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The free Importation of Forrein Goods into England, may better, more safely and convenient∣ly encrease Riches in England, than in France or the Ʋnited Netherlands.
8 Ax. 3. For things may be better, more conveniently and safely done, where the places are better, more convenient and safe.
41 Pet. 3. But the Ports of England are more better, and more convenient and safe than those of France or the Ʋnited Netherlands.
20 Prop. 3. And the free Importation of Forrein Goods into England, will so much encrease Wealth in it, as the Goods imported are more.
Therefore it may better, more safely and conveniently encrease Wealth in England, than in France or the Ʋnited Netherlands.
If the Ports of England were as free as those of the Ʋnited Netherlands, Hamburg, or Gottenburg, can any man believe the world would pass Falmouth, (the most excellent Port of the world, and the most convenient for the Southern, Western, South-Eastern and South-western Trades) the noble Ports of Plymouth, Dartmouth, Exmouth, Falmouth, the famous Ports of Portsmouth and Harwich, (equal to any other, and of all others the most convenient for the Trade of the East and North-East parts of the World) to encounter the Sands upon Zea∣land, or the Rocks before Gottenburg, or to be conveyed through the Vly and Texel into the Zuyder-Sea, where they are so far from safety, that 500 Sail have been stranded by one nights Tempest? Our Ports and always as open for any Forrein Trade, especially to the South or West, as safe for Ships to come in. Theirs are dangerous in the approach, are unsafe within, and commonly frozen up three or four Moneths in the year. We have no need of the Mould of Genoua, nor take care to draw our Ships over any Pampus, to secure them from Storms in the Winter. Though Hamburg be a mighty Town of Trade; yet we have neither Gluestadt, or Stoad, to give Laws to our Trade in any of our Ports, as both those do to Hamburg. We have nothing to say for our selves, but though God and Nature never did any thing in vain, yet we have made our Ports vain to all the World, and almost to our selves.
The King was pleased about the beginning of the late
War with the Dutch, to Issue out a Proclamation, to invite the Dutch to come into the Ports of England, and they and their Ships should enjoy as much priviledge as if they were Natural-born English, and their ships English-built: But then they had incurred the danger of Confiscation of Ships, Goods, Guns, Tackle, Apparel, and Ammunition, by the Act of Navigation. They could not have unladed their Goods in any Port of England, because they were not Free-men of Corporations; they must have paid the King above twenty times the Duties before they broke Bulk, more than at Hamburg or any Port of the Ʋnited Netherlands; where∣by they could never hope for any Forrein Trade by them, or expect to vend one half of them in England. And this must have been much to the detriment of the English Mer∣chant, who either had sufficient, or expected to supply Eng∣land in his future Trade; so as not one Vessel came in upon that Proclamation. The King was also pleased in that Pro∣clamation to invite all sorts of Artificers to come into Eng∣land, and they should enjoy the benefits of Natural-born English, but if they had come, and had enjoyed them, yet all other English-men are Forreigners to the Freedom of Corporations, and so these could have little expected to have been employed in any Art or Manufacture, either for their own or the Countries benefit, being excluded out of all places where they might hope to employ themselves or others; so the success was the same in both.
And as our Ports are so excellent and safe for Ships to harbour in; so by a certain benignity of Nature, peculiar to our Country, the Rivers of England are not so Rapid as those of the Rhine, Maze, Seine, Loire, and Garrone. As by their Flowing they procure a benefit for bringing Goods into the Country to supply it, and employing the people of it; so by their Ebbing they invite us to supply the World with our Goods, and to enjoy the fruits of our own La∣bours.