THE GREAT Necessity and Advantage of PRESERVING OUR OWN Manufacturies; BEING An ANSWER TO A PAMPHLET, ENTITLED, The Honour and Advantage of the East-India Trade, etc.  
By N. C. a Weaver of London.  
LONDON, Printed for T. Newborough at the Golden-Ball in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1697.   

To the HONOURABLE The Commons of England in Parliament, Assembled.  
May it please Your Honours,  
THE reason that hath emboldened me to address the following Discourse to this Honourable House, is because of a Bill now depending, to restrain the wearing of East-Indian and Persian wrought Silks, bengals, etc. I having met with a Book, (newly come forth) that seems purposely designed to elude the necessity of.  
It is not because I think it answered here with that Accuracy that it might have been, nor do I pretend to be able so to do; but because I conceive that Truth ought to be Vindicated, and Error Detected, rather meanly, than not at all; but what is wanting in my Ability, is abundantly supplied in the Justness of the Cause, and the Plainness of the Truth, here pretended to be Vindicated.  
That Manufacture is one of the chief procuring Causes of Riches, and of improving the Land where it is, is so plain a Truth, that I think can scarce be denied, and therefore aught to be promoted by us rather in England than in India.  
That there are many Towns in England and Wales that may be improved, by having Manufactories set up in them, besides what have already, I do not question; and the Advance that it gives to Land that lies near them, is visible.  
The extreme and pressing Necessities of the poorer sort of People that uses to be employed in those Manufactories, cannot but afflict them that hear their daily Complaints, and hath been a great Motive to induce me to this Undertaking.  
That it hath pleased God Almighty to preserve our Laws, Liberties, and Parliamentary Constitutions to this day, is a mercy that every Englishman ought to acknowledge with Thankfulness, and that the frequent rise of Grievances of one kind or another, make a Necessity of frequent Parliaments is evident to Experience, and that we do not only need, but enjoy them is our Comfort.  
That the God of infinite Wisdom and Goodness may continually direct and bless your Counsels and Endeavours to his Glory; to the Honour and Safety of the King's Majesty, and to the Welfare and Prosperity of the Nation, is, and shall be the Prayer of  
Your Honour's most Humble, And truly Devoted Servant, N. C.   

THE GREAT Necessity and Advantage Of Preserving Our own Manufactories.  
THAT there is a Controversy between the Manufacturers of England and the East-India Traders, I conceive to be generally well known, but the true State of the Case, I suppose, is not so well understood: the Author of a Pamphlet very lately come forth, entitled, The great Honour and Advantage of the East-India Trade, etc. applies the cause of this difference wholly to the mistaken Prejudices of those, who being, as he says, no Philosophers, don't know where to fix the reason of their misery by the Decrease of their Trade, but have blindly stumbled upon this as the next in their way; I shall therefore endeavour to set this case in its true light, thereby to discover whether it be a mere chimerical Fancy, or a real Evil, that they complain of; and to that end, that it may appear more clear, I shall lay down both negatively and positively;  
First, What it is that they do not complain of?  
Secondly, What it is that they conceive they have just reason to complain of and desire Relief?  
As to the first, they do not desire to hinder the Trade and Commerce of the Nation, but are so far from it, that they desire the Increase of all our own Manufactures, as one of the best means of Increase in it; nor do they desire the hindrance of any Merchandise that tends to the good of the Nation (as he seems to suggest) but if that men will say, That their trading Genius is discouraged, because they are hindered from freely exporting the Native Product of the Land to be manufactured beyond Sea, as in the case of the Owlers, or because they are hindered from bringing in all sorts of Provision to serve instead of the Product of our own Land, or because they are hindered from sending out the Treasure of the Nation to bring n Lieu thereof such manufactured Goods, as shall serve instead of our own greatest Manufactures, which used to employ the largest numbers of our Poor: in all these cases, and and other such like, it is evident, that whatever cry such men make of the great loss and damage it is to the Nation to hinder their Trade and Commerce; yet there is nothing more at the bottom of their design, than their own private Gain, to enrich themselves in particular, though it be to the extremest Damage and Prejudice of the Nation in general; for as it is possible for the Nation to get by that Trade the Merchant loseth by, as the aforementioned Author relates and exemplifies; so it was not for want of Wit (he is so much a Philosopher) that he did not tell us, that it is as possible for a Merchant to get much, and grow very rich by that Trade which the Nation loses and is impoverished by. As for example, Suppose a Merchant send 10000 l. to India, and bring over for it, as much wrought Silks and painted Calicoes, as yield him here 70000 l. if they be all worn here in the room of our own Silk and Woollen Manufactures, the Nation loses and is the poorer 10000 l. notwithstanding the Merchant has made a very profitable Adventure, and so proportionably the more and oftener he sends, the faster he grows rich, and the more the Nation is impoverished.  
