Tobacco also would imploy multitudes of People, in picking, stripping, cutting, and rowling it, which might be wrought up either in Publick or Private Work-houses, where Boys might be imploy'd till they came to Years fit for the Sea; and when once the Poor shall come by use to be in Love with Labour, 'twill be strange to see an idle Person; then they will be so far from being a Burthen to the Nation, that they will be its Wealth, and their Lives also will become more comfortable to themselves.
There are other things which will employ the Poor besides our Manufactures, and more proper for Men, which are also equally beneficial to the Nation, such as are Navigation, Husbandry, and Handecrafts, Here if these or such like Rules were observed, they might be made more Advantageous to all.
As first let every Gentleman who takes a Footboy be obliged to put him into some way for his future Livelihood, to whom he should be bound for a certain number of Years, and no Person should be permitted to continue so after such an Age.
Let every Merchant or Trader who keeps a Foot-boy be also obliged to breed him up in Business, and at a certain Age to set him to some Trade, or imploy him in Navigation, wherein he should cause him to be instructed; by this Means that which now makes lazy Beggars would then be the Nation's Advantage; I think it a comely sight when I see Commanders of Ships attended on by such Boys, because 'tis rarely seen but that they breed them up to be useful Men, and when the Pride of Living tends to the Common Good 'tis very well directed.
Another way to provide for our Youth would be by giving a Power to Justices of the Peace to assign them to Artificers, Husbandmen, Manufacturers, and Marriners, at such Ages as they shall think them fit to go on those Imployments, who should also be obliged to receive them; and tho' at first this may seem hard, as hindring their Masters from taking Servants who might bring them Money, yet after some time it would not, when those who were so bound out shall only do for others what was done for them before; and this also may now be made good to them by such an Overplus of Years in their Apprentiships as may countervail the Money.
I allow that these Methods are more proper for younger People than for those of elder Years; As for such (who will rather choose to beg than work) let them be forced to serve the King in his Fleet, or Merchants on board their Ships; the Sea is very good to cure sore Legs and Arms, especially such as are counterfeit through Sloath, against which the Capster accompanied with the Taunts of the Saylors is a certain Remedy.
Next for Ale-Houses, Coffee-Houses, and such like Imployments, let them be kept only by aged People, or such who have numerous Families, and tended by Youth, before they are fit to be put abroad.
And as for Maid-Servants, let them be restrained from Excess in Apparrel, and not permitted to leave their Services without Consent, nor be entertained by others without Testimonials; this will make them more orderly and governable than now they are.
No Servant should be permitted to wear a Sword, except when Travelling; and if all People of mean Qualities were prohibited the same 'twould be of good consequence, for when once they come to this, they think themselves above Labour.
'Twould likewise be of great use to the Nation if Masters of Ships were obliged to carry with them some Land-men every Voyage, which would much increase our Seamen, therefore the Justices should have power to force them to enter such as were willing, and to settle the Rates of their Wages; I mean by Land-men those who have not been above three Voyages at Sea.
Young People should be prohibited from Hawking about the Streets, and from selling Ballads; if these things must be allowed they are fitter for the Aged.
Stage-Plays, Lotteries, and Gaming, should be more strictly look'd after, Youth in this Age of Idleness and Luxury being not only drawn aside by them, but more willing to put themselves on such easie ways of living than Labour.
These and such like Methods being improved by the Wisdom of a Parliament may tend not only to the introducing a habit of Vertue amongst us, but also to the making Multitudes of People serviceable who are now useless to the Nation, there being scarce any one who is not capable of doing something towards his Maintenance, and what his Labour doth fall short must be made up by Charity, but as things now are, no Man knows where 'tis rightly placed, by which means those who are truly Objects do not partake thereof; And let it be also considered, that if every Person did by his Labour get one Half Pennyper diemto the Publick, 'twould bring in Six Millions Eighty Three Thousand Three Hundred Thirty Three Pounds Six Shillings and Eight Penceper Annum, (accounting Eight Millions of People to be in the Kingdom) which would pay the Charge of the War, so vast a Summ may be raised from the Labours of a Multitude, if every one paid a little.
