Читать книгу An Essay on the State of England - John Cary - Страница 11

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Trade in general.THE general Notions of a National Trade whereby it may be Discovered whither a Kingdom Gets or Looses by its Managment are things well worth our Consideration. It being possible fora Nation to grow Poor in the Main whilst private Persons encrease their Fortunes: For as in theBody Natural, if you draw out Blood faster then the Sangufying parts can suply, it mustnecessarily wast and decay. So where the Exports of a Nation in Product and Manufactures areoutballanced by Imports fit only to be consumed at home, though one Man may get by theLuxury of another; the Wealth of that Nation must decay, all one as a private Person whoseExpences exceeds his Incomes, though he may for some time live on the Main, yet in the endhe must fall to ruin.

The Profits of England arise Originally from its Product and Manufactures at home, and from the grouths of those several Plantations it hath setled Abroad, and from the Fish taken on theCoasts, all which being Raised by the Industry of its Inhabitants are both its true Riches, andlikewise the Tools whereon it Trades to other Nations, the Products coming from the Earth, andthe Manufacturing them being an Addition to their value by the Labour of the People. Nowwhere we Barter these Abroad only for things to be Eat and Drank, or wasted among our selves,this doth not Increase our Wealth, but it is otherwise where we change them for Bulloin, orCommodities fit to be Mannufactured again.

Its Original.The first Original of Trade both Domestick and Forreign was Barter; when one private Person having an Overplus of what his Neighbour wanted, furnished him for its Value in suchCommodities the other had, and he stood in need of. The same when one Nation abounding inthose Products another wanted supply'd it therewith, and received thence things equallynecessary in their Roomes, and by how much those Products exceeded the Expence, so muchboth the one and the other grew Richer, the remainder being sold for Bulloin, or some StapleCommodities allowed by all to have the same Intrinsick Value. And as People increased so didCommerce, this caused many to go off from Husbandry to Manufactures and other ways ofliving, for Convenience whereof they began Communities, this was the Original of Towns,which being found necessary for Trade, their Inhabitants were increased by expectation ofProfit; this introduced Forreign Trade, or Traffick with Neighbouring Nations; this Navigation,and this a desire to settle rather on some Navigable Rivers, then in remote Inland Places,whereby they might be more easily supply'd with Commodities from the Country, and dispersethose they Imported from abroad.

The Trade of England.I shall now take the Trade of England as 'tis divided into Domestick and Forreign, and consider each, and how they are Advantagious to the Nation, and may be made more so.

Inland Trade.The Inland Trade of England consists either in Husbandry, Manufactures, or Buying and Selling Buying & Selling., the last of which is of least Advantage to the Nation, and rather to be allowed forConveniency then encouraged, whereby one Man lives on the Profits he makes by anotherwithout any Improvement to the Publick, Peoples Occasions requiring Commodities to beRetailed to them by such small parcels as would fit their Necessities, they were willing to give aprofit to him who bought them in greater. And as this way of Trade came more in use, so thefirst Buyer not only sold his Commodities to the Consumer at home, but also dispersed themamongst those who were seated in the Country at a distance in order to supply the Inhabitantsthere, who allowed them a profit on what they bought; this begat the Ingrosing of Commodities,and thence came in skill and cunning to foresee their Rise and Falls according to theirConsumption and prospect of supply; hence came the vitiating our Manufactures, every oneendeavouring to under buy that he might under sell his Neighbour; which way of living beingfound in time to have less of Labour and more of Profit than Husbandry and Manufactures, wasthe occasion so many fell into it. From these Bargains Differences arising encreased anothersort of People which were thought useful, whose business was either by their Wisdoms topersuade, or by their Knowledge in the Laws to force the unjust Person to do right to his fellowTrader, an Honourable imployment at first, and is still so in those who keep to the strict Rulesof its Institution, which Differencies being to be Decided in the Courts of Justice (at first setledin Westminster-Hall, and afterwards for the Subjects ease carried into the Country by ItinerentJudges) these Orators were desired by the Complainants to present their Suites to the King inthose Courts, to be heard and determined by his Judges, and to set forth the Case of the Plantiff,and Produce Evidence to prove the Truth thereof against the Defendant, who also appeared byanother to make his Defence. But as Suites increased, it was thought necessary to confine all toone Method of Proceeding, which was called The Practice of the Court, therefore another sortof People called Attorneys were appointed to observe that Mechanical part of the Law, and seethat all was Regularly and Formally managed; hence arose Sollicitors, who were to attend both,as well to represent the Matter rightly to the Orator or Council, as to see the Attorney fit thingsfor a hearing, and also to Reward them for their pains, so that this Produced another way ofliving seperate from Husbandry and Manufactures: And as Trade increased so Courts of Justicewere Appointed in several great Towns and Cities, which being of different Natures, Multitudesof People gave Attendance, expecting to get livelihoods by them.

