HAving lately presented an Humble Petition to the Honourable House of Commons in relation to the Present Case , which , not meeting with the desired Effect , we are induced to believe , that it would be no inconsiderable Service to the whole Kingdom in General , as well as to the Particular Satisfaction of that Honourable House , to Publish the Reasons that Encouraged the Presenting the said Petition ; where , upon an Equal State of the Matters controverted , it will incontestably appear , how Fatal and Universally Detrimental the Consequences of such a Prohibition ( as the Weavers of Canterbury , Norwich , &c. are endeavouring to Obtain in their Bill ) must of necessity prove . For Trade in General is always free , and will never indure to be Shackel'd and Compell'd ; so that when any Nation or Society whatsoever , shall by unreasonable Prohibitions or any other Means endeavour to Curb and Restrain her , it will , without doubt , soon make her uneasie in her present Residence , and watch for all opportunities of removing thither , where she is likely to meet with better Quarters , and kinder Entertainment .

Besides by a Serious Consideration of the few Reasons following , the utter improbability of such a Prohibition ever being able to answer the great ends thereby proposed , will be fully and satisfactorily demonstrated ; which now shrouds it self under such Specious pretences to no other end in the Upshot , but the enriching some particular Persons , and most of them Foreigners , at the unavoidable Expence and hazard of the Publick Profit and Advantage .

They alledge in behalf of their Prohibition , That about Sixteen Years past there was but an inconsiderable Trade at Canterbury , in making Wrought Silks and Worsted Stuffs , &c. but that now the English Industry has mightily increased the Manufactory to the exceeding Diminution and Prejudice of the French , Dutch , and Italian Trade .

One wou'd think it shou'd be fatally Ominous to the Sticklers for the Prohibition to stumble at the first step ; for it 's beyond contradiction evident , that the difference between the Trade then and now , arose only from the Dearness of those Foreign Commodities , and the Cheapness of East-India Goods , which were Imported in the Years 1683 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88. ( there being a Contention then between the Company and Interlopers , and not as they pretend ) as can be made appear by the Custom-House Books .

Besides , 't is allow'd that the Trade at Canterbury and Norwich has been mightily encreased this last Year , but not at all upon account of the Reasons which they assign ; But from the rise of Guineas from 21 s . 6 d . to 30 s . the Dutch then taking the Advantage of our Misfortunes , upon the advancing of our Gold , came over , and bought four times the quantity of our Commodities , viz. Cloth , Stuffs , Serges , Bays and Says more than they used to Trade with formerly , paying for them in Guineas at 30 s . which they took up at 24 or 25 s . at most , insomuch that Goods bought then in England are now sold for 10 l. per Cent . Cheaper at Amsterdam than they can be bought here : And we challenge them to prove , that since the fall of Guineas , that the Dutch buy up any thing near the quantities of those Commodities as they did before the value of Guineas was abated .

Another Reason of the Increase of that Trade arises from the present War , the Government having had Occasion for about Two Million● of Money per Annum to pay their Army abroad , which the ballance of Trade not answering , was forced to send not only Norwich and Canterbury Stuffs and Says , but also Lead , Tin , Cloth , Bays , Leather , Tallow , and all other English Manufactures , all which is evident from the Custom-House Entries , so that they have groundlesly and impertinently alledg'd the Scarcity of Printed Callicoes , Bengals , and Persian Wrought Silks as a reason of their Assertion , since it can be proved that there has been more Indian Goods Sold and Printed these last Four Years , than in Twenty Years before .

Their Allegation that Raw Silks are the Product of our Woollen Manufactures is granted , but then if the Wearing all Persian Wrought Silks were Prohibited , what wou'd the Consequence be , but that our Woollen Manufacture wou'd be prohibited also among the Persians , who spend more of that Commodity than any other Nation in the World .

Thus much in Answer to the Chiefest of their Allegations , let us a little consider the irremediable inconveniencies that must of necessity ensue such a Prohibition , It will undeniably be to the loss of Three parts in Four of the East-India Trade , which the Parliament at this time are consulting to Improve to the Discouragement of Industry and Commerce , the Irrepairable Prejudice of Navigation , the ruin of many of His Majesties Subjects that depend upon it , and tend to the unspeakable benefit of the Dutch , Scotch , and other Nations , who do already Trade to India , Persia , &c. under better Priviledges , and much greater Advantages than we can pretend to .

It will exceedingly diminish the Kings Customs , ( which considering our present Circumstances ) cannot now be so well dispensed with . 't is well known , the most part of those Foreign Manufactures do bring in to the Crown 25 l. per Cent . Custom , which if Exported , the drawback will leave but Two and a half to the King , which will abundantly discourage the Loan of that part of the Custom which is given by the Parliament as a Fund for this Years Expence of the War .

Nor will this Prohibition ever be an Encouragement to the making of Silks in England , as is pretended , except the wearing of Silks made in Holland , Italy , &c. be Prohibited also , since it can't be deny'd , but the Manufactures Imported from those Countryes , may be afforded Cheaper here than any of our English Silks , because they can have as much Work done there for One Shilling as we can have here for Three .

Their Allegation that this Prohibition will open a way for the Employing a great many Weavers and other Workmen here in England , who would otherways want business , is as frivolous and insignificant as any of the rest , seeing it may be return'd upon them with equal facility , for it is undeniable that Dying , Printing , and Staining East-India Wrought Silks and Callicoes , is the constant Employment of many Thousand of Persons here as Dyers , Callenders , Stiffners , Printers , &c. Whose whole Maintenance and Subsistence depends only upon this Trade , most of whom are Natural Born English Men , whereas our Canterbury Weavers are French , Dutch , and Walloons , who make little scruple of benefiting themselves at the Damage of the Publick .

Many more Reasons might be suggested ; but from the Consideration of these few , it is apparent that such a Prohibition as these Gentlemen stickle for , is directly against the Interest of the Nation in general , and in the Conclusion is likely to prove very fatal to those Manufactories in whose favour it is to be made , since they have all along falsly insinuated the Increase of their Trade , to have proceeded from the scarcity of these Imported Foreign Commodities , when it is occasion'd by no other Reason in the World , than the Rise of Guineas , our Miscarriages in the War , and the continual demands and exactions from abroad ; so that for any thing yet discover'd , notwithstanding the hopes they conceive from their Darling Prohibition , their present Flushing Trade may produce more mischievous effects than are now apprehended .

Therefore upon the whole , since the Nature of Trade is to Exchange one Commodity for another , if we Prohibit the use of those Imported hither , we cannot reasonably expect they shou'd give any manner of Encouragement to what we 〈◇〉 thither . So that although it be alledged that the Importation of Silks from Persia , mistakenly seems to be against the Improvement of our own Manufactories : yet Considering that those Goods are brought over much Cheaper than they can be Manufactured in ●●ese parts of the World , the Prohibiting the Wearing of them here , shall turn to no better account than the making our own Manu●●●●●●es Dearer at home , and those Goods cheaper to our Neighbours , which disproportion will Naturally make our Manufactures wholly useless to them , whilst they make continual Progresses in That Trade , which we by this Prohibition shall utterly discountenance , and find it very difficult to recover it again , when our necessities shall make us sensible of our Neglect : When those in whose favour this Prohibition shall be granted , finding they have no Competitors will set higher Rates upon their Goods , and be less careful to improve them in Goodness , leaving as nothing at last for our satisfaction , but the poor Consolation of being wise too late . All which is Humbly offered to the serious Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons .