AN ANSWER TO THE Eleven QUERIES Humbly tender'd, Relating to the BILL for prohibiting the Wearing of East-India Silks, and Printed and Dyed Callicoes.
| QUERIES. | ANSWERS. |
| I. WHY should East-India Silks and Bengalls be prohibited, which to the Nation are three times as cheap as Dutch, French, and Italian Silks? | I. THE Cheaper they are, the more damage they do to our own Growth and Manufactures, and therefore the more necessary and reasonable to be prohibited. |
| II. Why East-India Silks, Bengalls and Printed Callicoes, that pay five times the Freight, and Twenty per Cent. more Custom, than Dutch and Italian Silks? | II. The difference in Custom is not true in Fact; and their great Freight will not recompence the Damage the Nation receives by wearing them instead of its own Manufactures. |
| III. Why Persia Silks purchased with English Cloth and Stuffs, more then Dutch, French, and Italian Silks bought with our Money? | III. Persia Silks (so called) are made in the Bay of Bengall, and bought with Money: Dutch, French and Italians are almost all beat out by our own Silks. |
| IV. Why should painted Callicoes from India be prohibited, when we must in their Room print Dutch, French, Scotch, or German Linnens, which will cost the Nation three times the price? | IV. Because Floured, Strip't and Printed Weastead and half-Silk Stuffs are now worn, (and with English or Irish Linnen may be worn) and supply all the uses of Callicoes, and not Dutch Linnens, &c. |
| V. Why should we enrich our Neighbours by Prohibiting East-India Silks, and wearing of theirs, when at one time or other, they may imploy the Costs of those Silks against us? | V. This Kingdom (and not our Neighbours) will receive great Advantage, and be inricht thereby, and by that means the better able to support and defend our selves, both at home and abroad. |
| VI. Why should we interrupt that Trade, which not only affords us the cheapest Commodities in the World, but likewise encourages the building large Ships, which in Cases of Necessity may be useful for the defence of this Kingdom? | VI. The first part is answered already in the Answer to the first Query; and as to the Shipping, it may in a great measure be imployed in bringing over Raw Silk and other Commodities which may be Manufactured here, and turn to good account to the Nation. |
| VII. What advantage will it be to England, that her Manufactures (whether at low or high price) are consumed within it self, the Nation being thereby never the Richer? | VII. This Nation will be the richer by consuming its own Manufactures, then it will be by consuming Forreign, purchased with out Money, though at very cheap rates. |
| VIII. Why should we Raise up some Artists to oppress others? For if Spinning and Weaving be English Manufactures, so is Dying, Calendring, Stiffning, Glazing and Printing? | VIII. That the Printers, &c. are very inconsiderable in number to the Spinsters and Weavers, and some of them now are, and the rest may as well be imployed in printing our own, as India Manufactures. |
| IX. Why should we prohibit the wearing East-India Manufactures, which are so cheap, to encourage the wearing our own which are much dearer, and yet give liberty to Export them into other Countreys, where they will have the same effect upon ours there? | IX. Our own Manufactures are cheaper to the Nation than East-India Manufactures are or can be; and as to the damage they will do us in other Countreys, we are sensible of it, but cannot prevent it; (for if we will not carry them thither, other Nations will); and therefore the more need to hinder it at home. |
| X. What encouragement will it be to bring hither those far fetch'd Commodities, when we have no vent for them at Home, but must send them to be blown upon in a Forreign Market? | X. As much as formerly; when that Trade was in a flourishing Condition, Then three parts in four was Exported, as appears by their printed Books; the Bill takes away but part of the home Consumption, which may be supplied by Raw Silks,&c. |
| XI. Why should we Cut off this profitable Trade from the English, and let the Dutch, French, Sweeds and Scotch run away with it? For Trade like the Sea, never loseth ground in any one place, but she gains it in another, and if checked or restrained, take its flight, and carries its Blessings to more Hospitable Countries. | XI. If this Trade be profitable, it is only so to some private Persons, and not to the Nation; so better lost than kept. But by this, neither Dutch, French, Swedes or Scotch can be benefitted; so that the Trade loosing Ground, it will be no more than thus, the East-India Company will lose some part of their Trade in Manufactured Goods, and the Nation be great Gainers thereby. |
An ANSWER TO THE QUERIES Relating to the BILL for Restraining East-India wrought Silks, &c. in England.