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Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon Ie cas: Ie symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", Ie symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent 6tre film6s d des taux de r6duction diff6rents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant Ie nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. srrata to pelure, D 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^ > «^^v«iv &^a;: 4%^f€^4 \ ''*?v--t\ iJ^J,, t'*/l ^ 1 ■ • .,5- »»•»» ♦ »»»♦»»»»»*#»'♦♦♦» f '•^0^iiA A N ESSAY O N TRADE. ^,^ [Pric^ Two Shillings.] \ i« ■^iK> •f'. W -vA' •» i^ ^ ^ ' Kt '^■: <* i»i V i'iK' ».«Ni'' '^' y,:^ A' V C Q riT \ V- .«' ^'r A ■ a tv i-^ tiiiiiiV L- V I *, Jj^k A I <^^*,'%. .'^ .-■'• /' ^ir*-^ '<<." V ■«' ■:.- vir ^ Brief E S S A Y ON THE Advantages and Disadvantages Which refpeftively attend France and Great Britain, With Regard to TRADE. WITHSOME PROPOSALS For Removing the Principal Disadvantages of GREAT BRITAIN. IN a new method. qrhp SECOND EDITION Correaed, With large Additions. LONDON: Printed for T. Tr y e, near Grays-Inn Gate, Hdborn, MDCCL. [Price Two Shillings] ■ r .1 o i To the Right Honourable THE Earl of Halifax, 4- Firft Lord Commi/Iioner Fqr Trade and Plantations. My LO|lD, |Erm I T me once more to wait upon Your Lordihip with a new Edition of the enfuing Tr^tife, now greatly ^nlarg- p ■¥;: VI DEDICATION. 'N f-i. enlarged, and, I hope, in (biiie Refpe61:s, made lefs unworthy of Your Lordftiip's Protection. A Treatife relating to the late- refts and Commerce of Great Britain^ naturally feeks to' fllel- ter itfelf under t|ie Patronage of ^n Earl of Halifax. -^ . \ - r V ' ' " 'J But there is ftill a more particular Motive for this Ad- drefs. His Majefty, ever ftu- dious of the Good of his People, in appointing Your Lordfliip Firft.Commiflioner of Trade and Plantations, hath Ihewn the moft vigilant Regard to the Welfare of both, by committing this .--fiin:> import- ^6tion. ' Inte- Greaf age of more ; Ad^ • ftu- jople, dfliip eand moft ifarc this 3ort- DEDICATION. Vu important Siiperintendencj^ to Hands iiniverfally : all6w€^ thfe inoft;able,iand,the nioft (tficljn^ to execute ft) grteat a Tcuft mih increafing Succefs. Yoi:^rrfc.$*df H (hip, in a very Ihort Space of Time, has confirmed our warm- eft Hopes. And Gre(it B/ftaw^ with its dependent Colonies, form to themfelves the moft pleafmg t^rofpedfeon this Occa- fion. We r e not Your Lordlhip's Candour great as your Abilities, this inconfiderable Performance would never have appeared be- fore fo Ikilful a Judge, nor the Author VIU DBDICATIOR Author have prefumed to pro* f€& Himfelf in {o puUick a mank ner, what in great Trudi He is, with the utmoft Re(ped and Efteem, ^^ ^'j ... 'k v^ .. i > 1 i My lord. cZii /jmix rtorrr And mofi Devoted ^;.^hilid/. '.:jO'( ' Humble JSemtmi. v^d;:;n. I "ii' ■* < 5 •.Jt< T Aii THE »4 • f ■-• INTRODUCTION. r-> .' ) '.,■;. li. i: ;. >7^ ) L L Commerce is founded upon the Wants, 7jatural or artifi^ cialy real or imaginary^ which the People of different Coun- tries, or the different Claffes oi Inhabitants of the fame Coun- try, are defirous, in defedt of their own fingle Abilities, to fupply by mutual Intercourfe. If this Commerce be carried on between the In- habitants of the fame Country, with the Growth or Manufidlure of that Country on- ly, it is called Home Consumption : which is fo far ferviceable, as it preferves the feveral Profcflions and Stations of Life in their due Order, as it promotes Arts and Sciences, with a Rotation of Induflry, Wealth, and mutual Good OfHces between the Members^' of any Community. For thcfe Reafons, Trafiick, merely of this kind, is of great Importance, though it neither increafes nor dimmJJjes the Pubiick Stock of National Treafure. B But u I N T R O D U C T I O N. 1 But Providence having intended that there fli'vuld be a mutual Dependance and Connec- tion between Mankind in general^ we find it almoft impoflible for any particular People to live, with tolerable Comfort, and in a civilized State, independent of all their Neighbours. Belides, it is natural for Men to extend their Views, and their Wifhes, beyond the Limits of a lingle Community, and to be defirous of enjoying the Produce or Manufadlures of other Countries, which they muft purchafe by fonie Exchange. Now this Intercourfe with other Nations is called Foreign Trade. And in the Exchange of Commodities, if one Na- tion pays the other a Quantity of Gold or *S/A ver over and above its Property of other Kinds, this is called aBALANCE againft that Nation in farceur of the other. And the whole Sci- ejice of gainful Commerce con/ijls in the bring-- ing this fin gle Foint to bear *. Now there can be but one general Method for putting it in vr . Pradicej * This is fpoken with rerpe«St to the ultimate Balance • of Trade. For in reference to the intermediate Balance, it doth not always hold true. A Trade may be beneficial to the Nation, where the Imports exceed »he Exports y and con^quently the Balance paid in Specie^ if ihat Trade, directly or indiredly, is necejfary for the carrying on of another more profitable and advantageous. But then it is to be obferved, This Trade is not beneficial, confidcred in itfelfy but only as it is relative and fubfervient to the Carrying on of another. This is the Cafe, with refpeft to the greatell: Part of our Trade to the Baltic^, and the K ■^- lat there Conncc- i find it *eople to civilized ghbours. nd their e Limits ifirous of of other by forne ith other s. And one Na- 'd or Sil^ jr Kinds, t Nation hole Sci- )e bring-' Lhere can ing it in ^radlice 5 te Balance ■ Balance, it J beneficial e Exports^ hat Trade, ying on of t then it is confidcred knt to the ith refpefl iltick, and ^9 INTRODUCTION, iii Pradtice 5 and that is, fince Gold and Silver is the univerfal Standard for making an E/iimate of the Value^ and regulating the Price of the Commodities or Manufadtures of both Coun- tries, to export LARGER ^antities oi our o^vn, and import less of theirs ; fo that what is wanting in the Value of their Merchandife, compared with own, may be paid in Gold and Silver. The Confequence of which will be. That thefe Metals will be continually increaf- ing with Us, as far as relates to that particular Trade and Nation, and decreafing with them. And in what Proportion foever their Money comes into our Country, in that Proportion it may truly be affirmed, That our Sailors^ Freighters^ Merchants^ I'radefmen^ Manufac- turerSy ^enants^ Landlords^ Duties, laxes, E^cifeSy &c. &c. are paid at their Expence, h THEPRiNCiPLESof Trade therefore be- ing fo clear and certain in themfelves, and with- al fo obvious to any Man of common Capacity and Application^ it is- a very furprizing Matter. how it comes to pafs, that both Men of good Underflanding are piany times totally ignorant ^a B 2 of "^t Eaji'Indm '. They are injlvutnental m procuring a Balance elfewhere^ though, properly fpeaking, difadvan- toveous in themfelves. Which brings the Matter to the Point from whence we fet out j viz. ** That the whole *' Science of gainful Gommerce confifts, ultimately y in " procuring a Balance of Gold or Silver to Ourfelves *' from other Nations," -•' i - -.•■•*' -" - v . t '«• IV INTRODUCTION. 111 of them, and Merchants themfclves lb divided in their Sentiments about them. ,, if* ^ * r 1^ As to ^t fir ft Cafe, perhaps it may be ac- counted for, if we confider what difadvanta- geous Notions Men of a liberal and learned Education have imbibed of this noble and inte-* rejli?ig Science; on v/hich the Riches, the Strength, the Ghry, and I may add, the very Freedom of our Country, fo effentially depend. Yet it has been reprefentcd as a dry unenter- taining Siibjedt, dark and crabbed, perplexed with endlefs Difficulties, not reducible to any fixed and certain Piinciplcsj and therefore fit for none, but the Mercantile Part of the World, whofe Subfiftencc depends upon it, to give themfelves any Trouble concerning it. But upon a fair Examination it will perhaps appear, that this Reprefentation is very falje and ifijurious in every particular. As to the Second it mufl be indeed confei^ fed, That Merchants themfelves are very often divided in their Sentiments concerning Trade. ,Sir * Jofmh Child, Mr Gee, Mr Cary of Brif ■•> ' :•> ■ tol^ * The Words of Sir ^ofiah Child ftrongly corroborate ■what is here alledged. ** Merchants, fays he, while 4« they are in the bufy and eager Profecution of their *• particular X'^*^**^^* although they be very wife and *♦ good Men, are not always the beft Judges of Trade, :♦* m it relates to the Power and Profit of a Kingdom, »* The Reafon may be, becauf« their Eyes arc fo con- " tinually N. divided . - .* y be ac- idvanta^ I learned md /«/^-i ri&^j, the the very depend, unenter- ►erplexed e to any eforc fit of the t)onit, to rning it. I perhaps ery falje d confei^ ery often g Trade, of£r//- tol^ corroborate he, while )n of their wife and of Trade, Kingdom, ire fo con- *« tinually INTRODUCTION, v toly and almoft all Commercial Writers, have long ago taken Notice of thi^ Difference of Opinions. , But hcy^tv&c Jirange and unaccotm" table it may appear to Perfons not converfant in thefe Matters, there is a very ftrong and convincing Reafon, when the Affair is fearch- ed to the Bottom, for the difagreeing Opinions of different Merchants purfuing their reJpeSiive Interefls. The leading Idea, or the Point aim- ed at by every Merc&nt muft be, in the Na- ture of Things, and \n every Country, a Balance in favour of himfelf. But it doth not always follow. That this Balance is likewiie in favour of the Nation 'y much lefs of other Merchants, whole Interefls may be oppojite to his own. While therefore each Perfon fees in a favour- able Light his own Branch of Commerce, and defires to procure all foible Advantages to that : ■'•'- ';f-.!:;-tT '. -'-'- '-.rN v--^ 'f.'''/' • ■ '■ _-' Traffick, «« tinually fixed upon what makes for their peculiar Gain «' or Lofs, that they have no Leifure to expatiate or *« turn their Thoughts to what is moft advantageous to •« X\iQ Kingdom in general " •^' *' The like may be faid of all Shop-keepers^ Artificers^ *' Clothiers^ and other Manufa£furers^ until they have «' left ofF their Trades', and being Rich, become by the ** Purchafe of Lands, of the fame common Inter eji with *♦ moft of their Countrymen." V --- '- ■ This juftly celebrated Writer was himfelf an Inftance of the Truth of this Obfervation. For, if I am not greatly miftaken, he did not write this very Treatife, Till he had left off Trade, and being Rich^ became by the Pur- chafe of Lands y of the fame cornmon Intereji %uith the Rejl af his Countrymen, ■---■:. ■■■ ■■_ v^* . 'l ii '! ,)i vi I N T R O D U C T I O N. Traffick, on which the Pro/perky of himfelf and his Family, perhaps totally , depends y it is but reafonable to expedt their Sentiments fhould clajhn ' '^; »-- i- ti'^ 'till T^ r^ ^^ :Ii Hence therefore fome have thought. That a Perfon of a liberal and learned Education, w/ concerned in Trade, is ^^//^r qualified to engage in the Study of it as a Science, than a Merchant himfelf : becauie, lay they, his Mind is freer {torn, the Prejudice of Self-In^ terejly and therefore more open to ComiBion in Things relating to the General Good, They add. That though he may not underftand the Buying and Selling of particular Commodities, or the fittcft Time to bring them to a profit- able MAtt^ (which is the proper Provincif of a Merchant) yet he may underftand, in what RefpeBs the Nature of that Trade con- tributes to the Lofs or Gain of the Publick^ with a Degree of Evidence, which perhaps the Merchant never thought of : as being in- deed not concerned, merely as a Merchant ^ in fuch kinds of Difqilifitions, But without pretending to determine nioho are the beft qualified to engage in the Study of this moll ufeful and extenlive Science, let Us rather humbly recommend it to the Attpn" tion of them both. For undoubtedly both have their Advantages 5 and perhaps the Ap- plication of both together, might be more fuc- cefsfal N. himfelf dsy it is itiments Vx: il [it. That lucation, ilijied to CE, than hey, his oirviBion \ They land the nodities, a profit- Province land, in ide con- perhaps eing in- hant^ in ine fM;^^? e Study nee, let e Att^n-' ly both the Ap- ore fuc- cefsfal INTRODUGTI ON. vii cefsful than either of them feparately. If thd One fhoulu happen to be lefs felf-interefted, by means of his Situation in Life, and more open to Conviction in Cafes relating to the ge- neral Good J the Other, for the very fame Reafon, is more Jkilful in the Pra&ice of ^rade, and a better Judge, whether the Pro- jedt, perhaps fo faii^in theory ^ is feajibk in m. As to the Private Inter eft of Mer chant s^ which is here fuppofed to be a Biafs upon their Minds, this, moft certainly, coincides, for the moft Part, with the General Intereft of their Country : andy^ far it can be no Argu- ment in their Disfavour, But neverthelefs. Truth obliges Us to acknowledge. That in certain Cafes, * " A Merchant may have a " diftindi Intereft from that of his Country. " He may thrive by i Trade which may prove " her Ruin." Nay more. He may be impo- veriftsed by a Trade that is beneficial to her. But undoubtedly, the Moment he perceives he is carrying on a looftng Trade, he will quit it, and employ his Thoughts and his Subftance in the Profecution of fome other. Moreover, as it is a Balance m favour of hiinfelf, which is the principal Objed of his Aims and Endea- vours, it cannot be expedted, but of two * Brifljh Merchant^ Vol. II. page 141. ?,vo Ediiion, 1721. See likewifc the Inftana^s thae given to confirm this Obfcrvation, • •• VIU INTRODUCTION. Trades, both advantageous to the Communi- ty, he will embrace that which is moft pro- fitable to himfelf, though it ihould happen to be lefs gainful to the Publick, It is a Max- im with Traders, and a juftifiable one. To get all that can be got in a legal and honeft Way, And if the Laws of their Country do give them the Permiffion of carrying on any particular gairiful Trade, it is their Buiinefs, 2is Merchants, to engage in the Profecution of it. — As to the great Point of National Advantage, or Difad- vantage, this is properly the Concern of others, who St at the Helm of Government, and con- fequently whofe Province it is, To frame the Laws and Regulations relating to Trade infuch a Manner, as may caufe the Private Inter eft of the Merchant to fall in with the General Good of his Country, ■ For thefe Reafons therefore the Appoint- ment of the Board of Trade, muft cer- tainly appear a very wife and necefary Inftitu- tion. The Intent and Defign being, as I hum- bly conceive, to anfwer this very End, And the Honourable Members of it may be looked upon in this Light, as the G u A r d i a n s of the Publick Welfare. \n prefiding over the General Commercial Interefts of the Kingdom, they zreto injpe^ the feveral Branch- es of Traffick, that are carried on, and to give Notice to the Legijlatiire, whether the Profit of the Kingdom, or of the Merchant, is moft promoted. 4 ommuni- moft pro- d happen is a Max- le, To get meft Way. dve them particular ierchantSy As to the or Difad- of others, and con- "rame the de infuch Inter eft of eral Good Appoint' nuft cer- y Inftitu- is I hum- d. And )e looked lANS of frejiding ts of the 1 Branch- d to give le Frojit , is moft Promoted, INTRODUCTION. ix promoted j that the proper Remedies^ or En- couragements may be applied, according as the Cafe requires, by flopping up the former Chan- nels of a difadvantagepus Trade, opening new. ones, which may enrich the Publick and the Adventurer together; encouraging him ioper- feverCy and to enlarge his Dealings in every Branch, which is beneficial to the Community; and in one Word, by enabling the Merchant to find his own private Advafitage in labour^ tng for the Good of his Country. Self andyo- cial Happinefs, in this Cafe, muft be made to unite: otherwife it will happen in this, as in moft other Affairs, that Jocial Happinefs will not be promoted at all. An D as the Affairs of Commerce muft for thefe Reafons ultimately come under the Cog- nizance of the Legifiaturey it were greatly to be wifhed. That Men of Eminence and DiJ- tinBioUy whofe Birth and Fortunes procure them an Admiflion into the Britijh Senate^ would emplpy a little more of their Time in the Cultivation of a Science, fb worthy of their greatefi Regard and Attention. The Intereft of their Country, and their own, do both concur in requiring fuch a Condudt from them. . I beg Leave to mention not only the Intereft of their Country, but their own : For it is a moft certain Fadl, though not fufH- ciently attended to, That the Landed Gentle- man is more deeply concerned in the National C Effe^s I X I N T R O D U C T I O M. EffeBs of an Advantageous or Difadvantage^ cus Commerce, than the Merchant himfelf. If this Aflertion fliould appear a Paradox to any one, I hope a few Lines will convince him of the Truth of it. n ' tweiui Suppose then fome General Calamity to befal the Trade of the Kingdom : — Or, to put a more ftriking Cafe, Suppofc the Mouth of the 7'hamei to be choked up with Sands and Marjhes, (as that fine River in France, the Rhone, really is) fo as to afford no Port worth mentioning for the Purpofes of Commerce : In fuch a melancholy Cafe, the Merchants, ManufaBurers, Owners of Ships, Sailors, and all the Multitudes of Tradefmen dependent up- on this Commerce, would indeed be xhtfirji afFc(fled ; but they would not be the great- est Loose RS. For after the Jirfl Shock, they would eaftly remove with the beft of their Ef- fefts, and try their Fortunes elfewhere. But the Landed Gentleman, what muft he do ? he is bound down to the Soil, and cannot remove his Eftate, though the Perfons are gone, who ufed to confume the FroduB of it. Thus the Evil becomes incurable, and perpetual with regard to him, and every Day increafmg: whereas with refpedl to the Merchant, it was only a Shock at firil:, which he has the Chance of getting the better of, by removing to a more advantageous Situation. : . ' , ■ ■ It ^1 % ■'Wi INTRODUCTION. XI It is fervently to be wiflied. That Provi- dence may never vifit Us with fo terrible a Judgment, as the choking up the Mouth of our Principal Kxvtx leading to the Metropolis of the Kingdom. But the bare Suppofal of fuch a Cafe is fufficient to prove, I humbly prefiime, with irrefiftible Evidence, That the Landed Gentlemen in the Counties adjacent to London^ are more deeply interefied'm the Con- fequences of the Trade of London, than the Merchants themfelves: And therefore. That tho{e Jiippofed Diftindlions of Landed Intereft, and Trading Intereft, in the Senfe they are commonly ufed, are die moft idle andT?^, as well as falfe and injurious^ that ever divided Mankind. :^'>cr-^ci:M^^\ , : . id -n ) .■ .--- n But above all, we muft beg Leave toob- ferve, by way of Inducement to the Landed Gentleman to turn his Thoughts to this Study, That his very private Intereft is rather a Help, than a Detriment to him in the Profecution of it. It puts no wrong Biafs upon his Mind, but diredls him to the true Point of Light,^ from whence to fee, and to judge of thefe Affairs : which is a Circumftance in feme rc- fpedt peculiar to his Situation. For, if we fuppofe the Scene ftill to con- tinue in and about Londoft, (though the lame Jipuld hold true of any other I^art of the C 2 King- •'H' ■•* xii INTRODUCTION. . Kingdom) as the private Intereji of. the l,anded Gentleman arifes from the General Commerce of the Place, he can have no par^ tial Views in relation fo Trade, nor can reap any Advantage from Monopolies^ Exclujive Companies, or fuch like deftrudtive Artifices* The more Perfons there are employed in every Branch of Buiinefs, the more there will be to confume the Produce of his Efiate : fo that he will have no Temptations to complain, That the Trade is over fiocked, or wiih the Prch motion of this Trade, in order to the Decleip' Jion of that. In (hort^ his omt Intereft is rwr- neSied with the Good of the Wbole^ io that.het cannot but be extremely well qualified to un^ derftandy and to promote it, if he will pleafe to make \]{t of the Advantages he is happily pofHefTed of. I .J ,.»■..*?: L'V Xi^::v hA^. 't '^ii .1 ^^,:.-^ . .,. :.V ^ %l ,1 -•^ ^^^.%, -r*' ,- "Mil '■ ."^ % i !v ■'. vH A Bkl £F 1." ' - 1 r r •- * 1 ■ SSSAV on TRADE, ♦ ■ 'V. «»«»iil«»)lll|l«»«M4KM«#«0^f«^l»«^^ • ^ ^., ?tii principal Advai^tages of FitAKCE wifi refpeEl A9 Trade. iN . . . ... . . . ■ I ( ,)HiE Natural Produce and Commodities of the Country, --Irhefe are chiefly Vi\nt%y Brandies, Silk, Linen, Hemp, and Oil. I do not mention Corn 5 for though they raife a great Deal, yet, as they are great Bread' EaterSi they confume a great Deal, and have little to {pare for Exportation, Their Harvefts alio are more precarious than OurSy and often faih II. THfc ■-«•'■ i( 14 An essay on TRADE. 