An ANSWER to the most Material Objections again the Bill for Restraining the East-India Wrought Silks, etc. Humbly offered to the Consideration of the Lords.  
Obj. THAT Trade is in its Nature free, finds its own Channel, and best direct its own Course.  
Ans. All trading Nations have, and do at this Day put a restraint upon Trade according as their Circumstances require: The French have many Years since, by extraordinary Impositions, prohibited all our Woollen Manufactures, and by that means have set them up in their own Country, to their great Advantage. The Dutch, who are little more than Carriers of Goods from one Country to another, yet do often prohibit, and for Instance, have by great Impositions prohibited our Dyed Woollen Manufactures, by which means they have gained that profitable Employment. The Venetians have prohibited our Cloth: The Sweeds and Danes the like. The French have by severe Edicts prohibited all Indian Silks, bengals, and Painted Calicoes; and a Multitude of Instances might be given of this Nature. Our own Statute-Books are full of them; the Act of Navigation, and the Act for Preventing the 〈◊〉 of Wool have been, and are of infinite Benefit to this Kingdom.  
Obj. That the East India Trade is greatly beneficial to England.  
Ans. If what the Writers for the East-India Company have asserted be true, That Three Parts of Four of the whole imported have been again exported to Foreign Parts, or if what the late Author of the Essay on the East-India Trade asserts be true, That one half has been exported and has brought in 600000 l. more than the prime Cost in India, than this Trade, in that Respect, may well be accounted a profitable Trade to this Nation: But this, though often asserted, has not been made appear in such manner as a Business of so great a concern to the East-India Company ought, or might have been; and we have great Reason to believe that no such Quantities are, or ever were exported; But supposing that great Quantities were exported, this Bill does not extend to hinder that Trade.  
Obj. That it must be granted that the East-India-Trade in General is prejudicial to Europe, and if all by common Consent would agree to deal no more with them, it would save the Expense of a great Treasure; but since that cannot be done, it would be Egregious Folly in us to quit it.  
Ans. The Reason why the East-India Trade is prejudicial, is, because we draw from thence nothing of solid use, Materials to support Luxury, Perishable Commodities, and send thither Gold and Silver, which is there buried and never returns, and the Burden of this bears hard only on the Countries which consume them, as the Author of the Essay has very well observed, and from thence inferred, That the French did wisely to prohibit. Now if this be true, as undoubtedly it is, there cannot be greater or more cogent Arguments for the passing this Bill, which is not to destroy the whole Trade, but only part of that which their own Advocate acknowledge is very hard upon us, who are the Consumers.  
Obj. The Bill now proposed will be absolutely destructive to the East-India Trade, and should we quit the Hold we have in India, the Dutch will undoubtedly engross the whole, which will be of dangerous Consequence.  
Ans. That what by this Bill is to be restrained cannot be computed to above one half of the home Consumption, and the whole is accounted, by the Author of the Essay, but one half of the Trade; so that at most it will be lessened but one Fourth Part, which by the Addition that may be made by bringing home Raw-Silks, Cotton Yarn, etc. may in a great measure be made good; And why Three Parts and more should not be carried on without the remainder, is very hard for us to imagine. The French have prohibited all Wrought Silks, bengals and Printed Calicoes; and yet they carry on their East-India Trade: and in case the East-India Company, either through Poverty or any other Reasons, should not be able or willing to carry it on, there are Merchants enough in England to take it up: But if we cannot trade there without the Consent of the Dutch, who are now very powerful and can bring together 40 strong Frigates (as the Author of the Essay tells us) which is much more than we are able or can pretend to do, they may as easily beat us out of the whole as of what will be still left. Therefore the best way as we humbly conceive to secure us from those Fears, is, to keep our Treasure to employ our own people, and increase our strength at home.  
Obj. The Company send great quantities of our Manufactures, and have in return Wrought Silks.  