Nor is the sending lazy People to our Plantations abroad (who can neither by good Laws be forced, or by Rewards encouraged to work at Home) so Prejudicial to the Nation as some do dream, they still serve it in one of its Limbs, where they must expect another sort of Treatment if they will not labour; 'tis true they give no help to the Manufactures here, but that is made up in the Product they raise there, which is also Profit to the Nation; besides, the Humours and other Circumstances of People are to be inquired into, some have been very useful there, who would never have been so here, and if the People ofEnglandare imployed to the advantage of the Community, no matter in what part of the King's Dominions it is; many Hundreds by going to those Plantations have become profitable Members to theCommon-Wealth, who had they continued here had still remained idle Drones; now they raise Sugar, Cotten, Tobacco, and other things, which imploy Saylors abroad, and Manufacturers at Home, all which being the Product of Earth and Labour I take to be the Wealth of the Nation.
The Imployment of Watermen on theRiver Thamesbreeds many Saylors, and it were good to keep them still fill'd with Apprentices; also the Imployment of Bargemen, Lighter-men, and Trow-men, both on that and other Rivers does the same, who should be encouraged to breed up Landmen, and fit them for the Sea.
Confining the Importation of Sugars from the Plantations toMuscovadoeswould give Life to our Refining Houses at Home, so would prohibiting (as much as may be) the Shipping thither things unwrought give Encouragement to our Manufactures, both which would imploy the Poor.
Idleness is the Foundation of all those Vices which prevail amongst us, People aiming to be maintained any way rather than by Labour betake themselves to all sorts of Villanies, the ill Consequences whereof cannot be prevented but by encouraging Youth in an early Delight of Living by Industry, which would keep up a trueEnglishSpirit in them, and create a Desire to secure a Property in what they have; whereas a sloathful Dependance on another's Bounty makes Men slavishly give up all at the Will of their Benefactors, and having no Properties of their own to secure, are easily perswaded to part with their Liberties; this a former Reign knew well, when the Ministers of that Court found an Inclination in the People to sell their Priviledges for Luxury and ease.
And certainly nothing hath so much supported the Rights and Priviledges of theCommonsofEnglandas making so many of them Free-holders, whereby they are encouraged to make Improvements where they have Properties, and to defend them when made, Estates raised by their own Industry and Labours; which likewise stirrs up Tenants to endeavour by the same means to attain the same ends; a Spirit great where-ever it is, tho' in the meanest Peasants, when they rather desire to live of their own than by Dependance on others; this puts them on honest Endeavours, these get them Credit and Reputation, which gives Opportunities of advancing their Fortunes, and if this Emulation went through the Kingdom we should not have so many lazy Beggars or Licentious Livers as now there are; nor is God more honoured among any than He is among these industrious People, who abhor Vice on equal Principles of Religion and good Husbandry, Labour being usually a Barrier against Sin, which doth generally come in at the Doors of Idleness.
The third Consideration is what Methods may be used to provide for those who either are not able to work, or whose Labours cannot support their Charge. Here I take Alms-Houses to be good Gifts, where they are designed to relieve Impotent old Age, or educate Youth; not to maintain idle Beggars, or ease rich Parishes, but to provide for those who have been bred up in careful Imployments, though notable to stem the Current of a cross Fortune; Such a one is magnificently built, and suitably endowed by a certain Gentleman near a great City,Mr Edw. Colson, near Bristoll.for which he deserves to be truly honoured, though perhaps he may scarce be imitated.
Another way to provide for those who are true Objects of Charity is by taking care that the Poor's Rates be made with more equality in Cities and Trading Towns than now they are, especially in the former, where the greatest number of Poor usually residing together in the Suburbs or Out-Parishes are very serviceable by their Labours to the Rich in carrying on their Trades, yet when Age Sickness or a numerous Family makes them desire Relief, their chief Dependance must be on People but one step above their own Conditions, by which means those Out-Parishes are more burthened in their Payments than the In-Parishes are, tho' much Richer, and is one reason why they are so ill inhabited, no one careing to come to a certain Charge; And this is attended with another ill Consequence, the want of better Inhabitants makes way for those Disorders which easily grow among the Poor; whereas if Cities and Towns were made but one Poor's Rate, or equally divided into more, these Inconveniencies might be removed, and the Poor maintained by a more impartial Contribution.
And that a better Provision may be made for the Relief of Saylors, (who having spent their Labours in the Service of the Nation, and through Age or Disasters no longer fit for the fatigue of the Sea, ought to be taken care for at home,) let a small Deduction be made from Seamen's Wages, and Freights of Ships, to be collected by a Society of honest Men in every Sea Port; This, with what addition might be made by the Gifts of worthy Benefactors, would be sufficient to raise a Fund capable to maintain them in their old Age, who in their Youth were our Walls and Bulwarks; but it must be setled by Law, and no Man left at his Liberty whither he will pay or no; These are generally the most Laborious People we have, I do not mean those Scoundrel Rascals who often creep in amongst them, but the true old Saylor, who can turn his Hand to any thing rather than Begging, and I am troubled to see the miserable Conditions they and their Families are many times reduced to when their Labours are done; Alms-Houses raised for them are as great Acts of Piety as building of Churches; Age requires Relief, especially where Youth hath been spent in Labour so profitable to the Publique as that of a Saylor, and not only themselves, but their Widows and young Children ought to be provided for; In this the Worshipful Society of the Merchants Adventurers within the City ofBristollare a Worthy Pattern.
