Part 4

And if our Parliament men, and Ministers of State should take into their serious consideration, the great troubles, that are multiplyed upon those that endeavour faithfully to prosecute the execution of the King’s Laws, against the Offenders, (cheifly intending thereby, a future prevention of their fraudulent dealings and threatning practices,) and would give incouragement to such publique spirited men, by some especial care taken, for the preservation of their Credits and Reputations, and their persons from troublesome Arrests, and vexatious Suits and molestations, which the Delinquents do multiply against them, by false and feigned Actions, and those coloured over with very specious pretences, but the truth and reality of their intentions and designs is, to ruine and destroy the Reputations, Estates and Families of such as shall discover them, or appear against them. This I say (_viz._ the countenancing and encouraging of all faithful Officers and others,) would strike a kind of terrour to these transgressors, (Smugglers and others,) that do deceive his Majesty of his due Customes, and be a great means to keep them in awe, and good order, and encourage all men to be ready to discover such Offenders, as they might any way find them out by their opportunities, being abroad early and late; and to add to this, that there should be very severe Prosecutions against such Offenders, and let them be abated nothing of the Justice of the Law, which is in such cases provided, and established throughout the Nation: for now it is a sufficient crime, (as the case of late hath stood) to be by such branded with the ignomy of an Informer, or an Informing Knave, though he discover nothing, but what doth immediately concern the King’s Interest and publique good. And by these _Smugglers_ and their Companions, he shall be reputed and said to be, a troublesome fellow, an evil neighbour, a disturber of the Peace among friends, _&c._ because he doth faithful service, according to his Duty, Conscience, and Office, in labouring to prevent their Frauds, and abuses, as frequently by them practised as they can. And if such Officers in the Customes, Atturneys and Clerks, which do connive or comply with such Offenders, were removed from their Places, and Offices, and severely punished, the publique good would be much preserved, Trading greatly advanced, and thereby Gentlemens Estates largely augmented, in their yearly value of Rents.

[Sidenote: _Injury to the Silk-weavers._]

I shall now give a brief description of several Springs, that fill our Kingdome with Prohibited goods, and of several Leaks, that empty the Kingdome of other sorts of our goods, which are prohibited to be Exported out of the Nation: As our Wooll, and Fullers Earth, formerly spoke to, which are by stealth carryed out of the Kingdome, to the great damage and prejudice of the Nation, and many Forreign Prohibited goods, are brought in among us, to the great injury, and undoing of many Tradesmen; as Silk and Ribbon Weavers, and other Artificers in and about _London_, and several parts of the Kingdome, which occasions the great decay and loss of our own Manufacture, with the loss of the imployment of the Poor, to the ruine of many thousands, of men women and children, that have had their dependance, cheifly, if not only, on those Merchandises, which are dayly Imported from _France_, _Flanders_, and other Sea-ports, secretly into this our Kingdome.

[Sidenote: _Wooll Shipped off._]

There are many of our Sea-Port Towns, and several Creeks, and holes along the South-shore of _England_, besides _Dover_, _Rumney Fairlee_, _Hastings_, _Poleston_, _Rye_, _Bredhempston_, _&c._ where these things are practised; and indeed in the Summer time, when it is fair weather, goods may be Landed on the Shoar, and Shipped off from the Shoar, on Vessels all along the Coast, almost from _Dover_ to the Lands end, in _Cornwal_; and many times there are both brought ashore, and carried off such Goods as are Prohibited both wayes, both for coming into the Land, and carrying out of the Land, and this done in a fair night, and the goods brought in, lye sheltred in Countreymens houses, which can hide and secure them till there be a convenient opportunity to dispose otherwise of them with safety, and these Countreymen help them to Horses, to carry them to _London_ or other Markets.

Neither do I here mention any thing of the North-Coast, because I have hitherto been altogether unacquainted with those parts, although I have reason to beleive, that the same Smuggling Trade is also practised in those quarters, for their Coast lying over against _Holland_, doubtless the people there are as ready to comply privately, in forbidden tradeing with the _Dutch_, as along the South-Coast, they are with the _French_, notwithstanding there is sufficient Provision made, in our Lawes against such sinister and evil Practices: But about _Kent_ and _Sussex_, are most frequently imported Prohibited goods from _France_ and _Flanders_, and they are goods of such value, that a single Horseman may carry five, or six hundred pounds worth about him, and yet it shall hardly be known that he hath any thing with him.

