blazon or coat of arms of the City of London come Concil' tent' in Camera Guihald ' Civitat' LONDON, die Veeris Vicesimo sexto die Octobr ', Anno Regni jomini & Dominae Nostrorum, WILLIELMI & MARIAE, nunc Regis & Reginae, Angiae, etc. Sexto: Coram Willielmo Ashhurst Mil' Major'; Thoma Lane Mil', Major' Elect'; Roberto Cayton Mil', Patienc' Ward Mil'. Thoma Stamp Mi●▪ Solathiel Lovel Mil'. Servien' add Legem ac ●ecordat' dictae Civitat'; Humphrido Edwin Mil, Richardo Levit Mil', Jacobo● Houblon Mil', Thoma Abney Mil', & Willielmo Hedges Mil' & Alderman'; Necnon Major' part Commuiar' dictae Civitat' in eodem come Concil' tunc & ibidem Assemblat'.  
An ACT for Licensing Carts, to be used by the Freemen, Woodmongers or Traders in Fuel, that Inhabit within this City and Liberties thereof  
WHEREAS there was formerly assigned, allowed and appropriated, by the Mayor and Commonalty, an● Citizens of the City of LONDON, unto the Woodmongers or Traders in Fuel, inhabiting within the said City and the Liberties thereof, a certain Number of CARTS, for carrying of Sea-coals and other Fuel' which have been part o● the Number of Four hundred and twenty CARS or CARTS allowed, marked and appointed for th● General Service of this CITY: But of late years the Number of Inhabitants being greatly increased, and by reason thereof the necessary use of Street-Cars or Carts is much increased also; and therefore all the said Four hundred and Twenty Cars have been used only for Street-Cars and Carts, whereby the Woodmongers and Traders in FUEL, within this City and the Liberties thereof, are in 〈◊〉 great measure Disabled to Manage and Carry o● their said Trade and Employments; the which ●hey have Humbly represented unto this COURT 〈◊〉 Common Council, and prayed Relief therein.  
And this COU●T having taken the same into Serious Consideration, do find it necessary to Increase the said Numb●● of Four hundred and twenty Cars and Carts, so allowed and appointed as aforesaid, so far forth as ●ay be necessary for the said Woodmongers or Deaers in Fuel, only for the Management and Carrying on their said Trades and Employments; and ●so for Enabling them to furnish the Citizens and other Inhabitants of this City and Liberties with ●OALS and other Fuel, at as cheap and easy Rates and Prices, as They or any Others may or can.  
Be it Enacted therefore by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons in Common Council assemble●, and by the Authority of the same, that there sh●ll be allowed, marked and appointed, to and fo● the sole Use and Employment of the WOODMONGERS or Traders in FUEL, (being Freemen, and Inhabiting within the City of London and the Liberties thereof, and no other) a fitting and convenient Number of CARS and CARTS, not exceeding One ●undred and twenty, other than and besides the aforesaid Number of Four hundred and twenty CARS and CARTS, now used as Street Cars an● Carts, as aforesaid:  
The which Cars and Carts so t● be allowed, marked and appointed, shall be appropriate unto them the said Woodmongers or Traders in FU●L, for the sole Use, Management and Carrying on the said Trade or Employment of Woodmongers ●o Dealers in Fuel only; and shall be divided and distribted to and amongst them from time to time, as may be most convenient for them, and least to the annoyance and Obstruction of the Public Streets ●nd Passages of this City and the Liberties thereof; ●●ny Act of Common Council, or other Law, V●a● or Custom of this City, now in being and in force, 〈◊〉 the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.  
And be it further Enacted b● the Authority aforesaid. That the said CARS ●●d CARTS so to be allowed, marked and appoin●● by virtue of this Act, shall not be, nor taken o● esteemed to be Appurtenant to the several and respective Wharf or Wharves, to which the same or ●ny of them are or shall be so allowed or appointed; nor shall be sold or disposed of by such or a●y other the Woodmongers or Traders in FU●L, in any manner howsoever.  
