reasons offered to the consideration of his grace, his majesties high commissioner, and the hononrable [sic] estates of parliament, by several salt-masters, against the act for a manufactorie of salt npon [sic] salt, given in by mr. william areskin governour of blackness castle. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). b wing e b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. b ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) reasons offered to the consideration of his grace, his majesties high commissioner, and the hononrable [sic] estates of parliament, by several salt-masters, against the act for a manufactorie of salt npon [sic] salt, given in by mr. william areskin governour of blackness castle. erskine, william, d. . sheet ([ ] p.) s.n., [edinburgh : ] caption title. publication data suggested by wing. reproduction of the original in the national library of scotland. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng salt industry and trade -- law and legislation -- scotland -- early works to . broadsides -- scotland -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion reasons offered to the consideration of his grace , his majesties high commissioner , and the honourable estates of parliament , by several salt-masters , against the act for a manufactorie of salt upon salt , given in by mr. vvilliam areskin governour of blackness castle . . if this act in favours of mr. william areskin shall be past , it will make one manufactrie destroy another which is of far greater import and advantage to the nation , viz. the manufactorie of small salt , by which so many thousands of people are maintained , and by the exporting of which , so much advantage redounds to the countrey ; for should it be past in his favours , under the notion of making salt upon salt , he would import so much foraign salt , as should not only serve for curing of fishes , but all other domestick uses , and being free of duty , will be able to sell it at a lower rate than the salt-masters can make their salt at . . if the advantage of the countrey be consulted , it cannot be past in his favours and partners only , for then the buyers are confined to buy as it were from one hand , and so must pay what price they shall please to impose upon it , and thus it becomes a monopoly , whereas if power be granted to every salt-master to make salt upon salt , the countrey shall be far better served , and the merchants if they cannot buy from one may go to another , as in the buying of ordinary salt. . the art of making salt upon salt is not so great as mr. william areskin represents it , since any persons who have any skill in alchymie may do it , and it is ordinarly done in holland by silly women ; the expense of bringing some of these home , cannot be so very great as he would have it to be . . it is offered by several of the salt-masters , that each of them shall set up for themselves , and have their works in readiness for accomplishing the design betwixt and the time condescended on in the act. . should this act be granted in his favours , coal-masters might close up their pits , to the great loss of the countrey : for when small salt cannot be made with some advantage , the small coals by which it is made must be left in the coal-heugh , which in some places takes fire , and in other places so immures the coal-heugh that they cannot work , and so in effect renders their works altogether useless . it is therefore humbly expected , that his grace his majesties high commissioner and the honourable estates of parliament in respect of the above reasons , will not pass the act in mr. areskines favours , but in favours of such of the salt masters as are willing to set up for themselves to make sal● upon salt ▪ dr. davenant's opinion anent the salt and malt-taxes in england opinion anent the salt and malt-taxes in england davenant, charles, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing d a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) dr. davenant's opinion anent the salt and malt-taxes in england opinion anent the salt and malt-taxes in england davenant, charles, - . p. s.n., [london : c ] caption title. at head of title: monday of december ? place and date of publication from wing. reproduction of original in columbia university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng salt -- taxation -- england. malt -- taxation. malt liquors -- taxation. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion [ monday of december ●● . ] dr. davenant's opinion anent the salt and malt-taxes in england . the doctor in his essay , upon the probable methods of making people gainers in the ballance of trade , printed anno , after enumerating several taxes , and giving his opinion anent the dangerous consequences of heavy impositions on trade , sayes page , . and . that , during all the war , there has been levied here great sums every year , and many of the forementioned funds are to continue so long , that it will be several years before our annual payments can be considerably diminished , and there is such a difference between a twentieth , and an eighth or indeed a twelth part ( which yet we shall not come to in some time ) as must inevitably affect the nation 's trade and the whole body of its people . when their was raised no more than about a twentieth part , there were great sums of money to circulate in foreign traffick , and to imploy in enlarging our home-manufactures , which two fountains of our wealth must be dry , when the springs , which