It shall be Fellony for any that shall transport any Sheep, Wooll, wooll fells, martlings, shorlings, yarn made of wooll, wooll flocks, fullers earth, fulling clay, Tobacco-pipe clay, &c. this Act I do beleive if not repealed, will do much injury now adaies, although it was intended for publique good, for I fear it will hinder many people from discovering the Offenders, and breakers of the Law, though they were sure to have never so great a reward for it, for many men will be very cautelous, how they touch the life of a man, though they do deserve death, more a thousand times than the Theif that robs on the High-way, for a Theif doth but take away part of a particular mans Estate, but these wretches that transgress the Kings Laws in transporting Wooll, &c. to forreigners, destroy as much as in them lyes, the happiness of a whole Kingdome, and are the procuring causes and Instruments, to bring many thousands to great miseries and languishing deaths.
There were many good Laws made, for the setling the Aulingers Office, and preventing frauds and deceipts in work, in all sorts of Drapery, both old and new, which are too tedious to recite, though many of them be very necessary to be observed, for the credit and reputation of our Manufacture, but I shall only set forth, where they are to be found, and refer the ingenious, and judicial, to the perusal of the Statutes themselves, which are the Statutes concerning Wooll and clothing. 25. of Edw. 3. Cap. 4. 27. Ed. 3. Stat. 4. 50. Ed. 3. Stat. 7. and 8. 3. Ric. 2. cap. 2. Stat. 7. Ric. 29. 13. Ri. 2. Stat. 10. 13. Ric. 2. Stat. 11. 17. Ric. 2. Stat. 2. and 13. 13 Hen. 4. Stat. 24. 9 Hen. 4. Stat. 2. 11 Hen. 4. Stat. 6. 11 Hen. 6. Stat. 9. 4 Ed. 4. Stat. 1. 7 Edw. 4. Stat. 2. 17 Edw. 4. Stat. 3. 7 Edw. 4. Stat. 5. 1 Rich. 3. Stat. 3. and 4. 3 Hen. 7. Stat. 7. and 71. 3 Hen. 8. Stat. 7. and 8. 5 Hen. 2. Stat. 8. 1 Hen. 8. Stat. 11. 6 Hen. 8. Stat. 9. 25 Hen. 8. Stat. 18. 27 Hen. 8. Stat. 11. 6 Hen. 8. Stat. 9. 25 Hen. 8. Stat. 18. 27 Hen. 8. and Stat. 13. 33 He. 8. Stat. 3. 33 Hen. 8. Stat. 19. 4 Eliz. 6. Stat. and 2. and 5. 3 Phil. and Mary 11. 4 and 5 Stat. 3 Phil. and M. Stat. 4 and 5. 5 Phil. and Mary Stat. 5. and 8. 7 Eliz. Stat. 12. 33 Eliz. Stat. 9. 27 Eliz. Stat. 18. 39 Eliz. Stat. 11. 29 Eliz. Stat. 20.
Cards for Wooll, were prohibited to be brought out of other Countries into England or Wales; none were to transport sheep beyond Sea, without the King’s Licence, there was a limitation upon keeping Sheep, and an appointment how many sheep each man should keep, upon the penalty of 3 Shill. 4 pence, for every sheep more than his number.
Loss by the Poor not set at work.
And if it be as the Company of Silk-Weavers, and Ribbon-weavers say, (as doubtless it is,) there are an hundred thousand people small and great, that depends upon that trade in and about the City of London, then how many may be supposed rationally to be in the whole Kingdome, that have their dependance on the trade of clothing, in the old and new Drapery, and other Trades, which have a dependence upon, or relation unto the Trade of Clothing, and which know not how to earn a penny any other way, since that trade is in a great measure lost, and left off; but these poor people live idly, and go a begging for their bread, among which also are many children from 8 years of age to 15, which can very well get a living about the trade of clothing, for that they can sort Wooll, mix it, Spole, Quil, Pick Teasels, prick Card-wiers, &c. and which in the time of good trading, could constantly earn eighteen pence, twenty pence or two shillings a week, but now very few of them, have any imployment as aforesaid; and if I should suppose but a Million of such poor people, throughout the Kingdome, which should every one get his eighteen pence a week, it would amount to, Three Millions nine hundred thousand pounds in a year, which is so much clear loss to the Kingdome; besides I know that there are many hundred thousands more of such people which live idly, and get nothing. Since we have left off so much of the Clothing trade in England, as hath been already intimated, the evil effects and consequents thereof, I humbly desire to leave and commit to the consideration of those that are more judicious in the Political affairs of the Common-wealth, to have suitable Remedies, as to their grave wisdome and Prudence might seem to be meet and necessary, I endeavouring only to be a layer open of the sore, and refer to the skilful Chyrurgeon for a healing Plaister.
Lawes to be Prosecuted.
Punishment of Offenders.
And if our Parliament men, and Ministers of State should take into their serious consideration, the great troubles, that are multiplyed upon those that endeavour faithfully to prosecute the execution of the King’s Laws, against the Offenders, (cheifly intending thereby, a future prevention of their fraudulent dealings and threatning practices,) and would give incouragement to such publique spirited men, by some especial care taken, for the preservation of their Credits and Reputations, and their persons from troublesome Arrests, and vexatious Suits and molestations, which the Delinquents do multiply against them, by false and feigned Actions, and those coloured over with very specious pretences, but the truth and reality of their intentions and designs is, to ruine and destroy the Reputations, Estates and Families of such as shall discover them, or appear against them. This I say (viz. the countenancing and encouraging of all faithful Officers and others,) would strike a kind of terrour to these transgressors, (Smugglers and others,) that do deceive his Majesty of his due Customes, and be a great means to keep them in awe, and good order, and encourage all men to be ready to discover such Offenders, as they might any way find them out by their opportunities, being abroad early and late; and to add to this, that there should be very severe Prosecutions against such Offenders, and let them be abated nothing of the Justice of the Law, which is in such cases provided, and established throughout the Nation: for now it is a sufficient crime, (as the case of late hath stood) to be by such branded with the ignomy of an Informer, or an Informing Knave, though he discover nothing, but what doth immediately concern the King’s Interest and publique good. And by these Smugglers and their Companions, he shall be reputed and said to be, a troublesome fellow, an evil neighbour, a disturber of the Peace among friends, &c. because he doth faithful service, according to his Duty, Conscience, and Office, in labouring to prevent their Frauds, and abuses, as frequently by them practised as they can. And if such Officers in the Customes, Atturneys and Clerks, which do connive or comply with such Offenders, were removed from their Places, and Offices, and severely punished, the publique good would be much preserved, Trading greatly advanced, and thereby Gentlemens Estates largely augmented, in their yearly value of Rents.
Injury to the Silk-weavers.
I shall now give a brief description of several Springs, that fill our Kingdome with Prohibited goods, and of several Leaks, that empty the Kingdome of other sorts of our goods, which are prohibited to be Exported out of the Nation: As our Wooll, and Fullers Earth, formerly spoke to, which are by stealth carryed out of the Kingdome, to the great damage and prejudice of the Nation, and many Forreign Prohibited goods, are brought in among us, to the great injury, and undoing of many Tradesmen; as Silk and Ribbon Weavers, and other Artificers in and about London, and several parts of the Kingdome, which occasions the great decay and loss of our own Manufacture, with the loss of the imployment of the Poor, to the ruine of many thousands, of men women and children, that have had their dependance, cheifly, if not only, on those Merchandises, which are dayly Imported from France, Flanders, and other Sea-ports, secretly into this our Kingdome.