AN ANSWER TO THE Most Material Objections Made by the LINNEN-DRAPERS, Against the Bill which restrains the Wearing East-India wrought Silks, &c. in England; Humbly Submitted to the Consideration of the Most Honourable House of Lords.  
Object. THAT the Weavers are now so full of Employment, That if this Bill should pass, there would be so great a want of Hands, they would raise the prices of their Goods to an Extravagant Rate.  
Answ. That in the Spring of the Year, the Weavers of London, Norwich, Canterbury, &c.( since the scarcity and dearness of East-India Silks) have been well Employed; but in the latter part of the Year, there is generally in these Places great Numbers which want work; besides there are a great many large Towns in England, where there is no Manufacture of any sort, in which there are vast Numbers of Poor which want Work, and wholly subsist on the Bounty of their Neighbours and Parishes, which if this Bill pass may be Employed in these Manufactures: And its morally impossible for such Multitudes of People, at so many differing Places, and of so many different Interests to combine together to keep up Prices for Goods, beyond their real value; and as our Manufactures increase, the Merchants will give larger Orders for raw Silk, and thereby Export more of our Woollen Manufactures; the Farmers will increase his breed of Sheep all over the Kingdom; there being large tracts of Land( which now are useless) very proper for that purpose, to the great Encouragement of the Owners and Proprietors thereof.  
Object. That the wearing our own Manufactures at home, does not make us the Richer; and that it s the Interest of the Nation to wear East-India Goods which are cheap, and Export our own which are dearer.  
Answ. It's true, That what we consume at home of our own Manufactures does not make us the Richer. But it is as true, that whatever we consume at home of foreign Manufactures purchased with our Bullion( as East-India wrought Silks and calicoes, &c.) does really make us so much the Poorer, as is the Cost of those Manufactures. And for the other part of the Objection, there can be no Argument in it, unless the linen Drapers could make out, that the more we consume of East-India Goods at home, the more we should sand abroad of our own, which they have not, nor cannot pretend to Demonstrate. But the contrary is manifest, if it be considered, that Turkey and Italy, which takes off most of our Woollen Manufactures, can sand us nothing in return of our Manufactures, but Raw Silk, and Grogorum Yarn, which can be of no use to us, if by wearing East-India Silks, &c. we destroy those Manufactures which work up this Silk and Yarn; so that the plain Consequence will be this: Wearing East-India Silks, &c. at home, will force us to quit those profitable Trades of Turkey and Italy, which take off vast quantities of our Woollen Manufactures, and leave them to the Dutch and French, and will thereby greatly destroy the Exportation of our Woollen Manufactures abroad, and impoverish Four or Five Hundred Thousand Persons, who depend on these Manufactures at home.  
Object. That if India Silks, and Printed calicoes are not worn in England, we shall use Dutch and Italian Silks, and German and Scotch linen in their Place, which will cost the Nation Dearer.  
Answ. The Parliament of England, has at all times had such a particular Care of the Manufactures of England, that there has been such Prohibitions and Impositions on foreign Manufactures, that the Manufacturors do now labour under no great difficulties from any Place but India. For about Seven Years since there was an additional Duty laid on all Dutch and Italian wrought Silks; that with what was paid before, there is now 20 per Cent. on all Silks from those Countries, which has so hindered the Dutch from Importing flowered Silks upon us, that there has not been so much as one Case of these Goods Imported these Six Years; nor is it possible for them to do it, whilst this Duty continues. And for the Italians, their Imports on us since this Act, has yearly declined, and are now so inconsiderable, that they are not worth the Name of Importation, the English Manufacturers being now come to so great a Perfection, that they make them better, and( by virtue of the Duty) do also afford them Cheaper than the Dutch or Italians can possibly do. And since those Countries which take off so many of our Manufactures, are already taken care of by the Parliament, that they cannot hurt us. The Manufacturers make no question, but that this most Honourable House will join with the Commons of England in passing this Bill, which only hinders the home Consumption of those Goods which are bought with our Money in India, and will inevitably destroy so many Thousand Families: And for the Scotch and German linens, what they object will be used instead of Painted calicoes, and will cost the Nation dearer. There is no necessity for their use; for we now make such variety of things in England, with Silk and Worsted, and with cotton Yarn from our Plantations, that do in a great measure supply the uses of those linens. Besides it's Humbly Submitted, Whether it be not much better to Encourage the linens of those Nations( though dearer) which take off our Woollen Manufactures, as Scotland and Germany does in considerable quantities; then the Painted linens from India( though cheaper) which does not, nor cannot Consume any quantity of our Manufactures; there being now within these few days, Letters from India which give an Account, that the Cloth which has been sent thither, is so burdensome, that they know not what to do with it, there being no Sale for it in that Hot Country. And whatever is Exported by the Company, must of necessity be sent into Persia, which will consequently oblige the Turkey Merchants to sand the lesser quantities into those Places, and so no Advantage to this Kingdom.  
Object. That this Prohibition will abate the King's Customs.  
Answ. The Abatements in Customs in these Goods will be but small, in regard there will be much greater quantities of China Raw Silk, Cotton and Bengal Imported, then would otherwise be done; and the small Abatement that may be will be inconsiderable, if compared with the greater Loss that will be on the Customs of Tobacco, Brandy, &c. and Excise on Beer, &c. if the Employment of the Poor be taken away, and they obliged to go to Foreign Nations for want of Work.  
Arguments might be Raised for the Bill ad Infinitum, but the Manufacturers of England, do so entirely depend on your Lordships, that they will only add their Prayers, that the Blessings of Heaven may always accompany your Lordships and your Posterity, for the constant encouragement that has been( and we trust will be) given by your Lordships, to the Multitudes of Poor Families of your own Native Country.   

An ANSWE●… TO THE Most Material Objecti●… Made by the Linnen-Dra●… against the Bill which 〈…〉 strains the Wearing E●… India Wrought Silks, & ●… England.