Free ports the nature and necessitie of them stated.

Free ports the nature and necessitie of them stated.

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FREE PORTS, THE Nature and Neceſsitie of them STATED.

Arguments tendred to move this Nation to undertake the like general Mart, as hath the HOLLANDER;

§

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FREE PORTS, THE Nature and Neceſsitie of them STATED.

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LONDON, Printed by William Du-Gard, Printer to the Council of STATE; and are to bee ſold by Nicolas Bourn in Cornhil, at the Corner ſhop, at the entrance into the Exchange. 1652.

FREE PORTS, THE Nature and Neceſsitie of them STATED.

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UPon this certain and clear ground, that ſom Countries can beſt ſpare their Commodities at ſom ſeaſons of the year; and that other Countries have not at the ſame time alike urgencie or occaſion for them, doth ariſe the wiſdom of ſom Nations in fetching Commodities from the places of their Growth at that fit and ſeaſonable time, and ſtoring them up till the Neceſsitie of other Nations do call for them.

At which time, thoſe Countries that have this Neceſſitie, beeing furniſhed from thoſe Magazines or Stores, both the Shipping of the ſaid Countries are by this means prevented of their emploiment, and the Price, as much as the Market will bear, is raiſed upon them.

As

Firſt, all Countries, whoſe commodities are Annual, ſuch as are VVines, Fruits, Grain, Fiſh, Oils, Tobacco, Sugars, Galls, Cottons, Silks, Indico, and many other Drugs, as many of the Commodities of Spain, France, moſt part of the Commodities of the Eaſt and VVeſt [Page] Indies, Canaries, Streights, &c. All theſe have their Seaſons, and Harveſt for thoſe Commodities, at which time, they are moſt cheap, and eaſieſt to bee had.

Secondly, All Countries who are ſubject to Mounſons, or Trade-windes, to extremities of ſeaſons for heat or cold, or to deluges of Rain, among which wee may reckon many Ports of the Eaſt-Indies, many of Guiny, and Africa, ſom Coaſts on the Weſt-Indies, with all the more Northerly Regions of Greenland, Ruſsia, Poland, Norwey, Sweden, Denmark, Pruſsia, &c. all thoſe do likewiſe oblige a Commerce to them, at ſom times of the Year onely.

Countries therefore, who have no immediate Traffique with theſe places named, or that do neglect the going thither with ſhips of their own, at thoſe fit Seaſons; As ſuch Countries as are either not well ſeated for Trade to thoſe Parts, or as have not Convenient Ports, and number of Shipping to manage the Trade; or who are not expert in matters of Traffique, and Navigation; or ſuch as are at feud or war with thoſe other Nations; All theſe Countries, it is certain, when they ſtand in need of the Commodities of any of the aforeſaid places, muſt bee beholding to the ſaid Stores, or Magazines for them; and muſt bee content to abide the Prices or Rates ſet upon them.

Thoſe Nations on the other ſide, who lie advantageouſly upon the Sea, and abound with good Harbors, Rivers, and Shipping; whoſe People alſo are well experienced in the managing of affairs of Traffique, and Navigation; and go generally ſecure from danger; Theſe have likewiſe this Advantage further, of beeing able, at their own pleaſure, to make themſelvs ſuch a rich and general Magazine or Store as wee ſpeak of for other Nations:

Which deſign ſcarce any People hath ever purſued with ſuch ſtudied Induſtrie, or made proof of the vaſt benefits and advantage which come's thereby, to ſo high a degree, as hath Holland.

[Page]They fetching the Commodities of Ruſsia, Norwey, Poland, Pruſsia, Sweden, Denmark, &c. and bringing them into their own Countries, do laie them up there at pleaſure, till by advice weekly from all other parts, they are directed where to finde a Market for them; And accordingly carrie them into England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Portugal, Streights, or other places Southward. They on the other ſide go at fit Seaſons to the Streights, Portugal, France, Spain, Weſt and East-Indies; and fetching the Commodities of thoſe Southern countries, do uſually diſperſ them again back, into the more Northerly Regions; both into thoſe that belong unto this Common-wealth, and to thoſe others alſo that wee ſpeak of, placing their whole Intereſt in the encouragement and ſagacious Managerie of this Courſ and Circle of Traffique.

Arguments tendred to move this Nation to undertake the like general Mart, as hath the HOLLANDER;

Drawn,

Firſt, From Exſpectation of like benefit to us, that our Neighbors have upon this Accompt certainly gained to themſelvs, ſeeing this kinde of Trade would effectually conduce

Both to the increaſing, and to the better diſtributing Riches to this Nation, then by that wee now have; That is,

If Ports for Landing and Storing up forreign commodities; and exporting them again upon ſuch eaſie Duties, as wee may hold the Market in all other countries with our Neighbors the Hollanders, may in all the fitteſt places of this Common-wealth bee opened.