1 .. II. The Subordination of the Common Peo- ple is an unfpeakable Advantage to t/jem in re- Jpe£i to Trade, ^•-'Qy this means, the Manufec- turers are always kept induftrious : They dare not run into (hocking Lewdnefs and Debau- chery ; to Drunkennefs they are not inclined. They * are obliged to enter into the married State ; whereby they raife up large Families to Labour^ and /uep down the Price of it : and tonfequently, hy working' cheaper^ enable the Merchant to fell the cheaper, ' III. The Rules and Regulations they are obliged to obferve in ManufaSiuring their Goods, and Expojing them to Sale, is a great Advantace, tcfthe, Credit of iJicif Manufa(^8ir^, and coniequently to Trade. All Sdrtsof Gobds for Exportation, muft undergo an Infp^dtib^ of the proper Officer in the Publick Hall : there •they are compared with the Patterns or Sam^ /A'i delivered in before. T\it Bad, and fucA as do not anfwer to their Sanciples^ are f(?«^/l catedy with a Fine levied upon the Offender. By thefe means, the fraudulent Defigns of private Traders, who would get rich at the public Expcnce, are prevented, and the Na^ : ' tional ,rr '',*•' * The Law of France y obliges all unmarried Men to ferve as Common Soldiers in the Militia and the Arm)i% unlcfs tliey have particular Exemptions on AccoujU.qf ^^iheir Stations and ProfeJJionst f 1 mon Peo- ?m in rC' 'hey dare I Debau- inclined. married amilies to f it: and liable the tbey are ing their is a great ofGobds JD^^d^ of ill: there 5 or Sam* and fuch 2xe, confif' Offender. )efigns of ch at the the Na^ tional ried Men to 1 the Army, AccoujU.Qf An essay on TRADE. 15 iicnal Manufadhiry conflantly kept up in high Credit. , ;,, , •: *,- ; ., ^^j, ». ;,. IV. 7'heir excellent Roads, their navigable Rivers and Canals, are ofjmgular Advantage to their Tr<7^(?.— Their great Roads are always in good Order, and always carried 07i in a flreight Line, where the Nature of the Ground will permit ; and made at a mod prodigious Expence j each Province being obliged to make and repair their own Roads. And yet there is no Expence for Turnpikes from one End of the Kingdom to the other. Their Rivers are indeed, for the moft Part, the Work of Nature : the Seine, the Loire, the Garonne, and the Rhone, with all the Rivers which fall into them, help to carry on a Com- munication with moft of the great Cities of the Kingdom. But their Canals are their own proper Praife; and equally deferving Admiration on Account of their Grandeur and Contrivance, as for their Ufefulnefs to Trade, in lowering the Price o£ Carriage. Among thefe, that of Languedoc, and the two Canals of Orleans and Briare, are worthy to be particularly mention- ed. By means of the former, a Communica- tion is opened between Bordeaux and Mar- feilles, between the Ocean and ihe Mediterra- nean, without paffing through the Streights of Gibraltar, V'^ i i I i m 16 An essay on TRADE. Gibraltar y and furrounding all the Coafts of Portugal and Spain : and by Viitue of the two latter, an eafy Intercourfe is maintained be- tween all the great Towns fituated on the Seine and the Loire, Many other Canals there are, and many more ftill intended to be made^ greatly advantageous to their Commerce, ' ^^ ' V. I'he French enjcy a great Advantage in the Goodnefs of their Sugar G?/ intage in It is not or wrong Oecononiy lurs, (for 3e fq\ind ?^^/ Us in ommodi- lands are & of Soil; 7, confe- : where- in Mar* the Soil rding co- g Shades, raife and 1 cheaper habitants rt of the :he Eng" nmodity md with VI. rhe An essay on TRADE. 17 i :,sM ~u'.yiii\i ■'v.^ VI. The French Colonies receive all their Luxuries and Refinements of Living from their Mother Country ; which is a very great Ad- vantage to it. — They are not fufferedy nor in- deed doth it appear, that they are much in- clined to go to any other Shop or Market for thefe Things, Neither have they fet up any ManufaBures of their own to the Prejudice of their Mother Country. Indeed, as to the Ne- cejjaries of Life, they fupply themfelves with them where they can j and frequently buy of the Englijh, But this is a Cafe of Necejity, which cannot be fubjed: to Rejiraints, As to Articles of Luxury^ Parade^ and Pleafure^ we very feldom heav that they buy any of them from Us. VII. The manner of ColleSiing their Duties on fever al Sorts of Goods imported^ is of greater Advantage to Trade, than can eafily be ima-< gined. — ^In the Port of Bourdeaux (and I take it for granted fo good a Regulation obtains in other Places) there are Publick Warehou.'es, very proper and convenient^ adjoining to the Cuftom-houfe. And all Provifions and Goods neceflary for the Ufe of their Sugar Colonies, are there depofited by the Merchant, till the Ship fails. Duty free^ paying only a moderate Price for Cellerage. When fhe returns, the Sugars, &c, are landed in the King's Ware- houfes, where they remain, till the Importer D has 'I *? i8 An j;9SAy on TRADE, has found a Purchafer for a proper Quantity : then he pays the Duty for that, and has it taken away, letting the Reft continue. Or if he intends thefe Goods for Exportation, there they lie ready and convenient. By this means he is never driven to Streights on Account of the King's Duty ; and is enabled to carry on a very extenfive Trade with a fmall Stock. The Confequence of which is, That many Perfons are hereby capacitated to enter conjiderably into Commerce, who could not otherwife have done it. For One Thoufand Pounds Sterling in France, will go near as far as Two Thou- fand Pounds in England, — Not to mention. That as there is no Money immediately ad- vanced on Account of the King's Duty, the whole Gains of the Merchant will arife only from the Money a£lually in Trade : now as this is lefs by near one half to what it would have been, had the Duty been all paid at once, confequently he can afford to fell one half lefs than he muft have demanded in the other Cafe. II VIII. ^heir Neighbourhood to Spain, andpre-- fent Connediion with it, is of fo great Advan- tage, as to be worth all their Trade befides. —For it is certain. They get more from the Spaniards than all the Trading Nations in JE«- rcpe. Their Poor from Perigord, Limofm, and other Places, come yearly into Spain to reap their Corn, and gather in their Vintage : and .. . ■ . ^^^rry tuantity : id h^s it e, Orif p«, there lis means :count of :arry on a ick. The ly Perfons rably into vife have is Sterling jro Thou- mention, iiately ad- Duty, the arife only now as it would paid at 11 one half \ the other f' 1 1, and pre-' at Advan- de befldes. from the Ions in Eu-- imofiny and lin to reap itage : and carry Am essay on trade. 19 carry back what they have earned to JPend in France, The Fijhermen from Bayonne, and the neighbouring Places, fupply them with great Quantities both oifrefli and fait Fifli to cat on Paft-Daysy and to keep Lent. The Pedlars and Shop-keepers in Spain are moilly French^ who retire into their own Country^ when they have made their Fortunes, The Towns in Languedoc fupply them with Cloth, Silks, and Stockings ^ Roiien with Hats, and coarfe Linen Stuffs ; Abbeville^ with fuperfine Cloths J Amiens and Arras^ with worfted and camUet Stuffs ; and hions^ with all Sorts of rich Siiks, Gold and Silver Lace, &c, for their Confumption both in Europe and America, In fhort, the greatefl Part of the Produce of the Mines of Potofi is brought into France. Hence it is, that their Payments are all in Silver : and Gold is more fearce in France, in the Currency of Coin, than Silver is in Eng- land, A plain Proof, that they have the great Trade to Spain, as we have to Portugal, IX, Their Addrefs in drawing raw Mafe^ rials from other Cowttries to work up in their own, ferves greatly to enlarge and extend their Trade. —Fr^»«r^ produces fome Wool and Silk, but not a fourth Part of what they manufac- ture. Wool they import from Barbary, the Levant, and Spain, They alfo bring .Wool from Switzerland, Some little perhaps is run from Evglvid 5 but, I have good Reafcn to D 2 believe. 20 An essay on trade. believe, not much. The Quantity from Ire* hind is very confiderable ; which is owing to our own wrong Policy. The beft of their raw Silk they draw from Piemonty the Le- ^uanfy Italy, and Spain, Their Cotton is brought Irom the Levant, and from their Sugar Colonies. And the jl/kes for making l^oap at Marfeilles, are chiefly imported from Eg)ft. ,.^.' t ', ( X. They reap unfpeakabJe Advantage, by the Permtjjton and Encouragement given ta foreign Merchants and ManufaBurers to fet- tle among them, — By this good Policy the Price of Labour is always kept fitfficiently low.- A Competition and Emulation are iraifed, whoi. ihall work, and fell the cheapeft \ which muft turn out greatly to the National Advan- tage, though it may not be fo favourable to the private Interefi of Individuals, For thelc Reafons, the Government is particularly ^^«- tle and indulgent to Foreigners, And the Situation of the Country is greatly affiftant to this Difpofition of the Government. — France is furrounded with populous, that is, prolifick Nations, who have no Trade and Manufadtures of their own tp employ their Poor. Flanders, all Germany on the Side of the "Rhine, Switzerland, Savoy, and fome Parts of Italy, pour their fupernumerary Hands every Tear into France-, where they are carejfed, and received into the Army, or the M v/< An essay om TRADE. 2i the Manufadhire, accorcling to their Inclina- tions. The Rhone is fo eafy and cheap a Conveyance, for the Swarms of Inhabitant^ bordering on the Lake of Geneva, that fo fmall a Sum as One Shilling, or Eighteen Pence each Perfon, will bring them to the chief Manufadluring Town in the Kingdom, viz. Lions, And there are faid to be no lefs than Ten Thoufand Swifs ^nd Germans employed in that City. The Numbers alfo in all the other Commercial Towps are very great, and daily increaiing. 1 al^rft -u '', . . ., . ... ■ >.,. .' ..'■■ .^ ., ,. ,.. .' - -- = '.. ,. , '-k ■■■-, " XL I'he Englifti Monopolies^ which are fo deJiruBive to the Interefls o/' Great Britain, become, for the, very fame Reafin, of the greats ejl Benefit and Advantage to France.— Mar^ feilles is a flagrant, and a melanchoUy Proof of this Aflfertion. For the Trade of this Place hath fouriihed 2tnd increafed juft in the fame Proportion, as that of our Turiy Company fank and declined. All the fine Streets and new Buildings of the City, date their Original from this Period, So that we may truly fay, They were built , and are now fupportedy by the exclufive I'urky Company of England, Moreover, the Englijh Hudfon*s- Bay Company is the only Caufe, which can make the French Settlements in fo wretched a Country as the Northern Parts of Canada, to flourifhj with fo difficult and dangerous a Nav igation, as that up the Bay of St Law^ rence. ? \-\ 12 An essay on trade. rence. It is this, and »9 o^i&^r, is the Caufe that enables them to extend their Colonies, and to underfell the Englijh in all the Articles of Furr; which they apparently do in Times of Peace, tT XII. The puhlick Stock of Wealth is greatfy increafedy by Foreigners of all Countries travel" ling among them, — The Advantages from hence accruing have not been fo much at- tended to, as, I humbly think, they juftly deferve. For while thefe Foreigners refide in the Country, they not only pay for their Food and Board eA^ high Ha fey out they alfo eloath themfelvea with the Manuf azures o£ ity and huy many Cttrivfities. But this is not all. For having contf a6led a Liking to the Produce and Mdm^aBures of the Country they travel- led in, tney continue to ufe them when they are returned to their own ; and fo introduce them to the KnowledgCy Ffieem^ and Appro^ hation of others : This begets a Demands and a Demand for them draws on a Correfpond- enccy and a fettled Commerce. Thefe are the Advantages which the French enjoy by liidx Numbers of Foreigners travelling among them ; whereas they fcarce ever travel themfelves; and by that Means circulate the Money in their own Country. XIII. France enjoys nofmall Advantage^ as it doth not lofe much by the Article ofSmug-^ glingy r #^ .2^ Colonies, Articles 1 Times a ; greatfy s travel-' res firom wch at- ey juftly refide in for their they alfo irei oiity is not ally 5 Produce jy travel- hen they introduce i Appro- md\ and ^rre^pond- fe are the ^ by iuch mgthcm; emfelves; ^/loney in tdvantage^ of Smug' 't.# An essay on TRADE. 23 gling^ in comparison to what England doth.— This is owing to the Stridtnefs of their Govern- ment, the many Spies they have upon every Man*s Adtions, and being able to punifli the llightefl Offence more feverely, and in a more fummary Way than we can, or is confiftent with a free Conftitution to do. Tie Prm'cipa/ Disadvantages of Fr ANCE wifi regard to Trade. I.' I ^HE firft Difadvantage to a free Jl Trade is the Government, which ii arbitrary and defpotick ; and therefore fuch as a Merchant would not chufe to live under, if he knows the Sweets of Liberty in another Country, and has no Attachment of Family, or Intereft to keep him ftill in France, — It muft be acloiowledged, his Property, generally fpeaking, is fecure enough, but his Perjon is not fo. To explain this, we muft beg Leave to obferve, That though there are fixed and fiated Laws in Prance to decide all Cafes of Property, and criminal Caufes, as here in England j fo that a Man may know the Rules he is to be governed by in thofe Refpeds, and can have an open Trial for his Life and For- tune : •t '-*.. i- .# 24 An essay on TRADE. tune : yet there are no Laws to afcertain the Nature of Political Offences, or to circum- fcribe the Power of the Judge; fo that he muft be entirely at the Mercy of the Lieutenant de Police^ and his Deputies ; who can imprifon him at w/7/, without affigning any Reafon, or bringing any Evidence to confront him. And therefore his only Security confifts, in being con- tinually laviflo in the Praife of the King and the Minijlryy and in faying nothing which may aiford the leaft Pretence to the Spies, who fwarm all over the Kingdom, to inform againft him. ....... ^ ,,.. -• ■:■[ ' '\ . /" ' II. l^he fecond Dif advantage to the Freedom of T!rade^ is the Romifti Religion ; which has added to its many other Absurdities, a Spirit of Cruelty and Perfecution, fo repugnant to the Scope and tendency of the Gofpel^^Thext- fore a Proteftant Merchant, if at the fame Time a confcientious Man, will find Jiimfelf very often reduced to great Difficulties, in order to avoid on the one Hand the Sin of Hypocrify, by Com- pliances againft his Confcience, or on the other, the Danger attending the Excrcife of his Re- ligion, and the Educating of his Children in the Protejiant Way. This, I fiiy, will often hap- pen, even at prefenty though the Bigotry of the Court of Fra?ice is not near fo great, as it was in former times. . . . III. AXO'J iii-R 0' ain the rircum- :hat he utenant mprifon ifon, or i. And ingcon- ing and which les, who ^ againfl Freedom lich has a Spirit T7iant to -There- ne Time ery often to avoid , by Com- le other, f his Re- en in the ten hap- igotry of :at, as it ,"\0'j xXi-. R An essay on TRADE. 25 "?5* ^ « A «« • ^' <- * 4.*! •*> ^1*. ^ I III. Another great ^nrdetiy and confe- quently a Difadvantage to the Trade oi France^ is, T/j^ ^r^j/ Number of Religious of both Sexes, — The loweft Computation of thefe amounts to near Three Hundred Thoufand Perfons : a great Part of which Number might, and would be employed in Trade and Manufadlures \ and the Reft might be ufeful to Society in other Spheres. But that is not all j They are a very heavy Weight upon the Publick. Vaji Ellates are appropriated for the Support oi jome of thefe Religious Orders, whofe Fund is continually accumulating^ not only by Legacies and Do- nationsy but alfo by whatever Fortune each Perfon is pojfejjed of, at the Time of taking the Vom, And others, who are of the Mendicant Orders, and are allowed to have no Property ^ become a continual Tax upon the Indujiry and Charity of the People ; and thefe moftly of the middling and Imver Sort. Not to men- tion the increajing Riches and dead Wealth in all their Churches. IV. A fourth great Difadvantage to the Trade of France^ is their numerous and poor Nobility, -^HhQ Nature and Conftitution of that Government, require the Notion of Birth and Family to be kept up very highy as it will always create an indigent Nobility, and con- fequeiitly dependent upon the Court for fuch Preferments as n\iy '^ot dero^c, Qr bring a ' E ' Si::vi :: 26 An essay on TRADE. Stain upon their Family. Moreover, the fame refined Policy induces the Court to make the Military Service be efteemed the moft Hon- ourable ; as it muft render the whole Body of the Nobility, Soldiers to fight their Battles y the Richer ferving for Gloryy and the Poorer for an honourable Support. The Confequence of all this is, That they heartily defpife the Bourgeois *, that is, the Merchant and Trade/-- man : and he, vvrhen he gets rich, is as defir- ous of quitting fo difimiourable an Employ, -. \.^ ■( ■. j: ..\ V.;. wherein. . * In France^ the Inhabitants are ufually dijllnguijhid by three dift'erent Ranks, or Orders ; The Noblejfe^ the Bourgeois^ and the Pa'ifans. Each of thefe are totally diftind from the other. The Pojierity of. the Nobleje arc all Noblcfle, though ever fo poor, and though not honoured with the Titles of County Marquis^ &c. as Noblemen aro here in England, The Pojierity of a Bour- •geois, though ever fo rich^ and though 'the Family have left off Trade a Hundred Years ago, are ftill hut Bour- geolsf until they are ennobled by Patent, or have wiped oft* the Difgrace of having been Merchants, by fome ftgnal Military Service, or have purchafcd fome honour- able Employ. Therefore when the Noblejfe call the Merchants Bourgeois, Burgeflbs, they mean it as a Term of Jv.famy and Reproach, anfwering to that of pitiful low Mecbanick in Englijh. Indeed, by fome Ordonances, tlic Nohlcfic arc permitted to engage in certain Branches o'i foreign and ivhclefalc Trade, without bringing any Stain upon their Family. But thefe Permiflions will have very little Efficacy to induce the Nobility to turn I^lerchiJUs, as long as the A'lilitary Service is ^o highly fxalted in Credit and l-leputation aho-jc Mcichaiidizc. 'J'he very Genius of the Government, makcy it a Scan- D A I, not to be a Soldier .- Laws will have little Force r.gaiall this. 27 iiom An essay ••'TR vDF wherein his Riches cannot fecurc hii Infult and Contempt, Being therefore firous of raifing his own Family to be of tht A'^ blefle, he leaves off Trade as foon as he can, and breeds up his Sons to the Military Pro- feflion, or purchafes fome Office in the Law or Civil Government, which may ennoble them. V. The Trade of France {xxWqv^ another Inconveniency by the Nature of its 7a>:es, — Some of thefe, in certain Provinces, are very arbitrary ; as the I'ailky which is levied moftly upon the poor Peafants and Manufac- turers in the Country Villages. Others are very heavy, as the Duty upon Salty which is Jhockingly oppreffive. Others again, though not quite fo oppreffive, are yet equally impro- perly laid ; becaufe they are upon the Necejfa- ries of Life, which are to feed the Tradejman, and to visual the Shipping, Thus, for Ex- ample, all Sorts of ProvifofiSy Corn, Wine, Butchers Meat, Poultry, Eggs, Fiili, Gar- den-Stuff, and Fruit, pay a Duty at the En- trance of fome of their great Cities. There are Duties alfo lately laid upon Soap and Ca?2- dles. And in the Pais des Etats, where the mo/i grievous of thefe Impofls are not levied, they lay a Provincial Duty upon all Things going in or out of that Province j which makes the Merchandize fo pqffing through, become the dearer at 2i foreign Market. E 2 VL The 28 An essay on TRADE. n VI. The Maitrifesy which To generally prevail in France^ is a Clog to the Tirade of the Country. --^Theie Maitrifes are much the fame as our Companies in Tcwm Corporate ; only we have this Advantage, That in England their pernicious Effects can be more ealily eluded by having Shops, Gf^. within Glafs Windows. Befides, our beft Manufaduring Towns, fuch as Birmingham^ Manchefler, Leeds, and even four fifths of London itfelf, viz. Wejlminfter^ Southwarky and all the Suburbs, have no Com- panies at all. Whereas in France all Tradef- men are obliged to be free of their proper Maitrife, before they can fet up. The Fine for this, in fome Trades, is very coniiderable- And there is alfo in Time of War, an annual Demand of a certain Proportion of Men out of each Maitrife ; which is underftood to im- ply a Sum of Money by way of equivalent. Thus, the more thefe Maitrifes become ufeful to fupply the Exigencies of the Government at a Pinch, the more Privileges they will ac- quire ; and the greater the Privilege is of any particular Company, the lefs will be the gene^ ral Trade of the Country. VII. The French fuftain fome Difad van- tage by their Monopolies, and cxcluftve Charters, — They have an Eaji-India Company at Port I Orient : Mnrfeilks is a free Port for the Le- "•jcint and Barhary Trade j vvhtrcas there is a Duty An essay on TRADE. 