TO THE KING And BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT In PARLIAMENT Assembled. 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 itself before you, whose Providence and Justice secure the Proposer of a readiness to embrace and promote whatever may improve the Welfare of the Public: 'Tis his part to make the Proposal appear of advantage to your Common-Interest, wherein the welfare of the Public 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 burdens a piece, to be employed in fishing for Herrings, Cod and Ling, in his Majesty's 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 public debts, and the defraying of all necessary charges, the property of the said Fleet to be settled in the Crown. THE ADVANTAGES. A Fleet of two thousand Busses will employ yearly at Sea, at 15 Men to a Buss 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 Majesty's 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 Buss 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 Buss 0017 10 04. Which for 2000 Busses for the first year will be clear profit 1835033 06 08. Profit of each Buss after the first year as above 2250 00 00. Charge of Fitting, Victualling, Salaries and Wages 0928 19 08. Profit de claro of each Buss 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 Majesty's 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 Coin from abroad by Vent of Fish, taken and sold by His Majesty's Subjects; the Monopoly of Fish taken by the Hollander in His Majesty's 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, etc. into this Kingdom, invite all Ingenuous Manufactors into the Nation, as well as rich Men into this Kingdom, and the rest of His Majesty's 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 attempts and injury of Strangers, and may be apt upon evil instigations and discontents to strengthen either domestic or foreign 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 Ours 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 employed for Docks, and for Storehouses and Wharves, adjoining one to the other, that the goods may be conveyed from the Wharves to the Storehouses, without the charge of Carting (which said sum will be demonstrated an ample Fund) to carry on and complete 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 complete what appears so clearly and eminently advantageous for the public good and the interest of the Kingdom, and in order thereto raise the Fund proposed, and to secure the Employment 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 increase into the Public 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 Enterprise of Public 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. Licenced March the 26. Ro. L'Estrange.