AN ESSAY For the raising a National Fishery BY THE Poor of England, WITHOUT TAX or MONEY, THAT Shall Imploy and Maintain all the Poor, and growing Poor of this Nation for ever, and in less than Five Years, totally ease the Publick from that grievous Burden.
Humbly Address'd to the Honourable House of Commons in behalf of the Poor of ENGLAND.
LONDON.
Printed and are to be sold by John Nut, near Stationers-Hall. MDCC.
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Most Wise and August ASSEMBLY.
THE many Groundless and Chymerical Projects of this designing Age, I sear, may too justly deter the more Prudent part of Mankind from a farther Disquisition into Things of this Nature, than the bare Title informs; yet 'twould be too severe a Fate that all should undergo that Censure without a farther enquiry; for as Light came out of Darkness, so Truth may be Collected from Errour, and a great Treasure may lie hid where least expected.
I shall not presume to Apologise for the Subject treated of, 'twill best speak for it self, but do crave Pardon for the injury I have done it, by my unskilful Management; but as brightest Gold may be sullied by the touch of an unclean Hand, tho' not at all deprived of its native worth, so I [Page]cannot by what I have done, detract from the innate Value of this inestimable Jewel, Fishery
I could have wisht that some more able had undertaken this Design, that could have charmed your Ears with Eloquence, that might have moved, tho' Self-interest and Security may be allowed prevalent Motives; but as Eloquence is not my Talent, so it was not my Design, but Truth and Plainness, wherein I have no other Aim but to promote the publicly Good to my Power, by contributing my poor Mite, nor do I ask Reward or Patronage, but with the Learned Verulam conclude, That nothing can be worthy of a Patronage that has not Truth to Patronize it self.
I have more than once, with great regret, beyond Seas heard in Conversion, when speaking of the excellency of one Constitution, and Parliamentary Power, they have wittily, as they thought, in way of Raillery, reply'd, and with a seeming Pleasure, that there were more than one thing the Parliament of England could not do, and that was to raise a Fishery. I thought the Assertion too bold, but the Reason they gave, was because they had not done it after they declared it to be for the Honour, Advantage, and Safety of the Nation; tho' it can't be deny'd but with the highest [Page]Concern, 'tis too true, that hitherto it has not been done, or attempted to any Purpose; yet there is nothing more certain than that it is in the Power and Wisdom of an English Parliament to effect this great Work, and convince the World of the Errour, when God shall please to put it in their Hearts to do it, which is with longing Desire earnestly expected by all true Lovers of their Countries good, and 'tis hoped that this Essay may stir up and animate some of our worthy Patriots to prosecute so honourable and advantageous a Design, that on this Basis may be erected a super Structure for the publick Wellfare, and Glory of God, that Fate shall not be able to shock.
AN ESSAY FOR THE RAISING A National Fishery.
The following Discourse is Grounded on these two Principles, viz.
THAT the Trade of England Improved. And the well Employing the Poor, are the two main Pillars, on which the Welfare and Security of this Nation (under God) Depends.
The Poor of this Kingdom may be considered in these Four Capacities.
I. As Trades Men, and Artificers, who either being too Numerous, cannot get Employment, or by decay of Trade have lost it; or not having Stock sufficient of their own to Work, nor Credit to procure it, they are rendered Poor and Necessitous by an inevitable Fate. Or they are such who [Page 2]by Ill-husbandry, Losses, or both; or being thrown in to Prison, by Merciless and Inhuman Creditors, are brought to the greatest Extremities, whilst their Wives and Children become a Parish Charge. This is the too Deplorable State and Condition of many Thousand Families, That loudly Cry for Relief.
IIly. As Poor Husband-men and Day-labourers, who continualy Increase in far greater proportion than Labour to Employ them; and must to support Life necessarily be compelled to Beg or Steal, if not worse.
IIIly. As common sturdy Beggars, and wandering Vagabonds, Men, Women and Children, who daily Increase and Croud the Streets; of these the greatest part never did Work, nor ever will if they can avoyd it: and when by Begging they can't obtain Relief to their Desire, they will not scruple to Murder, Rob, or commit any other Violence to attain if.
IVly. As Aged, Decrepit, Lame, Blind, Dement [...]red, &c. In a Christian Common-wealth, the Law of God, of Nations, and of Nature, viz. self Preservation does require that all these Poor should be taken Care of, and provided for by the Publick: Of which kind the two first would Work if they had it. And the third sort, (as his Majesty was Graciously pleased to mention in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament) ought by compulsion to be brought to it. The fourth kind are no [...] [...]capable to Work themselves, and must be kept without it.
