A breviat of some proposals prepared to be offered to the great wisdom of the nation, the King's Most Excellent Majesty, and both houses of Parliament for the speedy restoring the woollen manufacture by a method practiced in other nations ... / by R. Haines.

A breviat of some proposals prepared to be offered to the great wisdom of the nation, the King's Most Excellent Majesty, and both houses of Parliament for the speedy restoring the woollen manufacture by a method practiced in other nations ... / by R. Haines.

Table of contents

Title page

By the Expedients Proposed, tis offered,

POSTSCRIPT.

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By the Expedients Proposed, tis offered,

1. THAT in short time all the Wool of England may be secured from being Exported unwrought.

2. That all the Wool of England, and what is to spare in Scotland and Ireland, may be Manufactur'd in England, as fast as it grows and arises.

3. That the converting of such great Quantity of Wool will be of very little Charge to the Nation, so that all the Cloth we have to spare shall find quick Markets as fast as 'tis made.

4. That forty hundred thousand pounds worth of Cloth may be made in England every year, more than now is, or can be by the present course of Trade.

5. That the Wealth of the Nation Will Increase at least forty hundred thousand pounds per Annum, and his Majesties Revenue by the Increase of Customes, very considerably.

6. That every particular Parish and Parishioner in Dealings in the Country shall thrive thereby, considerably.

7. That although we should make twice as much Cloth as what is before-mentioned, yet there shall be no danger of Glutting the Markets; But we may obtain and secure the best Markets in the World to our selves notwithstanding any Attempts of other Nations.

1. As to the first. To secure our Wool from going abroad, the best and most certain Expedient is, to have it converted into Cloth at home, as fast as it grows and arises, by setting to work all idle hands; by means of which, our Wool will soon yield more at home than abroad, and this will more effectually do that business than the severest Laws.

2. To have all the Wool of England, and what as to spare in Ireland and Scotland, to be Manufactur'd in England, depend's on the same Expedient, viz. Imploying all People, who by Contributions or Begging, are maintain'd by other mens Estates and Industry, for doing of nothing, there being (as 'tis, reasonably computed) 200 thousand in the Nation capable of one Employ or other; [Page] so that by this great number of People, with the help of some Clothiers, 'tis not to be doubted but we may Manufacture a hundred thousand Packs of Wool more than are now Converted in a year.

3. That the Converting of such great Quantity of Wool, will be of very little Charge to the Nation, so that all our Cloth shall find quick Markets as fast as made, is Demonstrable: For,

By the Expedient proposed, all these People now maintained for doing little or nothing, may instead of doing nothing, convert our Wool into Cloth, for their Living, so that look how much more Cloth is made by these two hundred thousand People so much there's clear Gain to the Nation. For had they not done this, they had been, as now they are, kept and maintain'd for Begging, &c. So that put case all Beggars, Vagrants, &c. were plac'd in, and maintain'd by the Parishes as Parish-Poor, only for Sleeping, the thing in Effect to maintain them thus, would not be more disadvantagious to the Nation, than it is.

Now since by the Expedients proposed, these two hundred thousand People may earn some two pence per Day, some three pence, some four pence, some fix pence, some eight pence, some ten pence, and some one shilling a day more than by their present course of Life they do, and the Parishes by this means continue but half their Contributions which they paid before, then may the Clothiers in short time, having their Work done for half the Wages which before they gave, afford their Cloth cheaper than ever they could; and since it is so, that other Nations who are our Supplanters cannot make Cloth without a mixture of our Wool (as our Clothiers affirm) nor good Cloth neither but on dear Terms, without Fullers Earth, which no Nation hath but our selves. It must needs follow, that we having more hands than they, to improve, more Wooll, and all the Fullers Earth our own, may (when all idle hands are thus brought to Industry) under-sell them all, and force a Market in all Places in the World, where Cloth is vended, which is what was to be demonstrated.

4. The fourth Proposition, viz. That forty hundred thousand Pounds worth of Cloth may by the Expedient proposed, with the Assistance of some Clothiers be made in a year, more than now is, or can be made by our present Course of Trade, is not difficult to conceive from what hath been said, for if two hundred thousand Persons be industriously employed more than now are, it may rationally be concluded, that each Person one with another in a whole years time with the help aforesaid, may manufacture at least twenty [Page] pounds worth of Cloth, which is all that was to be demonstrated. Besides in little time they will increase more and more both in Number and Ingenuity, for instead of breeding every Year thirty or forty thousand Beggars, we shall by this Expedient breed up the same or a greater number of Ingenious Cloth-makers, as in the Proposals at large is more fully discovered, so that 'tis not to be doubted but they may convert one hundred thousand Packs of Wool in a year more than is now converted as aforesaid.

