others in the garbs of Gentry which otherwise would wear the decent useful and profitable wear of Cloth Kersies and other Stuffs made of Wool as they would also do in the Plantations for that our English Silks being generally rich and well made Silks they cannot so well go to the price of them and that this prohibition of Foreign-wrought Silks will certainly promote the Consumption of Wool is manifest by Experience for since the late good Act was made for the prohibiting of French Silks which it 's hoped this Parliament will renew there has been greater quantities of raw Silk imported as also greater quantities of Woollen Cloths exported than was in former years besides greater numbers of People employed both Native and Foreign Protestants to the great benefit of the Nation which expence of English Wool has been chiefly occasioned from this cause that more Silks has been made here in that time than before which is an undeniable Argument to prove that the more Silks are worn in England if Manufactured here the greater is the Consumption of English Wool for such person as wears a Silk Garment doth certainly expend more English Wool that being the return of Woollen Cloth than twenty Gentlemen that wears Cloth made of Spanish Wool and fine Dutch Cloths And in all probability if Silks Manufactured here were encouraged and Silks Foreign made prohibited to be worn it would reduce and bring back the whole Trade of the Woollen Manufacture into England in a little time by preventing the exportation of Wool for if Wool yeild as good or better price here than it doth in other Parts as it will do if there be more occasion for it it will not be transported as now it is to France and Holland by which means they gain a considerable share of our Woollen Trade to their great benefit both at home and abroad and to our great loss and detriment This must needs corroborate and strengthen the Interest of the Protestant Religion for that this Nation being the chief of all the Protestant Countries the Riches and Populousness of it must needs strengthen it as well as the Unity of them one unto the other and this will certainly cause the Nation to flourish both in Riches and People and through the Mercy and Blessing of God make us yet more formidable and strong against our implacable Enemies by enabling of us not only to defend our selves against them but to root Popery out of this Nation and the rest of His Majesties Dominions For these Reasons and many others that may be given it is humbly prayed That the Parliament would be pleased to lay aside that Bill which would restrain the wearing of Silks and Stuffs Manufactured in England which are so beneficial and instead thereof order a Bill to be brought in for the prohibiting the importation and wearing of Silks and Stuffs Manufactured in Foreign Parts which are so plainly detrimental to the Interest of England And the English Artists shall continue to pray That as this Parliament have begun so God would honour them so far as to finish the deliverance of this Nation from Popery and Slavery the effect of it FINIS Weavers of LONDON An ANSWER to the most Material Objections against the Bill for Restraining the East-India Wrought Silks c. Humbly offered to the Consideration of the Lords Obj. THAT Trade is in its Nature free finds its own Channel and best directs its own Course Ans All trading Nations have and do at this Day put a restraint upon Trade according as their Circumstances require The French have many Years since by extraordinary Impositions prohibited all our Woollen Manufactures and by that means have set them up in their own Country to their great Advantage The Dutch who are little more than Carriers of Goods from one Country to another yet do often prohibit and for Instance have by great Impositions prohibited our Dyed Woollen Manufactures by which means they have gained that profitable Imployment The Venetians have prohibited our Cloth The Sweeds and Danes the like The French have by severe Edicts prohibited all Indian Silks Bengalls and Painted Calicoes and a Multitude of Instances might be given of this Nature Our own Statute-Books are full of them the Act of Navigation and the Act for Preventing the Exportation of Wooll have been and are of infinite Benefit to this Kingdom Obj. That the East-India Trade is greatly beneficial to England Ans If what the Writers for the East-India Company have asserted be true That Three Parts of Four of the whole imported have been again exported to Foreign Parts or if what the late Author of the Essay on the East-India Trade asserts be true That one half has been exported and has brought in 600000 l. more than the prime Cost in India then this Trade in that Respect may well be accounted a profitable Trade to this Nation But this though often asserted has not been made appear in such manner as a Business of so great a concern to the East-India Company ought or might have been and we have great Reason to believe that no such Quantities are or ever were