〈…〉 may make Gentlemen ſo ſenſible of the Benefit of Trade, as to Imploy their Heads and Time to conſult the beſt Laws and Methods to encourage it.

This Method not only Secures the Perſons Engaging their Eſtates in this Deſign, from being looſers, but makes them great gainers.

It ſecures the Nation, as well as every particular Perſon, from any prejudice by the Tickets, becauſe the Money lent as aforeſaid, muſt be paid off, and Diſcharged by the Rent of the Land Mortgaged, which cannot be denyed, but to be equal to the beſt Mortgages now in England.

This Method will make us Maſters of the beſt of Trades, and much more National than was ever yet pretended to: For this Company will be obliged to Build all their Ships and Buſſes, and to make all their Nets, and other Implements of Fiſhery in England, tho' they will at firſt, untill by Cuſtome and Uſe we grow expert in thoſe Arts and Trades, coſt us above 30 l. per Cent. more than we now have them Imported to us from Abroad.

The making all the Neceſſaries for Fiſhing in England, will maintain many thouſands of People now Chargeable to the Pariſhes: And by increaſing Manufactures, that maintain and imploy them (if convenient Laws could be obtained for Encouragement of Forraigners, to come and Inhabit here) we ſhould have a great Increaſe of People, which will cauſe a great increaſe of Trade, which is the only way to raiſe the Value of Land, and to ſecure the ſame by Sea and Land againſt any Enemy.

This Method, or Bank Credit, is no new thing to other Nations: being Eſtabliſh'd in the beſt Trading places in the World, tho' under worſe Circumſtances, as Holland, Hamburgh, Venice, and other places in Italy. Their Banks have no certain Fund, and are by moſt People Believed not worth one third of what they owe, and yet their Credit is more Valuable than Gold or Silver Money, for 100 l. Bank Credit is frequently transferred for 2, 3, or 4. per Cent. advance, and never ſo low as for a 100 l. in money, Which is well known to Traders in Holland.

Since then their Banks, with an uncertain Fund, appears by their long continuance, to be ſo Beneficial and Valuable to Trading Nations, why ſhould not this? having a certain Fund, ſufficient in the perfixt time to Pay off the whole Debt, which yearly Leſſens, and the Fund accordingly Increaſeth in Value: And carrying with it all the ſame benefits and conveniencies to our Nation: as they reap by theirs: beſides the mighty National Advantage of this deſired Fiſhing Trade.

The ſum of all is no more but to obtain a Charter to Incorporate ſuch Gentlemen as are willing to engage their Eſtates to recover the Fiſhing-Trade, Eſteemed ſo great and deſireable a Jewel to the Nation, and now poſſeſt by Forraigners.

And, tho' the Bills of Exchange of this Company have equal priviledge with other Perſons, to run upon their bare Reputation, yet none of their Bills are propoſed to paſs, without a greater value of Land be Tackt to them by the Parliament, according to a Method prepared,

And laſtly, That their Bills ſo ſettled, being more uſeful and valuable than Money of the beſt Gold or Silver, may, for the ſame reaſons as Gold and Silver money is impoſed, be made Current in all Publick and Private Payments: which is no more than what time and Cuſtome would introduce of Courſe, as is Demonſtrable by ſuch Bankers having the greateſt Credit, as are but reputed to have the beſt Fund.

And becauſe nothing under Heaven can be ſo perfect, as not to admit of Objections, it is humbly hoped that it will be conſidered, whether the great Advantages certainly following this Undertaking, do not far out-ballance all the ſuppoſed Objections, which can poſſibly be brought againſt it, and may be eaſily cleared, when the Objections ſhall be Methodically made.

It may not be amiſs to add ſomething here in defence of joynt Stocks, becauſe ſeveral Papers have of late been diſperſed, which condemn them in General: It is confeſt, joynt Stocks which ingroſs any Trade, ought not to be granted without good Conſideration: But ſuch joynt Stocks, as neither Interrupts nor Prohibits any other to Trade the ſame way, is no more to be diſcouraged, than a Rich Merchant, becauſe there are Poorer: beſides There are theſe two Advantages in a joynt Stock, firſt, many things can be put in Practice, which ſmaller Stocks cannot reach to. Secondly, Things of great hazard will be Attempted, when none can be ruined by their Failures.