<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-06-10</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140416.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B25643">
<STC T="W">L418a</STC>
<STC T="G">816.m.14[80]</STC>
<STC T="C">R224840</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99885701</BIBNO>
<VID>185533</VID>
</IDG><!-- alt.stc G816.m.14[80] --><!-- alt.stc Cr224840 -->
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="petition">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>The Langui&s;hing State of our WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE, Humbly Repre&s;ented to the PARLIAMENT.</HEAD>
<P>OUR Woollen Manufacture brought to its perfection (in former days) was the command|ing Commodity in Trade at all Foreign Markets, which true merit rendered it the Dar|ling of this Honourable Hou&s;e; as appears by the Statutes from <HI>Edward</HI> the Sixth, to the 21&s;t of King <HI>James;</HI> during which time, the Country flouri&s;hed, Wool &s;old at double the Price it hath done &s;ince.</P>
<P>The neglect of which, (the&s;e latter times) hath occa&s;ioned as great a Sickne&s;s in Trade, as will appear by a due Examination of all Parts of the Manufacture in our Nation, where the Charge for Re|lief of the Poor, exceeds all Taxes to the King; and indeed are become an Emblem of Poverty, which will appear in more vi&s;ible demon&s;trations, if &s;ome &s;peedy Care be not taken.</P>
<P>But being now (by good providence) come upon the &s;ame Foot again, as appears by his Maje&s;ty's recommending the ballancing of Trade to this great Council. An Ab&s;tract of the Grievances a|bout our Woollen Manufacture, are here humbly repre&s;ented.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Exportation of our Wooll into <HI>France</HI> and other Parts, which by their cheap Work|man&s;hip hath le&s;&s;ened our Trade Abroad, whil&s;t the making it Fellony, hath only been a &s;helter to the Practice, and no way an&s;wer'd the End.</P>
<P N="2">2. The deba&s;ing and fal&s;ifying our Manufactures hath been a great hindrance to their con&s;ump|tion; hereby we have given away that excellent Advantage (that Providence hath afforded us,) whereby we are capable of exceeding the whole World, and &s;uffer'd the <HI>Dutch</HI> and other Nations to out-do us in Trade. And I can &s;ee little hopes of good Succe&s;s in Trade, whil&s;t there is Error <HI>in fundamento;</HI> and the &s;ini&s;ter practi&s;es of &s;training and fal&s;ifying our Goods, are the chief wheels that brings our Gain, which for &s;ome time may an&s;wer private Ends, but will &s;oon be prejudicial to the Publick; which is no way to be prevented, but by fixing our Manufactures to a certain length, breadth and weight, and preventing the great abu&s;e of &s;training.</P>
<P N="3">3. The neglect of pre&s;erving the Merchandi&s;e of our Woollen Manufactures in <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Hands, to be Exported to <HI>Flanders, Germany, Holland</HI> and <HI>Spain,</HI> who are the only true Patriots to pre&s;erve the Reputation of our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Commodities. So &s;oon as the Foreigner became Principal in our Mar|kets in Buying, he &s;oon beat down the Price, and let loo&s;e the Reins as to the intrin&s;ick value of the Commodity, which always kept a check upon the <HI>Dutch,</HI> who are our chiefe&s;t Competitors in Trade; by which means our Cloth was &s;oon debas'd, whil&s;t there was never more care taken in <HI>Holland</HI> to pre&s;erve the Goodne&s;s and Reputation of their own. Hereby we have lo&s;t the Advantage of our Mer|chandize, have given an Advantage to Foreigners to &s;ell the Native Commodities of their own Coun|tries at the top of our Markets, and le&s;&s;ened the number of <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Merchants &s;o far, that Three Hundred Pounds with an Apprentice now, is not reckon'd &s;o much as One Hundred Pounds Forty Years pa&s;t; which is not to be remedied but by an E&s;tabli&s;hment of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of <HI>England,</HI> by Act of Parliament, in the mo&s;t Comprehen&s;ive manner that can be con|trived.</P>
<P N="4">4. The neglect of pre&s;erving the publick Market of <HI>Blackwel-hall,</HI> in <HI>London,</HI> for the Sale of Cloth, according to ancient cu&s;tom, which hath been like the opening of <HI>Pandoras</HI>'s Box to the Manufacturers, or leading of them into <HI>Egypt:</HI> Hereby the Maker hath been di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;t of the Sale of his own Goods, and train'd up a Servant to become his Ma&s;ter; who to procure a farther Profit to him&s;elf out of Wool, hath brought on a long Credit with Cloth, which hath put the Clothiers Stock out of his own com|mand, and oblig'd him to take his Wool of the Factor at extraordinary Prices. Which long Credit hath been of very oppre&s;&s;ing con&s;equence to the poor Labourers, and forc'd them into the hands of Ingro&s;&s;ers and Badgers for an immediate Sub&s;i&s;tance; hath occa&s;ion'd many bad Debts to the Makers, from Foreign Merchants, from Packers and Factors, to the very great le&s;&s;ening of the Stock of the Country, and here|by (the command of the Sale of Cloth being wholly in their own Hands,) our Sub&s;tantial Merchants that paid ready Money, hath been di&s;couraged, and the commanding Commodity of our Nation, put into weak Hands, that &s;upport them&s;elves by Credit, whil&s;t nothing can relieve the Country but a nimbler circulation of the Clothiers Stock, which by no means can be effected, but by pre&s;erving the publick Market, which is humbly offer'd in a Bill.</P>
<P N="5">5. The unnece&s;&s;ary Charge that hath hereby been brought upon the commanding Commodity of our Nation, at lea&s;t Eight <HI>per Gent,</HI> which was wholly prevented whil&s;t the Clothier &s;old his Cloth to the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Merchant; which dead weight doth not a little hinder the ma&s;ter Wheel of our Trade.</P>
<P N="6">6. The neglect of incouraging the con&s;umption of the proper Effects of our Woollen Manufacture from <HI>Flanders</HI> and <HI>Germany,</HI> which in&s;tead thereof, hath been doubly charged in our Cu&s;toms, ever &s;ince the 12th of <HI>Garol.</HI> II. whil&s;t like Children we have been kept quiet with Rattles, Painted Calli|co's, Soft Mu&s;lings, and the curious Landskips of an <HI>Indian</HI> Fan, brought home with our Bullion.</P>
<P N="7">7. The ingro&s;&s;ing of Commodities in Trade, Cutchaneal, Indico, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which by the Laws of the <HI>Romans</HI> in &s;ome ca&s;es was no le&s;s than Death.</P>
<P>The Proper Remedies for the&s;e Grievances we humbly &s;ubmit to this Honourable Hou&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="docket title">
<PB REF="2">
<P>The STATE Of our <HI>Woollen Manufactory;</HI> or the Complaint of the Country.</P>
<PB REF="2">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
