Читать книгу An Essay on the State of England. In Relation to Its Trade, Its Poor, and Its Taxes, for Carrying on the Present War Against France онлайн

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Silk.Silk is another Material for a great Manufacture, which being brought from abroad Raw we here twist, dye, and weave into different goodness, both plain, stript, and flowered, either by itself, or mix'd with Gold and Silver, so richly brocadoed that we exceed those from whom atfirst we had the Art; besides great Quantities of Ribbons, Silk Stockings, and other things dailymade not only to serve our selves but also to Export.

Distilling.Distilling is an Art so exceedingly Improved in a few Years that had it not met with Discouraging Laws 'twould by this time have attained to a great height; this brings great profitto the Nation, for next to that of making something out of nothing is the making somthing ofwhat is worth nothing, therefore this Art ought to have been Handled very chearily, to havebeen trained up with a great deal of gentleness, and not loaden with Taxes in its Infancy, likethe Hen in the Fable, we had not Patience to expect its Treasure as Time and Nature couldproduce it, but by our Avarice were like to discourage it in the beginning, however it hath stillbore up under all the weight laid upon it. 'Twas a great mistake to appoint Measures by Act ofParliament to the Distillers in their workings, Mens knowledge increases by Observation, andthis is the reason why one Age exceeds another in any sort of Mistery, because they improvethe Notions of their Predecessors, therefore confining Distilling only to Corn was an Error, 'tistrue other things were allowed to be used, but on such Terms and Restrictions as were next to aProhibition, had the makers of that Law then Prohibited Coffee and Tea to be drank in PublickHouses it might more probably have answered their ends in advancing the price of Barly by agreater consumption of Ale, and by degrees the Distillers would have fallen on that Commoditythemselves, using it with other mixtures, and thereby drawing from it a cleaner Spirit then itdoth afford of it self, which they might in time have Rectified to such a fineness as to haveincreased very much its use. No Nation can give more incouragement to the Mistery ofDistilling then England, whose Plantations being many and well Peopled where those Spiritsare so necessary and useful for the Inhabitants, and these depending wholly on us for all things,might have been supplied with them hence only, besides the great Quantities used in ourNavigation, therefore a total Prohibition of their Importation from other Nations (who makethem generally of such things which are else of little value) would be very convenient: We havemany Materials of our own Product to work on, such as are Melasses, Cyder, Perry, Barly, &c.all which in time they would have used, for as the Distillers found their sales increased theywould have made new Essays: It was a great discouragement both to them, and also to theSugar Bakers and Brewers, to hinder Distilling on Mellasses, Scum, Tilts, and Wash, a fault theDutch nor no Trading Nation besides our selves would have been guilty of, and proceeded fromill Advice given that Parliament by those who under pretence of advancing Corn designed todiscourage Distilling, only took it by that handle they thought would be best received in theHouse, which being generally made up of Gentlemen unskilful in Trade lookt no deeper into itthan as it answered that plausible pretence; whereas were Trading Cities and Towns morecareful in chusing Men well Verst in Trade in 'twould be much better for the Nation: I cannotomit what a worthy Member of the House once told me in private Discourse, says he, I havealways observed that when we have meddled with Trade we have left it worse than we found it,which proceeds from want of more Traders in the House, the places we depend on for themsending such Members as are able to give us but little Information, and so partial that we cantake no true measures of them; The truth is great Cities are to blame in this, who ought to thinknone so fit to represent them in Parliament as those who have their Heads fill'd with goodNotions of Trade, such who can speak well to it, and be heard when they speak; Trade and Landgo Hand in Hand as to their Interest, if one flourish, so will the other, encourage Distilling, andit will spend Hundreds of things now thrown away.