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THE PREVENTION of POVERTY; OR, NEW PROPOSALS HUMBLY OFFERED, FOR ENRICHING the NATION ADVANCING His Majeſties REVENUE, AND Great Advantage both of the City of LONDON and COUNTRY, By Encreaſe of Trade from our own Manufactures, ſet­ting all Poor People at Work, preventing unneceſſary Law-Suits, reſtraining the Inſolencies of Bayliffs, Ex­tortions of Goalers, promoting the Relief of diſtreſſed Priſoners, and ſuppreſſion of Beggars, Vagrants, &c.

Saepe etiam eſt olitor verba opportuna locutus.
In all labour there is profit, but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. Prov. 14.23.

LONDON, Printed for H. H. in the Year 1677.

3

THE PREVENTION of POVERTY, OR, NEW PROPOSALS Humbly offered for enriching the Nation, &c.

'TIS a good Maxime, No Man ought to be wiſer than the Law; yet 'tis hop'd what tends to publique advantage, may with modeſty, and due ſubmiſſion to Authority, be offered to conſideration, eſpecially in ſuch Parti­culars not yet determined by Law, but additionally adapted to preſent Emergencies.

1. The firſt Riches of a Nation is the Multitude of its Inhabitants; The next Care, is by good Educati­on, and ſtrict Laws, to keep and enure them all to Labour, Frugality, and Induſtry; I will not un­dertake, becauſe I fear 'tis but charming a deaf Ad­der, to perſwade ſome City Shop-keepers and ordina­ry Tradeſmen out of their fancy, That the more there are of their way of dealing (Caeteris paribus) the worſe it is for them: But let them but look into the Sub­urbs4 (if they never were in Holland) and examine whether it be not true, That where there are a Mul­titude of People, there the Conſumption is augment­ed, and every one makes buſineſs for his Neighbour; where there is beſt choice, flock moſt Buyers. Since Wars, Peſtilence, and eſpecially Plantations abroad, have much drain'd away our People, I ſubmit it whe­ther the prudence of the preſent, or after Ages, may not think an Act of Endenization convenient for encouragement of foreign Artificers, &c. to coha­bit amongſt us. This I am pretty confident, it will at preſent not be unneceſſary to ſuppreſs the numerous Swarms of Beggars and Vagrants which in all parts abound, to the vaſt ſcandal, detriment, and danger of the Nation, notwithſtanding the wholſome Sta­tutes heretofore made; to acutate and enliven which with execution, a competent reward for every Per­ſon that ſhall apprehend ſuch ſturdy Vagrant, and bring him, or her, to the Officer of the Pariſh, where taken, may perhaps not be unuſeful.

2. When in any Nation Commodities are Imported to a greater value than what are Exported, Impove­riſhment ſeems unavoidable, for then our ready Money muſt go out to even the Ballance; whence it appears a Kingdom may be in as much danger by a great Trade ill managed, as by too little; it ſeems therefore propoſable that ſpecial care be taken to im­prove Commodities of our own growth and Manu­facture, and reſtrain the bringing in of ſuperfluities and unneceſſaries.

3. Hence 'tis conſiderable, whether the vaſt quanti­ty of Linen Cloth now purchaſed abroad might not5 be ſpared, and a ſufficient ſupply raiſed at home, by encouraging the growth of Hemp, and Flax, &c. which will not only raiſe the Rents of our Lands, but alſo continually ſet at work thouſands of idle hands (eſpecially of Women and Children, our greateſt burthen;) To which I know not why we may not add, The ſparing (at leaſt in a great degree) of French Wine, by promoting Sider (altogether as pleaſant, and poſſibly more wholſome and agreeable to Engliſh Bodies) in its ſtead.

4. To keep our Money from croſſing the Sea, I acknowledge there are excellent Laws provided, how well obſerved I ſhall not ſay, only add, That 'tis the opinion of many ſober and obſerving Men, that the end will ſcarce ever be attained, unleſs it be made Mens Intereſt as well as Duty, not to Export it; To which purpoſe an Expedient was offered about two years ſince in Print, by R. Haynes of Sullington in Suſſex: Printed for Major Brooks in Cornhill, lately de­ceaſed; To which I refer the inquiſitive.

5. If ſcarcity of Money be objected as the grand hindrance of Trade amongſt us, and cannot be ſup­pl'yd by ſuch Expedient, there want not means other­wiſe to raiſe credit that may anſwer that End: To this purpoſe the late Lumbard at Devonſhire-houſe was Erected, and in purſuance thereof, only alter­ing the Veſting of it in the Chamber of London, from private hands Propoſals have ſince been made.

That the Chamber of London Erect an Office, with convenient Ware-houſes and Storage for Goods of all ſorts, furniſht with Officers as well reſponſible in regard of Eſtate, as skilful in valuing6 and keeping ſuch Commodities, and the Accounts thereof. Upon the bringing in of Goods into which Office, Bills of Credit may be advanc'd to two Thirds, three Fourths, or upwards, according to their Na­ture; And the ſame being apprais'd, mark'd, and a Bill of Sale Regiſtred for the Offices ſecurity; the Goods are entred Debtor, the Deliverer Creditor, who may have a Bill of Credit payable at ſeven Months, more or leſs, as the Goods are more or leſs periſhable, allowing Three per Cent. which Credit he may (as his occaſions require) write off to any that he is, or ſhall be indebted unto; and has liberty at his pleaſure, to ſee and ſell ſuch Goods; which being done, before removal, he ſatisfies the Office: or if not redeem'd in the limited time, they are ſold by Inch of Candle, and the over-plus re­turn'd, &c. Nor need I ſpend time to ſhew how theſe Bills of Credit may be transferr'd from one to another, and ſerve to all intents, as well as Money, in conſiderable Commerce amongſt us, none ha­ving reaſon to refuſe or diſtruſt ſuch Security, ſince 'tis built upon a real Found depoſited in ſafe hands, as aforeſaid.

