The English Manufacture Discouraged, His Majesties Customs Lessened, The Glass-Makers Ruined, And many Thousands of Poor Families Depending upon them, by reason of the Duties on Glass-Wares. 1st, INasmuch as making Glass consumes very great quantities of day, Sand, Ashes, Kelp, Maggenees, Coals Wood, and read and White led, all the Produce of our own Country,( and employs some Thousands in Collecting and gathering the same together) most of which are of a very small value to this Nation, until Manufactured into Glass; after which many Hundreds of poor Families keep themselves from the Parish, by picking up broken Glass of all sorts to sell to the Maker. 2dly, In making Glass is Expended great quantities of Borillo, Pulvereen, Salt-Petre, Pot-ashes small, &c. which are Imported, and pay considerable Custom. Then Observe, If making Glass▪ Manufactures so many Commodities of our own, and so many from Foreign Parts, Glass-making must be a very useful thing to this Nation, and therefore ought to be Encouraged, and not Discouraged, by oppressing it with a heavy Duty, just as the Art of making thereof, by length of time, great pains, and expense is brought to such Perfection▪ to out-do all the World, which is manifest, inasmuch as we sand Glass to those Parts, from whence we had the most and best we used. And that we are arrived to such Perfection, and are the Artists of the World, Foreign Parts are very sensible, and have been very desirous of our Artists, but could never procure them, till since the Duties upon Glass-wares, which has driven some, and will unavoidable( if continued) drive the rest out of this Nation, to Foreign Parts, who are very willing to encourage them,( nay Invite them) Witness Ireland, who having since the said Duty got some of them, and to show their willingness to encourage them, and the Glass-Manufacture, have laid so great a Duty on all Glass Imported as prohibits all Glass from hence, tho we used to sand great quantities thither: They also Invite some other of the greatest Artists we have in England over, set up Houses there, giving the aforesaid account, and that there is a very brisk Trade for Glass there; and this is evident by a Letter shewed to several Members of this Honourable House, bearing Date from Ireland the 10th of February last; and likewise several Glass-works are Erecting in Scotland, in hopes our Loss will be their Gain. Then if this Manufacture be destroyed, consequently the Manufacturing our said several Commodities will be discouraged( nay lost) his Majesty's Customs lessened for want of Manufacturing the said Materials Imported, and the said Poor loose the livelihood they received from both; but with Humble Submission if we suffer these things, we mistake the main Point and Interest of the Nation. For undeniable the Happiness of this, or any other Nation, consist chiefly in Manufacturing its own Commodities, to expend at home, and vend abroad; as also to have Commodities from abroad to Manufacture at home; for by this means we gain the balance of Trade. For Example: We do by Importing 1000 l. worth of Foreign Commodities make as much( and better) Glass, as formerly cost the Nation 10000 l. from Venice, &c. so that by Manufacturing 1000 l. worth of Foreign Commodities, we gain 9000 l. besides the employing many Thousands of poor, and the Subject served Cheaper than before. And that no Fund may be Cheated, or this Honourable House put to the trouble of making good such Fund, I answer that whole sale Projector, that on Wednesday last in print, proposed the Glass as a Fund for 40000 l. per An. there never was 40000 l. worth of all sorts of Glass spent in England in any one year. But I cannot tell but this Projector may take his Measures from some interested person in Collecting the said Duties, who daily attend at the door,( in particular one Mr. Allen) and whisper it about, though the Crown has received but little Duty as yet from Glass, yet more will be received in following Quarters; which is very improbable, when there is above 40000 Dozen of Glass Bottles made before-hand in the Makers hands, besides what the Glass-sellers or Potters have by them. And they also whisper and insinuate, the Duty cannot ruin the Manufacture, for while Glass is now sold Cheaper than before the Duty, and therefore the Maker gets by it, or he would not sell it so. Which is a pretty wheadle( to contrive their own Interest) and make Necessity an Argument to continue Oppression upon others; when the Maker by endeavouring to raise his Glass to such a price, as he might pay the Kings Duty, hath occasioned the same to be left on his hands, till mere necessity obliged him to sell at any rate, as he doth to his loss 20 per Cent. this is whispered for gain, the end of which will be the ruin of the Glass Manufacture.