5. That the Wealth of the Nation will hereby increase at least forty hundred thousand Pounds per Annum more than now it doth, and His Majesties Revenue very considerably, more than before; is thus to be demonstrated.

As by the Confirmation of the second & last Propositions, it appeared, that after a little time of Practise, 100 thousand Packs of Wool may be Converted more than now is: so this wool at twelve pence per pound, is twelve pound per Pack; and when it yielded so, the Wool was counted by the Clothiers to be one fourth part of the charge of the Cloth: By which it follows, that 100 thousand Packs of Wool Converted, will be worth four times twelve hundred thousand pounds, or four Millions eight hundred thousand pounds; which being Exported, their Returns will be much more, and His Majesties Customes encrease proportionably; since our Trade of Merchandise will then be almost double to what it was, and the wealth of the City by such Increase of Trade thrive more abundantly than ever it did.

6. That every particular Parish and Parishioner in Dealings in the Country shall thrive thereby, is no less certain: For, Besides raising the price of Wooll, at least six-pence in every Shilling, and saving six-pence in every Shilling, which before they laid out in Contributions and House-rent to the Poor. They will have better Trade for all Commodities; ready Money for Corn, Fat Cattel, Butter, Cheese, and every thing the Farmer hath to spare; by reason of this Circulation of Trade and Industry, seeing then there will be so many thousands that pay for all they eat, drink and wear, who before had all for Begging, &c.

7. That though we should make twice as much Cloth, as before mentioned, yet there shall be no danger of glutting the Market; But that we may obtain and secure the best Markets in the World to our selves, notwithstanding any Attempts of other Nations. This seems reasonble to believe, if we consider,

[Page]1. That if all the Wooll, not only of England, Scotland and Ireland, but France and Spain also, could be Manufactur'd in England; yet there would be no more Cloth in the World, than now there is, for what is not made in England, is made elsewhere, since it is certain Wool is neither Burnt, rotted, nor any wise wilfully destroyed in any Nation wherever it grows; but is either converted at home or abroad. Therefore the more we convert in England, the less in other Nations, and the more they, Deerease in their Manufactory, the more shall we Increase in Wealth, Trade, Seamen and Navies of Ships, for the Strength and Safety of our Nation.

2. That no other Nation hath the like Expedients and Advantages as we have, and therefore 'tis imposible they should out-doe us; unless we be Wanting to our selves in point of Industry and good Method: And therefore though it cannot be expected, that we should make Cloth for all the World, yet if we can under fell all other Nations, our Work is done: for we may force a 'Trade where we please. There is no Demonstration like Experience, and for this we have a notable Example, given us by the Swedes, who having by Under-selling their Iron, forc'd us not only to quit our forreign Markets, where before we vended very much; but also to desist from making sufficient for our own use. And then when they saw we had quit our Markets, and let fall our Iron works, they raised their Iron to as high a Rate as before. A President worthy the Consideration of the great Wisdom of the Nation. For as 'tis true that Sweden abounds with Woods and Mines, more plentiful than other Nations; in such manner that they may under-sell and force a Trade where they please for that Commodity. So England having more Wool, more Fullers-Earth, more Poor People and Beggars, to be Employed, than any (if not all) the Nations about us. Therefore we may as certainly have Cloth made and fold on easier and more profitable Terms than any Nation in the World; And consequently may force a Market in any Nation where Cloth is to be vended: As the Swedes have done with their Iron.

The Method by which all this may be effected; is no more Charge, than if in every County, several Parishes should be obliged to joyn together to Build in several places Working Alms-houses for their chargeable Poor to live In: And that the Clothiers observe such Method in their Trade, as to place themselves near such Houses, and employ the said Poor, where they may have their Work done cheaper than before.

[Page]But in case the Clothiers refuse such Method, whereby all the Wool, aforesaid may be converted, then it seems unreasonable for their sakes to prohibit the Exportation of Wool: Seeing that by their present course of Trade, little more than half is Converted: however, if they shall so refuse, it will be no difficult thing, for the respective Parishes concerned, to manage the Expedients Proposed themselves, to all the Advantages before-mentioned.