Secondly, It is not any suppression of the East-India Trade in general that they desire, it is possible that a very considerable Trade may be carried on, in such Commodities, as may make that Trade very profitable, not only to private Men but to the Nation. There are many very useful Commodities brought from thence, as Pepper, Salt Petre, raw Silk, several Drugs, and many other things that do not interfere with or hinder the Growth or Manufacture of England, and such was the Indian Trade, generally speaking, till within thirty Years last passed, since which time they have laboured to increase their Trade to their utmost power in those Manufactures, and finding the Advantage they had of having their Goods cheap wrought by the wretched Poverty of that numerous People, have used sinister Practices to betray the Arts used in their Native Country, such as sending over Artificers and Patterns to instruct them in the way of making Goods, and Mercers to direct them in the Humour and Fancy of them, to make them fit our Markets, a Practice so inconsistent with the Love, and contrary to the interest of their Native Country, that it is reckoned in some Countries a capital Crime, and this brings me to the second general, that is,  
Secondly, What it is that they conceive they have just reason to complain of, and desire relief against.  
And that is, that great Import of Foreign Manufactures that are spent here in the room and stead of our own, and that in such vast quantities, as seems very likely to extinguish the English Manufacture, which is as it were quite born down by that mighty Torrent and Inundation of Foreign Manufacturies; and this sending out of our Treasure to bring in this abundance of wrought Goods, is like drawing out the pure and spirituous Blood of a Man's Veins, and filling them with Hydropic Humours.  
But the Author of that Pamphlet says, That this Foreign Commerce is the only way to procure us Treasure: If he means so much of it as is spent here (and that is all we contest about) it must needs be a great mistake, for that is so far from supplying us with Gold and Silver, that it is more like a Quicksand to devour that we have already.  
As for his Comparison, That the Worsted Weavers of Norwich may as well complain against the Silk Weavers of London, it is altogether false and illusive; for London and Norwich are Members of the same Body, and therefore what is laid out with One or Other is still within the Nation, and will circulate like Blood in the Veins; but all the Treasure laid out with the Indians for their Manufactures to wear here, is as entirely lost for ever to this Kingdom, as the Blood, that by cutting the Veins, being shed upon the Ground, is to the Body: But since he says we have no Mines of Gold or Silver, we can tell him of something else to supply that; our vast quantity of Sheep's Wool, which is improved from 6 or 7 Pence per pound by the Labour of our own People to 6 or 7 Shillings per pound; this thus improved by Manufacture, if worn at home, is Money saved to the Nation from Foreign Expense, because it costs the Nation nothing; but if sent abroad, the Product is all clear gain to the Nation (provided it be by English Shipping) and if the Produce be manufacturable Commodities, as in the Turkey Trade Raw Silk, Hair, etc. then they are improved again by the labour of our own People to double or triple the value; and if this may justly be compared to Mines for the increase of our Treasure, than the sending out of our Silver or Gold to India to bring over wrought Silks, bengals, etc. to be worn here, may as justly be called Quicksands to decrease our Treasure by devouring or swallowing it up. What he starts and pretends to answer, That the made goods seem particularly to injure the Broad Silk Weavers, by putting them by or beside their trade and way of living, is illusive, false and foolish; for he cannot but know (if he know any thing of this matter) That the Norwich and other Worsted Weavers were as much and as early in their Sense of and Complaints against the great damage they received by these made Goods; and I cannot well tell, whether the Folly or Dishonesty be greater of comparing against both these numerous People, and the vast Multitudes that are Dependants on both, a few People employed about the Indian made Goods; and to say that the latter is much more to the benefit of the Nation in general.  
