●he COAL-TRADERS and CONSUMERS CASE, humbly offered to the High Court of PARLIAMENT, in Relation to the ORPHANS of the CITY of LONDON.  
THERE has been ever since Queen Elizabeth's Reign paid to Her Successors, or their Assigns, Twelve Pence per Cauldron at Newcastle, out of which the Citizens of London have, for the Benefit of the Poor of the said City, two hundred Pounds per Annum.  
Next, at Newcastle there is paid to the Poor and Town-House, and at other Places betwixt London and Newcastle, for Lights, Buoys and Beacons, in all the Sum of Twelve Pence per Cauldron.  
Next, at London is paid to the Building and Finishing S. Paul's, 1 s. 6 d. per Cauldron.  
Next, at the same Port of London is paid 4 d. per Cauldron, by way of Meetage-Money, out of which 1 d. per Cauldron goes to the Coal-Meeter, that really measures the Coals; but the other 3 d. per Cauldron, which amounts to (and has so done for six or seven Years passed) 4000 l. per Annum, little more or less, goes to sundry Gentlemen called Master-Meeters; but what Service they do for the said 4000 l. per Annum, more than paying a Clerk, and finding of Vatts to measure the Coals with; or by what Authority they receive the same, is unknown to such who pay the said Money into the Meeter's-Office.  
These sundry Taxes on Coals at all Places amount to 3 s. 10 d. on every Cauldron, which falls very heavy on two forts of People; First, on those that relate to Navigation or the Importers of them, for they advance the Money in every Place.  
Next, on the Consumers of Coals, who by reason of such Tax must pay the dearer for them; and they are the ordinary sort of Tradesmen, and those who live not in the City, but in the Out Places, and all the Counties both East and West from London, bordering on the River of Thames, are the greatest Consumers of the said Coals.  
Yet notwithstanding there is so much as 3 s. 10 d. already paid pro Coals, the Citizens of London Pray, That a further Duty of 18 d. per Cauldron may be laid on Coals to pay the Orphan's Debts, (which will make in all 5 s. 4 d. per Cauldron) the said Citizens alleging, That it was once paid to the City before, and they felt not the Burden of it: It would be well if the poor Inhabitants in the Outparts, and the great Consumers of Coals in all other Places could say the same; or that the great Towns to which the Shipping of the Coal-Trade belongs, viz. Ipswich, Albrough, Yarmouth, Scar●ough, Burlington, Whitby, Newcastle, etc. had no Reason to address themselves to the High Court of Parliament, to prevent any further Tax being laid: The Just Complaints they have to make are too many to be here inserted, for the twenty Years last passed; during which Time, or thereabouts, the City of London have for their Share had, by way of Impost and Meetage, about 800000 l.  
However, if the High Court of Parliament shall think fit to lay a further Tax on Coals, towards paying the Orphan's Debts, the Coal-Traders, and the greatest Consumers of Coals do in all Humility Pray, That a small Sum on every Cauldron be added to the 4 d. per Cauldron already paid for Meetage, as is under-neato proposed; which will be far easier to be paid for ever, than 18 d. per Cauldron for twenty Years; for 8 d. in that nature will answer the same End, and pay 250000 l. of the Debt.  
The Orphans of London have owing to them 508000 l. Principal Money; and such who have lent their Money about 100000 l. As to the Orphans, their Money was compelled out of their Hands into the Chamber of London; so it is a Debt most highly reasonable to be paid, by such equal Ways and Means as may the least burden one sort of Poor to pay the other.  
But as for the 100000 l. lent by such who might have chosen whether they would have lent it or not, seems not reasonable to come under equal Consideration with the Orphans.  
So shall only cast up what the Interest of the Orphan's Money comes to, for it is to be feared that so great a Sum as 508000 l. cannot be raised to pay them down; and the Interest of the same, at 4 l. per Cent. per annum, comes to 20340 l.  lb First, towards Payment of which, the City-Lands may yearly advance 4000 Next, the adding of 8 d. per Cauldron, per way of Meetage, to the 4 d. already paid, will yearly raise, besides a sufficient Sum to pay all the Coal-Meeters off, that hold their Places by Lives, even to the full of what they are now worth, and to defray all Charges relating to managing the said Employ; and also to pay every Lord Mayor full as much as ever has been yearly paid by the said Meetage. 12000 Next, the Meetage on all sort of Grain, Salt, etc. imported into London, if so small a Matter as 1 d. per Quarter be added to what is already paid, and be appropriated to the Benefit of the Orphans, is hoped, will raise, towards a farther satisfying ●●e said Debt 2000 texts, If the Benefit of Hackney-Coaches be also appropriated to the said Use, and if the same shall amount to the Sum of 2340 Then all the above Sums together, will amount unto the Sum of 20340  
which 20340 l. if settled by Act of Parliament for ever, will be a sure Fund for the Orphans from Age to Age, on which the Young Orphans, during their nonage, may safely pay those off that are now in want of their Money; and so the Chamber of London may once more regain that Credit, which on good Grounds it has not had for many Years past, and yet never be in their Power to wrong Orphans any more, because a Public Register may be kept in such Manner and Form, as the Fund can never be exceeded.  
As to 4000 l. on City-Lands and 12000 l. on Coals, if the Parliament think fit to lay it, will be a sure Fund for 16000 l. per Annum.  
And as to the the 2000 l. on Meetage of Corn and 2340 on Hackney Coaches, if the Parliament do not think fit to lay it, or that if laid, they may not amount to 4340 l. per Annum, there are many other things, which if put together, may easily answer in the room thereof.  
But seeing there is already 3 s. 10 d. per Cauldron, Taxes on Coals, how shall 8 d. per Cauldron more be added, and not be burthemsome to the poor Tradesmen, etc.  
I answer: If the High Court of Parliament shall think fit to take 6 d. per Cauldron from the 18 d. now paid to the Building and Finishing S. Paul's; and in lieu thereof give a longer Time for 12 d. than the present Act has allotted for 18 d. And also a Power to borrow Money on the Credit thereof, S. Paul's will not at all be hindered thereby; And then put 2 d. more to the Tax paid, so taken off from S. Paul's, which makes the 8 d. above specified, and add them to the Meetage-Money already, and make it in all 12 d. per Cauldron to the Orphans, as well as 12. per Cauldron to S. Paul's; then still S. Paul's will be built, and the Orphans paid too; and so one sort of Poor will not be burdened to pay the other, any more than 2 d. per Cauldron more than what is already paid by Coals.  
May not every Landlord, having the Benefit of a House within the City, and every Tenant the Benefit of a Trade within the City, pay some small matter towards the Orphan's Debt, as well as so many, unconcerned with the City, should pay to it by Coals?  
Such a Way has been sometimes mentioned, viz. an equal Tax on Landlord and Tenant; but the Citizens will by no means hear of that, alleging, That they had nothing to do with what the Government did twenty or forty Years past. If so, pray if they that dwell in the City, and are the Freemen thereof, say, 'Tis unreasonable they should pay the Orphans, how much more unreasonable must the Citizens acknowledge it to be, for such to pay them, as never Eat or Drank for the Money so spent? yet such must pay it, if the Parliament think fit to lay a further Tax on Coals.