Trade brought Riches, and Riches Luxury, Luxury Sickness, Sickness wanted Physick, and Physick required some to seperate themselves to Study the Natures of Plants and Simples, asalso those several Diseases which bring Men to their ends, who in requital for their Advise andMedicines received Gratuities from their Patients: These brought in Apothecaries andChirurgeons as necessary Attendants to their Imployments, all which were maintained bypreserving People in their Healths; many also of ripe Parts were fitted for the Service of theChurch, others of the State; great numbers were Imployed in providing Necessaries of MeatDrink and Apparel both for themselves and other People, such as Butchers, Bakers, Brewers,Taylors, &c. Others to fit things for their Pleasures and Delights, and by this means leavingHusbandry and Manufactures flockt off daily to Livelihoods which may seem to come underthe third Head, who though useful and convenient in their respective Stations, yet these Mencannot be said to Augment the Riches of the Nation, only live by getting from one another,those two being the profitable Imployments out of whose Product and Improvement it gathersits Wealth.

Husbandry.The next part of the Inland Trade of this Kingdom is Husbandry, which Anteceded Buying and Selling in point of time, though the other hath the Precedence in this Discourse, and thisconsists either in Feeding or Tillage, by both which we raise great Store of Cattle, Corn, andFruits, fit for the Food, Service, and Trade of the Inhabitants.

Feeding.To begin with Feeding; and here it would be endless to enumerate the various sorts of Cattle raised and bred by the care of the Husbandman, but those of most Note as they have relation toour Trade, are

I. The Beef; which as it Transcends the whole World in the goodness of its Flesh, so it affordsmany Necessaries for our use and Trade, besides its Service in Tillage, with this we bothnourish our Inhabitants at home, Victual our Ships for Forreign Voyages, and load them withthe several Manufactures wherewith it doth supply us, from the Milk we make Butter andCheese, from the Flesh Beef, from the Skin Leather, from the Fat Tallow, and of the Hornsseveral usefull Necessaries, of all which the overplus above our home Consumption weTransport and sell in Forreign Markets.

II. The Sheep; whose Golden Fleece being the Primum of our Wollen Manufactures doesthereby Imploy Multitudes of our People, which being of different lengths and finenesses,makes them of different sorts, whereof they afford us a yearly Crop whilst living, and at theirDeaths Bequeath us their Flesh and Skins, the first serves for our Food, and the latter we makefit to be used at home, and Traded with Abroad.

III. Horses; whose Labour is so necessary that we could neither carry on our Husbandry orTrade without them, besides their fitness for War, being the boldest in the World, and for allthese uses are Transported abroad, for the former to our Plantations in the West Indies, for thelatter to some of our Neighbouring Nations; but their Flesh is of no use, their Skins of little, theLeather made thereof is very ordinary, only the longest of their Hair is used in Weaving.

There are many other sorts of Beasts, some whereof require no care in raising, others little, others are more tender, such are the Stag, the Dear, the Rabbit, the Hare, the Fox, the Badger,the Goat, whose Skins are necessary for our Trade, and assist in our Manufactures.

Tillage.Agriculture is that whereby we raise our Corn by turning up the Earth, the several sorts whereof are Wheat, Rye, Barly, Pease, Beans, Fetches, Oats, which not only afford nourishment to ourselves and the Beasts we use in labour, but serve for Trade, as they give Imployment to ourPeople at home, and are Transported abroad more or less according to the overplus of onrexpence, and the want of our Neighbours, besides the great Quantities used in our Navigation.

