3. To prevent (as much as may be with Conveniency) the Exporting hence
any simple thing in order to be manufactured there, such as Iron,
Leather, &c. which 'twere better for this Kingdom were first wrought up
here.
4. In Lieu of all to lay open the _African_ Trade, that the Inhabitants
may be supply'd with _Negroes_ on easie Terms.
These are general Rules, but not without some Exceptions; for when I say
the Commodities of one Plantation should not be carried to another, I
mean those only which are fit for Trade, and may be brought hither, and
be hence disperst again, as Sugars, Cotton, Indigoe, Tobacco, Ginger, and
such like; but for Provisions, Timber, Horses, and things of like
natures, they may and ought to be permitted, because this Nation cannot
so conveniently supply them hence; and therefore the _Act of Trade_ gave
leave to transport the former from _Ireland_, which hath laid open a Gapp
to that Peoyle, who carry the first Beef to those Markets, wherein they
anticipate us, and get the best Prises, besides the Charges we are at in
sending our Ships thither to load, which they save; Nor is this all, for
going to the Plantations without giving Bonds to discharge in _England_
what they take in there as the Law doth require, they frequently unload
either all or part of their Loadings elsewhere, in opposition to the the
_Act of Navigation_, therefore if a new Law was made that all Ships
Trading to the Plantations from _Europe_ should first give Bonds in
_England_, and for default thereof be seized on their Arrival there, it
would be a great Step towards preventing this abuse, and then plain and
easie ways may be offered to hinder Landing any part of their Cargoes
elsewhere; And when things are brought to this State, that the Product of
our Plantations shall necessarily be center'd here, we may put almost
what Rates we will on them to our Neighbours; it's true 'tis the Interest
of _England_ that what is consumed among our selves should be sold at
reasonable Prises, but the higher they yield abroad the more Treasure
they bring to the Nation, provided we strain not the Staple so as to be
undersold from other Markets; But there must be a Regard had to our
Fisheries, that the Liberty of carrying that Commodity direct to Foreign
Parts be not restrained.
Next by their being brought home unmanufactured they would give great
Imployments here; _Cotten Wool_ by being spun up and made into several
sorts of pretty things; _Tobacco_ by Cutting and Rowling; and _Sugar_ by
refining; for I would have no _Tobacco_ brought home save in Leaf, nor
_Sugar_ above _Muscovado_; the last would imploy abundance of
Sugar-Houses in _England_ to clay and refine it, not only for a home
Expence, but to be transported to Foreign Markets; a Trade we have been
lately beat out of by the Industry of the _Dutch_ helpt on by our own
Imprudence, for no wise Nation would have given such an advantage to a
Rival Trader as by Law to put their Refiners on terms of working _Sugars_
Three Shillings _per Cent_ cheaper than our own, therefore when the thing
comes to be well weighed, I believe 'twill be found the Interest of this
Nation to suffer all those Commodities to be Imported Custom Free, and to
lay a Duty on what is Exported again unwrought, (I mean all _West-India_
Commodities) and to raise an Excise on what is spent at Home, for which
easie and practicable Methods may be proposed; and this would salve all
those Disputes about running _Tobacco_, or drawing back Debentures after
relanded; which Duty might be collected with few Officers, and little
Charge, and the King might have an Account of every particular Parcel how
it was transferred from Man to Man till 'twas paid.
[Sidenote: Africa.]
