THE PROPOSAL FOR RAISING THE Price of Tin, etc. HAD we, in the Four last Reigns, exemplified the Policy of the wise Venetians, to encourage and promote our Trade and Commerce, being posted by Nature on The Emporium of the World, and being a warlike People, what could we not have done? A well-managed Trade is the Creator and Preserver of Money, and Money and Trade are the Sinews of War. But it doth not become me to say much of the Trade of this Nation in general, it being under the Care of that Honourable Counsel, now, most seasonably, appointed to inspect the same. Nevertheless, having a natural Affection for Cornwall, as it is my Native County, and having informed myself thereof, I take it to be so Rich in itself by Nature, that Art and Industry might make it exceed all that hath been said by any Author in praise of Zant, the Place we have hitherto been speaking of. CORNWALL (by the Providence of God) doth naturally produce Tin: A Metal, when fine, is, in its Nature, next to Silver, and is said to have given the Name of Britain to this Nation; sam's Brit. pag. 1. which may engage the King's most Excellent Majesty, as Gods Representative; and His High Court of Parliament, to have the greater Value and Esteem for it. Being Environed as it is by the Sea, and having the advantage of good Harbours, Nature seems to have designed it for a flourishing Trade; and the more, because that Land not only abounds with the best Tin in the World, and the greatest Quantities thereof, but the Sea affords it the best Fish also. And abounding with Tin and Fish, as Zant doth with Currants and Wine, as the Venetians have improved the Trade of Zant, so we should use our utmost Endeavour to Encourage and Revive the Trade of Cornwall. NOW the practice of our Factory at Zant, and the method of Policy which the Venetians made use of when the Western Trade failed them, gave me an occasion to reflect on the Causes of the Decay of Trade in our naturally rich County of Cornwall, and to consider of some Means to repair and improve it; and I hope that the Ingenious Lovers of that County, and of this Kingdom, will contribute their Assistance to make the Proposal take effect. WHAT Prices Tin bore, and what Trades were driven thereby in Queen Elizabeth's time, when we had the absolute Empire of the Ocean, and a flourishing Trade, I cannot so well inform my Reader as I would. But some Years before the Restauration, when we had again the Command of the Seas, That Commodity of Cornwall yielded to the Tinners there 6 l. 5 s. a hundred Merchant's Weight, clear of all Coinage Duties; and then the Income to that County (by that Commodity only) amounted to 200000 l. Sterling a Years and upwards. The Quantities of Tin are now almost the same as formerly, only that Trade hath been, of latter Years, mismanged, to the great Disadvantage both of that County and the Kingdom, the Price of Tin being now brought down to 50 s. per Cent, or thereabouts. For the Cornish Factors are less kind to their Countrymen the Tinners, than our English Factors are to the Zanteots; and more faithful to the London-Pewterers, than those are to their English Principals. And (being no less careful for themselves) as our Factors employ their Merchant's Capitals, to prevent and forestall those that employ them; so our Cornish Factors employ the Stock, remitted to them by the Pewterers, in necessary Materials for carrying on the Tin-Trade; which Materials they sell at extraordinary Rates to the labouring Tinners, to be paid for the same in Tin, much under the Market-price. And having once got those People into their Debt, they do by Interest and Extortion always keep them so Poor, that (to gratify the London-Pewterers and Merchants that employ them, and for another Interest) they compel those poor Tinners to sell at what Price they please, and by that means do govern the Market, not only to the great Detriment of the County, but to the Disadvantage of the Kingdom. NOW the Tin-Trade being divided into so many People's Hands, as those labouring, adventuring Tinners are, it will be difficult to do them good, but by a Law Enacted to redress their Grievances; and such a Law, as (being executed) may