[PDF]Essay on the trade, commerce, and manufactures of Scotland

ESSAY


ON THE


Trade, Commerce, and Manufactures


O-F


SCOTLAND.


B T


DAVID LOCH of Over Carnbic,

Merchant in Edinburgh.


EDINBURGH:

Printed for the Author, and fold by all the Booksellers
in Town and Country.

M, D C C, L X X V,


IPrice Thr:^ Shillings.-^


r


I


To His Grace

HENRY Duke of Buccleugh,

Earl of Dalkeith,

Earl of Don CASTER, <^'c, ^r.

My Lord Duke,
T^HE Countenance and Protecflion (hewn
by your Grace, to the improvements
of the Manufad:ures and Commerce of your
Country, have juftly endeared you to the
affections of all tliegood people in Scotland ;
and pointed you out as the Patron of the
fpUovving work, v^hich was undertaken en-
tirely with the view of promoting thefe de-
firable objecls.

The condefcenfion and affability with
which you permitted your name to be made
ufc of upon this occaflon, 1 look upon as
the highefl honour I could pofiibly receive,
and affords the moft flattering hopes, that,
while fuch diftinguiflied Perfonages as your
Grace, are not aQiamed to (land forth the
avowed Friends of the Fabric of Scotland,
its Manufac^lures and Commerce can fcarce
fail of fbon arriving at a pitch of perfed:ioa
and luftre hitherto unknown.

I have upon many occafions acknow-
ledged my want of abilities as a writer.

Thi$


[ ]

This fniall trahow much occafion I had to do fo ; but, I
am afraid, will afford a bad apology for
prefuming fo far upon your known Good-
nels of Heart, as to folicit you to be its Pa-
tron.

My motives for it, however, I have al-
ready hinted at, and (liall conclude this
addrefs, by afTuring your Grace, that I ne-
ver {o much regretted the want of thofe a-
bilities, as I do at this prefent moment, in
not being able to exprefs, with how much
fincere refjped: and efteem, I am,

My Lord Duke,
Your much obliged,
mod obedient,

^nd very humble fervant,

Edinburgh, 20. ")
Dec. 1775. >

DAVID LOCH.


PREFACE.


THE author of the folio whig fhects has
fo often freely offered his fentiments
to the public, that fome of his readers luay
think the prefent work entirely lupeniu-
ous. A defire, however, to gratify the
wifties of feveral of his beft friend^, and
whom he is proud to fay, are likewife tlie
beft friends to then* country, prevailed u-
pon him to digeft mto one pamphlet, ni
the belt manner he was capable, what he
had upon different occafions, and at re-
mote periods, publiflied in the news papers,
with fuch remarks as may have fince oc-
cured to him.

An undertaking of this nature, the au-
thor will readily acknowledge, is extreme-
ly out of the line of life in which he was
educated. He, confequently, muft la-
bour under many difadvantages in the pro-
fecution of it, which others, more accu-
ftomed to literary labour, would not be lia-
ble to. Theie he did not fail to mention
to thofe gentlemen who have honoured him
with their friendihip ; but, as they were
pleafed to fay, that his experience in trade
would do more than compenfate for any

A deficiencies


( ii )

deFicicncies in point of language, he has
aciveiitured upon the tafk; hopuig that his
other readers will be equally indulgent in
this refpe6l, with thofe of his hiends upon
w'hofe folicitations it was undertaken.

Having pren/iicd this much, the author
will now proceed to lay down the plan on
•\vhich he means to profecute the work.

Firft. As it is the greateft objeft for the
in': reafe of our woollen manufacture, which
the author has, trom his earlieft lite, thought
the llaple of this country he will endeavour
to enforce the propriety of encrealing the
number of (beep; and the necelfity of get-
ting a proper bieed of that ufeful animal
introduced into the country, he will next
endeavour to point out the many advan-
tages fuch a conduct would be of, not only
in reducing the price of provillons; but
like^vile as being the mon: beneficial man-
ner in which the farm«'r could poflibly em-
ploy his gx'ound, '1 he author, having Ipent
the mod part ot his t'me in mercantile af-
fairs, cannot be preiiimed ib luUy qualilied
to treat this part of his fubjecSt fo much to
his ovv'n fitibfaction, or thole of his readers,
as others that have in a more partic\ilar man-
ner engaged his attention. 1 his deicct,
however, he has been at pains to remedy,
by very frequcruly converlmg vviih many
judicious and knowing farmers, on the lub-
jcd: of breeding (heep. He has likewife had

recourle


( iii )

rccourfe to fome of the beH: authors who

1 have wrote upon it; and he flatters 'limfelf,

1 '^hat the obfervauons he has thence been

enabled to make, if ferio'ifly confidered,

, will not be unworthy the actetition of thofe

l^who would wifh to improve the breed of

^flieep in this country.

