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 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 .

TheCase.   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 .