Reasons humbly offered for the suppressing all hackney stage-coaches and caravans: and for inducing gentlemen to live upon their estates in the countrey, and weare the manufactures of England, and to restrain servants from wearing any other.

Reasons Humbly offered for the suppressing all Hack∣ney Stage-Coaches and Caravans, and for inducing Gentlemen to live upon their Estates in the Countrey, and Weare the Manu∣factures of England, and to restrain Servants from wearing any other.

• 1. THey spoyle the Roads, put the Countrey to vast Charge to keep them in Repair, are often the occasion of great Mischiefs to Gentlemen that travel on Horsback, by frequent putting them out of the way, and forcing them into dangerous Holes and Rutts.
• 2. They spoyle all Inns on the Roads, render the Ma∣sters of them incapable of making necessary provisions for Travellors, or to pay their Landlords their Rents, or to give the Relief they were wont to do to the Poor, or to pay Taxes, or quarter Souldiers.
• 3. They are the occasion of the fall of Rents all over England, by hindring the con∣sumption of all sorts of Provision both for Man and Beast.
• 4. They have occasioned the breeding of good Horses to be neglected, and create in mankind a slothful and Lazy habit and disposition of body, make them take no care to attain to good Horsmanship, a thing so necessary for all men to understand in order to their own and their Countryes services.
• 5. They have been, and are highly prejudicial to the Watermen, and have hindred the breeding of many thousands, who otherwise might at this time have been fit for the service of the King and Kingdome.
• 6. They greatly hinder the consumption of the Wollen, and Leather Manufactures of the Kingdome, and thereby (together with the Transportation of Leather) have al∣ready Ruined above one hundred thousand of Families, in the City and Countrey; such as, Combers, Carders, Spinners, Knitters, and Weavers of Woollen; Fullers, Clo∣thiers, Clothworkers, Drapers, Taylors, Cloth-drawers, Cordwayners, Sadlers, Trunkmakers, Girdlers, Sword Cutlers, Loriners, Inholders, Curryers, Tanners, Felt-makers, Gunsmiths, Grasiers, Butchers, Poulterers, and Farmers of Land: and if not prevented, will quickly ruine many thousands more, whose families do, and must lye upon the several Parishes wherein they live to be kept; and in the mean time those who should maintain them, are by the fall of their Rents (occasioned by the means a∣foresaid) reduced to so small a yearly income as that they can hardly defray the necessa∣ry expences of their own family.
• 7. They are the occasion of many great Robberies being committed, two or three men being able at pleasure to surprize and Rob a Coach or Caravan, whereas if travellers were not shut up in Coaches and Caravans, but were on horseback, they could neither be surprised nor robbed without greater force.
• 8. They prevent the Consumption of Beer and Ale upon the Roads, and thereby great∣ly lessen his Majesties revenew of Excise, and by carrying multitudes of Letters, abate very much the yearly value of the Post Office, to the great prejudice of his Highness the Duke of York.

For Demonstration, It is Humbly Offered.
THat a Coach with four horses carryes six passengers, a Caravan with six horses carryes 20 or 25 Passengers, the Coach alwayes hath one wheele in the horse path, the Caravan horses alwayes go in that path, whereby horsemen when ever they meet them are put out of their way, and frequently forc'd into Holes and Rutts, into which they with their horses do fall and get hurts; These Coaches and Caravans carry their passengers all to one Inn, where usually they sup together, have not above two or three dishes of meat, yet make use of 6. 8. or 10. beds. They are carryed to those Inns, though the worst on the Roads, where the Coach or Cara∣van men can agree for horsemeat at the lowest price, and have their own victuals for nothing, and get the greatest credit to run furthest in debt, which when they have done, (if demanded and the payment thereof pressed) they leave the Inn, whereby the Ma∣ster of it is undone, not able to pay the Farmer for his Hay, Straw, or Corn; conse∣quently the Farmer breaks, and the Landlord loseth his Rent. However by this means all other Inns, except where the said Stage-Coaches and Caravans do lye, are without any Trade, not able to pay half the Rent they formerly paid, nor to make necessary pro∣visions for Guests, nor to pay the Taxes, quarter Souldiers, or give such releif to the poor as formerly they used to do.

