TO THE HONOURABLE THE KNIGHTS, CITIZENS, AND burgesses OF THE house OF Commons now assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
The humble Petition of the Company of Brewers of the city of London.  
Showeth,  
THat your PETITIONERS are an ancient Corporation of great use in the city of LONDON for Service both for Sea and Land, and do employ in their Calling many thousands of poor Families in and about the said city, who yet have been for about 30. years past mightily oppressed with many grievous Payments, purveyances and impositions to his majesty contrary to Law; and the like whereof no Corporation nor calling whatsoever hath suffered. All which have been enforced from the abused sense or ill pursuance of a Statute 23. Hen. 8. which as it directs the Justices of Peace at their quarterly Sessions to order at their discretions the prizes of beer and Ale; so it limits the Brewer not to exceed the said rate under the penalty of six shilling for every barrel.  
That your Petitioners humbly conceive the intent of the said Statute was, that the prizes of beer and Ale should be regulated by the said Justices and varied according to the prizes of malt Hopps, and fuel suitable to that ancient and unrepealed Statute of 51. Hen. 3. and which we find was accordingly practised by the said Justices till about 30. years past at which time an imposition of four pence for every quarter of malt to the King's majesty was projected by some evil Members, and accordingly exacted with all rigour and severity to the undoing of divers Brewers, their Wives and Children.  
That the Justices of peace in London and the near adjacent parts have not for about 30. years passed taken any consideration at all of the prizes of malt, Hopps, and coals being of late years much dearer than in former times, nor of the great increase of charges by servants wages house-rent, and cask necessarily used by the said Brewers, but (as your Petitioners humbly conceive) to countenance and continue the said imposition, have refused to set such a rate as at which the beer and Ale might be serviceable and your Petitioners have any subsistence in their Callings.  
That upon complaint in the Parliament, Anno tertio Reg. Carol. the said imposition was voted illegal and so suppressed, but the said Parliament was no sooner dissolved but your Petitioners were sued by information on the same Statute of 23. Hen, 8. for very great sums of money, and had also their beer taken by purveyance in great quantities and no money paid for the same, but after tedious and chargeable attendance, and for refusal were some of them a long time imprisoned; by which then unresistible violence your Petitioners were drawn into a new composition for almost 3000. l. per annum towards the charge of furnishing his majesty's Houses with beer and Ale, which continued till the beginning of this present Parliament, at which time your Petitioners not doubting but to have relief against so insupportable a grievance did refuse to pay it any longer, and did for remedy bring in a Bill long since into this Honourable House.  
That in trinity term last past several new informations were brought by one Lionel Farington in the Courts of Exchequer and Common Pleas against your Petitioners upon the said Statute of 23. Hen. 8. it being to many of your Petitioners for more than their whole Estates are worth, and for which he will have a trial against some of them within 20. days.  
Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray, that the Bill brought long since by them into this Honourable House may be speedily read and committed, and that such course may be taken by the great wisdom and favour of this Honourable House, that as your Petitioners may for the future be preserved from the like miserable grievances and troubles; so for the present they with their Families and thousands more that depend upon them may be delivered from utter destruction.  
And they (as in all duty and conscience bound) shall ever pray for the prosperous success of your unwearied endeavours, &c.