To the King and both Houses of Parliament in Parliament assembled

To the King and both Houses of Parliament in Parliament assembled

Table of contents

TO THE KING And BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT In PARLIAMENT Aſſembled.

THE PROPOSAL.

THE ADVANTAGES.

§

§

TO THE KING And BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT In PARLIAMENT Aſſembled.

[Page]

THE Propoſal contained in this Paper is (with ſubmiſſion) conceived of general advantage to the Kingdom, and thereby ſufficiently recommended to obtain admiſſion to preſent it ſelf before you, whoſe Providence and Juſtice ſecure the Propoſer of a readineſs to embrace and promote whatever may improve the Welfare of the Publick: 'Tis his part to make the Propoſal appear of advantage to your Common-Intereſt, wherein the welfare of the Publick conſiſts.

THE PROPOSAL.

THAT an Act of Parliament may paſs for building and fitting out with expedition a Fleet of 500 Buſſes of about 70 Tuns burthens a piece, to be imploy'd in fiſhing for Herrings, Cod and Ling, in his Majeſties Seas; and profits to be diſpoſed for the increaſing of the ſaid Fiſhing-Veſſels to the number of 2000 or thereabouts, as it will be thought neceſſary; And after the paying of publick debts, and the defraying of all neceſſary charges, the property of the ſaid Fleet to be ſetled in the Crown.

THE ADVANTAGES.

A Fleet of two thouſand Buſſes will imploy yearly at Sea, at 15 Men to a Buſſe 30000 Men! beſides at leaſt 30000 more at Land in the ſervice of the Fleet: It will ſave the Kingdom 300000 l. per Annum paid yearly to the Dutch for Fiſh taken by them in His Majeſties Seas, and ſold to the Engliſh— beſides as much more in Taxes to the Poor. The firſt year the ſaid 2000 Buſſes Sails, may (with God's bleſſing) defray the whole charge of Building, Tackle, Victualling, Fitting out, Officers and Seamens wages for that year, with an everplus of 1835033 l. 06 s. 8 d and will every year after, Communibus annis, as long as the Fleet laſts, yield His Majeſty the clear profit of at leaſt 2644033 l. 06 s. 08 d. Which is demonſtrated as followeth:

| l. | s. | d. | l. | s. | d.
Fiſh uſually taken in Buſſes of 70 Tuns, Communibus annis, is at leaſt | Herrings 100 laſt worth de claro at leaſt | 1000 |  |  | 2250. | 00. | 00.
Cod 15000 worth de claro at leaſt | 0450 |  |
Ling 10000 worth de claro at leaſt | 0800 |  |
The Charge of a Buſſe 70 Tuns the firſt year (ready to be demonſtrated) will not exceed | Building, and fitting for ſail | 0403 | 10 | 00 | 1332. | 09. | 08.
Victualling, and furniſhing with laſting and waſting Commodities | 0695 | 18 | 08
Officers, and Seamen's Wages | 0233 | 01 | 00.
Remains profit de claro each Buſſe | 0017 | 10 | 04.
Which for 2000 Buſſes for the firſt year will be clear profit | 1835033 | 06 | 08.
Profit of each Buſſe after the firſt year as above | 2250 | 00 | 00. |  |  |
Charge of Fitting, Victualling, Sallaries and Wages | 0928 | 19 | 08. |  |  |
Profit de claro of each Buſſe | 1321 | 00 | 04. |  |  |
Which from 2000 Buſſes will amount to per Annum | 2647033 | 06 | 8.

This Fleet will be a Nurſery of Seamen, no leſs neceſſary than uſeful for aſſerting His Majeſties Dominion of the Seas, and the Rights of his Crown, in Regulating Trade, againſt the encroachments of Strangers.

The Profits of this Fleet will leſſen the neceſſity of Taxes for Support of the Government, and will improve the value of Land, and the Wealth of the nation by ſaving 300000 pound now yearly exported by the Hollanders for Fiſh bought of them, and by the Importation of Coyn from abroad by Vent of Fiſh, taken and ſold by His Majeſties Subjects; the Monopoly of Fiſh taken by the Hollander in His Majeſties Seas, being one main ſupport of that Government.