29 Duty of 20 per Cent, upon all Merchandize of thofe Countries, if imported into any other Port of France in the Mediterranean, And even at Marfeillesy there is a particular cxclu- five Company for importing Corn and Wool from Africa, Lions is free fc* all Silk cntring, or going out j whereas there is an heavy Duty in the neighbouring Towns ; by which means. Lions may be faid to have an exclufive Char- ter. And there is good Reafon to conclude, there is fomething of the fame Nature for the I'urky Cloth at Carcaffonne^ the Silk and Wor- fted Stockings at NifmeSy the Clothing for the Soldiery at Lodeve^ the Superfine Cloth at Abbeville^ the StufiTs at Amiens^ the Camblets at Arrasy the painted Linens and Cottons at Rouen^ &c. , :....:;; .. • VIII. The French labour under no fmall Difadvantage on Account of the Expence they Utre at in the Article of Shipping, — They have more Men to navigate their Ships than the Englijhf becaufe they are not fo expert Sailors. They muft carry fome fupernume^ rary Landmen, by the King's Orders : They mufi: have many Officers to govern thefe Men, becaufe the Merchant is to be refponjible for them when the Ship returns. Thefe Oflicers will have a grand Table, a Cook, and new Bread every Day. The Ship lies long in Port, if fent to the Weji-Indies to difpofe of the Cargo : Becaufe their Crcolians are faid to be fo 30 An essay on TRADE. fo di/honejiy that they do not care to truft them with Commillions. And fo the Ex- pences of the Officers and of the Crew rnn very high. Add to this, that the Officer be- longing to the Marine in FrancCy will find Ways and Means to give great Trouble to the Merchant, both as to the Choice of Sailors, and of Officers, unlefs he is properly confider- ed : Which is generally done by buying fome Ship Stores of himfelf, or Friends, at an exorbitant Price, - :; v , .;. ;. IX. Th e two National Vices of the French^ Gaming and Fine Clothes^ is a great Hurt to their Trade. — Thefe Expences cannot be fupported but by a large Profit ; and that will always lejfen the Demand at a foreign Mar- ket, if their Neighbours can afford to fell cheaper. Not to mention the fwift Ruin which Gaming fometimes brings on, and the Lofs of Time occalioned by it. ^ ^ ^*'»? ft . X. The Situation of the French Ports, are a great Difadvantage to them, with refpedt to the Hamburg and Norther?i Trade: And in regard to the Southern and Wejl-IndieSy they are not better fituated ; and are not near fo many^ nor fo good as ours, efpecially if we take Ireland into the Account. They have only an Advantage with refpedl to the Medi- terranean^ . -.- v.. To 11 of at tog Vi on % to truft the Ex- rew run Hcer be- ^ill find )le to the ■ Sailors, confider' ing fome is, at an le Trench^ ; Hurt to :annot be I that will ifm Mar- •d to fell mft Ruin and the Ports, are refpe^t to : And in dies^ they )t near fo ally if we rhey have the Medi- To An essay on trade. 31 T o thefe Difadvantages, it has been inti- mated, I ought to have mentioned their many Holidays^ on which they mufi not worky and their pompous Proceffions, which draw the Peo- ple a gazing aftCE them. — The Thought did occur to me before, at the Time of writing the firji Edition: But I Jupprejfed \i then, and now beg Leave to amgn the Reafons; viz. In the firft Place, thefe Things are greatly wearing off in France every Day; fo that the Lofs of Time is not fo conftderabky as one may imagine. Secondly, AUow^ing that fofne Time is idled away during thefe Holidays, and in feeing ProceffionS, &c, ftill, if we cafl up the Account of the I'ime and Money which are ipent here in England by all forts of Manu- faBuren in Horfe-RaceSyjOock-Jightings^ Cricket^ Matches, Bull-Saitings, but more especially in Mobbing and EleBioneering, (all which are not in France) I am perfwaded, we fliall find the Advantage gained over them, on the Score of their Holidays and Proceflions, to be none at all ; and that upon comparing both Articles , together, the Amount of the Difadvantages ^ill be found to be greater on our Side, than ^on thpirs. .!> -. * 1U % •*- \ 32 An ESSAY on TRADE. Tie Principal Advantages of Great Britain with refpeSl to rg r Tr AD E. JJ I ^HE natural Produce and Commodities \^ of the Country 5 Corn, Wool, Lead, Tin, Copper, Coal, Butter, Cheefe, Tallow, Leather. -— All which are not co be found in France^ in that Plenty and jibundance they are in England* IL ^he Number y Goodnefs^ and Situation of our Ports, — Thole on the Wejiern Side of Great Britain (efpecially if we reckon Ire- land a Part of ourfelveSy and include both Iflands under one General Interest, as in Reafon and Policy we ought to do) are almoft as well Jituated for the Southern Trade, ' as the French : They are four times as many in ^ \ber, and much better for Safety, and Depth of Water. And as to the North and Baltick Trade, the French can come into no Comparifon with ours, III. A^^- # •♦ ^ » ^ - An essay on TRADE. 33 III. Nature has been very bountiful^ vi be^" flowing on us fetch excellent Fijheries j particu- larly the Herring'FiJhery, on the Northern Coafts of Scotland^ and the Cod on the South Weft of Ireland, — Thefe great Advantages arc always in our Power to cultivate and improve: And it is our Faulty and our Reproach, that we ^(9 not, IV. England enjoys another Advantage by means of its free Goroernment, — A Mer- chant can go to Law with the Crown, as ea- fily as with a private Subjedi. The Judges are for the Life of the Prince on the Throne^ and confequently not under the immediate In- fluence of the Court. No Man's Perfon can be detained, but a Reafon muft be given, and the Matter brought to an open Trial, where his Equals are to be his Judges, and to decide between him and the Crown, whether he hath committed an Offence againft the State, or not. V. Aii oT HER ineftimable Blefling, and a great Advantage, confidered merely in a Com- mercial View, is the Liberty of Confcience we enjoy in thefe Kingdoms, — Every Man is per- mitted to worlhip G o D in the Way he thinks the right and trne^ without Fear or Referve ; and may educate his Children in his own Reli- gion. The Roman Catholich indeed are under F feme « # :# * %' ^ ^ j|_ % » -» §4 An essay on TRADE. fome %^/ Difcouragements : But it is plain, the Legiflature confidered them rather as a Politicaly than a Religious Sed, when thofe Laws were enaSfed, And the prejent Govern- toent, by its Condud towards them, has given them fufficiently to underftand, That they iliall not be difturbed in the free Exercife of their Religion, pronnded they will give no Dif" turbance to the State in Civil Affairs^ hyfiding with its Enemies, This, furely, is but a rea- fonable Dejaiand : And here the Matter feems to reft. ' ■ '''-' -■' ' '\ X :• - ~ - * "V,.> ^ I '^n 111 ' VI. England has always enjoyed an Ad- vantage in Trade, as its ManufaBurers have 'ever been in high Repute for their Skill ard Ingenuity, —Our Locks, Chains, Clock-work, Mathematical Inftruments, and all Sorts of Cutlery Ware, far exceed all others at this Day, 2ind are defervedly preferred by foreign 'Nations. And our Sailors are confiderably fuperior to the French, in their Art and Dex- terity. " VII. England enjoys a very vifibk' Ad- vantage over France, as the whole Bulk of our People may be conccr?ied in ^rade, if they pleafe, without a?iy Difreputation to their Families.-^ The ProfefTion of a Merchant is efteemed full as honourable as that of an Officer, And no Man need leave off Trade, when he finds himfelf rich, in order to be refpedled as a Gentle- I ^ 9 ^^ is c 1 ^?/ 9 the J can ^ ''■■.'i^ # N -% An essay on TRADE. 35 Gentleman. It is likewife no Scandal for younger Brothers cf the mofl antient Families to be bred up to Tirade and Bufinefs, > V fit VIII. We enjoy a fingular Advantage by our vaft Celonies on the Continent o/America.-^ From Newfoundland to Georgta, is an immenfe Country; where all the Inhabitants do ufe more or lefs of the Growth of their Mother Country; and England, again, receives the Produce and Growth of theirs. This is a mutual Benefit^ and flill ipiproveable. . p> f .• IX. The IJland of yamaica has fome Ad-- vantages over any of the French Iflands, on Account of its Situation, to carry on a bene^ ficial Trade with the Spanijh Main ; the Sweets of which have been fo fufficiently felt during the late War, as to need no farther Illuftration. And this Illand is capable of great Improvements in many other Refpedls. X. T H E very Wants of Great Britain m one Refped:, might be turned into a lingular Advantage vuer the French in another. — '^ is certain, France qannot carry on a Trade to mofl Countries with that Advantage to the Country it trades with, as the Engli(h can. — For Example j The Englijh can trade with the Spaniards to mutual Advantage : If the Englijh export Cloth and Stuffs to Spain, they can take off Fruits, Oil and Wine, by way , i F 2 of # V t- %• i • / ;t 36 An essay on TRADE. ' of Barter. Whereas the French can make no ufe of thefe Commodities, having fo much of their own Growth both to ufe and to fpare, — A Confideration of this Nature, well tinted^ and Jlrongly urged, might have a good Effedt upon the Spanijh Court, to induce them to favour the Englijh Commerce, and difcounte- nance the French, It is owing to the fuccefs- Jul Application of Sir Paul Methuen on this very Head, when Envoy to the Court of Portugal^ that the Englijh at this Day enjoy the whole Trade of Portugal^ and that the French^ in a Manner, are excluded. m Tie principal Disadvantages of Great Britain with regard to Trade. * » ■ ■ I.' I ^HEfirfland capital Difadvantage, J[ is the Want of Subordination in the lower Clafs of People, —This is attended with dreadful Confequences, both in a Commercial and a Moral View. If they are fuhjeB to little or no Controll, they will run into Vice : Vice is attended with Expence, which muft be fupp&rted either by an high Price for their Labour^ or by Methods /////more de/lruBive. The # i* keno ich of timedy EfFea em to ounte- fuccefs" m diis urt of ' enjoy lat the i\ 'iv 5ES of ard to vantage, n in the led with mmercial ubjeB to to Vice : ch muft for their ffrnfiive. The An essay on TRADE. 37 The End of all is Poverty and Difeafe ^ and fo they become a loathjome Burden to the Publick, Nothing is more vijible^ than the great Difference between the Morals and Indus- try of the manufadiuring Poor in France, and in England. In the former, they are fiber ^ frugaly and laborious : they marry, and have Flocks of Children, whom they bring up to Labour, In the latter, they are given up to Drunkennefs and Debauchery: The Streets fwarm with Pro/litutes, who ipread the In- fediion, till they are carried to an Hofpital, or their Grave, The Men are as bad as can be deicribed 5 who become more vitious, nUbre indigent and idle, in proportion to the Advance of Wages, and the Cheapnefs of Provijions, Great Numbers of both Sexes never working at all, while they have any thing to fpend upoix their Vices, II. The prodigious Expence of Electioneer- ing, is anothtr fatal Stab to Trade and Induf try, — It is not only fo much Money fpent, but it is fpent moftly upon Manufacturers ; and fo it gives them a 4'ajle for Idlenefs, and brings on an Habit of Drunkennefs, and Ex- travagance, The Want alfo of Subordination, juft now complained of, is moftly to be im-^ futed to the fame Caufe, as it fets them above Contvc!^, frees them from all Rejiraint, and brings down the Rich to pay their Court to them, contrary to \h<^jujl and proper Order of Society. III. Another %' ^KK 4 ,'i 38 An essay on TRADE. iV -s. ''I V /\.M ^K III. Another very great Burden on the £;7g-///^ Commerce, is the vaji Numbers of Poor i aJid thofe every Day increafing, — If we trace the Matter to its Fountain-heady we fhall find it to be owing principally to the fame Caufes, viz. EleSiioneeringy and the Want of Subordi^ nation. And if a Calculation was made of the Expences of EleSiioneering, and the ruinous Confequences of it, together with the annual Poor Tax, I am ver)^ fure it would exceed, in the Proportion, what France expends in main- taining Three Hundred Thoufand Religious of both Sexes : fo that we gain no Advantage over France in this refpedt, by our own Dtjjblute" nefs and /// Management, IV. Our Trade is greatly burthened by the Nature of moft of our T'axes, and the Manner of Colledling them. — The Cujioms on the Goc ds import edy make thoie Goods come much dearer to the Confumer, than they would do, if the Confumer himfelf was to pay the Duty : and this becomes a flrong Temptation to our People to Smuggle, The Taxes upon the iV^- cefaries of Life, are in Fadt fo many Taxes upon Trade and Induftry, And fuch muft be accounted the Duties upon Soap, Coal, Candles^ Salt and heather. The expenfive Manner likewife o£ colleSlingthcmy is ftill an additional Difadvantage ; fuch as the Multiplication and Splitting of OfficeSy Patent-Places^ Fees, Sine* Cures^ * '^ » by the \danner an the emuch uld do. Duty : to our the AT^- y ^axei luft bs \CandleSy !anner Iditionai 'ion and ISy Sine* Cures^ An ESSAY on TRADE. 39 CureSy PenfwnSy &c. &c. Thefe T'lings indeed cteate a Dependence upon the Court, and are faid to ftrengthen the Hands of the Govern- ment ; but if they do fo in one refpedfc, they weaken it much more in another. They give too juji Caufe for Complaint-, the beji Friends of the prefent Eftablifhmcnt are grieved to fee any Meafures which they cannot vindicate. Repeated Murmurs, where there is a real Foundation for them, naturally tend to alienate the Affe£lion$ of the Bulk of the People^ which abffoe alllL\img%{ho\x\di h^ guarded againft ; be- caufe in Times of aSfual Danger, it is the People^ and not Place-Men and Penjioners, vfhoc^njave the Government, and oppofe themfelves againfl the Invaftons of Foreign^ or the InfurreBiom of Domejlick Enemies. As was plainly feen in the Cafe of the late Rebellion, V. The great Number of Smugglers in England, are of infinite Detriment to Trade, — They carry nothing but Bullion^ or Wool out of the Kingdom, and return moftly with the Commodities of France, They are the necef- fary Caufe of creating many Offices, main- taining Sloops, Smacks, ^c, to guard againft them ; and they furnifh a Pretence for adding many more. Thus they become doubly Mil- chievous. They tempt others to do the like, for fear of being ruined in their lawful Trades by being underjold. The Pradice of Smug- gling debauches the Morah of the common People, # ¥ *•". 40 An essay on TRADE. People, it leaiis them into Perjury, and tutors them up in all Vice and Extravagance. So many Expences incurred, fo many Deficiencies in the Revenue y muft be made up fome other Way j that is, by Duties not fo liable to be embezzled. And therefore Fadl it is, That every Man in paying Taxes for Land, &c. pays for the Da- mage done, or caufed by Smuggling, And yet //// there is a proper Subordination introduced, and the Salification for Voting fomething al- tered from what it is at prefent, it is eafy to fee, there never can be any effeSfual Cure for t\i\s growing Evil. Smugglers are, for the moft part. Inhabitants of Boroughs and I'owns Cor^ for ate: They, or their Relations, Friends, Dealers, Acquaintance, &c, are Voters: And Verbum fat fapienti, , \ \ _ , ,,> VI. Our Monopolies, publick Companies, and Corporate Charters, are the Bane and Dejiruc- tion of a free Urade, — By the Charter of the EaJi'Tndia Company, at lead Nine T^houfand Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine Britiflj Sub- jedts, out of Ten Thoufand, without having committed any Fault to dejerve fuch a Punijh- mejit, are excluded from trading any where be^ yond the Cape of Good Hope, By the Charter of the Turky Company a like, or a greater Number, are excluded from having any Com- merce with the whole Turkifi Empire. The Hudfcn's Bay Company engrofjes all the Purr Trade with the India?is, m an Extent of Coun- try iS 4- W * V An essay on TRADE. 41 try almoft as large as half Europe, Thus the Intereft of NincThoufand Nine Hundred and Ninety NineFellow-Subje'n':^^v''\ n' rnv/rsT •«;MhuBivL .'.".. .. ' .. .. T .• : '' ../='■■ -^ -ii-:.. '•«- . i^'-.«* „%. %!« » ••>vl Oi ■**.■ . .:vi* ^■tt •m Is#' i^^ 4^6 An essay on TRADE. Articles from foreign Nations 5 amongft whpm the French come in for the greateft Share. '1 t.j\r^;j- '/ XII. We alfo fufFer a further Inconvenience in not inviting Foreigners to travel into Eng- land, and fpend their Money among Us ; and in being too fond of tranjeUing ourfeives. »^lt is certain, England has as many Curiofities for a Foreigner to obferve, as any Country in the World : The whole Ifland, and every thing belonging to it, being in many Refped:s dif- ferent from the Continent, and worthy the Attention of a Stranger. And even as to fine Paintings, original Statues, and Antiques, we have prodigious Collections of them m - wate Hands, though little known even to '" own Countrymen, for want of a publick and gene- ral Catalogue. Moreover, our Englijh Tra- vellers in France and Italy, are continually making new Colledions in order to carry home and embellifh their own Country. And yet our Gentry are fo fhy to Strangers, the Servants expert fo much Vails, and the com- mon People are {o rude and affronting, that very few care to travel in fuch a Country. XIII. The high Price of Labour is ano- ther infuperable Bar to a large Urade, — The Caufes of which are fuch as have been af- ligned already, viz. EleBioneering'^^t cor- rupt Morals of the People — T!axes on the Neceffaries jfa *Si^ .-jwr' » i» % i: AjI ESSAY ON TRADE. 47 Neceffaries of Li£e -^ MonopolieSy publickC?/«- fsniesy and corporate Charters of trades, XIV. We fufFer a very great Detriment through the Want of Publick InfpedlorSy to fee that our Manufadurers produce every Thing good in its Kind'y that they give good Weight and Meafure, and fold the worfe Side outer- mofi. And what is ftill worfe, where fuch have been appoiijted, they have degenerated, through fome unhappy Abufe, fo far as to increafe the Evil they were intended to correB. XV. Add to all thefe, the Dijcourage- merits and Oppojitions which the moft generous Scheme will too often meet with from felf- interejied and dejigning Men, who pervert the invaluable Bleffing of Liberty and 2Lfree Con- Jiitution to fome of the w(^Ji of Purpofes, In a defpotick Kingdom, the Miniftry have none to (yppofe them in their good Dejigns : But among us, let their Plan be ever fo well cal- culated for the Publick Good, yet if it clafhes with the private Intereft of any particular Perfons, trading Companies^ or Boroughs^ (as it necefTarily muji do) then it is oppofed, un-- der various Pretences, by the united Force of falfe PatriotSy who inflame the Populace with Words and NameSy and blacken and mifrepre- fent the beft Defigns in the mofl tnalevolent manner. Besides, k ..' ^ t^. * m * •«^ % a8 An essay on TRADE. •i'. :» VO I*' .■ Besides, in an ablblute Government, there is no Poflibility of gaining Preferment by making one's felf formidable to the Mi- niftry. Whereas in England, it is the fure Road to it. A bold plaulible Speaker in the Houfe embarafles the Schemes of the Minis- try, not becaufe he thinks them wrong, but becaule he expedls to be bought oFFby a Place, or a Penfion. A News- Writer, or a Pamphleteer, puts every Meafure of the Court in the moil odious Light, in order to make his Paper feli the ieffer, or to be thought confiderable enough to be retained on their Side. \ :',.... On the other hand, the Miniftry are too apt to endeavour to quajb a Motion, not be- raufe it was a bad one, but becaufe it came from the Party in the Oppofition, A good Motion, a publick-fpiritcd and generous Pro- pofal, would raife the Credit of the Authors of them too high with the People, were they carried into Execution, to the Detriment of the Minijiry. Therefore falus s u i, not fa- lus Po P u L I fuprema Lex ejlo. Thus it is on both Sides : And an honeft well-meaning Perfon, whofe Views zxq Jingle, and who is confcious to himfelf of no other Attachment but the Good of his Country ^ can- , . i. not '**■■ f jl*^ # Site „^ • ,■ ,■««'' An ESSAY ON TRADE. 49 not but lament thcfe pernicious Evils.