AN humble PETITION AND REMONSTRANCE PRESENTED Unto both the High and Honourable Houses OF PARLIAMENT.  
CONCERNING The insupportable grievance of the Transportation of Leather.  
Printed in the year, 1641.   

TO THE honourable Assembly of the House of Commons now assembled in Parliament.  
The humble Petition and Remonstrance of many thousands, whose names are here subscribed, of the City of London, Middlesex, Southwark, and other places of the kingdom, in behalf of themselves and of the Subject in general.  
Showeth, that amongst other the grievances of this kingdom, the insupportable burden of the enhanced prices of all sorts of Commodities which are made of Leather is exceeding great, and doth daily increase, so that the whole Nation is much oppressed and impoverished thereby, especially the poorer sort of your Petitioners, who are not any longer able to undergo the same.  
That the same is caused by reason of the exportation thereof beyond the Seas, and of the gross and forestallers of Markets, Tanners, Curriers, Shoemakers, and other ill affected persons, who buy up and engross great quantities to export, and enhance the prices of the rest.  
That under pretence of exporting of small skins, all sorts of Leather is sent away, whereby Roots, shoes, and all Commodities that are made of Leather, is within these two or three years enhanced in the prices above eight shillings in the pound.  
That the Patentees and others, as your Petitioners are informed, endeavour to procure an Act for the tolerating of their transportation of Leather, which if effected, will be a perpetual damage to the King and kingdom, and the utter ruin of many hundred thousands.  
That the said oppression is heavier upon the Subject than any project whatsoever, or the insupportable burden of Ship-money. All which more at large may appear in your Petitioners humble Remonstrance.  
Wherefore your Petitioners most humbly implore the just favour of this great and Honourable Assembly, to give speedy redress to this inconceivable Grievance: And in the mean time that the transportation of all sorts of skins and Leather may be forthwith sequestered. And your Petitioners, together with the general of the kingdom, shall ever pray, &c.  
Above twelve thousand hands subscribed to this Petition.   

An Humble Remonstrance touching the Grievances of Leather.  
IT is a maxim in philosophy that all things in nature tend to perfection by rules of order and degrees of goodness, so in a commonwealth all things should be for its advancement by the rules of policy and experience, and whatsoever appears to the contrary, that thing is to be abolished, and the Projectors punished.  
Now amongst the sufferings of this kingdom, the Insupportable burden of the enhanced prices of such commodities as are made of Leather is exceeding great, and doth daily increase, so that the whole nation is oppressed and impoverished thereby, especially the poor, who are not able any longer to undergo so great a misery.  
Which grievance the petitioners do here humbly remonstrate and present unto the great judgement of this honourable assembly, wherein may be considered, 

1. the greatness of the evil,  
2. the causers thereof,    
Together with answers to some frivolous allegations which have or may be made therein.  

For the greatness of the evil.  
It is the greatest oppression that ever hath been upon the subject, beyond all projects or monopolies that ever was set on foot in England, soap, Starch, Tobacco, &c. but petty things to this, for many an able country man lost not above six pence or twelve pence in a year by one of these, and the poorer sort nothing at all, for they seldom bought any: But all sorts of people from the rich to the wandering beggar, are sharers in this misery of enhanced prices of Leather.  
It is a grievance beyond the insupportable burden of shipmoney, as may plainly appear by descending to some comparative particulars of several 

