Glass.Glass is a Manufacture brought to so great a Perfection, that it keeps many of our People at Work; and the Materials whereof it is made being generally our own, and in themselves of small Value, costs the Nation little, in comparison of what it formerly did, when we fetch’d it from Venice; the Noble Plate Glasses which we now make of all sorts, both for Houses and Coaches, do greatly set forth the Genius of our Workmen; besides the various Sorts of Utensils made for common use, fit for all the Occasions of a Family, which look almost as well as Silver, and it would be better for the Nation that they were more used in its stead; also the Glass for Windows, of different Beauties; and Glass Bottles; all which find a greater Vent both at Home and Abroad by their Cheapness.
Earthen-Ware.And as for earthen Ware, the Progress we have made therein is such, as may give us Hopes, that Time will bring it to such a Perfection, as to equal if not exceed the Dutch.
Silk.Silk is another Material for a great Manufacture; which being brought from abroad Raw, we here Twist, Dye, and Weave into different Goodnesses, both Plain, Striped, and Flowered, either by itself, or mixt with Gold and Silver; so Richly Brocaded, that we exceed those from whom we first had the Art; besides great Quantities of Ribbons, Silk Stockings, and other Things, not only to serve ourselves, but also to Export.
Distilling.Distilling is an Art so exceedingly improved, that had it not met with discouraging Laws, ’twould by this Time have attained to a very great Heigth, and brings great Profit to the Nation; for next to making something out of nothing, is the making something that is Valuable out of what would otherwise be worth nothing; therefore this Art ought to have been handled charily, to have been trained up with a great deal of Gentleness, and not loaded with Taxes in its Infancy, by which Means we were like to discourage it in the beginning; however it hath still bore up under all the Weight laid upon it; ’twas a great mistake to appoint Measures by Act of Parliament to the Distillers in their Workings; Mens Knowledge encreases by Observation, and this is the Reason why one Age exceeds another in any Sort of Mistery, because they improve the Notions of those who went before them; Therefore confining the Distillers to Corn only, was an Error, (’Tis true, other Things were allowed to be used, but on such Terms and Restrictions, as were next to a Prohibition) who by degrees would have made Experiments on that themselves, using it with other Mixtures, and thereby drawing from it a cleaner Spirit than it doth of itself afford, which they might in Time have rectified to such a Fineness, as to have encreased very much its Use; no Kingdom can give more Encouragement to Distilling than this, whose Plantations being many, and well Peopled, where those Spirits are so necessary, and useful for the Inhabitants, and these depending wholly on us for all things, would have caused a Consumption of very great Quantities, besides what is used in our Navigation; we have many Materials of our own to work on, such as are Molosses, Cyder, Perry, Barley, and others, all which in Time they would have used; for as they found their Sales increased, they would have made new Essays; it was a very wrong Step, to discourage Distilling from Molosses, Scum, Tilts and Wash; an Error the Dutch, nor no Trading Nation, would have been guilty of, and proceeded from ill Advice given the Parliament, by those, who under Pretence of advancing Corn, design’d to discourage Distilling, only offered it by that handle they thought it would be best received in the House; Trade and Lands go hand in hand as to their Interest, if one Flourishes so will the other; Incourage Distilling, and it will spend Hundreds of Things now thrown away.
Sugar-Baking.Refining of Sugars have given Imployment to our People, and added to their Value in foreign Markets, where we found great and profitable Sales, till the Dutch and French beat us out, occasioned by the Duty of 2 s. 4 d. per Cent. laid on Muscovado Sugars, 1 Jac. 2d. to be drawn back at Exportation, whereby they were wrought up abroad cheaper then they could be at home; but that Law being now expired, and the Parliament have since granted a draw back on refined Sugars when shipt out, hath very much helpt that Manufacture.
Tobacco.Tobacco also hath imployed our Poor by cutting and Rowling it, both for a home Consumption, and also for Exportation; but the latter is lessen’d, as the Places, to which we used to export it, work it up themselves.
Tanning.Tanning of Leather is an Employment which deserves to be encouraged, because it furnishes us with a Commodity, fit to be farther Manufactured at home, and also to be transported abroad; I know the Exportation of Leather hath been much opposed by the Shoemakers, and others who cut it at home, and represented as attended with ill Consequences, one whereof is the making it dear; but, would it not be of much worse to confine and limit that Employment to an Inland Expence? On the other side, would it not naturally follow, that when Leather rises to a great Price, the Exportation must cease, because Ireland will undersell us? And would it not seem an unreasonable discouragement to Trade, if Tobacco, Sugar, and the Woollen Manufactures, were debarred from being exported, only because they should be sold cheaper at home? For suppose the Occasions of the Nation could not consume all the Leather that is made, to what a low Price must Hides be reduced, for no other Reason, but that the Shoemakers may get more by their Shoes; ’Tis true, if they could make out, that those Countries must then have their Shoes from us, where we now sell our Leather, I should be of their Minds; but it must needs be otherwise, seeing Ireland is able to supply them; this proceeds from a very narrow Spirit, and such as ought not to be encouraged in a trading Nation; a good export for Leather, will cause a great Import of Raw-Hides, which will be more Advantage to the Nation, then if they were tann’d in Ireland, and sent abroad thence.
Minerals.Nor can I omit the several Manufactures made of the sundry Mineral we dig, and render malleable, which would be endless to enumerate, viz. of Tin, Lead, Iron and Copper, wherewith we not only furnish enough for our own use, but supply our Plantations, and other Places Abroad, the Workmanship whereof adds much to their Value; and from the last of these we have of late made Brass and Battery; an undertaking begun by private Stocks, and carryed on without the help of a Patent for fourteen Years, and I am of Opinion, it would be much better for the Nation, if good Projections were rewarded some other way, and left open, to be improved by all who were willing to make Experiments at their own Charge; this in all Probability would be a more likely way to bring them to perfection, and in less Time, then to tye Men down like the Motions of a Clock, to be directed only by one leaden Weight; of this we have a late Instance in the Project of Beech Oyl, for if but one half of the Profit can be made thereby, that is set forth by the ingenious Patentee, in his Book written on that Subject, against which I see no Objection, if the Computations are rightly stated, I make no manner of doubt, but that private Stocks would before this Time have made a greater Progress therein, than hath been done by the present Undertakers, on the joint Stock; and therefore I think it would be very proper, where such Patents are granted, after some reasonable Time, to enquire into the Proceedings of the Patentees, least the Nation be deprived of the Advantages it expected to receive, by the granting those Patents.
Clock-work.There are many other Things which may be, and daily are improved amongst us; as Clock-work, wherein we sell little but Art and Labour, the Materials whereof they are made being but of small Value; Watches and Clocks of great Prices being sold for the Courts of foreign Princes.
Paper-Mills.Paper Mills are a Benefit to the Nation, as they make that Commodity from things of themselves worth little; so are Powder-Mills; Powder-Mills.also Handicrafts, Artificers.who supply us with things for our own use, which must otherwise be had from abroad, and also with others, which when exported, are more or less profitable, as the Labour of our People adds to their Value, Things being cheaper to us when we pay only for the first Materials whereof they are made, the rest being Work done at Home, is divided amongst our selves; so that on the whole it appears to be the great Interest of this Kingdom to advance its Manufactures; Methods to improve our Manufactures.and this I humbly conceive may be done these several Ways.