hitherto fed them , are diverted and let into another channel . there is scarce any of these new revnues which do not give trade a desperate wound ; the additional duties on beer , and ale , and the tax upon malt , are apparently a burden upon the woollen manufactures , affecting the carder , spinner , weaver and the dyer , who all of them must be raised in their wages , when the necessaries of life are raised to them . the consequences of which will be , that our woollen goods must come at a heavy and disadvantageous price into the foreign mercats . there is no man will pretend , that high customs are not pernicious to our commerce abroad . a nation is not gainer in the general ballance of trade , by the dealing of a few , who are able to imploy in it great stocks , such may make to themselves an immense gain , but they go but a little toward inriching the whole publick , which seldom thrives , but when in a manner the universal people bend their thoughts to this sort of business , when every one is ready with his small stock and little sum , to venture and rove about the world ; of these some prosper and others are undone : however in the way of merchandise , men who do not thrive themselves , may yet contribute very much to make their country rich , which gets by the dealings of all , and does not suffer by the unfortunate conduct of here and there a merchant . but when the customs are high , all these undertakers , who all along in england have made up the chief bulk of our trading men , must hold their hands , tho in skill , industry , intentive parts , and witt , they may exceed merchants of more wealth and of a higher rank . nor is it indeed practicable for men of but a moderate fortune to deal at all , when more than triple that sum is necessary to have ready now to pay the king , which formerly would have set up a substantial trader , and maintain him in sufficient business . but of all the new impositions , none are so dangerous to the very being of trade , nor so hurtful to all its parts and members , as the high duties lately laid upon salt. first , they affect the common people in the whole course of their living , whose chief nourishment is bacon and other salted flesh , so that this excise has an universal influence upon all manufactures whatsoever . but the general prejudice it may bring to navigation , is yet of a higher consequence . page , he says , reckoning long and short voyages together , the principal expense of fitting out a trading vessel , is drink and meat . the excise and duties upon malt , without doubt , make drink sufficiently dear to the fraughter . and the duty upon salt , makes victualling a very heavie burden upon him ; all which must end , in lessoning our navigation from time to time , for undoubtedly foreigners observing , how dear freight is with us , will trade in their own ships as much as possible . in barrelling up beef and pork , we heretofore made use of st. martines's , &c. or oleron and english salt mixed together ; and with these materials the flesh was best prepared , both for wholsomeness and long keeping , our own salt without mixture being fiery , corrosive , and very scorbutick . as we are informed , the st. martins and worser sort of french salt , from to was delivered in london at about l : sh : per tun , and fourty bushels to the tun , and that from oleron from l : sh : to l : sh : per tun. but now the very duty for bushels of oleron salt amounts to l : sh : d : beside the per cent ad valorem , of which formerly the prime cost came to but l : sh : at highest . the duty likewise upon bushels of lisbon salt comes to l : sh . d. of which the prime cost was formerly at highest but l ▪ sh : and as to our newcastle and limington salt , which is now generally made use of in salting beef and pork for trading vessels , the very duty for bushels amounts to l : sh : d : which before the war the prime cost came but to l : at the dearest mercat . in so much , that we are credibly informed , that a merchant can store himself in ireland with salt beef and pork ready packed up , almost as cheap , as he can buy the salt in england . so that for long voyages , the merchant will either victual in ireland , or salt his beef and pork on some foreign coast , as he sails along , where provisions shall be cheap : which must be a great damnage to the landed interest here : or if he does not so , victualling will be so expensive to him , as to make fraught much dearer than ought it to be in a country that expects to thrive by trade . the consequence of all which will be , that the body of our merchants must ly under a general discouragement , they will neglect looking after national gain , which english merchants have perhaps heretofore as much considered in their dealings , as any trading men in the whole commercial world. they will have an eye to nothing , but their own temporary profit , & suffer strangers to go away with those gains , which england was wont to make by freight . from whence it will follow , that we must decay in our stock of shipping , and decrease every year in the brood of sea-men ; and when this happens , we must no more pretend to such a naval strength , as hitherto has made us terrible to all our neighbours . an answer to those printed papers published in march last by the late patentees of salt in their pretended defence and against free trade composed by iohn davies. davies, john, citizen and fishmonger of london. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing d ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing d estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an answer to those printed papers published in march last by the late patentees of salt in their pretended defence and against free trade composed by iohn davies. davies, john, citizen and fishmonger of london. p. s.n.], [london : . caption title: an answer to those papers falsely intituled a true remonstrance of the state of the salt businesse. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. eng true remonstrance of the state of the salt businesse. salt industry and trade -- great britain. free trade. a r (wing d ). civilwar no an ansvver to those printed papers published in march last, . by the late patentees of salt, in their pretended defence, and against fre davies, john, citizen and fishmonger of london b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an ansvver to those printed papers published in march last , . by the late patentees of salt , in their pretended defence , and against free trade . composed by iohn davies citizen and fishmonger of london , a well-wisher to the common-wealth in generall . sal sapit omnia . ne scis quid valeat . printed in the yeare , . to the honourable house of commons now assembled in parliament . the ensuing treatise , concerning the opposing of the project and patents for salt , tending to the good of his majesty , and of the subjects in generall , ( wherein all faithfull endeavours on the authors part are performed ) is most humbly presented , praying , that if any error is therein committed , ( whereof he is not conscious ) may by this honourable assembly be pardoned . an answer to those papers ( falsly intituled , a true remonstrance of the state of the salt businesse , &c. ) lately published in print in march , . by the projectors of the first and second patents for salt , in their owne pretended defence , and against the free trade of all merchants , navigators , and traders for fish and salt of the city of london , and all other ports , and of all salt makers and salt refiners , and of all other his majesties subjects within the extent of their severall patents between barwicke and weymouth , as followeth . in this answer it will not be necessary to bee limited within the strict time where the projectors began ▪ which was in anno. . thereby to serve their own occasions , but is intended to declare the truth of the most usuall and constant prices of salt at the city of london , as it hath beene sold for . yeares last past , as in the sequell shall appeare . that in anno . even till the latter part of the yeare , . the most usuall price either of white or bay salt , was neare about . s. or . l. a wey , and often sold under that price , as can be sufficiently proved . that in the said yeare . the warres began betweene the kings majesty of great britaine , and the french king , and the king of spaine ; in which time , till the peace was concluded betwixt those kings , the commoditie of salt was very deare and scarce , especially french salt , which was at . s. or . s. a bushell at the city of london , which came to passe in regard the salt-workes in france were destroyed . first , at the i le of ree by the duke of buckinghams designe . secondly , by the french king himselfe in the warres when he tooke in rochel . and thirdly , by intemperate raine which fell that time in france . so that the kingdome of france it selfe , which was wont to supply many other parts , as england , ireland , holland , the eastland , and germany , was thereby necessitated with want of that commodity for its owne occasion . and therefore not to be admired , that the french king made an edict in anno . that no salt should bee exported out of his kingdome , ( untill his store should bee supplyed againe . ) which scarcity in france for that present , forced all men to send into spaine for salt , and thereupon a great number of ships from all parts arriving there at one time , gave the king of spaine occasion to make use of the present necessity , and layd a great impost on the salt that should bee transported from thence . the very same cause also moved the kings majesty of great britaine , and the lords of the councell , to order in that time of scarcity of salt , by meanes of a petition exhibited to the lords by the lord maior of the city of london , and divers other ports in anno . that no salt should be transported into any forraigne parts , which was effectually granted them by the lords . but when in one or two yeares after , and that in france there were erected salt-workes , and salt was made plentifully againe , as in the yeare . then by the edicts of the said kings , the great imposition of salt in spaine and france ceased , and salt became cheape againe , and trade free as in former yeares , as about . l. or . livre. . s. per wey , for english or french , and . l. per wey for spanish salt at most , which continued till december , . so that the cause of the dearth of salt in france , anno . till anno . hapned through warre and intemperate weather , as before is specified , and not by the pleasure of princes , by laying of a great impost upon it , as they the patentees falsly pretended ; but the projectors were desirous to make that an occasion of bringing their covetous desires to effect , and about that time they beganne to devise to bring an impost on the english native salt , which was and is dearer to the makers of it then any other salt spent in this kingdome . for french and spanish salt being made onely by the heat of the sunne , stands