7 he next (ccftion of tliis work will be di-
redled to the Woollen Manufactory. On
this lubje(^, the author has tlie vanity to
think lie can fpeak with fome degree of
confidence. Trade, to many different parts
of the globe, having bf-en hi conilant em-
ployment, from the eaiiie^ period of his
life, and having carried it on to an extent,
not very frequently pradliled in this cou;ir
try he has thereby been enabled to make
fome oblervations, on the nature of mer-
chandife in general, which he thinks may
lay claim, atleafl, to a patient hearing. On
this article he hopes ro fliew, by the moft
irrefragable proofs that the woollen manu-
factory is not only the natural, but the moft
beneficial flaple, in which the inhabitants
of this country can poilibly engage, and
: that every public, as well as private encou-
n^agement, ought to be afforded thofe who
fet up manuta£tories, in which wool can
be employed. The linen manufactory,
which has been long thought the ftaple of
this country ; but to w hicli idea the author
could never give his affent, will fall natu-
A 2 rally


( iv )

rally to be treated of under this head. As
this branch has long been favoured with
the proteftion and encouragement of the
public, it may be thought a bold attempt,
in an individual, to combat lb univcrfal and
fo long received an opinion. But opinions,
however refpeclable, niuft always give way
to facls. From thcle the auilior has no
doubt of convincing every impartial reader,
that flax, being an exotic in this countiy,
and the climate an enemy to its ever being
brought to perfeclion, mud, in every view,
be confidercd as a niofl unnatural purfuit;
while wool, which is the natural produdli-
on of the country, and which might be in-
creafed to any extent, not only without
riik, but with the highefl advantage to the
raifer, and the country at large, ought to
be (Irenuoufly prolecutcd and encouraged.
Ihe Filherics Ihall occupy the next fecU-
on of this work. Ihefe the author has long
confidcred as an article of the highefl: con-
fequence, ahd which ought to be prolecut-
ed witi) the moll unremitting ardour. The
Woollen Manutaclory he conlldcrs as the
firft flciple of this country : he can liave
]ittle doubt, that the Fiiheries dcferve the
lecond place.

As fo very large fums of money are an-
nually lent to London tor Porter, and as
it is an objec^f worthy of the particular at-
tention of every friend to his country ; the

author


( y )

author has adventured fome ohfervations
on that fubje^l. Happy fhould he be, could
thefe have the effeil of opening the eyes of
his countrymen, ih far as to di veil them of
the unnatural prejudices which they have
long indulged againllthe malt liquors brew-
ed in Scotland. If this were once to take
place, and proper encourai^ement given to
our own countrvmen, the author has little
doubt, that the public would be equally
well lerved, a number of additional hands
employed, and much money kept at home,
which is now lent to London,

The American difputes having unhappily
arrived at a height to which few expected
them, and confequently very much attrac-
ted the attention of the public, the author
has allotted part of this work to oifer his
fentiments upon that fubjecl. The fre-
quent intercourfe he had with that country,
while he was concerned in trade, he hopes,
will afford fome apology for attempting to
write upon a fubject that has fo long en-
gaged the heads and pens of the moft emi-
nent men in the nation. If he fiiall differ
in opinion from mofl of them, he flatters
himfelf it will not be attributed to a defire
of being fingular, but to its true motive,
that of delivering the real fentiments of his
heart, which he has done on this, as well
as every other fubjeft on which he has of-
fered his opinion. This will naturally lead

to


C vi )

to fbme obfervations on the trade carried
on between Great Britain and her colonies,
which ieems to have been little underftood
by the patriots on the other fide the Tweed,
or falfe glolles put upon it, in order to de-
ceive their weaker brethren. Thefe un-
happy difputcs and heart-burnings, he is
hopeful, will ibon be terminated. In that
view, therefore, he will endeavour in the
next place, to point out a plan, by which
that trade may be improved to the mutual
advantage of Great Britain and her Colo-
nies, and in a more efpecial manner to Scot-?
land.