And as for those who lose their Lives or Limbsfighting against theEnemy, themselves or Families ought to be rewarded with a bountiful Stipend, which if raised by a Tax would be chearfully paid; 'tis attended with sad Thoughts when a Woman sees her Husband prest into the Service, and knows if he miscarrys her Family is undone, and she and they must come on the Parish; whereas if this Provition were made, the Fleet would be more easily mann'd, our Merchant-Ships better defended, Saylors more ready to serve in both, and their Wives to let them go; but great care must be taken that this Charity of the Nation be not abused, nor put into the Pockets of those appointed to dispose of it, Confiscation of their Estates should be made a Penalty to detert them from such ill Practices.
Taxes to carry on the War.We will next consider the State of the Nation with regard to its Taxes.
When I consider the necessity of the War we are now engaged in, and the Consequences of its Event, (the Liberties ofChristendom, and the Security of theProtestantReligion depending on the Success thereof) I think it the Duty of every good Subject to offer his advice in a matter of this Importance.
Money we know to be the Sinews of War, it is that which doth strengthen the carrying it on, and I believe there are few Men who do not by this time see, that not the longest Sword but the strongest. Purse is most likely to come off Victor; we are too far engaged to look back, and if we do not go on with Vigour it will encourage our Enemy, and make him think better of his own Strength; we cannot preserve at too high a Rate those inestimable Jewels of Liberty and Property, which (if we miscarry in this War) we are very likely to lose; therefore how unpleasant soever Taxes may seem, Money must be raised, till theFrenchKing can be brought to such Terms whereon a safe and lasting Peace may be concluded; but great Prudence ought to be used in the Methods of raising it, lest the People be thereby disgusted against that happy part of our Constitution, Parliaments, when they see their only work is to find out new Methods for raising Taxes; to whom every such Act seems a new Arrow levied at them, by these it is they are discontented, and think themselves shot thro' and thro', because that under different names they hit the same Persons again and again; besides the great charge• the Crown is at in those small Collections, as any Man will see who considers particularly that of the Hackny-Coaches, whereof near one quarter part goes away for its management; and indeed few of the Projects I have yet seen seem to be the effects of a considering Head, or to be so weighed as to support themselves against common Objections, their greatest Foundation was Necessity; besides, many of them cannot be renewed, their Income being anticipated for many Years; so that for the future new Projects must be thought on, and what this will at last tend to no Man can foresee.
I am apt to think most Men would agree with me in this, that if a Method could be found out whereby Four or Five Millions might be raised Yearly with little Charge and great Ease and Equality it must be much better than now it is, and this to be a Fund out of which the Parliament to appropriate what Summs they see necessary for every use, so that then they would have Leisure to spend much of their time on other Affairs, which is now wholly taken up about Ways and Means; besides, when the People knew there was no new Tax to be raised, they would more chearfully look upon the opening of a Sessions; and theFrenchKing must be exceedingly discouraged, when he shall see that after so great Expences we come on with new Vigour, and have provided a Fund for carrying on the War till he can be brought to such Terms as will establish a safe and lasting Peace, which by the Means hitherto used we cannot expect, every Tax we have given being like the Gasps of a Man labouring for Life, whereby he concluded we could not subsist a Year longer, and doubtless his Emissaries inEnglandhave not failed to represent things to him in their worst Colours; but I hope both He and They will find that the People ofEngland, to defend their Religion, Liberties, and Properties, neither want Money, nor a Will to give it.
The Taxes of this Kingdom are chiefly to be raised on Land or Trade, the first must be eased, and what is laid on the latter must be done with great Caution and Consideration, things must be well weighed, and the Principles whereon we proceed must be sure and solid, and then a thinking Man may improve them by well-digested Notions; Trade like the Camel will stoop to take up its Burthen, but the weight thereof must not be greater than it can chearfully rise under, otherwise we destroy it, and shall by our inconsiderate Covetousness lose those Golden Eggs it every day would bring us.
