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Another refutation of the view that increasing the price of tin will bring other countries into the trade to England's disadvantage. This is like saying the Dutch should sell spice cheap 'for feare that wee should plant spice bedds in Englande and spoyle their Trade'. Good tin is extremely difficult to find and exploit so the English mines represent a virtual world monopoly. The demand for tin has always outstripped supply. It is essential to many trades so people will pay whatever they have to for it. The English will not suffer from the price increase as 80% of tin is exported, and the increased revenue will save them from a tax that would otherwise have to be levied to refill the royal coffers. Williams considers tin would have to rise to over £20 a hundredweight to be overpriced.
The great objection
Should we advance tinne too high it will putt
other places upon Getting of Tin and wee shall have
Tinne brought from other countryes & wee shall let them
into a trade From which wee shall neaver be able
to beate them out againe.
Answered
Wee have lost many Millions by this one objection in the sale
of our Tinne but could neaver hear of the fixt places
so that it must be from the world in the Moone for it
hath ben allwaise comeing but Neaver comes.
The Dutch are not afraid to advance their spice Trees
for feare that wee should plant spice Trees in
England & spoyle their Trade.
Five burnes a
Miners Digge & search for Tinne to the uttermost of their
power and if they could possibly with all their witt mony &
streng
in the world is yearly Consumed
brought from the places where it is now Consumed in
the Indies it would be wanted there
of Tin in New places No
know Tin in the Oare the Tinners are forced to
it seaverall times a daye to pr
among the
part of it is soe mixt with other earth that the Tinner
doe not know it
is difficult to be founde & more difficult to be followed
that it be not lost againe for the Vaynes often strike
out & they loose them and the
Artists to fine it againe
skill in the Manadging of the Oar & dressing it when they
have it they must first bring it to a fine sande like
putty & it must passe through a greate many operations
to come to that.
before Smelting
Wee are loath to you out of our old waye thats all that can
be said l: the
hundred & l: the hundred.
Considerations relating to the Advancing the price of Tinne
are raised out of the Earth every year so there are
great quantityes yearly consumed and the Consumption is as
great as the production, for that in some thousands of
years there is noe stock before hand, other than what is
Occasionsties:
are wanted all the world over
Straights it would Make a great hole in her ties:
or were the Tradesmen in Generall stockt as they w
if it be five pounds the Tun dearer in the Warehouse
than att Landing they would have a half a years Tin
before hand when they have not 20 dayes Tin amonge them
all over this Citty or in Holland: or other places where
her tie.
Tinne before hand now than formerly only itts hinderd from
goeing its rounde and what ever is too Much in one place
is wanted in another
lyeing on her ties:
it and consumed it for thousands of yeares, so there is noe
dainger of its
is noe more Raised than formerly.
is that it must be had for all the uses by which it is Consumed
if it were 20 li: the hundred waight viz. a Copper Kettle of
60 l: waight att 20d: the pounds come to 5 l: & half a pounde
of Tinne will Tinne it tho it shall not be 2 ounces the
heavyer but the rest is wasted & this half pounds of
Tinne cost 4d: but if Tin were advanced to 20 l: the
hundred the half pounde would cost 21 d: & can it be
supposed that if the Tinne did cost 21d: for Tinning a
Kettle of 5 l: price that there would be one Kettle the
lesse Tinned in a year
used & Consumed by Tinning of Copper yearly.
The Tinne plates consume hundreds of Tunnes yearly and a
farthing worth of Tinne will Tinne a plate &
advanced to 20 l: the hundred & this plate did take 5 farthings l: the hundred & this plate
did take five farthings worth of Tinne they must be had
& without Tinne they are of noe use.
They cannot glaze earthen ware without Tin & if not Glazed
tis nothing worth
without putty & Putty is Made of Tinne the Iewellers Glasse
Grinders, Glasiers, Ioyners, Iapanners, and divers other
Trades use Putty which must be had if Tinne be 20 l: hundred
100 sortes of smale Iron are whitened with Tinne I will
instance in sterrops or Bridle bitts which take not up
half a farthing worth of Tinne canne it be thought if Tin
were five times the price that there would be a
sterops the lesse made in a yeare in like Manner should you
goe over all the perticulers by which Tin is Consumed as this
all Consumed except a smale Matter in Pewter which is
noe Consumption
Ballance in Comparison of what hath
saye if I goe over all & every perticuler by which I could
ever fine Tin Consumed
use of if Tinne were 20 l: the hundred.
How reasonable can it then be thought to bringe it to 5 l: 5s
Another consideration is the People who pay this advance
and they are 4 partes in 5 foraighners
house bookes there is not Much above 1200 been a year
exported but sea Men boyes & Passengers carry a little
neaver come to the Cusstom house & many a Score
blocks is are Runne in Cornwall if they are not belyed
but it cannot be lesse than 4 partes in 5 exported & then
the Nation getts 4d: for every penny they paye & the
higher Tinne is advanced in Reason the More is
gayned & that smale parte that is paide by the Nation
is not felt for the Consumption doth not feell the
price & if any one goine dearer for Pewter there
is for but are furr
ship on a good Voyadge a sea Man on
his pay a Farmer after a good Market for his Castle
will now & then geive their
And at such a time they doe not feel it
dear bought that cost noe more than it is worth.
Another Consideration should be who are Gaynors
tie:
ties
not hould out the t:
and Devon but it will be a very greate Advantage
in Bringinge in Treasure to the Nation
Six Remarkes Incoraginge the Advance
ties:
or by t:
be Consumed if neaver to dearer.
ties:
tie:ce:
Comply with her Farme &c.
By In o Williams
Sept: 3d:
1705.