— And the more fo, as he muft defpair of feeing them effedtually removed or cured^ without intro- ducing worfe^ Evils in their ftead, — unlcfs Men were much honefier^ and more upright than they are; which, it is to be feared, is not likely to be foon the Cafe, . ■■ -i ■ ^ ' ^ V- J I I ! "t ~' H CERTAIN * IL PROPOSAL. T o eredl certain Courts in all manufactur- ing Places of the Kingdom, where the chief Dealers themfelves (hall petition for them, with the Title of * G u a r d i a n s of the Morals of the * The Complaints againft the Morals of the manu- fadluring Poor become louder every Day, and certain- ly demand, if anything doth, the y^nowj Attention of the Leg'ijlature. Combinations of Journeymen to extort ex- orbitant Wages. — This Money fpent in Drunkcnnefs and Debauchery^ fo that they are the Poorer rather than the Richer at the Week's End, by the advanced Price, — their Vnfaithfulnefs to their 7;«//, — the Badnefs of their Work, whenever their Mafters have a great Demand^ and dare •f ■M ^ 54 An essay on TRADE. the manufa£furing Poor. Perhaps fomething to the following EfFedt, might fuggcft Hints to be tmproFved upon. The dare not turn them offy-~ the increafmg Number of the Poor } tnefe, and many other Articles of the like Nature, are the Complaints ^uy?/^ made on this Head. A certain very ingenious Gentleman, and himfelf a great Manufadturer in the Clothing Way, has attended to them with great Affiduity j and is engaged in a Scheme ivhich he intends to exhibit to the Publick, of a very ftngular Nature, for the Reformation of thefe Abufes. He has carefully obferved, That in exceeding dear Ye^^rs, when Corn and Provifions are at an extravagant Price, then the Work is heji and cheapejl done : — but thai in cheap Years, the Manufacturers are idle^ Wages high^ and Work /'// done. He has carried theie Obfervations through many Years back; and confirmed them by the Teftimony of feveral great Writers upon Trade. Therefore he infers, That the high Duties, Tax- es, and Excifes upon the Neceflaries of Life, are fo far from being a Dijadvantage to Trade, as Things are cir- cumftanced among Us, that they are eventually the chief Support of it : — and ought to be higher Jlill^ in order to oblige the Poor either to Work or Starve. Some Things may certainly be faid in favour of this Scheme. But an humane and compaffionate Man can- not but be forry, to fee the Morals of tlie Poor fo very corrupt^ as to oblige any one to think of fuch an Expe- dient. In the mean Time, as much may be faid againft it ; and as it would involve the Innocent as well as the Guilty in the fame Puniftimentj perhaps fome other Exi pedients would better anfwer the good End propofed, and not be liable to the fame Objections. If the Quali- fication for Voting was fettled asinthe^r/?Propofal, and Court Guardians eredted, as propofed in this j and Fo- reign Manufacturers naturalized, in order to keep down the nts An essay on TRADE. 55 The Salifications of each Member of this Court to be as follows; i/?, That he employs not lefs than twenty Manufadurers on his own Jccounty the greater Part of the Year. By this Regulation, the moft eminent^ as well as the moft concerned^ will be the only Perfons admitted, 2^/^, That each Member fub- fcribes a certain Sum, fuppofe two Guineas at leaft, every Year towards the good Purpofes hereafter to be mentioned : but that they be admitted to receive the Legacies and Dona- tions of others, 'i^dly^ That each Member be a married Man, in order to fct the good Ex- ample here recommended. The Aim of this Court to be. To difcou-^ rage Vice, Idlenefs and Debauchery, — and to encourage Induftry, Probity and Fidelity, in the Ipwer Clafs of People. , The Means to cfFeAuate thefe good De- figns, with great SubmiOlon, perhaps may be as follows; ijl. By the Price of Labour, and prevent any Combinations among our own People, (as fliali be mentioned in a fuc- ceeding Propofal) perhaps the Morals of our Poor would be as unexceptionable, and the Price of Labour as cheap, as in any other trading Country. But which ever Scheme is right, or if neither are, the Affair itfelf deferves the moft ferious Regard of every one, who vtrifhes well both to the Bouh and Bodies of his Fellow Creatures, and the Good of his Country, -*»^. 5.6 An essay on TRADE. \fiy B Y removing all T'emptationSy as much as poffible, out of the Way; to "which End, this Court Guardian (hall have the file Power o( judging, How many Akhoufesy 6cc. are ne- ceftary to be Ucenfed in their refpedive Dif- trifts : that is, They fhall «o^ have a Power to exceed the Number allowed by the Juftices, but to lejfen them as much as they pleafe. Neither (hall they have the Power to nomi^ nafe the Perfons to be Kcenfid ; but after they have delivered in their Lifts, the Juftices ftiall nominate, — unlefs the Juftices delay to do it for a Month after Delivery : in fuch Cafe, they fhall be impowered to nominate themfelvel They (hall likewife have the Power of levy- ing a certain Fine by Diftrefs of Qoods, or in Default of that fhall inflidt corporal Punifti- ment, on all Perfons who keep Cock-Pits, Skittle-Alliesy and all fuch Places for the Refori of thecommonPeople, within their Qiftridt 5 ijfo thofe who fet up Stages for Cudgel-Playingficc, o^ Booths for Horfe Races, or bring Liquors, Cakes, Fruit, or any like Temptations, to draw People together. They fhall alfo be impowered to expel out of their Diftrid, all fuch common People as cannot give a good Account of them- felves, by what means they fubfiftj and fhall particularly be enabled to remove fuch Women, as are fufpeBed to have a bad CharaSfer, un- lefs they can clear themfelves from the Im- j^utation, by the Oaths of three at leaft of their An essay on TRADE. 57 their Neighbours of good SuhJlance^nA Repute^ that they believe them to be innocent of the tharge, and efteem them to be honejl^ chajle^ and Jober Perfons. 2dlyy These Courts Guardians fhall endea- voiir to encourage Induftry, Probity, and practi- cal Religion, by the following Methodsj viz. By allowing Forty Shillings apiece to any youngs Couple going to be married, that can make it appear by thcTeltimony of their Maflers, that they have faved Thrcs Pounds and upwards, by working in their Service ; arr! hzvQ behaved well. If each ot , thefe can f* \>duce fuch a Charader, then this Forty Shillin* 5 to be made Four Pounds. But not to be paid till a Year and a Day after Marriage, during whxh time they are ftill to behave well.— By allow- ing alfo fomething difcretionally to thofe, who are over-burdened witli large Families, or are Sick, whofe Charadlers are known to be good: —By prefenting alfo a few good Books, to the remarkably diligent and induftrious. Sup- pofe thefe were the Bible^ and GafireV% Chrif- tian Injiitutes -, ^v hich are Books that no Per- fons of ever fo different Religious Perfwafions can objeft to. If thefe were neatly Bound, gilt on the Back and Leaves, with a Cloth Cafe, and had ftampt on one Side in Gold Letters, The Hand of the Diligent maketh Rich ; And on the Other, To THE Praise of them that do well •, £8 An ESSAY on TRADE. they would be kept as Family Piecesy and Tr<7- phies'y and might excite the fame laudable * Emulation in their Pojlerityy which it had done in thefnfelves. -t. N, B, The Diftlrid here fo often mention- cdj is fuppofed to be ten Miles round from the Town or Place appointed for keeping this Court. The Court to fit every Month, at leaft, for the Difpatch of Bufmefs, wherein the At- tendance of three Members will be fufficient : and every Quarter a general Meeting, wliich muft be compofed of feven. These are only offered, with great Sub- miflion to the Publick, as Hints to be im- proved upon. The Importance of the Affair requires that fome Expedients (hould be tried without Delay, If thefe are judged improper, the Author would exbeedingly rejoice to fee better in their room j and thofe effedlually car- ried into Execution. III. PROPOSAL. To incorporate both the WitiQi IJles together ^ and to make one K i n g d o m /« ^?// RefpeSts^ as to Parliament^ Trade, and I'axes, This Propofal of Incorporation has long been the Wifli of every generous dijinterefted Patriot of both Kingdoms. And indeed in- expreflibly An essay on TRADE. 5^ expreffibly great would be the Benefit on both Sides, The Iri/h would fhare in the Advan-^ tage of our Trade^ and we in theirs. By per- mitting them to get rich at the Expence of the French, they would be enabled to eafe Us of the Burden of the worji and heavieji of ouf ^axes ;— whereas at prefent, the French, thro* our own unaccountable Infatuation, get rich at their Expence, By this mutual Benefit, nei- ther Kingdom would be looked upon as Foreign to the other : but the Goods of both would be imported Duty-free, or perhaps be confix dered only as coming Coajiwife, The hollih prohibition againft wearing, or ufing the Pro- duce of either Kingdom, would be repealed-, and all that unnatural War between the Com- merce of the two Nations, would be at an End : -rr which would be attended with thef6 further happy Confequences, That many of the Neceffaries of Life would be imported cheaper into Ejigland, than they how can be purchafed ; a great Advantage this to the Mer- chant ^nd Manu/a^urer : '^d.nd many more of the Luxuries, Ornaments, and Delicacies of Living, would be exported from hence into Ire- land, For rnoft certain it is, That in propor- tion as Ireland grew rich, they would take the LeadfoT the richeji of their Cloaths,Furniturej, Plate, Jewels, Equipages, &c. &c. from Eng- land, Lik^wife tne Inducements of being near ihe Parliament, the Court, the Publick Funds, ^c. would bring many more Irijh Families to r 2 rejidc 6o An essay on TRADE. rejidey and Jpend their Fortunes here, thar^ now do. In (hort, vy^hatever Wealth Ire/and would draw frorn other Counties by its Pro- duce, Manufaftures, and happy Situation ; all that would continually center in England, , But here, methinks, I hear Self-Int¥:rest tnaking an Outcry, " Ti^^^ would run away, njoith our Trade'' But pray let me calmly afk. Who woul4 run away with it ? or ie;^^r^ would they run to ? Why truly our own People^ our own Countrymen^ (who may as juftly be called fo, as the Inhabitants of any neighbouring County,— and are fome of th& bejl and moft faithful Subjeds the Government has) would perhaps caxxy fome part of a M2innh&mtfro?n Us to themfelves.— ^But what Detriment would this be to the Publick ? The People of Tork- fhire have done the very fame Thing by Gla- (eflerjhire and Wiltjhire. Let us therefore have a Meeting of the Clothiers of thefe two Counties to petition the Parliament, That the Xorkjbire Looms and Mills may be all broke and dejlroyed: For they have run away with our ^rade. < < ■ This is fo ridiculous and abfurd a Propofal, that I believe there is no Perfori liv- ing, but vciu^fee and /^^/ it to be fo. And yet let me afk. Is not this the very Cafe with refpedi to the Objedlion againft incorporating with Irelafid? Or if there be a Difference be- tween the two Cafes, I fliould be glad to know wherein it cohfifts ? Is Ireland to be looked upon An ESSAY on TRADE. 6i upon as a diflin A Kingdom ? — more is the Pity : For as the two I^ingdoms have but one common Head^ — r one common Interefl both in Church and State, ^T^the fame Friends, — and the fame Enemies 5 they ought to have been long lince confoUdated together. —But allow- ing it to be called a diflind; Kingdom at pre- tent, till It is united :-^(o is Torkj^ireo. dijiindi County, and was formerly, in the Times of the Heptarchy, a Kingdom likewife diflinB from the two Counties above mentioned. Is Ireland a great Way diflant £rom England?'-^ Torkfhire is at a greater Diftance ftill from the Counties above mentioned. And the Commu^ nication between them is not fo eafy by Land, for the Purpofes of Commerce, as the other is by Sea, ' ' ■ ' ■ c< «c "But Ireland is more advanfageoufly fitU' ated for' the Trade to the Weft -Indies: Therefore ■" Therefore we muft deny pur own People the Benefit of Trading, because they are aSvantageoufly fituated for carrying it on. This is a weighty jirgument, Bri/lol, for Inftance', is better fituated for the Irijh Trade than London ; therefore let us Londoners peti-- tion, that the Port of Brifiol may be locked up, I T would be an endlefs and a tedious Piece of Work to wade through fuch grofs and pal- pable Abfurdities. One Thing is plain and obvious, that Self-lnterefl, the Bane of all Publick ti An ^SSAX ON, TRADE, PujjUipk, Gpod^ IS driven,, to feri Shifts^, ir^ prd^r to f/w^JT fucli View^^ as (he d^'e i^ot; (ipenly. a{vv^. If England itfelf was 3ivide4 into 72£;o Kingdoms, o^q. comprehending ai( tfce Sovitbi the other aljthe North Si(le; of the Thames, and there were hojiile Prohibitions againft importing certain Sorts of Goods froni London to Southwark^ and vice verfa \ and high Duties qjpon all the Reft : Many Indiyi-? duals on both Sides, would find thejr pwn p;ivafe Intereji in upholding the Divifion, an4 would cry out, upon any Propofal b^ing linadp for ^Unioj^-r^ l^hefe foreigners i^iUr^n.^way with our Tirade — They are better Jiiuated.thm Us '-^ Our Trade is in Danger, JBtut Y'^dula this Cry weigh with upright Men 6^ both; Sides, who had the Welfare of the Commu- nity truly at Heart f -— If it would noty what fl^all we' think of the fa^e Argument , when urged agairift QKeqt Uritain'^ incorppr^ing Witb If^^fu^:^ -•i i i ^f3ki: }y. PROPOSAL.''''''V' Vjfi* v\<.». Aft^r fuchan Union of the two King- donfis, as above propofed, By Degrees to lay the Englifti Taxes upon Ireland ; and to eafe the Engliih of the mofi burdenfome of theirs in thjs fame gradual manner, —- Suppofe, ^\ere- icire, ^he fi|-ft Y^r, that the EnglifitjZ}Ns of iM^r^ff^ sfn4 the Puties upon French Wfues and ■iV arc fiftlcicntly paid for the Rijki they run, and the Expaiccs t\\Qy w'Qic ^i. Now all thefe are very good and fnfficient Reafon?, ivbere tkcy bold, for the eftablilhing of cxchtjl'ue Companies. For it is better to have the Trade of a i exckifive Company, than no Tirade at all. And in proccfs of T^ime, ac- cording as the Reafons for continuing them^ do ccaJCy the Trade (hould be laid open. ^thly, There Is alfo another Reafon in certain Governments, whofe Credit is not cileemed good with the People , for the creel- ing of fuch Publick Bodies. And that is, For the Sake of horroiving Money at an Exigence, when Individuals will not trufl them. This, I believe, iiDas the Cafe ^yith om oimi Govern- mcnt'vci former Times. But 6//j/)', There is flill a further Motive remaining, which, thougli a very had and fcandalous one, yet it is to be feared, hath had the grcatcjl Share in ereding Monopolies of all the Reft. And that is, in plain, but very ex- prcfi'i ve Ef!glifl.\ Jobbing. And mod of the Charters for Monopolies, which were fo plenti' lid id- arc the An essay on trade. 69 fkntifully granted in the Time of King Charles the Second, whofe Pkafurcs made himlelf and his Courtiers very needy of Money, betray the Original from which they were derived. — Particularly that famous one for the Hudfon\ • Bay Company, which is a Grant without any Bounds or Limits of Seas, Mou?itains, Rivers^ Degrees of I atitude or Longitude ; and there- fore, if validy might impower the Company to challenge all the Lands of America^ which were fiot difpofed of by prior Grants^ as well as the Coails on Hudfon's Bay, , ' But enough, I hope, hath been iiiid, as to the Rcafons for the Inflitution of exclulive Companies. , , . ^ . ; My second Attempt, therefore, will be to fliew, That none of thefe Reafons do hold in our prefent Circumftances. — For if any of them do, let me afk which ? Is it the Firft, Second, or Third ? I believe the mod fan- guine Advocate for excluiive Companies, will not infifl upon either of thefe. Is it then the Fourth ?— This, I am aware, will be chiefly inlifted on. — Not that it can be pretended at this Day, That private Adventurers are either •unable^ or unwilling to engage in any Trade carried on by a Company, were it laid open -, but the Pretence is, That a Rccompence fhould be made them, before they are diffohed, for the Expences they have been at. And doubt- ■ - lefs ^H^^ ! f ^4^* FOUR Thousand Bales of the above- faid Cloth : Each Bale, one with another, worth about 1 200 Livres. Thut is about 210,000/. Sterling in all. If it fliould be faid. That the French have gotten this Trade from Us, not fo much on the Account of the Difadvantage w e labour under from an exclujive Company, as the Advantageoufnejs of their Situation. I have this further Remark to offer ; viz. That if the Trade was open. We have many Advantages, which they have not, to counterbalance the Inconvenience of our Si- tuation. — They arc obliged to import mort of their Wool from Turky, Spain, or Africa, into Marjeilles j and to carry it chiefiy by Land-Carriage from thence to Car- caffonne, about 130 Miles. — 'Ihcn to carry the Cloth back to Marfeilles : which cannot be done at a Jmall Bxpence. They are alfo obliged to fetch Tin, Lead, and Shot from EngUmdy and Spices from Hcllial, for the .,. ■ . Turiy An essay on trade. 73 Tradcy that Nation which permits a free and open Trade, will always be fuperior to the <)ther, vfhxch. confines it to a Company:— o/i^r Circumftanccs fuppofed to be equals or nearly fo^ • >t ; ) , t 2^/y, As they — where 77», Lead, and SpiceSy may be had upon much eafier Terms than they can at Marfeilles : I fay, with all thefe Advantages, and an open Trade^ we could more than counterbalance any Advantage, that the French can draw from the Situation of Marfeilles : and then we might import the ravj Ma- terials of Silky Camels Hair^ Skins, &c. much cheaper than at prefent, to the Emolument of Thoufands ef Families. li i t ■ 74 An essay on TRADE. But, idfyy It muft be obferved, That the Views oi every exclu/ive Company are quite of a different Nature from vfhaX was J'uppofed above, c^ For they do not^ and fiever did, de- fire to trade as cheap 2S others, hut as much dearer as they can. The Charter itfdf fecures them from any Competitors ^, and therefore they have «(? need to feek to get the Trade to them- felves by felling cheap. But on the contrary, wherever they have the Market to themfelves-, they will both fill and buy at ihtix own Price. ' T H I s is the greatefi and moft intolerable of all iht Evils oi Monopolies. It is a ProJiitU" tion of the Trade and Welfare of the Publick, to the mercilefs Ravages oi greedy Individuals, f^ We may the better judge of the mifihiev- e«j EfFed"cs oi all Mofiopolies, by attentively ob- ferving the indefatigable Pains, and ^r^^?/ Ex- pence, which tv tvy fi'lf'interefledV trhn chear- jiilly fubmits to, in order to acquire it, even in a free Trade. For if he has a large Capi- tal, he will fink fome part to underfill another j4dvi'nturer, who has lefi, in order to break H I M : and then, when he has done that, he will raifi the Pmv of his Commodities again, fo as to make himfelf loon whole for the Loffh he had incurred. Now if a private Merchant can find his Account in lofing fo much Mo?ic\\ in order to get at a MoJiopoly in w free Trade, .what oiorbitant Gains mufl an exclujive Com- paijy of le- ch res ley ;m- heSi ice^ \leoi litU" iuals. hlev- fy ob' Ex- bear- even fapi- other EAK t, he again, Lops chant [onn\ ') adcy ICom- pany An^ ES5AY ON TRADE. 75* pany make, who ure fenced in by Law, and have none to rival them ? - , . J i.i. ' h' Nay the Evil becomes without Remedy in this latter Cafe. — For whereas in the for- mer, either the Engr offer himfelf, or his Fa- mily, will retire from Bulinefs, after they have amailed great Riches ; by which means the Trade wOl again be ofened.'-^ln the latter Cafe, viz. that of a Company, One fucceeds another upon the fame Plan of preying upon the Public k, without Intermijjion, So that neither the Deaths or exorbitant Wmlth of one Set of proprietor Sy give Us any Profped: of being de- livered from the Power and OppreJJion of the next. ..1:> But the Affair of a Publick Company (viz. the Hudfon\ Bay) was, lafi Seffionsy brought up- on the Carpet 1 'jfore {tit Brit if-> Parliament,-^ Let us fee, thvrefore, What they had to fay for themftheSy v 'her. called upon by their Su- periorsy — and when, doubtlefs, they iaid^///^^j> could, — 'SLw^ gave evCiy thing the be/l Colouring, It appears, therefore, from the Papers, which the Honourable Committee, appointed to examine into the State of their Affairs, were pleafed to make publick, for the general Infor- mation of the Kingdom, That the following Particulars were proved to the Satisfa^ion of , > \, 2 the i f- j(y A>J ESSAY on TRADE.' die Committee >,^^\tA even were not contr-adicr ted by the /j gents for ^.-.; vi^-rii' ii\.i .i •-.; jiioi::;/!^ jnt But, 9/;&i^, all thefe Inconvefiiencies might be ^^-^ remedied.