not fully proceeded upon There are in the West of Ireland about 20 Gentlemen who have engaged in the Pilchard-fishing and have among them all about 160 Saynes wherewith they sometimes take about 4000 Hogshheads of Pilchards per Ann. worth about 10,000 l. Cork Kingsale and Bantry are the best places for eating of Fresh Fish tho Dublin be not or need not be ill supplied with the same The Clothing-Trade is not arrived to what it was before the late Rebellion And the Art of making the excellent thick spungy warm Coverlets seems to be lost and not yet recovered Near Colrane is a Salmon-Fishing where several Tuns of Salmon have been taken at one Draught and in one Season The English in Ireland before Henry the VII's time lived in Ireland as the Europians do in America or as several Nations do now upon the same Continent so as an Englishman was not punishable for killing an Irish-man and they were governed by differeâ—t Laws the Irish by the Brehan-Law and the English there by the Laws of England Registers of Burials Births and Marriages are not yet kept in Ireland though of late begun in Dublin but imperfectly English in Ireland growing poor and discontented degenerate into Irish vice versa Irish growing into Wealth and Favour reconcile to the English Eleven Iriâ—â— Miles make 14 English according to the proportion of the Irish Perch of 21 Feet to the English of 16â— The admeasurement of Land in Ireland hath hitherto been made with a Circumferencer with a Needle of 3â…” long as the most convenient Proportion but 't will be henceforth better done by the help of some old Geometrical Theoremes joyn'd with this new property of a Circle demonstrated by Dr. R. Wood. The DIAGRAM ALtho the Proâ—estants of Irelâ—nd be to Papists as three to eight yet because the former live in Cities and Towns and the Scots live all in and about five of the 32 Counties of Ireland It seems in other open Counties and without the Corporations that the Irish and Papists are twenty to one A Report from the Council of Trade in Ireland to the Lord Lieutenant and Council which was drawn by Sir William Petty IN Obedience to your Lordship's Act of Council of January the 2â—th 1675. we have spent several days in considering how as well the Wealth of this Kingdom in general as the Money thereof in particular may be increased And in order thereunto we have first set down to the best of our knowledge the state of this Kingdom in reference to Trade Secondly We have noted such Inferences from the same as do shâ—w the several Causes of the smalness of Trade want of Money and the genâ—ral Poverty of this Nation And in the last place we have offered such general Remedies and Expedients in the respective Cases as may be obtained and practised without any new Law to be made in Ireland And we are ready so to inlarge upon the Branches we have offered as to make such of our Proposals practicable as your Lordships shall please to select and approve of for that purpose March the 25th 1676. Considerations relating to the Improvement of IRELAND 1. THE whole Territory of Ireland consists of about 12 Millions of Acres English Measure of Arrable Meadow and good Pasture Land with about two Millions of Rocky Boggy and Scrubby Pasture commonly call'd Unprofitable tho not altogether such The rest being absolute Boggs Loughs Rocks Sands Strands Rivers and High-ways c. Of all which several Lands the yearly Rent comprehending Their Majesties Quit-Rents Tythes and Tenants Improvements is supposed to be about 9â—0,000 l. and worth to be purchased at Nine Millions 2. The value of all the Housing in Ireland which have one or more Chimneys in them excluding all Cabbins which have none is supposed to be Two Millions and a half 3. The Cattel and Live-Stock Three Millions 4. Corn Furniture Merchandise Shipping c. about One Million 5. The Coyned and Currant Money now running in Trade is between 300 and 350 â—00 l. or the 5â—th part of the value of the whole Kingdom which we suppose to be about 16 Millions 6. The number of people in Ireland is about 1100,000 viz. Three Hundred Thousand English Scotch and Welch Protestants and 800,000 Papists whereof â—th are Children unfit for Labour and about 75,000 of the Remainder are by reason of their Quality and Estates above the necessity of Corporal Labour so as there remains 750,000 Labouring Men and Women 5â—0,000 whereof do perform the present Work of the Nation 7. The said 1100,000 people do live in about 200,000 Families or Houses whereof there are but about 16,000 which have more than one Chimney in each and about 24,000 which have but one all the other Houses being 160,000 are wretched nasty Cabbins without Chimney Window or Door shut and worse than those of the Savage Americans and wholly unfit for the making Merchantable Butter Cheese or the Manufactures of Woollen Linnen or Leather 8. The Houses within the City and Liberties of Dublin are under 5,0â—0 viz. in the City 