Ans. The Company are obliged to send 100000 l. worth of our Manufactures, but have not done it; for by Accounts taken out of the Custom-house Books, there cannot be found 100000 l. worth in Two years' last passed, and not 20000 l. worth last year, and how much of this has been really Exported and sent to India we know not, but have great reason to believe that great Quantities were either not shipped off, or not sent thither, but to Spain or other Parts where they take in Bullion; for this is most certain that the Indians wear none, or so little of our Manufactures as is not worth mentioning: 'Tis true that since the Company have been obliged they have sent some Cloth, which they have sold in the Gulf of Persia, and brought in returns Raw Silk, which have been wrought up by the Indians in the Bay of Bengall into silks commonly called Persian Taffetas, and the like, and from thence brought to England, whereas formerly the Turkey Merchants used to supply the Persians with cloth, and brought in Return Raw Silk, and might do so again if the Trade were turned into its old Channel.  
Obj. That no Country Manufactures are made so dear as the English, and if we would have a Trade we must make our Manufactures cheaper.  
Ans. To this we think we cannot give a better Answer than what Sir Jos. Child gave in the like Case, which we find in the Preface of his Book called A Discourse on Trade, his Words are these, I affirm and can prove be's mistaken in Fact; for the Dutch, with whom we principally contend in Trade, give generally more Wages for all their Manufactures, by at least Two Pence in the Shilling, than the English. And adds farther, That wheresoever Wages are high universally throughout the whole World, it is an infallible Evidence of the Riches of that Country: and wherever Wages for Labour runs low, it's a Proof of the Poverty of that Place. That it is multitude of People and good Laws, such as cause an increase of People, that principally enrich any Country: And if we retrench (by Law) the Labour of our People, we drive them from us to other Countries that give better Rates, and so the Dutch have dreined us of our Seamen and Woollen Manufacturers: And we the the French of their Artificers and Silk Manufacturers. And in Pag. 175. discoursing of the ways of enlarging our Trade, among many others, he gives this Advice, That it's our Interest by Example, and otherwise not distasteful, above all kinds of Commodities to prevent as much as may be the Importation of Foreign Manufactures, and to encourage those Trades most that vend most of our Manufactures, and supply us with Materials to be further Manufactured.  
Obj. That we want Hands, not Manufactures in England, and Laws to compel the Poor to work and therefore want more an Act to set up public Work houses to force them that are not willing.  
Answ. as the Case now slands, we have Hands more than sufficient to carry on the Manufactures which the East-India Trade leaves us; but if this Bill pass we have great Reason to believe that in a very short time, Employment will be found for a great number of those now out of work, and for some of the 1200000 which the Author of the Essay says, he thinks there are now receiving Alms in this Kingdom. It were to be wished that there were Public Workhouses for the Employment of the unwilling Poor; but before they can be employed in such Places it will be necessary to know how the Manufactures can be disposed: And with Submission, we humbly conceive there can be no better way found for their vent than by restraining the Expense of these Foreign Commodities, and that this will be greatly for the Interest of this Kingdom. To confirm us in this Opinion, we have the Judgement of Sir Jos. Child, that great Champion for the India Cause, who in the Preface of his Book of Trade says, That the Expense of Foreign Commodities, especially Foreign Manufactures, is the worst Expense a Nation can be inclinable to, and therefore aught to be prevented as much as possible.  
Obj. That it's the Interest of this Nation to have our own Wool cheap, and cheaply manufactured, whereby we may be enabled to under-sell all Nations, and discourage all People to set it up.  
Ans. To do this we must bring down the Price of Wool and Workmanship considerably, and then Provisions must fall in Proportion to answer the Wages, or else the Poor cannot purchase them; and if so, Rents must abate, and when this is done, other Nations who contend with us in our Manufactures must do likewise, and after all this, the Indian that works for a Penny a Day, will be able to undersell us all; so that after all our reducing, we are not like to undersell all Nations, unless we should send our Wool to India to be manufactured.  
Obj. That the home Consumption is no Advantage to the Nation.  
Ans. If a Penny saved be the surest Penny got, than the saving our Pence by the Home Consumption of our own, instead of expending them for Foreign Manufactures, must certainly be greatly for the Advantage of this Kingdom.  
Obj. It's the Interest of this Nation to wear East India Goods?, which are very Cheap, and to Export our own which are much dearer.  