[Page] Secondly, It would tend as much alſo to the encreaſing the Power and Strength of this Nation, both by Land and by Sea: as well in Guarding and plentifully planting and peopling thoſe Maritime or Frontier-Towns, and the Countries thereabouts, which ſhall bee appointed and allowed for free Ports; as in multiplying the Shipping of our Countrie. A proof of which wee have alreadie had in Dover, which, after the Compoſition-Trade was ſettled there (that made it in ſom kind a free Port) did within Ten years time ariſe from nothing to have neer two hundred fail of prettie great Shipping; with an Increaſ of Stock, Houſes, and all things anſwerable, although, having loſt it now but neer as long, it is quite decaied in all again.

More particularly, Opening of Free Ports, will conduce to the Quickning of Trade; to the Imploiment of the poor throughout the whole Common-wealth: to the making of all Forreign Commodities more cheap, and more plentiful; ſeeing every man will bring in, when hee know's hee may (if hee finde no market here) freely carrie it out again. It will likewiſe ſerv to the preventing of Famine, and ſcarcitie of Corn; to the raiſing the Exchange, and bringing in of Bullion: to the augmenting of the Revenue of the State: and to the making other Nations more dependent upon this.

As a further Inducement to all which, is offered to Confideration the many Advantages that this Commonwealth hath above our Neighbors, the Hollanders, (how much ſoëver they have raiſed themſelvs by this Art) for the putting in Practice ſuch an univerſal intercourſ of Traffique as is deſired.

As

Firſt, From the Largeneſs of this Common-wealth's Dominions, and number of our Ports and Harbors, above thoſe of our Neighbors.

Secondly, From the plentie of commoditie wee have from [Page] within our ſelvs, and from our own Plantations: which alone beeing now reſtrained to our own Shipping, will afford a Stock very great to begin with.

Thirdly, From the Freedom and Independencie that our Shipping have upon the Ports of any other State, or Nation; and the Soveraigntie wee keep and maintein in our own Channel. Whereas it is well known that our Neighbors the Hollander's ſhips, have not onely a great, but a neceſſarie Relying upon the Ports and Protection of this Common-wealth: Great Fleets of their ſhipping continually beeing forced to put in, and for the moſt part to Winter in our Harbors, wee in the mean time very ſeldom or rarely bearing into any forreign Port for ſhelter.

Fourthly, From the Privileges many of our Ports have for beeing fitter Out-lets on any windes, then thoſe of our Neighbors, and better ſituated for moſt Trades, either Southerly or Northerly.

Laſtly, From the Boldneſs of our Coaſts ſafe and excellent Road-ſteads; And for beeing at all ſeaſons free from beeing frozen in and ſtopped; Whereas our Neighbors have on the other ſide a flat and dangerous Coaſt, barr'd and inconvenient Harbors; and ſuch as are by reaſon of Ice, ſhut up and uſeleſs for almoſt a third or fourth part of the year; which ſingular Conveniencies or Privileges coming to this Nation ſo immediately from Providence, are not altogether to bee neglected.

The third Conſideration (although in ſom regard moſt principal to bee weighed) is, the Inconveniencies wee at preſent lie under from the Trade wee have; and the Damages that will unavoidably grow upon us, if this Trade onely continue;

For,

Firſt, The trade wee now drive tend's, or is onely for Conſumption; it beeing very little of forrein commodities that is re-tranſported upon the preſent encouragement [Page] or ſettled rate of half Cuſtom.

For, though it may bee objected, that look what Tonnage, Subſidie, or Cuſtom is paid upon forreign goods inwards, which are ſpent in the Nation, is onely disburſed for a while by the Merchant, and at length really accompted for to the immediate Buyer or Spender; and that therefore this Cuſtom inwards, though it ſhould bee great, cannot deſtroie the Merchant: Yet the caſe is howëver very different, and altogether otherwiſe in a Tax or Rate of half that cuſtom ſet upon all the ſame unconſumed Goods when carried outwards, ſpecially if there was an Over-valuing (as in many there is) of thoſe Goods inwards.

Seeing although it bee ſaid the other was paid by the Nation (that is the cuſtom inwards,) upon all Goods here ſpent; yet this cuſtom outwards is ſolely taken from the purſ of the Merchant, and cannot bee re-imburſed to him again in other countries, eſpecially when another forreign Merchant ſhall carrie the ſame commoditie thither, and by paying leſs cuſtom ſhall afford it cheaper; for then this Tax outward muſt eat our Merchant up by little and little, and put a diſcouragement upon him.

