Essays on trade and navigation in five parts / by Sir Francis Brewster, Kt.

Reasons humbly offered for Establishing by Charter, Hospitals and Working-Schools.

1. THey will ease the Nation of a Charge and Burthen: The Charge is upon the Parish in breeding up the Children, and the Burthen is having Streets fill'd with Beg∣gars in their Old Age; for such usually are so, that are bred to no Trades in their Youth.

2. These Schools will add to the Nation in their Trade and Manufactories, more than Twenty thousand Persons a Year, allowing but Two out of a Parish, with such as may be supposed will be put in by particular persons, that may think a Child well disposed of, for a small Sum to be taught a Trade, and have a Stock at going out to set up with.

They will not only add to the Nation so many as come from the Parishes, but they will produce another Generation by Marriages: Whereas the Poor bred to no Employment, seldom do more than waste away their Life in a single condition.

3. These Hospitals and Schools breeding up Numbers in the Linnen-Manufactory, will in∣vite over Foreigners to settle in the same Em∣ployment; for that it is a Maxim in Trade and Manufactory, That where there are but few employ'd, they will be found too many; and where there are great numbers, they may be thought too few.

4. These Hospitals and Schools for Linnen will by themselves and their Increase settle such a Manufactory of Linnen as will not on∣ly

prevent the great Sums of Money that go out of the Nation, but also bring in Money for several sorts of Linnen; they will soon arrive to that Perfection which can never be introduc'd by the Methods now taken.

5. There seems not a more certain way for raising the Rents of Lands and Houses, than advancing the Poor, and increasing of People and Trade; both which will certainly arise from these Schools and Hospitals.

6. These Hospitals and Working-Schools will exceed not only all the Charitable Works of this Kingdom, but may be thought above any in Europe. Former Charities seldom ex∣ceed present Provision for the Poor, and that only to keep them so; but by this there will be raised of them which are now the Disease of the Nation, a Useful and Industrious Peo∣ple: It is reasonable to believe they will be in their spreading forth in the Kingdom, Exam∣ples of Sobriety and Industry; for that they will be strangers to the common Vices of this Age, and know nothing but what they are bred up to in their Schools.

And that this Great Work may not mis∣carry, as Publick Stocks and Manufactories al∣ways do,

It is humbly proposed, That a Charter may be given to such as will undertake so good a Work; and that they may have such Encou∣ragement as may give them a Prospect of Ad∣vantage, without which the Undertaking can∣not succeed; for that it is a mixt Underta∣king, a Manufactory and an Hospital; the

first to support the latter, and that with such Benefit to the Nation as might be wish'd, tho at the Purchase of a National Fund: But here is nothing desired for the Maintenance of all the Poor Children of the Nation, for that the Ten Pounds to be paid by the Parish will not answer the Charge of Building and Furnishing the Houses; and that for a Fund to raise so much apiece when they go out, will not come to any Proportion of what must be paid in Fourteen Years. So that in truth the entire Success of this Affair rests on the Manage∣ment and Stock of the Undertakers.

Thus far went the Propositions and Reasons for it, which to me appear'd without excepti∣on, tho perhaps according to the unhappy humour of this Age some may be against it, if there appears any Advantage to the Under∣takers; which is in my opinion a pernicious Principle, that hath been no small prejudice to our Trade and Manufactories, discourages Ingenuity, and hath driven many profitable Inventions out of the Kingdom into other Countries, where they meet with better Enter∣tainment: But of this I shall at large discourse in the Second Part, and here only say, That I conceive one of the greatest Mistakes in our Provision for the Poor, is, That they are not put under the Charge of some that may be Gainers by their Work.

I never saw Publick Undertakings in La∣bour and Manufactory turn to any Advan∣tage; nor do I see any reason to expect it,

whilst it is so difficult for Private Undertakers to defend themselves against the Frauds of Ar∣tisans and Labourers in Employments their Masters are bred in; and if it be so where men have both Understanding and Self-Inte∣rest united for their own Advantage, the Suc∣cess cannot reasonably be so great. Suppose Managers ever so honest, there are some Diffi∣culties that Publick Ministers lye under, which men in their own Concerns are free from; that is, Set Rules and Methods which they must observe, and by that means lose some Advan∣tages which private men can take or leave, as they find them for their purpose. But that which seems unanswerable in this Underta∣king, is, That the Proposition is to breed up Children in Manufactories, so as to ease the Nation of a Charge, and replenish the Coun∣trey with People; and this cannot be done without great Expence of Money, and In∣dustry of the Undertakers.

And why they should not have the Benefit of both, since it is not at the Publick Charge, none I believe can give a reason, but those wise men that would have no good done that any man gets by.