But the boldest stroke lies behind, That it is not true in fact (i. e.) (that the made Goods injure the Weavers) and this is indeed the true Paradox. Now matter of fact we conceive must be made good by Evidence, we are willing to hear it; then 'tis his Experience, testifies, that the scarcity of Indian Goods doth them no kindness, but that rather the plentiful Importation of these made Goods sets them at work: now in opposition to his Experience, we can bring in the Testimony of many thousands that have experienced quite contrary, and the sense of it is too fresh upon them, to be easily persuaded, that 'tis but a Dream, and therefore such lame proof of fact is of no value; he might as well have said, That when a Man hath eat his Belly full of Westphaliaham, it fits him presently with a better Stomach for English Bacon; or when a Gentlewoman hath just bought French Alamode or Flanders Lace, it makes her the more earnest presently to furnish herself with English Lace and Alamode; and 'tis an easy matter to say, That 'tis Prejudice hinders, when People will not assent to such Contradictions: But he says, The bringing in of these made Goods will make Silk cheap, and that sets them to work; if he had said, they will bring in more raw Silk, and by that means make Silk cheap, and set them to work, it had been to the purpose; but the bringing in of the made Goods, takes off the great occasion of their working, viz. (the supplying the Market) and so sets them to play; and this is plain and visible.  
But that I may not suspected of Partiality, or be said to abound in mine own Sense, I shall bring in the Testimony of the Judicious Sir Josiah Child, who lays down these solid Principles of Truth and Reason in the 43d Page of his Discourse of Trade, That  
Whatever doth 

1 Advance the Value of Land in Purchase,  
2 Improve the Rent of Farms,  
3 Increase the Bulk of Foreign Trade,  
4 Multiply Domestic Artificers,  
5 Incline the Nation to Thriftiness,  
6 Employ the Poor,  
7 Increase the Stock of People,   must be a procuring Cause of Riches.  
I conceive that it is self-evident, that there is no one thing more adapted to all these ends, than the Use and Encouragement of our own Manufactories; nor any thing more contrary, than the Use and Expense of foreign Manufactures, as that judicious Author observes, That the Expense of foreign Commodities, especially foreign Manufactures, is the worst Expense a Nation can be inclinable to, and aught to be prevented as much as possible.  
And though the pernicious Effects of the use and wear of foreign Manufactures, doth first reach those concerned in Manufactory here, yet its ill Influences will as sure reach the Gentry and Proprietors of Land, (if not timely prevented) for as the said judicious Author says, Land and Trade are Twins, and have always, and ever will wax and wain together; it cannot be ill with Trade, but Land will fall; nor ill with Lands, but Trade will feel it.  
And therefore it must needs be, that the promoting the use and wear of Indian Manufactures here, tend to the sinking of the Value of Land in England, after the Pattern of India, for there must be always a Symmetry and Proportion between the price of Labour and the value of Land, for he that works for 2 Pence a day, cannot give 50 Shillings per ann. Rend, nor can he give 3 or 4 Pence per l. for Meat, nor for any other Provision suitable: and 'tis as sure, that if the Husbandman must sell his Provision for a quarter part of what he now sells it, he cannot pay his Landlord much more than a quarter part of what he now pays, but these are so plain Truths, that it seems, as needless to spend many words about it, as it is to bring Arguments to prove that two is more than one, or that the whole is more than a part, or any other most certain Maxim.  
