REASONS Humbly offered For Passing the Bill for Encouragement and Improvement of the Manufacture of English Sail-Cloth.  
IT is not many Years since the French had the sole Trade of making Sailcloth, and furnished both England and Holland with that Commodity; till in the Time of King Charles the Second, that France and England making War upon Holland, the French King prohibited the selling or sending any of his Canvas to the Dutch, who were thereupon enforced to set it up for themselves; and have in that Time brought it to so great Perfection, as not only to supply their own Shipping with that Commodity, but also to furnish this Kingdom with the same to the yearly Amount of 200000 l. and upwards. That about Five or Six Years ago, upon Encouragement given by Act of Parliament, that Manufacture was attempted to be set up here; and has so well succeeded in that Time, by the Care and Industry of the Undertakers, that if a further Encouragement were given to it, it would in all probability equal if not exceed the Hollands Duck.  
The Benefit arising to this Kingdom by propagating this most useful Manufacture, amongst many others that might be enumerated, are chiefly these:  
I. It employs already a very great Number of our Poor in Beating, Heckling, Spinning, and Weaving. That of every Hundred Pounds employed in making this Commodity, Three parts in Four goes out in Labour; so that if 200000 l. which by a moderate Compute is the yearly Import of that Commodity from Holland, were spent at Home, amongst our own Poor 150000 l. of that would go in Ease of the great Charge and Burden we are at in maintaining of them.  
II. If this Manufacture were Encouraged, great Quantities of Hemp and Flax would be sown in several Parts of this Kingdom, and a further Help by that means given towards the employment of our Poor.  
England making War upon Holland, the French King prohibited the selling or sending any of his Canvas to the Dutch, who were thereupon enforced to set it up for themselves; and have in that Time brought it to so great Perfection, as not only to supply their own Shipping with that Commodity, but also to furnish this Kingdom with the same to the yearly Amount of 200000 l. and upwards. That about Five or Six Years ago, upon Encouragement given by Act of Parliament, that Manufacture was attempted to be set up here; and has so well succeeded in that Time, by the Care and Industry of the Undertakers, that if a further Encouragement were given to it, it would in all probability equal if not exceed the Hollands Duck.  
The Benefit arising to this Kingdom by propagating this most useful Manufacture, amongst many others that might be enumerated, are chiefly these:  
I. It employs already a very great Number of our Poor in Beating, Heckling, Spinning, and Weaving. That of every Hundred Pounds employed in making this Commodity, Three parts in Four goes out in Labour; so that if 200000 l. which by a moderate Compute is the yearly Import of that Commodity from Holland, were spent at Home, amongst our own Poor 150000 l. of that would go in Ease of the great Charge and Burden we are at in maintaining of them.  
II. If this Manufacture were Encouraged, great Quantities of Hemp and Flax would be sown in several Parts of this Kingdom, and a further Help by that means given towards the employment of our Poor.  
III. In case it should hereafter happen that we should have a War with Holland, we should by this means be in a Condition to supply ourselves at Home with that Essential part of Naval Stores which we are now dependent upon Holland for.  
IV. We might not only by this means help ourselves upon all Occurrences, but by an equal Distribution in our Exports of that Commodity, be able to supply our own Plantations with it; and of what Advantage that would be to England in this Juncture, is pretty plain and obvious.  
'Tis therefore humbly hoped, upon these Considerations, this Honourable House will not suffer such an Useful and Beneficial Manufacture to be lost, but will Pass the Bill that now lies before them for the further Encouragement and Improvement of it.