The grand difficulty now will be how to find means to Imploy these Poor, so, as they may become useful to the Publick, by inableing them to maintain themselves, and be no longer a burden to the Publick and Dishonour to the Kingdom.
The Building of Work-houses, 'tis presumed will not reach that End, for there are many already Built about this Town Unimploy'd and Decay'd, and others that are Employ'd, but to wrong purposes, and serve only to enrich those Officers belonging to them; as Bride-well and many others, that seem [Page 3]not in any respect to answer the end of their Institutions as well as many other Hospitals, the Poor having little benefit from thence▪ and granting that many more Work-houses were erected, what Work would they do in them? Beating Hemp will scarce keep them from Starving. If they Card or Spin Wool, they Interfere with those of the Woolen Manufacture, and injure them who from Children have Earned their Bread by those Labours, who now for want of Employment (some thousands) are ready to Starve, which by the Addition of so many more Hands will only make them just so much worse than they are already; for tis not want of Hands the Woolen Manufacture stands in need of; but of Work to Employ those Hands they already have: And with Submission it may be thought as good Policy, to Instruct Beggars to Plow, Sow, Reap, &c. and then Employ them to the prejudice of those Industrious and Necessary Husband-men we have already.
Therefore some other way must be found out, or at least attempted, that shall Employ, and furnish with Food and Necessaries, all the superfluous Hands of Poor and Necessitous Trades men, Husband-men, Labourers, Beggars, Vagabonds, &c. to be an Asylum for all the Distressed to fly to for Releif, without infringing, or interfering on the painful Husband-men's Labour, or with the Woolen Manufacture, or any others which would prove a desperate Wound instead of a Cure; which must be effected by an other method, if ever attain'd.
Among the Various Methods that possibly may be thought on or proposed, (with humble Submission 'tis believed) there can be but one sound, that will in all respects effectually answer this great End, which is not of Humane Invention, but by the providence of God is put into our Hands, if we would lift them to our Mouths; tho' for our Ingratitude to Heaven, our stuborn Blindness, Sloth and Idleness, we are unworthy of so great and peculiar a Blessing we might enjoy, above many others, that is, the FISHING TRADE.
I shall not here Illustrate on the many Advantages (besides Maintainance of the Poor) 'twould be to this Kingdom, nor mention the Disadvantages the loss of that Trade [Page 4]has brought on us, they are too obvious already, and are both Universally known and acknowledged. But how to put this great Design successfully in Practice, remains as yet the Mystery.
To the Explicating of which, I humbly offer the following Propositions or Suppositions.
First, That English Men being furnished with Busses and Nets, will be allowed as capable to catch Fish, and eat them, without any Hardship, as well as the Hollanders or any other Nation, and in many respects we have naturally the advantage of them, or any other People, for the Trade and Business.
Secondly, That those English Men that have not wherewith to buy Meat, the Case of too many poor honest working Families in this Town, would think it a happiness to be fed with wholesome Fish, Bread and Roots, which, without Offence, was the Diet of those Worthies, the Founders of Amsterdam, Venice, and of our own London, and of most other Flourishing and Trading Towns in the World.
Thirdly, 'Twill be likewise granted, that Men being now furnish't with Busses, Nets, and other Necessarys for Fishing, under a due regulation at a Publick Charge, have the same means to Live, the same Tools to Work with for the support of themselves and Families, as our fore Fathers had, tho' on much better and easier Terms, and may without doubt live and thrive as well as they did, under greater Difficulties, and this without any Fish Transported (if that were necessary) for Fish at Home will either But or Barter, for Bread, Meat, Cloths, Fire and all other Necessaries.
Fourthly, That naturaly there are but three ways for all Mankind to get a living, which are either Planting and Sowing the Fruits of the Earth; hunting wild Beasts, or devouring one another, or catching Fish, 'tis presumed the third king only can be applicable to this Matter, for in the first [Page 5]Peopling of all Collonies, there first care must be to clear the Ground of Trees to plant Food for their own Sustenance, before they can arrive to greater things, so originally in the first Planting of Fishing Collonies, they were begun by only Fishing for Food, and raised by their redundancy, who by furnishing others that wanted, had in Exchange or Barter all other Necessaries first, afterwards all manner of Superfluities, till in time they acquiring great Riches, Dignities, and Dominions.
This is the natural Rise, Progress, and ultimate of all Fisheries, and probably as they were all thus raised by degrees, there may be no other means possible to revive and raise our lost and decay'd Fishery, but by the same means.
