THE INTEREST OF THE NATION, As it respects all the Sugar-Plantations ABROAD, And Refining of Sugars At Home, Truly STATED; And Humbly offered to the honourable House of Commons.  
London: Printed by B. mot, 1691.   

The Interest of the Nation, the Sugar Plantations, and the Refiners of Sugars, stated.  
IT is observable how industriously busy some have been in misrepresenting the true Interests of the Plantations, when 'tis so frequently objected, that a Relief to the Refiners by a Draw-back will be injurious to the said Plantations: To obviate such Impositions, wherever they have obtained; it will be necessary here to show, that the Relief the Refiners do crave is of as great Use and Advantage to them, as to the Refiners. And although a Petition now in the House of Commons, from those concerned in all the Sugar-Plantations, and which import Brown Sugars only, being the first Product, asserting the same, puts it out of all doubt; yet it will not be amiss to show wherefore it is so.  
Refining of Sugars in England is now brought to so low an ebb, that the Question is, Shall it be destroyed or continued? If destroyed, where will the Brown or Muscovado Importers sell their Sugars? Jamaica, Nevis, Antegoa, Monserrat, S. Christopher, and at least four parts of five in Barbadoes are all such. If taking away a Draw-back, they have for exporting to Foreigners, be such a Hardship upon them, being by that confined, as they say, to England only for a Market; will their being destitute of a Market at all in England, and forced to seek and depend upon a foreign Market alone, help them? But the Refiner desires only to be enabled to make this a better, and so a Market of choice for them, and leave them their Draw-back and a Liberty thereby to take any other, when this pleases them not. Can they contrive better for themselves than to multiply Buyers? And that there should be contending between England and foreign Markets who shall give most for their Sugars.  
By many Arguments, more than is needful here to use, it's evident there's an union of Interests, and inseparable, without prejudicing both, the one as a Seller, the other as a Buyer; they draw one Breath, live and die together. How comes it then that many whom it concerns to be truly informed are thus abused?  
To discover this, it may be observed, there is another Interest not amounting in number to a fourth part of but one iceland, viz. Barbadoes, that day their Sugars. The Heads of this Interest, though small in Number, are great in Figure, and employed where they are most capable to manage a little and private Interest to great Advantages. They assume the Care of the Welfare of all the Plantations; but it's plain that the few of their own is only aimed at, and that to the ruin of all the rest; for they, by brining in their White Sugars and Molosses, lower and sink a Market for the Muscovado-Importer, even to a greater degree of a burden than the Duties that are imposed upon them amount to.  
We do not render the Duty as little on them; those concerned for the Interests of England and Plantations, may happen to see occasion to make this less, and that on the clay'd Importer more, or otherwise to discourage an Interest that's so diametrically opposite to both. To the first enough hath been said; the latter, viz. the Nation in its darling Jewel, the Navigation, is as much impaired already as this Interest hath gained footing, and the Growth and Increase of it will as much impair and ruin the Navigation, as the Abatement of the use of two thirds of our Shipping that's used by the Muscovado-Importer amounts to; for according unto the stated Rule in proportioning of Duties on Sugar, and which is the exactest Computation possibly to be made. Three Hundred of Muscovado or Brown makes One Hundred of White. Accordingly the Subsidy Duty is 5 s. on White, 1 s. 6 d. on Brown: The Impost Duty 7 s. on White, 2 s. 4 d. on Brown; so it's Three for One at least; and consequently one Ship of White brings the Lading of three of Brown: And is this the way to maintain Nurseries for our Seamen? Have we any that may be properly called so, besides the Plantations and Newcastle? For that of Newfound-Land is lost, but how is not our business to treat of here; lamented it is, but prevented would have been better.  
If the Maxim of Production abroad and Manufacture at home that the most politic Governments ever kept close to be not enjoined here, possibly we may have half a Score Weavers go to the Plantations and buy Negroes, and wove the Cotton-Wool upon the Place, the Tobacco Strippers and Cutters go to Virginia and follow their Functions there, and so lessen the( occasion of Shipping and) Custom; and how far the Evils that attend Presidents in this nature may grow, who knows? Many Thousands of Families have now a Livelihood and dependence on Refining of Sugars, and those Manufactures, that through these Mischiefs must perish. Its an ordinary Charge when Sugar-Houses in full work to expend one House with another 1000 l. which is 50000 l. per an. throughout the Kingdom; few Trades but either depend on, or are benefited by them.  
By all which it's seen the Nation's, Plantation's, and Refiner's Interest is one and entire, all Advantages circulating evenly through them; and that of the Clayers, a Worm at the Root preying upon all Three: And shall all these Interests be sacrificed to the Interest of a few already over-grown rich Men? For what concerns the Revenue in the Refiners Draw-back upon Sugars, its a perfect plain Bargain of 20 per cent. profit to the King; the King gives the Refiner 7 s. to save himself 9 s. 3 d. Three Hundred of Brown Sugar exported, draws back 9 s. 3 d. The Refiner working this, produces but One Hundred of White, for which desires but 7 s. when exported; it's plainly a Hiring the Refiner to keep the Muscovado-Sugars from being exported: And for every 9 s. 3. he saved the Revenue, the King will give him 7 s. The Claying-Plantations draw back 9 s. 6 d. and no Words made on't; how they come to be privileged thus is matter for Amazement, when the English refined Sugars are imprisoned in England, nor daring to book abroad without paying 6 d. per Hundred. And had they but this Market to themselves, it would be a Favour; but if good at any time, the Clayer reaps the Benefit of it, until he makes it bad with his Quantities, and then picks his Markets abroad, having 9 s. 6 d. Draw-back as aforesaid.  
