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.
But before we enter farther I will consider of one Objection, it having
been a great question among many thoughtful Men whither our Foreign
Plantations have been an advantage to this 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 Improvements in
Husbandry and Manufactures; That the Kingdom of _England_ 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 our Foreign Colonies; Though I
allow the last Proposition to be true, that People are or may be made the
Wealth of a Nation, yet it must be where you find Imployment for them,
else they are a Burthen to it, as the Idle Drone is maintained by the
Industry of the labourious Bee, so are all those who live by their
Dependance on others, as Players, Ale-Houses-keepers, Common-Fidlers, and
such like, but more particularly Beggars, who never set themselves to
work; Its my Opinion that our Plantations are an Advantage to this
Kingdom, and I doubt not but 'twill appear to be so by the consequence of
this Discourse, 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 Princes for our home Consumption,
imploy our Poor, and encourage our Navigation; for I take _England_ and
all its Plantations to be one great Body, those being 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 for Bullion, or such Commodities as we must pay for therein,
brings a second Profit to the Nation.
These Plantations are either the great Continent from _Hudson's Bay_
Northward to _Florida_ Southward, containing _Newfound-land_,
_New-England_, _Virginia_, _Mary-land_, _New-York_, _Pensilvania_,
_Carolina_, &c. and also our several Islands, the chief whereof are
_Barbadoes_, _Antigua_, _Nevis_, _St. Christophers_, _Montserat_, and
_Jamaica_; the Commodities they afford us are more especially Sugars,
Indigo, Ginger, Cotten, Tobacco, Piamento, and Fustick, of their own
growth, also Logwood, which we bring from _Jamaica_, (though first
brought thither from the _Bay_ of _Campeacha_ on the Continent of
_Mexico_ belonging to the _Spaniard_, but cut by a loose sort of People,
Subjects to this Kingdom, Men of desperate Fortunes, but of wonderful
Courage, who by force have made small Settlements there and defend
themselves by the same Means) besides great quantities of Fish taken the
Coasts of _Newfound-land_ and _New-England_; These being the Product of
Earth Sea and Labour are clear Profit to the Kingdom, and give a double
Imployment to the People of _England_, first to those who raise them
there, next to those who prepare Manufactures here wherewith they are
supplied, besides the Advantage to Navigation, for the Commodities
Exported and Imported being generally bulky do thereby imploy more Ships,
and consequently more Saylors, which leaves more room for other labouring
People to be kept at work in Husbandry and Manufactures, whilst they
consume the Product of the one and the Effects of the other in an
Imployment of a distinct Nature from either.
This was the first Design of settling Plantations abroad, that the People
of _England_ might better maintain a Commerce and Trade among themselves,
the chief Profit whereof was to redound to the Center; and therefore Laws
were made to prevent the carrying their Product to other places, or their
being supply'd with Necessaries save from hence, and both to be done in
our own Ships, navigated by _English_ Saylors, except in some cases
permitted by the Acts of Navigation, and so much as the Reins of those
Laws are let lose, so much less profitable are the Plantations to us; The
Interest therefore of this Kingdom being to prevent any practices
contrary to the first Design, it would be the great Wisdom of the
Parliament to frame such Laws as may more effectually do it than any yet
made; I do not mean Laws whose chief Strength shall be their Penalties,
but such whose plain Methods being capable to be reduced to Practice may
do it without Oppression of Officers, for I esteem them so far weak as
they need the Support of either the one or the other; and it were to be
wisht that both our Customs and all other Taxes might be raised with less
Charge and Burthen than now they are, for which ways might be sound out
if it were well considered of, and then Multitudes of useless People
might be sent into the Vineyards of Husbandry and Manufactures.
Among these Plantations I look on that of _New-England_ to bring least
Advantage to this Kingdom, for being setled by an industrious People, and
affording few Commodities proper to be transported hither, the
Inhabitants imploy themselves by trading to the rest of the Plantations,
whom they supply with Provisions and other their Products, and from
thence fetch their respective Growths, which they after send to Foreign
Markets, and thereby injure the Trade of _England_; Now as to the first
part, it's neither convenient for them nor the Plantations that they
should be debarr'd it, what they carry thither being for the most part
Fish, Deal-Boards, Pipe-staves, Horfes, and such like, which the others
cannot be well supplyed with hence, also Bread, Flower, and Pease; but
then they should be obliged to make their Imports hither, I mean to bring
all the Good; they load at those Plantations to this Market, and from
hence let them be supply'd again with what thereof shall be necessary for
their Home Expence, as they are with all _European_ Commodites; by which
means _England_ would become the Centre of Trade, and standing like the
Sun in the midst of its Plantations would not only refresh them, but also
draw Profits from them; and indeed it's a matter of exact Justice it
should be so, for from hence it is Fleets of Ships and Regiments of
Soldiers are frequently sent for their Defence, at the Charge of the
Inhabitants of this Kingdom, besides the equal Benefit the Inhabitants
there receive with us from the Advantages expected by the Issue of this
War, the Security of Religion, Liberty, and Property, towards the Charge
whereof they contribute little, though a way may and ought to be found
out to make them pay more, by such insensible Methods as are both
rational and practicable.
[Sidenote: Methods to render the Plantations more profitable to England.]
Now the means to render these Plantations more profitable to this Kingdom
are by making Laws.
1. To prevent (as much as conveniently may be) the Product of either to
be transported from the place of its Growth to any other place save
_England_.