Another copy of MINT00694 (Mint 19/3/578-82), missing the first page

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Considerations relating to the Advancing the price of Tinn

Itt evidently appeares that as great quantityes of Tinne are raised out of the earth every yeare so there are great quantityes yearly consumed & the Consumption is as greate as the production, for that in some thousands of yeares there is noe stock beforehand other than what is occasiond by Impediments and stoppidge of Trade, by meanes off the Warre and what is in her Majesties hands is wanted in Germany & Hungary for Tinning of Lattin plates, which are wanted all over the world, of if they were they supplyed in the straights it would make a great hole in her Majesties tinne, or were the Trades men supplyed generally as they will be if Tyn be five pounds the tun dearer in the warehouse than on the wharfe at Landing out of the ships for then they will have not twenty dayes Tinne among them all over this Citty or in Holland, or other places where her Majestie hath any Tinne. so that there is noe more 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, and there is noe feare of Tinne lyeing on her Majesties handes, for as the Trade hath required it & consumed it for thousands of yeares, so there is noe dainger of its noncontinnuance so to doe, for that there is noe more raysed than formerly.

Another Consideration for advancing the price of Tinne is that it must be had for all the uses by which it is consumed if it were twenty pounde the hundred waight, viz. a Copper Kettle of 60l: waight att 20d: the pounde come to five pounds and half a pound of Tinne will Tinne it tho it shall not be 2 ounces the heavyer but the rest is wasted and this half pounde of Tinne cost 4d: but if Tinne were Advanced to 20l: the hundred the half pounde would cost 21d: and can it be supposed that if the Tinne did cost 21d: for tinning a Kettle of five pounds price that there would be one Kettle the Lesse tinned in a year. there are hundreds of tunns used & Consumed by Tinning of Copper yearly.

The Tin plates consume hundreds of Tunns yearly and a farthing worth of Tinne will Tinne a plate & if Tinne were advanced to 20l: the hundred & this plate did take 5 farthings <585r> Worth of Tinne, they must be had & without Tinne they are of noe use.

They cannot glaze Earthen ware without Tinne & if not glazed tis Nothing worth.

The Masons cannot Pollish Marble without Putty & Putty is Made of tinne the Iewellers Iapannners, Ioyners, Glasiers glasse grinders & many other Trades use putty which must be had if Tinne be neaver so deare 100 sortes of smale Iron are whitened will Tinne I will instance in sterrops or bridle bitts which take not up half a farthing worth of Tinne & can it be thought if Tinn were 5 times the price that there would be a pair of sterrops the lesse made in a year. In like Manner should you goe over all the perticulers by which Tinne is consumed – as it is all consumed except a smale Matter in Pewter which is noe Consumption neither is it other than the dust in the ballance in comparison of what hath been consumed. I say if I goe over all and every perticuler by which tin is consumed so farr as ever I could finde, And there would be noe lesse consumed if tinne were 20l: the hundred
how reasonable can it then be thought to bring it to 5l: 5s:

Another consideration is, the People who pay this advance and they are 4 parts in 5 foraighners by the Custome house bookes it is but 3partes in 4 but Not a boy that goes in a ship to a place proper for it but will have a little piece of Tinn in his Chest & there are a greate many whole blocks runne in Cornwall that neaver are founde on this Custom house books. It may fairly be computed that 4 partes in 5 of the Advance will be so much Treasure comeing into the Nation so that every penny we paye wee gett 4d: and the higher tin is advanced in Reason the great is the Advantage of the Nation. & that smale parte that comes upon the Nation is not felt for the consumption doth not feell the price & as pewter is noe consumption so they that buy pewter are noe loosers for that their pewter will yield their mony again. If they loose the Makeing & that they must have downe if it had been never so cheap & they gayn more by the <586r> rise than the Advance on the smale Matter they buy doth amount to because all the Pewter they had before is more worth & they buy pewter but on an extraordinary occasion when they have mony to Spare as a sea man when he receives his paye a farmer when his cattle comes to a good Market a trademan upon a good Bargain will geive their witnes some New fancy of Pewter and at such times they doe not feel it.

Another consideration is, if wee Intende to Advance the wellfare of the Nation. there are but 2 wayes & that is by our own Comodityes or by Forraighn Commodityes & if wee cannot enrich the nation by Foraighn Commodityes we must doe it by our own & if by our own shore it must be by Makeing the best price that they will beare, and of all the Comodityes of England I know nowe stands so faire as Tinne.

Why should we be affraid of Tinne comeing From we know now where. The Dutch are not affraid to Advance their spice because spice trees may be planted in other countryes I know noe reason we have to feare daingers that were neaver seen nor heard of.

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4 Cornwall I hope after 5 yeares will come in For a share For if ever wee gett up the price again I hope wee shall looke Sharpe to keep it up by another Farm, for nothing but a Farm can helpe us.

Six Remakes Encouraging the Advance

1 All the Tinne in the world is in her Majesties hands or by Manadgment as safe as if it were.

2 All Tinne hath been consumed hitherto and will be Consumed if Neaver so deare the Advance doth not hinder Consumption

3 what ever Tin is in any other place is consumed & hath itts way so as if it should be brought to any Markett of ours its will be wanted where it went before.

4 Her Majestie hath Absolute Power & unquestionable Right to advance it.

5 She is Necessitated to Advance it as above. &c.

6 Itt tends to the Enriching of the Nation.

By       Ino Williams Merchant