Another thing to be consider'd in the laying a Tax is, that the Poor bear little or none of the Burthen, their Province being more properly to labour and fight than pay; He that gets his Money by the Sweat of his Brows parts not from it without much Remorse and Discontent, and when all is done, 'tis but a little they pay, therefore Taxes that light heavy on them (such as Chimney-Money, and oftentimes a Poll) tend rather to unhinge than assist the Government, by disgusting such a number of robust and hardy Men as carry a great personal Ballance in the Kingdom, and may be apt when they think themselves opprest to joyn with any for a present Relief, not being well able to foresee the Consequences of things at a distance.
Great Care should also be taken of our Manufactures and Manufacturers, that they be not opprest.
A general Excise cannot do well, for besides the great Charge and Oppression of Officers, it shews no Respect to the Poor, but they pay more than the Wealthiest of their Neighbours suitable to what they have; for though a rich Man spends more in excisable things than a poor Man doth, yet it is not his All, whereas the other's Poverty gives him leave to lay up nothing, but 'tis as much as he can do to provide Necessaries for his Family, out of all which he pays his Proportion.
Much like this is a general Poll, where 'tis very difficult to tax People equally.
But out of all these something may be taken which may be both easie and practicable, and a Project may be fram'd which may raise annually enough to carry on the Charge of the War, on equal and easie Terms, with little or no Anticipation.
In the well laying whereof these following Rules seem fit to be considered.
1. That what is laid on Trade be so weighed, that where the Trader pays he may see an apparent Advantage.
2. That the charge of Collecting be on such easie Terms as not to eat up a great part of what is raised.
3. That the Poor bear little or none of the Burthen.
4. That the Manufacturers be not discouraged.
5. That that Summ be not raised by many Acts which may be raised by One.
6. That the Consequence of a Tax be, either to remove a Publique Grieviance, or to make it pay towards the Charge of the War.
7. That it be chiefly laid on those who have hitherto least felt former Taxes, have least suffer'd by the War, and whose Imployments tend more to their own Private Advantages than the Support of the Government.
8. That ways be found out to make all People pay their Shares for carrying on the Expence of the War who are protected by it, whither they live inEnglandor elsewhere.
9. That the Lands ofEnglandbe eased.
10. That the Revenue suffer not by Anticipations.
But after all is done, when Money is raised with Ease and Equality to the Subject, yet if great Care be not taken to see it well laid out, 'twill fall short of answering the end designed; good Methods are as necessary in this as the former, and the Nation will be more willing to give chearfully, when it shall see the Publick Treasure managed to Advantage; 'twill be no difficult Task to make its Credit equal with private Merchants, and its Penny pass as far, this will be done when its Payments are as punctual; but then things must not be begun in the middle, but at the right end; we quarrel in vain with a Collonel for not paying an Hundred Pounds to his Regiment, when perhaps he receives but Seventy to do it with; nor can the Captains pay their Soldiers to the full, when the Money grows less in every Hand through which it passes; Labour is spent to no purpose about the Conduit Pipes, when the Water stops in the Spring; Errors in the Foundation are most fatal; when things are set right at the Fountain Head, then 'twill be time to enquire into the defects of the several Currents; Payments punctually made according to agreement would encourage all Men to sell their Commodities cheap, and put an end to the Abuses of Agents, Cloathiers of the Army, and Ticket-Buyers, who do now prey on the Publick; the King would then have his Money well laid out, and those who serve him be paid without dilatory and chargeable Attendances; and when the Nation comes to be satisfied that what Money is raised for carrying on the War is justly applyed to its use, and managed with good Husbandry, the Parliament will give more readily, and the People pay more chearfully; this will render his Majesty the Terror of his Enemies, and the delight of his Friends, who will then strive to outdo each other in their forwardness to serve him with their Lives and Fortunes; especially when they shall see that due Care is also taken to secure their Trade, which must enable them to pay their Taxes.
Conclusion.And thus I have given my thoughts of these three Subjects; I shall only add, that what I have done hath not proceeded from an Itch of Writing, but purely from the Love I bear to my Native Country, whose Good and Welfare I delight in, and should be glad to see it flourish and though perhaps I may be thought mistaken in some particulars of this Discourse, yet I believe few will disagree with me in the Foundation, that the Interest ofEnglanddoth consist in Improving itsTrade,Product, andManufactures; What I have imperfectly treated on I should be well pleased to see a better Pen undertake, great things have often risen from small Beginnings, perhaps this may stir up some abler Head (without Reflections) to handle the Subject fuller, which, as it may be useful to the Nation, so I should read it with great Delight for if theTradeofEnglandthrives, it answers my end, and I care not who proposes the Methods.