have the like effect with that of the Novissima Imposta, when the Venetians had almost lost the Western Trade. And we having so far lost our Western Trade of Tin, that the Labouring Tinners can scarce get their Bread, I am of Opinion that we may regain it with Advantage, and raise the Price or Tin in some degree, if (after the Precedent and Example of the Venetians) a Novissima Imposta be laid upon all such as shall buy and sell Tin in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, under three or four Pounds a hundred, or such a Price as The Kings most excellent Majesty, The right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and The Honourable the Commons in Parliament, shall think meet. And Tin being now at 50 s. per Cent, such an Imposition will be of considerable Advantage to the Nation, both in general and in particular. AT 4 l. per Cent. (considering the present Price) the King will gain by the Benefit and Advantage of his Subjects, altho' His Majesty should have no more than his former Duty. The Kingdom will gain (according to the present Rate of Tin) Three Parts in Eight of all that is Transported, because the same Quantity being Transported at that Price, will occasion the Importation of three eighth Parts more in return, either in Money or Merchandise; For all other Markets are governed by the first Market-price. The County in general will gain by it, because Land and Trade are in natural Sympathy; and the Tinners having 4 l. a hundred for their Tin, will have the more Money and Credit to support themselves and their Families. The Cornish Factors will gain by it three eighth Parts in their Provision, if no more; and this will take away the Occasion of Grinding the Poor to gratify the Principal, etc. The London-Pewterers will have the like Advantage, insomuch as they are Factors for: And I have heard the chiefest of them wish, That the Price of Tin might never be less than 3 l. a hundred in Cornwall. And, after all, the principal Merchants can be no Losers by it, if it be true what a certain Merchant once wrote me at Zant, That the dearer they bought abroad, the dearer they sold at home. So that it is as much the Interest of the whole Kingdom to keep up the Price of Tin in Cornwall, as it was for the Venetians, the Zanteots, and the Praemorratory, to keep up the Price of Currants at Zant. AND that it may not be urged, That the advancing the Price of Tin will cause the less Quantity thereof to be Transported, I must here take notice, That there is no Part of the known World, besides Cornwall and Devon, that doth produce Tin, unless it be Germany and the East-Indies; and the Tin which is made there, is not so good as our Tin by 20 s. the Hundred; nor can they afford to sell the same so cheap as 5 l. per Cent. Neither will the East-India or Germane Tin serve so well as ours, for the very many Uses which are made thereof throughout the World; and, not to mention its excellent Usefulness for making Looking-glasses, Lackering, Painting, etc. I am informed, That the finest Earthen Ware in the World cannot be made without our Cornish Tin, which occasions so great a Consumption of that Commodity, beyond what is expended in all common Uses. And farther it hath been observed, That when the greatest Quantities of Tin have been made in Cornwall, there hath been none left Uncoined or Unsold; and the higher the Price, the better those Quantities have gone off; which (to me) seems a good Argument of a Necessity the World is under to buy this Commodity of us: And their Necessity, as well as our great Costs and Charges, and the Danger and Difficulty of coming at the Tin, should bring us to understand its true Value, and make our utmost Advantage by it. And did we make but half the Quantity of Tin, we now do, we might advance that Quantity to what Price we pleased; and then the one half of the Charges would be saved also. The Charge of Deals, Cordage and Iron, which for the most part come from Norway, the East-Country and Spain, and Eat up a great part of the Profit, would then be but half as much. And one half of the Labourers would be employed in the Fishing Trade, etc. and to improve the Lands by