A PROPOSAL, whereby all the Inhabitants of London And Westminster, and the Parts Adjacent, may be furnished with coals, at 21 s. per cauldron In the Summer, and 25 s. per cauldron in the Winter, and the Poor be supplied at 21 s. per cauldron, even in the hardest Weather.  
IT is manifest for these two last Years coals have born Excessive Price, the People generally having paid one third part more than in former Years, though there has been no hard Weather, which may be chiefly attributed to these Reasons. 

1. The extraordinary Rates exacted by particular Seamen, who formerly served for 35 s. per Voyage, and now will not serve under 7 or 8 l.  
2. The Labourers( who by reason of their apprehension of being prest on board the Ships at their Work) exacted greater Rates than usual.  
3. The Lightermen exacted greater Rates, being under the same apprehensions, which occasioned a great delay in delivering the Ships Lading.  
4. The frequent Pressing the Seamen from on Board the Colliers, has not only often endangered the Ships,( there being scarce hands enough lest to make good their Voyage, when at Sea) but has also made the procuring of Seamen very uncertain, even at those unreasonable Prices, and by such delays, the opportunity of winds were often lost.  
5. The great price of coals keeps all the public Stores empty, so that upon a contrary Wind, even in the Summer, the price has thereby been advanced, 3 s. or 4 s. per cauldron; whereas formerly the Store-Houses being full, such sudden Rise was prevented by making Sales from their Stores.  
6. The fears of being taken by Privateers obliged them to stay for Convoys, whereas formerly when jaded, they took the advantage of the first fair wind; their staying till the whole Fleet was ready, made it both dilatory, and dangerous.    
To Redress the aforesaid Grievances, and that the People may be supplied with coals at such easy Rates as aforesaid, it is Humbly offered as followeth. 

1. That a competent number of Masters Trading to Newcastle, or whom else the Parliament shall think fit, be empowered to Press Men for that Service, and to oblige them to take the usual pay.  
2. That a Protection be granted to a sufficient number of Labourers, which being protected, would willingly List themselves in Gangs, and be obliged to take the usual Rates; whereas of late, they have exacted 2 s. per score for each Man, and so upwards to 3 s. when formerly 18 d. a score was a good Rate.  
3. That a Protection be also granted for a competent number of Lightermen, which Would make them willing to serve at their former Rates.  
4. That the Masters of Colliers at New-Castle shall not exceed the present Rates during the War.  
5. That an established Price be also settled at the Pool, or Port of London, from 15 s. to 18 s. per cauldron in the Summer Season, and from 17 s. to 20 s. in the Winter, and to be obliged to sell their Usual Measure.  
6. That there be every Winter a Bank of 30000 cauldron of coals stored by the Undertakers in several convenient places of of the City, and adjacent Places, from whence the same may be supplied, in case of contrary winds, or a hard Winter, which in time of Peace has raised coals in the Summer season, from 21 s. to 30 s. per cauldron, and in Winter, from 30 s. to 3 l. per cauldron, and upwards: For contrary Winds and extreme Frosts will not in probability continue so long, but this quantity will be a competent supply. Besides, this Bank is a security to all others as well as the Poor: There shall be no gain made by these coals, the Poor that fetch them, are always to be allowed them at 7 d. a Bushel,( which is the nearest penny, considering the charge of laying up, and the delivery of them) and no others are to be supplied from this store but in case of contrary Winds and Frosts, the Town being for the most part sufficiently furnished in other Cases.  
7. That the Masters of Collieries at Newcastle make the same allowance to the Ship Master as usual.    
Now that the Owners and Masters of Ships may the better afford their coals at the Rate-aforesaid, it is further proposed. 

