An humble Proposal to the Honourable the Knights, citizens and Burgesses in Parliament assembled, for Employing and Maintaining the Poor of this Kingdom, by erecting Fisheries, and improving Manufacturies.  
TO have a Director General that shall provide a Convenient Place in every County, for the most burdensome Poor of every Parish, of every respective County to be placed together in; every one of which places to have a Market one Day in a Week, and two fairs in a Year; the Director to procure a sufficient Undertaker for each Place so provided( who is to be chief magistrate and Ruler therein) and as many more sufficient Undertakers, as shall be needful to be had for undertaking the whole Kingdom. All Parishes throughout the Kingdom to pay the Undertakers Monthly, a proportion for fourteen Years as followeth, that is to say, the Third part of what the Collections of the Poors Rates amounted to the three Years last past, for the first Year of this Undertaking, and so on, until the full end and expiration of seven Years next ensuing the date hereof, for the next seven Years, that makes up and fully completes the fourteen Years, half to be paid in manner and form as aforesaid.  
London and Westminster, besides the Counties they stand in, being very Large and Numerous, to have four Places within the Weekly Bill of Mortality, convenient to receive some Poor out of every adjacent Parish within the Weekly Bill of Mortality: In every one of the said four Places a Market shall be holden, and an Undertaker shall be placed and Govern as aforesaid.  
Which said places of London and Westminster, and within the Weekly Bill of Mortality, have a abundance of beggars, and Idle Loose People, that ought to be reduced and maintained as Poor, that never were entered in their Parish Books, yet one way or other get their livelihoods from them. For preventing beggars, or any Loose Idle People from Lurking about within the Limits aforesaid: One Farthing a Week for every House within the Weekly Bill of Mortality, being Monthly paid to the Undertakers over and above their Parish Rates; the Undertakers within the Weekly Bill of Mortality shall Employ, provide for and well Maintain any such beggar or beggars, or other Loose Person or Persons brought to any Undertaker, Deputy or Agent for any Undertaker, within the Weekly Bill of Mortality.  
That the money may not be received, and the Poor not well employed and maintained, let the Justices of the Peace of every County, inspect and see that the Poor People have all things Needful both in Sickness and in Health, according to their several Stations, as Servants, Apprentices, and Poor Labouring People ought to have and be supplied with, and on Complaint upon Oath, that such Supplies by any are wanted, the Neighbouring Justices of the Peace shall inquire and examine into the matter, sand for the Undertaker, his Deputy or Agent, and if they find good Cause and Reason so to do, to force and compel the Undertaker, his Deputy or Agent, to provide for, and supply them with what they want and stand in need of, and that they Govern and Breed all up Religiously and Soberly.  
Every Undertaker shall be a Responsible Man of, or well known in the County, the place and places he is Undertaker for, and give Bond to the Church-wardens or Overseers of the Poor of every Parish he is Undertaker for; that their Poor shall be well provided for, and maintained as long as he receives their Poors Rates, and continues an Undertaker. And if required by the Church-wardens or Overseers of the Poor, shall make Oath before some magistrate, that he is not Undertaker for more Parishes then he shows a Certificate under the Hands and Seals of, two or more of the Neighbouring Justices of the Peace, approving, and allowing his Bond to be sufficient Security to make him perform his Contract and Undertaking, with the Parish or Parishes mentioned in the Certificate.  
The Profits of the Fairs and Markets to be the Directors, or his Assigns, for the Term of the aforesaid fourteen Years, he or they carrying on, and seeing well performed this beneficial Undertaking according to the Proposal.  
The Justices of the Peace to have power to remove; or put out any Undertaker( at the Quarter Sessions) if they find good Cause and Reason so to do; giving notice in the Gazzette to the Director to provide another sufficient in his room, that shall give Security the in like manner the Undertaker did before him.  
It will be no small help to the Poor, besides many other great Advantages to the Nation, to contrive to keep our Wool at home, and sand all sorts of Woollen Manufacturies abroad, which I humbly Conceive this following Method will effectually perform, if the Parliament shall think fit.  
To lay a Tax of so much upon every pound of Wool, half so much upon every pound of Wool-locks.  
That this may not hinder the Manufacturing and working up of Wool, follow the Act prohibiting, the Dead to be dressed in any thing that is not made of Wool: Do something of the like upon the Living, compelling them from their Shouldiers to the Bottoms of their Feet, to wear no Garments or Coverings that is not made of Wool, Leather, Silk, Gold, or Silver, except Shirts, Smocks and Sheets.  
To encourage the Merchants to carry abroad as much of Woollen Manufactures as they can Purchase: Order a Draw-back at the Custom-house; of so much a pound for all things and Goods made of Wool, as is laid upon Wool, for what is made of Wool-locks, as much as is laid upon Wool-locks.  
The Advantages of Taxing Wool before any other thing, tho at first it is paid by the Owner, is the most easiest and most universal of all Taxes; the Owner being no loser, selling his Wool for as much or more then he now doth, besides what will pay the Tax. The clothier will do the like by his Cloath, so will the Draper; it is the buyer that will pay the Tax.( by consequenee the whole Nation) A Land Tax lays all upon the Owner, which is hard and unequal, all other Taxes doth no good, but raise money: A Tax upon Wool, doth not only raise money, but keep Wool to our great advantage at home, disappoints our Neighbours, advances our Merchants, which no where for the future will meet with any Competeter or Underminer in their Woollen traffic, which I fear to often now they do; If this be true, which I believe cannot be denied; it will be the the most benificial and equal Tax that ever was laid upon the Nation, and I hope for the Nations good always will be used:  
John coal.   

A PROPOSAL to Maintain the Poor, by Erecting Fisheries.