An Industrial Programme
| Artifact Summary | |
|---|---|
| Artifact type | |
| Creator/author | |
| Date | 1559 |
| Period | |
| City and country of origin | |
| Abstract | |
Entry
[Hist. MSS. Com. MSS. of the Marquis of Salisbury, Vol. I. , pp. 162-65. ]
Considerations delivered to the Parliament, 1559. 1559, 1. Vagabonds.-That the Statute 1 Edward VI. chap. iii. , concerning idle persons and vagabonds being made slaves now repealed be revived with additions. 2. Labourers and Servants. -That the Statutes 12 Richard II. , chap. iii., " that no servant or labourer at the end of his term depart out of the hundred or place where he dwells, etc. ," and 13 Richard II. chap. viii., ordering the justices at every session to appoint by proclamation the wages of workers, etc., be confirmed, with the addition ' that no man hereafter receive into service any servant without a testimonial from the master he last dwelt with, sealed with a parish seal kept by the constable or church warden, witnessing he left with the free licence of his master, penalty 10 l.' So, by the heed of the masters, servants may be reduced to obedience, which shall reduce obedience to the Prince and to God also; by the looseness of the times no other remedy is left but by awe of law to acquaint men with virtue again, whereby the reformation of religion may be brought in credit, with the amendment of manners, the want whereof hath been imputed as a thing grown by the liberty of the Gospel, etc.
3. Husbandry. That the Statutes 4 Henry VII. chap. 9, " for re-edifying houses of husbandry and to avoid the decay of towns and villages," and 5 Edward VI. chap. 5, " for maintenance of husbandry and tillage," be put in execution. 4. Purchase of lands.-No husbandman, yeoman or artificer to purchase above 5l. by the year of inheritance ; no clothier, tanner, or common butcher above 10 l. a year, save in cities, towns, and boroughs for their better repair ; one mansion house only to be purchased over and above the said yearly value. The common purchasing thereof is the ground ofdearth of victuals, raising of rents, etc.
5. Merchants.-No merchant to purchase above 50 l. a year of inheritance, except aldermen and sheriffs of London who, because they approach to the degree of knighthood, may purchase to the value of 200 1.
6. Apprentices.-None to be received apprentice except his father spend 40 s. a year of freehold, nor to be apprenticed to a merchant except his father spend 10 l. a year of freehold, or be descended from a gentleman or merchant. Through the idleness of those professions so many embrace them that they are only a cloak for vagabonds and thieves, and there is such a decay of husbandry that masters cannot get skilful servants to till the ground without unreasonable wages, etc. 7. Schoolmasters.-None under the degree of baron to keep any schoolmaster in his house to teach children, for it is the decay of the universities and common schools.
8. Education of the nobility.-That an ordinance be made to bind the nobility to bring up their children in learning at some university in England or beyond the sea from the age of 12 to 18 at least ; and that one-third of all the free scholarships at the universities be filled by the poorer sort of gentlemen's sons. The wanton bringing up and ignorance of the nobility forces the Prince to advance new men that can serve, which for the most part neither affecting true honour, because the glory thereof descended not to them, nor yet the common wealth (through coveting to be hastily in wealth and honour), forget their duty and old estate and subvert the noble houses to have their rooms themselves, etc.
9. That none study the laws, temporal or civil, except he be immediately descended from a nobleman or gentleman, for they THE STATUTE OF ARTIFICERS are the entries to rule and government, and generation is the chiefest foundation of inclination.
10. That the statutes 3 Henry IV. chap. 9, and 3 Henry VII. chap. 8, for keeping gold and silver and for increase of the commodities of the realm, ordaining that any merchant stranger bringing inmerchandize sell it within three months and employ the money therefor received in England by exchange upon the commodities of the realm, etc.; and the Statute 1 Richard III. chap. 9, that no stranger host or sojourn with a stranger of another country, be revived and executed. The Italians above all other to be taken heed of, for they in all times pass to go to and fro everywhere and for themselves serve all princes at once, and with their perfumed gloves and wanton presents, and gold enough to boot if need be, work what they list and lick the fat even from our beards. 11. Haberdasher's wares.-That the Statute 3 Edward IV.
chap. 4, ordaining that no merchant, English or stranger, bring into the realm caps, pins, points, dice, gilt stirrups, etc., be revived; for they are not only false and deceitful wares, rather serving for the gaze than any good use, but for such trifles they filch from us the chief and substantial staple wares of the realm, where the people might be bettert employed in making them, if we will needs have them, and then for our precious commodities we shall receive things of price again. 12. Wines.