That an Impost or Duty of 10 d: per cauldron London Measure, be laid at Newcastle upon all coals shipped there, for defraying all Losses of Ships taken by Privateers, Redemption of Seamen, Charge of Insuring half the value of Ship and Cargo in the Months of February, March, and October, and towards the Charge of Convoys, &c. which may be sufficient to answer all the ends aforesaid, and is very inconsiderable to the extravagant Rates now paid for coals. Besides, the danger of Privateers is not so very considerable; for we cannot find by account, that there have been above 40 Sail of Colliers lost since this present War, which loss is computed to be about 20000 l. So that a great part of this Duty may be applied to the payment of Convoys.  
That His Majesty be pleased to allow 4 small Fifth Rates to cruse, 

One from Orfordness to Yarmouth Road,  
One from the Rodes to the Sporn,  
One from the Sporn to Flamber-head, and  
One from the Head to Tinmouth-Bar, which will effectually secure the Coasts from Privateers.      
The Quantity of coals brought into the Port of London for these 2 years last past, viz. from Nov. 1688. to Nov. 1690. as appears by a public Account from the Office is, 468051 cauldron.  

A Computation of what Seamen will be necessary for this Service.  
The number of Ships employed in this Trade is about 400 Sail, of which there are about 300 on which the stress of the Trade depends, the rest being small Vessels is running in the Winter Season, their Cargo being so small that the Summers price of coals will not defray their Charges; now the Winter price proposed is encouragement enough for them, and the great Ships customarily lying up in the Winter, these small Vessels will have a sufficient supply of Seamen.  
Admit then, That 300 Vessels are sufficient( which is a moderate supposition) If His Majesty will please to grant a Press of 6 Seamen or 7 at most to each of the 300 Sail, to be divided proportionably to the tonnage of each Ship, the said allowance of Men( with the Master and such maimed Seamen who have been lately very serviceable to them, together with the Ship Boys) will be a sufficient number to man them: Besides, if wanting ▪ they may be supplied with Landmen, which in the main will be of Service in breeding of Seamen.  
It may be Objected, The present scarcity of Seamen will make it prejudicial for His Majesties service to grant a Press for 1800 or 2000 men.  
Answer. 'Tis certain that more than that number, on the least noise of a Press, hid themselves, and most of them with the knowledge of the Ship Masters; and when the heat of a Press is a little over, they get into the service of the said Colliers; and by the extravagant rates they extort from the Ship-Master, they now get as much in 3 Voyages as formerly in 9; but if they were compelled to serve at the usual rate of 35 s. a Voyage, there will be no obsconding, and consequently the King not so much deceived in his Press. Besides, if the King should have an occasion for 1000 of these Men upon any sudden Emergency, The several Masters, &c. to have Power to Press as many Watermen, Bargmen, and Cole-Porters that work on board a Ship the hardship of which cannot be great, for all Married Men and Old Men, that in the strictest Presses are never taker up for Their Majesties Service, will be content to go to Sea 1 or 2 Months in the midst of Summer, when they run no hazard. As to the coal Porters, who are between 2 and 3000; at the same time they are wanted at this Service, can't have any employment at home.  
For the effectual carrying on this Undertaking, and for the preventing all Abuses therein, it is further proposed.  
That every Master of a Vessel that expects the Benefit of this Press, do by the first day of January next, give in an account to the Undertakers, or their Agents, of the tonnage of his Vessel, that a Warrant may be granted to Press his Complyment of Men, and in case he be not ready to be loaded at Newcastle by the first of March( unless hindered by accident of Wind or Weather) to lose the benenefit for such Warrant in the Summer; and in case any Ship-Master do Press more than his compliment of Men, or make a Voyage contrary to the design of this Undertaking; the Master to suffer 6 Months Imprisonment in the one case, and the Ship to be likewise forfeited in the other; and that the Masters, &c. may not abuse their Warrant, to the Oppression of their Majesties Subjects, by taking of Money, &c. That two Justices of the Peace may have Power to determine all Disputes arising on the Execution of this Act, and in case of any misdemeanour by Master, Sea-men, or Undertakers, or their Agents, the said Justices to have Power to Fine, not exceeding— but with liberty of appealing from thence to the Sessions.  
If it be Objected, That the Rates of 21 s. and 25 s. in Winter, are greater than has been formerly paid.  
Answer, If the Wood-mongers be obliged to sell full Measure, which 'tis well known scarce any of them have done, it will equal the said prices to 20 s. and 24 s. per cauldron and under; and those are the lowest Rates that have been known for good coals.  
To oblige the Wood-mongers to sell full Measure, it is proposed, 
 That they measure by the Bushel at the wharf, and carry a Bushel in each Cart, if any Customer suspects the Sacks not to be measure, that he sand for the Constable of the Parish to see the coals fairly measured, and if in the Load there be wanting above a perk, the Wood-monger to forfeit 5 l. to be distributed amongst Sea-Mens Widows of the Cole-Trade.  
In short, the advantages of this undertaking are, 