And that the Cars and Cart so to be allowed and appointed to the said Woodmongers or Traders in Fuel, shall be burnt with a ●aggot-mark on both the outsides thereof, and shal● have also thereupon a piece of Brass, with the true Number of such Cars or Carts; and the Raves thereo● shall be higher than the Raves of the Street Cars or Carts, to keep the Fuel the safer from falling off and hurting the People in the Streets, and also the better to distinguish them from the said other CARS and CARTS.  
And that the said Wharf-Carts nor Cars, nor any of them, shall Wo●k in the Streets in any other Work than only in Carrying of Coals and other Fuel, to and from ●e respective Wharves, belonging to such Persons t● whom the said Cars or Carts shall be respectively allowed; upon pain, That for every time such Wha●f-Car or Cart shall Work, or be otherwise Implo●ed for Wages, Hire or Reward, the Owner of ●he said Car or Cart shall Forfeit and pay for every ●●ch Offence the Sum of Five Pounds.  
And all and ever the LICENSES that shall be given to any ●●ch Woodmonger and Trader in FUEL, whose Cart or Cars shall be so Hired and Employed, contrary t● the true Intent and Meaning of this present Act, shall ●●om thence be suspended till such respective Penalty or penalties shall be paid and satisfied: And every Pe●●t so offending, shall (till the said respective Sums be ●aid) be Disabled to Work any of his said Cars or Ca●ts, notwithstanding any Licence or Licenses to such Person or Persons, granted by virtue of this Act.  
And for the better putting this ACT in due Execution, and for the more equal and impartial Distribution of the sa●d Wharf-Cars or Carts, to and amongst the said Woodmongers or Traders in FUEL, with due respect to the●● several and respective Wants and Decasions in t●● said respective Trades: Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Right Honourable ●ir Thomas Lane Knight, Lord Mayor Elect, Sir Thomas Stamp Knight, Sir James Houblon and Sir Francis Child, Knights and Aldermen of this City; and Mr. Caddon, Mr. Deputy Eyre, Mr. Richier, Mr. Dorvill, M. Houlton, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Deputy Tooly and Mr. Deputy Collet, Commoners, or any Five of them whereof an Alderman to be One, are by this COURT of Common Council made and appointe● a Committee, with Directions, full Power and authority, by virtue of this ACT, to take Care of ●he Marking, Allowing and Appointing fit and conv●nient Wharf-Cars and Carts, and to Divide, Distribute and Appoint the same to and amongst all and ●ery the Woodmongers and Dealers in Fuel, as aforesaid, within the City and Liberties thereof, desiring the s●me, by them to be Employed and used in, and for carr●ng out and bringing in their FUEL, according to the intent and meaning of this present Act: And also ●o take due Care from time to time, that the Coals ●●d Fuel by such Woodmongers and Dealers in Fuel, ●old and Delivered to all and every Person and Pe●●ons within this City and Liberties thereof, shall c●●tain the Full and Due Measure, Weight, Size and ●ale, and that the same be Sold and Delivered at reasonable Rates and Prices from time to time; And also to prevent all Frauds and Deceits in th● Sale and Delivery thereof; and all Abuses, Nus●ces and Obstructions by such Cars or Carts in th● Streets and public Passages, in this City and L●berties thereof; And to appoint such Person and Persons as to them shall appear necessary to Inspe●● and Oversee, that the said Wharf-Carts be duly ●arked and Employed to the Uses aforesaid; and th●t no Fraud or Deceit be done or committed, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act: Wh●ch said COMMITTEE shall and may continue until the 25th Day of December now next ensuing, or un●il a New Committee shall be Chosen; and so fro● Year to Year, and every Year afterwards.  
And for the more certain avoiding of such Deceit hereafter, as divers Pe●sons have heretofore practised in the Sale and M●●sure of their COALS: Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Sea-coals hereafter to be Sold and Uttered by Retail, by any people or persons whatsoever, shall be filled and brought some to the Buyers in the Seacoal-Meeters Sacks, & such other Sacks as contain the full Measure of t●● Seacoal-Meeters Sacks; and are and shall be Mark●● by the Keeper of the Guild-Hall for the time being, according to an ORDER of the Court of Aldermen made the 25th of October, in the time of the Majealty of Sir Thomas Cambell Knight, deceased.  