not the makers of it in above . s. or . s. or . s. a london wey at the most , according to the drinesse , or the wetnesse of the summer , whereas the english shields salt at . d. per gallon , ( which is the cheap price the patentees boast of stands the makers of it in . s. . s. the like wey at least , being also the weakest salt of all other by one third part , and therefore cannot beare any impost , without destroying the english manufactures , as these projectors have all this time practised , to the destruction thereof , although they pretended the contrary . it is to be observed , that a wey of salt at the city of london , containeth . bushels , and every bushell . gallons , which is the right measure according to the statute ; from which , in most other ports it much differeth . that in december , . the first projectors , consisting of twenty two in number , ( whereof five were knights , the other seventeene had the titles of esquires and gentlemen ) having determined and practised formerly to doe mischiefe in this land wherein they were borne and bred , and being all or most of them unexperienced in the matter they tooke in hand , devised and obtained this monopoly of salt , mis-informing his majesty , and the lords of the councell , that it would be a great benefit to this kingdome of england , and that of scotland , to erect workes for the making a sufficient quantity of salt , &c. and at a certaine moderate price , ( as they so termed it ) not exceeding . l. a shields wey , which is after the rate of . l. . s. for a wey delivered at london , which is an intolerable exaction upon a native manufacture , made and spent in this kingdome , as by their patent more fully doth appeare ; ( although the salt pannes in those places were erected long before , and not by these patentees . ) which patent being obtained by them , they practised to oppresse the subject from january . untill august . all which time the first patentees having made a monopoly , in taking all the old workes and pannes at the shields into their hands , forced white salt at the city of london to the price of . l. . s. per wey , and for the most part to . l. per wey , and so in all other ports according to that rate . and bay salt , by reason of their great impost of . s. . d. per wey , which was raised by a privy seale , procured by edward nuttall , and others his associates , ( but nothing brought to accompt for his majesty , as yet appeares ) was not all that time sold at london under . l. . s. per wey , at least , but commonly at . l. . s. . d. per wey , or . l. whereas the westerne parts , which were free of their patent , as southampton , exeter , plimouth , bristol , &c. had it in that time at or about . l. the like wey , and sometimes under that price , which was most unjust and unequall , that the easterne parts should suffer so much thereby , not onely in the price , but also in hindrance of navigation , and losse of trade . that about july , . the first patentees having difference with master murford of yarmouth , who had a patent granted before theirs at shields , prevailed against them , and some of them of the first patent being wearied with the designe , voluntarily laid downe their patent . that after the first patentees gave over their patent , the salt-makers at shields in august , . reassumed their pannes , and sold salt there cheape againe , and thereby both scottish and shields salt was sold at london for . l. per wey , or near thereabout , untill january following , that thomas horth and his associates obtained a grant of their patent , which they presently after put in execution , yet horth and his associates of the second patent had no time to raise the price of white salt at shields to that height as they desired ; for the scots presently after the first pacification in august , . brought it downe at london to . l. . s. per wey , whereas horth and his associates in june and july . would sell none at london under . l. . s. per wey . that whereas the first and second projectors of both patents , to cleare themselves of the great wrong done by them to his majesty and his subjects , doe in their printed papers lay the blame on the traders in salt of the city of london , seeking therby to glosse over their oppressing the subjects even in the face of this honourable parliament , still pretending as formerly , that what they did was for his majesties profit , benefit of navigation , support of home manufacture , and generall good of the subject , and many such like things , all which pretences are meere falshoods and suggestions . for first his majesties revenew is no way increased , as doth appeare by their payments into his majesties exchequer , being in all but . l. whereas they have received impost , and remaine debtors to his majesty many thousands , as by further examination and proofe of their accompts will appeare . secondly , navigation hath beene much hindred thereby , as by a former petition of the trinity house to his majesty and the lords of the privy councell appeareth , as also it hath beene sufficiently proved before the committee for the salt businesse , by the master and wardens of the trinity company , who are most sensible of the destruction and advancement of the shipping and navigation of this kingdome . thirdly , they have so cherished the home manufacture , by laying a heavy impost upon it , that those that had . pannes of their own , and were thriving people at the shields , before their patents were of force , and were the makers there of salt , are