Selected quad for the lemma: land_n
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A38483
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An English winding-sheet for the East-India manufactors in a letter to a person of quality.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing E3124; ESTC R3589
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10,028
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10
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Inquiry but all parts where they inhabit according to their number suffer alike all which is the Effects of this India Trade And I am confident in the end except to the Pattentees it must produce empty Purses empty Houses empty Towns a small poor weak and slender people and what can we imagine will be the value of Lands as things thus are nothing can prevent ruin unless we have such interest in our European Confederacy that they will agree and be contented that England shall have the sole Monopoly of this India Trade and that they will be our Customers the quite contrary of which every Kingdom and Country whose Manufactures they prejudice are projecting and practising The Folly and Error of England in this case far surpasseth that of Esau in the selling his Birth-right for a Mess of Pottage for we give the Indians and Pattentees both Flesh and Pottage when we send our Silver away to purchase a Curse to our selves which their Manufactures are and after this year of 1700 let us never more Laugh at and Ridicule the poor Negroe Indians that give us their Gold dust which themselves are not capable better to improve for Beads Shells Knives and Sizars and such like which are to them for Use and Ornament when we part with our Bullion to invest our Kingdom with China Toyes or obscene Statues and Images and other Trifles but the height of our folly is chiefly exprest in their Manufactors that are opposite to and destructive of our one nor do I believe that Solomon sent his Ships purposely for though they brought Peacocks Feathers with their Gold for which they went but we send our Coin to fetch us as meer Toyes as Feathers and to worse purpose as before exprest SIR 'T is worthy consideration that abundance of particular Weavers Trades that are destroyed both in London and Canterbury Norwich did employ more numbers of people than any Country or Corporation Workhouse though great charge to the publick can possibly do and I will undertake to demonstrate if required that each of them brought annually greater advantage to England all things considered than any East-India Ship But for the Silk Throwsters though not so many in Number there are several of them that imploy such multitudes as are scarce to be thought or credited and if you will please to view any of their Workhouses as formerly employ'd some of which still remain and with me cast your thoughts retrogade through the Turky Merchants Warehouse from whence the Throwster receives his Silk and by the way it came thither Plow the Ocean to Smyrna in Turky and observe his Factor employ'd in producing this in return of our English Cloth and then return your thoughts back again with your consideration that this Navigation is of greater advantage than that of India And suppose you see in St. Hellena's or Cornhil or Bishopsgatestreet the Turky Merchants Warehouses crouded with those Cloths prepared for this purpose and the great advantage his Dependants Drawers Dyers Clotheworkers make thereon with whom cast your Eye through Blackwel-hall and with the Waggon that brought these Cloths to Town let your mind travel to any considerable Clothiers Workhouses in Worcester or Glostershire and observe the numerous and profitable employment before you come to the Loomb side to see the Shuttle and you will not grudge the poor Weavers that Shutes it 5 s. per week for his labour Then look on to the less profitable employment of Shifting Carding and Spinning till we come to the Shearing House of this Golden Fleece and then return your Consideration back to one of the beforementioned Throwsters Shops and I will be obliged plainly to demonstrate that so much of these Operations when Wrought in Cloth as make return in Turky Silk for the employment of this one Silk Throwster which being farther improv'd in Weaving Stockin-Making c. will gain annually greater profit to England than ever any whole Fleet from East India did or can if you consider the damage they likewise do and I believe that on these or the like Considerations did the Wisdom of this Nation think fit by Law to prohibit the bringing over of Silk ready Thrown or Dyed which Laws are rendred utterly ineffectual and these Trades with the Weavers destroyed unless prevention of the home Consumption of East-India Figur'd Flower'd and Stript Silks be granted which is all the Silk-Weavers and Silk-Throwsters desire For by what hath been now and formerly said 't is certain that the Living Bodies of people are the best Riches and Strength any Country can be possessed of and that all Manufacturing parts of Europe especially England destroy both their