But if the _Planter_ should complain at his being denied to Import
wrought _Sugars_, it would be abundantly made up to him by opening the
_African_ Trade, that so he might be supplied with _Negroes_ both in
greater Numbers and at cheaper Rates than now he is; a Trade of the most
Advantage to this Kingdom of any we drive, and as it were all Profit, the
first Cost being little more than small Matters of our own Manufactures,
for which we have in Return, _Gold_, _Teeth_, _Wax_, and _Negroes_, the
last whereof is much better than the first, being indeed the best
Trassick the Kingdom hath, as it doth occasionally give so vast an
Imployment to our People both by Sea and Land; These are the Hands
whereby our Plantations are improved, and 'tis by their Labours such
great Quantities of _Sugar_, _Tobacco_, _Cotten_, _Ginger_, and _Indigo_,
are raised, which being bulky Commodities imploy great Numbers of our
Ships for their transporting hither, and the greater number of Ships
imploys the greater number of Handecraft Trades at home, spends more of
our Product and Manufactures, and makes more Saylors, who are maintained
by a separate Imploy; for if every One raised the Provisions he eat, or
made the Manufactures he wore, Trade would cease, Traffique being a
variety of Imployments Men have set themselves on adapted to their
particular Genius's, whereby one is serviceable to another without
invading each others Province; thus the Husbandman raises Corn, the
Millard grinds it, the Baker makes it into Bread, and the Citizen eats
it; Thus the Grazier fats Cattle, and the Butcher kills them for the
Market; Thus the Shepherd shears his Wool, the Spinster makes it into
Yarn, the Weavet into Cloth, and the Merchant exports it, and every one
lives by each other: Thus the Country supplies the City with Provisions,
and that the Country with Manufactures; Now to advise a Government to
monopolize, and consequently to lessen this Trade, by confining it to a
limited Stock, is the same as to advise the People of _Egypt_ to raise
high Banks to confine the River _Nilus_ from overflowing, lest it should
thereby fertilize their Lands, or the King of _Spain_ to shut up his
Mines, lest he should fill his Kingdom too full of Silver; This Trade
indeed is our Silver Mines, for by the Overplus of _Negroes_ above what
will serve our Plantations we draw great Quantities thereof from the
_Spaniard_; a Trade we are lately fallen into by a Compact of the two
Natious, for which a Factory or _Assiento_ is settled by them at
_Jamaica_, where what their Agent buys is paid for in Pieces of _Eight_,
besides oftentimes Thirty _per Cent_ Cambio for running the risque to the
Continent, all discharged in the same specie with great Punctuality.
Nor is this all the advantage the Nation reaps thereby, it hath
introduced another sort of Commerce, and given us Opportunities of
selling our Manufactures to that People, with whom we now grow into some
sort of Familiarity, and may be a means in time to make way for a larger
Acquaintance, whereby we may reap the best part of the Treasure of those
Mines, _Jamaica_ being now become a Magazine of Trade to _New-Spain_ and
the _Terra Firma_, from whence we have yearly vast Quantities of Bullion
imported to this Kingdom both for the _Negroes_ and Manufactures we send
them, which as it was opened for the sake of their having the former, so
when that supply ceases, it will be removed to some other place, and our
industrious Neighbours are ready to receive it, who would perhaps take
more care to encourage it than we have done; for by the slow steps of the
_African_ Company, and the Hardships they have put on the Interlopers or
private Traders, the number of _Negroes_ imported thither hath been so
small, and so much below our promises and the _Spaniards_ Expectations,
that this profitable _Assiento_ or Factory hath for some time stood on
Tiptoe, ready to waft it self to another Island, as it certainly had done
long since if the Interlopers had not given a better Supply than the
Company.
We will now inquire what Reasons should perswade any Government to
monopolize or limit this Trade, and what have been the Consequences
thereof?
As for the first; the necessity of having Forts Castles and Soldiers to
defend the Trade, which could not be carried on without great Charge and
a joynt Stock, these and such like Arguments attended with a Cloud of
Guineas had force enough to prevail on an easie Prince, who though of a
temper not inclined to Mischief, and had natural parts capable to
understand both his own and the Nation's Interest, yet being perswaded by
those _Harpyes_, who like so many Horse Leaches constantly hung upon him,
and required more Treasure than his Income could afford, he was many
times allured to do things which his own Judgment would not allow, so
mischievous are evil Councellors (especially of the fair Sex) to the
good-natur'd Prince.
But let us consider what these Fort Castles and Soldiers now settled by
the Company are, their Use, and whither good Securities for the Trade may
not be made by a regulated Company, out of Stock to be raised on its
Members, to those to be admitted for small Fines, and to pay a Duty on
the Goods they Export, such as the _Court of Assistants_ shall think fit
to settle; which Stock to be imployed for Buying or Building Forts where
thought necessary, and defraying all publick Charges for carrying on the
Trade.
I do not remember that the greatest number of Soldiers proved at the
Committee appointed by the Honourable _House of Commons_, to enquire into
that Affair did exceed one Hundred and Twenty on the whole Coast; nor did
their Forts and Castles appear to be any thing else save Settlements for
their Factors, which (to secure their Goods from the Natives, and the
sudden Insults of other Nations) they guarded both with Men and Guns, all
which was proposed to be done by a regulated Company; Besides, when more
Factories are settled, consequently there will be more People, which will
soon exceed their number of Soldiers, and be more formidable, whilst
every Man fights for his own Interest, whereas those Soldiers (as it was
there proved) were ill provided for, worse paid, and kept only by
Constraint.