[Sidenote: _+Chatham+ River._]

Now if these things were well considered, what quantities of goods are privately imported, and so as that they are seldome discovered, with what also comes into the River of _Medway_ (alias _Chatham_) which lies about twenty seven miles from _London_, by Land; and the most convenient River in _England_, (I beleive) to Land goods privately: it would easily appear, what loss it is to his Majesty in perticular, in his Customes, which by these and such like Practices are stollen, and in general to the Trade of the whole Kingdome.

[Sidenote: _Smugglers make many friends._]

It is also well known, that those which steal the Duties of the King’s Customes, and do Import and Export Prohibited Goods and Commodities, are none of the meanest persons in the places where they dwell, but such who oftentimes have great interest with the Magistrates about those places, and seeing they get their money so easily, by not paying the Kings due Custome for their goods, as honest Merchants do, and being Purse-proud, do not value what they spend, to ingratiate themselves into the favour of such Gentlemen, as have authority as aforesaid; and then make it their business by the assistance of such Magistrates, and their countenance, to destroy all such as shall discover their fraudulent dealings, or elce by some small Bribes to stop their mouths, that so these Cheats may avoid the penalty of the Law, and prevent others from the future from discovering their doings.

The King’s Customehouses, ought to be so many locks and Keys to the Kingdome, to let what is warrantable and lawful to come in, and to keep out what is forbidden its entrance, and to prevent the great abuses that are so frequently complained of, both in the Exportation of our Prohibited goods, and the Importation of Forreign goods forbidden by Law; and if the Officers were but as vigilant and faithful as they ought to be, they might easily and readily prevent these enormities with their care and diligence, which are so dayly practised.

[Sidenote: _Blank Certificates a Cheat._]

[Sidenote: _Exchanging the Master of the Vessel._]

But it is too well known, how remiss and careless the Officers are, and neglectful of their duties in many of the out-Ports especially, that it is a thing very usual with Smugglers to get blank Certificates, with the Seal of the Customehouse, to take up their Bonds that are given for the true delivery of their goods at some other Port in _England_; and moreover there is a great cheat in the shifting Masters of such Vessels, as take in such goods, they will oftentimes exchange the Master, before he goes out of the Liberty of the Port, where the goods were Shipped; and yet if all these things fail, and their coast Bonds come to be forfeited and put into Suit, it is not to be exprest, the delayes, shifts and deceitful tricks that are practised by some undersheriffs and their Deputies, in their returns, and in the Execution of the Law, which ought to be done both with speed and justice, but both these are by such persons omitted, and these kind of doings do highly incourage these offenders, in their sinful practices.

[Sidenote: _Farming the King’s Customes._]

[Sidenote: _Injury to the Kingdome._]

[Sidenote: _Springs to fill us with Forreign goods._]

I have also observed that the Farming the King’s Customes hath been an occasion of great prejudice to the trade of the Kingdome, and the publique good; for when the weal and good of the whole Nation, comes in competition with the present profit of the Farmers, they are apt to resolve the question for their own advantage, permitting Prohibited goods to be Landed, so long as the due Customes, for them come into their Coffers, and the under-Officers, knowing what the Farmers their Masters do, are very apt to learn the trade, to let pass our goods out of the Land that are also prohibited: and those Smuggling Merchants that deal in such kind of wares, can easily find out the blind side of such Officers, & that will be bribed, to wink at such their deceitful practises, such an unfaithful Officer shall be highly commended among these theevish Merchants for a brave fellow, one that knows his business, and for a very civil person, that will do a Merchant a kindness upon occasion. Thus evil is called good, and good is stiled evil, as I said before; those Officers that are faithful to King and Countrey, are called Knaves, Troublesome fellowes, evil Neighbours, _&c._ these the honest good men, &c. Good Lord! what a pass are we come to in this Nation? people account it no sin to steal from the King, and now a daies those that practice such things have changed the terme, it is not (by them) called stealing Custome, but saving custome; for my part I am of the opinion, that he that steals Custome from the King to the value of twenty shillings, deserves to be punished as well as he that steals so much from any other man. For as I heard a Scholler once a reasoning, either it is this or that, &c. so I say here, either Custome is the Kings due, or it is not, but no man dares be so impudent as in words to deny it, but they must needs acknowledge it a truth, that it is his due, and if so, why then do they not give to _Cæsar_ the things that are his, according to the Commandement of our Saviour, and the Commandement of the King, and Parliament, it being established by Law, and constituted for the publique good, and the general advancement of the Trade of the Nation, and such Officers as will not comply with these sort of people to cheat the King, are called Fooles, men that do not know their business, but if another had that Office, he would make something of it, &c. but such men minding the faithful and conscionable discharge of their duty to God, to the King and Kingdome; with the blessing of God live better, and do a thousand times more good than others, and may be principal Instruments to make the Kingdome happy and flourishing.

