hath beene said wee must not forget to distinguish betweene the gaine of the Kingdome and the profit of the Merchant For although the Kingdome pay no more for this Pepper then is before supposed nor for any other Commoditie bought in forraigne parts more then the Stranger receiueth from vs for the same Yet the Merchant payeth not onely that price but also the fraight ensurance interest Custome impost and many other charges which are exceeding great in these long Voyages but yet all these in the Kingdomes account are but commutations among ourselues and no priuation of the publique Stocke they remaine still in the Kingdome NOw concerning that which euery particular Subiect of the Realme saveth in his ordinary expence of Indian Wares it is manifest that heretofore when wee brought Indico from Turkey that sort was ordinarily sold here for six shillings the pound or more which now wee fell for foure shillings the pound and vnder Pepper then ordinarily at three shillings and three shillings foure pence the pound which now is sould by the East India Company for twentie pence the pound with long time also given therewith for payment and so likewise of divers other Wares But for Cloues it is true they are now worth eleaven shillings the pound Maces in sorts tenn shillings Nutmeges fiue shillings because the Hollanders by the expulsion of our people haue now three yeares past and still doe keepe vs by force from the trade of those Spices In which Wares when we enioyed the freedome in the Indies that vnto vs belongeth Wee sould Cloues here at fiue shillings six pence Maces at six shillings Nutmegs at two shillings six pence the pound But as the Dutch haue raised the price of these Commodities so would they much more inhaunce them and all other the rich Wares of those Countries if wee should abandon or be basely driven from the trade THe next Quere needs but little proofe for who can truely say that his Majesties Customes and Impost are not multiplyed when the traffique of this Kingdome is so much encreased onely this wee will affirme that if the trade to the East Indies were so well encouraged that it might be effectually followed it would yearely bring to his Majesties Coffers much more then now it doth THe next Quere concernes the Kingdome neerely for it is no small worth to improue the price of Lands which never hath nor can be done but by the prosperous successe of our forraigne trade the ballance whereof is the onely meanes and rule of our treasure that is to say When either by issuing out of the Realme yearely a greater value in Wares then wee consume of forraigne Commodities wee growe rich or by spending more of Strangers goods then wee sell them of our owne wee are impouerished For the first of these Courses doth bring in the money which wee haue the last will carry it away againe when wee haue gott it It is a true saying that plentie or scarsitie of money makes all things deare or cheape in a Common-wealth but it is necessary to distinguish the seeming plenties of money from that which onely is substantiall and able to performe the worke For there are divers wayes and meanes to procure plentie of money into a Kingdome for a short time which doe not therefore inrich but rather impoverish the same by the severall inconveniencies which ever accompany such alterations FOr first if we should melt downe our Plate into Coyne which sutes not with the Maiestie of so great a Kingdome except in cases of great extremitie it would cause plenty of money for a time yet should we be nothing the richer but rather this Treasure being thus altered is made the more apter to be carryed out of the Kingdome if wee exceede our meanes by excesse in forreigne wares or maintaine a Warre by Sea or Land where wee doe not feede and cloath the Souldier and supply the armies with our owne natiue provisions by which disorders our Treasure will soone be exhausted for it is not the Marchants exchange by bills that can prevent the last of these euills as some haue supposed Againe if wee thinke to bring in store of money by suffering forreigne Coynes to passe currant heere at higher rates then their intrinsick value compared with our standard or by debasing or by inhaunsing our owne monies as some men haue proiected all these actions bring their severall inconveniences and notable ruines as well to the King as to his Subiects of which wee omit to enlarge because it is not much pertinent to our cause in hand but rather admitting that by these courses plenty of money might be brought into the Realme yet should we be nothing the richer neither can such treasure so gotten long remaine With vs for whether it be the Stranger or the English Marchant that brings in this money it must ever be done vpon a valueable consideration either for wares carried out alreadie or after to be exported which helpes vs nothing except the evill occasions of excesse or Warre aforenamed be removed which will exhaust our treasure for otherwise the money that one man bringeth in for gaine an other man shall be forced to carry out for necessitie because there shall euer be a necessitie to ballance our account with Strangers although it should be