These Products of both sorts are clear profit to the Nation as they are raised from Earth and Labour, whose Advantages arise chiefly from their being Exported either in their own kind orwhen Manufactered, the Remainder spent at Home tending only to supplying the use, notadvancing the Wealth of the Nation; now these Exports being according to the Rates and Prizesthey bear in other Countries, and those Rates arising from the Proportion their Lands hold withours in their Yearly Rents, are not so great in specie as when workt up, Butter is the greatest,wherewith we supply many Forreign Markets, and did formerly more, till by making it bad andusing Tricks to increase its weight, we have much lost that Trade, and are now almost beat outof it by Ireland, which every day makes better as we make worse, besides they undersell us inthe Price, as they do also in Beef, occasioned by the low Rents of their Lands, and moreespecially by the Act of Prohibition, which put that Nation on finding out a Trade in ForreignMarkets for what they were denyed to bring hither, which being Exported thence direct yeildsthem greater profit, the sweetness whereof hath encouraged them to take more care, and thishath raised them from a Sloathful to be an Industrious People. As for Corn, Forreign Marketsare supplyed therewith both from thence and other places in the Sound, also from the WesternIslands, cheaper then the price of our Lands will admit. But our Plantations have still someDependance on us for our Product, and would more if that Act was removed, and Ireland madea Colony on the same Terms with them.

The other Fruits of the Earth, as Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plumbs, together with the Herbs and Plants, also the Fowls and Fish taken in this Land, serve rather for our Delight and Food thanTrade. Some Cider we do Export, also Spirits raised by the Distiller both from some of these,and also from many other things.

Fish.On the Sea Coasts we catch great Quantities of Herrings and Pilchards, which we save, and sell in Forreign Markets.

Minerals.Nor is this all the Product of our Earth, whose Womb being big with Treasure longs to be Delivered, and after many Throws brings forth Lead, Tin, Copper, Calamy, Coal, Culm, Iron,Allom, Copperas, and sundry other Minerals, which return us great Treasure from ForreignMarkets whither they are Exported; besides the several Shrubs and Trees that adorn our Fields,among which the Oak, the Ash, and the Elm, are the chiefest, these not only serve in Buildingour Sips, but do also furnish us with Materials wherewith our Arificers make many things fit forForregn Commerce, and it were much to be wisht better care were taken for preserving Timber,lest out Posterities want what we so Prodigally squander away.

Manufactures.The next thing is our Manufactures, whereby we Improve the value of our Products by the Labour of our Inhabitants, and make them useful in sundry manners both for our selves andothers, fitting them for such Services as of their own Natures without the help of Art theywould not have been proper, and those to suit the Necessities and Humours both of our own andForeign Countries to which we Export them, where they yield a price not only according to thetrue value of the Materials and Labour, but an overplus likewise suitable to the Necessity andFancy of the Buyer, and this adds to the profit of the Nation, and increases its Wealth.

These Manufactures as they Imploy Multitudes of People in their making, so also in Transporting them, and fetching several Forreign Materials used with our own, such as Oyl,Dye-stuffe, Silk, Wool, Cotten, Barrilia, and many others, which are either Manufactured hereof themselves, or wrought up with our Product.

Sheeps Wool.And first to begin with Sheeps Wool, whereof either by it self or mixt with Silk or Linnen we make various sorts of pretty things fit for all Climates, and proper for the wearing of bothSexes, wherein the Invention and Imitation of our Workmen is so great that they have no Idearepresented or Pattern set before them that is not soon out done; from a strong heavy Cloath fitto keep out cold in Winter they turn their Hands to a fine thin sort which will scarse keep warmin Summer, Ladies may now wear Gowns thereof so light that they can hardly know they havethem on; from hence they fell on Perpets, Serges, Crapes, Stuffs, Says, Rattoons, Gauzes,Anthrines, and many other sorts fit both for outward Garments and inward Linings, of variousColors Stripes and Flowers, some of them so fine and pleasant scarse to be known from Silk;besides those multitudes of courser Clothes for the Poor, also Rugs, Blankets, and all Furniturefor Houses, and such a Progress have they made in this sort of Manufactures, that a Man mayhave his Picture wrought in Tapestry with the same exactness both for Life and Colors as ifdrawn with a curious Pencil; for this I refer the Reader to those Hangings at the Custom-Housein London, where he may see the several Officers so lively represented in their Stations, thatwant of Motion seems to be the only thing which differs them from their Originals; OneWorkman endeavouring to exceed another they make things to answer all the ends of Silks,Calicoes, and Linnen, of bare Sheeps Wool, which if they were by Fashion brought intowearing would then be thought as handsom; fine Flannel for Shirts; white Crape forNeckclothes, Cuffs, and Head-Dresses; besides the pretty Laces, whereof we see various sortsused about the Dead; and Caduce of several Colours in imitation of Ribbons; also Hats, Stockings, and many such things are made of Wool and other Mixtures, both worn at home and Exported abroad.

