To the honourable the Commons of England assembled in Parliament proposals humbly offered to lay down a method which will totally prevent all robberies upon the highway, raise five hundred thousand pounds per annum to the government, and increase dealings of all kinds ... Beeckman, Daniel. 1695 Approx. 16 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A27255 Wing B1687 ESTC R32952 12802347 ocm 12802347 94078 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A27255) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 94078) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1518:9) To the honourable the Commons of England assembled in Parliament proposals humbly offered to lay down a method which will totally prevent all robberies upon the highway, raise five hundred thousand pounds per annum to the government, and increase dealings of all kinds ... Beeckman, Daniel. 8 p. s.n., [London : 1695] Caption title. Attributed by Wing and NUC pre-1956 imprints to Beeckman. Place and date of publication suggested by Wing. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Finance -- England. Money -- England. 2006-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-05 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-05 Robyn Anspach Sampled and proofread 2007-05 Robyn Anspach Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion To the HONOURABLE the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament . PROPOSALS Humbly Offered to lay down a Method which will totally prevent all Robberies upon the High-way , Raise Five Hundred Thousand Pounds per Annum to the Government , and Increase Dealings of all kinds . 1. By Erecting Chambers of Accompts in the Kingdom , to return money from place to place , as Trade shall require . 2. By a Computation made of the number of people in England , Wales , &c with the consumption of Goods transferred from place to place throughout the Kingdom . 3. The Ways of transmitting moneys , from place to place , on sight of Bills , and ballancing of Accompts . 4. By wayes and means to furnish those Chambers of Accompts with Cash , sufficient to answer , in ready moneys , all the Goods that shall be bought and sold throughout the Kingdom . 5. By presuming that the Profits , arising from the said Chambers , will amount to the sum of 500000 l. per Annum ; Persons paying no more for such returns than has been Customary , time out of mind , on the like occasions . 1. WERE there Four Grand Chambers of Accompts erected in London , ( being the Metropolitan City of the Kingdom ) to answer all Countys in England , Wales , &c. and those nominated The Principal or Grand Chambers of each County , or Division ; and let them have power to fix a Petty Chamber in most Principal Towns of Trade , throughout the Kingdom , &c. Providing for every Principal or Grand Chamber , a different Stamp ; with Numbers to be kept in every Petty Chamber , so fixed , ( as aforesaid ) placing Clerks , in each Chamber of London , distinctly for each County . And were all Inland Bills strictly forbid , and all Gentlemen , and Chapmen , Carriers , and Hagglers , Prohibited from Travelling with any Sum or Sums of money ( more than to Defray their Travelling Charges : ) But so often as occasion offers , let each , and every Person , pay such greater Sums of money into any of the Chambers , from whence it may be Remitted to any place , as desired , with as great Expedition as the General Post can reach it : The Party having his money so Remitted , paying for the same Three Pence per Pound ; or something more or less , according to the distance of Place from whence it shall be so Remitted . 2. IT is supposed ( by common Computation ) that there are Six Millions of people in the Kingdom of England , Dominion of Wales , &c. ( which if so ) they cannot subsist , one with another , for less Charge , in Meat , Drink , and Apparel , than Seven Pounds per Annum each person , which amounts to Forty Two Millions Yearly expended in the way of Trade and Commerce ; which at Three Pence per Pound , Annually paid for such Returns , or Transmittances of money , as aforesaid , amounts to the Sum of Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Pounds per Annum , besides the large Sums that are expended in a Year for Houshold Goods , Plate , Jewels , &c. ☞ Note , What is Consumed in the Year must be the Gain of Trade ; the Returns are infinitely more . 