1150. And the Ale-Houses within the same about 1200. And it seems that in other Corporations and Countrey Towns the proportion of Ale-Houses is yet greater than in Dublin viz. about â…“ of the whole 9. The Counties Baronies and Parishes of Ireland are now become marvellously unequal so as some are twe ty times as big as others the County of C rk seeming in respect of people and Parishes to be â—th of the whole Kingdom and other Counties not being above the 2â—th part of the County of Cork It hath been found very difficult to get fit persons for Sheriffs and Juries and the often holding of Assizes and Quarter-Sessions in the said smaller Counties hath been found an unnecessary burthen upon them 10. There are now in Ireland 32 Counties 252 Baronies and 2278 Parishes so as the number of Sheriffs and Sub-Sheriffs Sheriff Bailiffs High and Petty-Constables are about three thousand Persons whereof not above â— are English or Protestants So as the remainder being about 27â—0 are Irish Papists and are the Civil Militia of this Kingdom and have the executing of all Decrees of Courts and of Justices of the Peaces Warrants 11. This Civil Militia and the rest of the Irish Papists being ' about 80â—,000 are influenced and guided by about 3000 Priests and Fryars anâ— they governed by their Bishops and Superiors who are for the most part of the Old Irish Gentry men of Foreign Education and who depend upon Foreign Princes and Prelates for Benefices and Preferments 12. The Irish Papists besideâ— Sundays and the 29 Holidays appointed by the Law do one place with another observe about 24 days more in the year in which they do no Corporal Labour so as they have but about 266 Working-days whereas Protestants not strictly observing all the Legal Holy-days by a total forbearing of Labour have in effect 300 Working-days in the year that is 34 days more than the
Anno 1641. by at least ⅕ They have gotten by forg'd Feofments of what was more than their own at least ⅓ Of those adjudged Innocents not 1 20 were really so The King's Revenue in Ireland Anno 1641. The yearly charge of the Army for 20 years last past Of People Houses and Smoaks their Number Differences and Values THere are of People Men Women and Children 1,100,000 There are of Families 200,000 Of Smoaks 250,000 VIZ Of the People there are English 200,000 Of Papists 800,000 Of Non-Papists 300,000 Scots 100,000 Irish 800,000  2,200,000 The Scots are Presbyterians and the Irish Papists But the English are above 100,000 legal Protestants or Conformists and the rest are Presbyterians Independants Anabaptists and Quakers Of the Families Such as have no fix'd Hearths are 160,000 Such as have but one Chimney 24,000 Such as have more than one 16,000 Of Smoaks The Single-Smoak-houses are ut supra 184,000 And those Houses that have more than one Chimney have but one with another above four in each House viz. in all 66,000  250 M. The Number of them of all degrees who paid Poll-money Anno 1661. was about 360,000 Dublin hath Houses of more than one Smoak 3,400 Other Cities Towns and Corporations of the like 6,000 The rest of Ireland of the like 6,600  165 M. And of Smiths Forges near the same number or rather more A more particular Account of the Houses in Ireland which have more than one Chimney viz. The Castle of Dublin hath Chimneys 125 The Earl of Meath's House in Dublin 27 The Houses of Dublin which have above 10 are 164 T he Number of Coaches besides Hackneys near the same Number or rather fewer There be ut supra 160,000 Cabins without Chimneys whose worth are not reckoned but as for the others we rate as follows viz. Houses of 1 Chimny of 24000 at 5 l. each 120,000 l. of 2 and 3 6800 at 40 l. 272,000 l. 4 5 6 5600 at 100 l. 560,000 l. 7 8 9 2500 at 300 l. 750,000 l. 10 11 12 700 at 600 l. 420,000 l. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. 400 at 1000 l. 400,000 l.   2,522,000 For 20 Transcendental-houses per estimate  78,000  Total 2,600,000 Memorandum That not ◠8 part of the Value of all those Houses do belong to other than English Protestants  325,000  To the English 2,275,000 There are of Non-papists in Dublin  28,000 In the other Cities Towns Corporations c.  72,000 In the Country  100,000   2,000,000 There is in Nature but one in 500 at most who are Blind Lame and under incurable Impotence so as not above 2000 in Ireland whom 12000 l. would maintain without Scandal The number of young Children under seven years old and not fit for Labour is ¼ of the whole viz. 275,000 The said number of Impotents 2000 The number of Soldiers 3000  280,000 The Masters and Mistresses of 360 Families wherein are above six Smoaks are 7,200 Their Servants to their Persons 14,400 The Servants to the Persons of such as live in 5600 Families of 4 5 6. Smoaks are 11,200 Servants in Families of 2 and 3 Smoaks 6800 Ministers Students c. 400  320,000 People in all 1100 M. Of above 6 years old 704 16 462 26 297 36 198 46 132 56 88 66 77 So as there are in Ireland fit for Trade 780,000 Which are Imployed as followeth viz.  