exported But supposing that great Quantities were exported this Bill does not extend to hinder that Trade Obj. That it must be granted that the East-India-Trade in General is prejudicial to Europe and if all by common Consent would agree to deal no more with them it would save the Expence of a great Treasure but since that cannot be done it would be Egregious Folly in us to quit it Ans The Reason why the East-India Trade is prejudicial is because we draw from thence nothing of solid use Materials to support Luxury Perishable Commodities and send thither Gold and Silver which is there buried and never returns and the Burden of this bears hard only on the Countries which consume them as the Author of the Essay has very well observed and from thence inferr'd That the French did wisely to prohibit Now if this be true as undoubtedly it is there cannot be greater or more cogent Arguments for the passing this Bill which is not to destroy the whole Trade but only part of that which their own Advocate acknowledge is very hard upon us who are the Consumers Obj. The Bill now proposed will be absolutely destructive to the East-India Trade and should we quit the Hold we have in India the Dutch will undoubtedly ingrose the whole which will be of dangerous Consequence Ans That what by this Bill is to be restrained cannot be computed to above one half of the home Consumption and the whole is accounted by the Author of the Essay but one half of the Trade so that at most it will be lessen'd but one Fourth Part which by the Addition that may be made by bringing home Raw-Silks Cotton Yarn c. may in a great measure be made good And why Three Parts and more should not be carry'd on without the remainder is very hard for us to
c. to Germany Silesia c. from whence we had formetly great quantities of Linnens but when we could no longer take their Linnens they were forced to set up a Manufacture of Wollen by which we have almost wholly lost that profitable Trade We have now a Trade with Spain Italy and Turky from whence we Import great quantities of Wool Raw Silk and Grogern-yarn but if we must wear East India Manufactures we cannot use their Silk and if so it 's reasonable to conclude that they must shortly follow the example of the Germans As to our Plantations and Ireland to which we send great quantities of our Manufactures if the East India Silks c. are the Mode here they will be so there the orders that are sent from thence being to send over such Manufactures as are most Fashionable in England so that instead of a greater Exportation we shall almost wholly lose what we now have But in case it were possible to vend more we could make much greater quantities as we did last year when there was a considerable demand for them Obj. That if we do not use these India Goods they will be carried to other places where we now send our Manufactures and be there used instead of them Answ If this be true then the East-India Trade will not receive so great Prejudice as is pretended but this is fallacious for the Exporters always send to furnish all foreign Markets with what they want and we are very sensible that they have and will be sufficiently supplied with these India Manufactures which will very much obstruct our Trade and therefore we humbly conceive its highly Reasonable this Bill should pass that seeing the Mischief they will do us in foreign Markets cannot be prevented we may in some measure be helpt by preventing our falling into the same Mischief at home Obj. That these India Manufactures do not much hinder the Consumption of our own Manufactures but chiefly those of Italy France and Holland Answ They do directly hinder the Consumption of vast Quantities of our own Manufactures as the Norwich London Canterbury Antherines and other sorts of Stuffs as also the Manufactures made in Bristol Ketering Sudbury Stowmarket Kendal and divers other places in this Kingdom and they do and will in a great Measure destroy all our Silk Manufactures which of late are brought to such perfection as better Silks are not made in any part of the World and are cheaper to us than any can come from the fore-mentioned Countries and have almost wholly beat them out of use So that of late Years there has been no considerable Quantities Imported except black Lutestrings Alamodes and Velvets for which Use the India Silks will not serve so that the India Manufactures are directly opposite and destructive to our own Obj. That Silk is a Manufacture of foreign Extract and if the Wearing of Silk could be Abolished it would be Beneficial to the Kingdom Answ That the Abolishing of all foreign wrought Silks that are the Returns of our Money would undoubtedly be Beneficial to the Kingdom and it is that we now only Contend for But we do assert and plainly demonstrate That the wearing of Silks which are Manufactured here of such Raw Silk as are the Returns of our Woollen and other Manufactures Exported as the Italian and Turkey Silks are is much more Beneficial to this Kingdom then