It's evident from what hath been said, that the Interest of the Nation in all its parts, the Plantations in general and the Refiners, is interwoven and one Interest; and that the small Interest of Claying of Sugars in but a small part, as yet, of but one Sugar-Island, viz. Barbadoes, is destructive to all; and the Benefits that arise from it are so far from being public, that it only makes a few Men very rich, and all the other Planters very poor; like a when that grows out of this Political Body or Interest, that draws all the Nutriment to itself, to the languishing of the whole Body.  
It's a common Cry, the Plantations lye under many burdens and Pressures; and 'tis too true, that in the general they do; and it's hoped this may serve for a Glass in which it may be seen, and from whence it chiefly proceeds; and if the Farmers in England have never so good Crops and yet have bad Markets, they cannot be rich. Needs must the Importers of Brown Sugar therefore be poor when their Markets are bad, as already is shewed, by the Quantities of clay'd Sugar and Molosses. Sir John Bawden in his life time was wont frequently to say, they had better bury their Molosses in the Plantations or cast them into the Sea, than sand them hither; for Molosses always sunk the Price of Sugar to a great degree; and he was known to be a Person that understood the Interest of the Plantations, and as much interested therein as most in his time.  
It's pity, since Refining in England hath been a Trade before ever we had Plantations, it should be lost by the having them, when the having Plantations of our own is so natural a means to make it flourish, and others that have none of their own do flourish by the Product of ours. But so it is, that the English Refiners have not been able for many Months to work at all, altho at great Charges with standing still, many Houses held by long Leases, some 140 l. some 150 l. per ann. Stocks Lying in Utensils cost 1000 l. or 1200 l. and these when a House is demolished not worth a third part of the money. Their Estates are much impaired already, and without Relief many must be ruined; and although Subjects in, and in a sense may be said to be Children of, the Kingdom; have their Bread given to Strangers.  
And this introduces a few Words, with respect to them, viz. Holland, Flanders and Hamborough, to which places our Brown Sugars are conveyed to be Refined; which being the Products of our own Plantations, as wool is our own Nation, might be wrought all of it at home, to the great Advantage of the Kingdom and Revenue. And it's observable that formerly before we were so kind as to sand them our Brown Sugars, at least in such Quantities as now we do, they used to buy our Molosses; Holland and Flanders being the chief Markets for that Commodity; But now they have gotten our Meat, they will have none of our porridge, and at any time when Molosses is low here, they lay a high Duty to keep it out from coming there; great Quantities of Loafe-Sugar likewise was used to be exported to Flanders, but when they found means to have our Brown Sugar there was a Duty of 2 d. per pound laid upon it, and so kept our; so that what little Care soever hath been used to preserve this Trade in England, these Instances show the regard others have for it; and the Hollanders cannot but be reckoned good Judges in the Interest of Trade: And well may they esteem it, for by it they have increased their Trade and Navigation, although with the abatement of as much of ours; great Quantities of Loafe-Sugar were formerly exported for all the East Country, Italy, Spain, and turkey, Places which now the Hollanders serve; the Train of Inconveniences that attend this is too long to recite. Returns in Pitch, Tar, Hemp, Timber, &c. for our naval Stores are Commodities our Nation cannot be without, and by this means the Dutch have them to better Advantages than we.  
Hamborough likewise, that hath not one Plantation of its own, makes so good and Improvement of the Talent of Refining of Sugar cast into its Lap, that tho but one City or Town it hath near as many Sugar-Houses as all England hath, for all its being privileged with so many Plantations of its own.  
Upon the whole the Refiners Case cannot but be seen to be very hard, and to give them such a Relief as they pray for, cannot be thought to be too much, since it will when received( although preserve them from ruin, which is a great Mercy) never enrich them; they ask but 7 s. because the Revenue may gain 2 s. 3 d. by giving it; the Sugar-Clayer, as before is said, hath 9 s. 6 d. and the reason the Refiners desire not as much as they have, is not because they deserve it not as much, nor because they need it not much more.  
And they humbly hope the honourable the House of Commons, now their Case being known, will take notice in what Interest they stand, and provide for it as it relates to a public and an universal Good to the Kingdom, and that many renowned Patriots will take up a destitute, though a good Cause, and promote it, against the Designs of its few, tho mighty, Opposers; many of whom seemed to have some relenting a little while ago, and promised to assist the Refiners to procure some Relief, and for that end their Petition was presented to the House, in the body of which they own the Plantations aggrieved through the Pressures of the Refiners.  
It was upon this Petition that a Committee was apppointed; and that it is not followed, proceeds from the Resolves of some Gentlemen, who by this may be seen to be as bad Friends to the Plantations, as they have ever been to the Refiners, and their opposing them in a Relief that will no way prejudice them if granted, is a demonstration that the opportunity presenting, of the Refiners being down, 'tis their time to keep them so. But all that hath been offered is humbly submitted to the honourable House of Commons, desiring nothing more, than that which makes most for a public Interest may only be encouraged and promoted.  
FINIS.