done with great losse vpon the rate of the money which is exported and perill or confiscations also if it be intercepted by the Law for necessitie or gaine will ever finde some meanes to violate such Lawes THe businesse then is briefly thus that as the treasure which is brought into the Realme by the ballance of our forreigne trade is that money which onely doth abide with vs and by which we are inriched so by this plentie of money thus gotten and no otherwise doe our lands improue for when the Marchant hath a good dispatch beyond the Seas for his Cloath and other our natiue wares he doth presently returne to buy vp the greater quantitie which raiseth the price of Woolls and other commodities which doth improue the Land-lords rents as the Leases expire dayly and also by this meanes money being gayned and brought more aboundantly into this Kingdome it doth inable many men to buy Lands which must make them the dearer but if our forreigne Trade come to a stop or declination by neglect at home or iniuries abroad whereby the Marchants are impoverished and so the Wares of the Realme lesse issued then doe all the sayd benefits cease and our Lands fall of price dayly wherevpon we conclude that as the florishing estate of our generall Trade is the onely meanes to make our Lands improue so the particular Trade to the East Indies is a Principall instrument therein because as we haue already proved it hath so much increased the traffique of this Kingdome THe next Quere seemes to be a mysterie which many of our Adventurers doe not well vnderstand for say they how can the Kingdome gaine
THE PETITION AND REMONSTRANCE OF THE GOVERNOR And Company of Merchants of LONDON Trading to the East Indies Exhibited to the Honorable the House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT Anno 1628. Printed at LONDON for NICHOLAS BOVRNE 1628. TO THE HONORABLE THE HOVSE OF COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT The humble Petition of the Gouernor and Company of Merchants of London Trading to the East Indies Humbly shewing THat whereas by the speciall industry and great Charges of divers Merchants of London and others of his Maiesties Subiects the Trade to the East Indies was begunne now twentie eight yeares past and hath beene ever since continued by a Company of all degrees of persons in this Kingdome incorporated vnder the royall Charters of the late Queene Elizabeth and King Iames of blessed memory which haue beene since ratified and confirmed by the Kings most excellent Maiesty that now is with such priviledges and immunities as are therein at large conteined whereby many and sundry Voyages haue beene performed into those remote Countries with good successe and great gaine vntill of late yeares some evill Encounters not onely of the Seas and enemies but more especially the vndue proceedings and actions of our professed friends and Allies haue infinitely damnified the said Traffique which otherwise might haue prospered and growne much better even as it is by time and industrie greatly inlarged and discovered for a more ample Vent and Consumption of our Cloath and other our natiue Commodities Neverthelesse the afore-written disasters and the carring of forreigne Coines out of this Kingdome into the Indies haue begot such causelesse Complaints in the mouths of many his Maiesties Subiects of all degrees and in all places of the Realme that the Adventurers are thereby much discouraged to Trade any longer vnder the evill censure of the multitude desiring nothing more then to obteine their private wealth with the publique good Therefore the petitioners humbly pray this Honorable House to take the annexed Articles or any others into your most graue wise consideration that so if vpon the due examination of the same the said trade be found vnprofitable to the Common-wealth it may be SVPPRESSED And if otherwise that then it may be SVPPORTED AND COVNTENANCED BY SOME PVBLIQVE DECLARATION for the satisfaction of all his Maiesties Subiects and better encouragement of the present Adventurers or any others who thereby might be the more forward and willing to adventure their Estates in a businesse of such consequence when they shall know that it hath obteined such great and honorable approbation Queres vpon the Trade to the East Indies Strength WHether it doth not much increase the strength of this Kingdome with Marriners Warlike-Shipping Ammunition and all necessarie Arts-men thereunto belonging Whether it doth not greatly increase the generall traffique of this Kingdome not onely as it is a very ample trade of it selfe betweene England and the Indies but also as it is an ample Staple or Magazine of many rich Indian wares to send from hence into other forreigne Countries Wealth Whether it doth not increase the generall Stocke and wealth of the Kingdome Whether it be not a meanes to saue the particular Subjects much money yearly in their ordinarie expences vpon all the sorts of Indian wares Whether it doth not much increase his Majesties Customes and Imposts in the yearely revenue Whether it be not a good meanes to improue the price of Lands Woolls Tynn Iron Lead and other the Natiue commodities