An Abstract of the grievances of the poor Clerks of his Majesty's Customhouse London, by reason of Letters Patents lately obtained for the erecting of a new Office called the Office of Clerk of the Bills in all his Majesty's Custome-houses of England, contained likewise in brief in a petition by them exhibited unto this honourable Assembly: as also relating the grievances and inconveniences that do arise thereby to many Merchants and Tradesmen of the City of London: as by certificates under the hands of near three hundred of them (annexed to the said Petition) may appear: viz.  
THat they have been from their youths trained up to become Clerks in his Majesty's said Customhouse, there to write and keep the books and Records of his Majesty's Customs and Revenues, and to make up and perfect the accounts thereof to the Audit of his Majesty's Exchequer; by reason whereof they are altogether unexperienced in any other profession or course of life.  
That their pains, attendants and employments therein are great, daily and almost continual, and yet for the same they have (for the most part) no more but some 20. lib. some 10. lib. wages a year allowed them, and some have no wages at all, but such vales for making or Searches, and other extraordinary employment with their pen, as they by their industry could get: which veils do chief arise by writing out of the Custom books (which they did keep in their several charges) Bills of entries, and notes of goods and merchandizes from time to time imported into, or exported out of this Realm, the which they did give and deliver to Merchants and Shopkeepers of all trades, whereby they might take notice where to find and provide themselves of such wares and commodities as they did trade in. For which the Merchants & Shopkeepers did give the said Clerks by way of gratuity and benevolence (and no otherwise) some 10. s. a year, some 13. s. 4 d. a year, some somewhat more or less: which was worth amongst all the said poor Clerks 400. lib. per annum, or thereabouts; and this was the chiefest means of maintenance of the said poor Clerks, their wives, children and families.  
That about the month of September 1619. Alexander Foster one of the Pages of his Majesty's Bedchamber, and Richard Greame one of the Marquis of Buckingham his servants (both of them having otherwise great means to live upon) did by evil instigation, untrue pretences, and false suggestions, beg and obtain from the King's Majesty by Letters patents under the great Seal of England a grant for the erecting of the said new Office for certain years in his Majesty's said Customhouse, for the delivering forth of the said Bills: and that none should do the same but only they, their Officers and Substitutes.  

Hence therefore ariseth the grievances of the said poor Clerks: which grievances, together with the damage to the Merchants and Shopkeepers, do consist in these particulars following.  
1. That the said poor Clerks means to live upon (being many, and such as do take great pains in their places to do his Majesty service) is unduly begged from them, and conferred upon two persons that did never do his Majesty any service in the Customhouse.  
2. That when the said poor Clerks did by petition become humble suppliants unto the King's Majesty for relief herein, and that stay might be made of the putting in execution of the said Office, until the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury should certify his Majesty their opinions therein, which his Majesty was pleased graciously to grant. Then Sir Ralph Freeman one of the Masters of Requests (who since hath either bought or doth farm the same Office) did cause your suppliants petition and reference thereupon to be obscured, and some of the said poor Clerks were by Sir Robert Nanton cast into prison in the Gatehouse at Westminister, and there kept until they had found sureties to be come bound for them, that they should never violate or impeach the said Patent, by giving of notes or otherwise, although the same were to their utter undoing; or to the like effect.  
3. That by the proceed aforesaid the Office was established to the said Pattentees, and they do farm out the same for two hundred pounds a year, or else have sold the same to such as do farm it out, and the said poor Clerks quite debarred from giving forth of bills, and so their chiefest means to live upon taken from them, and yet nevertheless they do perform the same service and attendance as they did before.  
4. That some of the said Clerks, which before the grant of the said Patent did live well, are not now able to maintain their families, but are like to be chargeable to the Parish where they inhabit, as by certificate of the Parishioners of Saint Mary Hils Parish may appear. It doth also tend to the general undoing of all the rest of the Clerks, for that they being herein trained up from their youths, as aforesaid, shall be enforced for want of maintenance to give over their places, although they know not how to employ themselves in any other honest profession or course of life.  
5. That the giving forth of the said Bills of entries and notes, have been time out of mind used by the said Clerks and their predecessors, and ever freely permitted to them by the Officers of the said house, as a benefit peculiar to them: and not a thing wherein the King's Majesty is any manner of way interessed, nor a fit subject to erect an Office upon, as may appear to be true by a certificate unto his Majesty, under the hands of the most part of the Officers of the Customhouse.  
6. That the said Pattentees are Gentlemen, and in office about his Majesty and the Lord Marquis, and never any members of the Customhouse, and therefore unfit to be Officers there.  
7. That what moneys the said Merchants and Shopkeepers did yearly give and bestow upon the said poor Clerks for the said bills and notes, they did receive the same thankfully as a benevolence. But on the contrary, the now Pattentees and their Officers do impose a yearly rate or proportion upon the said Merchants and Shopkeepers for the said bills; and if they will not give them their demands, they will deliver them no bills, and so do exact and require the same as a duty and fee: and beside, for want of skill, they do so unseasonably deliver the said bills to them, that they do stand them but in little stead, to the great damage and grievance of the Merchant and Shopkeeper, as by their certificates aforesaid may also appear.  
8. That the premises considered, it is not his Majesty's gracious will and pleasure to undo many his good subjects and servants for the benefit of few, or that wrong may be done to any, to the pleasuring of particulars, as in this example there is a precedent of both kinds.  
9 That the said Patent is a great hindrance in the well performing of his Majesty's service in the Customhouse, both in the keeping of his books and otherwise: for when the said Clerks your suppliants are entering down the bills of entries of merchandizes into the said books, and perfecting the same for his Majesty's good, even than the said Pattentees substitutes do demand and will have the said books and bills to take out and recollect their bills for their gain and profit.  
10. That the said Patent and Office thereupon erected, is in the nature of a Monopoly, and Monopolies for the most part are obnoxious and ominous to the Commons and Commonwealth.  
Lastly, in the behalf of the said Patent and Pattentees, there can no just nor good defence be made, or matter of worth be alleged. Wherefore and in tender consideration of the aforesaid premises, we the aforesaid poor Clerks your humble suppliants, do humbly beseech you to be a means that our petition and certificates being by the Subcommittee for grievances committed into the Bag in the house, may be called to be read, and that a day may be appointed for the hearing of the cause, and the bringing in of the said Letters Patents, as in many like cases of grievances precedent: and we shall daily pray for you in particular, and for the whole body of this Assembly.