Some Considerations concerning the Prejudice which the Scotch Act Establishing a COMPANY to Trade to the East and West-Indies, (with large Priviledges, and on easie Terms) may bring to the English Sugar Plantations, and the Manufactury of Refining Sugar in England, and some means to prevent the same from Scotland and other Nations.
THE present Parliament, both Lords and Commons, having been pleased to take into their Consideration, as matter of great moment, the Business of Trade in general, and particularly what Inconveniencies and Mischiefs the late Scotch Act may bring to the English East and West East-India Trade; no doubt, the Persons concerned in the several parts of those Trades, will severally lay open the Damage which England will suffer, by the Scotch and any other Nations Trading to those Parts, (or in the Commodities produced there) on easier and more advantagious Terms than this Kingdom doth; and amongst the rest the Trade of Sugar, which is become so large and beneficial to England, deserves not the least Regard: For, whereas we were formerly supplyed with that Commodity from Portugal, which drew an Over-ballance of Money from hence; now, and of late we produce enough, not only to serve our own Consumption, but to export a great over-plus of raw or unpurged Sugar to Holland, Hambro, and before the War to France; and had gained a great Trade in Exporting our White [...] the inequality of the Duty, and the advantages given to the Dutch and other Nations, to Refine our own raw Sugars, and to Export the Sugars which come White from the Plantations rendred it unprofitable, whereby the Manufacture here has been discouraged; and will be more so by the Scotch Act and Agents, if not prevented; for already the Scotch are seeking to bribe and intice away our Master-Workmen, and had actually hired one, to whom the Master was forced to advance his Wages 10 l. per Annum to keep him.
There needs no Argument to evince the great benefit which the Trade of Sugar has been to this Kingdom; not only by the Riches it has brought in, and the Employment of many Ships and Seamen, but by a Manufacture it has Establish't here at Home, which employs Thousands of People, who are Fed and Cloathed by our own Product, and before used to come from abroad: and which, if due Encouragement were given, would be Exported in great Quantities, to the further Enriching this Nation, and producing many other Advantages.
It is agreed on all hands, That it is an advantage to any Nation to abound with People, especially such as are Laborious and Industrious, they help to consume our own Product, their Labour produces what turns into Money at home or abroad; and the more populous any Nation is, the stronger and better able it is to defend it self against any Foreign Power.
It is also agreed, that the means to promote and encrease any Manufacture in England, is to render those employed therein as easy as may be; and especially to take care, if possible, that other Nations have not any Advantage of us; and this has continually been the care of the Crown and the Parliament, as any new Manufacture has been set up here. We have gained upon other Nations in the Manufacture of Silk, &c. which are the Product of other Countries; What then should hinder us from outdoing all others in the Manufacture of our Sugar which is our own Product, and wherein we have in our Power the advantage of all other People? the only reason [Page 2]I think, which can be assigned is, that as yet this matter has not met with the favourable occasion to be duely Considered in Parliament; for want whereof, other Nations have beaten us out of the Trade of Exporting our Refin'd Sugar; and if the Scotch settle in any Plantation, and produce Sugar, it may become past Remedy, or by a quicker Method by enticing away our Workmen, they will at once Disable us from carrying it on. It is therefore to be seen how the Case stands.
| s. | d. | |
| Raw or Unpurged Sugar from the Plantations pays Custom for a Hundred Weight, | 1 | 6 |
| Purged or Clay'd Sugar from the Plantations under the degree of White, the same Custom, for a Hundred Weight | 1 | 6 |
| White Sugar from the Plantations; for a Hundred Weight | 5 | 0 |
Note,Three Hundred Weight of Raw or Muscovado Sugar, is computed to make One hundred Weight of White Sugar.
On Exportation of these Sugars half the Duty is paid back.
On Exportation of White Sugar made in England, a Duty is paid for 100 Weight 6 d.
Whereby it appears, that other Nations have our raw or unpurged Sugar 9 d. per 100 weight cheaper than the English Refiners, which in 100 weight of White Sugar makes 2 s. 3 d. per 100 weight difference; and the White Sugar from the Plantations, paying Inwards 5s. per 100 weight, and drawing back half on Exportation, pays but 2s. 6d per 100 weight; whereas, if our Refiners Export White Sugar, it stands them in 5 s. per 100 weight Duty; viz. 1 s. 6d. per 100 weight on the raw Sugar Imported, whereof 300 going to make 100 weight of White makes 4s. 6d. and 6d. per 100 weight paid on Exportation, makes 5s. per 100 weight: So that on all hands, the English Refiner is under great disadvantage and discouragement, which is further considerably increased by the high Duty of about 18 l. per Ton on Spirits drawn from English made Melasses. And hence it comes to pass, that Foreigners work up our raw Sugars, and furnish with White Loaf Sugar, those Markets which England might, and would highly be our advantage to supply. And it is in some degree as if we should send our Wool abroad to be Manufactured, and thence to be dispersed to Foreign Markers: For it is plain in fact, that now none of our White Loaf Sugar [...] difficulties which the Refining Trade in England labours under, for the removing which in some measure it is humbly proposed.
1. That (in Case the high Duty on Spirits drawn from English Melasses be continued) a Duty of 4 or 5s. per 100 weight may be laid upon all Melasses Imported from the Plantations, to be Repaid on Exportation; which will not hurt the Plantations, it being better for the Planters that no Melasses were Exported from thence.
2. That 2s. 6d. per 100 weight may be drawn back upon White Sugar made in England, as is upon White Sugar Imported from the Plantations, whereby the Crown will receive no prejudice; for that the more English Refined Sugar is Exported, the greater quantity of White Sugar from the Plantations will be Expended in England, on which the King has the Duty of 5 s. per 100 weight.
3. That nothing be drawn back on Exportation of raw or unpurged Sugar, which will give some small encouragement of working it up here.
4. That whereas Sugars wrought and clayed in the Plantations, (called Purged Sugars) which are under the degree of Whites, pay only 1s. 6d. per 100 weight as raw unpurged Sugars; the said Sugars may pay 1 s. 6 d. per 100 only more, which will then make an indifferent equality; and then the Duties will be thus, viz.
On White Sugars — 5 s. per C. weight.
On Clay'd Sugars under the degree of White 3 s. per C. weight.
On Raw or Muscovado Sugars — 1 s. 6 d. per C. weight.
This will encourage the Refining in England, and encrease the King's Revenue in all probability near 10000 l. per Annum, and without prejudice to any but the Scotch and Foreigners.