To the Honourable Assembly of Commons in house of Parliament.  
The humble Petition of the Waggoners or Carriers of the Cities of Oxford, Cambridge, Norwich, Colchester, Northhampton, and other Towns and places within this Realm. And also of the Clothiers and Tradesmen using traffic and commerce in the said Towns and places.  
Humbly showing,  
THat the King's Majesty's Proclamation given at Windsor the sixth day of August in the twentieth year of his Highness' most happy Reign over us of this his Realm of England, hereunto annezed, is a great hindrance and grievance to your Petitioners; for relief whereof your Petitioners about February last was twelve months, did most humbly petition the Kings most excellent Majesty, who thereupon was graciously pleased to refer your Petitioners said grievance to the consideration of the Lords of his Highness' most honourable Privy Council, unto whom your Petitioners repairing with his Majesties said gracious reference, their Honours being busied with more important affairs, had no leisure to consider thereof, and so did nothing therein.  
Wherefore your humble Petitioners being still molested and troubled by virtue of the said Proclamation if they go with their said Wagons, do most humbly pray and beseech this honourable Assembly to receive this their Petition into consideration, and to read their grievances and allegations hereafter following, importing both a necessity and conveniency that Wagons with four wheels should rather be in use then Carts with two wheels; And to be a means that the said Proclamation may be called in, and they at liberty to use their Wagons with four wheels as in former times, not carrying above twenty hundred weight the six months in the Winter season; And they shall daily pray, etc.  

Their Allegations.  

1. First, a Wagon or Drug having four wheels will seldom or never overthrow (whatsoever his loading be) because when one of the wheels doth rise, the other doth incontinently pull him down again, and by that means the passengers and goods that are therein, and also the Driver, are in safety.  
Where on the contrary, a Cart with two wheels will very often (inevitably) overthrow, and in overthrowing endanger the lives of the Passengers, if any be therein, and spoil, hurt and soil the goods, to the loss of the owner's market.   

2. A waggon by reason of such his secure travel, doth make more speed on the way then a Cart, and is sooner at his journey's end, and therefore seldom or never much benighted.  
Where on the contrary a Cart (for fear of being overthrown) cannot make such speed, and so is enforced to travel late in the night to accomplish his accustomed journeys, to the exceeding toil and danger of the Carter.   

3. By the convoy of wagons, many Passengers, both men, women and children, aged, lame and impotent persons are carried to and fro, from place to place, as their occasions drives them, dry and safe, and that for a small charge, which otherwise could not ride on horseback, or travel on foot, to the great ease and benefit of many of the King's subjects, and profit to your Petitioners the Waggoners.  
Where on the contrary, not any can be so convoyed in Carts, without great peril and danger of their lives, by reason of overthrowing, whereof there hath been lamentable examples of certain persons killed near Ingerstone, to the grief of the subject, and loss to the Waggoner.   

4. A waggon may be guided by a slight and engine down any steep hill.  
Where on the contrary a Cart cannot, and therefore is not fit for travel in all places.   

5. If a waggon be set fast in a mire-pit, the same is with less strength drawn forth with the motion of four wheels, than a Cart can be with two wheels.   

6. A waggon with four wheels having a load of thirty hundred weight laid upon the same, will make a lesser cut or impression in the ground then a Cart with two wheels, having but twenty hundred weight; and the reason is, because the thirty hundred weight lying upon the four wheels, viz. seven hundred and a half upon a wheel, and the Carts two wheels bearing ten hundred upon a wheel, the weight of ten hundred upon a wheel doth cut and sink deeper in the ground then seven hundred and a half.   

7. A Cart will be driven and turned aside every way, and so search out and run over the whole compass of the ways, and often times in turning short, doth make such a slough or cut in the ground, that a load of stones will scarce fill up the same pit again.  
Where on the contrary, a Wagon cannot turn out of the way, but go strait outright.   

8. It is a hindrance to the Waggoner, and almost a double charge to the Merchant or tradesmen using carriage, that the Waggoner is restrained and limited by the said Proclamation, that he may not carry no greater loads in the Summer time, when the ways are impressible, then in the Winter season, when they are almost impassable.   

9 For that since the cessation of Wagons with four wheels, and recourse of Carts only with two wheels, experience shows it to be true, that the road ways are never a jot bettered or preserved, but rather worse and impaired: therefore and for the reasons aforesaid, your Petitioners do humbly pray as they have prayed.   

Lastly, the cause of the foulness and badness of the high ways, is not caused through the recourse of Carts and Wagons, without which the Common wealth cannot be, but for lack of due amending and repairing in the most needful places in times convenient.