than the _French_, the first takes off much of our Manufactures, the other little, and tho' perhaps the _Canary_ Islands may not, yet I am apt to think those Wines are paid for out of what we send to the Continent of _Spain_.
[Sidenote: Spain.]
This brings me to the _Spanish_ Trade, which I take to be very profitable to this Kingdom, as it vents much of our Product and Manufactures, and supplies us with many things necessary to be used in making the latter; 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_ Eastward into the Streights of _Gibralter_; whither we send all sorts of Woollen Manufactures, Lead, Fish, Tin, Silk and Worsted Stockings, Butter, Tobacco, Ginger, Leather, Bees-Wax; and in Returns we have some things fit only for Consumption, such as are Fruit and Wines; others for our Manufactures, such as are Oyl, Cochineal, Indigo, Anato, Barilia; with some Salt; but the greatest part is made in Bullion, both Gold and Silver, with which this part of the Kingdom abounds, being supplied therewith from their large Empires on the Main of _America_, whither they again Export much of the Goods we carry thither.
The _Spaniards_ are a Stately People, not much given to Trade or Manufactures themselves, therefore the first they drive on such Chargeable and Dilatory terms both for their Ships and Ways of Navigation, that other trading Nations, such as the _English_, _French_, _Dutch_, and _Genoese_, take advantage thereby, only that to the _West-Indies_ is on strict Penalties reserved to themselves, but having no Manufactures of their own, the Profit thereof Returns very much to those who furnish them; indeed of late they have made a small beginning on _Bayes_, but will not be able to hold it when the War is ended; Nor have they so well secured the _West-Indies_ but that it is very plentifully supply'd by us with Manufactures, and many other things from _Jamaica_, which is accompanied with greater Advantage than when sent first to _Cadiz_; for whereas we generally sold them there at Twenty _per Cent_ advance, we do by this Means make at least _Cent per Cent_, all paid for in Bullion, 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; the Commodities we send thither are generally the same; likewise formerly great Quantities of Refined Sugars, till we gave the _French_ and _Dutch_ leave to undermine us, partly by the Advantages they had by the late Imposition on _Muscovadoes_, and partly by the Imprudence and ill Management of our _Sugar-Bakers_, who would not take Pains to comply with the humours of that People as the others did; but I hope if due care be taken, that profitable Trade may be recovered again.
The Commodities we have thence are very advantageous, such as Sheeps Wool, Iron, and Bullion, whereof the first is the best, as being the subject Matter of a great Manufacture, which could we secure wholly to our selves (tho' it cost all Bullion) 'twould be of great Advantage to the Nation, but both the _Dutch_ and _French_ come in for their Shares.
The third part of our _Spanish_ Trade is that to _Flanders_, whereby I mean all that part of the low Countrys now under its Government; whither we send Commodities much of the same nature with those we send to the other Parts, tho' not in so great Quantities; and among our Woollen Manufactures more course Medlys; also Coals from _Newcastle_; but not so much Leather, being supplied freely with raw Hides from _Ireland_, which are tann'd there; This might be prevented were that Kingdom reduced to the State of a Colony, and the Profit thereof would then return hither; We have thence Linnens, Thread, and other things, which are used at home, and shipp'd off to the Plantations.
[Sidenote: Portugal.]
The next is the Trade we drive to the Kingdom of _Portugal_; where we vend much of our Product and Manufactures, little different in their Kinds from what is sent to _Spain_; and from thence we have in Returns Bullion, Salt, Oyl, Woad and Wines; of the latter we have lately imported great Quantities, which as they take well with the People of _England_, so its more our Interest than to have them from _France_, whence our Imports are more than our Exports, and to this Kingdom our Exports are greater than the Product thereof can make us Returns, especially since we have desisted from bringing home their Sugars, a Commodity wherewith we are more advantageously supplyed from our own Plantations, and did before the War furnish Foreign Markets cheaper than they could.
