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.
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.