As for other great Advantages arising both to City and Countrey, together with the happy Reformation thereby to be Accomplish'd, and all material Objections answered; the same with the said Expedients, are more fully set forth and Contained in the Proposals. As also a Model of Government to be used in this Respect; for preventing all Abuses and Deceits which have proved most destructive to such Publick Undertakings.

§

§

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A Breviat OF SOME PROPOSALS

Prepared to be Offered to the Great Wisdom of the NATION,

The KING'S most Excellent Majesty, And Both Houses of PARLIAMENT,

For the speedy Restoring the WOOLLEN MANƲFACTƲRE,

By a Method practised in other Nations.

Already Perused and Approved by those known Promoters of England's Weal and Safety, The most Illustrious PRINCE RUPERT,

And the Right Honourable, the EARL of SHAFTSBƲRY,

And since Heard and Encouraged by divers Members of the HOƲSE of COMMONS, who upon Perusal were pleased to Declare, That the same would be of great Advantage to the NATION.

Desiring the Author to give his Attendance to the HOUSE when they are at leisure; and in the mean time to Publish this Brief Account thereof, for General Information.

By R. HAINES.

London, Printed for Langley Curtis on Ludgate-Hill. 1679.

POSTSCRIPT.

HAving since the drawing up the precedent Breviat met with some Objections from a very worthy and intelligent Gentleman, but (as I conceive) not fully inform'd of the true Scope, feazibleness and Utility of these Expedients, I think my self oblig'd to give him and all others that may have the same Scruples, this endeavour towards Satisfaction.

I. The first and great Objection is the Charge, to put us in such Method of Industry, to which I answer, 'tis surely better once to pay for good Physick than alwayes to Languish, the Charge will not amount to a twentieth part of the Profits, for every thousand pound expended on this Occasion, will purchase two if not three thousand pounds per Annum to the Nation, and yet we shall keep our Purchase Money still as it were in our own Sacks with our Corn, so that there shall not be a Great the less in the Nation, as is demonstrated more at large in the Proposals.

2. Hence I cannot but maintain, that what is Proposed is undoubtedly practicable, for that it is no new Project, but with great Success practised at this day by our Neighbours, being satisfied by what I have seen, that this very thing, viz. the Industry of the Poor accomplish't by these very Expedients, is that whereby the Wealth of the Netherlands is rais'd and maintain'd. And why should we dishonour [Page] our Country so far as to imagine that England yield not Men as wise to contrive, or as honest to manage such an affair as any other Nation?

3. It hath further been objected by the before-mentioned Honoured Person, that 'tis uncertain what number of Poor there is to be employed, and what Quantity of Wool to be converted. To which I humbly Answer, that though it be true that in those Particulars I may err, yet in this we cannot err, if we proportion our Houses to the Number of the Persons to be employed, and to our Quantity of Wool, for then be the same more or less, the Profits will be proportionable to what I have calculated. And put case we have not Wool enough to employ them, this Expedient still remains unshaken, for we may employ them in making of Linnen to great Advantage, for as the first will bring Treasure into the Nation, so the other will be a means to keep it from going out.

Lastly, Lest the Poor should misapprehend and suspect by these Expedients they shall be enslaved &c. I must declare that I would not for all the World be an Instrument to any such base and cruel Purpose, and therefore in my Proposals at large have demonstrated, that their VVork shall not make them Lives any wise Burthensome or Destructive to themselves, having nothing to do but to mind their Business, Eat, Drink, and take their Rest without any thing to disturb their Peace.

Thus much I thought fit to add here, and submit the whole to Consideration.

FINIS. [Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A breviat of some proposals prepared to be offered to the great wisdom of the nation, the King's Most Excellent Majesty, and both houses of Parliament for the speedy restoring the woollen manufacture by a method practiced in other nations ... / by R. Haines.

Haines, Richard, 1633-1685.

Edition statement

1679

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Text Creation Partnership,

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2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A43794

ID [STC]

Wing H200

ID [STC]

ESTC R3590

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12413176

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ocm 12413176

ID [VID]

61603

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Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 61603)

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— A breviat of some proposals prepared to be offered to the great wisdom of the nation, the King's Most Excellent Majesty, and both houses of Parliament for the speedy restoring the woollen manufacture by a method practiced in other nations ... / by R. Haines., Haines, Richard, 1633-1685..

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[2], 6 p.

Printed for Langley Curtis ...,. London :: 1679.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

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