That the Statute 40 Edward III. ch. 8, be re- vived, ordaining that no Englishman fetch or buy any wines in Gascony or France,but have them brought into the realm by Gascons for the profit of the realm. For they are not able to live two years together without making their vent hither, and we are well able to forbear their wines for ever, whereby our fine gold being yearly 100,000 l. at the least which is carried into France by Englishmen shall be kept still within the realm, and we shall rule the price alike of, our commodities and their wines, and so make the French King " afeard " to break friendship with us, etc. 13. Stillyard. That the Queen's Highness in no wise restore to the Stillyard their liberties, for they not only intercepted much of the English merchants' trade,but by concealment of strangers' goods robbed the Queen of customs 10,000 marks a year at least, which was so sweet to them that, as some of them confess, they gained in Queen Mary's time among solicitors above 10,000 l. inbribes.
14. Staple. That the Staple be removed from Middleburg, where it is now newly erected, into England, as it was removed from Calais into England in the 14th year of Richard II., and kept in places appointed by the statute 27 Edward III. ch. 1, which will be for the reparations and maintenance of the havens and ports of the realm, without the Queen's charge, which now that Calais is gone is chiefly to be looked to, and also for the increase of custom. To have it out of the realm is for the profit of the Staplers and of the Prince where they keep their staple. But rather than the reformation should come to pass the Staplers will shrine some solicitors in gold to take upon them to abuse the Queen. Merchants have grown so cunning in the trade of corrupting, and found it so sweet, that since the 1 Henry VIII. there could never be won any good law or order which touched their liberty or state; but they stayed it, either in the Commons or higher House of Parliament or else by the Prince himself, with either le roy non veut or le roi s'advisera, and if they get the Prince to be advised they give him leave to forget it altogether. 16. Licences. That the Queen be pleased after the example of the law 21 Richard II. ch. 17, to establish that no special licences be granted to carry out of the realm any staple wares, victuals, or other commodities ; if any hereafter happen to be granted, the same to be void. The Prince is thereby abused of his revenue, corruption full fed, the authority and diligence of Parliament disgraced, etc.
17. Bankrupts.-That bankruptcy be made felony, and bankrupts goods and lands sold and divided among their creditors after the Statute 34 Henry VIII. ch. -, provided that if all his creditors join in petition for his pardon he have it allowed for the first time. Where a poor thief doth steal a sheep, or pick a purse, they come away with hundreds and thousands at least, and undo a great many honest men.
THE STATUTE OF ARTIFICERS
18. Perjury.-Perjuries of juries to be punished by attaint as it was at common law before the Statute.
19. Iron Mills. -That iron mills be banished out of the realm.
Where wood was formerly sold at the stock at 1d. the load, by reason of the iron mills it is now at 2s. the load. Formerly Spanish iron was sold for 5 marks the ton, now there are iron mills English iron is sold at 91. 20. Sugar. That no sugar be made within the realm, for it is counterfeit and unwholesome ; and that none be brought into the realm but pure and simple as it cometh out of the cane. Where before it was sold for 4 d. the lb., it is now at 14d. the lb.
21. Sheriffs . -None to be sheriff of more than one shire at once; his undersheriff to be resident in his house to answer for his defaults, etc.
22. Leather and shoes.-That provision be made for the price of leather and shoes. A pair of shoes within this half year was at 12 d. and now at 20 d. and 2 s. The remedy to be had by calling a convenient number of the most skilful tanners, curriers, and shoemakers, each sort apart, before the Queen's Council. 23. That the Queen be pleased not to remit any money penalty, after the example of Henry VII., " for thereby he did enrich himself without exacting of his people, kept law and justice in remembrance, and was both loved and feared."
24. Navy. If any object against the articles aforesaid touching wine and merchandise, that they will decay the navy, it may be answered that England was never in so great wealth and strength both by sea and land as when those laws were observed ; there are new navigations since found out, which will alone maintain as great a navy, e.g. those to Guinea, to Barbary, to Muscovy, yea, the navigation into Flanders, Antwerp and Spain, was not then half so much used as now; besides, there may be still a course into France for their woad, salt and canvas, though if the law made for sowing hemp and flax were executed and provision made for growing woad and madder in the realm, as by some men's diligence it is already practised, which growth is here found better than that from beyond the seas, we should not need to seek into France for it.
Besides Flanders has enough ; no country robbeth England so much as France. 25. Fishing. Let the old course of fishing be maintained by the straightest observation of fish days, for policy sake; so that sea coasts shall be strong with men and habitations and the fleet flourish more than ever.
Endorsed :-" Considerable in Parliament, 1559."
