A plea for the bringing in of Irish cattel, and keeping out of fish caught by foreigners together with an humble address to the honourable members of Parliament of the countries of Cornwal and Devon, about the advancement of tin, fishery, and divers manufactures / by John Collins.

The Particulars following are taken out of a Letter from Ireland, printed in 1677. viz.

Pag. 8. We find more advantage by Victualling Foreigners, than we had formerly by a whole Sale in England.

Pag. 9. You were provided by a sufficient Act of Parliament to be the only Mart for Wool, it being made Felony to transport it into Foreign Parts, and Confiscation to import it to you otherwise than crude and unmanufactured.

Pag. 20. This is not to be exported neither without License, paying both the King's Duty, and that to the Lord Lieutenant,

Pag. 9. Which is at least 2 s. a Stone, besides Freight, Facto∣rage, and Market Charges.

Pag. 20. All exported, must be first entred for England and pay these Duties, though afterwards it loseth its way at Sea.

Pag. 11. An Account is given of their Progress in setting up the Woollen Manufacture.

Much Provisions also and Goods they Ship off to our Plantations, from whence 'tis probable in time we must export Money for our own supply.

Against this whole Discourse may be raised the following grand Objection, to wit, an Opponent may insist, that the admission of Irish Cattel causeth Rents of breeding Grounds exceedingly to fall, con∣trary to the Interest of the Owners and Farmers thereof; and this is the reason why Cattel, in themselves a Blessing, are called a Nusance.

Answ. The Objection is granted, and comes to pass, because we cannot Victual our Neighbours and their Shipping, nor most of our own, nor is the sale of Flesh much hindred by Fish or Izeland Cod, for of late years little or none hath been spent in His Majesty's Navy-Royal: But a remedy is propounded. On the other side, the Owners of feeding Grounds, the Merchandizing and Trading part of the Nation, or Corporations, who bear above two Third parts of the Charge of the Government, sustain the greater wrong,

which in the event will be very prejudicial, if not ruinous to the whole.

I my self have my life in Lands in Marshland in the County of Norfolk, which tell from 32 l. to 17 l. a year, but is of late risen to 21 l. a year.

I know some Gentlemen Owners of feeding Grounds in our Midland Counties, whose Rents are fallen above one quarter of what they usually made before the Irish Act had a being, they know not to what other cause to impute it, and I have not liberty to men∣tion particulars.

Also there is a London Minister, who hath Lands in Gloucestershire which fell from 60 l. to 30 l. per annum, and both he and som•• of the Gentlemen aforesaid, are forced to stock their Grounds, and keep them in their own hands, committing the management to Bayliffs.

The Author of the Irish Letter, pag. 7. saith, That if the busi∣ness were now to tell Counties, he hath been lately assured from some in England, that those Counties that find not themselves bene∣fitted, and those that are really aggreived by this Act, do by this time upon Experiment, and second thoughts, make up the greatest Party.

And pag. 5. he saith, That when it passed, it was not without some repugnance at first in His Majesty.

The Reason is obvious, His Majesty could not but foresee some of the ill consequences thereof, as namely, that it would cause his Duty of Customs to fall, lessen our Navigation, much increase the charge of Victualling his Navy, and disoblige all his British Subjects in Ireland, which might be of dangerous Consequence.

But to restore an Union with them and at home, suppose they consent to the terms Propounded in pag. 9, 23.

Then there will be a considerable Accession made to His Majesty's Revenue in Ireland, to wit, near the value of all the Commodities exported out of that Kingdom that come not to us, and this will help to maintain a Navy, there or in the Channel; and such help is but highly necessary, for one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty was pleased to inform me, that 300000 l. a year, suppo∣sing the same constantly allotted and paid to that use, would but defray the ordinary annual Harbour Charges of Repairs, Yards,

Moorage, the Wages of Workmen and Labourers, the Salaries of Officers, and 14 Men of War at Sea.

Whereas to furnish Stores, build a necessary supply of Ships from time to time, and maintain a competent Fleet abroad, will require a far greater Sum, as hath been represented to the late Long Parliament.

So that I hope if the Irish Act pass, it shall not be perpetual, and that in the interim, our Grandees will propose, and receive terms of Accommodation with Ireland.

If the former Measures take, these must be the Consequences.

1. The Poor will obtain Employment; in other Nations they have been their Renown, Wealth, and Strength, but here on the contrary, our Shame, Improverishment, and Burthen; hence to employ the Poor, and to render idle beggarly Persons profitable Members to the Kingdom, to reclaim Vice, and encourage Industry by proper Expedients, cannot but be Subjects that may always deserve and expect due encouragement from Authority, but more especially now, when too too long empoverishments make us groan for Re∣dress, which if obtained, will be a bitter potion to our too powerful Neigh∣bours abroad,

2 Navigation and strength will encrease; and if we can be either happy or safe without Navigation, and maintain it without a Fishery, and mannage it without Pilots, 'tis well; but if not, the Fishery is of an absolute and in∣dispensible necessity to the welfare, both of King and People.

3. The Merchants, and Trading part of the Nation, will be encouraged, and are they not as Writers denominate them. The great Revenue of the King, the honour of the Kingdom, a noble Profession, a School of Skill, the supply of our Wants, the source of Employments, the improvement of our Manufactures, and cause of our Exportation, the Nursery of our Mari∣ners, the Walls of the Kingdom, the means of our Treasure, the sinew of our Wars, and the terrour of our Enemies.

4. I my self hope through Divine Bounty to obtain a good Employment to sustain a numerous Family, having met with great Losses in publick Affairs, however if not, I have cast in my Mite, and I hope a Person whose business and study hath been the Argument of Trade, may have as much, if not a greater, liberty as others, to propound how to remove the Encumbrances thereof, to the advantage, I hope, of all Interests. Hence if His Majesty and the Na∣tion, reap any benefit, I have in a great measure obtained my