Proposals For Building, In Every County, A Working-Alms-House or Hospital | Page 4

the City of London may find out
a means, whereby all those Impudent Night-walkers, and Nurses of
Debauchery may be wholly removed, which at present are a destruction
both to the Estates, Bodies and Souls of many Hundreds, and cannot be
reclaimed by ordinary Bridewels, because their Labour there is only a
punishment, and turns not to advantage, to keep them there all their
days, or at least until they marry, and keep within doors.
_Obj. 7._ Some may imagine an inconvenience in sending so many
people from all parts of the County to one place, and say, _Why were it
not better to build many little Work-Houses rather than one great one_?
_Answ._ I Answer, By no means; for then we shall miss one great and
chief Design, _viz._ the maintenance of good Government; by which
the whole Family may be instructed in good Manners both towards
God and Man; only as some Counties are greater, more populous,
_&c._ they may have more or less proportionably.

_Obj. 8._ There still remains one Objection; and that is, _What shall we
do for Hemp and Flax?_
_Answ._ To which I Answer, That Hemp or Flax (one or the other)
may plentifully be had in every County of _England_: Take Sussex as
an example; any indifferent good Land, Chalky, _&c._ from the foot of
the Downes to the Sea-side, with double Folding or Dunging, and twice
Plowing, will produce Hemp in abundance; yet though their Land be
rich enough, dry, _&c._ it will not produce good Flax: But to supply
that, many Thousand Acres of the Wild of Sussex, will produce Crops
of Flax, worth some four, some five, some six Pounds an Acre, and that
kind for Hemp, as aforesaid, worth as much. Besides, for encouraging
the Planting the same at home, it may be convenient to lay an
Imposition of Four or Five Shillings in the Pound, or upwards, upon all
Hemp, Thread, Cordage, or Linnen Imported from Foreign parts; by
means whereof, we may raise it at home cheaper than buy them abroad,
and then everybody will Plant Hemp and Flax abundantly, as a thing of
course, enriching those that promote it.
But why 4 or 5 Counties should (as some have proposed) enjoy this
great Wealth and Advantage of promoting the Linnen Manufactory and
Improvement of Lands, and not the rest, I cannot understand; nor for
what reason so many people should be drain'd out of all the Nation into
four or five Midland Counties, since those Counties next adjoyning to
the Sea, ought to be kept most populous.
_But to what purpose should so much Hemp be planted?_
I Answer, Hemp is of greater strength than Flax, therefore of more
excellent use for great advantage, as Cables, Ropes, and all kinds of
Cordage, Sails, Sacking, _&c._ As also Thread for all Nets for Fishery;
for which, and other purposes, we now buy yearly several hundred
Thousand Pounds worth from beyond the Seas; so that without
controversie, there's as much Hemp to be used as Flax, and
consequently the Hemp-Mill may be as useful as the
Spinning-Instrument.
Having, we hope, satisfactorily Answered all Material Objections

against the main Body of this Design, it remains to consider of the
Order and Method of Governing these great Families or Corporations;
but the Particulars thereof we leave to the deeper Wisdom and judicious
Care of Authority; only in general propose,
1. That for the better encouragement and support of so many poor
people labouring in so profitable a Manufactory, each Alms-house be
provided with and allowed a publick Granary, for stocking themselves
with Corn when it is cheapest, against the time of Dearth; a priviledge
we conceive not to be so properly advisable for other Companies or
Handicrafts (as some propose and desire) because that would always
keep Corn too cheap, and consequently undo the Tenant, or Landlord,
or both: For what makes Wheat as often at 4s. a Bushel (under which it
is known the Farmer cannot live) as at 2 s. 6 d. but because all people
in the Nation that have occasion, must buy of the Land-Occupiers at the
same time when it is scarce? But by such general Granaries the hopes
of 4 s. per Bushel will be banisht the Markets; but in our case painful
Husbandry, that ancient Employment may well allow Granaries, both
because this Manufactory and Design eases their Charge to the poor,
and is of more advantage to the Publick, than some 20 Trades besides;
and particularly, because it helps to improve their Lands by Flax and
Hemp, that now they need not so much relie upon Corn for raising their
Rent: Besides, if other other overstockt Trades want Bread, let them
quit their Station, and come to Weaving, and then they may enjoy the