Answ. If we could find a Foreign Market for our own Manufactures, this Objection would be of force, but (with submission we say) that this is impossible; for it is very well known, that all Foreign Markets have been plentifully supplied with as much of our  Manufactures as could be vended, and generally over-stocked; and yet notwithstanding our Exporters do not carry off above one third part, (as the Persons concerned in the Aulnage, who best know how much is made, have ofttimes asserted) and in case a stop be not put to the East India Trade, our Export must be less; for by reason of the great ware of Muslings and Calicoes, we have already lost the greatest part of our Trade for  , etc. to Germany, Silesia, etc. from whence we had formerly great quantities of Linens, but when we could no longer take their Linens, they were forced to set up a Manufacture of , by which we have almost wholly lost that profitable Trade. We have now a Trade with Spain, Italy, and Turkey, from whence we Import great quantities of Wool, Raw Silk, and Grogern-yarn, but if we must wear East India Manufactures, we cannot use their Silk; and if so, it's reasonable to conclude, that they must shortly follow the example of the Germans. As to our Plantations and Ireland, to which we send great quantities of our Manufactures, if the East India Silks, etc. are the Mode here, they will be so there, the orders that are sent from thence, being to send over such Manufactures, as are most Fashionable in England; so that instead of a greater Exportation, we shall almost wholly lose what we now have. But in case it were possible to vend more, we could make much greater quantities, as we did last year, when there was a considerable demand for them.  
Obj. That if we do not use these India Goods, they will be carried to other places, where we now send our Manufactures, and be there used instead of them.  
Answ. If this be true, than the East-India Trade will not receive so great Prejudice as is pretended; but this is fallacious, for the Exporters always send to furnish all foreign Markets with what they want; and we are very sensible, that they have and will be sufficiently supplied with these India Manufactures, which will very much obstruct our Trade, and therefore we humbly conceive its highly Reasonable this Bill should pass, that seeing the Mischief they will do us in foreign Markets cannot be prevented, we may in some measure be helped, by preventing our falling into the same Mischief at home.  
Obj. That these India Manufactures do not much hinder the Consumption of our own Manufactures, but chief those of Italy, France, and Holland.  
Answ. They do directly hinder the Consumption of vast Quantities of our own Manufactures, as the Norwich, London, Canterbury Antherines', and other sorts of Stuffs; as also the Manufactures made in Bristol, Ketering, Sudbury, Stowmarket, Kendal, and divers other places in this Kingdom; and they do and will in a great Measure, destroy all our Silk Manufactures, which of late are brought to such perfection, as better Silks are not made in any part of the World, and are cheaper to us than any can come from the  Countries, and have almost wholly beat them out of use. So that of late Years there has been no considerable Quantities Imported, except black Lutestrings, Alamodes, and Velvets, for which Use the India Silks will not serve; so that the India Manufactures are directly opposite and destructive to our own.  
Obj. That Silk is a Manufacture of foreign Extract, and if the Wearing of Silk could be Abolished, is would be Beneficial to the Kingdom.  
Answ. That the Abolishing of all foreign wrought Silks, that are the Returns of our Money, would undoubtedly be Beneficial to the Kingdom; and it is that we now only Contend for. But we do assert, and plainly demonstrate, That the wearing of Silks, which are Manufactured here of such Raw Silk as are the Returns of our Woollen, and other Manufactures Exported (as the Italian and Turkey Silks are) is much more Beneficial to this Kingdom, then if we wear them not, for by this means we employ double the number of People we should do, if we were Clad in our own Manufactures.  
Obj. That if we take not these Goods, the Indians will let us have no Salt-petre, Muslins, White Calicoes, Pepper, Drugs, Raw Silks, and other Goods we want.  
Answ. This is such an Objection as scarce ever was made before by Mankind; 'tis just as if we should say, we will not let the Venetians and other Nations we Trade with, have our Lead, Tynn, etc. because they will not take our Cloth. The French have Prohibited all their Silks and Painted Calicoes above ten Years past, yet have ever since Traded with the Indians for these Commodities, and we believe never yet wanted Salt-petre, etc. and why they should refuse us these Goods is hard to imagine.  
Obj. If this Bill pass, it will be to the Advantage of the Scotch and Dutch, who will bring in these India Goods among us at a much dearer Rate.  