by the meanes of these patentees become so poore , that the greater part of them are not able to buy coals to set their pannes on worke . and those the patentees who bought . pannes of the old traders , did cease working for the most part of the yeares . and . by reason they could not attaine to their intended price of . s. . d. per wey at the shields . so that whereas there was formerly made at the shields before their patents began about . wey per annum , they made in the time of the first patent , which continued about three yeares and a halfe , not above . wey per annum . and in the time of the latter patent but . wey per annum , even before the comming in of the scottish army into those parts : by all which appeares how much they have destroyed the native manufacture , and have no wayes advanced or increased it , as they pretended . fourthly , for their pretences of the generall good of the subject , in place whereof they have so oppressed the subject in generall , that not onely the traders in salt of the city of london , have justly complained of their grievances to the honourable court of parliament , but also salt-refiners of essex and suffolke , also many merchants in the west parts as far as weymouth , as also from yarmouth , and many other ports north as farre as newcastle , that came up to london onely to informe the court of parliament of the great burden they have beene forced to lye under , even to many of their undoings : and many more would come up , had they not beene so impoverished by them the patentees , that they are not able to beare their charges in comming so farre to complaine of their grievances . in generall , they have been the oppressors of fishermen , and all the subjects of these north east parts of england , to the value of many thousand pounds in estimation , above fourescore thousand pounds since the time of their entring into these patents , which can be made plainly to appeare by one yeares importation for forraigne and scottish salt , collected out of the custome-house bookes , and meters bookes of london , and for native salt out of their owne bookes . viz. in the yeare . ( which was in the time of their first patent ) of bay and spanish salt there was imported but . wey , which at . s. d. per wey , is impost . l. . s. whereas in the yeare . when the trade was free there was . wey of forraigne salt imported , by which may be observed the decay of forraigne trade during the time of their impost . that the impost of forraigne salt was received and taken of all the subjects between barwicke and southampton , by vertue of privy seale dated in may . procured by edward nuttall , and others his associates , but nothing brought to accompt by them , nor paid to his majesties use for the two yeares and . moneths , ( as can yet appeare . ) that of scottish and native white salt shields measure , there were expended for land use about . weyes , which at . s. per wey impost , and . s. per wey increase of price , which came to passe by the patentees contracting with the scotch for deare selling , and can appeare to be damage to the subjects at least in one yeare , in the price of the white salt . l. that for fishers use of scottish and native salt , an estimate of . shields wey , and upwards , at . s. . d. per wey impost , and . s. . d. increase of price , is at least . l. whereby it appeares that the subjects suffered in one yeare by the first salt patents , . l. . s. that the patentees for salt continued their first and second patents above . yeares . by all which it is manifest how profitable these patents have beene to the patentees , how little benefit hath accrued to his majesty thereby , how great a burden to the subjects in generall , and to the old salt makers , and the merchants for forraigne salt , and all fishermen , who use great quantities thereof , and to all traders in the same in their particulars . but if any trader in salt hath either joyned with those patentees in any indirect way , thereby to uphold them , or the extreme price of salt , they are not hereby intended to be excused , but to be left to the consideration of the honourable house of parliament . and whereas horth and his associates seek to justifie their patent , comparing it with that which master murford intended ( which would also have beene alike illegall with theirs , by laying an impost on native salt ( as they have practised . ) for answer thereunto is said , that the unlawfulnesse of murfords patent intended , cannot make that of horths to bee lawfull which was practised by him . for as well that of horths , as also the first patent , have beene sufficiently discussed by the committee appointed by the honourable house of commons now assembled in parliament , for the hearing of that businesse , and is by them most justly condemned to be illegall , a monopoly , and prejudiciall to the common-wealth . for so it is , that a monopoly is a kinde of commerce in buying and selling usurped by a few , and sometimes by one person , and forestalled by them or him from all others , to the gaine of the monopolist , and to the detriment of other men . that the latter patentees further proceed in their justification , declaring the low rates the subjects have beene served at since the time of the settlement of their patent , which is ( as they say ) at . d. ob . per gallon at the most , which in truth is a most intolerable exaction on the subject . for . d. ob . per gallon is no lesse then . s. a sheilds wey , which is but five eight parts of a london wey , and