”Whatwiththepatentbeinginourway,”saysYarranton,”andtherichestofourpartnersbeingafraidtooffendgreatmeninpower,whohadtheireyeuponus,itcausedthethingtocool,andthemakingofthetin-plateswasneitherproceededinbyus,norpossiblycouldbebyhimthathadthepatent;becauseneitherhethathaththepatent,northosethathavecountenancedhim,canmakeoneplatefitforuse。”Yarranton’slabourswerethuslosttotheEnglishpublicforatime;andwecontinuedtoimportallourtin-platesfromGermanyuntilaboutsixtyyearslater,whenatin-platemanufactorywasestablishedbyCapelHanburyatPontypoolinMonmouthshire,whereithassincecontinuedtobesuccessfullycarriedon。WecanonlybrieflyrefertothesubsequenthistoryofAndrewYarranton。ShortlyafterhisjourneyintoSaxony,heproceededtoHollandtoexaminetheinlandnavigationsoftheDutch,toinspecttheirlinenandothermanufactures,andtoinquireintothecausesofthethenextraordinaryprosperityofthatcountrycomparedwithEngland。Industrywasinaverylanguishingstateathome。”Peopleconfesstheyaresick,”saidYarranton,”thattradeisinaconsumption,andthewholenationlanguishes。”HethereforedeterminedtoascertainwhethersomethingusefulmightnotbelearntfromtheexampleofHolland。TheDutchwerethenthehardestworkingandthemostthrivingpeopleinEurope。Theyweremanufacturersandcarriersfortheworld。Theirfleetsfloatedoneveryknownsea;andtheirherring-bussesswarmedalongourcoastsasfarnorthastheHebrides。TheDutchsuppliedourmarketswithfishcaughtwithinsightofourownshores,whileourcoastingpopulationstoodidlylookingon。Yarrantonregardedthisstateofthingsasmostdiscreditable,andheurgedtheestablishmentofvariousbranchesofhomeindustryasthebestwayofout-doingtheDutchwithoutfightingthem。
Whereverhetravelledabroad,inGermanyorinHolland,hesawindustryattendedbywealthandcomfort,andidlenessbypovertyandmisery。Thesamepursuits,heheld,wouldproveasbeneficialtoEnglandastheywereabundantlyprovedtohavebeentoHolland。Thehealthylifeofworkwasgoodforall——forindividualsasforthewholenation;andifwewouldout-dotheDutch,heheldthatwemustout-dotheminindustry。Butallmustbedonehonestlyandbyfairmeans。”CommonHonesty,”saidYarranton,”isasnecessaryandneedfulinkingdomsandcommonwealthsthatdependuponTrade,asdisciplineisinanarmy;andwherethereiswantofcommonHonestyinakingdomorcommonwealth,fromthenceTradeshalldepart。ForastheHonestyofallgovernmentsis,soshallbetheirRiches;andastheirHonour,Honesty,andRichesare,sowillbetheirStrength;andastheirHonour,Honesty,Riches,andStrengthare,sowillbetheirTrade。
Thesearefivesistersthatgohandinhand,andmustnotbeparted。”
Admirablesentiments,whichareastruenowastheyweretwohundredyearsago,whenYarrantonurgedthemupontheattentionoftheEnglishpublic。
OnhisreturnfromHolland,heaccordinglysetonfootvariousschemesofpublicutility。HestirredupamovementfortheencouragementoftheBritishfisheries。HemadeseveraljourneysintoIrelandforthepurposeofplantingnewmanufacturesthere。HesurveyedtheRiverSladewiththeobjectofrenderingitnavigable,andproposedaplanforimprovingtheharbourofDublin。HealsosurveyedtheDeeinEnglandwithaviewtoitsbeingconnectedwiththeSevern。Chamberssaysthatonthedeclineofhispopularityin1677,hewastakenbyLordClarendontoSalisburytosurveytheRiverAvon,andfindouthowthatrivermightbemadenavigable,andalsowhetherasafeharbourforshipscouldbemadeatChristchurch;andthathavingfoundwherehethoughtsafeanchoragemightbeobtained,hisLordshipproceededtoactuponYarranton’srecommendations。*
[footnote……
JOHNCHAMBERS,BiographicalIllustrationsofWorcestershire。London,1820。