Many other leſſer Offices of the ſame nature might be ſet up in every City, to furniſh the Poor with Cre­dit (or Money in ſome caſes) on their Wares or Goods, whereby their ruine by unconſcionable Bro­kers, Tally-men, &c. would be prevented.

6. 'Tis ſad to conſider, what vexations Poor Peo­ple in the Suburbs of this City undergo, by means of unjuſt and trivial Arreſts; how many hundreds are thereby yearly ruined, and their Families brought7 to Pariſh maintenance; which within the Franchiſe of London is avoided, by that excellent Court eſtabliſht by King James P. M. deſervedly call'd The Court of Conſcience; Judicatures of which kind might be as eaſily Erected in the Suburbs, where they are more neceſſary, by reaſon of greater Confluence there, of People mean and indigent.

7. The whole Buſineſs of Arreſts and Impriſon­ment for Debt (at leaſt by Capias before Judgment) deſerves Conſideration, if not Regulation; This is certain, From the beginning it was not ſo; Nor ſhall I diſpute what our Anceſtors did to make Truſting Fools wiſe, or Ticking Knaves honeſt; However the preſent Courſe ſeems a little Incongruous.

1. In Nature, conſequently in Law: Nothing be­ing diſtrainable but what can ſatisfie, which muſt be an Eſtate either in Land or Goods; for the Body is neither ſaleable, nor eatable.

2. In Diſcretion. The Creditor hereby diſabling the Debtor, renders his Debt more deſperate.

3. In Reaſon of State. Depriving the Soveraign of his Subjects, whoſe Bodies thus immured might otherwiſe be ſerviceable in Peace or War.

4. In Juſtice and Conſcience. That a Man ſhould be debarr'd of his Liberty (the greateſt Enjoyment temporal) on a ſuggeſtion, before it be judicially prov'd that he is either Debtor or Treſpaſſer; Expe­rience witneſſing, that hardly one Arreſt in ten, but is either wholly cauſeleſs, for Spleen, Revenge, or ſome Inconſiderable Trifle.

5. In Commerce. Spend-thrifts are allur'd to Rook­ings, and the truſting Dealer is but ſmoothered in8 his own Feathers; For to pack off his Wares at any rate, he readily Books the looſe Gallant beyond the reach of his Purſe; and if his Fortune fall ſhort, curſes his confidence; and to eke out his revenge, takes forth a Capias for his Carcaſs, which proves but throwing good Money after bad; for where one crawls out, twenty are ſwallow'd up, or devoured by exceſſive Fees, and debaucheries commonly incident to Goals.

In a word, If it be true (what not a few judicious and inquiſitive Men affirm) That there is more mo­ney ſpent in England, in leſs than ſeven years ſpace, amongſt Bayliffs, Goalers, and Suits of Law, as would pay all the Debts in the Nation; If we may find a­bove fifty thouſand Perſons conſtantly in Priſon up­on Civil Actions, beſides ſhort Interlopers, and ſuch as Death delivereth from the Imprudence (not to ſay Cruelty) of their Adverſaries; what recompence can the Kingdom have for its being depriv'd of ſo many members? what confuſion and miſery is there amongſt ſo many wretched Perſons and their Fami­lies? How can our Country be without ſtore of Beggars, Rogues, and Vagrants, till ſo vaſt an Incon­venience find a Remedy? And will it not be Pity (or rather ſhame) if in one of the moſt ingenious Nations in the World for Knowledge, Vertue, and Religion, the Expedient ſhould be yet to ſeek; or if found, not put in practiſe.

FINIS.

About this transcription

TextThe prevention of poverty; or, New proposals humbly offered, for enriching the nation advancing His Majesties revenue and great advantage both of the city of London and country, by encrease of trade from our own manufactures, setting all poor people at work, preventing unnecessary law-suits, restraining the insolencies of bayliffs, extortions of goalers, promoting the relief of distressed prisoners, and suppression of beggars, vagrants, &c.
AuthorHaines, Richard, 1633-1685..
Extent Approx. 11 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images.
Edition1677
SeriesEarly English books online text creation partnership.
Additional notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A86362)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 153449)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2365:10)

About the source text

Bibliographic informationThe prevention of poverty; or, New proposals humbly offered, for enriching the nation advancing His Majesties revenue and great advantage both of the city of London and country, by encrease of trade from our own manufactures, setting all poor people at work, preventing unnecessary law-suits, restraining the insolencies of bayliffs, extortions of goalers, promoting the relief of distressed prisoners, and suppression of beggars, vagrants, &c. Haines, Richard, 1633-1685.. 8 p. printed for H. H.,London :in the year 1677.. (By Richard Haines. Cf. Wing.) (Reproduction of original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.)
Languageeng
Classification
  • Poverty -- England -- Early works to 1800.
  • Great Britain -- Economic policy -- Early works to 1800.
  • Great Britain -- Commercial policy -- Early works to 1800.

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ImprintAnn Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2014-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2).
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  • DLPS A86362
  • STC Wing H204
  • STC ESTC R230063
  • EEBO-CITATION 99895895
  • PROQUEST 99895895
  • VID 153449
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