For the Tillage of 500,000 Acres of Land for Corn Men and their Wives 100,000 For Cowherds and Shepherds to Cattel grazing upon Seven Millions of Acres viz. six Millions of black Cattel or their equivalent in Horses and Sheep Men and their Wives 120,000  220,000 By the other side 220,000 Imployed about the taking of 5000 Hogsheads of Pilchards Boats Nets Hewers c. Men and Women 1000 Imployed about making 1000 Tuns of Iron Men and Women 2000 Smiths as by account Men and Women 15,000 Their Servants to the Trade 7,500 Taylors and their Wives 45,000 Carpenters and Masons and their Wives 10,000 Shoemakers and their Wives 20,000 and Servants 2500 Millers and their Wives 1600 Workers of Wooll and their Wives 30,000 Tanners and Curriers and their Wives 10,000  331,600 Trades of Fancy and Ornament and their Wives 48,400  380,000 Wherefore if the present Employment be performed with 380,000 Persons it follows that there are to spare for other uses 400,000 Memorandum That in Dublin where are but 4000 Families there are at one time 1180 Ale-houses and 91 publick Brew-houses viz. near ⅓ of the whole it seems that in Ireland there being 200 M. Families that about 60 M. of them should use the same Trade And consequently That 180,000 viz. 60 Men 60 Women and 60 Servants do follow the Trade of Drink 180,000 So as there are yet to spare who are Casherers and Fait-neants 220,000  400,000 Whereas it is manifest that ⅔ of the Alehouses may be spared even although the same quantity of Drink should be sold then there will yet be further to spare of them 120,000 and 220,000  340,000 Having shew'd that 340,000 of spare hands are in Ireland it follows to find Employments for them which is at 7 l. per head to earn per Ann. 2,380,000 This Imployment may be either in order to Local Wealth or Universal Wealth Local Wealth I understand to be the building of 168,000 small Stone-wall Houses with Chimneys Doors Windores Gardens and Orchards ditch'd and quicksetted instead of the lamentable Sties now in use the which may cost 3 l. each in all l. 544,000 The planting 5 Millions of Fruit-Trees at 4 d. each 83,000 Planting 3 Millions of Timber-Trees upon the Bounds and Meers of every Denomination of Lands at 3 d. each 360,000 l. Of Inclosures and Quicksets one Million of Perches at 12 d. per Perch l. 50,000 Fortifying the City of Dublin 30,000 Building a new Palace for the chief Governour 20,000 Making there a Mold for Shipping 15,000 Making several Rivers navigable and mending High-Ways 35,000 Building of 100 Churches at 200 l. each 20,000 Workhouses of several sorts Tan-Yards Fishing Crofts Rape-Mills Allom and Copperas-works as also Madder Lead Salt c. 50,000 In order to Money and Vniversal Wealth For Ten Thousand Tuns of Shipping 100,000 For a Stock of Wool Hemp Flax and Rawhides for one Years Work 400,000 For the Labour of Men to Manufacture the same 1000,000 Of the Church and Benefices IF 1 ◠the Non-Papists are Non-Conformists then there are but 50000 Legal Protestants in Dublin and all other Cities Towns c. which require but 50 preaching Ministers And if there are but 50 M. Legal Protestants in the rest of Ireland they require but 100 Ministers at 500 to a Flock whereof ◠3 viz. 166 are Children If there be in England and Wales about 9000 Parishes and under 30 Bishops then every Bishop must have above 300 Parsons in his Charge So as one Bishop in Ireland is more than
diem nor is superlucration above his subsistence to be reckoned in this Case 5. From whence it follows that 100,000 persons dying of the Plague above the ordinary number is near 7 Millions loss to the Kingdom and consequently how well might 70,000 l. have been bestowed in preventing this Centuple loss 6. We said that the late mortality by the Pest is a great loss to the Kingdom whereas some think it but a seasonable discharge of its Pestilent humours to clear which difficulty I say 7. If the Plague discerned well between the well and the ill-affected to Peace and Obedience or between the Bees and the Drones the Fact would determine the Question But if it destroy promiscuously the Loss is proportionable to the Benefit we have by them that survive for 't is they that make England worth above 600 millions as aforesaid It being certain That if one person only had escaped the whole Territory and all that is in it had been worth but a livelihood for that one and he subject to be a prey to the next two that should invade him 8. It seems reasonable that what we call the Wealth Stock or Provision of the Nation being the effect of the former or past labour should not be conceived to differ from efficiencies in being but should be rated alike and contribute alike to the common necessities And then of all and every summ to be raised the Land and Stock must pay 3 parts and the People considered without any Estate at all 5 more the