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<DATE>2014-10-06</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch Z140412.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="B24650">
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<BIBNO T="umi">99831908</BIBNO>
<VID>206620</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE INTEREST OF THE NATION, As it re&s;pects all the Sugar-Plantations ABROAD, And <HI>Refining of Sugars</HI> At Home, Truly STATED; And Humbly offered to the Honorable Hou&s;e of <HI>Commons.</HI></P>
<P><HI>London:</HI> Printed by <HI>B. Motte,</HI> 1691.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="statement">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>The Intere&s;t of the <HI>Nation,</HI> the <HI>Sugar Plantations,</HI> and the <HI>Refiners</HI> of <HI>Sugars,</HI> &s;tated.</HEAD>
<P>IT is ob&s;ervable how indu&s;triou&s;ly bu&s;ie &s;ome have been in mi&s;repre&s;enting the <HI>true Intere&s;ts</HI> of the <HI>Plantations,</HI> when 'tis &s;o frequently ob|jected, that a Relief to the <HI>Refiners</HI> by a Draw-back will be injurious to the &s;aid <HI>Plantations:</HI> To ob|viate &s;uch Impo&s;itions, wherever they have obtained; it will be nece&s;&s;ary here to &s;hew, that the Relief the <HI>Refiners</HI> do crave is of as great U&s;e and Advantage to <HI>them,</HI> as to the <HI>Refiners.</HI> And although a Petition now in the Hou&s;e of Commons, from tho&s;e con|cerned in all the <HI>Sugar-Plantations,</HI> and which import <HI>Brown Sugars</HI> only, being the fir&s;t Product, a&s;&s;erting the &s;ame, puts it out of all doubt; yet it will not be ami&s;s to &s;hew wherefore it is &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Refining</HI> of Sugars in <HI>England</HI> is now brought to &s;o low an ebb, that the Que&s;tion is, Shall it be de&s;troy|ed or continued? If de&s;troyed, where will the <HI>Brown</HI> or <HI>Mu&s;covado</HI> Importers &s;ell their Sugars? <HI>Jamaica, Nevis, Antegoa, Mon&s;errat,</HI> S. <HI>Chri&s;topher,</HI> and at lea&s;t four parts of five in <HI>Barbadoes</HI> are all &s;uch. If take|ing
<PB N="4" REF="3"> away a Draw-back, they have for exporting to Foreigners, be &s;uch a Hard&s;hip upon them, being by that confined, as they &s;ay, to <HI>England</HI> only for a Market; will their being de&s;titute of a Market at all in <HI>England,</HI> and forced to &s;eek and depend upon a foreign Market alone, help them? But the <HI>Refiner</HI> de&s;ires only to be enabled to make this a better, and &s;o a Market of choice for them, and leave them their Draw-back and a Liberty thereby to take any other, when this plea&s;es them not. Can they contrive better for them&s;elves than to multiply Buyers? And that there &s;hould be contending between <HI>England</HI> and fo|reign Markets who &s;hall give mo&s;t for their <HI>Sugars.</HI></P>
<P>By many Arguments, more than is needful here to u&s;e, it's evident there's an union of Intere&s;ts, and in&s;eparable, without prejudicing both, the one as a Seller, the other as a Buyer; they draw one Breath, live and dye together. How comes it then that many whom it concerns to be truly informed are thus abu&s;ed?</P>
<P>To di&s;cover this, it may be ob&s;erved, there is ano|ther Intere&s;t not amounting in number to a fourth part of but one I&s;land, <HI>viz. Barbadoes,</HI> that clay their <HI>Sugars.</HI> The Heads of this Intere&s;t, though &s;mall in Number, are great in Figure, and imployed where they are mo&s;t capable to manage a little and private Intere&s;t to great Advantages. They a&s;&s;ume the Care of the Welfare of all the <HI>Plantations;</HI> but it's plain that the few of their own is only aimed at, and that to the Ruine of all the
