My British Empire

Chapter 424 Queen's Merchant

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During the protracted colonial war in Ireland, our Majesty the King was reviewing and reforming the law.

With the development of commerce in the United Kingdom, especially the development of the textile industry, various factories were born and merged continuously, contributing more and more taxes.

It must be said that the bourgeoisie at this time is actually the aristocratic class.

Those large-scale and heavy factories, if they do not have aristocratic background, can hardly escape the fate of being eaten away.

Gangsters will ask for protection money; officials will take all bribes; workers will also look down on factory owners, and situations such as laziness and stealing cannot be avoided.

Only those family workshops with no noble background and a few people will survive.

Businessmen, no, nobles, have always been the most diligent and serious when it comes to their own interests.

For example, at this time, on Edward's desk, there were several legal bills submitted by the joint parliament, proposals on business.

Among them, they demanded that the export of primary industrial raw materials such as hemp, wool, and flax be banned, and tax relief be given to the textile industry.

Prohibiting the export of raw materials is to control the stability of domestic raw material prices, avoid the impact of foreign raw material markets, give priority to satisfying their production, and prevent stock outs, so that they can continue to maintain high profits.

If you look at it from a national perspective, this is a typical shearing of agricultural wool to fertilize business.

However, in this era when commerce has already determined the destiny of the country, such a sacrifice is meaningful. Wait for the moment when commerce develops stronger, and then make compensation!

However, if the ban is too rough, and the trade protection is too obvious, it is more appropriate to change the ban to a restriction.

As for tax cuts, that is impossible.

You have made so much money by selling things, but instead of thinking about how to contribute more to the country, you want to earn more, which is unreasonable.

Is 30% tax too much? Compared with other countries, it is simply a price of conscience, and it cannot be more important for business.

Besides, after the Reformation, almost all the exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes collected by the churches were exempted, which relieved more than a few layers of burden for the development of commerce.

He was ashamed to ask for tax cuts, and Edward wished he could slap their mouths to death.

In order to highlight the support for business, more imports of raw materials should be encouraged, and appropriate tax rates should be reduced for these raw materials. Although this will impact the domestic agricultural material market, it is also a necessity for commercial development.

After Edward added some of his own opinions, and then let the secretariat polish it, the document was turned to the joint parliament.

After the United Parliament agrees, it will be drafted together with the Supreme United Court, and then handed over to the United Central Government for reading, and they will be notified, and then His Majesty the King will seal it and promulgate it nationwide.

Thus, a law was officially formed.

The next time, Edward will meet a businessman, a big businessman in London.

Before introducing him, let me talk about the commercial system of the United Kingdom—the monopoly.

As the name suggests, it is to monopolize the right to sell a business.

This is also the birthright of the royal family.

For example, the Tudor royal family has exclusive rights to hundreds of thousands of commodities, and the royal family transfers these exclusive rights to a certain businessman to obtain benefits.

Every year, the soap-making alum alone provides the royal family with an income of thousands of pounds.

But why the royal family has no money? Because these monopoly rights have been sold out in a few years or decades, and some of them have been foreclosed on or rewarded to certain nobles. Now the annual income is like a trickle, which is only tens of thousands of pounds. .

For example, Edward rewarded Princess Elizabeth with the exclusive right of alum as her annuity, allowing her to spend freely.

There are also some monopoly rights that were abolished by the parliament when the aristocracy was powerful and the royal power was small. For example, during the bourgeois revolution during the Cromwell period, hundreds of royal monopoly rights were abolished. After the abolition, in modern times, the royal family has very little power.

And these interests, to some extent, have hindered the development of business.

For example, a certain silk association has obtained the king's privileged approval letter, which only allows this silk association to sell silk in London, and other merchants and associations are not allowed to trade silk.

That is to say, the king sold the management rights of London silk to obtain an income, and then the government collected taxes from their profits to obtain another income.

Businessmen cannot suffer losses, and they can also make money.

Then, only the consumers will suffer.

Among them, the most famous is the East India Company that everyone has heard about.

The king and the government only allow this company to operate trade between India and the East, and other companies are not allowed to operate without authorization.

Speaking of this, everyone will understand why the big capitalists are not nobles, but people with noble backgrounds!

Ordinary people want to obtain monopoly rights, wishful thinking.

Therefore, close to the water and land first get the moon, and London businessmen benefit from the geographical location and become the beneficiary group of the monopoly, thus making London the largest city in the United Kingdom.

This is why after Edward seized the autonomy of London, other autonomous cities succumbed so easily. The bosses all knelt down, let alone the younger brothers.

Next, the businessman introduced can also be called the royal businessman—Thomas Grashan.

His father, Richard Grassan, was Henry VIII's royal merchant, and he inherited his father's position and continued to serve the royal family.

The so-called imperial merchants are the financial agents of the king’s government, who borrow money for the king, manage money, and carry out foreign loan work.

Of course, there are many royal merchants, and almost all London merchants can be counted as royal merchants.

Most of the customs managers and mint officials were appointed by royal merchants. They used their knowledge of international currencies, markets and foreign trade to serve the king's government.

And Thomas Grashan is the largest royal businessman.

Historically, this merchant was the elder of the three dynasties, and the chief merchant of the three monarchs, Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Elizabeth I.

Thomas Grashan joined the Silk Merchants Guild and the Adventurer Company in 1543, and was elected as the chairman of the Silk Merchants Guild in 1553, 1560, 1570 and 1579, and was hailed as the "King of Merchants" by the people at that time.

Thomas Grashan, who is in his twenties this year, looks very energetic. His long black hair is combed meticulously, his hooked nose, green eyes, and tough body make Edward have a good impression of him.

"Your Majesty—" His voice was very strong.

"Mr. Grashan, I invite you here this time, because I need your help!" Edward looked into his eyes and said seriously.

"Could it be that His Majesty is short of money? What kind of monopoly should I want this time?" As soon as the king's voice fell, a lot of thoughts appeared in Geleshan's mind.

God is pitiful, since he became a royal businessman in 1551, the king has never borrowed money again, which directly made him lose a lot of money.

"Your Majesty, do you need to borrow money? How much?" Geleshan asked impatiently, his eyes widened.

"No, I need you to go to Flanders!"

(end of this chapter)

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