1. Parishes in and about London, and  
2. Towns and Hamlets in the country.    
For Parishes, Saint Olaf's Southwark hath in it above 3600. families, whereof 2800. are not able to pay subsidies or shipmoney, and there is not a poor family that can be excused under ten shillings a year or more, which the charges of shoes and other things of Leather stands them in more than it did two or three years since, which amounts to above 1400. pound a year that the poor of this parish are put unto in the expense of an enhanced commodity.  
St. Brides in Fleetstreet, a Parish in the heart of London in respect of trade, yet there is above 700. poor families that was never within the list of shipmoney, which after the same proportion is above 350. pound per annum, which is exhausted from these poor, who are most of them ready for relief of the Parish.  
St. sepulchers, hath in it almost 2000 poor families, St. Giles Cripplegate as many, which after the same proportion is 1000 pound per annum, which the poor of each several Parish lose, enough to make many of them turn rogues and beggars, and thus we might instance in other Parishes. Besides, it is conceived every Parish hath in it as many lodgers as there are families, which suffer in the prices of shoes that never paid shipmoney.  
So for towns and Country Villages, some husbandmen are assessed for subsidy, or shipmoney, at two or three shillings a year, but in the enhanced prices of Leather, what for boots and shoes for himself, and family and calveskins to clothe himself and children, and Leather for saddles, cartsadles, horse collars, and other accommodations about husbandry will amount to above five times as much as he paid for shipmoney.  
And which is most miserable, a poor man that hath nothing but what he gets by his day labour, and is so far from paying shipmoney that he is ready for relief from the parish, what for clothes for himself and family, and for calf's leather to clothe himself, and children, to broil in the woods hedging, and other servile work, is almost five times as much per annum as the husbandman's part of Ship money.  
A poor man is now compelled for every pair of shoes that he buys for himself, to work three of four days more than he formerly used to do, and in the mean time his wife and children want bread at home, for shoes are dearer by twelve pence in a pair then formerly.  
There is not a poor servant that sends his shoes to a cobbler but it costs a penny in three pence more than formerly, nor a beggar that wanders from door to door but is oppressed, although he hath nothing but what he begs or steals.  
And it is an unanswerable rule, that to enhance the prices of any commodities that are useful for supply of a kingdom, is the increasing of thieves and beggars.  
The rich escape not, although better able to bear it, for there is not a family of any rank that can be excused in the enhanced prices of boots and shoes under thirty or forty shillings per Annum, besides the leather of a Coach, and harness for four horses is dearer by six pound than it was two or three years since; not a saddle, the headstall and ranes of a bridle, stirrup-leathers, nor a ring-halter for a cart horse, but is dearer by threepences in the shilling then formerly.  
If this misery befell but some particular men, it was an evil not to be permitted, but when all suffer, in all places, in the North the last year, the soldiers could scarcely get shoes for money, many went barefoot which the King graciously commiserated, commanded his attorney general to inquire the causes, which was found to be transportation.  
Whereupon the Lords of his privy council in October last, by an Order from the board, stopped the transporting thereof, and in twelve days' Leather fell 5. s. in 20. And afterwards when liberty was obtained to transport the pieces of Leather, did in as short a time rise as much.   

The second thing to Remonstrate is the Causes of this evil, and they are the Transporters, their Agents and Instruments.  
The transporters, such as by toleration and pretence of Law, carry away great quantities, which are Merchants and others that take licence from the Patentee; or such as in packs of cloth, and other indirect means, convey away great quantities, which never com●s to be customed.  
The Agents or Instruments of this evil are divers.  
The 

1 Factors.  
2 Tanners.  
3 Curriers.  
4 shoemakers.  
5 Packers.     

How Factors abuse the kingdom.  
The Factors being the merchant's Agents, forestall the Markets, go to tanner's yards, and buy up great quantities of large skins for the transporters, which otherwise would be brought to the Market.   

How Tanners abuse the kingdom.  
The first abuse is, the Tanners in Yorkshire are permitted every year to carry 4000 raw rides by water, borne from London to Hull, a fit place for transportation; but whether they come at Hull when they are upon the seas, is a question. And the pretence is to supply the West-riding in Yorkshire with sole Leather.  
And whether the people of the West-riding want Leather, appears not, for they complain not, it is only the tanner's pretence; nor does it appear wherefore that part of Yorkshire should want Leather more than any other part, or then the bishopric of Durham, Lancaster, Lincolnshire, Northumberland, &c. save only Hull is a fit place for transportation, and under pretence of 4000 hides, it is conceived they send away 40000. hides. And the truth is, about all the Port towns in England, Leather is exceeding dear, by reason of the transportation from them.  
The second abuse is, the Tanners about London and other places, buy up and engross great quantities of hides, and when they are tanned, secretly sell them to the transporters or Curriers, who buy them for the transporters.  
The third abuse is, not tanning their Leather according to the Statute, in their fats, which they through covetousness sell forth to supply the Merchant before it be well tanned.   

How Curriers abuse the kingdom.  
These, whose office is only to dress Leather, and by Law ought not to buy it, comply with the Tanners, and forestall the Markets, engross great quantities into their own hands; and when it is dressed, retail part at enhanced rates to poor tradesmen, and secretly convey the rest to be transported.   

How Shoemakers abuse the kingdom.  
These instruments of evil are secret enemies to the State and to their own trade; for many of them weekly buy great quantities of leather and spend little, but either for the transporter, or to cut into unwrought wares to be sent beyond seas in barrels or packs of cloth, to deceive the searcher and the kingdom: So that many shoemakers that painfully work for their livings, and almost twenty trades more, can scarce get leather for money; whereby all the wares which these several trades do make, are enhanced to the subject.   