Cotton Wool.The next Material for our Manufactures is Cotton-Wool, which is now become a great Imployment for the Poor, and so adds to the Wealth of the Nation; this being curiously picktand spun makes Dimities, Tapes, Stockings, Gloves, besides several things wove fit for use, asPetticoats, wastcoats, and Drawers, of different Fancies and Stripes, and I doubt not ourWorkmen would exceed the East Indies for Calicoes had they Incouragment; with all which wesupply Forreign Markets besides the Consumption at home.

Hemp and Flax.Hemp and Flax are the Grounds for another Manufacture, for though Weaving of Linnen is not so much used here as of Woollen, yet several Counties are maintained thereby, who not onlysupply themselves, but furnish those Bordering on them with such Cloth as answers the ends ofFrench Linnens, besides which great Quantities of Ticking of all finenesses, Incle, Tapes,Sacking, Girtwhip, are daily made thereof, also Cordage, Twine, Nets, with multitudes of otherManufactures which Imploy the Poor, and bring by their Exports Profit to the Nation.

Glass.Glass is a Manufacture, lately fallen on here, and in a short time brought to a great Perfection, which keeps many at work, the Materials whereof its made being generally our own and inthemselves of small value costs the Nation little in Comparison of what it formerly did whenfetcht from Venice; those noble Plate Glases of all sizes both for Coaches and Houses arethings of great Ornament, and much used, which also shew forth the Genius of the EnglishPeople; and for common uses what various sorts of Utensils are made of Flint fit for all theoccasions of a Family, which look as well as Silver, and 'twould be better for the Nation theywere more used in its stead; besides the ordinary Glass for Windows, and also Glass Bottles; allwhich find a greater expence both at home and abroad by their cheapness.

Earthen Wares.And as for Earthen Ware, though the Progress we have made therein is not suitable to the other, yet it hath been such as may give us cause to hope that time and Industry will bring it to aperfection equal if not to exceed the Dutch.

Silk.Silk is another Material for a great Manufacture, which being brought from abroad Raw we here twist, dye, and weave into different goodness, both plain, stript, and flowered, either by itself, or mix'd with Gold and Silver, so richly brocadoed that we exceed those from whom atfirst we had the Art; besides great Quantities of Ribbons, Silk Stockings, and other things dailymade not only to serve our selves but also to Export.

Distilling.Distilling is an Art so exceedingly Improved in a few Years that had it not met with Discouraging Laws 'twould by this time have attained to a great height; this brings great profitto the Nation, for next to that of making something out of nothing is the making somthing ofwhat is worth nothing, therefore this Art ought to have been Handled very chearily, to havebeen trained up with a great deal of gentleness, and not loaden with Taxes in its Infancy, likethe Hen in the Fable, we had not Patience to expect its Treasure as Time and Nature couldproduce it, but by our Avarice were like to discourage it in the beginning, however it hath stillbore up under all the weight laid upon it. 'Twas a great mistake to appoint Measures by Act ofParliament to the Distillers in their workings, Mens knowledge increases by Observation, andthis is the reason why one Age exceeds another in any sort of Mistery, because they improvethe Notions of their Predecessors, therefore confining Distilling only to Corn was an Error, 'tistrue other things were allowed to be used, but on such Terms and Restrictions as were next to aProhibition, had the makers of that Law then Prohibited Coffee and Tea to be drank in PublickHouses it might more probably have answered their ends in advancing the price of Barly by agreater consumption of Ale, and by degrees the Distillers would have fallen on that Commoditythemselves, using it with other mixtures, and thereby drawing from it a cleaner Spirit then itdoth afford of it self, which they might in time have Rectified to such a fineness as to haveincreased very much its use. No Nation can give more incouragement to the Mistery ofDistilling then England, whose Plantations being many and well Peopled where those Spiritsare so necessary and useful for the Inhabitants, and these depending wholly on us for all things,might have been supplied with them hence only, besides the great Quantities used in ourNavigation, therefore a total Prohibition of their Importation from other Nations (who makethem generally of such things which are else of little value) would be very convenient: We havemany Materials of our own Product to work on, such as are Melasses, Cyder, Perry, Barly, &c.all which in time they would have used, for as the Distillers found their sales increased theywould have made new Essays: It was a great discouragement both to them, and also to theSugar Bakers and Brewers, to hinder Distilling on Mellasses, Scum, Tilts, and Wash, a fault theDutch nor no Trading Nation besides our selves would have been guilty of, and proceeded fromill Advice given that Parliament by those who under pretence of advancing Corn designed todiscourage Distilling, only took it by that handle they thought would be best received in theHouse, which being generally made up of Gentlemen unskilful in Trade lookt no deeper into itthan as it answered that plausible pretence; whereas were Trading Cities and Towns morecareful in chusing Men well Verst in Trade in 'twould be much better for the Nation: I cannotomit what a worthy Member of the House once told me in private Discourse, says he, I havealways observed that when we have meddled with Trade we have left it worse than we found it,which proceeds from want of more Traders in the House, the places we depend on for themsending such Members as are able to give us but little Information, and so partial that we cantake no true measures of them; The truth is great Cities are to blame in this, who ought to thinknone so fit to represent them in Parliament as those who have their Heads fill'd with goodNotions of Trade, such who can speak well to it, and be heard when they speak; Trade and Landgo Hand in Hand as to their Interest, if one flourish, so will the other, encourage Distilling, andit will spend Hundreds of things now thrown away.