But if these were put down, the Consequences as is humbly conceived, would be.

1. THe Roads would be better, the Countryes charge in repairing of them lessen∣ed, and Travellers less incommoded.

2. Every of these Passengers who travel in these Coaches would have a Horse upon the road, many of them would without doubt ride with a servant, some with two or three, which now travel either without men, or with a boy only behind the Coach; by this means there would be thirty at least, if not forty or fifty horses on the road, in∣stead of the ten which drawes the Coach or Caravan.

3. These Travellers would disperse themselves into the several Inns on the Roads, each man where he could find best Accommodations, and thereby Trade would be de∣fused, Inholders encouraged to provide Accommodations for their Guests, and to pay their ancient Rents unto their Landlords.

4. Most of these Horses would go to grass in Summer time, which would greatly raise the Rents of Pasture Lands about great towns, which though formerly bare a great price, yet since these Coaches were set up, are but of little valew.

5. It would occasion the consumption of at least ten times as much Hey, Straw and Corn, that now is consumed, whereby Farmers would have a vent for their Com∣modities and raise money to pay their Rents, and this appears very plain if it be con∣sidered.

That not only will there be four times as many Horses travelling upon the Roades as are now, but then in the City of London, and in all great Towns in England, there would be great numbers of good Horses kept, not only by Merchants and other Tradesmen and Gentlemen for their own uses, but several, as formerly, would keep Stables of good horses to Lett, which men may hire cheaper then they pay for their passage in Coaches, and by this means would a vast quantity of horse∣meat be consumed.

6. These Travellers on the Roads would have twenty dishes of meat at least, some of them two or three, and by this means would be consumed Ten times the quantity of Beef, Veal, Mutton Lamb, and all sorts of Fish, Foule, Poultry; and other Provisions that is now consumed, which will raise the price of them, and Gentlemens servants would drink Beer and Ale upon the Roads, which will help off with the Countrey Barley, and encrease the Revenue of Excise.

7. All these Travellers (if men) must have Boots, Spurrs, Saddles, Bridles, Saddle and horse cloathes; most of them would have Swords and Belts, Pormantues, many of them Pistols and Holsters, and all of them good Cloaks, Coats, riding Stockings and Hats, to keep out the weather. If women, they would have side Saddles, or Pillions, Bridles, Safeguards and Hoods, and many other Accouterments Laced or Imbroydered wherby the makers of all these things (above one hundred thousand whereof, who li∣ved well, consumed four or five joynts of meat every week in each of their Families, and releived others, but now are reduced to beggary) would be set at work again and provide as formerly for their Families, and help consume the Manufacturies and Pro∣visions of the Kingdome, and prevent Forreigners growing Rich by Manufacturing Leather, one of our Staple Commodities, which till within these few years was Fello∣ny to Transport; and then Forreigners, who could not be without Boots, Shoes, Sad∣dles, Portmantues, Holsters, Hatcases, Trunks, and many other things made of Lea∣ther, had them from hence Manufactured, by the making whereof, above fourscore thousand Handicraft Tradesmen get livelyhoods; nor had there been any need of pas∣sing an Act to Transport Leather unmanfactured, if it had not been that these Coaches prevented the consumption that formerly was, of Boots, Saddles, Portmantues, Hat-cases, &c. But for want of the consumption that formerly was, before these Coaches were set up, Hydes bare so small a price that it was thought fit to transport Leather. The sad consequence whereof is, that all our Handicraft Tradesmen are undone, for now Forreigners buy up the best of our Leather, transport it and manufacture it abroad, whereby they grow Rich, and will carry out nothing that is Manufactured here, so that we are impoverished, for now instead of carrying out five hundred pounds worth of Leather as we did formerly, when it was Manufactured here, they now carry out but one hundred pounds worth unmanufactured and manufacture it themselves, whereby they get four hundred pounds, which our Tradesmen not only lose, but for want of getting are ready to starve.