As to Men and Materia's for the Fleet, there will be ſufficient of both, unleſs Money be wanting to carry on the Deſign.

1. The Intereſt of the King doth concern every particular Perſon, his undertaking of it is for every Man's advantage; whatſoever he gets thereby ſaves the Nation ſo much in their purſes: For if the King gains as much by this as will maintain his Crown and Dignity, His Majeſty may in time come to have the leſs need of Parliamentary-Taxes. He may alſo alleviate his Cuſtoms as low as any Nation whatſoever, which will bring the Trade of Holland, &c. into this Kingdom, invite all Ingenuous Manufactors into the Nation, as well as rich Men into this Kingdom, and the reſt of His Majeſties Dominions, and alſo will preſerve the Peace of this Nation from being diſturbed and violated more than private Perſons or Corporative Bodies will or can do in their undertaking of it, who cannot protect the Fiſhing-Fleet from the attemps and injury of Strangers, and may be apt upon evill inſtigations and diſcontents to ſtrenghthen either domeſtick or forreign Enemies with their power both of thi [...]i [...] and M [...] [...] by [...]

[...] leſs probable grounds of advantage than here are propoſed, it had loſt to that Crown, as it did to this and to the French, the firſt diſcovery of the Mynes in the Indies; But this is addreſſed to His Majeſty and His Parliament, for raiſing ſix hundred thouſand pounds, whereof one hundred thouſand pounds to be imploy'd for Docks, and for Store-houſes and Wharfs, adjoyning one to the other, that the goods may be convey'd from the Wharfs to the Store-houſes, without the charge of Carting (which ſaid ſum will be demonſtrated an ample Fund) to carry on and compleat this Deſign worthy their Encouragement, and reſerved by Providence (after the weak Eſſays of former times) to be perfected under the Auſpicious Government of the beſt of Princes, and wiſeſt of Parliaments, who cannot neither want either power or will to compleat what appears ſo clearly and eminently advantagious for the publick good and the intereſt of the Kingdom, and in order thereto raiſe the Fund propoſed, and to ſecure the Imployment of it to the uſe it is deſigned for.

3. The Propoſers are ready when commanded to demonſtrate at large the facility of bringing the deſign to effect, the probability and greatneſs of its advantages when effected, and the neceſſity of it in order to any conſiderable Improvement of the Wealth, Strength and Honour of the Nation: And as to the Objection, they doubt not but to clear all can made againſt it, except that of the want of ſix hundred thouſand pounds to carry on the Work; yet they conceive they have already removed this Objection, by having demonſtrated the Return of this Fund with ſo great an encreaſe into the Publick Coffers, and preſented that Demonſtration to them who have power to give and lay out the Money propoſed, but cannot lay it out to better advantage, for improving their and their Poſterities Safety, Honour and Wealth, than by bringing to perfection this Deſign, which is not the Project of a Privat-brain, but An Enterprize of Publick good, approved by Queen Elizabeth, and upon ſolemn and mature deliberation, embraced and encouraged by King James, King Charles the Firſt, and His now Majeſty, and their ſeveral Privy-Counſels, and furthered by ſeveral Grants under the Great-Seal of England, in the reſpective Reigns of the Princes laſt mentioned; And by this preſent Parliament by a Vote of the Honourable Houſe of COMMONS 17 February 1670: That a Bill ſhould be brought in for Encouragement of the Fiſhery.

S. WATSON.

S. WATSON.

§

Printed by H. Brugis in the Year 1677.

§

Licenſed March the 26.

Ro. L'Eſtrange.

Information about this book

Title statement

To the King and both Houses of Parliament in Parliament assembled

Watson, S.

Edition statement

1677

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A65269

ID [STC]

Wing W1095A

ID [STC]

ESTC R220853

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99832238

ID [PROQUEST]

99832238

ID [VID]

36710

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A65269)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 36710)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2102:19)

Source

— To the King and both Houses of Parliament in Parliament assembled, Watson, S..

Extent

1 sheet ([1] p.)

Printed by H. Brugis,. [London] :: in the year 1677.. (Place of publication from Wing.) (Signed at end: S. Watson.) (A petition to encourage the fishing industry.) (Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.)

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