But ere I conclude, it will be necessary once more to look back to the forementioned Pamphlet, styled, The Great Honour and Advantage, etc. where that Author brings in the profit the Dutch make, and the Scotch promise themselves by the East-India Trade, as a sure token of its Goodness, because no man courts a Mischief. I answer, 'tis not true nor pertinent: 'tis not true in the sense we are treating of, for too many men court that which is a public Mischief, for their own private Gain, as I suppose will be generally owned in the case of those that bring in Alamodes and other French Commodities against Law, now we are engaged in a Waragainst them, and many other cases were easy to name, wherein men do court that which is a Mischief to the Public for their own private  
2. Nor is it pertinent; for it is not the East India Trade in general that is complained of, nor that we seek Relief against; but only such of the made Goods as interfere with our own Manufactures; and yet but so much of them neither, as only are worn here: and as to this, 'tis well known, That though the Dutch Trade to the E. Indies be so much superior to ours, yet as to these Goods, that are the mischievous part of that Trade, two of our last Ships, brought over much more than their twelve Ships brought; and yet that Trade would not be so pernicious to the Dutch, as to us, because they have not so large a tract of Land, no such Fund as our Sheeps-wooll, nor such vast numbers of People employed in Manufactories; but as they have a smaller spot of Ground, so their People are mostly employed about Merchandise and Shipping.  
He might have told us, what reception the French, that have a large tract of Land, and many Manufactorers, do give to Foreign wrought Goods, especially Indian (if he had thought it his interest:) Some are of Opinion, and not without reason, That if the French King had suffered his People to export the Treasure of his Country, to bring in foreign made Goods, as freely as our Indian Traders now do, his own Merchants would have helped so effectually to humble him, that he had been brought to Reason before now.  
But that Author hath a special knack of confounding one thing with another, to the end, that he might make one thing pass for another, (a trick very necessary for those that do not intend to clear up Truth, but stifle it.) Thus he would make Trade and Commerce in general, and the whole E. India Trade, to be understood for this part of it, which we only oppose, (and some of themselves have counted a small part formerly.) Thus he would have the particular gain of that Company, in advancing their Actions treble, pass for a sign of the Profit it was to the Nation, and the greatest part of his Book, upon strict examination, will fall under this Head.  
As for our Scotch Friends, whatever they promise themselves from this Trade, that we contest about, (and if that Bill now depending before the Honourable House of Commons, for restraining the wear of Indian Silks, etc.) do pass into a Law, they will be little the better for it, if they come to bring in their calico's in any considerable quantities to be worn in Scotland, in lieu of their own Linen Manufacture; a few years will teach them (whatever some private persons may get by it) that they have made but an ill bargain of it for their Country; but if it should not pass into a Law, no doubt but they will be peddling them all over England, and then they may well promise themselves to be great gainers, but poor England must pay for all, and suffer the fate of Issachar, to couch under two Burdens.  
I have now done for the present with the aforesaid Author and the Trade he pleads for; if any desire to inform themselves, both in our East Indian and other Foreign Trades, what benefit each is to the Nation, they may please to read a Book, called, An Essay on the State of England in relation to its Trade, etc. written about a Year since, by the Ingenious Mr. John Cary, Merchant of Bristol.  
I shall now state briefly, Whether the People, and their Employ, (for whose sake I have made these faint Essays) be a real benefit to the Kingdom in general, or only to some few persons in particular, under the severe Administration of the Duke of Alva, in the Netherlands: Many Families came over into England, and brought over with them this Trade of weaving broad Silks and Stuffs made of Wool and Silk and Wool mixed: These were graciously received, by that great and wise Princess Queen Elizabeth, of blessed Memory; and were so encouraged, that through the succeeding Reigns, they came to more thousands than they were Families: that this hath been one of those means, that hath advanced Land both in Rent and Purchase so considerably since that time, were easy to demonstrate, not only from Experience, but from the nature of the thing, as a Cause that must naturally produce such an Effect; and when all is said that can be, we shall never be enriched by an Ignis fatuus, but by such Trades as have a natural tendency thereunto. To conclude, Solomon faith, The honour of a King is the multitude of his Subjects, but in the want of People is the destruction of the Prince. Now this Trade hath not only brought a Livelihood to such great Multitudes of our own People, but entertained also many thousands of French Protestants fled hither for Refuge, which will be much to the Honour and Advantage of this Kingdom, if our Manufactures be so encouraged, that there may be a sufficient employ flor them all, and our Poor (whom God and Nature requires us to take care of) be so employed, as to be an useful part of the Nation. Much more might be said; but I shall only add, That no one thing under the Divine Providence, and the Care of our Governors, contributes more to the Riches and Safety of the Nation, than encouraging our own Manufactures.  
FINIS.