People and Land by admission of Trading in India Manufacturers II 'T is impossible any Kingdom can enjoy this blessing of people without procuring or allowing them Imployment and Wages for their Subsistence answerable to the price of Provisions and all other Necessaries of Life III. That no Manufacture excepting that of Wool maintains or employs so many people as the Silk Weavers and the Silk Throwsters with their dependants who are not to be number'd and that as the Silk and Grogram-Yarn Manufactures in England decreaseth the Woollen will likewise in proportion IV. That all English Silk Manufactures work for as small Wages as will support Life V. That whatever pretences are made of purchasing East-India Wrought Silks with any thing but our money is either false or frivolous VI. That the Silk Manufacturers ask not near so much as 't is greatly reasonable should be granted both for the Kingdom and their own good which is a total prohibition of the Use and Consumption of all India Wrought Silks and Stuffs whatsoever both Figured and Plain or Painted in all our English Dominions and Plantations and then we should not want Workhouses for the Imployment of our poor in Country or City nor the Turky or Italian Merchants want Vend for their Cloths and Stuffs Abroad or Silk at Home To Conclude English Tradesmen may bless God that our Laws are alterable not like those of the Medes and Persians else they would be in little better condition than were the poor Jews under the contrivance and patent of the wicked Hammond for doubtless those Jews might within the limited time fly for their Lives and so must these Manufactures or do worse or starve as Multitudes have already done if not by Law relieved From all which Evils I pray God to incline the hearts of those that Govern to deliver us and for God's sake Sir I beg that your assistance may not be wanting Jan. the First 1699. SIR I am Yours POSTSCRIPT THERE are now no less than 50 Ships coming from at and on their way to India which considering the Silver they have carried out and the Manufactures they will return upon us is an Amazing Consideration to all that value the Preservation of OLD ENGLAND For 't is plain That since we are become such Excellent Customers for their China and Bengal Wrought Silks and Stuffs they have the Wisdom to serve us with little but the very trash of Raw-Silk or superfine Cotton or Yarn to employ our poor whose working and preservation whatever some judge is a greater and surer Testimony of the good Trade of the Kingdom than our own inriching the Custom-house Coffers by payment of great Duties for the Importation of such Manufactures as the 50 or any of the like sort shall hereafter Import Since this was compos'd there is one of the 50 above-mentioned arriv'd 't is named the Rising Eagle and though Four days since no Cargo yet publick But common Roport says she brought 97 Chests of Wrought Silks and not one pound of Raw. That the undone Broad Figured Silk Weavers both of London and Canterbury that have already laid down their Trade and their Mountures spoil'd and their Harnesses Rotten can never venter to remount their Loombs on any other security than a future Prohibition as requir'd which may be made as secure as the Payment of any great Duty and which if not granted will occasion the sinking of those that remain to the utter loss of that Manufactor in England FINIS
Weavers have That their Shoes will be as highly esteem'd as their Silks their is no Question and that Multitudes of them will shortly arrive is out of doubt How much of our Sempstresses work is already swallowed up every East-India Sale demonstrates and that there will be a further Encroachment thereon is most certain and whether all the money that purchaseth Chyna Ware be not lost to the Kingdom unless Exported for the farther profit of Europe besides the prejudice it will do the ingenious Potter and Glass-makers of England may be well worth our Consideration Our Limners are like to be outdone by Vgly faces and all their pieces shall be more admired for their deformity and 't is no doubt but in a short time you shall have whole Auctions of them And that our workers in iron and steel which Commodity will lie more close than that of Wood shall in little time escape better than the Silk Manufactures is very improbable which will render that ingenious discovery of the Slitting-mill for the which this Kingdom must ever be obliged to the Memory of the Folio's of little advantage for though the Indians have not yet attained unto it yet doubtless our publick spirited Traders will not fail to carry it thither and barrs of Iron from hence will make Excellent ballast for their Ships if they have it not there which matters not much the principal cost being Workmanship in which 11 d in the Shilling being saved will in like manner be of vast advantage to England and spare all our Burningham and Sheffield Workmen and other Vulkins from their unnecessary Employments to be busied in Plowing or Fishing or else begging stealing or starving for I know no reason why they should have fairer