Some general obfervations, on various
fubjed:s, will conclude this work. The
author has already confefTed his inability to
perform it as he could have wiflicd. But,
as it is folely intended for the good of his
fellow countrymen, he is confident that
conlideration, with the judicious part of
mankind, will atone for a number of faults.
As he is entirely difmterefted himfelf, far-
ther than the defire he has of feeing the
manufactures of his country flourifh, he is
fenfible of meeting with the contumely of
the interefled, again ft whom many of the
cnluing obfervations may ftrijce, though he
aflures them no perfonal or ill-natured at-
tack is intended. He is alfb fenfible he
[hall be treated with derifion by another
clafs pf people, who, he is forry to confels,

are


( vu )

are fer from being contemptible, in poin£
of numbers. He means thofe who cannot
conceive how a man, who has the misfor-
tune not to poflefs fo many acres, or can
(how Co much ready cafti as themfelves,
ih(>uld have the prefumption to oifer them
an advice ; or why, if he has that effron-
tery, any attention ftiould be paid to it?
There is dill another clafs, whofe fneers
he lays his account with receiving, and
thele are the middli:ig, and even lower fet
of people ; though it is the intereft of thele
very people which the author has mod at
heart- But while he continues to enjoy the
approbation of the real friends to his coun-
try, no confideration (hall deter him from
expofing every thing which he is confcious
is contrary to its true intereds, and recom-
mending, with the utmod exertion of his
poor abilities, whatever he thinks may tend
to its advancement.

With thefe relolutions he enters upon

the prefent undertaking, and hopes from

an impartial public a patient hearing, and

gi what indulgence his want of knowledge in

loliterary matters, and the importance of the

-^ fubje^l itielf, may be thought to merit.


SECTION I.


Of the propriety of encreafmg the numhsr of Sheep in thit
Country y and the nee JJity rf gctti/ig a propsr Breed of
that Jifeftii Animul introduced into it,

I HAVE cliofcn to make the railing of Sheep the firfi:
ret!lioii of the prefent work, becaufe, if proper attention
is not paid to that article, however anxious the country
may become to encourage their own woollen manufacture, in
preference to every other, yet if the manufadlurer cannot
be fjppHeil with a fufficiency of good wool, it muil: be a
kind of forced work ; or, at leall, not carried on with that
brifknefs and fuccefs which it might be, were the quantity of
wool, the produce of our own country, to be encreafed.

To accompli/lr this is by no means either a dangerous or a
difficult talk. I have been told that there may be at prelent
three millions of Iheep in Scotland, and that their number
might be encreafed to ten millions, or even to a much great-
er number, without encroaching upon a fingle acre of corn-
land.

Before the Union, we not only clothed ourfelves, but fent
cloth and woollen goods, to a coniiderable value, abroad ;, nay,
I find, befide*, that large fums came into the country for un-
manufactured wool. From this it is evident, that the num-
ber of flieep in Scotland, before that period, muft have been
extremely fuperior to what they are at prelent. And, in
corroboration of that fa(5l, I beg leave to mention one inftance,
of which I have been credibly informed, viz. That, forty
years ago, there were, in Ealt and Mid-Lothians, ioflice]),
for one that are in thcfe counties at prefent.

That thefe are fadls, 1 imagine no one, in the leafi: con-
verfant with the liiflory of his own country, will controvert.
In hopes to be forgiven, for endeavouring to account why
we allowed our flieep to diminifii fo greatly after the
Union, I fhall offer lome conjei^iures on the fubjecTl:- It
is well known, that however the Enplifh may now affecTt to
defpife the Scots, they courted a union with the mofl unre-
mitting ardour for a feries of years, and that it M'as at laft
brought about, more by underhand dealing, than from its
being thought, by the bulk of this nation, of any advantage
to it ; nay, is it not well known_, that by fitr the grcateft

A part


[ 2 ]

part c>f Scotland tliought tbemfelves fold by a few rf their
leading men ? \Vl)etlier, however, this union hag been of
advantage to both countries, is a queftion which has been
clten agitated, but which docs not, from the nature of this
little Vvorli, Item neccfl'ary lor me to determine ; perhaps,
were 1 to give any opinion, I would ani'vver in the affirmative.
This much, however, I thought ntccllary to offer, in order
to pave the way for my conjewhi(h tills country appears to have ihewn to tlie breed of
fhecp, (ince tlie Union. The nt)b]emen who managed this
momentous affair, on the part of Scotland, pc/reffed great
laniled jiroperty. They had received very large Turns of
money from the Engliih court, in order to biing about that
inncli dtfired event. The woollen niannfaviUire had long
been conhdeied as the ftaple of England. It may therefore
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