3. SUPPOSE a Merchant , or any other Trader , or Dealer , sells his Goods , Cattle , or Wares , in any part of the Kingdom , &c. receiving his moneys for the same , being the Sum of a Thousand pounds , more or less ; he or they paying such sum or sums into the Chamber next adjoyning , may have it remitted to any part , without running any Hazard ; the person receiving the same , discounting Three Pence per pound , more or less , according to the distance of place : And upon payment of his moneys into the said Chamber , he shall Receive a Bill of Return indented ; the Office or Chamber Filing another of the same Date ; and a third so agreeing with the two former , shall be sent to the place , where he intends to receive the same , with advice to pay it to the said Party , or his Order , upon the sight of the Party's Bill so mentioned , making such payment in good Currant Coin of England ; and upon payment thereof , to give his Receipt , indorsed upon the said Bill , for so much Moneys , as the said Bill expresses to be due : By which means every Petty Chamber may be able to adjust his Accomps with the Grand Chambers of London , as often as they shall be required to do the same . 4. AS to the Furnishing the said Chambers with Cash sufficient to answer such Ends , I presume the moneys Collected for the KING's Taxes ; The Excise , and other moneys already Charged , and to be Charged , by Act of Parliament , with Moneys payable for all manner of Goods or Commodities through the Kingdom in parts remote ; being paid into the said Chambers , in each Town or County , as aforesaid , in order to be Remitted to other parts of the Kingdom ; may ( as I humbly conceive ) answer the ENDS Proposed , with all Objections that shall be made against it ; only allowing Petty Chapmen , who shall Travel the Country for some Miles , to lay out moneys in order to buy up Goods ; as Wooll , &c. buying two or three Tod in one place , and three or four in another , where they can meet with them : For it is not to be imagined , such Chapmen as these : shall have their moneys remitted , by reason of the great uncertainty in what place they shall buy their Goods : But my meaning is , That such Persons , who bring their Goods to a certain Town or Market , selling them for considerable sums ; and such Persons , who shall carry in their moneys to a Market or Fair to Buy with . ( As for Example . ) A Person living at Exeter , or any other place , hearing of a parcel of Wooll to be sold at Northampton , or any other place Cross the Country , though far remote ; The said Party , paying the moneys he intends to lay out , into the Chamber of the Town aforesaid , the Clerk of that Chamber , sending up the Advice-Indenture , to the proper Clerk of the said County , he shall Remit the moneys to the Chamber of the said Town , with as much expedition , as the Post can make : And in like manner , may all Gentlemens Rents , or moneys for Portions , and Purchases be transmitted throughout the Kingdom . For if any person shall adventure to Travel with Sums of money , after having such conveniencies provided for their so safe and easy ways of Remittances , I Judge the Country ought not to be Liable to make good what shall be so lost by Robberies after such Bold and Daring Adventures . And they may keep an exact Ballance on all occasions , in all places , and at all times throughout the Kingdom ; by which means each Town may have a Bank of money by them , which , ( as I conceive ) will be no small Increase of Riches throughout the Kingdom , causing all manufacturies to flourish much more than hither to they have done , the failure of which is thought to befor want of Moneys among them , which has occasioned many Country people to try their Fortunes in London , where money is more plenty , which hath much depopulated the Country , thereby damnifying very much both Gentlemens Estates , and done great injury to all Manufacturies . FURTHER , There are several principal Towns and places of Trade ; as Exeter , Norwich , Colchester , Hull , Leeds , &c. wherein the Goods are bought by the Inhabitants of the said places , and there vended ; which moneys , with the Kings Revenues , being paid into the Bank of the said places , must inevitably be equivolent to the manufactures made in the said Towns , and vended else-where : For suppose each of those do vend and make great quantities of Woollen manufacturies , being the Stable Commodities of the Kingdom , the more they make the better , being the greater number of People must be imployed therein ; And we find by experience , That ( by the Wisdom and Providence of GOD ) Noblemen , Gentlemen , Shopkeepers , Merchants , &c ▪ are so promiscuously intermixed in Towns and Villages among Handicrafts , being subservient one to another , as different members of one and the same body ; and supposing there are Twenty or Thirty Thousand Souls in each Town or place ; These