^ — by ereBing a F/tt/ about Sixty Leagues above 2V^ Fort upon Nel/bn River, upon a Fork, where the River divides, — by making a Settlement about Eighty or Ninety Leagues above that, upon the Lake of Pacbegoiay •— and by introducing our Euro- pean Conveniencies of Magazines and Carri- ages. By xht^tMeam^ all the Beaver would be bought, which the Indians now make ufe of otherwaySy as not atifivering to bring it to the Forts, — the Time might be pw//,— and the Fr^«fZ; driven to relinqiiifh all that Trade. In (hort, both our ExpprtSy and our ImportSy would be prodigioiijly incr^afed; and many Tribes of India?is would, , in that large TraA of Country, be brought to trade with the EngUf}>^ who have yet fcarcely heard of tlie Englifld ^'xrxQ, "j i.f., -.^ I J So m^ny important Particulars /z//f^^^/, — />r<5^W,— and even not contradiBed, one would think, would have been fufficient to have car- ried any National Cause, againft the private Interejl of a fc-jo Individuals. But — Let us in the next Place fee, What they and their Friends had to offer in Jujli- ficiitioH of their Condu(;:t, — Pretend: j^^ that thcv i li !l 80 An essay on TRADE. they carried on a Trade equally beneficial to the Nation, as if the Trade was open. The ly? Thing pledged, was, That they buy all tpe Beaver which is brought them ;— and if more was offered, more they would buy. .> ' ■' 1; '■'..' "I This may be very true ; and yet no ways inconfiilent with the Charge fumtned up in the above-recited Particulars, againft them.— The Indians, as favage as they are, have the Natural LoGiCK of feeling when they are well^ or /// ufed^ aS well as othef People : And if they find better Treatment in one Place than another y will go to the bejly and have as little Dealings with the worfiy as they can. Nothing hutabfolute NecefHty will oblige /^^w (or any People) to bring their Goods to a Mar- ket, where they expe^ beforehand to be /// ufed. — And for that Reafon, they will bring as little as they can. But when they have brought them, NeceJJity obliges them to fell for what the Purchafers w/// ^/w. It may therefore be very true, that the Company buy all the Furrs that are offered them. — « If they did not give half as much in Barter as they do^ they would buy alt -y becaufe it would not be worth the hidians while to carry them back ; and becaufe they greatly wanted European Goods. But thefe 1/idiam would feek another Market againfl the next I'ime, if they could; and would bring no more Goods to the Com-* pany. •X: An essay on TRADE. 8x pany, than abfolute Neceflity obliged them. But, 2dl)\ It was alledged, That if more Goods were given to the Indians in Exchange, they would not bring more Beavers ; becaufe they are an idle, kzy Race of People j and, having no artijicial Wants to gratify, have no Ambition to fpur them on to take more Pains. — It is true. They have not fuch arti- ficial Wants as We have ; They do not want fumptuous Houfcs and Gardens, rich Furni- ture, or Coaches and Chairs: — But they want Beads, Bells, little Looking-Glaffes, Rings, and fuch Trinkets ; (befides many Articles oi their Cloathing, Bedding, Hunting, Filhing, and Fowling) and are as impatient to be gratified in thefe RefpecHis, as ive can be in ours. In thefe Things, therefore, they are as covetous and ambitious as the Reji of Mankind, -^xakQ as much Fains to acquire ^^va, — 2LVi^ repine and murmur at the Fadories, vi^hen they have not as much for their Commodities as they think they deferve. Befides, it fliould be re- membered, that Hunting is rather a DiiJerfion with them, than a Toil; and that, in Fad:, they do take a great deal more than they bring down to the Forts. — - What they confider as a Toil, is not the hunting Fart, but the being obliged to be the Forters of what they have taken in Hunting, down to the Fado- ries ; and yet be paid Jo little for their Trou- ^)le, M But, 82 An essay on TRADE. But, ^dfyy As to the Charge againft them," of Export i?:f( io little of our own Manufac- tures ; it was faid by their AdvocateSy TJiat if Five ^houfand Pounds worth of Goods bought all the Furrs the Indians had to fell, that * Sum was as good as Ten Thoufand Pounds. Nay, it was better j becaufe there- by Five Thoufatid Pounds was faved to the iNation* \j '- ' K . ^ I •> • « r ;, ' • i ■ . . • > i * There feems to have been a Fallacy ufed in this Argument, — If the Barter or Exchange with the In- tiians had been in Bullion, the Argument would have held good; and fo much Money would have been faved to the Nation. But as it was all in our own Manufac- tures^ i. e. the Labour of our own People, the Dimi- nifhing of fuch Exports, is in Fadl the Diminijhing of our own Manuf azures, and defrauding the Nation of fo much Labour^ whereby the Hands employed in thofe Manufii61;ures muft become a Burden upon the Publick, I — ox JicaU — or Jlarvcy ox fly their Country. KJ* The only Limitation which ought to be put upon the ^an- iity of our own Manufadlures, to be exported, is what tlie Nature of the Thing will of itfelf put upon them j vi%. To export no tnore than is confifteiit with the rea- fonahlc. Gains and Profit of the Exporter. If he can afford to export Ten Thoufand Pounds worth of Knglijh Manufaclures, where an exclufive Company would ex- port but Five Thoufand'^ it is for the general Good of tile Country, that he Jhould do it. And all Trade ought to be laid free and opcn^ in order to induce the Ex- porters to rival each other; that the Publiclc may ob- tain this gcntral Gootl by their Competitor finp. But if they cannot afford to export fo much, there is no need tvT rejlrain them by Laivi and Penalties , froni.dcjing that which their own private Intcreil will fuggcft to them f^ou enough. Thi? An essay on TRADE. 83 m, hat lods fdh fand lere- the \'W\ in this he Jn- , have I faved inufac- Dimi- hing of tion of n thofe ublick, The ^an- IS what them i Ihe rea- hc can Knglijh luld ex- |jood of le ought Ithe Ex- [xiay ob- But if no need l;in In fliort, fuch an Argument as this, ijiz. to decreafe our Exports, and increafe their Pr/r^ abroad, beyond what is necejfary for the comfortable Subjijience of the Merchant and Manufa^urer, Is only worthy of fuch a Caufe, Were it put in Prahice, it would get all the Wealth of the Nation into a /^w Hands, — it would turn nine T'enths of our Manufacturers a £^^^//?^,— and r^^«f^ them to the Necejfity : ' of A% ESSAY OH TRADE, ig of becoming Lat^eys aiid Ftxamen t6 fucb JEAjftTT/^rjj^or ilai:ving,*-^dr flyJrig their Coun** try.'^ltvfoaldjhk the Fake of ow Lands^ and bring fwifi Defbudion on the MamfaC'^ turer^ Farmer ^ Gentleman^ and all Stations,-^ except the Exporter. He indeed would be GREAT, ^''^nd he alone* Oat tsaj therefore die better judge of the Goodhefs of fich a Caufe^ which required 72»*j& l^nd bf Arguments. tofupport if. And fo mneh foi* ixdujhi Companies^ iLK-i;.^ .k VII. PROPOSAL. To encourage Ft^etgn Merchants and Tradef- men to fettle among Us^ by a general Natural" zation Ji^ for all Proteftdntii And if it be judged improper to admit them into Offices of ^rvft or rower y it is eafy to add a Glauie, That tbeje Privileges (hall M be cmfined to the natural born Subjeds. - ^* M vi Here again the baleful Spirit of Self-In-- terejl exerts all its Powers to oppofe fo publick and generals. Benefit. — — " What I mujl Fo^ " retgnersj and we know not whoy come and take " the Bread out of our Mouths V* —An honefl Cambro-Briton would have called allEngliJh- men Foreigners, and he knew not who. But waving that, -.Let me calmly afk, fVhat Bread do they eat ? — and out ofwhofe Mouths ? It muft be £»^/^ Bread: The Corn grew here. was 86 An ESSAY ON. trade; —was manufaSiured, was fold here. And the Foreigners, who eat it, earn it by their La-^ ifour, and pay for it. So far then, we hope, there is no Offence, The more Inhabitants thcTQ are to confume the Produce of our Lands, the better can the Farmer and the Gentleman pay their Shopkeepers and Trade/men, and the more ManufaSiures will they conlume in every Re-* fpedi. Let us fee therefore in the next Place, Out ofwhofe Mouths do they, take this Breads If they introduce new Manufactures, or carry thofe already eftablifhed, to greaterVttieOlon^ in that Cafe the Publick is greatly benefited, and no Individual can be injured. If they employ themfelves only in fuch as are already fettled and perfeBed, they will not defraud the Mouths o^ fiber y frugal^ and indujlrious Per- fons, who may work as cheap, and caa work as well as Foreigners, And therefore ihould be obliged to do both. It can be, therefore, none but the abandoned, debauched, and diffo- lute, who would chufe to be idle three ox four Days in a Week, and want to have their Wages fo high as to fupport this Extravagance, that can make fuch a Complaint f And (hall they be heard ? Shall we continue the Exclu- fion of all fober and induftrious Foreigners, fo much to the National Difadvantage, merely to gratify the extravagant and unreajonable Hu- mours of fuch Wretches as thefe ^ Surely, it is to be hoped, we ftiall purfue more prudent Meafures, both for our Sakesy and their own. But An essay on TRADE. St •**«':.'tr ,'f ff'-irrf.-; '• •t--„\ -tr* •? •^.-I. T , (C cc « But we are told farther, "TO^/ ':V"i^ T.Y ■<^^l:^i .VI iC n, '>v< f^il.t^' Th b Admiflion, then of Fore^ners to fettfe ift our Country, is jfo far from takmg the Bisad 02^/ of the Mouths of the Natives^ that it is puttii^ Bread into the Mouths of thoTe^ who^ othenwife, in a fhort Time muft have nonei For the Engiijb mud trade, at lead;, upon an equal Footing with other Nations, or not trado at all. — And then, when the not Trading at all is the Confequence, we (hall indeed have no Foreigners to complain of, but we ihall have a much yJr^r Evil I'^-and then, perhaps when it is too late, the moft Self-Interejied amon^ us will be forry, that we had not ad^- mitted the fiHi^l and induftrious from all Parts of the World, to fhare the Gains of Trade with them, rather than>^ to have none at all. But let us try att this reaibning by plain Matters of Fad:. The Town of Birmngbam^ for Exanjiple, admits all Ferfons to come and fettle among them ; whom, though they are Englijbmen, the original Natives of the Place may as juftly term Foreigners with regard to thenty as we ftile othei Nations by that Name.—— " Foreigners, therefore, and / " know not whoy came from all Parts, and " fettled at Birmingham 5 and — took the Bread " out of the Mouths of the original Natives.'* What then was the Confequence of this great Wicked- An essay on TRADE. 89 ^ickednefs ? — Why, within thefe few Years, tM Trade and Buildings of the Town have been prodigioufly increafed, and all the Eftates for a great many Miles round, have felt the Benefit of this great Accejfion of Trade and Inhabitants. Birmingham^ from being a Place of little Confequence^ is now become one of the moft Jlourtjhing and confiderable in the King- dom. And there is no Town, with its exclu^ Jive Charters, that can boaft of fo many ^/7- ful Artifts, as this which admits all Comers, MoREovE R, there are fewer Beggars in this Town, Manchejler and Leedsy where all are free^ than in any which has Companies of Trades, and exclufive Charters. ^ So true and certain it is. That thefe Rights and Pr/- vilegesy as they are called, do multiply the Num- bers of the Poor, by damping the Spirit of Induftry, Frugality, and Emulation, inftead of diminijhing them. A Manufacturer, who knows, that no Foreigner dares come in to be a Competitor againfl him, thinks himfelf pri- vileged to be idle. The other Inftance I (hall mention, is the Cafe of the French Hugojiots, who fled from the Perfecution of Lewis XIV, and took re- fuge in England. But great was the Outcry againft them, at their firft coming. *' Poor England would be ruined I Foreigners en- couraged! And our own People Jlarvin^ V* N tliis << iC •' ■<* 90 An essay on TRADE. • TJiis was the popular Cry of thpfe Times. — But the Looms in Spittle-Flddsy axid the Shopi on Ludgate-HllU have at )aft futficiently taught us j]inpther Leflbn, And now, it is hoped, we may fay without Ofiience, Thefe Hugonots have been fo far from being of Dijervice to the Natm^ that they have partly goty and partly favedy in the Space of fifty Years, a Balance in our Favour of, j^t leaft, f i f x y M i l l i o N § ' • "" - r- • ■ ; In fhort, Self-interefl apart, What good Reafon can be afligned, why we fhould not admit Foreigners among Us?— Our Cquntry is but thinly inhabited, in Comparifon to what it might be : And many hv»\^red Thoufands of Acres of good Land, in Eiig^Jid and Wales^ not to mention Scotland and L'elandy lie either entirely wafte, or are not fufficiently cultivated, for want of Hands, and Perfons to confume the Produdl. Our vaft Commons, all over the Kins:- dom, and many of the Forcjis and Chaces, might be parceled out in Lots, to fuch of tlie Foreign- ers as chuie a country Life ; and the Reft might find Employment, in fome ftiape or other, in the different Manufadures. The Natives of England likewife do not increaje fo faft, as thofc of other Counties ; our common People being much more abandoned and debauched. The marriage State alfo is not fufficiently encou- ya2;ed anions; Us : and ten Thouland common JVlxrcs are not ib fruitful (fetting aUde the Sin ^ of bops we lave the artly :e in 0N8 good \ not iintry what ifands Vales^ either ^ated, le the Cing- night eign- i\ight ^r, in es of ft, as 'eople iiched. iCOU- mmon e 5//; ot An essay on trade. 91 bf the Parents, the Dtfcafes of the few Chil- dren that are born, and their want of a proper tind virtuous Education) I fay, 10,000 com- mon Whores are not fo fruitful ^sjifty healtliy young married Women, that are honeft and vir- tuous : By which Means, the State is defrauded of the Increafe of upwards of 199 Subjedts out of 200, every Year.— Add to all this, that it has been long obferved by Men of Thought and Speculation, That more youug Children 6\q in England from the Birth to two Tears old, thjin in any other Country. The Sea likewil*^ and our extenfive Plantations, are a continual Drain upon us. And the manufacturing Poor at home are killing them/elves, and, if I may be allowed the Expreflion, their Po/lerity likewife, as faft as they can, by thofe fure Ifijlruments of Deathf Gin and fpirituous Liquors. For ALL thefe Reafons therefore, as well as on Account of lowering the Price of Labour, and preventiilg thfe Comhinations of Journeymen, fb loudly complained of, andy^v v'/y felt through- out the Kingdom, it is humbly hoped. That thofe Perfons who have hitherto oppofed the Naturalization Bill, will fee Caufe to change their Sentiments; and will look upon it as highly ufeful and expedient, and produdlive of the greateft «^//Vm/ Advantages. There are many thoufands of Manufadturers, both in Silk and Woollen, in the South of France y all zeal- ous Proteftants, who would gladly come over, if they could learn, that thev Hiould meet N 2 ' with 92 An ESSAY ON TRADE. with a kind Reception. As to the Difficulty of making their Efcape out of the Fr^//f/6 King's Dominions, they would find Ways and Means to deceive even the Vigilance oi their Govern- ors, by retiring, as it were one by one, and removing under various Pretences, towards the manufadluring Towns in Picardy and French* Flanders, (from whence they could fb eafily pafs over to us) were they fure of finding Pro- tedtion and reafonable Encouragement. And as England and France are Rivals to each other, and Competitors in almoft all Branches of Commerce, every /mgie Manufadlurer fo coming over, would be our Gain, and a dou- ble Loss to France. . .. ■ " ,f . VIIL PROPOSAL, i . To encourage a Trade with our own Plan- tations, in allfucb Articles as Jhall make for the mutual Benefit of the Mother Country^ and her Colonies. , ., . r - u « ■ ^ The Reafons for this Propofal are very obvious and convincing :— and yet, as felfin- terefied Perfons will be apt to flart Obje<5tions, and raife Difficulties, it may be proper to ex- patiate upon them a little. .'-1.*,-. m. \jl The RE FORE, it is nece/Tary that we fliould encourage a Trade to our own Planta- tions for all Sorts of Naval Stores^ in order that An essay on TRADE. 9$ that we may not be too dependent upon the Will and Pleafure of Foreign Courts, with re- gard to thefe ncceffary Things. Many, if not mod of the Implements for Navigation^ and confequently for a Sea War^ are purchafed from the feveral Nations bordering upon the BalticL Suppofe then that S'^eden, Ruffia^ or Denmark^ (hould, for certain Reafons of State, or by the Intrigues of the French^ lay an Embargo on thefe Commodities, at a Crifis when we gr^tly wanted them; — or fhould refufe them to Us, and fell them to our Ene- mies ; tp what a dijlrejfed Situation would this reduce Us ? and who can tell what might be the Confequences of it ? And as the Politicks of Princes are ever JJudltiating and changing^ why (hould we put it in the Power of any Potentate to have fuch a Command over Us ? .,*,«,. ;i- 2dlyi As the Balance in regard to all thefe Countries is confiderably againjl Us, common Frudence will fuggeft, that we ought to turn it in our Favour, if we can. Now this we (hall be able to do (or at the worft, bring it to an Equilibrium^ which in itfelf is fio difadvan- tageous kind of Commerce) if we can purchafe the fame Commodities in our own Plantations, which we ufed to import from thefe Countries. Befides, the Balance is not only againft Us with regard to Sweden, but alfo the very Money which is drawn from Us by means of this loof- :., ing 94 An essay on TRADE. ing Trade, is converted to fupport 2l French Intcrefl, in Oppofition to ours. But 'i^dlyy Were the Cafe indifferent, where we traded, (which it is n6t) tKe natural Af- fedion, which the Mother Country fliould have for her Colonies, where wc have fo many Friends, Relations, and Acquaintance, fhould determine Us to give them tne Preference, — But indeed our own Ifltereft is nearly and ef- fentially concerned m this Affair : For, /^thfyy Unless we promote a Trade with thejny and take off the Growth and Commodities of their P/a?Jtations, they will be reduced to the Necejjity of Offering them to Sale at other Market, or permitting other Nations to come and trade with them : The Confequence of which will be, that they will take the Produdt and Manu failures of thefe Nation^ in return. And indeed tliis is too much the Cafe at pre-i fent : For one third, at leaft, of the Luxuries and Elegancies of Life, brought into our Colo^ nies (as was obferved * before) is the Growth and Manufadlure of other Countries, and prin- cipally of France, And as our I'rade, par- ticularly to feme of the Northern Colonies, is growing lefs and lefs, this Evil muft daily in- creafe in the fame Proportion. Moreover, ^^f^- ■ ■ •' ' ■ v,^'.v v^t,-:- c^thly, * See the Xltli Difud\iuititgc of Great Britain. Pi^ge 45. . Am essay on trade. 95 .^ 5//Vy, Unless we can fupplv our Colonies with lUch Commodities and Manufactures as they wanty by way of Barter for fomc of ^hcirs which they can fpare, -*-Thcy will be obliged to raiib thofe Things themfelves. And feeing that many of the new Settlements on the Continent cf j^nersca, are ieveral hundred Miles up the Country, between^ and btyon4 the Mountains ; this Diftance of Situation will increafe the Neceflity they arc already under of manufaduring for themfelves,— unlefs we can iiivert their Thoughts to fome other Pro- jeSls, Nay more, when once a Manufo6ture is fet up in thofe diftant Regions, it will ex- teod itlelf downwards; and the Inhabitants on the Sea-Coaft will be fupplied by their Neighbours in the Up-Lands, upon cheaper and eafier Terms than we can fupply them. — It is a juft Complaint, That many of the Pro- vinces have fet up fcveral Species of Manu- factures, which greatly interfere with the Trade and Profperity of their Mother Country. Yet how fliall we prevent them ?'