It was never made out (or indeed pretended) before that Honourable
Committee that those Forts and Castles were to wage a National War, or to
secure against a National Invasion, the defence of their Guns could not
exceed their reach, which was not above a Mile at most; nor were there
any Magazines of Provisions laid up to expect a Siege from the Natives;
neither could they hinder Interlopers who traded on the Coasts of what
Nation soever; but for that end the Company had obtained Frigats from the
Government, who by illegal Commissions destroyed our own Merchants Ships
(unless permitted on the payment of Forty or Fifty _per Cent_ at home on
the Goods they carried out) whilst they let others alone; This being
seconded by their Factors in the several Plantations, who seized them and
their Cargoes there if they escaped the former, discouraged our private
Traders, who else found no Difficulties, the Natives receiving them as
Friends, and choosing rather to deal with them than the Company; whose
Factories also being at remote distances from each other, great part of
that Coast was unguarded, and untraded too by them.
Nor do I see what need there was to fight our way into a Trade altogether
as advantageous to the Natives as to us, for whilst we supply'd them with
things they wanted, and were of value amongst them, we took in exchange
Slaves, which were else of little worth to the Proprietors; and it cannot
be thought that the People of _England_ who have setled such large
Colonies on the Continent of _America_ (besides its several Islands)
where there was no reasonable Prospect of Encouragement, and have
increased their Numbers so as to be able to defend their first Footings
without the help of a Company, not only against the Natives where they
found any, but likewise against all other Nations, should fall short in
carrying on this Trade, which doth at the first view offer the Prospect
of so great a Profit.
Let us now consider the Inconveniences that have attended this Monopoly,
and consequently the Conveniencies which would come to the Nation by
digesting it into an open and free, tho' a regulated Company; sure if
confining the working in a Golden Mine to one day in a week which would
afford the like Treasure every day to the Nation cannot be its advantage,
no more can the limiting this Trade; for if we send more Ships we fetch
more _Negroes_, and vend more Commodities for their Purchase; besides
every _Negro_ in the Plantations gives a second Imploy to the
Manufacturers of this Kingdom, and had we many more to spare the
_Spaniard_ would buy them, so there can be no Ground for putting this
Trade into few Men's Hands, except 'tis designed those few shall grow
Rich, whilst for their sakes the Nation suffers in its Trade and
Navigation; The Company have made this detrimental advantage of their
Charter, that they have thereby been enabled to buy up our Manufactures
cheaper at home, and to make the _Planters_ pay dearer Rates for
_Negroes_ abroad, than could have been done if there had been more Buyers
for the former, and Sellers of the latter; besides the ill Supply they
gave the Plantations, and the partiality in their Lots and Dividends
there, the effect whereof was that one Planter who was befriended grew
Rich by having good _Negroes_, whilst another was ruined by having none
but bad; and this drew with it another ill Consequence, their Factors as
it were Monopolized Trade to themselves, by obliging the Planters to deal
with them for other things if they expected favour when the _Negro_ Ships
arrived, so that the rest of the Merchants were forced to look on whilst
the others had any thing to sell, and all because they were restrained by
a Monopoly from supplying the Planter with the same Commodity, for which
likewise the Company expected ready Pay, whilst the others gave long time.
This was sully proved before the Honourable Committee at one of their
Meetings, to whom I heard an eminent Merchant of _London_ of an undoubted
Reputation and well acquainted with the Trade to _Africa_ affirm, That on
a former little relaxation of the severity of their Charter, which was
then called in question by the Honourable _House of Commons_, some of our
Woolen Manufactures fit for that Trade rose instantly Fifty _per Cent_ to
his certain knowledge, occasioned by the Multitudes of Buyers, whereof he
was one; and indeed it is not to be wondered at, for whilst that Company
was in power many of the _English_ Interlopers were forced to fit in
_Holland_, where they also furnished their Cargoes, it being thought
cause sufficient to stop a Ship here if any part of the Goods entered out
gave Suspicion she was bound for the Coast of _Guinea_, which would have
made a Stander-by to have thought that the _Dutch_ had given Pensions in
that Court as well as the _French_.
It is not to be doubted but that the Vendding our Product and
Manufactures and promoting our Navigation on advantageous terms is the
true Interest of this Nation, and all Foreign Commerce as it advances
either is more or less profitable, now the Confinement of the _African_
Trade to a limited Stock promotes the ends of neither, and I believe 'tis
one reason why we know so little of that large Continent, because the
Company finding ways enough to employ their Fund among those few
Factories they had setled on the Sea Coast never endeavoured a farther
_Inland_ Discovery, whereas if it was laid open, the busie Merchant that
Industrious Bee of the Nation would not leave one River or Creek untraded
to, from whence he might hope to make Advantage.