AnotherofhisgrandschemeswastheestablishmentofthelinenmanufactureinthecentralcountiesofEngland,which,heshowed,werewelladaptedforthegrowthofflax;andhecalculatedthatifsuccessattendedhisefforts,atleasttwomillionsofmoneythensentoutofthecountryforthepurchaseofforeignlinenwouldberetainedathome,besidesincreasingthevalueofthelandonwhichtheflaxwasgrown,andgivingremunerativeemploymenttoourownpeople,thenemigratingforwantofwork。”NothingbutSlothorEnvy,”hesaid,”canpossiblyhindermylaboursfrombeingcrownedwiththewishedforsuccess;ourhabitualfondnessfortheonehathalreadybroughtustothebrinkofruin,andourpronenesstotheotherhathalmostdiscouragedallpiousendeavourstopromoteourfuturehappiness。”
In1677hepublishedthefirstpartofhisEngland’sImprovementbySeaandLand——averyremarkablebook,fullofsagaciousinsightasrespectedthefuturecommercialandmanufacturinggreatnessofEngland。Mr。DovesaysofthisbookthatYarranton”chalksoutinitthefuturecourseofBritainwithasfreeahandasifsecond-sighthadrevealedtohimthoseexpansionsofherindustrialcareerwhichneverfailtosurpriseus,evenwhenwebeholdthemrealized。”
Besideshisextensiveplansformakingharboursandimprovinginternalnavigationwiththeobjectofcreatingnewchannelsfordomesticindustry,hisschemesforextendingtheironandthewoollentrades,establishingthelinenmanufacture,andcultivatingthehomefisheries,wefindhimthrowingoutvariousvaluablesuggestionswithreferencetothemeansoffacilitatingcommercialtransactions,someofwinchhaveonlybeencarriedoutinourownday。Oneofhisgrandestideaswastheestablishmentofapublicbank,thecreditofwhich,baseduponthesecurityoffreeholdland,*
[footnote……
Yarranton’sLandBankwasactuallyprojectedin1695,andreceivedthesanctionofParliament;thoughtheBankofEnglandfoundedintheprecedingyearpetitionedagainstit,andtheschemewasdropped。
shouldenableitspaper”togointradeequalwithreadymoney。”A
bankofthissortformedoneoftheprincipalmeansbywhichtheDutchhadbeenenabledtoextendtheircommercialtransactions,andYarrantonaccordinglyurgeditsintroductionintoEngland。Partofhisschemeconsistedofavoluntaryregisterofrealproperty,forthepurposeofeffectingsimplicityoftitle,andobtainingrelieffromtheexcessivechargesforlaw,*
[footnote……
Itisinterestingtonoteinpassing,thatpartofYarranton’sschemehasrecentlybeencarriedintoeffectbytheAct25and26Vict。c。
53passedin1862fortheRegistrationofRealEstate。
aswellasenablingmoneytobereadilyraisedforcommercialpurposesonsecurityofthelandregistered。
Hepointedoutverygraphicallythestraitstowhichamanisputwhoispossessedofrealpropertyenough,butinatimeofpressureisunabletoturnhimselfroundforwantofreadycash。”Then,”sayshe,”allhiscreditorscrowdtohimaspigsdothroughaholetoabeanandpeaserick。””Isitnotasadthing,”heasks,”thatagoldsmith’sboyinLombardStreet,whogivesnotesforthemonieshandedhimbythemerchants,shouldtakeupmoremoniesuponhisnotesinonedaythantwolords,fourknights,andeightesquiresintwelvemonthsuponalltheirpersonalsecurities?Weare,asitwere,cuttingoffourlegsandarmstoseewhowillfeedthetrunk。Butwecannotexpectthisfromanyofourneighboursabroad,whoseinterestdependsuponourloss。”
Hethereforeproposedhisregistryofpropertyasareadymeansofraisingacreditforpurposesoftrade。Thus,hesays,”IcanbothinEnglandandWalesregistermywedding,myburial,andmychristening,andapoorparishclerkisentrustedwiththekeepingofthebook;
andthatwhichisregisteredthereisheldgoodbyourlaw。ButI
cannotregistermylands,tobehonest,topayeverymanhisown,topreventthosesadthingsthatattendfamiliesforwantthereof,andtohavethegreatbenefitandadvantagethatwouldcomethereby。A