— There is but one Way to do it, that is either jitjl or prac^ ticabk : and that is, By an Exchange of Com- modities to MUTUAL Benefit. — A mu- tual Benefit is a mutual Dependence. And this Principle alone will contribute more to the preferving of the Dependency of our Colonies upon their Mother Country, than any other Refinement or Invention, For if \vc are afmid, 96 Am ESSAY om TRADE. afraid, that one Day or other they will revolt, and let up for themfelves, as fome fcem to apprehend ; Let us not drive them to a Ne- ceffity to jfeel themfelves independent of us;— As they will do, the Moment they perceive, that they can be fupplied with all Things from within themfelves, and do not need our Affiftance. If we would keep them ftill de- pendent upon their Mother Country, and in tome KeCpe6ks fu^fervient to her FiewSy and Welfare ; — Let us make it their Interest always ib to be. - j iv^ For thefe Realbns therefore, it is humbly apprehended. That the Trade to our Colonies and Plant ationsy muft appear to be of the ut- moft Confequence to the Power, Strength, and Profperity of Great Britain, But to effedtu- ate this good End, an important Queftion comes next to be decided; viz, " WhatPro- " duce (hould our Colonies be moft encou- raged to raife and cultivate ? — And what 5ort of Manufactures fliall they be allowed " to barter in Return for ours? " — It is eafy to fee. That they cannot make large Payments ih Gold and Silver ; and it is alfo equally plain and certain. That we w/// not, cafinot'mditQa allow them to introduce fuch Things among us, as will prevent the Conlumption of our own Commodities, to fuch a Degree^ as to be iipoji the JVhoky of National Diladvantage. cc « Where- An essay on TRADE. 97 Wherefore, with great Submlffion, I will beg Leave to offer fome few plain Objer* 'uationsy which perhaps might not be altoge- ther unferyiceable as to the Regulation of fuch a Trade. .< - , First then, It feems chiefly requifite, that due Encouragement (hould be given to our Colonies, to apply their Thoughts towards the railing di fuch Commodities, as do not inter- fere witli thofe of the Mother Country. Secondly, They fliould alfo not only be allowed, but be particularly incouraged to import all fuch raw Materials as are to be manufoBured here in England \ — even though we raife the fame Sort ourfelves : Be- cauie the more we have of thefe, the better ; fince the cheaper they are purchafed^ the more of them can be worked up ; and the more there are worked up, the greater Number of Hands are employed-, and conlequently, the more Money is either favedy or got to the Nation. Moreover, this Argument becomes fo much the ftronger, if the raw Materials we have of our own, are by no means fuffi* dent for the Demand of the Manufadture, ei- ther as to ^antityy or Goodnefs j which is the Cafe with the Bar Iron here made in Eng- land: So that we are obliged to have recourfe to foreign Cguntries for a Supply j— as in the O Cafe i. % pS An essay on TRADE. Cafe of Bar Iron wc do to Sweden, to the Amount of near 200,000 /. Sterling a Year. - •i t! V.f .- -I t" X H->- <.v,H I i;|-»J^"'', Thirdly, We ought to permit our Co- lonies to fupply us upon eafy Terms with all fuch Articles of Luxury as we are wedded ta, and will have either from them, or others, — Confequendy, in Reafon and good Policy, they ought to have the Preference, by being ifidulged to import thefe Articles under the Advantage of an eafy and reafonable Duty j whilft the Commodities oi, foreign Nations are charged with higher Imports and Cuftoms. In fuch a Cafe, the mutual Exchange of Com- modities between us and the Colonies, would become a mutual Advantage : But that is not all; For as the Duties would be moderate, the Temptations to Smuggling would hzfinall\ the Confumption of the Commodities of our own Colonies greater, and that of other Na- tions kfs : By which means, the Revenue it- felf would rife much higher than it doth, when there are large and heavy Duties: For thefe will ever be attended with one or other of the following Eff£d:s, either the preventing the Importation o^ the Commodity, or itsE«- trance at the Cuftom-houfe. • - F o u R T H L Y, In the Regulation of a Trade with our Colonies, Tome Regard fliould be had to thofe diftant Parts of the Country, which lie remotefl: from the Sea 5 that even the far- theft An essay oi^ TRADE. 99 theft Inhabitants may hkewife find Employ- ment in the raifing of fuch Commodities as are fitteft for their Situation, and are light of Carriage. And if their Thoughts are proper- ly taken up in the Cultivation of thefe Things, they will have neither Time nor Inclination to purfue other PtojeSiSy which might prove detrimental to the Mother Country. ; '; < > . From thefe Principles therefore it feems clearly to follow, That the Culture of CoffeCy Cocoa Nut, Cochinealy Indico, and Pimento^ ought efpecially to be encouraged in the moun-' tainmsy inland Part of Jamaica,-^ And that of Bar Iron, Hemp, Flax, IndicQ, arid Raw Silk, in the Countries between, and beyond the Mountains, on the Back of Carolina^ Virr ginia^ Penjihania, &c. ;o Some of thefe indeed are heavy Goods; and therefore feem not fo proper to be raifcd in a Country fo far diftant from any Seor Port :■ But on the other hand, when it is con- fidered how particularly rich the Soil in thofe Parts is, and how well adapted the Country for the raifing fuch Articles, and how conve- niently the Inhabitants could load the Cattle they bring down every Market Day, with thefe Commodities ; the Difficulty, I hope, in great -^Part vanifhes, and the Propriety of afligning thefe Tradts of Land for the Culture of them, evidently appears. > ^ ,. . ; r , O 2 ' Enough *v ll loo An essay on TRADE. Enough therefore has been faid, to evince* beyond all Contradicllon, That it is the I n- TEREST of the Kingdom, that fiich a Trade as here defcribed, fhould be carried on : But whether it is the Intercji of the Merchant to EMBARK in it, is another Queftion : And yet, till he can find his own private Account in the Affair, it is too clear a Point, that whatever has been faid as to the Publick and National Advantage, will pafs for nothing.'^ A Merchant will not engage in a lo/ing Trade, and ruiit himfelf to benefit his Country. In- deed it is unreafonable to expedt he fhould. And the great Complaint againft the Trade to feme of our Northern Colonies long' has been. That there is 7iothing to be got by it ; that is, That the Merchant can get nothing, or next to nothing, if conipared to his Gains to and from other Places. The Trade to Denmark^ Swedeny or Ru/Jia, is more advan- tageous to hiniy though very detrimental to his Country ; and therefore, if we would expedt the Merchant to turn his Thoughts wholly to the Plantation-Trade, we muft caufe him to find his chief Intereft in the Purfuit of it. ^^^ Now there are four Ways or Methods for turning a Trade into a ?2ew Channel, and Jlop- fing up the old one. , ■■■ ■- * The frft is, By laying additional Duties npon the Commodities of one Country, but not on An essay on TRADE. lot oa thofe of another. By this means, if the Commodities arc in any Degree equal to each other in Goodnefs and Value, the former will be prevented from being imported, on Ac- count of their Dearnefs to the Confumer ; and the latter will have the Preference, by reafon of their Cheapnefs, But this Method, however expedient at particular Jundures, is to be ufed with great Warinefs and Caution. For every fuch additional Duty put upon the Commo- dities of a foreign Country, will be looked upon by that Country, as an Adk of Hojiility committed upon its Trade and Commerce; which they will be fure to revenge upon the Commodities and Manufadures of the Coun- try that was the Aggrejfor. Befides, high ad- ditional Duties are too violent and precipitate a Method of turning a Trade into a new Chan- nel, — eipecially where the Manufacture is yet in its Infancy, and cannot anfwer the Demand for it. It is therefore much more fafe and prudent, to incline the Scale gently and gra^ dually on the Side you would favour j that fo the Inhabitants of that Country may have time to raife the proper ^antity of the Commodi- ties that are wanted, and may increafe and perfeB their Manufactures, by due Applica" tion and Experience. — And alfo, that we our- felves may not be diftreffed on Account of the Scarcenefs, or the Badnefs of the Commodity ; or be forced to pay an exorbitant Price, by means of the Monopoly which the Inhabitants of I 'I i ■ i V 102 An ESSAY on. TRADE:. df the fanuiurcd Country will have againft us. ' Wh E ft £ F R E, fecondly^ another more com^ viodiouii atid lefs exceptionable Way, is. To grant eer tain Privileges and Exemptions ; — ^ which {hali^5^///?a^ till the Trade is fuffici- ently efi^Sajhed^ and needs no Support', that is, tillthc ^Merchant can find it worth \i^% nvbile iO kngo^e in it, without being paid at the puhUckExtpenct^ Suppofe therefore, that at the B&ginnif^ of fuch a Trade, certain Com^ modities were ^permitted to be imported upon ^afy I'^mi 5— -or rather Duty free, which is better ilill : Then our Colonies would turn their Thoughts to the raifing them 5 and the Merchant Avould find hiso\Vn private Account in imprting them. But if any thing obftruft* ed, fo that this did n6t prove fufficient to tv^ gage them in the Profecution of fuch Defigns ; or that thfc Demand yfe'i/ ran in favour of the Goods of /?/?o/^^r Nation J then, i .r -jt ' thirdly i The Scale muft be turned by the Addition of a Bounty upon Importation: And to quicken their Diligence, and excite a Spirit of Emulation, to thefe Encouragements may flill be added, i.:;:iwi:; . ; ■ i .» .- - \v' -V ii:r;i j^ . '. — .•. ;v,V •■ '- ^-'^ ■■■■•' '' Kurtbly, A Personal Premium to fnch Merchants, as fliall import the mpft of thefe Commodities, and the beft in their Kind. Frizes of this Nature, are obferved to do won- derful An essay on TRADE. 103 derful Things in the raifrng and petfeBing of a Manufadurc. We have fcen their good Ef- feds in Ireland y and it were greatly to be wifhed we had the fame laudable Idlitution here in England, . If certain Sums were vefted in the Board of Trade for this Purpofe, we might not defpair of feeing the Mother Coun- try in a few Years Supplied with Pot-AJhes^ Bar Iron, Flax, Henip, IndicOy Cochineal, Coffee y Cocoa Nut y Pitch and Tar, all Sorts of JSaval Storesy and Raw Silky chiefly from her own Colonies. The Fad is undeniable, That ALL thefe Things can be raifed in our Planta- tions either on the Continent, or in the IJlands. And though fomc Difficulties would attend the Enterprize at firft fetting out, yet Induftry and Application, together with the Induce^ ments oi Bounties Sindperfonal PremmmSyWould furmount them all. If Prizes were fixed, viz. So much to the frjl, the fecond, and the third Importer of the mojl in Quantity, and 6efi in Kind } and notice given thereof in the Gazette by Publick Authority ; What an Emulation would it excite amongft all the Merchants of the Kingdom ? How gladly would our Colo- nies embrace fuch Propofals, and quit the Pur- fuit of the Manufadures they are now engaged in? It is certain, thefe Manufadures, tho' highly detrimental to us, are not fo advantage- ous to theniy as the Raifing the above men- tioned Commodities would be-, becaufe they could employ their Negroes in iuch Work ; whereas 4, ^ rl. X04 AU ESSAY ON TRADE. whereas the Negroes are found to be not fo proper to engage in a Manufacture, which has a long Courfe and different Parts before it is compleated; and the Labour of the white People is dear and expcnfive. As to the Article of Raw Silk, the Impor- tance of it, I hope, will juftify the recom- mending of the Culture of it in a very parti^ cular Manner. The excejfhe Price it now bears, and the great Difficulties to which the Manufacturers are driven, in order to get it at any Rate, require that fomething fhould be attempted without Delay. Every Nation now begins to perceive, Tmt it is imprudent and impoUtick to fufFer fuch precious Materials to be exerted unmaniifa^ured out of their Coun- try. They have therefore prohibited the do- ing it under the fevereft Penalties:— And we cannot blame them. But for that very Rea- ion we ought to endeiavour to raife the Com- modity ourfelves. And with humble Sub- miffion, no Time ever feemed fo favourable for the doing it, as the prefent. For as the Price is high, this is not only an Inducement to fet about it ; but alfo as we have now a different Sort of Inhabitants in our Colonies to engage in it, than we had before, we have therefore the greater ProfpeCt of Succefs. The Complaint formerly was. That the Cultivation of it would not anfiver on Account of the Beamcfs of Labour, The Inhabitants towards - ■ ' the "* J. ,% , ««*. : An essay on trade. 105 the Sea-Coajis could employ their Time to greater Advantage in the Cuhure of Tobacco^ Rice^ &c. therefore the Scheme for Raw Silk muft fail. But at prefent we have feveral thoufands of Palatines and Mcraviam, fettled in the Vallies between the Mountains in a Country much like Piemont, where the beft Silk grows : Now as they cannot cultivate Rice or Tobacco for Exportation ; and as they are far removed from the Center of Trade, and are alfb a parfimoniousy abjiemious People, they will certainly work much cheaper than the Ew^- lijh heretofore towards the Sea-iide, who were ever noted for the contrary Qualities. So that upon the Whole, the 'Time and the Occafon invite j the Necejities of the Manufadure, and the Interejl of our Country, require that fome Attempt Ihould be fpeedily made for the raif- ing of Raw Silk in our Colonies. IX. PROPOSAL. To pur chafe the IJle of Man of the prefent noble Proprietor j and annex it to the Crowil of Great Britain, T II E late Purchafe of the Hereditable Ju- rifdiftions in Scotland hoxh fet an excellent Ex- ample, which deferves Imitation. And indeed in the prefent Cafe the Realons for annexing this Royalty to the Crown, hold ftronger than in any of the others. For the Detriment, P which # i ■Hk-' If** V '4 io6 An essay om TRADE. * which the whole Kingdom fuftains by thte Menation of it, is much greater than that which arofe from all the Royalties and Jurif- didtions of Scotland, The IJle of Man is the great Magazine for the French to depofite their Wines and Brandies, Teas, and other Com- modities in, till Opportunity offers of Smug* gling them on the Coafts of England, Scotlandy Ireland and Wales, The Lofs hereby to this Nation, and the Gains to the French, are in- expreflibly great. And as all the Sums drained front us, are employed by them in Time of War to hire Troops, and pay Armies to fight againft Us, it will be no Exaggeration of the Truth to fay, ^ That fincc the Peace of Vtrecht, they have drawn more Money from us by means of their Trade with this Ifl-ind, than was fufficient to maintain 30,000 Men, with a Train of Artillery, during the late War in Flanders, — Is this now a Matter of no Confequence ? Would the French have fufFered a like Sovereignty and Jurifdidtion to remain on their Coafts, fo greatly to the Detriment of the Kingdom in general ? No 5 the Cafe of the Sovereignty of Belle-IJley formerly in Pof- feffion of the Family of the famous Duke of that Name, plainly {hews they would mt. Besides, the I/le of A^« creates a pro- digious Expcnce to the Britijh Government, in maintaining fo many Offices, Cruifers, -&c, to guard againfl its illicit and pernicious Trade. This * "^^ ^ Am essay on TRADE. 107 This Article alone cannot be lefs than 20,000/. a Year, including in the Eftimatlon the Offi- cers in Ireland^ that are kept there on the fame Account. I might alfo mention the notorious Frauds committed in the Cufloms, together with the Perjuries always attending them,^^ the Entry of certain Goods for Exportatiotiy'^ receiving a Drawback or Debenture y-^ landing thoie Goods in the IJle of Man^ — and then running them back again upon our own Coafts. But iurely there is no need of labouring to convince any one in fb clear a Cafe. .'11 1 .- In (hort this Ifland may be looked upon as « Fortrefs in the Hands of our Enemies, from whence they are continually annoyifig Us in the tnoik fenjble Part, our Trade and Coni^ merce. And the whole Queftion is, Whether we ought to difpoffefs them or not ?— A Quef- tion which admits of no Difpute, if the Pub^ lick Good, and Welfare of our Country are to determine it. Befides, the noble Proprietor himfelf need be no Lofery nay he may be a confiderable Gainer by fuch a Purchafe. For as the whole Revenue of the Ifland is faid not to amount to more than between 3, or 4000/. a Year, it would be a cheap Exchange to the Publick, if he was paid 40, 50, or 60 Yeais purchafe for his Property therein. % .<». 4:t f.i-. P z X. PRO- -::■[■ -* t ' ..'"la* •i^ * w<^ ii 'f lo8 An essay on TRADE. ^v X. PROPOSAL., • K' "^ ^ # 4/ \ ' ^- To invite Foreigners of DiftinSfion to travel among Us, that fo we may have fomcthing in return for the vaft Sums which we yearly fend abroad. To this End there is wanting a concife Treatife in French and Englijh, fetting forth the Advantages which Perfons of diffe- rent Tafles and Inclinations may enjoy by fach a Tour : The Man of Pleafure and Diverlion ^ —The Virtuofo— The Scholar and Man of Letters — The Lawyer — Phyfician— Divine — 4\ ' Merchant, &c, with Dire(5lions how to per- form a regular Tour— a Ihorter or a longer-* . what Things are moft remarkable to be feen : — Churches — Scats — Gardens— Pictures -*• Manufadures— Ports, G?f. — what Books or Trcatifes are necefTary to be confulted — how to learn the Language— with the proper Stages » ' marked out — and a Calculation of the Ex- pence in the moderate Way of Travelling. • ' -■.."■''■■-• . • ■ Lr has been obferved before, under the . Xllth Advantage of France, page 20. That Tiavelling into a Country is or greater Confe- ' quence to the Trade and Manufactures of that Country, than is ufually apprehended. And as Engliindis as deferVing the Notice oi curious and inquijitive Foreigners, as any Country on the Globe, it is a great Pity, that fome inge- nious Hand hath not yet lent them his friendly ^ Affiftance '^. ^% * -avel igin Mirly inga tting iiffe- fach irfion m of ine— jper- ger- ieen: Dks or -how Stages ; Ex- An ESSAY on TRADE. 109 AfTiftiince, by an exprcfs Trcatifc on thc'Sub- jcdt. It would be a great Plcafurc to the Au- thor to contribute what he can, only as an inferior Workman^ in the accomplilhing fuch a Delign. And therefore if he could fungi vice CotiSf as Horace exprefles it, and be con- iidercd only as a Whet-Jione to give an Edge to the Inclinations of others, who have Abtlities to execute fuch a Scheme, he would gladly offer his Afliftance. ^ i • ' ' : ,-7'i Lny I _^- ! rn H!«-f r :l. .. With thefe Sentiments therefore he begs Leave to propofe the following rough Sketchy only as general Hints tobe /w^rov^^upon, viz. Suppose a modeft Treatife was wrote, without puffing, or too much extoling ourfelvcs, or our Country, containing a Plan for a Fo- reigner to travel in England a Year, or longer, with Pleafure and Advantage : C H AP. I. Setting forth the Situation of the Country, the Air and Climate, Nature of the Soil, and its general Productions. Chap. II. The prefent Inhabitants, Prin- ciples of theii Government, their Virtues and Vices, Humours, Diverfions, the Manner of converiing agreeably with them, and accommo- dating one's felf to the general Tafle and Ge- nius of the Country, Method of learning the Language —and Pronunciation —i'Method and Expence 4r •k S4 m- * 4 .- ^ iV'''- *f t**« ■-.*? !* « ' m^ 210 An essay on TRADE* , Expence of Travelling— —manner of obtaining Recommendations from alxoad to London, ^nd from London to the other Parts of the King* dom. -ii::;.; . .;r i^ . .-., -.^^ • •; Ch AP. III. Containing the Plan for a Fo- reigner to make the Tour of £;f|^to^incight Stages, within the Compafs of a Year, each Stage containing les Environsy or the Diftrid of ten Miles round the Place of Reiidence, in which Diflridt the principal Seats — Towns — Manu&dures — Curiofities, &c. Should be briefly described : viz, Suppofing the Stranger landed the Beginning of Jlpril-, then the ifi Stage, London and ks Etrvirons, in the Month of -^ifj^ , U : .?;. • N. B, It might be improper, A Foreigner {hould flay longer in the Capital upon firil coming over, than to fettle his Correfpondences, and get Recommendations to other Places ; left whilft he is a Stranger to the Language, he (hould aflbciate too mudi with his own Countrymen, and be little benefited by his Travelling. zd Stage, Cambridge and lei Environs, m May, Here he fhould begin in earnefl to learn tlie Language by the Hdp of fome good Grammar, and to learn the Pronunciation by coming to Church witli his French and Englijh Common ** ^^ \e*l . An essay on TRADE, in Common Prayer, and liftening to the Clergy- man's flow and deliberate Reading. If this Method was duly pradiiced, Foreigners would not find that Difficulty in learning the Pronun- ciation of our Language, as they are apt to imagine. And this is an Advantage of teach- ing it, in fome Refped peculiar to Us. • '^d Stage, Oxford and ies Environs, in June. Note, In laying out the Route between Place and Place, it would be proper to contrive it fo, as the Traveller might fee as many Things worthy of Notice in his Pallage, as he could. /[tb Stage, Birmingham and Ies Environs^ In July. ^th Stage, Brijlol and ks Environs, in ^u- 6th Stage, A Tour from Brijiol to Portf- mouthy through Wilton, Salijbury, &c. and then return to Bath in September, jth Stage, Bath and Ies Environs, during OSiober and Noroember, m n . t % 2th Stage, London, during the Months of December, January, February and March, which complete the Year. If Ml it ^/ or Ejj'ex, in the Way to Dover or Harwich^ Chap. IV. Containing Obfervations on the Literature and Learning of the Efiglijh', and the Advantages which Perfons of different Taftes may reap, from being acquainted with them. — Concluding with a fmall Catalogue of the choiceft Authors in polite Literature, and thefeveral Sciences;— with a Lift of our beft Plays, as to Morals, Language, and Dejigny that fo a Foreigner may know, when it (liall be worth his while to go to our Theatres. A ,,« "i XL PROPOSAL. «*' m T o cut fome Canals between our great T'owns of Trade, for the Conveniency and Cheapnefs of Carriage. ■& % •d^' 'T: An essay on TRADE. 