Husbandry, that County being capable of Improvement, that way, to double the Value it is now off; besides the Advantage that might be made by a full Improvement of the Fishery, etc. AND now to show the deplorable Circumstance of the poor, Labouring Tinners, we will suppose (for Demonstrationsake) there are Eight thousand Tinners Yearly employed about the Tinning-Trade, although I am satisfied that they much exceed that Number, who (with their Families) depend upon the Product of their Labour. And all the Tin coined in Cornwall in the Year, 1692. (which was the Year before I designed to publish these Grievances) was by the Coinage-Books of that County 11174 Pieces, and the Coinage-Duty thereof being 4 s. a Hundred in Cornwall, amounted that Year to 5449 l. 17 s. 00 d. By which it doth appear, That there must have been 27249 hundred Weight of Tin made that Year in Cornwall only. And supposing that Quantity sold at 50 s. per Cent. the whole Product of the Tin made in Cornwall in the Year, 1692. must then come to 69222 l. 10 s. 00. d. which is a Sum much inferior to the 200000 l. a Year and upwards. l. s. d. Now out of this 69222 l. 10 s. 00 d. must be paid (clear of all Charges) to the Bounder and Lord of the Soil for Toll and Farm, about a fifth part of the whole; which comes to 13844 08 00 The Charges of Smith's Work, Timber, Ropes and Candles, we compute to each Man in a Year about 20 s. which for Eight thousand Men, is 8000 00 00 And supposing the Dressing and Stamping, to make every Hundred of Tin, comes to 2 s. 6 d. it amounts for the whole Years Tin, to 3406 02 06 The Charges of Refining that Years Tin, at 30 s. the Tide, computing One thousand of Tin to be Refined in each Tide, comes to 2725 07 00 The Charges of Carrying, and the Expenses at the Refining or Blowing-house, at 10 s. the Tide, comes to 0908 12 04 The whole Sum to be deducted, comes to 28884 09 10 Which being deducted out of the abovesaid 69222 l. 10 s. 00 d. there will remain clear to be divided among the said Eight thousand Tinners, but 40338 l. 00 s. 02 d. which comes to Five Pounds and Ten Pence and about a half Farthing, to each Tinner. And this is all each Tinner hath to maintain Himself and Family, and for his whole Years hard Labour, not only under Ground, but under God knows howmany Grievances. But indeed they have been the better able to bear them, as being the most Herculean and stoutest Men upon Earth; and for their most faithful and loyal Services, have the greatest Privileges of Liberty and Property, of any People in the Kingdom. FOR there are other Grievances relating to the Tin-Trade, which are almost, if not altogether, as prejudicial as what hath been said. The Cornish Factors, and others, are not the only Causes of the poor Tinners' Misery, the Cornish Lawyers must come in for a Share too: For as the Factors grind the poor Tinners to gratify the principal Traders, and thereby increase their Commissions, &c, So the Lawyers (upon the Discovery of a Rich Mine) (taking the advantage of the Tinners' Ignorance in the Stannary Laws, they being not set forth and Published in Print) do use all Means (by way of pretended Justice) to right those Clients against the Bounder, the Landlord, or their Fellow-Adventurers, When in Truth it is in the main a Contrivance to make themselves Masters of those Mines, and the Profits thereof, and the Tinners the Slaves only to dig the Oar for them. And this they the sooner do, because their Fees are so great, and the Lawsuits (which they create) so delatory, that (in proportion) they exceed all other Grievances; Whereas the Tinners' Privilege (as I am informed) is to have their Proceed at Law altogether in English; and, upon Payment of a Penny only, they are at liberty to appear in Person, and to Speak and Act for themselves, that their Causes may be the sooner ended. UPON the whole it may be said, That it is with the Tinner and his Tin, as it is with the Spaniard and his Silver; And indeed the Tinner takes all the Pain, and others carry away the Profit. And, to show my Reader, that our Cornish Tin is valued abroad next to the Spaniards Silver, I shall hereto add an Account of what part of that Tin, which (being Coined in Cornwall in the Year, 1692.) was Shipped off at the Port of London, from the First of January, 1692/3. for one whole Year, with each Merchant's Name, and the several Ports to which the same were sent that Year. 1692. january. C. Tho. Shackle 4 straits Will. Morris 9 Ditto Richard Smith 42 Ditto Daniel Busk 21 Rotterdam Gerard Muskin 118 Stood Tho. powel 35 Ditto Alex. Cleve 20 Ditto Ditto 33 Flanders Tho. powel 194 straits 476 February. C. N. Fardenando 2 Oporto Tho. Put 64 Dantzick Sir B. Ayloffe 18 Elsinore Mich. Godfrey 64 Hambro Gil. Heathcot 58 Sound Sam. Clark 24 Oporto Joseph Trolle 4 Ditto Alex. Cleve 18 Stood 252 March. C. Alex. Cleve 18 Rotterdam Dan. Buckell 22 Ditto Gil. Heathcot 43 Dantzick Ditto 77 Sound Alex. Cleve 29 Ditto Gil. Heathcot 2 Ditto Alex. Cleve 90 Lisbon Ditto 9 Stood Ditto 6 M●deras Ditto 1 Ditto Tho. powel 170 Stood Alex. Cleve 19 Bridges Gerard Muskin 112 Hambro Alex. Cleve 40 Sound John Gould 120 Sir B. Ayloffe 19 Elsinore Tho. powel 20 Ditto Tho. Shackle 22 Sound William Rogers 28 Hambro Ditto 30 Elsinore Alex. Cleve 60 Sound Tho. Thine 18 Stood Auth. Mory 81 Ditto John Gould 9 Sound Sir J. Lethulier 85 Hambro 1235 April. C. Alex. Cleve 18 Genoa Tho. Kett 21 Dantziok Sir B. Ayloffe 40 Narve Dunt & C. 40 Ditto Ditto 25 Dantzick Ditto 73 Hambro Simon Lodowick 63 Dantzick James Kett 30 Hambro Tho. Bueran 37 Rotterdam Tho. Robards 28 Hambro Tho. Liddicat 24 Ditto Alex. Cleve 31 Ditto Tho. powel 27 Sound Ditto 60 Stood Sir J. Lethullier 62 Hambro Tho. Shackle 20 Streights Richard Smith 21 Elsinore Alex. Cleve 36 Glunstad John Furbish 10 Scotland Nastis Munis 30 Streights Richard Smith 61 Rotterdam Tho. Thine 37 Hambro Alex. Cleve 124 Streights Ditto 21 Hambro 939 May. C. Alex. Long 6 Scotland Tho. Shackle 60 straits Alex. Cleve 64 Ditto Ditto 62 Flanders Sir B. Ayloffe 20 Sound Alex. Cleve 64 Stood Ditto 10 Rotterdam Ditto 61 Flanders Ditto 63 Rotterdam Sir J. Lethullier 171 Hambro Gerard Muskin 59 Rotterdam Danel Robin's 31 Sound Alex. Cleve 25 Bridges Ditto 35 Bremen Tho. powel 25 Ditto Alex. Cleve 75 Bridges Tho. Shackle 28 Ditto Tho. Robards 40 Leghorn Will. Desbubay 30 straits Pet. Durance 40 Amsterd. Mansel Falcon 4 Portugal Tho. Shackle 16 Sound Richard Smith 30 Dantzick Gil. Heathcot 60 Stockholm Ja. Crop 102 Bremen Nath. Bat 3 Holland John Brase 4 Ditto Tho. Bureaw 5 Rotterdam Tho. powel 15 Dantzick Will. Roger 32 Sound Alex. Cleve 42 Ditto Pet. Gregor 20 Bremen Tho. powel 58 Ditto Will. Rogers 56 Ditto Tho. powel 57 Hambro Ditto 15 Stood 1488 june. C. Tho. Robards 28 Bremen Alex. Cleve 82 Ditto Robert Smith 110 Sound John Gould 20 Ditto Sam. Clark 124 Bremen Pet. Gregor 47 Ditto Richard White 6 Ditto John Hulls 31 Ditto James Crop 24 Ditto Gerard Muskin 64 Hambro Tho. powel 15 Amsterd. Alex. Cleve 20 Sound John Gould 42 Ditto Tho. powel 256 Amsterd. Fen & C. 84 Ditto Tho. powel 11 Hambro Sir B. Ayloffe 24 Sound Alex. Cleve 125 Ditto Sam Smaley 22 Ditto Gil. Heathcot 73 Dantzick Alex. Cleve 34 Sound W. Dusbubery 45 Streights Simon Legwylk 37 Dantzick John Young 60 Narve Na. Rouces 15 Sound Na. Lloyd 32 Lisbon Sir B. Ayloffe 15 Elsinore Sir Sam. Herne 74 Cadiz Tho. powel 2 Oporto Alex. Cleve 62 Flanders Lent & C. 60 Russia Tho. Johnson 97 Hambro Tho. powel 24 Sound Roger Jones 38 Dantzick Ditto 41 Rotterdam March 99 Sound 1943 july. C. Tho. Robards 30 Russia John Fisher 27 Sound Tho. Johnson 1 Hambro Dunt & C. 53 Ditto Tho. Sands 6 Russia Tho. powel 195 Hambro Will. Walton 30 Rotterdam Alex. Cleve 56 Sound Ditto 66 Dantzick Richard White 20 Sound Tho. powel 32 Ditto Anth. Burnay 34 Ditto John Breckley 16 Lisbon Tho. powel 21 Sound Alex. Cleve 45 Bremen Ed. Hastill 9 Narve Peter Gregor 25 Amsterd. 