must all be Fed and Cloathed , with all things according to their several Ranks and Qualities ; and , by consequence , must Trade in Linnen , Woollen , Silk , &c , and in all Grocery Wares , Wine , Oyl , Tobacco , Iron , Lead , Tin , Copper , Glass , &c. and in all sorts of Grain , Cattle , Fruits , Dyes , and Druggs , without which , no place can well subsist . Now let the Traders of the said Towns , and Villages nigh adjacent , pay into the Banks of the said places , all the moneys which shall become due in Parts remote , for the Goods vended by them : The prime cost of all such Goods consumed , together with the Money Collected for Excise , the Land Tax , and Customs , being paid into the next Chamber , or Bank , in or nigh the place , must make a sufficient Fund of Money in all the Banks of each County , Town , or City , to answer all Goods and Manufactories that shall come out of the Countries , being the prime Cost of materials are allowed for : But if any Merchant or Dealer suppose the Manufactures made in the Countries , and sent abroad , are of greater value than the prime Cost of Goods , that are bought and consumed in the Countrys ; I beg to know how it happens , That such Town or County has not gain'd the greatest part of the Kingdoms Wealth ; which , if any person satisfies me in , I shall look upon all my pains , and serious thoughts , about this Project , to be vain imaginations , and shall desist further to urge it . AND so soon as the KING's Money shall be paid into any of the said Chambers in the Country , it may be drawn off here from the Chief Chambers in London , at the pleasure of the Lords of the Treasury : Which will occasion the Paying in of the Kings Revenues into the Exchequer with more Expedition by the Sub-Collectors , being the first Charge laid upon the Moneys given His Majesty , which will save the Government 100000 l. per Annum . so much and more being now paid for Collecting ; going through so many Hands . 5. I Humbly Conceive it may be highly improved , in like manner as the Post-Office has been since the first Establishment thereof , which will conduce much to the Good of Trade , both in City and Country : For if A. B. or C. suffer for not having Returns of Money , according to expectation or desire , certainly the greater part of the Alphabet must sensibly Feel it one way or other . But this Method being taken , it must , by consequence , lessen the Interest of money , highly advance Lands , increase the Income of the General Post-Office ; I presume by modest Computation , it will add a Third part , more to the Incomes of the same . This I humbly conceive ( if approved on by His Majesty , and the Honourable Houses of Parliament ) may be worth Five hundred thousand pounds , per Annum . or more , without hurting the Subject ; paying no more for their Returns of Money , than they commonly now do upon occasion of such Returns by Carriers , or otherwise . Therefore the Terms in my Propositions being so easy ( and the Service of so great value ) I hope no Man can rationally Grudge at it , obtaining so great a Benefit by it ; For I clearly conceive , both City and Country will Improve and Encourage such an Establishment , as shall make Moneys Circulate upon all Occasions to their great advantage . AND this being Proposed for the Publick Good , I hope it will not be Postpon'd , but rather meet with that Encouragement from the Government , as may render it Useful for the Matter intended ; which will not only be a Great Benefit , but also a Great Honour to the Kingdom . And I hope the Objections that may be raised against my Proposals , are so Rationally Answered , as with Ease to be understood ; relating to the Advance of Trade ; the Improvement of Estates ; the safe and quick Transmittances of Rents ; the Benefit accrewing to the Post-Office : And in Removing of the Cause , it will most Effectually be the preventing of Robberies by High-way Men. By D. B. By C. L. ☞ Note , IT is allowed , by most men of Deallings , that the Consumption of this City , within the Weekly Bills of Mortallity , is vastly Great . The Number of Black Cattle Consumed per Week , Computed about Three Thousand ; Calves , Sheep , Lambs , and Hoggs , about Thirty Thousand ; the value of all sorts of Grain not to be Known , besides the vast Quantities of Woollens that are bought from the Countreys : From all which , 't is plain , there may be One Hundred Thousand Pounds saved to the Government , by drawing off the Kings Revenues and Taxes ; ( as aforesaid ) which will more than defray the Charge of such an Advantageous Settlement , and the Kingdom will become as one intire Trading Body . FINIS .