113 Carnage, — Canals are much preferable to the making Rivers navigable, even where both might be done. For in the firft Place, the Expence is not greater, except perhaps the Purchafe of the Ground. In the next Place, they are kept and repaired at a much eafier Rate. They are not fubjedt to Inundations, or the Shifting of the Sand and Gravel, and are generally much floorter and ftreighter, -— But what is above every other Confideration, A Boat laden with Merchandize in a Canal, may be drawn by a fingle Horfe, on a full 'Troty as in Holland, up or down the Stream, whether there be a Floods or not j and requires but two Men to guide it. , . . ' If a Canal was dug between Reading and Bath^ then there would be an eafy and cheap Communication between the two principal Ci- ties of the Kingdom, London and Brijiol : Goods and Paflengers might be carried at one quarter of the prefent Expence : And furely jc^L per Cent, faved in Freight^ defer ves Con- iideration. The River Kerinet, from Reading to Silbury-Hill, is a plain Illuftration how practicable fo far fuch a Scheme might be. And from thence to the Defcent towards Caln^ on the Bath Side, is the only Difficulty. But fuch who have feen the great Canal of Lan^ guedoCy are very well affured it might eafily be performed, and at a fortieth Part of the Expence which the other was, Q_ Nay, 114 An essay on TRADE. l! I Nay, a Gentleman of Credit and Repu- tation, lately informed me. That on the Side of the Devizes there is flill a much more con* venient Situation for the Purpofe, where a few Spade-fulls of Earth could turn the Stream either way. What a Pity is it, That fo ma-* ny Advantages are negleSied f If the like Si- tuation had been in France, a Canal had been made long ago. — Indeed fomething might have been alledgcd in our Excufe, had wc the fame Difficulties to encounter with, which the French furmounted in making the Canal of Languedoc, But there are no Obftrudlions of Rivers and Rivulets in our Way ; no need of making Arches, and Troughs of Stone to carry the Canal over them ; -— no fteep Hills to afcend, or Mountains to pierce through : And yet the Thing is not fo much as attempt- ed, though the common Intereft, and the Si- tuation of the Country, fo flrongly invite us to perform it. v, • ■ ' ■ > . ■-- -i /■.-.,.. ' ' .. ■ . ../ ■ ' .\ - ■-■ • A Can A L alfo ought to be dug between Glafcow and the Shoar oppofite to Alloii'^y ; which would open a Communication between ClafcoWy and Lett by the Von oi Edinburgh.-^ The Situation in thefe Parts is extremely in- viting, even more fo than the former ; as the Paffage is much (liorter. And our Soldiers in Titnes of Peace might be employed in the publick Works, alternately with performing <"•-•- their ly ni- ls the An essay on TRADE. 115 their Exercife, receiving a fuitable Addition to their Pay, when they are at work. XII. PROPOSAL. * To raife a Fijhery on the Northern Coaft of iScotland, by giving a doublePremium for fome Years, till the Trade is fufficicntly €ftabli(hed, for all Herrings caught and cured by Perfons refiding within certain Diftridts, and exported to foreign Markets. Several other Schemes have been lately offered to the Publick in relation to this Mat- ter ; and all of them, undoubtedly, good in fome Refpedts. Every thing of this Nature hath its refpedlive Convenience and Inconve- nience. And if the Scheme for carrying on the Fiflieries by means of a ^oint Stocky and a Company y impower*d to make By-Laws^ and prefcribe Rules and Regulations^ can ftand clear of the imminent Hazard of degenerating into a JoBB, through the corrupt Influence and finifter Views of the Managers and DireBors of fuch a Company ; — I fay, If the Scheme is freed from all reafonable Sufpicion of tend- ing to fuch a Point, I (hould much rather prefer it to that which is here, with great SubmifTion, offered in its ftead. It is certain, that a Joint Stock is a quicker and more ex^ peditious Way ;— but the Encouragement of a double Bounty appears to me more fure. and ii6 An essay on TRADE. lefs liable to be corrupted. For in this lattei* Cafe, there are no Sums advanced till the Work is done, and the Herrings publickly exa- mined, whether they are marketable or not : There is no fingering of the Money in the mean Time by Managers and Diredlors ; nor can there be any Items of Expences and Difr burfements^ Fees and Salaries, brought to Ac- count : Things which are the Bane of all pub- lick Societies, and the great Caufe of their Corruption, and degenerating from their ori- ginal Inflitution, . Besides, if a double Bounty y or perhaps Fi've Shillings per Barrel, were given for all Herrings fo cured and exported, it feems to me. That the Dutch themfelves would be tempted by the Lucre of fuch a Bounty ^ to fettle on the Northern Coafts of Scotland, and make one People with the Inhabitants of the Coun- try ; — which would be the greateft Advan- tage that Part of the Kingdom could poffibly receive. XIII. PROPOSAL. T o ejlablipd Civil Governments at Gibraltar and Port-Mahone, and make them Free Ports, — The Situation of Gibraltar is extremely commodious for vend Jug feveral Sorts of Com- modities in Spai7i SLndBarbary : And the Ifland of Minorca is not lefs happily fituated for car- rying ttei* the ;xa- lOt : the nor Dif- Ac- pub- their • ori- rhaps or all ome, npted le on make oun- dvan- flibly An essay on TRADE. 117 rying on an advantageous Commerce with fome Parts of France and Italy, and, by means of the neighbouring Illand of Majorca, with Spain alfo. Several Sorts of coarfe Woollen Stuffs, and Manchejier Goods, would be acceptable in Barbary, provided they could be had reafon- ably cheap : Which can never be, till there is a free Port. Several Sorts of the Manu- fadtures of Manchejier ^nd Spittle-Fields, would be very agreeable to the Tafte of the Spani- ards, French, and Italians, But above all, our Birmingham Ware, our Cutlery, Razors and ScifTars, Watches and Chains, Locks, Metal Buttons, Snuff Boxes, Toys, and all the Sorts of Bijoux d' Angleterre, as the French call them, which they are inexpreflibly fond of, would find a prodigious Vent in all thefe Countries. The leaft Amount of the whole Trade, that might be carried on by means of thefe two Ports, were they made free, would be 100,000/. a Year. And furely fuch a Sum is worth the Getting ;— efpecially by a Nation 80,000,000 /. in Debt^ Ira Scheme of this kind was to take Place in the Ifland of Minorca, it would then alfo ftand a fair Chance of being peopled by Eng- lip Families, or by fuch as are well-affeSied to the Englifi Government. Whereas at prefent there are fcarce any, except the Garrifon, but hlgotted Spaniards, who at the firft taking of the Place^ would have been glad to have part- ed ^ii8 An essay on TRADE. ed with their Pofleffions for a Trifle, and to have retired into Spain, But now they are got immcnfely rich ; their Lands are faid to be more than ^ve ^imes their former Value ; and yet their Bigottry and Averfion continue as ilrongas ever, ' '/ XIV. PROPOSAL. To have puhlick Infpe^ors into all our Manufa^ures ; and to oblige all Exporters to deliver in Samples of the Commodities they intend to export, in order that they may be compared together^ before the Goods are fufrered to be put on Ship-board, This, if faithfully and honeftly executed, would always keep up the Credit of our Manufa<5lures at home and abroad, on which the Spirit and Life of Trade principally depends. All poflible means fliould be taken to prevent private Frauds in packing —Deficiencies in Weight and Meafure— un- due flretching of Cloths upon the Rack, which alone hath occaiioned irreparable Lois to this Nation. The Fraudulent and Deceitful (hould be prevented, as much as it is pojfibky from get- ting Rich at the Expence of their honeft Neighbours, and the Welfare of their Coun- try, which is too ohtn facrijiced to their Knavery. In rtiort, In all Kinds of Manufadures, the woril Part of it fhould be put outermoji for a Sample^ I to are i to iue ; inue our rs to they ly be ffered hfuUy pep up e and Trade hould icking — un- which o this ould get- Loneft 'oun- their ;s, the for a \ampley An essay on TRADE. 119 Sample^ no^ the Beft i that fc the Buyer, in feeing the Mark and Seal of i..^ O^Vf, may; cmfide in that, and be aiTured, that he is w£, deceived by what is oui of Sigijt* v -, i\ ' * * . t • M 1' XV. PROPOSAI^^ .11 . .J To tf//^r the Method of colle^ittg our Du- ties upon particular Sorts of Goods imported^ viz. By lodging them in Warehoufes ereded at the publick Expence, till the Importer fetches them away, according as he wants them, and pays the Duty, or cau&s it to be paid by the Perfon who purchafes of him. This Scheme, I am fenfible, would raife a great Clamour, if enforced by any compulfive Law ; But if left to each Perfon's free Choice, there is the higheft Probability, that it would uni- verlally obtain. Si^ppofe therefore, That the Laws relating to the Cufloms in general Hiould continue as they are; But that Fernnffion (hould be granted to fuch Perfons as are defir-^ ous of ufing it, to knd their Goods in the publick Magazines, there to remain at the ufual moderate Rent for Cellarage, till iiich Time as they find it their Intereft to remove them, and then to pay the Duty. If fuch a Permif. fion was granted to the; Importers of Sugars, Rum, Wines, Brandies, I'obacco, Rat fins. Prunes^ and Currants, it is eafy to forefee, That al- moil every one concerned, would embrace it. For, in the iirft Place, the Expence of Warehoufe-, I20 An essay on TRADE. Warehoufe-Room would be juifl the fame ; but the Difference between paying the Duty all at once upon Importation, and paying it by Degrees, would be verv great, and much to the Advantage both ot the Importer and the Publick. The Importer would be a Gain- er, as he would not be ftreightned for Money to pay the Duties every time his Ship arrives ; and might keep his Goods till he faw a pro- mifing Market, or might export them to fome Foreign Country, if they bore there a better Price. And this itfelf would be a great Ad- vantage to the Publick, as it would render our Country a kind of common Magazine for otherSy and as we fhould get by it all the Profits of Freight, Commiflion, is^c. More- over, the Publick would be more efpecially benefited, as the Trade would be increafed, and the Goods afforded much the cheaper. — When a Trade can be carried on with a fmall Stock, the more Perfons are capable of em- barking in it ; And when the Duties are not paid all at once, but by Degrees, as the Goods can be fold, the Home-Confumer will buy fo much the cheaper. For he will only pay the King's limple Duty, — the Expences of the Adventure, — and the Merchant's fingle Gains upon that Adventure : Whereas, according to the preient Way of coUedling the Revenue, every Confumer pays another confiderable Ar- ticle, viz. The Gains of the Merchant on the Sums advanced to pay the King's Duty, And if cei Set mij wel ►uty uch and rain- )ney ives; pro- fome ►etter Ad- ;r our e for il the ^ore- icially eafed, )er. — fmall f em- •e not odds )uy fo ay the of the i Gains iingto venue, >le Ar- the And if on An ESSAY on TRAE E. 121 if the Goods have pafled from the Merchant Importer to the laft Retailer^ through two or three Hands, before they come to the Con- fumer, then He pays two or three Advances the more. * So that in fadt, He not only pays the Jirjl Duty to the King, but perhaps twice as much again to others, by Means of thefe Advances upon Advances, The Confe- quence of all which is, That Trade becomes monopolized by a few Rich Perfons, becaufe there is a greater Stock required to carry it on ; And Smugglers will be the more numerous^ and the more audacious, becaufe the Hemptationi to, and the Gains of Smugglmgy become fb" much the greater. Whereas by the Method now propofed, both thefe Mifchiefs would bd prevented to a great Degree, (t^ Obferve, 'f hd Propofal here made, compels no Perfons' to fubmit to thefb Regulations, but only per^ niits theitl to make ufe of them, if they are" difpofed to do it; '^ Obferve alfo. That this Scheme requires no new Officers^ even at the Cornmehcement of it: And when it has been thoroughly tried and known, it would certaiiily greatly lejfen the Number of them. A Set of Publick Magazines (which, by the By, might be ib contrived, as to be ornamental, as well a$ ufeful) built uniformly, and in a Qua- R drangular * See this Affair fet in a true and Jirong Light in a Treatife entitled. An EJfay on the Caufes of the Decltna of the ForeignTrade, London 1744. Printed ior J. Bro" t her ton. Pages 1 6, and 17. laaAN ESSAY on TRADE.' drangular Figure, might eafily be taken Care of and infpeded by a very few Officers, who might well be fpared from the Nunibers now employed as Latid-Waiters^ I'ide-JVait-' ers. Searchers, Deputies, Extraordinary Men, &c. &c. ^ Obferve, ^dfy* That with refped to any Embezzlement, which thefc Magazine-keepers might be fufpeded of, this midrit be prevented, as much as any thing of fucn a Nature can poflibly be (not only by Weighing the Goods, Gauging them, and taking Samples before they are delivered into the Officers Care) but alio by making it ne- ceiTary, That thefe Officers (hould be engaged with two fufficient Bondfmen in two Sorts of Securities, one to the King, to enforce their Fidelity to him, and another to the Mayor or chief Magiftrate of the Town, and his SucceA fors, where the Magazine is kept, in Truft for the Merchants, to enfure their Honefty to them : And that when any of thefe Officers- are fufpe^^ed of Embezzling the Merchants Property, the Party aggrieved may be at Li- berty to bring an Adion in the Name of the Mayor, or chief Magiftrate for the Time being, and recover treMe Damages, with Cofts of Suit, on Proof of fuch Embezzlement. Now in all thefe Refpedls the prefent Propofal differs entirely from the late famous Excife Scheme i And every Objection made againft that, is ob- viated here. v^ k An essay on TRADE. 123 ir •«^' A s this laft Propofal, and one or two more, would be attendea with feme Expencc, were they carried into Execution j — And as the Nation, in its prefent Circumftances, might be fuppofed incapable of bearing a farther Load : I (hall therefore endeavour to poiiit out a Method how certain Taxes might be raifed, without burdening any of the Neceffarics of Life,-^and yet Jtiffictent to anfwer all thefe Expences,— and be moreover highly conducive to the Reformation of the Morals of the Peo- ple, and the general Welfare of the Kingdom. Viz. 7t: XVI. PROPOSAL. ob- As To lay certain Taxes on the following Ar- ticles oi Luxury y Vice, ov Extravagance : which Taxes (hall be applied to the general Improve- ment of Commerce j by maintaining Confuls, and eredling Forts, according to Propofal VI, Building of Magazines and Warehoufes, as fpe- cified in Propofal XV. Giving Bounties and Perfonal Premiums to the greateji Exporters of our own Manufactures, — the like to the greateft Importers of Raw Materials from F Temptatiofj, For, excepting two or thre2 Trades, which Women ftil) retain, all the Reft are evgrojjed by Meii. We have Men-Mcmttia- makers^ Men-Milliners^ Men-Stay makers. Men- ' Shoemakers for Women's Shoes, Mcn-Hair-Cut- tersfor Women's Hair, &c. and very likely irt time we fhall have Sempjlreffes, Laundrejjh^ and Clear-St^rchers^ of the fame Sex, f'' Such Perverfions as thefe, of the Order of Society, are not oi fmall ill Confequence, cither to the Welfare of Individuals, or the Good of the State, And therefore to difcou^ rage fuch Practices as much as may be, in the Affair of Men-Servants, The Propofal is, That each of them fhall be taxed Two Shillings and Six Pence in the Pound, according to their Wages, to be paid by their Maflers and Mil^ treffes, and to be colleded by the Officers of the Window Tax. If a Scheme of this Na- ture were efFedually put in Pradlice, the Con- fequence would be, either, That Women- Ser- vants would be ehiployed, rather than Men, which would anfwer a good End in that Re- fpedt ;— or elfe, that thefe Men-Servants, tho* idle and ufelefs in themfelves, would contribute to the promoting of Commerce and extending pur Trade, by means of the Tax they pay for this End j — though forely againjl their WIL l^HE 3^ Tax propofed, is, That upon Sad- dle-Horfes. S 2 The 132 An essay on TRADE. V The Tax upon Coaches, as far as it went, was an excellent and publick-fpirited A6t of the Legiflature. It was laying the Burden, where it ought always to be laid, viz, upon the Luxuries y the Ornament s^ and Refinements of Living. But undoubtedly it was defeSiive as to its Extent : Many Gentlemen of Fortune, efpecially if they are fingle, do not choofe to keep Coaches ; and others may live in fuch Parts of the Country, where the Situation is not convenient for their fo doing. Yet they all keep Saddle Horfes in abundance, — Hunters^ —and perhaps -R^r^rj, — without paying any Tax i though thefe Things are Articles of mere Luxury, Parade and Pleafure, as much as Coaches. Is there now any Equity or Juf- tice in this ? And are not fuch Perfons the propereft Subjedls to pay towards the Sup- port of our Manufaftures, and extending our Commerce ? Undoubtedly they are : And therefore the Propofal is this, That all Owners of Saddle Horfes, young Horfes under ^Vd? Tears old excepted, be taxed at the Rate of five Shillings per Horfe every Year ; — faving only one Horfe , which (hall be admitted to be kepty^tv of all T^ax by each Owner, on the Suppofition, That Riding may he necefjary for his Healthy or on the Account of Btifmefs, li greater Allowances than this were made, jt would be opening a Door for Fraud and Collujion : And if Icjs^ it might bear hard upon tlie An essay on TRADE. X33 the real Wants and Neceffities of many Peo- ple. Perhaps even this Indulgence of one Horfe, ftax-Jree^ to each Proprietor, might feem too rigorous a Reftraint; and might adually be fo in certain Circumilances ; but in all Cafes oipublick Concern, it is impoflible to adjuil Things in fuch a Manner, as that every Perfon can be pleafedy^^or even that the Intereft of every Individual may be fo particu'- larly taken Care of, according to the Nature of his peculiar Circumflances, as that he can have no jufl Reafon to complain. To proceed therefore, the i^i \>. 7.' . ^th Tax propofed to be levied is on Dogs of every Sort and Kind, except Shepherds Dogs, and Houfe Dogs. For every thing beyond this, is mofl undoubtedly an Article of Luxury^ and Diverjion j and as fuchy juftly liable to be Taxed. . Wherefore the Propofal is. That the Owners of all Dogs ihall pay One Shilling for each Dog every Year. And as there are fuch prodigious Numbers of Hounds, Greyhounds, Pointers, Setters, Spaniels, Beagles, Lap-Dogs, and Turnfpits all over the Kingdom,this vrould bring in a very confiderable Revenue, which might be employed to the greateil National Advantage, in fupporting and extending ou^ Trade and Commerce. — If this Tax fhould caufe a Diminution of the Species, there would be 134 Am essay on trade. be no Harm in that^ nay, it would be at- tended widi a great deal of Goody as for many (7/Z>tfrRea(fons, fo particularfy for this, That the dreadful and ftoocking Calamities attending the Bite d Mad Dogs, would be lefs frequent than tl?ey now arc. !— If any one (hould ob- jedtv ThiJt 'Turn-^its owght to be conlidered fis majary Implements for drcffing of ^/ CON- 136 Am feSSAY ON TRADE. CONCLUSION. AN D thus have I ventured to give my Sentiments, with that Freedom and Unrefervednefs^ which is natural to Men who mean well, and whofe file Aim is the Good and Profperity of their Country.