It's to Trade and Commerce we are beholding for what Knowledge we have of
Foreign Parts, and it is observable that the more remote People dwell
from the Sea the less they are acquainted with Affairs abroad; _Africa_
is a large Country, and doubtless the Trade to it might be much enlarged
to our Advantage, and better Settlements made and secured if good Methods
were taken; Use and Experience make us at last Masters of every thing;
and tho' the first Undertakers of a Design fall short of answering their
private Ends, yet they may not the Ends of the Nation, by laying open a
beaten Path for Posterity to tread in with Success where they miscarry'd;
when all places in _England_ may freely send Ships, and be permitted to
the management of their own Affairs, this encourages Industry, and sets
Peoples Heads at work how they may outdo each other by getting first into
a new Place of Trade; besides, the more Traders the more Buyers at Home
and Sellers Abroad, and by this means our Plantations on that large
Continent of _America_ would be better furnished with _Negroes_, for want
of which the Inhabitants there could never arrive to those Improvements
they have done in the Islands, the Company having given them little or no
Supply, who rather chose to send them to the latter, because they were
able to make better Pay; But the Interlopers have done it, tho' under
great discouragements from the Company and their Factors, who like the
Dog in the Fable, would neither supply those Plantations themselves, nor
suffer others to do it.
As for the other Commodities brought in Returns from _Africa_, Wax and
Teeth, one serves for a Foreign Trade without lessening the Expence of
our own Product, the other imploys our Manufacturers at home, and is
afterwards Exported to other Markets; and as for the Gold brought thence,
I need not mention how much it doth advance our Wealth, all agree it to
be a good Barter.
On the whole I take the _African_ Trade both for its Exports and Imports,
and also as it supplies our Plantations, and advances Navigation, to be
very beneficial to this Kingdom, and would be made much more so, and
better secured, were it laid open by being formed into a Regulated
Company.
[Sidenote: Maderas.]
The next thing we will enter on is the Trade driven to _Maderas_; and
here tho' I must confess I am in my own Judgment no Friend to Monopolies,
and have not yet seen any reason to alter my Opinion, yet as that
destructive Element of Fire may and often is used to Advantage in its
proper place, and Poyson with Correction makes good Physick, so the ends
of a Monopoly being truly answered, it may sometimes be very serviceable,
such as are the vending our own Manufactures at good Rates in Foreign
Markets, whilst for them we receive in Barter the Product of another
Nation at reasonable Prices; And this effect cannot be produced by
incorporating any Trade into a joynt stock so naturally as that of
_Maderas_, where by the late ill management of our Factors things are
come to such a Pass, that nothing less than this can recover it into a
good Method, the Inhabitants of that Island by the others Imprudence have
gotten so much Advantage of us that they take off little of our Woollen
Manufactures, whilst on the other side we buy their Wines for Money,
which heretofore we purchased in Truck; a Commodity loaden off thence
chiefly by the _English_ Nation, for the _Dutch_ ship little, the
_French_ less, the remainer (except what is spent on the Island, or sent
to Brazile) is drank in our Plantations; and yet we are treated by them,
not as though they depended on us, but rather as if they thought we could
not live without their Wines, prohibiting sometimes one part sometimes
another of our Manufactures, instead whereof they supply themselves from
_Lisbon_, with things tho' not so good, yet such as they content
themselves with to promote Manufactures of their own, so wise are other
Nations to choose rather to wear what is made amongst themselves than
what is brought by Strangers, tho' better in its kind; whilst we preferr
any thing that comes from abroad, only because it does so.
But then great care must be taken that the Profit of this Monopoly doth
redound to the Nation, and not only to the enriching private Persons, and
that it be continued no longer than it appears to be for the public Good,
and a fair Account must be given that the quantity of Manufactures
carried hence do in some measure equalize the Wines loaden thence, also
that the Plantations abroad be supply'd at reasonable Rates; By this
means the _English_ being the only Buyers, and they having put the Trade
into one Hand, may sell their Manufactures for better Prices, and set the
Rates of the others Wines, and consequently afford them cheaper in our
Islands; Thus whereas those two Monopolies of the _East-India_ and
_African_ Companies prey only on their fellow-Subjects, this would make
its Profits on a Foreign People; besides it would as it were create a new
Market in a place where our Manufactures are almost disused.