whole into 8 divided 9. If the expence of the Nation be 40 Millions it seems but the same hardship to set apart 4. viz. 1 10 of the whole for the publick use as what now lies upon many already But 4 Millions would afford one for the ordinary Expence and three for the extraordinary Wars that is 250 000 l. per mensem that is 3 ½ as much as 70. For the raising whereof many now pay above a 1 10 of their whole Estates for want of Method and Proportion 10. Labouring men work 10 hours per diem and make 20 meals per week viz. 3 a day for working-days and two on Sundays whereby it is plain that if they could fast on Fryday nights and Dine in one hour and an half whereas they take two from eleven to one thereby this working 1 20 more and spending 1 20 less the 1 10 abovementioned might be raised at least with more ease than to take up Arms and resist it CHAP. III. Of the several Expences of the Kingdom and its Revenues 1. THE ordinary Expence of the Kingdom for the Navy Ordnance Garisons Land-forces Tangier Iamaica Bombay Ambassadors Pensions Intelligence Kings and Royal Families Expence consisting of the Houshold of the King Queen Duke c. Privy-Purse Wardrobe Robes Angel-Gold Master of the Horse Mews Armory Tents Parks Lodges Goldsmiths Jewels c. hath been computed to be about one Million Reckoning 200 000 l. for the Navy 60 for the Ordnance and Powder 290 for Land-forces Garisons c. and 450 000 for other things 2. Towards this there is in Crown-Lands 70 000 Post-Office 20 Coynage and Pre-emption of Tinn 12 Forest of Deer 4 Courts of Justice 6 First Fruits 18 in all 1,30 000. Customs at 2 per Centum 170. in all 300 000. without the Duties of Wares Wine-Licence Aulnage or Butlerage Excise Chimney-money Land-tax Pole and Assesments being regulated and proportionated as followeth viz. CHAP. IV. Of the Method of apportioning Taxes 1. IF a Million is to be raised above the 300 000 l. last mentioned then 375000 l. is to be levied on the Stock and 625000 l. on the People Of the 375,000 on the Stock 216 on the Lands 54 on the Cattel c. 60 on the Personal Estates 45 on the Housing in all 375  2. To raise 216,000 l. out of 8,000,000 M. Rent requires 1 37 of the Rent and 1 27 of 1 37 but allowing the charge of Collecting we may express it to a 1 3◠part 3. To raise 5 1000 l. per annum out of 36,000000 M. requires the annual payment of a 666 th part of the whole value but in regard of Charges let it be reduced to a 600 th part 4. The like for the 60000 l. of Personal Estates 5. To raise 45000 l. per annum from all the Housing worth 30 Millions or 7500 for the Housing in London-Liberties worth about 5 Millions and whose Rent is 4,20 000 l. per annum requires but 1 33 of the annual Rent which cannot be above 12 d. a Chimney per Annum reckoning 5 to each House Without the Liberties about 10 d. the Chimney will effect the same 6 d. in the Cities and market-Market-Towns and 4 d. elsewhere 6. As for the 625,000 l. to be raised by the People it requires but 2 s. 1 d. per Pole per Annum which let rather be divided into a Pole of 6 d. a Head and an Excise of 19 d. which is not the full 1 84 part of the mean expence 6 l. 13 s. 4 d. so as the 11 84 of the value of Consumptions will with the said 6 d Pole raise 625,000 l. per Annum CHAP. V. Of Money and how much is necessary to drive the Trade of the Nation 1. IT may be asked If there were occasion to raise 4 Millions per Annum whether the same 6 Millions which we hope we have would suffice for such revolutions and circulations thereof as Trade requires I answer yes for the Expence being 40 Millions if the revolutions were in such short Circles viz. weekly as happens among poor Artizans and Labourers who receive and pay every Saturday then 40 52 parts of 1 Million of Money would answer those ends But if the Circles be quarterly according to our Custom of paying rent and gathering Taxes then 10 Millions were requisite Wherefore supposing payments in general to be of a mixt Circle between One week and 13. then add 10 Millions to 40 52 the half of the which will be 5 1⅓ so as if we have 5 ½ Millions we have enough 2. And thus I have shewed That if one half of the Subjects of England playing 78 days in the year will earn 7 d. per diem all the rest of the days one with another And if they would work 1 20 more and spend 1 20 less they might enable their King to maintain double the Forces he now doth without suffering in the general more than many well affected persons do now through negligence or mistakes in their Particulars Nor is Money wanting to answer all the Ends of a well Policed State notwithstanding the great decreases thereof which have happened within these Twenty Years Nor were it hard to substitute in the place of Money were a competency of it wanting what should be equivalent unto it For Money is but the Fat of the Body-Politick whereof too much doth as often hinder its Agility as too little makes it sick 'T is true that