— As I have no private Ends of my own to ferve, either the one way or the other, I have had no Biafs of Self-IntereA upon my Mind. I T is true, I confefs, that many of the Pro- posals here made, are Subjedls very unpofiu* lar in the prefent Times : Neither would ! willingly have advanced any thing harjh or difagreeable^ even to prejudiced Minds, were it pojjible to have made iruth and Popularity^ in this Cafe, confift together. But fince that cannot be, what muft be done ? muft we ftill go on, languiftiing in our Commerce^ increal^ ing in our Difirders^ and beholding oi.;r Rivals taking their Advantage of thefe Misfortunes, merely becaufe feme People do not cJjoofe to be told WHERE the Core of the Evil lies, and HOW " An ESSAY ON TRADE. 137 HOW it may be taken out ? If the Alterations here propofcd, are ncccjfary or advam ^■^roiis to the Publick, that alone (hould be fufficient to recommend them to the Efteem of all Per* fons of Worth and CharaBer -, But if they arc not, I put in no Plea or Apology for theni: — Only I will add, on behalf of the Author, that his Intentions were good^ though He was mif- taken. I A M alfo well aware. That there is a cuf- tomary Prepofleflion entertained againft Prc- jeds of all Kinds 5 And that Projedors are looked upon as a Race of Beings who have fomething very lingular and whimfical in their Compolition. And yet I think it muft be allowed, That, notwithftanding all the Pre- judice which fome chimerical Gentlemen of this Stamp have drawn upon themfelves, theic muft be both ProjeBs and ProjeBors^ when Things are bady and want mending ; otherwife tTiey never could be better^ nor the Faults correBed, With Refpedt to the Cafe before us, there are two general ObjeBiom^ as far as I am able to perceive, which may be made againft what has been advanced. • * The firfl is, That many of the Propofah^ though they may be right in theory ^ are im- praBicable mFaB, .— • T Tks ' -138 An essay on TRADE. The fccGJid is, That the Schemes here laid down, are attended with their Inconveniencics as well as others. .";: \ . p....), ^ - .. ..^^,,,dyU ' , , • ■ i ■ ■ - '> To the FIRST of thefe I reply; That no one can be ccrfnin of this, till an Attempt has been made to puc them in Pra<5lice : And \ye may be very fure, Every one of them might be eafily put in Execution, were Perfons as really animated with the Love of their Coun- try, and as truly concerned for its Welfare and Profperity, as they pretend to be ; And had fome among us, in their Oppojithn to every Mealure of the Government, no darky latent Scheme at Heart, which they co'uer over with Jpecmts l>iiLmes. Besides, None of thefe Schemes, nOj not all of them together^ are fo difficult in thcm- felves to be carried into Execution, as that Jngle one which has been fo happily perfeBed in our own Days, the Union with Scot^ Ia?id,^^ln. that Cafe, inveterate National Pre- judices, — National Pride, — Ftf w//V"I"tereft, ■— 5^-^InterefL, — Jaccbitical Intereft, — Pretences of Confaence, — Fears of Religion, and the refpeftive Churches of both Kingdoms : — All thefe confpired to heap up Difficulties in the Way. And yet all were furmounted by the Firmnefs and Addrefs of thofe true Pa- triots of both Kingdoms, to their immortal Honour, .1 » . . ^ coi to to ed of TJI ed th( C(l 'S An essay on TRADE. 139 Honour, who had the Management of that Affair. Whereas in the prefent Cafe, there can be no Pretences of Confcience, no Fears of the Church's being in Danger, to encounter with : There are no National Animolities, or National Pride, or the Intcre/l of great Fa- milies, to obflrud: us ; And very little of Party Spirit can mingle in any of thefe Affairs ; Self-Interefl is the chief Obftacle to be fur- mounted. This is indeed a great one, which will draw every thing that it can to its Affift- ance. But it is not infuperable, if withftood by Men who have a true liove for their Coun- try, and Prudence and Difcretion to time their Endeavours, and guide them aright. Moreover: Suppofing none of thefe Pro- pojals are fuch as will go down at prefent, while Men are full of their Prejudices, and fond of their own Opinions : Yet, even in that Cafe, it may not be amifs to lay before them the Things that are right j which they may conHder of at their Leifure. When Men pome to reafon and reJleB, their Prejudices will be- gin to /often ; and Time will reconcile them to thofe Expedients, which they had inveigh- ed bitterly againft before ; perhaps for want of wider/landing and knowing them better. — Thus it often happens. That Propofds deem- ed impracticable at o?ie Seafon, on account of the popular Outcry againft them, may be call- ed for at afiothcr^ with equal Vehemence and T 2 Impa-* 140 An essay on TRADE. Impatience. And therefore, with humble Submiflion, It may not be amifs to leave thefe Proposals upon Record for future Eat^- mination, though none of them fliould be judged Jcajiblc at the prefent. _ . i -ivrf/ \- .,i . But befides the former Ohjedlion^ a second is, That this Scheme itfelf is attended with Inconveniencies^ as well as others. I GRANT it is : And furely no Man in his Senfes could ever fuppofe, That there could be any Scheme calculated for the general Good, which would not bear hard upon the Interefts of fome particular People. — The true way of eftimating any Propofal is, to confider, Whe- ther it doth remedy more old Inconveniencies than it introduces new ones j — And whether, upon the whole y it is beneficial or not,— and its Benefits of fuch Importance as deferve to be regarded : — Laftly, Whether like wife fome of thefe very Inconveniencies which are fuppofcd to attend it, may not be prevented or amended by further Experience and Obfervation. This is the true way for eftimating any Propofal : And by this Rule I would choofe, that my own (hould be tried j and then let them ftand or fall. We are always complaining of the bad Mo- rals of our People ; of a general Corruption j; and the Decay of Trade. Neverthelefs, it is very An essay on TRADE. 141 very certain, that the prefent Syftem of Things greatly contributes to the Increafe of each of thefe Evils. My Meaning is, th^t it lays pow- erful Temptations in Peoples way. ■ And then, what can be expedted ? Some Jew per- haps will prove their Virtue to be fuperior ; but the great Majority will certainly be cor- rupted. For evident it is, that the Innocence of the Bulk of Mankind, is beft prefer ved by their being kept ignorant of the Temptation, or at a great Diftance from it. Now what is the natural Tendency of Cuftomhoufe Oathsy EleBion Oaths^ Freedom Oaths, &c. &c. but to entice and encourage Mankind to be guilty of the foul Sin of wilful and deliberate Peiju- ry ? What are the heavy Taxes upon the married State, and Exe7}iptions for BatchelorSy but the like Inducements to Men to remain fingky and to gratify their Defires in an un- lawful Way ? What are all the exchifive Com- panies, all the heavy Duties upon Importa- tion, and the many Statutes for cramping the Trade of Ireland, but fo many continued At- tempts to drive away the Trade from Our- felves to the French, who are not only our Rivals, but the moft dangerous ones we can have ? And truly we have greatly fucceeded in all thefe : Yet who can, we blame but our- felves ? It may be pleaded indeed in Excufe for thefe Laws and Eftabliftiments, That they were not originally intended to produce thofe bad Effeds, I allow they were not 5 nor are they * % I4Z An essay on TRADE. they charged with any fuch Defign. But tlie Queftion here is, Not what was the View of Makers of thefe Laws, or what was the End propofed by fuch Eftablifliments, but what is the T^mdency of them, as verified by Expe- rience^ and how they do operate in FaA ? And if it is made to appear, That they are fo de- ilrudtive in their Confequences, and fubverfive of our Morals^ Liberties^ and Commerce^ it is but of little Confolation to know, That they were eftabliflied with a better View j as we are now confidering the Things themfelves, with their natural Confequences, not the Cha- raders or Defign of their Authors and Pro- jedors, I WILL only add one Refleflion more to what has been faid ; viz. That if we would ftill keep on our Trade at a Foreign Market, we muft, at leaft, be upon an equal Footing with other Nations, as to the Goodjiefs and Cheapnefs of what we have to fell ; otherwife we cannot expedl. That Foreigners would give Us the Preference to their own Lofs. This then being the State of the Cafe, it neeeffarily follows. That we muft always have an Eye upon the Fradlice ai'id Proceedings of our Rivals^ and take our Meafures accordingly, as fer as regards this mutual Emulation, if they contrive Ways and Means to render their JSianiifadiures cheaper or better than they did before, fo as to outvie Us 3 ive muft ftrive to outvie *.« An essay ot: TRADE. 143 outvie them in Cheapnefs and Goodnefs, or be deprived of that part of Commerce by them : If they invite Foreigners to fettle among them, in order to have the more Hands, and to keep down the Price of Labour; we muft do the fame, or take the Confequence to our- felves : If they allow of no excluiive Compa- nies in a Branch of Trade, which interferes with our Trade ; we muft put down our Com- panies, or lofe that Trade : If their Manu- fadlurers are fober and induftrious> and work for low Wages, and feldom become a Burden upon their Parifties; ive muft endeavour to put ours upon the fame Footing, or be content with the Poverty, which will be brought up- on Us : If their Government requires little or no Duties upon Importation, in order to en- courage the greater Numbers to engage in Trade, and that all Merchandize may come the cheaper to the Gonfumer ; we muft imitate them in that refpec&^^^.:» An Extrad from Page 44, ^c. of • j the EJfay on the Canfes and Declme \ of the Foreign Trade. / '; ' i - ■ j ; Firft and Second Proposals TO lay one Tax on the Confumei-s of Luxuries, and take off all our other 1 Taxes, Excifes, and Cuftoms : And when • that is done, to ma!^ all our Ports free. A s the Money- Affair is always the grand Objedt, fomething, by Way of Equivalent^ fnuft be giyen for the Taxes taken off: A^ ; filch the following Scheme is offered, „ . APROPosALfor raifing one only Tax oit the Confumers of Luxuries. It is hereby pro- pofed, Th^t all Perfons ufing, wearing, oc drinking the following Articles of Luxury, as particularly fpeciiied, be obliged to take out a Licence Yearly, paying each one Subfidy for each Article of three Half-pence in the Pound only, on the computed. Income they ftiould have to fupport the Station of Life they voluntarily place themfelves in, by the Article of Luxury they ufe, wear, or drink, as by the Example following. U 2 ARTI- « ■« J48 An essay on TRADE. ARTICLES of LUXURY, Computed Income. Tax at 31 Halfpence per Pouhd. All Perfons 1 . Kocpiiis;two Coaches and Six for their Vq„«„ 2. UfingDiihcb or Plates of vSilver at their 1 Tables, commonly called Services off 4000 PJatc — —3 ;. Keeping a Coach and Six for their Ufc — 2000 +. Keeping a Coach and Four for their Ufe 1 000 J. Drinking French IVines in their Hou-\^ fes or Lodgings J o. Keeping a Coach and Two for their Ufc • ^. ■ — - ~- tcS* Chariots, Four-Wheel Chaifes,fe'<:. arc included in the Term Coach. 1000 I 800 \ 800 7. Wearing Jewels for their Drefs (be- fides Necklaces, Solitaires, Rings, or Ear-Rings) — — ^. Keeping a Sedan Chair for their Ufe -^ 800 ;. Wearing Gold and Silver, Men on ^ their Coats and Hats ; and Women r on their Gowi^s and Shoes — J 10. Ufmg Silver Plate for their Side-? Boards orTables (not haviiig Services) J [ I . Ufing China Services, viz, DifliesV] and Plates at their Tables -^ — 4 50C 250 12. Wearing Necklaces or Solitaires of, Jewels for their Drcfs (befides' Rings or Ear-Rin<2;s) ' ' — c 3. Keeping a Chair or Chaifewith one L. Hoifc for their Ufe • '* 1 4. Keeping a Fdick of Hounds - 15. Keeping a Man^ or Men-Servants in"! Livery, or io uait at Taule J ) 6. Keeping more Snddle-Horjes titan onc^ 250 250 250 250 250 250 50 I 2 6 6 S ic 5 5 I II d. 3 3 3 3 > An essay on trade. 149 ARTICLES of LUXURY. Computed Income. All Perfons * ' ' ' 1 7. Drinking Port Wine in their Iloufc, Lodging or Service. — / have infcrted. the Word Port for Rcafons hereafter y^ I oo and all other Wities, except French, arei here included 18. Keeping Greyhounds^ Setters y Nets,' Fowling-PieceSf &c. — — \ 19. Vftng China Plates for Defer ts only^'\ (having no Services of China) — J 20. Wearing Gold or Silver for their "1 Drefs (except on Coats, Gowns, Hats, 5- or Shoes •— — < — 3 2 1 . Wearing Jey/els in Rings,or Ear-Rings i oo 2 2. Going to Playsy Operas, Concerts, ~' ' ' ' 100 100 100 Tax at 3 Halfpence per Pound. lOO I. Lroing to "lays, Uperas, Concerts, 1 Balls, Mafquerddes, Ridottos, Long S. RoomSf Publick Garde^is — — • 3 ?3. Going to Bear and Bull- Baitings, "x Prize-fightings, Boxing-matches, Cock- L fightings, and Horfe-races — — . j zf. Ufing no Silver Plate but Spoons 25. Drinking Brandy, Rum, oranySpi-i fits, in Houfe, Lodging, or Service-—^ SO 50 5° 6. IVearin^ Silk or Silk Stujfs in ^p-l Parel ' — — — j . ^ SO SO parel 27. Having Pi^ tires. Paintings or Prints 7 in Houfe or Lodging — —-3 ?8. Having more than one Looking-glafsJ in ditto — —3 29. Drinking Tea, Coffee, or Chocolate,! in Houfe, Lodging, or Service — 3 30. Ufing China 'Tea - Dijlies^ Cups, or \ Saucers — ^ <— — - ) 3 I . Playing at Cards, Dice, or any other Game^ which is not ufed for the fake of bodily Exercife \ 25 25 2S L- S. d. 12 6 12 6 12 6 12 6 12 6 12 6 6 3 6 3 6 3 6 3 ■ 6 3 6 3 3 3f 3 3-1 3 3| ! ijo An essay on TRADE. T H I s is the general Scheme of the Au'* thor : And I have ventured to make fuch Ad- ditions to it, as, I hope, arc confident with his good Deiign. I (hail therefore make no Apology for each particular Alteration ; And only obferve with refpedt to the 5th and the 17th Articles, /. e. The Diftindlion between drinking French Wines, and other Wines (which are the principal Alterations) that they both fecm to me to be hij!;hly neccffary. The Author indeed makes no Difference through- out the Treatife between promoting the Con- fumption of French Wine or Port Wine, as if it was the fame to tlie Commerce of this Kingdom : But, though I acknowledge with Pleafure the Inftrudlion I have received in other Parts of the Science of Commerce, I cannot follow him in this ; and muft ftill flick to the Maxims of all the former Writers on Trade, till I can fee more Reafon to alter piy Opir^ion. If French Clarets^ Burgundy^ and Champagne y were as cheap as Port^ few Men would hefitj^te long which to choofe. The Britijh Merghant^ I think, has fatisfadorily proved. That were we to abolifli all Duties on French Goods, and they to do the iamq on Englijh (as was partly the Scheme of the Miniflry during the lour laft Years of Queen Ann) the Conlequence would be, at leaft, for a great many Years, That Etigland would be over-run with French SiXks, Laces, Wines, • ' ■ Brandies, th no nd he :en les An essay on TRADE. 151 Brandies, Cloths, SufFs, Ribbands, Fans, Toys, Gfr. And the French would take very little or nothing in Return, more than at prefent. The Experiment therefore which he propofcs, fcems to me too hazardous ; the bad EfFcds of it would be violent and inftantaneous, and the good ones very How and gradual ; fo that the Patient would be in Danger of expiring, as is often the Cafe, before the Medicine can operate, . ; ' . . .'. I Besides, Were we to give fuch Encou- ragement to the French Wines, as i- here fuppofed, what would become of o\;: For tugal Trade? which, as to the Balance <;* it, is worth two Thirds of all the re eluded — — J 6. Men-Servants in Livery, or to wait at Table ■ 7. Saddle Horfes - 8. Pert, and all Wines (except! French) Rum, Brandy, and > i M 3 Soirits incliuied - j ^1 I f II II II II II II 3 3 3 3 3 Carried over -r 12 10 o An essay on TRADE. 159 /. s, d. Brought over— 12 10 o 9. Gold and Silver in Drefs (ex-1 :: ^' -/ cept on Coats, Hats, Shoes,\^ and Gowns) Silk, and Silk-|^ ^ Stuffs included ■ ' — 3'-'' ' 10. Going to Plays; all other*! ^ . - Diverfions included — j ^ 11. Pidlures, Prints, &c, **^" : t n 1 2. Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate i 1 1 13. Looking Glafles — *» i 11 14. Playing at Cards *— — ' ' i 11 -\,. if,..:-../ > r II I . >-•• I ' 3 3 3 3 Total, vsrhich this Gentleman 1 would pay for his Annual Li- ?• .2117 6 cence " ■ '- ' ? ■ •*— J Dedudt three Fence in the Pound 1 - ' Expences in coUedling, which > . o 5 6 is about ' 'I' ' ' ' ■ 3 - - •-- Remains clear to the Governmerit ^i 12 o Whereas a Gcntlemain of the fanfee In- come, let him be as frugal as he well can, pays at prefent for himfelf, Ms Wife, Children, and Family, in Duties, Cuftoms, and Excifes to the King, and Petiquiiites to Officers of the Cuftoms, with all-^heir Train of enhancing Confequences, almoft double the former j tho' the neat Produce, which comes clear to the Government is full one third lefs, by the fol- lowing Eftimation* I. The I s. )'• • > i6o a/ ESSAY ON TRADE. /. I. The Gentleman is charged^ with the King's Duty, Cufloms and Excife, for all the Salt, Soap, Leather, Candles, (and perhaps Coal) all the Malt and Hops (and perhaps -Ale, Beer, Cyder and Perry) all the Wine, •; brandy. Rum, and Spirits ; the • Sugar, Raifins, Currants, Le- V mens. Oranges, Tobacco j the ; Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate, •^ and other Articles ufed and con- fumed by himfelf and Family ; ' , Which, if he is vfery faving, perhaps may amount to no more than about ,;; i r— J. / ' \20 .1 j\ji>^ . ./ .n i:. '.Ok.. 2. He is charged with the />r/-' . , mary kind of Advances on each of thefe Articles, /. ^. The Ad- vances which the Perfon who firft pays the Duty, makes onV iq o o the next Buyer, and he on the f next, till it comes to the Con- - fumer, who muft pay for all : Which at leaft muft amount .iV:, "U. - >. '. to jr 'J • 1 ■■ %i vA Carried over — 30 o o t ■ J■'■^ ' 2* Hb^ An essay on TRADE. i6i .^ 1 \ 1% 5 • u^ Brought over— 30 o o 3. * He is charged witJi all^ j fcco?jdary kind of Advance^, /. e, Th? reciprocal Advances of the Price of Labour, Provi- fions, and all Commodities, A 10 o a which Tradefmjep, LaniJ]qruty to the King, is yet enhanced a Shifiing, or more in the Price,, iince the Duty laid upon Leather, and other the like Ne- ceflaries of Life. — Whereas no fuch thing can happen -according to the Nature of the Scheme here recommend- 'ed : All Neceffaries of Life, being Duty-free, and with- out Advances of any kind, An essay on TRADE. 163 (except the Ports of London^ Brijlol^ Liverpool^ Southampton^ HuU^ Newca/ik^ Lynn^ Leith, jm)4 Glafcow) which enter Merchandize enough to defray the Expences of their own Officers. —What a Difference is this, in comparifon to the Scheme propofed ! In that^ as it is propof- ed, that each Perfon fhall be obliged to come and enter, and pay the Money without any farther Expence, three Pent, in the Pound would be full fufficient for the Salary of the Receiver and his Clerk : In this^ Six Shillings and Eight Pence will fcarcely fatisfy for the colledting of Twenty Shillings^ even by com- puting all upon an Average. So that though the Subjedt, with all his Oeconomy, pays an- nually Forty Pounds, the King receives but one third of it, viz. Thirteen Pounds Sis; ShiU lings and Eight Pence : Whereas in the other Cafe, the Subje<3: would pay but Twenty One Pound Seventeen Shillings and Six Pence, tho* he appeared in a much gayer Scene of I^ife. And yet the Government would receive, <;lear of all Charges; Ti^enty One Pound Twelve ^hillings, which is upwards of one third more. What then would it have been, had they hoth lived in thfi fame Degree of Gaiety and Pror fufenefs. ; • ^ .- : --; , S u c H a Scheme therefore as here propofed^ one would think, fliould recommend itfelf. For all Perfons in the Nation would find their Account in it in the long run, if they y 2 ' coul^ i64 An essay on TRA r^ii, codW have the Patience to look forw .J, and i^re not (o contiaded in their Views, as to be (chained down to the prefent Advantage of pri- vate intereft. But what Ims Ixjcn already mentioned, is only otic Good Confequencc, out of a multitude of others which wo?ild attend it. Fbf as it would render all things cheaper, it would neceflkrily increafe our Foreign Trade, enrich our C^ftntry, employ our Poor, increafe the Stock oif Inhabitants, raife the real Value of all our Lands and Commodities, and de- {)rers the prefent imaginary and faBilions one : As there would be no Duty upon Importa- tiotl, it would invite more Pcrfuns to engage in Trade j and prevent the very Poilibiiity of Smuggling : As all Ports would be open, every fart of the Kingdom would have a fair and (fe'tiual Chance; and the Sun-fhine of Com- iii'erce and Plenty would be diffufed equally thr6ugh6ut : Above all, It would be attended with two excellent Confequences, which de- ferve to be fn6re particularly noted, as we have little of the fcind n'o -^r^ 1' "» 1 ■■ i v-^ '-A mi Pi J