[Sidenote: _Pattent against Transporting Wooll_]

[Sidenote: _do more harm than good._]

I have had discourse with some persons who have had the thoughts of getting a Pattent, to put the Laws into Execution, that are against the Transportation of Wooll, and other prohibited commodities; but I can hardly think they would be careful and diligent in that imployment, except they should reap a considerable profit for their labour, how should they expect to ballance their expence. I refer to the censure of the judicious, except it be by conniving at, (or compounding with) the Offenders; so that by such a design as this, the transgressors may be encouraged to sin more, and more; for if such Patentees should too much discourage that sort of people, that carry off the Wooll, _&c._ to other Nations, (who are the only men that must bring grists to their Mill) it would be as ridiculous a thing, as for Lawyers to perswade people to peace, and by that means lose their Practice; and it is generally beleived, that there would be more Prohibited goods transported then, than what have been before, if the care for the putting the Lawes into Execution, were once committed to Pattentees, for as in other cases of the same nature, the love of Money is so natural, and money so much hunted after, that it may be acquired, that the minding of putting the Lawes into Execution, and men doing faithfully and uprightly their duty, is not a thing now a dayes at all regarded, or taken into consideration as it ought to be.

But I hope that his Majesty with all the Peers of the Realm, and all others, are made in some good measure sensible of the great concernement of Trade, and the sad effects and consequents of exporting our Wooll, Fullers earth, &c. as also of the idleness of our poor people, occasioned by the loss of forreign Markets, for our woollen Manufactures; that I think it is high time for all Loyal Subjects, to give their utmost assistance to discover all Offenders, and make them manifest in their kind, and for all Superiors to give their just assistance that the Lawes may be put into a speedy and severe execution against all Delinquents as soon as made visible.

In the dayes of King _Edward_ the third (formerly spoken of) and since, to the times of our late unhappy confusions, the Trade of Clothing made the Kingdome flourish for many years together, and doubtless would do so again, if our Lawes were but put into Execution, and every one were obliged to discover, and make manifest the Transgressors, for this is not a business for two or three men to do, let them imploy themselves with all endeavours imaginable, but the eyes of all men must be about this matter, tending to such a Reformation; and the Courts of Judicature must be expeditious and severe in the administration of Justice against such Offenders, when once convicted, and let not one of them be spared, who deserve to be punished without mercy: because for a little private advantage, they do their utmost to bring ruine on the whole kingdome: I could also declare other things that might be very assistant to the increase of Trade, and the prosperity of the Kingdome, which is not so convenient to be made publique, before it be debated among the Clothiers and Tradesmen.

It hath pleased his Majesty to plant such Commissioners now, for the management of his Customes, that it is hoped they will do much good, especially in the regulation of the Out-Ports, concerning those notorious evil practises, which have been continually done among them, and for the encouraging of those Officers that are honest and faithful, if they should be troubled at any time, or be any wayes damnified about lawful seizures, by reason of Actions brought against them, that they shall be releived by the Commissioners, and the charges that may arise in such cases at the Law, to be born by the common stock.

[Sidenote: _Concerning Staplers. Quære 1._]

I could say something for the Staplers, though not much, because I cannot find by our Lawes, that any such people were in those dayes, when the Trade and Manufacture of Wooll was first brought into _England_; and yet Wooll was sent to the Staples, and all the Manufacturers thereof, had those sorts that suited best for their trade, and we got and kept the whole trade of our _English_ wooll, and of other Countries to our selves, in this Kingdome, and had the command of the forreign Markets, which was the occasion of the first setling all those Companies, as hath been formerly and briefly set forth; and I doubt not, but that those Staplers will set a gloss upon their business, and without question their money doth speak much for them, lying for the most part in and about _London_, so near to the Fountain of the Lawes; yet I do verily beleive those people have much to answer for, as to the ruine of many poor people, occasioned by their Exportation of Wooll beyond Sea, by which evil practice, the Trade of the kingdome is in a great measure lost, as hath been set forth already something largely; by reason whereof many of our poor people in the kingdome are ready to perish for want of Bread, notwithstanding the great plenty in the Land, and this is because they want work.

I should lose time further to complain, seeing all people are experimentally sensible of the loss and decay of Trade, to the great disadvantage of the Nobility, and Gentry in the Land, as also to the great detriment of the Farmer, and Merchant; although indeed the Poor are most pinchingly sensible hereof, throughout the King’s Dominions, and hence ariseth the want of Money, (the thing by all men complained of) and the fall of Rents occasioned thereby.