Answ. One would think in common Reason, there cannot be a more effectual Course taken to hinder that, than by Prohibiting the wearing of them: For if they may be freely worn, the Scotch and Dutch will have a great Advantage, because they pay little or no Duty to what our East-India Merchants must pay; and the very hopes, that the Persons who were concerned in promoting the Scotch Company, had of vending the Wrought Manufactures in England, was, as we have good Reasons to believe, one great cause for the setting-up that Trade. For this is certain, that some of the most zealous Promoters of that Company, are the greatest Sticklers against this Bill.  
Obj. That the Passing this Bill will discourage Navigation.  
Answ. This is a very strange Objection, For one Ship of 500 Tons Freighted with these Goods will bring in above 1,000,000, l. worth, at but 20 s. per pound, which is a moderate Value; many of these Silks being worth 3 and 4 l. per pound, so that if this single Freight were worn here, it will ruin above twenty times as much Shipping, which is employed in the Coasting Trade, to furnish the English Manufacturers, and their dependence with Coals, Corn, Butter, Cheese, and other Necessaries, as is easy to be more fully demonstrated.  
Obj. If there be a multitude of Hands want Work, the Herring Fishery would employ them.  
Answ. The Men, Women, and Children, that are employed in the Woollen and Silk Manufactures, are very unfit to catch Fish: But since it is objected, That if this Bill pass it will discourage Navigation, here's a proper Salvo for that Sore, let the Merchants employ their Stock, and the Seamen their time, to catch these Herrings, and then we are very sure they would be much better employed for the Advantage of the Nation than they now are.  
Obj. That if the East India Manufactures did greatly prejudice our own, it is not adviseable they should be Prohibited in this time of War, because of the Companies great Losses and Misfortunes, and their want of Money.  
Answ. That the Company have met with great Losses must needs be grant●●, and that so great a Treasure fell into the Enemy's hands, has been of very Ill Consequence to the Nation, and none knows but such Misfortunes may again attend them, and therefore the less Trade of this kind in so dangerous a time, the better for the Nation; If they want Money so do the English Manufacturers, and whether the Money we now have to Trade with shall be sent out to purchase Goods fully Manufactured for our own Consumption, which may fall into the Enemy's Hands, or employed to carry on our own Manufactures, we think, with humble Submission, is no hard question to be resolved; for nothing is more visible, than that the East India Manufactures that have been lately Imported, takes away great quantities of our Money, which would otherwise be employed in the purchasing of our own Silks and Stuffs, and thereby give Employment and Encouragement to many Thousand Families, who are now in a starving condition.  
Obj. The Clause in the Bill which lays the Proof on the Retailers is very unreasonable.  
Answ. Without this the whole Bill will be rendered ineffectual, and therefore the like Clauses has been inserted in all Acts of this Nature (as in our Prohibition of French Silks, etc.)  
Obj. That if this Bill pass, it will destroy the Credit of the Nation, and greatly Injure those who have lent Money upon the Customs of the East India Goods.  
Answ. The Customs that are given for the Security of Moneys lent by the persons complaining (which for the most part are Linen Drapers and East India men) consists not only of East India Goods, but also of Wines, Vinegar, Brandy, Tobacco, all Linens, Wood, Iron, Oil, Flax, Hemp, Paper, and abundance of other Commodities, too numerous to be here inserted; and the whole East India Trade has hitherto raised but a very inconsiderable part of the said Customs, yet the Security has been well answered. Now in case the Customs should be increased by a greater quantity of East India wrought Silks, which must be worn here, they will destroy our own Manufactures, and thereby Impoverish not only our Manufacturers, and their dependants, but the Nation in general, by which means they will be disabled from consuming the Wines, Brandy, Tobacco, and other Merchandise, which will, (as we have great reason to believe) much more weaken the same Security, than this Bill can do; And not only so, but much lessen the Excise of Beer and Ale, and other the Revenues and Taxes which are given to support a Just and Necessary War, for the preservation of our Lives, Liberties, and Properties.   

AN ANSWER to the most Material Objections against the BILL For Restraining East-India Wrought Silk, etc.