And if it be true, as most certainly it is, that we do carry out but one hundred pounds instead of five hundred pounds formerly exported, and yet import five hundred pounds worth of Forraign Goods as we used to do, when we carryed out our Leather Manu∣factured as aforesaid; then must it needs follow, that we pay four hundred pounds in ready money, which formerly we paid in work, and that not only impoverisheth our Tradesmen, but exhausts the Treasure of the Kingdome, and makes not only Forrain Manufactures rich, by getting what we might earn here, but forraign Kingdomes Rich by having so much of our money to pay their Manufactures with. Now if these Coa∣ches were down, Leather should not need to be Transported unmanufactured, and then must Forraigners have all from England manufactured as formerly they had, insomuch that till of late, all our old Boots, and Shoes were bought up, mended and sent beyond Seas; but now the quite contrary, for forraigners transport Leather unmanufactured, Manufacture it there, and import it back when Manufactured, to almost the total de∣struction of the trade of our English Manufacturers.

8. If these Coaches were down, all Gentlemen would be encouraged to breed good Horses for the service of the Kingdome, which may (if not in time taken care of) be wanting, great numbers being of late years transported beyond the Seas, and little care taken for breeding of others, because Gentlemen ride little themselves; but if they had not this effeminate kind of travelling to trust unto, they would use themselves unto riding, and take care to breed good horses for their own use, and be fit and able

for to serve His Majesty and the Kingdome, if occasion require the same.

And it would prevent their so frequent travelling from home, whereby they would be more in the Countrey amongst their Tenants, live and spend their Rents amongst them, take off their Provisions, we are their Manufactures, sit at work and releive the Poor, keep the money in the countrey circulating amongst their Tenants, that now is drawn up to London and spent here in gay clothes and Treats; and by this means their affairs would be more carefully manag'd, great expences prevented, the provision in the Countrey consumed, and their Rents encreased and be well paid.

9. If these were down, then would many thousands of Watermen be bred, which have been hindred by Stage-Coaches, which go to every town between Graves End and Hendly, on both sides the River, and carry those Passengers (that before they set up) were Oare or S••uller fares, and so discourage the Watermen that are bred, and been the occasion of laying aside Barges, by bringing and carrying the Passengers bundles and small parcels that they used to bring and carry.

10. If these Coaches were down, then would those Letters they carry, go by Post, which by computation, may raise that part of his Highness the Duke of York's Revenue 5000 l. per annum.

11. If these were down, Travellers would ride on horsback, and thereby prevent many Robberies now committed by reason of there being shut up into Coaches and Caravans, so that two or three men may surprise a Coach at pleasure.

12. It would prevent the Ruine of the four hundred Hackney Coachmen about the town, who are Licenced, pay five pound per annum a piece for their Licences, are under Rules, lyable to punishment for breach of the Law made for their government, yet are undone by those who keep Stage-Coaches, they coming out in the night and taking their work from them, eat the bread out of their mouthes, and yet are not Licen∣ced, nor pay any thing towards the breaking up the Streets, by which means the streets are more broken and annoyed then before the Act for setling the number of 400. was made, when as if these were down, Hackney Caoches would be often hired into the Countrey, and so the streets would be emptier of them, and not so much broken by them.

To conclude, there is hardly a Trade or Tradesman that is not one way or other hurt by these Coaches, nor is there a Gentleman, if he truly and seriously consider his interest, but is preju∣diced infinitly beyond the advantage he pleaseth himself with the having by travelling in these Coaches, considring that if he save five pound a journey once or twice a year, he by the lowe∣ring the prices of commodities, hindring the consumption of them, destroying the many trades and tradesmen aforesaid, hath brought down his Rents a third penny already, and if some remedy be not found out must speedily abate more, and yet have his charge increased upon him by expences in London and mayntaining, the poor tradesmen and their families who are ruined by means as aforesaid, when as if these things were remedied, Stage-Coaches put down, and Gentlemen would live upon their Estates, and encourage the poor by wearing the Ma∣nufacturyes of the Kingdome, and keeping good houses, commodities would be consumed, Rents raised, the charge of maintaining the poor taken off, the Handicrafts Tradesmen be employed, and all poor set at work and inriched, and Foreigners growing rich by Manufacturing our Staple commodities be prevented, the Kings revenue would be encreased, and the safety of the King and Kingdome provided for; Watermen and horses would be bred, and the Subjects would be in a capacity not only to live handsomely, but chearfully to contribute towards ray∣sing money to pay the debts and defray the charge of the Kingdome, and the Gentry will endear themselves with their tenants and Countrymen.