I shall now proceed by way of _Quæry_, to propound and insinuate something, that may tend towards a remedy, for these Maladies, formerly complain’d of, and to be a restorative to our decaying Trade, and to help it to life again; for as Physitians having found out the cause of the Distemper, know the readier how to apply what is sutable, in order to the Cure. So here I having I hope discovered the causes, and occasions of our lose of Trade, shall take the boldness to give in tacitly my advice, most humbly begging pardon for such a presumption, and in all submission, presenting my conceptions to better judgements.

Whether it would not be convenient to have a Committee of Clothiers, some of the principal of all Counties, with Merchants of the several Cities, and some other Tradesmen, and Artificers, to be appointed; whose other weighty affairs might not obstruct this great design of reviving and advancing our Trade, to its former height, and luster, and that some of those Gentlemen sit at a certain known place, as their occasions may permit, so that some of them may be ready at all times, to receive Petitions, or Projections from workmen, which may any way tend to the encrease and encouragement of Trade; and for such Committees, to prepare and digest the same, into such a Method and form, as might occasion the Production of such further Lawes (if so thought necessary) for the future, as might restore and advance the Clothing Trade, and the well making of Cloth, and all sorts of goods, both in the old and new Drapery; and the rectifying such abuses among all other Tradesmen, that are any way imployed about the said Draperies.

[Sidenote: _Quære 2._]

Whether all those Laws against Exportation, and Importation of Prohibited goods, and for the punishment of unfaithful Officers of the Customes, and others intrusted that do connive at such abuses (to the King and Kingdome) and neglect the faithful performance of their duty, ought not to be put into effectual Execution, and whether all other Lawes, tending to the same matter, or have any relation to these things, ought not once in a moneth, upon the market day to be publiquely read and declared, especially in the Sea-Port townes, round about the Land, that by this means all the common people, who have the best and greatest opportunities for discovering Offenders, might know the Law, and so consequently know how, and wherein to do the King and Countrey service, such as might be very acceptable to them, and should not be unprofitable to themselves, if they would be careful and diligent to watch and look out.

[Sidenote: _Quære 3._]

Whether all people ought not to be encouraged, that shall discover such as Transport Prohibited goods, either into the Kingdome or out of it; and that care should be taken for them in a very special manner, that they might be protected from vexatious Suits, and Troubles, which are usually brought upon them that do discover such transgressors, that so others may be terrified from such like discoveries, all-though therein, by making known such Smugglers, that they may receive the justice of the Law, they do the King and Kingdome the highest service that may be; and that care may be taken how their Credits, Families and Fortunes may be preserved against the malice of such Miscreants, whose common practice is to multiply troubles on all such as do any way molest them in their unjust designes.

[Sidenote: _Quære 4._]

Whether the evil presidents, on some faithful Officers (being vexed and molested by these Smugglers and their Adhærents) for doing their duty and being just in their places, for the publique good both of King and Kingdome, may not give occasion to many other Officers, to take Bribes, and comply with those Smugglers to cheat his Majesty of his due Customes, rather than to run the hazard of such molestations, to the utter ruine of themselves and Families.

[Sidenote: _Quære 5._]

Whether it may not be necessary to put those Laws into Execution, that appointed Staples on purpose to sell Wooll at, and that none should be bought, sold, or bargained for but in the publique Market, by the Clothiers, or the Manufacturers therof, or should be carryed too or from, any place or lodged near the water-side, under any pretence whatsoever, without the Licences of some Officers, appointed on purpose, except only in the day-time, by publique and open carriages from the place of its growth, to the publique Market, so that all those which shall carry Wooll concealed, and others who with force of armed men in the night, transport it to the water side, in order to their private Shipping it off, with as much obscurity as they can, might be discovered by some honest Shepherds, Husbandmen, Porters, or Watermen, whose occasions call them to be abroad both early and late, and so they have more convenient opportunities to find out such evil doers, than other people have; and that such as do give in Information of such transgressors, shall be Protected and well rewarded.

[Sidenote: _Quære 6._]

Whether the wilful transgression of the Laws of the Land, made & setled by the King, Lords & Commons in Parliament, & continued in, & obstinately practised; be not the ready if not the only Introduction to Rebellion, when such evil doers, as have been formerly spoke of, do make it their utmost endeavour, to destroy the publique for a little private advantage, as hath been already so much complained of, having no respect to the Laws of the Land, that Prohibit such evil practices as theirs, and whether this be not a high contempt of the Authority aforesaid, that Enacted those good Lawes.

[Sidenote: _Quære 7._]