of this Kingdome Whether the King and the Kingdome also haue not gotten much by this Trade even in these late disasterous times when the Ad-venturers haue lost great matters Safetie Whether it be not a meanes greatly to weaken the KING of SPAINE and his Subjects and to exhaust their Treasure Whether it be not a meanes to counterpoize the HOLLANDERS swelling greatnes by trade and to keepe them from being absolute Lords of the Seas if they may driue vs out of this rich traffique as they haue long endeavoured to performe both by pollicie and force Treasure Whether it be not the best meanes wee haue to increase the Treasure or Money of this Kingdome Honour Whether it be not an honour sutable to the Majestie of so great a King and Kingdome THE HVMBLE REMONSTRANCE OF THOSE REASONS which the Gouernour and Company of Merchants of London trading to the East India doe make vpon the Queres that are annexed vnto their Petition exhibited vnto the Honourable House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT And First Whether it doth not much encrease the strength of the Kingdom with Marriners Warlike Shipping Amunition and all necessary Arts-men there vnto belonging Whether it doth not greatly encrease the generall Traffique of the Kingdome not onely as it is a very ample Trade of it selfe betweene England and the Indies but also as it is an ample Staple or Magazine of many rich Indian wares to send from hence into other forraigne Countries THE Trade to the East Indies some few yeares past did imploy fifteene thousand tunns of Shipping all at once either going or comming or Trading there from Port to Port but since vpon good experience wee finde that so great a Charge is neither necessarie for our defence nor comportable by the benefit of the Traffique vntill some further Discoueries may be made in China or else-where as is hoped Neuerthelesse according to the present times there is and may be imployed and maintained tenn thousand tunns of great and warlike Shipping besides three thousand tunns more now here in the Kingdome repayring for the next Supply of those Voyages THe said Shipping doe imploy two thousand and fiue hundred Marriners wherof one third part at least are shipped from hence Land-men or such as were not formerly vsed to the Seas but are bred and made good Marriners by these Voyages which otherwise at home being without Arts or maintenance are a heauie burthen to their friends and Country THis Trade as it is thus great in it selfe so doth it yet further enlarge our Traffique and strength by furnishing this Kingdome with all sorts of Indian wares not onely for our owne vse but more especially for the necessary wants of forraigne Nations which hath greatly encreased the number of our Warlike Shippes to export them from hence into Turky Italy the East Countries and other places For proofe whereof wee instance the last yeare when wee brought in Pepper from the Indies to the value of two hundred and eight thousand pounds sterling whereof one hundred and fourescore thousand pounds was within few weekes after Shipped or sould to be transported into forraigne Countries the like is done with Indico either in the same kinde it is brought in or else after wee haue gotten the benefit of the manufacture in the dye of our Clothes and so likewise of Callicoes and divers other rich Wares in so much that wee may boldly affirme that by these exportations as from a Staple Magazine of Indian Commodities for divers
parts of Christendome and Turky wee doe imploy going and comming in those Voyages at least two thousand tunns of Shipping which doe require fiue hundred Marriners to man them THe Arts and handicrafts-men which appertaine vnto the building and repayring of all the said Shipping together with the making of Ordnance Muskets Shott Powder Swords Pikes Cordage Canvas many other necessary Ammunitions and provisions thereunto belonging made here in the Kingdome doth not imploy lesse then one thousand men of diuers trades SO that the whole strength by this Trade to the East Indies is the continuall imployment of twelue thousand tunns of Warlike Shipping and foure thousand Marriners and Arts-men more then in the times before this Trade begun which is a great addition of power to the Kingdome BVt if any man obiect and say that heretofore wee imployed three or foure hundred tunns of Shipping yearely into Turkey to lade Spice and Indico which Trade is now vtterly lost because those Commodities are now brought vs directly from the Indies the answere is that in the times when we were serued with the said Wares from Turkey the importation was but small because the prizes then were deare so that wee may well counterpoize the losse of that imployment of Shipping with as much or more tunnage now set on worke to fetch Timber Plancke Pipe-Staues and Timber knees out of Ireland and Hempe out of East land to make our Cordage for the furnishing of so many great Shippes as wee now imploy to the Indies and also for the bringing in of Wines Elephants teeth wrought Silkes Corrall Quicke-Siluer and other forraigne Wares to furnish out those Voyages ANd if it be further objected that this great encrease of