Quarter if it be thought unreasonable to preserve the Silk Manufactory which is of far greater advantage to the Nation I am credibly inform'd of one instance more which may seem amazing but a sufficient Testimony that they will not fail of doing what I have mention'd which is That there is great quantities of Gold and Silver Orris and other Trimmings for Ladies and Gentlewomens Garments prepared and coming which considering that they have both their Gold and Silver-Wyar Plate and Thred from us or if they have likewise carried the Art of Wire-drawing our Crown-pieces thither 't is strange to imagine That unless they do first adulterate it They can make it worth their while by the differing price of Silk and Workmanship to send it hither but that they presume the English will over-value Gold and Silver by Weight Wrought in India as they do Silks and Stufft by Measure but by these means and the former of Ribbonds the poor Narrow Weavers must be in as bad condition as the Broad but that they may carry Spaâ—ish Wool Iron Leather and other our grosser Materials to Manufacture and Return to their greater advantage is certain and these proceeding are not less dangerous to the body of this Kingdom then is unrectified Mercury to the Natural Body of Men for it will in the end Carode and consume us And here I cannot do less than take notice of a passage in a late Tract few Months since writ on this occasion just before the Conclusion of the last Sessions of Parliament Entitled England's Advocate which without pretence to a Prophetick Spirit tells us page the 46th That if the India Merchants did not Transport Wool they would doubtless Project such Cloths or Stuffs of Silk Cotton as should be though sit for the Use of men to outvye Cloths and Worsted Stuffs and though the Author protests he knew not that any such were made or coming they are come and will doubtless farther prove for the enriching of England as their Silks Stuffs and Painted Callicoes have already done and by this and like means do Thousands of Broad Loombs and hundreds of Throwsters and Twisters Mills stand to spoil and burn and many Thousands of People forced to Transport themselves or beg or steal or starve Whilst the great Mogulls Subjects are encouraged and employed and multitudes both of Loombs and Mills made and making to imitate the manner and forms of those Silks and Stuffs which like Anglers Ground-bate was lately Exposed at Skinners-Hall and if those pieces will not afsord variety enough the 50 l. worth of Patterns lately purchased not any exceeding half a Yard will doubtless so direct and inform to make such returns of Cargoes as shall make our Scotch Brethren decline their attempt for Gold at Darien to recover their loss and to strive to grow rich by contradictions as we do at least thus to furnish their Kingdom with Silks for their own use if not to spoil their Scotchcloth Trade and we have reason to believe that other parts will avoid our imposing on them and that the Government will take care that our Plantations shall advance our Welfare and that no small body of men shall be a Monopoly by Law to the undoing the rest of the Kingdom and that the making all necessary Commodities may not be chiefly transferr'd to India which as things now are 't is impossible to prevent unless our People may buy Corn as cheap as Indians do Rice and learn to go Naked without catching cold for Peoples labour and our Productions was the original of our Wealth and Trade and 't is they chiefly that must support it And for these bad purposes are many great Wits and Purses at Work to make their Sons great and their Daughters Ladies and Dutchesses by impoverishing and dispeopling the Kingdom for as these things are accomplishing so must both our Wealth and Numbers decrease and if it be certain that nothing but multitudes of people will maintain the value of Lands and it is as certain That as People fails Rent will do so also But I believe the damage of the Silk and Stuff Manufacture for which I chiefly contend is of as great prejudice to the Kingdom as all the rest of the evils we may expect in respect of the dependance the Woollen and Worsted Manufacture hath upon it and it hath been proved That as that of Silk decreaseth so will the Exportation of them decrease in proportion and poverty abound Accordingly amongst all the aforementioned people One instance of which I had accidental opportunity to be inform'd in that the Parish of S. But. Bishopsg whos 's many By-lanes and Allies being chiefly inhabited by Workers of Silk and their dependants doth so abound with Poverty that for Maintenance and prevention thereof though their Assessment is doubled upon most of their Inhabitants of what they lately used to pay to the Poors Rate they were nevertheless for the last Year obliged to pay 34 Months Assessment thereto to pay former Debts in the which time the then Churchwarden though a prudent and honest man at giving up his Accounts brought the Parish indebted for that Year upward of Three hundred pounds more and I doubt not though I have not opportunity of