Nothing but the warmest Zeal for the welfare of a Country in which I hope sometime to fix myself and Family could have induced me to address myself to you a Stranger and in a Station of Life so far elevated above mine as to forbid all intercourse except upon such affairs as are highly interesting in themselves whether what I am about to offer deserves to be looked upon as such I submit to your candour hoping however though it should fail gaining your patronage the Authors well meant intentions to serve the Interests of America will secure him from censure and intitle him to rank among his Friends, Not to dwell longer upon an apology I will proceed briefly to lay before you a Plan for the establishment of manufactures in America which I think likely to succeed notwithstanding the discouraging accounts from your Side and the general opinion entertained here by the great Manufacturers and Merchants of the impossibility of manufacturing among you for a Century or two to come. The great and I think almost only argument of consequence against your manufacturing arises from the high price of Labour which perhaps will not sink to a level with this Country before your States are pretty well peopled though if Labour continues to advance as much for half a Century to come as it has done for a half Century past and remains only as it is with you England will have no great advantage over you in that respect. But at present you have some advantages to set against this disadvantage you have all the raw materials upon the spot or very near you and when the goods are wrought the Consumer may buy them from the maker or Shopkeeper with only two Profits upon them whereas Goods imported from England have very often the addition of a Merchant’s Profit here and another with you besides the charge of Freight which put together will amount to a considerable Sum so great indeed as would go far towards making a balance in the Article of Labour especially if such raw materials as are the Produce of both Countries be much cheaper with you than here as I suppose they are and in such Articles as America produces and England imports from thence or other parts you have still a greater Advantage. I will just make one observation before I proceed to the thing principally intended. The Farmer’s Wives in such parts of this Kingdom as have no Manufactures usually spin Linen yarn for their Familes use and in some places woollen and worsted. A number of weavers are scattered through those Countries who are employed in weaving this kind of work at the Rate of one third more at least than is given among Manufacturers but very often near twice as much and in some articles nearly three times the prices which are given here and yet our Weavers will get as much money as they can and I believe more. The reason is obvious they are obliged to weave several sorts of Goods consequently cannot be so ready at any as ours who are constantly employed at one and many times they have not work enough besides other disadvantages which might be enumerated and when put together make less wages in a manufacturing Country far preferable. Now Sir I suppose America to be in such a Situation as those parts of England are which are employed in Agriculture every Farmer’s Wife endeavouring to provide cloathing for her Family and here they stop their views do not extend to make a surplus for sale that others whose employments do not allow them to make a like provision may have their wants supplied there are obliged to have recourse to a foreign Market and indeed there are but a few coarse articles which can be obtained this way every thing of a neat fabrick you must import and thereby increase the Strength and Riches of other Countries. Now if it were possible to bring a few Weavers in America into a regular way of manufacturing for sale I do not doubt but they would weave as much below the prices which are given among the Farmers there as ours do here. To effect which let Government appoint a Parish or two in a proper Situation for manufacturing only and with such privileges as may be some inducement for Weavers to settle here. I think an interior hilly Situation abounding with fuel the most likely on several accounts particularly good Air and water and a soil most proper for pasture that the Inhabitants might supply themselves with Milk and Butter but in other respects a barren Soil is as suitable as any. Let every one inclined to settle there have 8 or 10 Acres of Land given him upon condition of his occupying no more than that Quantity though he should become a Proprietor of more and let the District be exempted from all Taxes and from all kinds of Military Service in the Militia or Regulars for half a Centry or a considerable number of Years. These immunities might have great weight in drawing together a number of settlers and the small quantity of Land appropriated to each would prevent their turning to Agriculture and at the same time be sufficient for all the purposes of manufacturing. These are all the favours I should wish the Public to bestow except it were to build a few Houses for the first Settlers but do not by any means advance Money for the establishment of a manufacture it has seldom or never answerd the Cord intended in England and I cannot wish you to try the Experiment. The before mentioned Privileges I think sufficient encouragement and were I in America with 6 or 8 Families more possessed of about £60 or £70 each that every one might work his own Property or if some had nothing and there were others able to employ them I should not fear the Foundation of a regular Manufacture being laid which in a few Years might become considerable. At present I cannot undertake such a Business without sustaining a considerable Loss which my small Property will not well bear in a few Years perhaps I may be able to carry into execution my long desired imigration and in the mean time I wish to hear of some attempts to supply yourselves with the most necessary articles of Clothing. The most flourishing manufactures in this Country have had as small a Beginning as yours can have. Tradition relates the Foundation of the Fustian business to have been laid by a few Foreigners (I believe Flemings) in a barren place near Bolton who made a few Pieces of coarse goods for their own use and from thence proceeded to make for sale. I am Sir your most obedient humble Servant