Sugar-baking.Refining of Sugars hath given Employment to our People, and added to their value in Foreign Parts, where we found great Sales, till the Dutch and French beat us out, and this was much tobe attributed to the Duty of Two Shillings and Four Pence per Cent lately laid on MuscovadoSugars, whereby they were wrought up abroad above Twelve per Cent cheaper than at home,and though that Law is now expired, yet 'tis harder to regain a Trade when lost, than keep itwhen we have it.

Tobacco.Tobacco also hath employed our Poor by Cutting and Rowling it, both for a home Consumption, and also for Exportation, the latter we decay in every Year, but Methods may beoffered in Parliament to render those two Manufactures of Sugar and Tobacco moreadvantageous to the Nation than ever hitherto they have been.

Tanning.Tanning of Leather is an Employment which ought to be encouraged, as it furnishes us with a Commodity fit to be manufactured at home, and also to be transported into Foreign Countrys; Iknow the Exportation of Leather hath been much opposed by the Shooe-makers and others whocut it at home, and represented as attended with ill Consequences, one whereof is the making itdear here, but would it not be of much worse to confine and limit that Employment to an InlandExpence, on the other side would it not naturally follow that when Leather rises to a great Pricethe Exportation must cease because Ireland would under-sell us, and would it not seem anunreasonable Discouragement to Trade if Tobacco, Sugar, and Woollen Manufactures weredebarred from Exportation only because they should be sold cheaper here; for suppose theoccasions of the Nation could not consume all the Leather that is made, to what a low pricemust Hides be reduced, for no other reason but that the Shooemakers may get more by theirShooes? 'Tis true, if they could make out that those Countrys must then have their Shooes fromus who now have their Leather, I should be of their Minds, but it must needs have a quitecontrary effect, especially whilst Ireland is able to supply them: This proceeds from a verynarrow Spirit, and such as ought not to be encouraged in a Trading Nation; Ireland hath alreadymade great Progress in this Mistery, occasioned by our Imprudence, and should we giveEncouragement to other Countrys we might too late repent it. A good Export for Leather wouldcause a great Import of Raw Hides, which would be more Advantage to the Nation than if theywere tann'd in Ireland, and sent abroad thence.

Iron.Nor can I omit Iron, which is the great foundation of sundry Manufactures, not only used at home, but wherewith we supply our Plantations and other Places abroad, as Howes, Bills, Axes,Cases, Locks, Nailes, and a thousand such Necessaries, the Workmanship whereof adds muchto their Value.

Clockwork.There are many other things which may be and are daily improved amongst us; as Clockwork, wherein we sell nothing but Art and Labour, the Materials thereof being of small value; I haveseen Watches and Clocks of great Prizes made for the Courts of Foreign Princes.