I confess could it be done any other way I should not advise this, but I
know none, unless those Wines were for some time prohibited to be carry'd
to the Plantations, which would be very inconvenient for the Inhabitants,
who cannot well subsist without them; the heat of the _Climate_ spends
Nature apace, which must be supported, and nothing hath been found so
agreeable to their Constitutions as the Wines brought from that Island.
[Sidenote: Ireland.]
We come now to speak of _Ireland_; which of all the Plantations setled by
the _English_ hath proved most injurious to the Trade of this Kingdom,
and so far from answering the ends of a Colony, that it doth wholly
violate them; for if People be the Wealth of a Nation, then 'tis certain
that a bare parting with any of them cannot be its Advantage, unless
accompanied with Circumstances whereby they may be rendred more useful
both to themselves, and also to those they left behind them, else so far
as you deprive it of such who should consume its Product and improve its
Manufactures you leffen its true Interest, especially when that Colony
sets up a Separate, and not only provides sufficient of both for its
self, but by the Overplus supplys other Markets, and thereby lessens its
Sales abroad; This to a Kingdom so much made up of Manufactures as
_England_ is must needs be attended with great Disadvantages, and yet to
maintain a good Correspondence with _Ireland_ is very convenient, I shall
therefore consider what Topicks may be laid down as general Rules for the
Advantage of the former, and best agreeable with the true Interest of the
latter.
It was a Question once put by _Pilate_, what is Truth? And when he had
said this he went out again unto the _Jews_, &c. which Question seems to
me rather to arise from a Perturbation in his own Mind occasioned by the
fluctuating of several Interests, than from any Desire he had to receive
an answer, for we do not find he staid to expect it; and the Consequence
shew'd 'twas so, for his being willing to do the _Jews_ a pleasure, and
fearing lest he should not be accounted a Friend to _Cæsar_, made him
pass Sentence against his Judgment on an innocent Person, of whom he
confest, he found no fault in him; Interest doth generally biass our
Judgments in such a manner that the very supposing a thing to be so makes
us uneasie under any Discourse that perswades only to enquire into it;
but Truth is the same still, and the easiest way to discover it is by
walking in the Paths of Plainness; Falshood wants Sophistry to lacker and
set it off, therefore Men usually represent their private Interests under
the name of a public Good, and thereby endeavour to guild the Pill they
would have go down.
The Heads I shall proceed on are these Two.
1. To shew that _Ireland_ as things now stand is very destructive to the
Interest of _England_.
2. That the Methods which may be used to render it more serviceable to
the Interest of this Nation will also render it more serviceable to its
own.
These are plain Propositions, understood by every Man, and I hope to make
them out with the same plainness.
1. As to the first, that _Ireland_ is now destructive to the Interest of
_England_, I think it will admit of little Dispute; for as long as that
People enjoy so free and open a Trade to Foreign Parts, and thereby are
encouraged to advance in their Woollen Manufactures, they must
consequently lessen ours, than which they cannot do us a greater
Mischief, being the Tools whereon we Trade, when they sink our Navigation
sinks with them.
Now the Advantage _Ireland_ hath above _England_ in making the Woollen
Manufactures will soon give them opportunities of outdoing us therein,
first as it produces as good or rather better Wool, and next as it
furnishes all Provisions cheaper to the Workmen, which renders them able
to live on easier terms than ours can here, and this will in short time
give Invitation for many more to remove thither.
2. But 'tis the second Proposition which will not be so easily allowed;
how the true Interest of _Ireland_ will be advanced by such means as
shall be used to promote that of _England_.
Here we must consider, what is the true Interest of _Ireland_, and
wherein it doth consist? Whither in Trade and Manufactures, or in
Improvement of its Lands by a good Settlement? And I doubt not but on a
strict Scrutiny it will appear to be the latter; for indeed till that is
made, no Trade can be serviceable to any People farther than it doth help
towards it; Nor is it the Advantage of an ill-peopled Colony whose Riches
are to be the Fruits of the Earth to divert any number of the Inhabitants
from its Cultivation, whilst they can find Vent for their Product, and be
supply'd with conveniencies another way; had our _American_ Plantations
done so, they had never been well setled, but much more of their Lands at
this time unimproved; and this I take to be one great Reason why the
_English_ in _Ireland_ have always lain open to the Insults of the
Natives there, the Country being slenderly peopled in the more Inland
Parts; if so, then certainly whatever hinders the Peopling, and
consequently the cultivating and improving the Lands of _Ireland_, doth
so far hinder the advancing its true Interest.
Now nothing doth this more than Trade Abroad, and Manufactures at Home.
1. As they divert great Numbers of People which cannot be spared from
Husbandry.