666 August. C. Tho. powel 13 Sound Ditto 31 Bridges Alex. Long 2 Scotland Tho. powel 36 Hambro Ditto 18 Amsterd. Dan Parker 20 Bridges Geo. Muskin 120 Hambro Ditto 57 Bremen Tho. Macklock 2 Sound Geo. Martinego 24 Streights John Crop 40 Amsterd. Henry Adley 1 Ditto Alex. Cleve 46 Hambro Ditto 8 Amsterd. Daniel Robins 14 Ditto Dunt & C. 12 Hambro Alex. Cleve 40 Sound Marg. Benton 28 Narve N. Mickelwick 60 Dantzick Sir B. Ayloffe 21 Narve Gil. Heathcot 40 Sound John Archer 18 Ditto Richard Smith 29 Rotterdam James Crop 49 Bremen Alex. Cleve 30 Ditto N. Rouses 40 Sound Tho. Robards 60 Bremen John Hulls 62 Ditto Tho. powel 35 Ditto Leon. Johnson 5 Elsinore Dan. Robin's 57 Bremen Na. Rouses 33 Sound Tho. powel 48 Hambro Gil. Heathcot 58 Stockholm 1154 September. C. Alex. Cleve 62 Stockholm John Sherry 3 Norway Alex. Cleve 62 Hambro Ditto 4 Flanders Ditto 36 Flanders Ditto 32 Sound Tho. powel 92 Bremen Ditto 35 Hambro Alex. Cleve 16 Ditto Tho. Waterer 12 Rotterdam Sam. Jackson 95 Ditto Alex. Cleve 12 straits Tho. Shackle 4 Sound Will. Rogers 30 Bremen Dun & C. 62 Hambro Gil. Heathcot 96 Ditto Tho. powel 2 Ditto Ditto 16 Siode John Waldick 11 Cottonboro Tho. Roberts 15 Bremen Alex. Cleve 11 Sound John Waldick 16 Cottonboro Alex. Cleve 42 straits Tho. Shackle 16 Portugal 782 October. C. Robert Dove 4 Stockholm John Young 40 Dantzick Sam. Jackson 115 Rotterdam Dunt & C. 60 Hambro William Rogers 31 Bremen George Muskin 76 Rotterdam Tho. Shackle 14 Oporto John Fisher 20 Dantzick James Crop 9 Bremen Alex. Cleve 30 Bridges Tho. powel 11 Sound Richard White 8 Hambro Alex. Cleve 45 Rotterdam Ditto 43 Ditto Alex. Long 20 Scotland John Archer 32 Dantzick Na. Rouses 18 Sound Sir B. Ayloffe 12 Narve Tho. powel 40 Sound 631 November. C. Alex. Cleve 240 Scandar. Tho. Pawell 30 Bremen Alex. Cleve 74 Rotterdam James Crop 6 Bremen Tho. powel 90 straits Alex. Cleve 90 Ditto Ditto 15 Hambro Tho. powel 40 Rotterdam Richard Smith 136 Ditto Alex. Cleve 144 Streights Ditto 168 Rotterdam Giles & C. 6 Ostivo Sam. Jackson 92 Amsterd. Peter Durance 80 Rotterdam Alex. Cleve 30 Holland Richard Farmer 32 Ditto Alex. Cleve 60 straits Tho. Roberts 30 Amsterd. Richard Smith 29 Rotterdam Alex. Cleve 70 Ditto Richard Smith 24 Ditto Alex. Cleve 30 Flanders Tho. Shackle 8 Canaries Philip Vinvo 80 Streights Alex. Cleve 60 Ditto J. Dun Antonic 40 Ditto Alex. Cleve 62 Amsterd. Ditto 7 Bremen Tho. powel 80 straits Tho. Shackell 32 Lisbon Cassant & C. 23 Ditto Alex. Cleve 13 Flanders Peter Gregor 25 Amsterd. Alex. Cleve 108 straits Tho. powel 40 Ditto John Skinner 40 Ditto Fran. Campfill 35 Lisbon 2109 December. C. W. Desbubery 200 straits Tho. Shackle 20 Venice Tho. robart's 35 Bremen Richard Smith 32 Rotterdam Sam. Jackson 87 Amsterd. Tho. powel 118 Ditto Tho. Shackle 16 Venice John Fisher 21 Sound Alex. Cleve 18 Hambro Will. Rogers 21 Ditto John Hulls 50 Bremen 618 AND now, by the foregoing Particulars, it doth, partly, appear how our Tin is valued and dispersed in the World; and (which is very remarkable) how much of it goes even to Germany itself; and how all that comes from the East-Indies to Holland, doth not divert, or hinder, the Dutch, likewise, from taking great Quantities of it from us; The Quantities of Un-wrought Tin transported (from London only) in the Year, 1693. amounting, in the whole, to 61413 hundred Weight, Besides the Un-wrought Tin transported that Year from other Ports and Places of the Kingdom; And besides all the Pewter made in England, and Exported also; which is very considerable. And the Consideration the●●●… should make us Unite, to Revive, and Advance the Tin-Trade in Cornwall, and Devon to our own Benefit, with more Reason, Justice, and Honesty, than The Venetians, the Greeks, and the English Factory did to recover, and increase the Trade of Venice and Zant, to their Advantage. AND, in short, it is not impossible (but easy) to raise the Price of Tin, to redress the Tinners Grievances, and to propose such other Means, as may Raise the County of Cornwall, and this whole Kingdom, to great Riches and Honour. NATURE hath cut out GREAT BRITAIN to answer the Great Name and Character it ever had in the Universe: And no Nation can deny, but that it is by Nature The Emporium of the World, The Centre of Trade, and The most Valiant in War. AND, as Rome became Mistress of the W●●ld, by pursuing such Rules as Necessity, and Nature 〈◊〉 taught her; So Nature, and Necessity, have put This 〈◊〉 Land and Nation into the most Proper State and Condition of following her Examples. Whereby we may raise the Kingdom to a Pitch of Honour and Empire, which Old England (in all its Glory) was never capable of Acquiring. FINIS.