For Example.

The Hollander and wee deal for ſpice, for Wines, for Sugar, Indico, Silk, Cotton, and for the Manufacture of Spaniſh VVooll: all which (with other Commodities) wee fetch from the places of their Growth, or firſt Production, in the reſpective ſhipping of each Nation; for ſom of which Commodities our Merchants at coming in pay in Cuſtom, in Impoſt, and by over-rating the commoditie 10.15. and in ſom things neer 20 per Cent. which if thoſe Goods were ſold here, and ſpent in the Commonwealth, the Merchant perhaps could not ſo much feel it (unleſs in a periſhable and uncertain commoditie, where [Page] hee oft ſuffer's) for hee then rate's his Goods accordingly when hee ſell's them.

But if hee ſhall deſire to tranſport again thoſe Goods into the Eaſt-Lands, into the Streights, or into any other places or countries where hee know's they are wanted: Though of this great cuſtom hee do receiv the one half back again;

Yet if the Hollanders ſhall upon the ſame Goods paie but 2 per Cent. Cuſtom, they have the Advantage by this means before our Merchant of 5.6. or 8. per Cent. in their Market (beyond Sea) beeing clean ſo much loſs as to our Merchant, ſo to the Nation, and to the emploiment of its Shipping; this kinde of outward Trade beeing by this means at length wholly left off and deſerted.

Theſe two wholly differing in kinde one from another; For a Nation to deal or traffique in VVares and Merchandizes for its own expence and conſumption, as countrie Gentlemen, or ordinarie Trades-men; And for a Nation to make its ſelf a ſhop, and to buy and ſell for the furniſhing and proviſion of other Nations; as a man that keep's a VVare-houſ, or Store-houſ; which latter Trade is that wee ſpeak of;

In regard that a Nation that onely buie's and trade's to furniſh it ſelf, is confined to a Stock, and ſuch a Stock, as muſt not exceed its own expence or Conſumption: And the Emploiment of Shipping and Returns of forreign Goods muſt bee ſtill as confined, and limited anſwerably; and neither Trade, nor Shipping, nor Stock are at utmoſt able to exceed the value of our Native Commoditie exported: For if the Libertie here of the Merchant and People for Trading and buying of Forreign Commoditie, ſhould exceed our Exportation, or the value thereof, and not rather bee leſs then otherwiſe, it doth but tend more and more to the Loſs of our VVealth, and to our Decay and Ruine.

[Page]Wherefore all Conſultations whatſoëver about Trade, if Free Ports bee not opened, and this VVhole-ſale or general Trade bee not incouraged, do ſtill but terminate in ſom Advice or other about Regulating our Conſumption; and have no other good at fartheſt, but preventional, that our Ballance of Import exceed not our Export: which to confine our ſelvs to alone, is, on the other ſide, a Courſ ſo ſhort, as it will neither ſerv to raiſ the Strength of this Nation in Shipping, or to Govern the Exchange abroad; nor yet to avoid the Damage and Miſchief the Subtiltie of the forreign Merchant will hereby bring upon us.

Whereas if Free Ports bee opened, and Exportation of forreign Goods encouraged; not onely the Miſchief of the Conſumption and carrying out of our Treaſure; and of Lowneſs of Exchange, will moſt effectually bee prevented, but both our Stock and Shipping will bee indefinitely or proportionably increaſed.

Laſtly, A great Part of the Revenue of the State is for want of this general Trade clearly loſt; for ſuppoſing Free Ports to bee opened, wee muſt grant there will bee an Acceſs of wealth to the Nation, and an Increaſ to this Common-wealth by Strangers.

And conſequently, Our Conſumption of forreign Commodities will not bee at all leſs, but more; and therefore the Incom or Cuſtom paid upon it. Over and above which, the State may have a Cuſtom or Dutie in a very ſhort time of one per Cent. upon the value of ſom Millions of Goods yearly, which now (by Reaſon of the Diſcouragements aforeſaid) are carrried into other Parts, and for which they yet receiv not one Farthing.

B. W.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

Free ports the nature and necessitie of them stated.

B. W.

Edition statement

1652

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Text Creation Partnership,

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2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A67250

ID [STC]

Wing W4

ID [STC]

ESTC R21067

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12359942

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12359942

ID [VID]

60191

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67250)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60191)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 903:9)

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— Free ports the nature and necessitie of them stated., B. W..

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[2], 8 p.

Printed by William Du-Gard, and are to bee sold by Nicolas Bourn ...,. London :: 1652.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.) (Article signed: B.W.)

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