'Tis a Subject of the greatest wonder to Foreigners, and Shame and Indignity to our selves, that English Men can Beg, or want Work, who may have Fish for catching, Roots and Pulse for Planting, Cloths for Spinning, &c. yet this is too easily answered, they can't do this without Tools, not purchase them without Money, nor be employ'd by those that have both.
'Tis farther presumed, that wholsome Food, warm Cloths, and Huts to secure from Cold and Weather, are all the Poor stand in need of.
There Women and Children may be Employ'd in Knitting Nets, Spinning Thread, &c. whilst the Men are Fishing, Carrying and Recarrying. Sir Walter Raleigh affirming that every Fishing Ship sets to work Thirty several Trades and Occupations, and eight Thousand Persons by Sea and Land, and that three hundred Persons are no able to make one Fleet of Nets in four Months for one Buss.
That to allure them to Industry and a regular Life, among this new Common-wealth of Fishers, they should be incouraged to Marry among themselves, and be endowed with some Privileges and Immunities, the more they multiply the greater the Blessing, for they can never want Food and Necessaries till they have drained the Sea of Fish. This would prevent the [Page 6]Murder of many poor Infants, and check the many Robberies and Murders that are daily committed, and would re-people the Sea Coast round the Kingdom, repair all our old decay'd Fishing Towns, and build many new ones; and asking Pardon for the Expression, do affirm, that a Wall of Fishing-Nets round England, would be a much better Defence and Security to the Nation, than Fryer Bacon's Brazen Wall would have been, could his Art have done it.
It remains now to shew how this great and glorious Work may be put in Practice, so as succesfully to accomplish this great End without Tax, or additional Expence to the Publick, which 'tis presumed will make it worth the Trial, and this to be done by a right application of the Poors Revenue, which heitherto hath been wrongly disposed of, and to litttle purpose, either for the common Good, or comfort of the Poor.
The due Care, Government, and Management of the Poor, is the great concern of the Publick and its Ministers and Magistrates, are not without great reason Stilled the Fathers of the Poor, to put them in mind that they should cherish and nourish them as Children, for how Paradoxical soever it may seem, the Hands of the Poor are the true and real Riches, Strength, Security and Blessing of a Kingdom, when rightly employ'd, and the Bain, Curse, Plague and Ruine of a Nation, when idle of themselves, or maintained so, or which is Equivolent, employ'd to no purpose.
To come closer to the Matter: The yearly revenue of the Poor is Estimated at about 800000 l. and probably if it were nicely enquired into may be found a Million; now supposing this great Revenue be paid yearly for the future, as it has been for many Years past, and is still growing; and if not prevented must encrease for ever, and that this Money be employ'd to the Poors use as now, 'twould be well worth knowing what good 'twould do them, or what Benefit either poor or Publick would receive in proportion to such a mass of Treasure raised and buried, without any visible appearance of publick Good, nor the tenth part of [Page 7]the Poor provided for. Now if to accomplish this glorious Enterprize of raising and establishing a Fishery on an immoveable and solid Basis; there were required, 20, 30, 40, or a 100 Years, and that the yearly income of the Poor for that time were required to do it, that is, 20, 30, 40, or a 100 Millions, if the end I say were then attained, tho' on these Terms (if not to be effected otherwise) 'twill, I doubt not, be allowed the Money was well imployed and disposed of to good purpose; since 'tworld for the future free them or their Posterity from the burden and charge of the Poor, without the addition of any new Tax for their relief, and the Money would circulate among the Handicraft and Trading People, to the great improvement of the Woollen Manufacture, and others, and would besides raise some Hundred Thousand Seafaring Mon, and repeople the Sea Coasts and Fishing Towns, &c. whereas in the usual Course this Money is now imploy'd, it scarce serves to buy Food for half tis given to, and the rest are left to shift for it as they can get it.
If then, as aforesaid, a Fishery tho' obtained in so long time, and at so great expence, would be well worth the attaining, how much more then, ought those generous offers to be embrac'd, that fairly lays down a demonstrative Method, that shall in five Years and less, raise and establish an everlasting Fishery to maintain all the Poor, and growing Poor for ever, by their own Labour, and to become a Bullwark and Defence of this Kingdom, by raising so many thousand Seafaring Men, improving Navigation and all Trades, and Manufacturies, and making this Nation the most Rich, Potent and Flourishing Kingdom on Earth.
A Draught or Scheme of the Design in general Terms is thus Proposed; with submission to better Judgments.