<PB N="5" REF="3"> re&s;t; for they, by brining in their <HI>White Sugars</HI> and <HI>Molo&s;&s;es,</HI> lower and &s;ink a Market for the <HI>Mu&s;covado</HI>-Importer, even to a greater degree of a Burthen than the Duties that are impo&s;ed upon them amount to.</P>
<P>We do not render the Duty as little on them; tho&s;e concerned for the Intere&s;ts of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Plantations,</HI> may happen to &s;ee occa&s;ion to make this le&s;s, and that on the clay'd Importer more, or otherwi&s;e to di&s;cou|rage an Intere&s;t that's &s;o diametrically oppo&s;ite to both. To the fir&s;t enough hath been &s;aid; the latter, <HI>viz.</HI> the Nation in its darling Jewel, the Navigation, is as much impaired already as this Intere&s;t hath gained footing, and the Growth and Increa&s;e of it will as much impair and ruine the Navigation, as the Abate|ment of the u&s;e of two thirds of our Shipping that's u&s;ed by the <HI>Mu&s;covado</HI>-Importer amounts to; for ac|cording unto the &s;tated Rule in proportioning of Du|ties on Sugar, and which is the exacte&s;t Computation po&s;&s;ibly to be made. Three Hundred of <HI>Mu&s;covado</HI> or <HI>Brown</HI> makes One Hundred of <HI>White.</HI> According|ly the Sub&s;idy Duty is 5 <HI>s.</HI> on <HI>White,</HI> 1 <HI>s.</HI> 6 <HI>d.</HI> on <HI>Brown:</HI> The Impo&s;t Duty 7 <HI>s.</HI> on <HI>White,</HI> 2 <HI>s.</HI> 4 <HI>d.</HI> on <HI>Brown;</HI> &s;o it's Three for One at lea&s;t; and con&s;equently one Ship of <HI>White</HI> brings the Lading of three of <HI>Brown:</HI> And is this the way to maintain Nur&s;eries for our Seamen? Have we any that may be properly called &s;o, be&s;ides the <HI>Plantations</HI> and <HI>Newca&s;tle?</HI> For that of <HI>Newfound-Land</HI> is lo&s;t, but how is not our bu&s;ine&s;s
<PB N="6" REF="4"> to treat of here; lamented it is, but prevented would have been better.</P>
<P>If the Maxim of Production abroad and Manufa|cture at home that the mo&s;t Politick Governments ever kept clo&s;e to be not enjoyn'd here, po&s;&s;ibly we may have half a Score Weavers go to the <HI>Plantations</HI> and buy Negroes, and weave the Cotton-Wool up|on the Place, the Tobacco Strippers and Cutters go to <HI>Virginia</HI> and follow their Functions there, and &s;o le&s;&s;en the (occa&s;ion of Shipping and) Cu&s;tom; and how far the Evils that attend Pre&s;idents in this nature may grow, who knows? Many Thou&s;ands of Fami|lies have now a Livelihood and Dependance on <HI>Refin|ing</HI> of <HI>Sugars,</HI> and tho&s;e Manufactures, that through the&s;e Mi&s;chiefs mu&s;t peri&s;h. Its an ordinary Charge when Sugar-Hou&s;es in full work to expend one Hou&s;e with another 1000 <HI>l.</HI> which is 50000 <HI>l. per an.</HI> through|out the Kingdom; few Trades but either depend on, or are benefited by them.</P>
<P>By all which it's &s;een the <HI>Nation</HI>'s, <HI>Plantation</HI>'s, and <HI>Refiner</HI>'s Intere&s;t is one and entire, all Advanta|ges circulating evenly through them; and that of the <HI>Clayers,</HI> a Worm at the Root preying upon all Three: And &s;hall all the&s;e Intere&s;ts be &s;acrificed to the Inter|e&s;t of a few already over-grown rich Men? For what concerns the Revenue in the <HI>Refiners</HI> Draw-back upon <HI>Sugars,</HI> its a perfect plain Bargain of 20 <HI>per cent.</HI> profit to the King; the King gives the <HI>Refiner</HI> 7 <HI>s.</HI>
<PB N="7" REF="4"> to &s;ave him&s;elf 9 <HI>s.</HI> 3 <HI>d.</HI> Three Hundred of <HI>Brown Sugar</HI> exported, draws back 9 <HI>s.</HI> 3 <HI>d.</HI> The <HI>Refiner</HI> working this, produces but One Hundred of <HI>White,</HI> for which de&s;ires but 7 <HI>s.</HI> when exported; it's plainly a Hiring the <HI>Refiner</HI> to keep the <HI>Mu&s;covado-Sugars</HI> from being exported: And for every 9 <HI>s.</HI> 3. he &s;aved the Revenue, the King will give him 7 <HI>s.</HI> The <HI>Claying-Plantations</HI> draw back 9 <HI>s.</HI> 6 <HI>d.</HI> and no Words made on't; how they come to be priviledged thus is matter for Amazement, when the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> refined <HI>Sugars</HI> are impri&s;on'd in <HI>England,</HI> nor daring to book abroad with|out paying 6 <HI>d. per</HI> Hundred. And had they but this Market to them&s;elves, it would be a Favour; but if good at any time, the <HI>Clayer</HI> reaps the Benefit of it, until he makes it bad with his Quantities, and then picks his Markets abroad, having 9 <HI>s.</HI> 6 <HI>d.</HI> Draw-back as afore&s;aid.</P>