This People were formerly the great Navigators of the World, to whom we are indebted for their many Discoveries both in the _East_ and _West-Indies_, besides the several Islands of the _Azores_, _Cape de Verde_, and also _Maderas_; to these Islands they admit us a free Trade, but their remoter Settlements on the Continent of _America_ they reserve more strictly to themselves, whither they Export many of the Commodities we send them, and in Returns have, Sugars, Tobacco, with some other things, which are again Transported to the _European_ Markets, tho' little of them hither; Their Islands we supply direct from _England_ with our Manufactures, and from the _Azores_ load Corn, Woad, some Sugars, Wines and Bullion, all received in Barter for them, but chiefly the first, which we carry to _Maderas_, where 'tis again Barter'd for Wines, shipp'd thence to our Plantations in _America_; in all these the Inhabitants live well, and are very rich, but those residing on the _Cape de Verd_ Islands are generally a poor despicable People, made up of _Negroes_, _Molattoes_, and such like, who having but little Product to give in Returns are therefore but meanly supplyed with Commodities, and those very ordinary, so that they have scarce wherewith to cover themselves, much less for Luxury; Asses Bieves and Salt being all we have from them, which we generally carry to our Plantations in _America_; Beife might be made very cheap there could it be saved, being purchased for little, and Salt for less, but the Climate will not admit it; the chief of which Islands is St. _Jago_, very rich, well governed, and a Bishops Sea, where they are well supplied, 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 course Cloth they do make, and did once attempt _Bayes_, for which they drew over some of our Workmen, but it soon came to an end, and they returned home again by Encouragements given them hence, so prudent a thing it is to stop an Evil in the beginning.
Since this War they have had great Advantages in their Navigation, for being engaged on neither side they have by that means drawn Imployments from all; _Lisbon_ hath also been as it were a free Port for several Commodities to be thence Transported to _France_, whence among other things it hath been supply'd with Lead, which occasioned once an Order of Council here for stopping all Ships bound thither with that Commodity, esteem'd so useful to them in carrying on the War, but on second Thoughts it was recall'd, for which Order there seem'd to be no good Ground at first, as if the _French_ King, who doubtless would not refrain taking the Plate out of his Churches to support the Charge of his War, should out of Reverence spare the Lead that covered them if he wanted it, and could not elsewhere be supplyed with it, which was not probable, since 'twas so plenty in every part of his Kingdom, one Tun whereof according to a moderate Computation making above Thirty Thousand Bullets; I wish he were better furnish'd with our Product and Manufactures, and we had his Money for them, which would much more weaken him, than the other would enable him to carry on the War; _Ireland_ supplies _Portugal_ with tann'd Leather and Woollen Manufactures, which would be sent hence if the Trade of that Kingdom was well regulated.
[Sidenote: Turky.]
The Trade driven to _Turkey_ is very profitable, which affords us Markets for great Quantities of our Woollen Manufactures and Lead, shipt hence to _Constantinople_, _Scandaroon_ and _Smyrna_, and from thence disperst over all the _Turkish_ Dominions, also to _Persia_: The Commodities we have thence in Returns are Raw Silk, Cotten Wool and Yarn, Goats-Wool, Grogram-Yarn, Cordivants, Gaules, Potashes, and some 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 though it must be allowed that the _Turky_ Merchants carry thither Bullion, and 'twas to be wish'd the Trade could be driven without it, being better for this Nation if we bought all things in Barter for our Product and Manufactures, (which above the Foreign Materials they are made off are all Profit) yet if we rightly consider, we shall find great difference between Buying for Mony Commodities already manufactured, which hinder the use of our own, such as those brought from the _East-Indies_, or things to be spent on our Luxury, such as Wines and Fruit, and buying therewith Commodities to keep our Poor at work, these must be had though purchased with all Bullion, and therefore we ought highly to esteem that Trade wherein we receive so great a part of them in Barter for the other.
[Sidenote: Italy.]
To the several Ports of _Italy_ we ship 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_, but more thereof in times of Peace than we do in this time of War, Freights being high, and the Commoditie dear at home; we bring thence Raw and Thrown Silk, and Red Wool, which are wrought up here; also Oyl and Soap, used in working our Wool; some Paper and Currants.
Both _Venice_ and _Genoua_ have made some Progress in 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 they were, since we have fallen on making them at home.
[Sidenote: Holland.]