if we wear them not for by this means we imploy double the number of People we should do if we were Clad in our own Manufactures Obj. That if we take not these Goods the Indians will let us have no Salt-petre Muslins White Calicoes Pepper Drugs Raw Silks and other Goods we want Answ This is such an Objection as scarce ever was made before by Mankind 't is just as if we should say we will not let the Venetians and other Nations we Trade with have our Lead Tynn c. because they will not take our Cloth The French have Prohibited all their Silks and Painted Calicoes above ten Years past yet have ever since Traded with the Indians for these Commodities and we believe never yet wanted Salt-petre c. and why they should refuse us these Goods is hard to imagine Obj. If this Bill pass it will be to the Advantage of the Scotch and Dutch who will bring in these India Goods among us at a much dearer Rate Answ One would think in common Reason there cannot be a more effectual Course taken to hinder that than by Prohibiting the wearing of them For if they may be freely worn the Scotch and Dutch will have a great Advantage because they pay little or no Duty to what our East-India Merchants must pay and the very hopes that the Persons who were concerned in promoting the Scotch Company had of vending the Wrought Manufactures in England was as we have good Reasons to believe one great cause for the setting up that Trade For this is certain that some of the most zealous Promoters of that Company are the greatest Sticklers against this Bill Obj. That the Passing this Bill will discourage Navigation Answ This is a very strange Objection For one Ship of 500 Tons Freighted with these Goods will bring in above 1,000,000 l. worth at but 20s per pound which is a moderate Value many of these Silks being worth 3 and 4 l. per pound so that if this single Freight were worn here it will ruine above twenty times as much Shipping which is employed in the Coasting Trade to furnish the English Manufacturers and their dependance with Coles Corn Butter Cheese and other Necessaries as is easie to be more fully demonstrated Obj. If there be a multitude of Hands want Work the Herring Fishery would employ them Answ The Men Women and Children that are employed in the Woollen and Silk Manufactures are very unfit to catch Fish But since it is objected That if this Bill pass it will discourage Navigation here 's a proper Salvo for that Sore let the Merchants employ their Stock and the Seamen their time to catch these Herrings and then we are very sure they would be much better imployed for the Advantage of the Nation than they now are Obj. That if the East India Manufactures did greatly prejudice our own it is not adviseable they should be Prohibited in this time of War because of the Companies great Losses and Misfortunes and their want of Money Answ That the Company have met with great Losses must needs be granted and that so great a Treasure fell into the Enemies hands has been of very Ill Consequence to the Nation and none knows but such Misfortunes may again attend them and therefore the less Trade of this kind in so dangerous a time the better for the Nation If they want Money so do the English Manufacturers and whether the Money we now have to Trade with shall be sent out to purchase Goods fully Manufactured for our own Consumption which may fall into the Enemies
Hands or imployed to carry on our own Manufactures we think with humble Submission is no hard question to be resolved for nothing is more visible than that the East India Manufactures that have been lately Imported takes away great quantities of our Money which would otherwise be imployed in the purchasing of our own Silks and Stuffs and thereby give Imployment and Incouragement to many Thousand Families who are now in a starving condition Obj. The Clause in the Bill which lays the Proof on the Retailers is very unreasonable Answ Without this the whole Bill will be rendred ineffectual and therefore the like Clauses has been incerted in all Acts of this Nature as in our Prohibition of French Silks c. Obj. That if this Bill pass it will destroy the Credit of the Nation and greatly Injure those who have lent Money upon the Customs of the East India Goods Answ The Customs that are given for the Security of Moneys lent by the persons complaining which for the most part are Linnen Drapers and East India men consists not only of East India Goods but also of Wines Vinegar Brandy Tobacco all Linnens Wood Iron Oyl Flax Hemp Paper and abundance of other Commodities too numerous to be here incerted and the whole East India Trade has hitherto raised but a very inconsiderable part of the said Customs yet the Security has been well answered Now in case the Customs should be increased by a greater quantity of East India wrought Silks which must be worn here they will destroy our own Manufactures and thereby Impoverish not onely our Manufacturers and their dependants but the Nation in general by which means they will