That a Million Credit be raised on the Revenue of the poor, to be paid in two Years, which can be no difficulty to do, since the Fund and Security is as good as any in England, and well disposed Persons on such an Occasion, will be contented with moderate Interest, and possibly the Bank of England may to promote so pious and honourable [Page 8]a Design signalize themselves on such an Occasion, there being no necessity to draw the Money all at once, but as 'tis disposed of.
That 200000 l. of this Money be appointed to build a thousand Busses and Boats., at 200 l. per Buss.
That 200000 l. more be employed for Hemp or Thred for Nets, and what other Materials relate and their fishing Tackle.
That 200000 l. be appropriated to Cloath a Hundred thousand poor Men and Women able to Work, with their Children at 2 l. per Man.
That 100000 l. be design'd for Conveniencies for them to [...]e on, &c.
That 100000 l. more be apply'd to build Chappels, Warehouses to store their Corn and Fish in, and for Cask, &c.
That a 100000 l. be laid out for Corn, and for Salt to cure their Herrings.
That the 100000 l. remaining, be appropriated to Fishermen, the Masters of Busses and Mates, who are to instruct them, and to Clergy-men, Clerks, Warehouse Keepers, Coopers, and all other Officers there shall be need of, for the due and regular Execution of this great Undertaking.
That these 100000 Poor be disperst into a 100 several places round the Coast, a thousand in a place, to be first planted in and about the decay'd Fishing Towns, which will occupy a far greater number.
There will be ten Busses to every new Fishing Settlement, and to each Buss there is at present assign'd but a 100 poor besides Children, tho' 'twould maintain more than a 1000 well imploy'd.
That those Hundred Poor belonging to each Buss, Men and Women, become bound for five Years, the Men and Boys to the Masters of Busses, to instruct them in the Art of Fishing, and the Women and Girls to those that shall instruct them to Spin Thread, and Knit Nets, &c.
The Boys and Girls to be bound for a longer time, the Masters being paid for their Service, to lie under no Obligation to furnish them with Cloths, Meat or other Necessaries, but only to instruct them how to Fish; and being thus set out and furnish't [Page 9]with Materials, 'tis presumed there will be no danger of their Starving, and no doubt will find themselves with Drink, and be able to do something more than keep themselves in a very little time.
The five Years Service expired, besides their Food, to be allowed some Pay for their Labour, out of the Profits of the Fishery.
That they be Fed four Days in a Week, with Bread, wholsome Fish, either Fresh or Salt, with Roots, as Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, Potatoes, &c. And the other three Days, with Meat, either Beef, or Pork, with Pease or Roots: That it be no longer an Injunction on them, to eat Fish four Days in a Week, than till they have raised sufficient Stock to purchase Flesh, and reduce their Fish Days to twice a Week.
That all Aged and Decrepit Poor, &c. Unable to Work, be confined to their own Parishes, (the greatest part being in London) and not suffered to Beg, but that Provision of Red and Pickled Herrings be sent from the Fisheries, to their respective Parish-Officers, either to dispose of to them, or for them, for other Provisions, according to an exact account of their Numbers, which, together with the Collection of Broken Meats by the Poor in Baskets, in their several Parishes and distributed, will abundantly Maintain them better than now they are.
That no Person be permitted to Beg, or any suffered to Relieve them in the Streets, but if found there, to be sent to one or other of the Fishing-Collonies to Work if able, if not, to their own Parish, that they, and all other Poor that voluntarily come, be provided with Food, first for Work, and afterwards with Clothes when they have Earned them.
That in one Year this Design may be compleatly put in Practice, all the Busses, Ware-houses, and Chappels Built, and Nets made, and the Poor immediately set to Work, for the Money taken up on Credit, not being Payable till [Page 10]two Years end, the Poor will have the same Provision for this Year, as usual to Maintain them whilst they are Kniting Nets, &c. and till the Fishery be actually set to Work, which may be done in part, the next Herring-Season, if from Lady-Day they should commence.
What hitherto has been said, has only Designed the capacitating the Poor to Maintain themselves, but now 'tis time to speak what farther may be done by them, to the great encrease of the Publick Treasure, and promotion of Trade in general.
First, That the Business of this Publick-Fishery, be only the Herring and Pilchard Fishing; and not permitted to Sell any of them at home, to prejudice those Industrious and Labourious Fisher-men we have already, who otherwise would be Ruined by this Design,
2. That they intermeddle not with the New-found-land nor Whale-Fishing, to the Detriment of those Fishers and Merchants that use those Trades, but be only employed in Fishing on our own Coasts, provided the Merchants be not too slack on these Encouragements to Prosecute those Trades; or Whale and Cod-Fishing may be the Business of the Royal-Fishery.