1st. By these Means there will be more Seamen employed than ever, it being no longer worth their while to hid, for those must starve that will not either serve the King, or this Undertaking.  
2dly, The Masters of Colliers at Newcastle will receive an apparent benefit in the great increase of their vent computed to be above one Third part,) for coals being Cheaper, the People will burn so much the more.  
3dl. The Masters and Owners of Ships will have an advantage in the number, dispatch, and security of their Voyages.  
4thly. The Woodmongers will have no just reason to complain of their being obliged to sell Measure.  
5thly. The benefit of the Poor is such, that it may keep Thousands almost from starving, and the middle sort of Trading People will be much the better enabled to pay their Taxes.    
On the other side, the Persons that made the greatest advantage of the former Rates were the skulking Seamen, who made their own Terms with the Masters, and they too never the Richer for it; for by hiding three parts in five of their time, they idly spend their profit.  
This further Consideration is offered to induce the Parliament to all the Expedition the nature of the Thing will admit of. That if a great Frost should happen this Winter, coals will be at 4 l. per cauldron, the City being almost without stores, and so consequently the Poor must be starved: If contrary Winds should happen in the Spring, coals must of necessity be at 4 l. per cauldron; and if this method be not followed, let the favourablest Weather that can be hoped for happen in the Spring, coals must of necessity be at 40 s. a cauldron, for the Private as well as public Stores will unavoidably be unfurnished at that time. Now the settling the price for coals so early, will be a means to keep down the price this Winter, for every one will empty the Stores they have left, by reason of the price falling in the Spring:  
Note, That the Duty of 10 d per cauldron may be reasonably supposed to defray the Charge of securing Ships against Privateers, Insurance, Building of Ware-houses for Winter stores, and Ground Rent for the same, and also for the Interest of the 30000 l. for the Bank of coals; yet in case it should not, the Arrears of the account to be paid by an Additional Duty the succeeding Year; so on the contrary, the remainder to be appropriated to the charge of Convoys as before expressed:  
And for encouragement of the Undertakers Industry, they upon these following Considerations, desire 2d. per cauldron for themselves, and to defray the following Charges, viz. 

1st. They must have Agents at Newcastle, Whitby, &c. to examine into the tonnage and number of Seamen required for each Vessel.  
2dly. To give an Account of skulking Seamen.  
3dly. To take the several valves of Ships and Cargo in case they be taken by Privateers, that they may not pretend their losses to be greater then they are.  
4thly. To take care of the Insurance of those Ships that desire it in the Months aforesaid, provided the Owners are willing to insure one half at the same time.  
5thly. To take care in the Buying and Managing the storing and delivery of 30000 cauldron of coals,  
6thly. The Collecting Receiving and Paying the 10 d. per cauldron, as aforesaid.    
Note, That no other use can be made of the 30000 l. but in the storing of coals, for in the Summer they must be bought in, and in the Winter the Store Houses are full; they likewise run the hazard of casual Fires, and of the coals heating and firing as they lie, and other accidents which may happen in the several Ware-Houses.  
And the Undertakers are willing to give what Security shall be thought convenient for the Performance on their Parts.    
FINIS.