And that all person and persons Vending or Uttering Sea-coals by Retail▪ and every Carman, his Servant or Agent; ●hall hereafter from time to time, and at all times when they Carry or Send abroad any Coals ●●in this City of London or Liberties thereof, ca●● along in their Carts or Cars, together with their Seacoals, a good and lawful Bushel Sealed, according to be Bushel in the Guild-Hall allowed for Measuring 〈◊〉 Sea-coals, which agreeth with the Fat, anciently used ●or Measuring of Sea-coals.  
And if any person & persons shall bring Home in his or their Cart or C●●● to any Buyer, any Coals in any other Sack or Sacks, and without such Bushel, as are before mentioned ●nd appointed; such persons so Offending, shall for●et and pay Twenty shillings for the first, and every oth●● Offence respectively.  
And that it may the better appear what Number of Wharf-Cars or Carts ●hall be appointed and allowed for Wharf-service, as aforesaid, and to whom the said Committee, now or hereafter to be appointed, or any Five of them (whereof one to be an Alderman) shall Yearly, in the Month of May, present unto the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of this City (if thereunto required,) a true Catalogue a●d List fairly written, under their Hands, expressing ho●●▪ when and to whom such Wharf-Carts are disposed of some time to time.  
And be it farther Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that if any such Woodmongers o● Traders in FUEL, as aforesaid, shall at any time a●er the First Day of December next ensuing, presume 〈◊〉 Work any Cart or Carts within the said City and Li●erties, by Himself or Servant, not being duly allowed, marked and appointed, as aforesaid; such pe●●on or persons, for every time so offending, sha●● for●e and pay the Sum of Five pounds, to be recovere● and obtained as is hereafter mentioned.  
And that every of the said Wodmongers or Traders in FUEL, keeping and working any such Wharf Cart or Carts, so to be allowed, mark●● and appointed, as aforesaid, by virtue of this pre●●t Act; shall from time to time duly observe all and very such reasonable Orders and Rules as shall be d●●ected and appointed by this COURT, or such Committee so chosen and appointed, as aforesaid.  
And forasmuch as great Dis●r●●s and Disturbances have happened and arisen amongst ●he Common Carmen, who Work the aforesaid Four hundred and twenty Street-Cars about their Turns, in Carriage of Merchandise and other Goods, (viz) Which of them shall have Priority, and take up and load the first and next Load of Goods after or before ●ach other; whereof several Merchants and others have made Complaint to this COURT, and that the● have been Sufferers thereby: Therefore for Remed● thereof for the future, Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Merchants and other Tradesman having any Occasion for any Street Cart or Cars, shall and may use and employ which and such of them as he or they shall think fit, and choose, for carrying of every such first, next, or other Load or Loads, as he or they shall from time to time upon such Occasion direct or appoint; any Law or Usage to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.  
And, Lastly, it i● hereby Enacted and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That all Pains, Penalties and Forfeitures, in and b● this Act limited and appointed, shall and may be recovered by Action of Debt, Bill or Information, in the Name of the Chamberlain of this City, for the time ●eing, in Their Majesty's Court, holden before the ●ord Mayor and Aldermen of the said City, in the Outward Chamber of the Guild Hall; and upon Recovery of the same, one Moiety thereof, after all Charges ex●ended in such Recovery, shall by the Chamberlain be ●aid to the Informer or Prosecutor of such Suit, and ●●e other Moiety to the use of the Mayor and Commina●y, and Citizens of this City.  
In all which Suit● to be brought by virtue of this Act, the Chamber●●●n shall (in case he do recover) be allowed his Ordinary Costs and Charges, expended in and about the same. And if Judgement shall happen to be given against 〈◊〉 Plaintiff in any such Suit, or such Suits shall be discontinued, than the Defendant shall also Recover 〈◊〉 Costs.  
Goodfellow.   

Printed by Samuel Roycroft, Printer to the Honourable City of London. 1694.