3. That great Care be taken, by diligent Inspection, that the Fish be Caught when best in Season only; and that none but sweet and good Herrings be Cured, and that after the best manner, and all made Good and Merchantable Ware.
4. That the Poor being first served, what remains to be exposed to Sale, and for the Encouragement of Merchants, to export them beyond Seas, to be Sold at very reasonable Rates, or Bartered for Hemp, Salt, Corn, &c.
5. That all Profits arising above the Poors Provision, be the publick Treasure, and applicable as shall be appointed by Parliament, which if they are pleased, may be assigned for the Planting of Timber, so much wanted in England; [Page 11]or the Rebuilding White-Hall, and to make it the most Stately and Magnificent Palace in the World in five Years time, and that without any Tax.
6. That the English Red-Herrings are the Best in the World, and a good Commodity in all Places.
7. That for a farther Encouragement of this Fishery, and to promote Trade, if it should please the Parliament to lay a Restriction on the Irish Fishing, that is, on their Herring and Pilchard Fishing only; for we ought to be rather more jealous, and careful to prevent the growth of A Fishery any where to our Power, than of the Woolen Manufacture, because one will secure the other. That by this means great quantities of Herrings would be Transported to Ireland, and in return, they might bring Tallow, Hides, Corn, &c. but principally Wool, which would greatly improve the Woolen Manufacture, for the fundamental Cause of the decay of that great Trade, is the very same by which the Fishery is lost and ruined; that is, Forelgners sell Fish better Cheap than we can, which is the true Reason of the loss of that Trade, and 'tis to be feared, if not prevented, their slight making and dressing their Cloth, their excessive Straining and Racking to lengthen it, and many other Knavish Practices in that Trade, more than formerly, may in time bring it to the fame Fate, Foreigners being discouraged to Buy it, not daring to trust them, have put them on Invention to make better themselves, and Sell Cheaper, notwithstanding they have the greatest part of the Wool from honce.
Therefore, unless Care be taken that Cloth be well and truly made, without Deceit, and by plenty of Wool made Cheaper, it seems very unlikely for them ever to retrieve their almost lost Trade, for they cannot lessen the Price of Mens Labour to do it, that being but sufficient when employed to maintain them.
8 That if the Merchants slight and neglect the Benefit of Buying up the Poors Herrings, being Good and Merchantable Ware, and to Transport them to all parts of the World, where ever any were carried, and to our own Plantations, &c. and in return, to bring Salt, &c. that then they be sent by Vessels of their own, and disposed of for the best advantage for the Publick; for no People on Earth can under-sel or forestal us in any Market, for we have the [...] [Page 14]nothing, as all attempts of this kind hitherto has done, and ever will till they attain the Art to catch Fish without Money, and sell them for nothing, when they please, which seems a Paradox, yet is a real Truth. For 'tis catching Fish without Money, in regard there's no more Money paid for the raising this Fishery, than would be if it were let alone, nor any one compell'd to Fish that has any thing else to do, nor to eat them but such as have not wherewith to buy Meat, and if those won't catch Fish when they may, and eat them when they have done, e'en let them starve a Gods Name. The Poors Revenue is a kind of Rent-Charge, claim'd by Custome, and paid time out of Mind, or a Debt intail'd on the Publick from Generation to Generation as a reward of Folly, ill Husbandry and Indiscretion on one side, and of Laziness, Idleness, and starving Beggary on the other.
To conclude, the letting the Poor into any Manufactury that have not been brought up to it, must be of pernicious Consequence to the Publick, by injuring others whose Business 'tis already, and are in want of employ, for the multiplying of Hands to Work will be found but an odd Improvement, unless the Consumption be made much greater, for 'tis taking Bread from those that have it, and giving it to Beggars, or the increase of Beggars in one place to set them to work at another, and would still encrease Poverty ad Infinitum, but of the great Riches, Strength, and many Benefits a Fishery would bring to Rich and Poor there's scarcely any
POSTSCRIPT.
THAT this Essay being committed to the Press, and the greatest part Composed, before the Order or the Honourable House of Commons, Lunae 11. Martii 1699. relating to the Royal Fishery:
The Author desires to be excused for some Expressions therein that may now seem Superfluous.
ERRATA.
Page 2. l. 2. read A Fishery. the same page l. 17. for one read our. page 3. l. 6. for the read that.