The Maintenance of Free Trade [25]
for all the afore-said inconveniencies, it is most necessary to examine the Defective Meanes and Remedies, which have beene tried, these 350 yeeres. And these may be distinguished in their proper and severall natures, three manner of waies; for the wealth of a Kingdome cannot properly decrease but by selling our native Commodities too good cheape, by buying the forraine Wares too deere, and by the exportation of our moneys in specie, or by way of exchange for moneys by Bills. 1. First, the Statute of Employment made for Merchants Strangers, for 3 3spciall causes. 1. The advancing of the price and sale of our native Commodities. 2. To prevent the over- ballancing of forraine Commodities And 3. To preserve the moneys within the Realme. 2. The lodging of Merchant Strangers with free hoasts, who had an inspection of their negotiations for Commodities and moneys. 3. The keeping of Staples for Woolls, Woolsels, and other Commodities beyond the Seas, with the Correctors and Brokers to Register the buying and sellings of Strangers. 4. To cause Denizons to pay Strangers Customes. 5. The Sunday Treaties and Conferences, with the Commissioners of other Princes, about merchandise moneys and exchanges. 6. the severe Proclamations for the observation of the Statutes made, concerning the same, and the Articles of entercourse. 7. The prohibition to export Commodities, but at great Ports. 8. The prohibition for Strangers to sell Wares by Retaille. 9. The prohibition for English Merchants to ship in strange bottomes. 10. The Transportation of money, made fellony by Act of Parliament. 11. The attendance of Searchers, Waiters and other Officers. 12. The informaitons in th'Exchequer and other Courts. 13. The Swearing of the Masters of Ships, about moneys. 14. The Reformation of the over-heaviness of our pound Troy of 12 ounces, in the Tower of London. 15. The Reformation of the over-richnesse of our Starlin Standard. 16. The Alteration of the proposition betwixt Gold and Silver. 17. The making of more prices out of the pound Troy. 18. The inhauncing of Silver and Gold Coynes in price. 19. The imbasing of money by Allay of Copper. 20. The use of several Standards, and the Reducing of them againe to Two Standards of Gold and Silver. 21. The increase of Coynadge money to hinder exportation. 22. The prohibition to cull out heavy pieces to export. 23. The banishing of light Spanish money out of the Realme, and light Gold to be molten downe. 24. The giving more for Bullion in the Minte. 25. The prohibition of Gold smiths to buy Bullion. 26. The making of the principall forraine Coyne, currant in England. 27. The binding of Merchants to bring in Bullion. 28. The prohibition to pay Gold to Merchant Strangers. 29. The prohibition to take Gaine upon Coyne. 30. The Bullion delivered in the Minte by weight, to be restored in Coyne by Tale. 31. The inhauncing of Gold, and undervaluing of Silver. 32. The punishment of the Transporters of money, by great Fines in the Star-chamber. 33. The prohibition by Acts of Parliament, to make exchange for money by Bills for forraine parts without the Kings Licence. 34. Money delivered to Sir Thomas Gresham Knight out of th'Exchequer to Rule the course of exchanges. 35. The Officer of the Kings Royall exchanger, never put in practise, since the merchandising exchange began, whereof there was two Offices, namely, Custos Cambij Regis, erected by King Edward the first in the 11 yeere of his Raigne; and Custos Cambij infra Turrim: which were both put into one mans hands, by a Law made in the Time of K. Henry the Sixt: so that all the precedent meanes, have beene found defective & fruitlesse, as more particularly may be proved, by divers Records and observations: The Coppies whereof aare in my custodie, to doe his Majestie all dutifull and acceptable service. Here we are to observe, that the Statute of employment to be Defective, appeareth more manifestly