6oo A. D. 1680. 



Tangier being befieged by the king of Morocco, King Charles fent a 

 meflage to the houfe of commons to recommend its prefervation and 

 its importance to the EnghPn commerce in the Mediterranean, and that 

 the two millions already expended on it would be entirely thrown away, 

 tmlefs fpeedy and efFedual iupplles were granted for its relief. But the 

 cdmmons in an addrefs to the king, inilead of granting this, reprefent- 

 ed, inter alia, that Tangier had been feveral times under the command 

 of popifli governors, and its garrifon in a great degree made up of popifli 

 officers and loldiers, as alio that the money given for it had been mil- 

 applied, wherefor they could not grant a fupply for Tangier, unlefs 

 they might be allured, that thereby they did not augment the ftrength 

 of their popilh adverfaries. Thus the jealoufy entertained by the par- 

 liament and nation, that the king intended this place for a curb on 

 their religion and liberties, prevented its being duely fupplied, and oc- 

 cafioned, as we (hall fee, its being abandoned foon after. 



1681. — At a parliament at Oxford, which fat but feven days, the 

 houfe of commons firft refolved to print their votes, which has been 

 continued ever fince, very much to the benefit and fatisfailion of the 

 public, and particularly beneficial in commercial affairs. 



As far back as about the year 1670, the Englifh Levant, or Turkey, 

 company began to complain of the Eaft-India company, on account of 

 the great quantities of raw filk they imported from India, which had 

 formerly been imported folely from Turkey. And in the year- 1681 

 the Turkey company made a formal complaint to the king's council, 

 whereupon a hearing enfued. The fubftance of that company's allega- 

 tions, and the Eaft-India company's anfwers, being printed this year, are 

 as follow, viz. 



I) The Turkey company have, for near an hundred years pafl, ex- 

 ported thither great quantities of woollen manufadures and other Eng- 

 lifh wares, to the great enriching of this nation, and do now more efpe- 

 cially carry out thither to the value of about Ljoo.ooo fterling yearly : 

 in return for which, the goods imported are raw filks, galls, grogram- 

 yarn, drugs, cotton, &c. all which being manufadured in England, 

 aiTord bread to the poor of the kingdom. 



On the other hand, fay they, the Eaft-India company export im- 

 menfe quantities of gold and filver, with an inconfiderable quantity of 

 cloth ; in return for which, their chief commodities are calicoes, pepper, 

 wrought filks, and a deceitful fort of raw filk. The calicoes and wrought 

 filks being wrought in India, are an evident damage to the poor of Eng- 

 land, and the raw filks are an infallible deftrudion to the Turkey trade, 

 for, as Turkey does not yield a fufficient quantity of other merchandize, 

 to return for one fourth part of our manufactures carried thither, the 

 remaining three fourths is wholely paid for by raw filk. If that is lup- 



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