AN ANSWER TO THE REASONS AGAINST The Wearing of East-India and Persia wrought Silks, Bengalls, Dyed and Printed calicoes in England.  
SOME linen Drapers in London having petitioned the Honourable House of Commons against the Bill for Restraining the wearing East-India and Persia wrought Silks, &c. Which not meeting with the desired Effect, have therefore published the Reasons that encouraged the presenting the said Petition, which they have ushered in with a specious Preamble, wherein they declare, That they are induced to believe that it would be no inconsiderable Service to the whole Kingdom in general, as well as to the particular Satisfaction of that Honourable House to publish them, where, upon an equal state of the Matters controverted, it will incontestably appear, how fatal and universally detrimental the Consequences of such a Prohibition must of Necessity prove, which upon a serious Consideration of the few Reasons, which they have given, The utter improbability of such a Prohibition ever being able to Answer the great End thereby proposed, will be fully and satisfactorily demonstrated.  
By this Preamble many may be be apt to conclude, That their Reasons must be very Substantial and Unanswerable; but upon Examination they are found not so, and will admit of plain and easy Answers, which are thought proper to be made public, with some Remarks thereupon. And are as follows:  
They say, That Trade in general is always free, and will never endure to be shackled and compelled; That when it is so, it will endeavour to remove into better quarters. But at the same time, they should have done well to have Recollected and Considered to whom they were Addressing themselves, which if they had done, they would surely have been more modest: For have not several good Laws been made by former Parliaments for Restraining Trade, by Prohibiting the Importation and Consumption of foreign Commodities, and preventing the Exportation of our own, as wool, &c. which had been very ill done, and to no purpose, if their Assertion were true: And are not several Bills now depending to Restrain Trade; As the Bills to Regulate and Settle India and Affrica Trades, and for the more effectual preventing the Exportation of wool.  
They say in Answer to the Canterbury-men, That it was not they that beat the French, Dutch, and Italians out of their Silk Trade, but the East-India Goods which were Imported from the Year 82 to 89, and sold very cheap that did it. Now supposing this were really true, 'tis hard to imagine what Service this Assertion can do them, but very easy to foresee the contrary: For if the Cheapness of East-India Goods beat both Dutch, French, and Italians out of their Trade, must it not naturally follow, that they can and will, with as great ease, beat us out also.  
They own a great Increase of Trade, but say, It only proceeds from the Rise of Guinea's ; The miscarriage of the War, and the Continual Demands and Exactions from abroad, and not from the Scarcity of printed Calicoes, Bengalls, and Persian Silks, there being more India Goods sold and printed these last four years, than in twenty before. But this is so contrary to the observation and knowledge of almost all sorts of People, that it requires a more than ordinary Confidence for such an Assertion. It must be allowed that the Trade in the Woollen Manufactures for course Clothes, Bays, &c. have been greatly Increased by reason of the War: But the Trade in Silks, Half Silks, and Worsted Stuffs, have gradually increased for several years last past, as the East-India Goods grew scarcer and dearer, these Manufactures supplied their use( in great measure) which has been the great Occasion of that Increase, as is evident beyond Contradiction. It's true, that the late extraordinary and sudden Rise of all sorts of Commodities was occasioned by the Rise of Guineas; but now, notwithstanding Guineas are fallen, and the Dutch take off but few of our Silks, Half-Silks, or Worsted Stuffs, yet their Price is not abated, which can proceed from no other Reason but the want of them in England and the Plantations, which want would soon be supplied, if the East-India Goods were brought in as plentifully as formerly.  
They own That Raw Silk is the Produce of our Woollen Manufactures Exported: But pretend to foretell the Consequences of Prohibiting the Persian Silks, That it will occasion a Prohibition of our Woollen Manufactures there. But they may please to remember, that when the Trade to Persia was carried on by our Turkey Company, the Persians were well content to take our Cloath, and pay us in Raw Silks; and we conceive it rational to believe, that they may be content to do so again if the Trade were turned into its old Channel.  