How Packers abuse the kingdom.  
The Packers are sworn Officers, and should see that none but calf skins be sent away, who for their own profit being paid per dozen, and it may be somewhat largely too, permit skins of 16. s. and 18. s. a skin to be transported under the name of calf skins.   

To this which hath been said, some frivolous Allegations have or may be made.  
Alleg. 1. The Legality of the Patent for transporting of Leather, hath been questioned, and not excepted against.  
Ans. The lawfulness of the Patent is not the thing, but that it is a grievance to the kingdom.  
Alleg. 2. However it is not comparable to shipmoney, which might have been raised ad infinitum, so Leather is not like to be.  
Ans. We speak not what shipmoney might have been, nor of the illegality nor heinousness of the offence, but as it was a grievance, and so Leather is many degrees beyond it.  
And in the burden of shipmoney, the poor was excluded: but this grievance of Leather falls heaviest upon the poor, besides shipmoney every year decreased in its proportion, and Leather is every day dearer.  
Alleg. 3. To stop transporting of Leather is against the King's profit, he will lose the benefit of customs.  
Ans. His customs will be greater, for then perfect wares will be made and exported, which will bring more customs to the King, for great quantities of Leather is secretly sent away, which never comes to be customed.  
Besides, it is against the rule of trade and of policy, to transport any native material unwrought, thereby the subject loses the benefit of manufacture, and puts it into the hands of strangers.  
Ed. 3. was renowned for bringing the manufacture of clothing from Gaunt into England.  
James the first of Scotland, says Buchanan, sent for the best Artificers he could get in all Europe, and gave them great rewards to instruct his people.  
Selym the first Turkish Emperor, says Valerius, procured 10000 Artificers to be brought to Constantinople.  
What need such great Princes have been at such care and cost, had it not been for the good of their kingdoms, when they might with the poor Irish, have sent away their materials, and beggared their Nations?  
All. 4. Other Nations besides Ireland send away their materials, for we have brought into England store of cotton wool, Russia leather, silk and flax, in great abundance, and we send out but only one poor commodity of leather.  
Ans. It is the greater advantage to this kingdom, and damage to those from whence it comes, to send away their materials.  
Besides we must take things with their circumstances, Cotton wool is a planted commodity that grows upon the ground, so doth not Leather, and it is sent from our own Islands who have scarce people enough to plant it, much less to make it a manufacture, and Russia Leather is a trash commodity little worth, yet we are compelled nolens volens to buy it, or go barefoot, and it is dearer to us then our own good Leather would be, if it were not transported: so silk is wrought in such abundance, that the people are not able to make it into a manufacture.  
And flax, the Country from whence it comes cannot spend all that grows, besides if they sent us not of their flax, than we should speed better, and put those former Statutes in force for sowing of Line seed, but whether it be a material or a manufacture, it is not fit to be transported, and the kingdom want it.  
All. 5. To enhance the prices of exportable wares is a great enriching to any kingdom.  
Ans. There is difference between wares ready wrought and unwrought materials; besides, the proposition holds not; for enhance the prices of exportable wares to other nations, and they will Lex talionis enhance importable wares to us again, so we shall pluck beggary upon the kingdom with both hands.  
All. 6. That it is better to export Calves skins then to lose them, for otherwise they must be cast to the dunghill, the kingdom is not able to spend them.  
Ans. The kingdom cannot spend them, because they cannot get them to spend, they are all sent away, so that lawless necessity compels us to make use of Russia Leather, although it is stubborn and spongy, not half so good as our worst calve skins; and this passes through several hands, and pays several customs before it comes to be cut; and of this trash and dear Leather this kingdom is forced to use for boots &c. which will do little service.  
Besides, the want of calf's skins are so great, and the prices so dear, that poor labouring men cannot get them to clothe themselves and children withal, to broil in the woods and do other servile work.  
All. 7. To stop transportation of Leather will be a loss to the Landlord, grazier, Butcher, Tanner &c. for the Tanner cannot sell his Leather so dear, nor the Butcher his meat and hides, nor the grazier his live cattle, nor the Landlord set his ground so dear.  
Ans. These are not gainers, all things consider●● for what they get by these, they lose five times more 〈◊〉 raising the prices of Leather raises the prices of all co●●modities that are made of Leather, which comes 〈◊〉 the hands of near twenty trades to cut; nay it rais●● other commodities, and provision; for it is observab●● raise any one commodity and it draws up the prices 〈◊〉 others after it, all which damages the kingdom, 〈◊〉 ruins the poor.   
FINIS.