The CASE of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, and elsewhere within the County of York; and others of the Cutlers and Smiths in Warwickshire and Darbyshire; humbly offered to the Consideration of the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses in Parliament assembled.  
AN Act was passed to charge 2 s. per annum Duty to the King upon every Fire-hearth and Stove; 
14 Car. 2.  In which Act it is provided, That the same should not extend to charge any Blowing-House, and Stamp-Furnace, or Kiln, nor any other House wherein there are but Two Chimneys, and for which the Rent paid is not above 20 s. yearly.  
Upon former complaint made to the Parliament, by the Black-Smiths, of several Abuses committed in the Collecting of Hearth-Money.  
The said Smith's Petition was committed to the Committee of Grievances; 
Nou. 6. 1667.  Which Committee several times met, and Voted all the Matters complained of to be Grievances: And amongst many other things, They  
Resolved; That no private Oven, no Still, no Smiths-Forge or Blowing-House, no Furnace, no places in Kitchens for keeping Dishes warm, or Stewing; no Lead or Copper, nor any place used only for conveying the Smoke, or for receving the Coals drawn out of the said Ovens or Furnaces from under the said Leads or Coppers, and not used as a Hearth for any other intent or purpose, aught by any of the said Acts of Parliament to be charged as Fire-Hearths, and be liable to the said Duty.  
And that the best way to remedy the said Inconveniences, would be a New Bill.  
The Committee made part of their Report to the House, 
Dec. 7. 1667.  and the House agreed all their Resolves to the 12th to be Grievances.  
The House proceeding to take into further consideration the Committees Report concerning Hearth-Money, 
Decemb. 10. 1667.  and all Resolves from the 11th, with the Opinion of the Committee being read the second time, were, upon the Question, severally agreed unto by the House to be Grievances.  
Resolved; That a Bill be brought in for the Redressing the Grievances and Abuses in Collecting of Hearth-Money, and for the better ascertaining the Duty upon the several Heads, and the Opinion of the Committee in their Report being all agreed to by the House, it was referred to the same Committee to prepare and bring in a Bill accordingly.  
Accordingly a Bill was brought in, and twice read, and committed, but the House was Prorogued before the Committee could come to make their Report.  
Nevertheless the poor People in the several Counties in England did think themselves secure in these Votes and Resolves of the House, and accordingly were quiet in the Country for some years after, but are now disturbed in most places of England: To instance all would be long, therefore shall insist only upon one Place, whose Case is the same with all others of their Trades in other parts of England.  
In Hallamshire there are above One Thousand Cutlers, Sciser-Smiths, Shere-Smiths, Sickle-Smiths, etc. And at Brimmingham are Sword-Smiths, Cutlers, Spurriers, Bridle-bit-makers', nailers, and divers other Handicrafts Men who live by Manufacturing of Iron and Steel, are very Poor, have numerous Families, most of them Working at 6 d. or 8 d. a day Wages, cannot make any Work without Blowing, and therefore must have Blowing-Forges in their Houses, (as well as Thousands of others in other parts of England;) some of them (though the poorest Men of all) have Two or Three.  
These most of them live in poor Cottages, wherein there are not above two Chimneys apiece, and for which there is not above 20 s. per annum Rend paid.  
For several years after the Act, and Additional and Explanatory Acts, and Votes and Resolves aforesaid concerning the Duty of Hearth-Money passed, there was no demand made of these poor People of any Duty for their Forges.  
But since the Collectors of the Chimney-Money have made Demands upon all those poor People of 2 s. a Forge, (which is expressly against the Letter of the Acts and Votes aforesaid) and for nonpayment have made Distresses, taken away their Goods, to their great prejudice, whereby they are discouraged from continuing to work any longer. And which is most severe, they commonly destrain upon their Working-Tools, which for want of Money they cannot sometimes redeem in four or five days; all which time they stand still, and must lose the getting much more than might have paid the Duty demanded.  
Several have had Trials at the Assizes concerning this Demand, been put to vast Charges, and upon the Trials special Verdicts being found, the Persons have attended many years in London to have got them Argued, but cannot obtain the same, which is their further Grievance; inasmuch as their Journeys, Expenses in attending, and loss of their Time and Work by such delays, tend to their and their Family's ruin.  
If these Forges be made liable, than the Case will be sad to the Poor, who were (as appears by the Act) intended to be exempted, (having not above two Chimneys apiece in their Houses, and not paying above 20 s. a year Rend) for if they shall be judged as Hearths, then having two Chimneys, and most of them two or three of these Blowing-Forges, they will be brought by this Contrivance to pay 6, 8, or 10 shillings per annum to the King for a House of 20 s. a year Rent, which they humbly conceive was not the Intention of the Parliament, their Act being expressly to the contrary; And if it be not so, will tend to the Ruin of those Manufactures, and thereby many thousands of his Majesty's poor Subjects.  
Therefore they most humbly pray the favour of this Honourable House to declare their Intentions in this Matter, that they may be discharged from any further Attendance upon the Court of King's Bench for Arguing the said special Verdict, and not be disturbed upon this Account for the future.  
And they shall pray, etc.   

The Copy of one of the Special Verdicts.  
John Pearson against Richard Nicholson and Scanderbagg Proctor.  
WE find the several Statutes concerning Hearth-Money, We find that the Plaintiff keeps a Cutler's Forge in Sheffield, which Forge cannot be used without Blowing, and wherein he Heats all his Wares, and after stamps them with his Mark; for which he was before that time, in which, etc. rated for the said Forge at 2 s. per annum, as for a Fire-Hearth, within the said Acts. That at and before the time in which, etc. 2 s. for one year for the said Forge at the Rate aforesaid was Arrear; That the Defendants being Officers for Collecting the Hearth-Money for this County, duly authorized according to the Statutes, demanded the said 2 s. of the Plaintiff, which he refused to pay; whereupon the Defendants took the Goods mentioned in the Declaration as a Distress for the said 2 s. And if a Cutler's Forge be a Hearth chargeable by the said Acts, or any of them, we find for the Def. if not, for the Plant. and damages 12 d. costs 40 s.  


John Turner for the Plaintiff.  
Richard Weston for the Defendant.  
John Bright for the Plaintiff.  
Thomas Jones for the Defendant.