so the fraught being added , which is . s. a shields wey , without impost , it will stand the adventurer in no lesse then . l. . s. a wey london measure ; whereas it may bee afforded , delivered at london , for . l. . s. per wey , which is after the rate of . s. per wey to the salt makers at shields for their wey , at which said price of . s. per wey , the old salt makers say , they can afford it , but not under . and for the rare of . d. per gallon , which is the cheape price they so much boast on , it being but . s. . d. a wey shields measure , at which price , if they sold any so cheape , it was much against their wills , for they desired and alwayes sought to settle it at . s. . d. per wey shields measure for land use , and . s. . d. for the fishing sea expence , which are the prices laid downe in the latter patent : yet it is true , that they sold some at lower rates : but they were forced thereto by meanes of the great plenty that was brought in by the scots , who sold it at london , yarmouth , and some other ports at . l. a wey , in anno . and some under that price , as aforesaid , whereupon the patentees gave over making salt at shields in their pannes , in regard they could not attaine to their intended price of . s. . d. a shields wey , yet some of the old salt makers still wrought , ( though to their great losse , and some of their undoings ) selling it not for above . s. per wey , yet notwithstanding they the patentees took of them the old saltmakers , without any moderation or compassion , the full impost of . s. for every shields wey , for land use , and . s. . d. per wey , for the fishery expence . for they had forced the old saltmakers and salt refiners to enter into bond , for the payment therof unto them , which if they refused to do , they violently forced them of the shields , of great yarmouth , and salt refiners of essex and suffolke thereunto by imprisoning of some , committing of others into pursuivants hands , and causing others to come up and answer at the councell table , to their great expence both of money and time , which extreamity horth used in that time he was governour more then any other either of the first or second patentees . that in the months of september , october and november last , salt became deerer then it was in eight or nine yeares before , which came to passe partly by reason of the great impost continued by the patentees of the last patent , both on the native and forraigne salt , and partly by reason of the imbarring of the scottish trade , and the comming in of the scottish army , at that time into newcastle and shields , so that white salt was sold in october last at the port of london at . l. . s. per wey , and bay salt in november last , was sold at the port of london for . l. per wey , in regard master strickson , master nuttall , and master duke , three of the last patentees continued the taking impost even untill this present parliament , which three were also chiefe of the projectors of the first patent . that the . of november last , the honourable assembly of parliament upon a petition of the traders in salt of london , injoyned the patentees to bring in their patents & cease taking impost , and thereupon the price both of white and bay salt did fall at the port of london to . l. a wey , and some for lesse : but the windes proving contrary in the latter part of december , january and february last , for above ten weekes together : and also small store of salt having been laid up in london , or made at shields by reason of the troubles in those parts with the scottish army , the store of white salt for want of supply was soone spent here at london : and had it not beene that the parliament before that time had taken off the impost of forraigne bay and spanish salt , whereby there was good quantities of forraigne salt brought in , this city of london had been so necessitated for salt , as the like hath not been knowne . yet from the kings store house , and the east india company , and other such like places , there was some small quantities of white salt found , which supplyed the present want thereof , and was sold in those deerest times at or neere billingsgate by some of the traders in salt for . s. . d. per bushell at most , but bay salt all that time was sold for . d. or . s. a bushell , and not above all that time , which was in the moneth of february , but before that moneth was expired , and ever since it hath beene sold for . s. per bushell , and five peckes to the bushell , at or neare billingsgate . and whereas the patentees alledge that white salt was sold for . s. a pecke , at that instant day , when they published their printed papers , it is manifestly to bee proved that ten or twelve daies before they published them , white salt was cryed in london streets at . d. a pecke , and so ever since , which proves their printed papers to be scandalous and false , in laying forth so many imputations upon the traders in salt , as though they were the cause of deare selling , which was only their continued impositions , and the occasion of the time as afore is shewed . that before the patentees had obtained their patent for salt , there was imported yearly to london great quantities of spanish , straits , and french salt , by merchants , navigators and traders . and that many hundred weyes thereof were from thence yearly transported for flanders , holland , denmarke , and the east countrie , whereby ships had their imployments both inwards and outwards , his majesties customes improved , and many