be disabled from consuming the Wines Brandy Tobacco and other Merchandize which will as we have great reason to believe much more weaken the same Security then this Bill can do And not only so but much lessen the Excise of Beer and Ale and other the Revenues and Taxes which are given to support a Just and Necessary War for the preservation of our Lives Liberties and Properties AN ANSWER to the most Material Objections against the BILL For Restraining East-India Wrought Silk c. New East-India Companies REASONS Offer'd Anno 1698. Contradictory To their REASONS Offer'd Anno 1699. Prince Bulter's Tale REPRESENTING The State of the Wooll-Case or the East-India Case truly Stated The Argument Part 1. Shews why in Dogrel Verse this Tale Was first begun o'r Pot of Ale Shews Rise and Progress of the Trade To India drove and Who 't was made The first steps to our Wooll Trades ruin And how it prov'd to Folks undoing What done to stop its further growth And how those Measures came to nought How Golden Fleece lay very dead How Act for Burying it was made And how if we were truly Wise We should their Trangums all despise Our Money save Employ our Poor From starving keep and from our Door Who then cou'd drink Some Ale Some Sherry And Laugh and Quaff and all be merry PROLOGUE IN place one day as I was standing Where folks were printed Papers handing To those that wou'd or read or buy 'em These Remarks made as I stood nigh 'em I saw a mighty zealous Crew Some for Old Stock and some for New Were Pro and Conning their hard Cases By the chief Dons of several Classes ' Mongst which Grandces I sometimes fell in And heard most dismal Stories telling The one the other much Arraign'd And credit of their Causes stain'd Thus having heard each side complain Methoughts ' mongst both were K s in grain And that when such fall out and scold An Injur'd Case might then be told And on the Old Proverb made me think The more they stir the more they stink And did conclude from all these Hearings There 's neither Barrel better Herrings I saw a Case concerning Wooll With Reasons stuft both clear and full Which plainly shew'd our certain ruin These mighty Talkers were pursuing Yet saw that many at first sight on 't There were that made but very light on 't And found there were but few attend it But very few that wou'd defend it Amaz'd I stood and much dejected So great a Cause should be neglected Soon after that I saw with vigour Verses catch'd up 'bout fight of Tyger By Old and Young by Fools and Witty And by the great Dons of the City Thought I this Case if I should write In such a manner Folks would buy 't And read for sake of Dogrel Rhime Which Thought improv'd I lost no time But presently o'er Pot of Ale Writ a great part of this sad Tale Which if you like you may have more on 't For I now have or shall have store on 't The Tale. WHen first the Indian Trade began And Ships beyond the Tropicks ran In quest of various Drugs and Spices And sundry other strange Devices Saltpetre Drugs Spice and like Trading Compos'd the bulk of all their Lading Bengals and Silks of Indians making Our Merchants then refus'd to take in Knowing it wou'd their Country ruin And might prove to their own undoing Nor did they carry Gold or Bullion To fetch home what Supplants our Woollen Nor were this Nation fond to wear Such Indian Toys which cost so dear Then were we clad in Woollen Stuffs With Cambrick Bands and Lawn Ruffs Or else in Silk which was Imported For Woollen Goods which we Exported Which Silk our English Weavers bought And into various Figures wrought Then scarce a Child was to be seen Without Say Frock that was of green Our Hangings Beds our Coats and Gowns Made of our Wooll in Clothing Towns This Nation then was Rich and Wealthy And in a State which we call'd healthy But since the Men of Gath arose And for their Chief Goliah chose And since that mighty Giants Reign Whose chiefest Aim was private Gain This Trade was drove on by such measures As soon Exhausted much our Treasures For then our chiefest Artists went With Patterns and with Money sent To make and purchase Indian Ware For which this Nation pays full dear Then by great Gifts of finest touches To Lords and Ladies Dukes and Duchess So far prevail'd as set the fashion Which Plague-like soon spread o'r the Nation Our Ladies all were set a gadding After these Toys they ran a madding And nothing then wou'd please their fancies Nor Dolls nor Joans nor wanton Nancies Unless it was of Indians making And if 't was so 't was wondrous taking This Antick humour so prevail'd Tho' many ' gainst it greatly rail'd ' Mongst all degrees of Female kind That nothing else could please their mind Tell 'em the following of such fashion Wou'd beggar and undo the Nation And ruin all our Labouring Poor That must or starve or beg at door They 'd not at all regard your story But in their painted Garments glory And such as were not Indian proof They scorn'd despis'd as paltry Stuff And like gay Peacocks proudly strut it When in our Streets