THE Doctor in his Eſſay, upon the probable Methods of making People Gainers in the Ballance of Trade, Printed Anno 1700, after enumerating ſeveral Taxes, and giving his Opinion anent the dangerous Conſequences of heavy Impoſitions on Trade, ſayes page 95, 96. and 97. That, during all the War, there has been levied here great Sums every Year, and many of the forementioned Funds are to continue ſo long, that it will be ſeveral years before our Annual Payments can be conſiderably diminiſhed, and there is ſuch a Difference between a Twentieth, and an Eighth or indeed a Twelth Part (which yet we ſhall not come to in ſome time) as muſt inevitably affect the Nation's Trade and the whole Body of its People.

When their was raiſed no more than about a Twentieth Part, there were great Sums of Money to circulate in Foreign Traffick, and to Imploy in enlarging our Home-manufactures, which two Fountains of our Wealth muſt be dry, when the Springs, which hitherto fed them, are diverted and let into another Channel.

There is ſcarce any of theſe new Revnues which do not give Trade a deſperate wound; the Additional Duties on Beer, and Ale, and the Tax upon Malt, are apparently a Burden upon the Woollen Manufactures, affecting the Carder, Spinner, Weaver and the Dyer, who all of them muſt be raiſed in their Wages, when the Neceſſaries of Life are raiſed to them. The Conſequences of which will be, that our Woollen Goods muſt come at a Heavy and Diſadvantageous Price into the Foreign Mercats.

There is no Man will pretend, that high Cuſtoms are not pernicious to our Commerce Abroad. A Nation is not Gainer in the general Ballance of Trade, by the Dealing of a few, who are able to Imploy in it great Stocks, ſuch may make to themſelves an immenſe Gain, but they go but a little toward Inriching the whole Publick, which ſeldom Thrives, but when in a manner the Univerſal People bend their Thoughts to this Sort of Buſineſs, when every one is ready with his ſmall Stock and little Sum, to venture and rove about the World; of theſe ſome proſper and others are undone: However in the way of Merchandiſe, Men who do not Thrive themſelves, may yet contribute very much to make their Country Rich, which gets by the Dealings of all, and does not ſuffer by the unfortunate Conduct of here and there a Merchant. But when the Cuſtoms are high, all theſe Undertakers, who all along in England have made up the chief Bulk of our Trading Men, muſt hold their hands, tho in Skill, Induſtry, Intentive Parts, and Witt, they may exceed Merchants of more Wealth and of a higher Rank. Nor is it indeed practicable for Men of but a Moderate Fortune to deal at all, when more than triple that Sum is neceſſary to have ready now to pay the King, which formerly would have ſet up a Subſtantial Trader, and maintain him in ſufficient Buſineſs.

But of all the new Impoſitions, none are ſo dangerous to the very Being of Trade, nor ſo hurtful to all its Parts and Members, as the high Duties lately laid upon Salt. Firſt, They affect the Common People in the whole Courſe of their Living, whoſe chief Nouriſhment is Bacon and other Salted Fleſh, ſo that this Exciſe has an univerſal Influence upon all Manufactures whatſoever. But the general Prejudice it may bring to Navigation, is yet of a higher Conſequence.

Page 100, he ſays, Reckoning long and ſhort Voyages together, the principal Expenſe of fitting out a Trading Veſſel, is Drink and Meat. The Exciſe and Duties upon Malt, without doubt, make Drink ſufficiently Dear to the Fraughter. And the Duty upon Salt, makes Victualling a very heavie Burden upon him; all which muſt end, in leſſoning our Navigation from time to time, for undoubtedly Foreigners obſerving, how dear Freight is with us, will Trade in their own Ships as much as poſſible.

In Barrelling up Beef and Pork, we heretofore made Uſe of St. Martines's, &c. or Oleron and Engliſh Salt mixed together; and with theſe Materials the Fleſh was beſt prepared, both for Wholſomeneſs and long Keeping, our own Salt without Mixture being Fiery, Corroſive, and very Scorbutick. As we are informed, the St. Martins and worſer ſort of French Salt, from 1676 to 1688 was delivered in London at about 2 l: 5ſh: per Tun, and fourty Buſhels to the Tun, and that from Oleron from 2 l: 10ſh: to 2 l: 15 ſh: per Tun. But now the very Duty for 40 Buſhels of Oleron Salt amounts to 13 l: 6 ſh: 8 d: beſide the 25 per Cent ad valorem, of which formerly the Prime Coſt came to but 2 l: 15 ſh: at higheſt. The Duty likewiſe upon 40 Buſhels of Lisbon Salt comes to 13 l: 6 ſh. 8 d. of which the Prime Coſt was formerly at higheſt but 3 l▪ 10 ſh: And as to our Newcaſtle and Limington Salt, which is now generally made uſe of in Salting Beef and Pork for Trading Veſſels, the very Duty for 40 Buſhels amounts to 6 l: 13 ſh: 4 d: which before the War the Prime Coſt came but to 3 l: at the deareſt Mercat. In ſo much, that we are credibly informed, that a Merchant can Store himſelf in Ireland with Salt Beef and Pork ready Packed up, almoſt as cheap, as he can Buy the Salt in England.

So that for long Voyages, the Merchant will either victual in Ireland, or ſalt his Beef and Pork on ſome Foreign Coaſt, as he ſails along, where Proviſions ſhall be cheap: which muſt be a great Damnage to the Landed Intereſt here: Or if he does not ſo, Victualling will be ſo Expenſive to him, as to make Fraught much dearer than ought it to be in a Country that expects to thrive by Trade.

The Conſequence of all which will be, That the Body of our Merchants muſt ly under a general Diſcouragement, they will neglect looking after National Gain, which Engliſh Merchants have perhaps heretofore as much conſidered in their Dealings, as any Trading Men in the whole Commercial World. They will have an Eye to nothing, but their own temporary Profit, & ſuffer Strangers to go away with thoſe Gains, which England was wont to make by Freight. From whence it will follow, That we muſt decay in our Stock of Shipping, and decreaſe every Year in the Brood of Sea-men; and when this happens, we muſt no more pretend to ſuch a Naval Strength, as hitherto has made us terrible to all our Neighbours.