They assert, That the Prohibition desired will undeniably be the loss of three parts in four of the East-India Trade, to the ruin of many of his Majesty's Subjects, and the unspeakable Benefit of the Dutch and Scots. But herein they mightily contradict the East-India Company, who oft-times in print, and otherwise have affirmed, That three parts in four, and lately to a Committee of Lords, that two parts in three in value of their whole Trade, is Exported to foreign Markets; And this Prohibition will leave them a great part of their home Consumption, as drugs, Salt-petre, indigo, Raw Silks, White Calicoes, Muslins, and abundance of other Commodities, and instead of Wrought, they may bring in greater quantities of Raw Silk. But if it be true what they assert, That three parts in four of the East-India Trade depend upon our home Consumption, they have made a considerable Discovery, by which the Nation may see how much they have been imposed upon by the East-India Company, and how much more prejudicial that Tade is than most People imagined. And as to the Scotch, nothing( as is conceived) can be a greater Mortification to them than this Prohibition: For thereby the great Expectation of running their Goods( which will be Custom-free) upon us will be wholly cut off, and they left to find out Trade in foreign Markets, which will be very difficult for them to accomplish.  
Neither can we apprehended this Prohibition will be of any Service to the Dutch, but the contrary; for thereby their profitable Trade of Running India Goods upon us, will in a great measure be cut off.  
They say, That this Prohibition will exceedingly diminish the King's Customs, and discourage the Loan upon that Branch of the Customs. This in great measure must be allowed; but at the same time it ought to be considered, that if the Customs arise by the bringing in of Manufactured Goods( which are the Purchase of our Bullion) to be consumed at home, to the hindrance of our own Manufactures, and the employment of our People, that this may sink the King's Revenues in its other Branches, as much, if not more: For how can the Excise for Bear, and Custom of Tobacco, and other Commodities, be as great as now it is, if the Labour and Wages of the Poor be taken away, or can the Tenants pay Rent if they want good Markets for their Commodities? Or how can Landlords live comfortably and pay Taxes, if Tenants fail to pay their Rents? And when any Branch answers not the Loans that are ordered upon it, it has and will no doubt be made good some other way.  
They assert, That the Prohibition desired will not encourage the making Silks in England, except the Dutch and Italian Silks be prohibited also. And the Reason they give us is, That the Dutch and Italians can have as much work done for one shilling, as we can have for three: Which is not true in fact. It's very well known that our English Silk-Manufactures have been greatly increased since the India Goods have been scarce and dear; and that notwithstanding that Scarcity, neither the Dutch or Italians have advanced their Trade thereby: For it is plain and evident, that the Ingenuity of our English Workmen outdoes them; and the difference in Wages is nothing so considerable as they assert, which is balanced by the Customs paid upon those foreign Commodities. But if it shall appear that either the Dutch or Italian Trade be found prejudicial to the Interest of this Nation, it's hoped those Trades may be also Restrained in due time.  
They own, That the Prohibition will open a way for the employment of a great many Weavers and other Workmen. But to answer this, they say, It will take away the employment of many thousand Dyers, Callenders, Stiffners, Printers, &c. But this is so poor an Argument, that one would think they should be ashamed to offer it: For are the number of Printers, and other Workmen employed upon calicoes, &c. to be compared with the number of Spinsters, Combers, Weavers, and many other Artificers employed in the Silk and Woollen Manufactures; and may not these Printers, &c. as well be employed in printing our own Manufactures, since Printing is or may be as well done upon them as upon calicoes or India Silks.  
They say, That the Nature of Trade is to Exchange one Commodity for another. But what Service this can do them in this Case, is not easily to be imagined; because the Trade in controversy is not Exchanging Commodity for Commodity, but chiefly Money for Commodities.  
They tell us, That this Prohibition will turn to no better account than to make our own Manufactures dearer at home, and India Goods cheaper to our Neighbours, which will make our Manufactures wholly useless to them. And yet notwithstanding they say, That our Manufacturers will set higher Rates upon their Goods; which seems to be a Contradiction. We are very sensible that whenever the East-India Trade flourish, they will bring in Goods enough to supply all Markets, which will unavoidably bring down the Price of our own Manufactures: And for this very Reason it is that this Prohibition is desired, That seeing we cannot prevent the Mischiefs which that Trade will do us in foreign Markets, we may in some measure help ourselves by preventing our falling under the same Evils at home.  
These are all, or the most material Reasons that they have offered, which with the Answers and Observations thereupon, are with great Submission humbly offered to the Consideration of the Parliament.   

An ANSWER TO THE REASONS AGAINST Prohibiting the Wearing of East-India and Persia wrought Silks, &c.