574 A. D. 1675. 



1675 The Englifli houfe of commons being much out of humour 



with the coudud of their king and his minifters, ading fo much in 

 favour of France, and fo diametrically oppofite to England's true in- 

 terells, and obferving the immenfe confumption of French wares of all 

 kinds in England, and, on the other hand, how little of Englifli mer- 

 chandize was taken ofl' by France, now ardently purfuing the improve- 

 ment of her own woollen, filk, and linen, manufadures, that houfe en- 

 tered into an examination of the general balance of trade between Eng- 

 land and France, and found that England was annually, for fome time 

 paft, lofmg above one million flerling by her trade with France. 



Imported into England from France, annually, 

 about _ _ _ . Li, 500, 000 o o 



Exported from England to France, annually, 

 about _ _ - „ 170,000 o o 



Annual balance againft England - Li ,330,000 o o 



Befide about L6oo,ooo value of French wines, filks, embroideries, and 

 other fripperies, annually run in or fmuggled upon us : ' fo that all our 



* grave laws againft fending money in ipecie out of England, when the 

 ' balance of trade is againft us, is but hedging in the cuckow.' CofFee- 

 houfes in London were at this time much frequented by perfons of 

 rank and fubftance, who, fuitable to our native genius, ufecl very much: 

 freedoni therein, with refped; to the court's proceedings in thefe and 

 the like points, fo contrary to the voice of the people. Whereupon 

 the king ilFued a proclamation in this fame year, ' for fupprefling all 



* cofFeehoufes in London,' (which alfo was like hedging in the cuckow). 



* as being places where the difaffeded met, and fpread fcandalous re- 

 ' ports concerning the condud of his majefty and his minifters.' But 

 the dealers in coffee, tea, and chocolate, having hereupon remonftrated 

 to the court, that the faid proclamation would greatly leften his ma- 

 jefty's revenue, the king, a few days after, iftTued another proclamation: 

 for fufpending the former. 



The navigation laws being fometimes violated, King Charles now 

 ilFaed a proclamation for prohibiting the importation into his American 

 plantations of any European merchandize but what ftiould be laden in 

 England, and for putting other branches of thofe ads into ftrid execu- 

 tion relating to America. 



In September, a fudden fire having burnt down the greateft part of 

 *he town of Northampton, it was, by an ad of parHament of the 27th 

 year of King Charles II, direded to be rebuilt, and was accordingly fo 

 done, in a more beautiful and commodious manner than it had former- 

 ly been, as appears by the only public ad of this year, 1675. 



About 1 200 people, including flaves, who had left Surinam in confe- 

 quence of the fifth article of the peace with Holland, wers carried to 