Shipping which is here declared is not alwayes in the Kingdome vpon occasion of service the answere is That neither are the Shippes of any other Marchants heere at home but some are going some are comming and euer the least part are in the Kingdome yet still wheresoeuer they are his Maiesties Subiects haue by them their imployment and maintenance and the Kingdome aswell as the East India Company haue had their service For how famous are their exploits to all Nations how many rich Carracks haue they suncke and spoyled how many assaults of Spanish Gallions haue they withstood and foyled What slaughter of their Souldiers sacke of their Townes subversion of their trades and such like honorable actions haue they performed and all with little losse of Shippes or men It would require a large discourse to declare the particulars Neither doth the East India Company commonly want three thousand Tunns of shipping or more heere in the Kingdome which are either in building or repayring together with all their Ordnance and other Warlike furniture besides their Store-houses and Dock-yards plentifully provided with Timber Plancke Cordage Powder Shot and many other necessary Ammunitions both for themselues and oftentimes to helpe others with such provisions as cannot elsewhere be found for money in this Kingdome especially Gun-powder whereof they haue a good quantitie now in store and doe make weekely about thirtie barrels at their owne powder Mills of such refined Salt Peeter as they bring from the Indies in their shipping THere is yet one common Objection but it is so weake that it scarse deserues an answere which is that this East India Trade destroyes our Shipping and Marriners when cleane contrary to this wee haue alreadie shewed the great encrease of both and if men dye in these long voyages and Ships by length of time be laid vp either here or in the Indies yet what 's all this but natures course and that which happens here at home in our neerest Trades although with farre lesse noise and notice How many braue Commanders haue wee bred from meane degree whereof diuers are still in our service some at this present are found worthie the best places in his Maiesties Navie many of our ordinarie men haue lately lost their liues for their country and others being growne rich doe either keepe at home or follow shorter voyages but leaving these advantages wee doe answere all with this that whatsoeuer is pretended in the decay of shipping or death of men yet not withstanding the Kingdome by this trade hath obteyned no lesse increase or cleare addition both of the one and the other which continually subsist and are in action then is before declared Whether it doth not increase the generall stocke and wealth of the Kingdome Whether it be not a meanes to saue the particular Subiects much money yearely in their ordinary expences vpon all sorts of Indian wares Whether it doth not much increase his Maiesties Customs and Imposts in the yearely revenue Whether it be not a good meanes to improue the price of Lands Woolls Tynn Iron Lead and other the natiue commodities of this Kingdome Whether the King and the Kingdome also haue not gotten much by this Trade euen in these late disasterous times when the Adventurers haue lost great matters HEre wee haue fiue Queres which must be all proved severally the first is generall wherein wee must consider how the whole Kingdome may be inriched by our Commerce with Strangers the which to performe although it hath one and the same rule in all the particular places of the Trade yet is not euery Country alike profitable to this Common-wealth For the remotest traffique is alwayes most beneficiall to the publique Stocke the example may be framed thus Suppose wee therefore that Pepper were constantly worth two shillings the pound here in England if we should then fetch the same from Holland the Merchant may pay there to the Stranger twentie pence the pound out of this Kingdomes Stocke and gaine well by the bargaine but if he fetch this Pepper from the East Indies he cannot giue there aboue fiue pence the pound at the most to obtaine the like gaine when all charges are considered which doth sufficiently shew the great advantage we haue to buy our Wares in those remote Countries not onely for that part alone which wee spend and consume but especially for that great quantitie which from hence wee transport yearely into other Countries to be sould at higher price then it is worth here in England Whereby it is plaine that wee make a farre greater Stocke by gaine vpon these Indian Commodities then those Nations doe where they grow and to whom they properly appertaine as being the naturall wealth of their Countries Neither is there lesse honor and iudgement by getting riches in this manner vpon the Stocke of other Nations then by an industrious encrease of our owne meanes especially when this latter is advanced by the benefit of the former as wee haue found in the East Indies by sale of much of our Tynn Cloth Lead and other natiue Commodities the vent whereof doth daily encrease in those Countries which formerly had no vse of our Wares but for the better vnderstanding of that which