Paper-Mills.Paper-Mills are a Benefit to the Nation, as they make that Commodity from things of themselves worth little; so are are Powder-MillsPowder-Mills.; also ArtificersArtificers., who bring advantage to theNation by supplying it with things which must otherwise be had from abroad for its own use, asalso with others proper to be sent thither for Sales, and when Exported are more or lessprofitable as the labour of the Subject adds to their value; In like manner things are cheaper tous when we pay only for the first Materials whereof they are made, the rest being work done athome is divided amongst our selves, so that on the whole it appears to be the great Interest ofEngland to advance its Manufactures,Methods to improve our Manufactures. and this I humbly conceive may be done these severalways.

By imploying the Poor.1. By providing Work-houses for the Poor, and making good Laws both to force and encourage them to work; but designing to speak larger to this before I close this Tract shall referr theReader to it.

By freeing the Manufactures from Customs.2. By discharging all Customs payable on them at their Exportation, and also on the Materialsused in making them at their Importation; for as the one would encourage the Merchant to sendmore abroad, so the other would enable the Manufacturers to afford them cheaper at home, and'tis strange that a Nation whose Wealth depends on Manufactures, and whose Interest it is tooutdo all others (especially in the Woollen) by underselling them in Foreign Markets, shouldload either with Taxes.

Logwood.Here I cannot but mention that of Logwood, a Commodity much used in Dying, which pays Five Pounds per Tun Custom in, and draws back Three Pounds Fifteen Shillings when shiptout, by which means the Dyers in Holland use it so much cheaper than ours;Dying and dressing our Woollen Manufactures at home. now if it wasImported Custom Free, and paid Twenty five Shillings per Tun at its Export, the Dyers therewould use it so much dearer than ours here, and I think it would be well worth Inquiry, whithera Prohibition either total or in part of Shipping out our Manufactures thither and to the NorthernKingdoms undyed or undrest might not be made, I am sure it would be of great Advantage tothis Kingdom if it might be done without running into greater Inconveniencies, which for mypart I do not foresee, the Dutch discourage their being brought in dyed or drest, that they maythereby give Employments to their own People, and increase their Navigation by theconsumption of great quantities of Dye-stuff, and the same reasons should prevail with us todye and dress them here, But this deserves the consideration of a Committee of Parliament tohear what may be said both for and against it.

By not importing things manufactur'd.3. By discouraging the Importation of Commodities already manufactured either from our ownPlantations or other Places, such as clay'd and refined Sugars, wrought Silks, Calicoes, Brandy,Glass, Earthen Ware, Irish Frizes, Tann'd Leather, Gloves, Lace, &c. and instead thereof weshould encourage bringing in the Materials whereof they are made, to be wrought up here; thismay be done by Laws, and also by being in love with our Home Manufactures, and bringingtheir Wearing into Fashion.

By freeing the Manufactures from Excises.4. By freeing the Manufactures from burthensome Excises, which do much discourage smallStocks, who are not able to carry on their Trades and make Provision for such great Payments;the Distillers have long groaned under them, and I fear the Glass-makers now will, especiallythose in and about London, who have another load by the Duty of Coals, besides the Swarms ofOfficers to which we lay open the Houses of those Men who deserve all the Encouragement wecan give them, and ought to have things made as easie to them as may be; had the like Methodsbeen used to our Wollen and Leather (as was intended) we might have repented it at Leisure;Taxes when laid on our Manufactures ought to be raised by such easie Methods as shall giveleast trouble to the Makers: Trade ought to be handled gently, and he that considers theExpences of this Nation at Five Pounds per Head comes to Forty Millions, and the Lands ofEngland but to Twelve, will imagine easie Methods may be found out to raise a greater Taxannually then we pay, without loading either Land or Trade as now we do, a Scheme whereofmay be easily drawn up.

By not exporting Materials till Manufactured.5. By prohibiting as much as may be the Exportation of things to the Plantations fit to bemanufactured there till they are first done here, thus 'tvvas better Shooes vvere Transported tothe Plantations than Leather, so things made of Iron, than Iron it self, this vvould employ ourPeople, and add to the value of vvhat vve ship out.

By securing the Foreign Trade.6. By defending the Merchants in their Trades who export the Manufactures, and making it aseasie to them as may be; To this end good Conveys should be allowed, and good Cruisersmaintain'd to preserve their Ships, it being certain that what-ever is diminish'd out of theMerchants Stock doth so far disable him in Trade, and then consequently lessen his Exports andImports; Courts of Merchants should be also erected for the speedy deciding all differencesrelating to Sea Affairs,Counrts of Merchants. which are better ended by those who understand them, than they are inWestminster-Hall, where all things are tried by the Nice Rules of Law, to whom after muchAttendance and Expence they are often referred by the Judges, by this means they would seeshort ends to their differences, and not be detained at home to attend long Issues; but there canbe no general Rules given for these Courts, which must be settled according as they best suitthe convenience of every Trading City.