<P>It's evident from what hath been &s;aid, that the Intere&s;t of the <HI>Nation</HI> in all its parts, the <HI>Plantations</HI> in general and the <HI>Refiners,</HI> is interwoven and one In|tere&s;t; and that the &s;mall Intere&s;t of <HI>Claying</HI> of <HI>Sugars</HI> in but a &s;mall part, as yet, of but one <HI>Sugar-I&s;land, viz. Barbadoes,</HI> is de&s;tructive to all; and the Benefits that ari&s;e from it are &s;o far from being publick, that it only makes a few Men very rich, and all the other Planters very poor; like a Wen that grows out of this Political Body or Intere&s;t, that draws all the Nutriment to it &s;elf, to the langui&s;hing of the whole Body.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="5">
<P>It's a common Cry, the <HI>Plantations</HI> lie under ma|ny Burthens and Pre&s;&s;ures; and 'tis too true, that in the general they do; and it's hoped this may &s;erve for a Gla&s;s in which it may be &s;een, and from whence it chiefly proceeds; and if the Farmers in <HI>England</HI> have never &s;o good Crops and yet have bad Markets, they cannot be rich. Needs mu&s;t the Importers of <HI>Brown Sugar</HI> therefore be poor when their Markets are bad, as already is &s;hewed, by the Quantities of clay'd Su|gar and <HI>Molo&s;&s;es.</HI> Sir <HI>John Bawden</HI> in his life time was wont frequently to &s;ay, they had better bury their <HI>Mo|lo&s;&s;es</HI> in the <HI>Plantations</HI> or ca&s;t them into the Sea, than &s;end them hither; for <HI>Molo&s;&s;es</HI> always &s;unk the Price of Sugar to a great degree; and he was known to be a Per&s;on that under&s;tood the Intere&s;t of the <HI>Plantations,</HI> and as much intere&s;ted therein as mo&s;t in his time.</P>
<P>It's pity, &s;ince <HI>Refining</HI> in <HI>England</HI> hath been a Trade before ever we had <HI>Plantations,</HI> it &s;hould be lo&s;t by the having them, when the having <HI>Plantations</HI> of our own is &s;o natural a means to make it flouri&s;h, and others that have none of their own do flouri&s;h by the Product of ours. But &s;o it is, that the <HI>Engli&s;h Refiners</HI> have not been able for many Months to work at all, altho at great Charges with &s;tanding &s;till, many Hou&s;es held by long Lea&s;es, &s;ome 140 <HI>l.</HI> &s;ome 150 <HI>l. per ann.</HI> Stocks Lying in Uten&s;ils co&s;t 1000 <HI>l.</HI> or 1200 <HI>l.</HI> and the&s;e when a Hou&s;e is demoli&s;hed not worth a third part of the Mony. Their E&s;tates are much impair'd already, and
<PB N="9" REF="5"> without Relief many mu&s;t be ruin'd; and although <HI>Subjects</HI> in, and in a &s;en&s;e may be &s;aid to be <HI>Children</HI> of, the Kingdom; have their Bread given to <HI>Strangers.</HI></P>
<P>And this introduces a few Words, with re&s;pect to them, <HI>viz. Holland, Flanders</HI> and <HI>Hamborough,</HI> to which places our <HI>Brown Sugars</HI> are conveyed to be Refined; which being the Products of our own <HI>Plan|tations,</HI> as <HI>Wooll</HI> is our own Nation, might be wrought all of it at home, to the great Advantage of the Kingdom and Revenue. And it's ob&s;ervable that formerly before we were &s;o kind as to &s;end them our <HI>Brown Sugars,</HI> at lea&s;t in &s;uch Quantities as now we do, they u&s;ed to buy our <HI>Molo&s;&s;es; Holland</HI> and <HI>Flan|ders</HI> being the chief Markets