registerwillquickentrade,andthelandregisteredwillbeequalascashinaman’shands,andthecreditthereofwillgoanddointradewhatreadymoneynowdoth。”Hisideawastoraisemoney,whennecessary,onthelandregistered,bygivingsecuritythereonafteraformwhichbesuggested。Hewould,infact,havemadeland,asgoldnowis,thebasisofanextendedcurrency;andherightlyheldthatthevalueoflandasasecuritymustalwaysbeunexceptionable,andsuperiortoanymetallicbasisthatcouldpossiblybedevised。
Thisindefatigablemancontinuedtourgehisvariousdesignsupontheattentionofthepublicuntilhewasfaradvancedinyears。Heprofessedthathewasmovedtodosoandwebelievehimsolelybyanardentloveforhiscountry,”whosefutureflourishing,”saidhe,”istheonlyrewardIeverhopetoseeofallmylabours。”Yarranton,however,receivedbutlittlethanksforhispersistency,whileheencounteredmanyrebuffs。Thepublicforthemostpartturnedadeafeartohisentreaties;andhiswritingsprovedofcomparativelysmallavail,atleastduringhisownlifetime。Heexperiencedthelotofmanypatriots,eventhepurest——thesuspicionanddetractionofhiscontemporaries。Hisoldpoliticalenemiesdonotseemtohaveforgottenhim,ofwhichwehavetheevidenceincertainrare”broadsides”stillextant,twittinghimwiththefailureofhisschemes,andeventrumpingupfalsechargesofdisloyaltyagainsthim。*
[footnote……
Oneoftheseisentitled’ACoffee-houseDialogue,oraDiscoursebetweenCaptainY——andaYoungBarristeroftheMiddleTemple;withsomeReflectionsupontheBillagainsttheD。ofY。’Inthisbroadside,of31/2pagesfolio,publishedabout1679,YarrantonismadetofavourtheDukeofYork’sexclusionfromthethrone,notonlybecausehewasapapist,butforgraverreasonsthanhedareexpress。
Anotherscurrilouspamphlet,entitled’AWordWithoutDoors,’wasalsoaimedathim。Yarranton,orhisfriends,repliedtothefirstattackinafoliooftwopages,entitled’TheCoffee-houseDialogueExaminedandRefuted,bysomeNeighboursintheCountry,well-wisherstotheKingdom’sinterest。’Thecontroversywasfollowedupby’AContinuationoftheCoffee-houseDialogue,’inwhichthechiefinterlocutorhitsYarrantonratherhardforthemiscarriageofhis”improvements。””Iknow,”sayshe,”whenandwhereyouundertookforasmallchargetomakearivernavigable,andithascosttheproprietorsaboutsixtimesasmuch,andisnotyeteffective;norcananymanrationallypredictwhenitwillbe。Iknowsinceyouleftityoursonundertookit,andthiswintershamefullylefthisundertaking。”Yarrantonsfriendsimmediatelyrepliedinafour-pagefolio,entitled’England’sImprovementsJustified;andtheAuthorthereof,CaptainY。,vindicatedfromtheScandalsinapapercalledaCoffee-houseDialogue;withsomeAnimadversionsuponthePopishDesignsthereincontained。’ThewritersayshewriteswithouttheprivityorsanctionofYarranton,butdeclaresthedialoguetobeaforgery,andthattheallegedconferencenevertookplace。”Hisinnocence,whenheheardofit,onlyprovokedasmile,withthisanswer,Spretavilescunt,falsehoodsmustperish,andaresoonestdestroyedbycontempt;sothatheneedsnofurthervindication。ThewriterthenproceedsatsomelengthtovindicatetheCaptain’sfamousworkandthepropositionscontainedinit。
In1681hepublishedthesecondpartof’England’sImprovement,’*
[footnote……
Thisworkespeciallywiththeplatesisexcessivelyrare。ThereisacopyofitinperfectconditionintheGrenvilleLibrary,BritishMuseum。
inwhichhegaveasummaryaccountofitsthenlimitedgrowthsandmanufactures,pointingoutthatEnglandandIrelandweretheonlynorthernkingdomsremainingunimproved;here-urgedthebenefitsandnecessityofavoluntaryregisterofrealproperty;pointedoutamethodofimprovingtheRoyalNavy,lesseningthegrowingpowerofFrance,andestablishinghomefisheries;proposedthesecuringandfortifyingofTangier;describedaplanforpreventingfiresinLondon,andreducingthechargeformaintainingtheTrainedBands;