poore people , as porters and labourers had their maintenance thereby ; which trade of importation is in a manner wholly decayed since the time these severall patents were obtained . objections and observations . that their patents are found by the committee appointed by the parliament for hearing the salt businesses to be illegall , and a monopoly , by reason they brought an impost on the native manufacture , and many other oppressions to the subject . that the prosecution hath beene most violent by imprisonments , and forcing many out of their trades , and also salt refiners and saltmakers , at shields and great yarmouth from their works ; and the first patentees forced divers at shields to let them their pannes at a rent , which after two yeares and sixe monthes use , they returned into their hands much decayed , and not satisfied for rent . that they would have forced his majesties subjects to the only use of white salt , which is not so sufficient for fishing voiages and many other uses , as the forraigne . that they forced the price both of white & bay salt , in the time of their patents , to one third part more then otherwise it would have beene sold for . that there was a far greater quantity of salt made in england before their patents began , then in the time of the continuance of their patents . that horth at a hearing at councell table the . of december , . to maintaine his unjust cause in taking his patent , and upon some speech , which was moved about the insufficiency of white salt for preserving of fish , and an ancient trader there saying , that the very scales fell off through the weaknesse of the white salt ; he the said horth did most falsly reply and affirme , that codde and ling fish had no scales , which he did to convince them of error who came to oppose him : and he with others ( whose names are well knowne ) did then and there before his majesty and the lords of the councell so farre maintaine it , that they were believed , and that the others that spake the truth , were rejected , whereby the king and lords were abused by the said horth and others , by denying that to the creature which it had received in the creation either for defence or ornament . that it is and hath beene proved both before his majesty and the lords , and also before the committee by the trinity house masters , that if forraigne salt be prohibited , or some heavy impost be laid upon it , navigation will be much hindred and decaied . that horth alone above the rest of his partners obtained a commission out of the exchequer , and did thereby put men to their corporall oaths , to confesse what salt of their owne or of others , they knew to be imported , and told the commissioners hee was at councel about that particular , and his councell advised him , it must bee so , and to bee sure , would bee with the commissioners himselfe , and urge it . that the settled moderate rate ( as the patentees pleased to call it ) of . s. . d. per wey shields measure , will stand the adventurer delivered at london in . l. . s. . d. per wey , which is now since their patent ceased sold at this city of london for . l. . s. per wey , and long before their patents began , it was sold cheaper , ( that time of three or foure yeares of hostility with france and spaine , when there could be little forraigne salt imported , onely excepted . ) and bay salt at present is sold at . l. per wey . that beyond the power of the patents , horth constrained the salt refiners of divers counties to pay a double impost . that if the commodity of salt be free for all men to import , or make it , there cannot be that ingrossing , forestalling , or regrating made ▪ which may be done by a few monopolizing patentees , who having the command of it all , may conferre the commodity upon some few particular traders , for some sinister respects , to the destruction of others in their trades , ( as the late times of their patents have made manifest . ) and for those . yeares afore specified , the commodity of salt being then free of impost , the price was alwayes reasonable , and would be so now , and so continue , without the helpe of any projector . that a free trade which is now so much desired of the subject , and a settled price , desired of the patentee , cannot consist , for a constant price forced upon a native manufacture is a principall part of a monopoly . that forraigne salt being absolutely necessary for speciall uses , the inhibition thereof cannot be admitted , but to the great prejudice of the subject . that these projectors , which pretend so much of supporting the home manufacture of salt , have in a maner destroyed it , by laying so heavy an impost upon it , as . s. for every london wey . and if it be not supported by taking off the foresaid impost , it is like utterly to decay , and then indeed ( the salt wiches onely excepted ) this kingdome must wholly depend upon forraigne parts , for all the salt shall be therein expended . ( the premisses considered ) the humble request to the honourable house of commons now assembled in parliament , is , that they would be pleased , that the projectors and late patentees for salt may be brought to an account upon the premisses , that so it may appeare what profits have accrued to his majesty , and what disadvantage to the subject , and what persons have beene molested and vexed by reason of them , that so reparations and redresse may be made to the parties so vexed and grieved , as in the judgement of the honourable assembly shall be thought expedient . finis .