for that Commodity; But now they have gotten our Meat, they will have none of our Porrage, and at any time when <HI>Molo&s;&s;es</HI> is low here, they lay a high Duty to keep it out from coming there; great Quantities of <HI>Loafe-Sugar</HI> like|wi&s;e was u&s;ed to be exported to <HI>Flanders,</HI> but when they found means to have our <HI>Brown Sugar</HI> there was a Duty of 2 <HI>d. per</HI> pound laid upon it, and &s;o kept our; &s;o that what little Care &s;oever hath been u&s;ed to pre&s;erve this Trade in <HI>England,</HI> the&s;e In&s;tances &s;hew the re|gard others have for it; and the <HI>Hollanders</HI> cannot but be reckoned good Judges in the Intere&s;t of Trade: And well may they e&s;teem it, for by it they have in|crea&s;ed their Trade and Navigation, although with the abatement of as much of ours; great Quantities
<PB N="10" REF="6"> of <HI>Loafe-Sugar</HI> were formerly exported for all the <HI>Ea&s;t</HI> Country, <HI>Italy, Spain,</HI> and <HI>Turky,</HI> Places which now the <HI>Hollanders</HI> &s;erve; the Train of Inconvenien|ces that attend this is too long to recite. Returns in Pitch, Tar, Hemp, Timber, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> for our naval Stores are Commodities our Nation cannot be without, and by this means the <HI>Dutch</HI> have them to better Advan|tages than we.</P>
<P><HI>Hamborough</HI> likewi&s;e, that hath not one <HI>Plantation</HI> of its own, makes &s;o good and Improvement of the Talent of <HI>Refining</HI> of Sugar ca&s;t into its Lap, that tho but one City or Town it hath near as many Su|gar-Hou&s;es as all <HI>England</HI> hath, for all its being pri|vileged with &s;o many <HI>Plantations</HI> of its own.</P>
<P>Upon the whole the <HI>Refiners</HI> Ca&s;e cannot but be &s;een to be very hard, and to give them &s;uch a Relief as they pray for, cannot be thought to be too much, &s;ince it will when received (although pre&s;erve them from ruin, which is a great Mercy) never enrich them; they ask but 7 <HI>s.</HI> becau&s;e the Revenue may gain 2 <HI>s.</HI> 3 <HI>d.</HI> by giving it; the <HI>Sugar-Clayer,</HI> as be|fore is &s;aid, hath 9 <HI>s.</HI> 6 <HI>d.</HI> and the rea&s;on the <HI>Refiners</HI> de&s;ire not as much as they have, is not becau&s;e they de&s;erve it not as much, nor becau&s;e they need it not much more.</P>
<P>And they humbly hope the Honorable the Hou&s;e of Commons, now their Ca&s;e being known, will take notice in what Intere&s;t they &s;tand, and provide
<PB N="11" REF="6"> for it as it relates to a publick and an univer&s;al Good to the Kingdom, and that many renowned Patriots will take up a de&s;titute, though a good Cau&s;e, and pro|mote it, again&s;t the De&s;igns of its few, tho mighty, Oppo&s;ers; many of whom &s;eem'd to have &s;ome relent|ing alittle while ago, and promi&s;ed to a&s;&s;i&s;t the <HI>Refiners</HI> to procure &s;ome Relief, and for that end their Petition was pre&s;ented to the Hou&s;e, in the body of which they own the <HI>Plantations</HI> aggrieved through the Pre&s;|&s;ures of the <HI>Refiners.</HI></P>
<P>It was upon this Petition that a Committee was ap|ppointed; and that it is not followed, proceeds from the Re&s;olves of &s;ome Gentlemen, who by this may be &s;een to be as bad Friends to the <HI>Plantations,</HI> as they have ever been to the <HI>Refiners,</HI> and their oppo&s;ing them in a Relief that will no way prejudice them if granted, is a demon&s;tration that the opportunity pre&s;enting, of the <HI>Refiners</HI> being down, 'tis their time to keep them &s;o. But all that hath been offer'd is humbly &s;ubmitted to the Honorable Hou&s;e of Commons, de&s;iring nothing more, than that which makes mo&s;t for a publick Inter|e&s;t may only be encouraged and promoted.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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