I am of opinion that the Trade of this Kingdom might be secured with no greater Expence to the Government than now 'tis at, but then better Methods must be taken, and Men employed whoseInterests it is to see them put in Execution: When we first began this War the Nation had manyDifficulties to cope with, the French seemed to vye with us at Sea, whilst their Armies outnumber'd ours at Land, but now blessed be God the Scale is turned, we force their Garrisonsand storm their Castles whilst they look on unable to relieve, and at the same time ourNavy-Royal blocks up theirs, whilst our smaller Fleets Bombard their Sea-Port Towns, we not onlyride Admirals in the British Seas but also in the Mediterranean, and yet do now suffer moreLoss in our Navigation than formerly we did; The French are come to a new way of fighting,they set out no Fleet, but their Privateers swarm and cover the Sea like Locusts, they hang onour Trade like Horse-Leeches, and draw from it more Blood than it is well able to spare, whilstwe still go on as we did, without new Methods to countermine them; The French King breedsup a Nursery of Seamen at our Charge, whilst his Subjects are made Rich by our Losses; theAct for Cruisers was well design'd had it been as well put in Execution, the Parliament therebyshewed what might secure our Trade, but left things so discretionary to the Managers, that theMerchant knows not when he receives the Benefit thereof, or how to complain if he doth not,and by this means is in a worse Condition than he was before the making that Law, adventuringlarger because he thinks he Trades securer; I confess for my own part I value nothing thatcannot be reduced to a certainty in its practice, things seem difficult to those who do notunderstand them, if we are to Besiege a Town we make use of Soldiers, if to storm a Castle,Engineers, if to build a Ship, Carpenters, and so in lesser things, and yet Gentlemen are thoughtfit to sit at Helm, and steer the Ship wherein is Embarqu'd the Treasure of our Trade, who arealtogether unskill'd therein, on whose good Conduct the Nation's Weale or Woe depends; Thusthings do fall into Confusion, whilst Men undertake what they do not understand and set theNation in a flame, whilst they injudiciously guide the Chariot of the Sun; This makes ForeignCommodities dear, and advances the Prizes of Materials used in our Manufactures, so that asTrade grows worse Expences grow greater, and at the same time no Body is a Gainer, TheMerchant pays such high Fraights and Insurances, that he gets little by Trade tho' he sells hisImports for great Prizes; and yet the Insurers complain they lose by underwriting, and thereforeadvance their Premios, which is a new advance on Trade; and the Owners of Ships get nothingby their Fraights, because they pay great Wages to the Saylors, and meet with such Delays bothat home and abroad that the length of time eats up all their Profits, so that Fraights must ratherrise than fall; nor do the Saylors get, who generally brought home more Money to theirFamilies in the time of Peace at three Years end when they served for Twenty-four Shillings perMonth than they now do at Fifty, one lost Voyage bringing them more behind-hand than twogood ones put them forward; Now if Heads well verst in Trade were set at work, Methodsmight be thought on to secure all with little Charge to the Government, and hereby theKingdom might flourish, and be supplyed by the Merchant with Commodities cheaper, whilstthe Insurers underwrote for less Premio, Fraights let on lower terms, the Wages of Marinersfallen, and All got more than now they do; our Numbers of Seamen might then be increased,and every Ship that goes abroad be a Nursery for the Fleet at home; Privateering, which is nowbecome a Trade amongst the French, must then necessarily sink all concerned therein, its ownWeight and Charge would crush it did we prevent their taking Prizes; and no doubt theMerchants of England would not oppose such Regulations in their Trades as they saw were totheir Advantage, or refuse to be at some Charge when they saw those Payments saved Money intheir Pockets, and that the management of things was put into the Hands of Persons engaged inthe common Interest of Trade with themselves: This seems to me of great Importance in ourManufactures, when the foreign Materials shall be furnished cheaper to the Maker; besides ifTrade were well secured the War would scarce be felt, Losses by Sea discourage the City, andthe ill Consequences thereof reach the Country, whereby both suffer more than by all the Taxesthey pay towards carrying it on.