To the supreme Authority the Parliament of the commonwealth of ENGLAND; Some Considerations about the Excise of 4 s. 8 d. per barrel upon soap, humbly offered by the soapmakers of London, who lately presented their Petition to your honours.  
I. THat the laying Excise upon soap, is a requiring Excise for the labour of their hands, they having paid Excise before for their Potashes, oil and Tallow, being the materials whereof they make their Soap, and it hath been always reputed of ill consequence to discourage Labour and industry by taking away the profit that the Labourer expects.  
II. That the soapmakers pay Excise for a Contingency, a certain profit to the State out of their probable hopes that they shall make some profit of their Labour; so that after they have made their soap, if the price of their Materials fall (as is ordinary) they then pay Excise only because they have taken pains; for they lose by their soap; and besides, they run no small hazard in their boiling their soap, which makes their profit the more uncertain.  
III. The soapmakers have harder measure (in paying Excise both for their Materials, and their soap) then most of the Tradesmen of the commonwealth: most that pay Excise for their Materials, have the benefit to themselves of their own Art and Industry, in changing those Materials into other forms: Now certainly, 'tis Justice and best Policy to lay the burdens of charge upon the people, in such a way, that all men may equally bear their proportion  
IV. 'Tis almost impossible to impose the Excise upon soap equally upon all soapmakers, because near half the soap that's now made is boiled in Holes and Corners in small Panns, for which no Excise is paid; and so the burden lies only upon the most visible Traders, whose places of boiling are known and always open; and hereby those soapmakers that bear the greatest share in other public payments, have their Trades spoiled by those that pay little or none. And this was thought a good ground to take off the greatest part of the Excise of Gold and Silver Wyer, for that it was drawn in holes, and little Excise paid for it by most.  
V. The Excise of 4 s. 8 d. per barrel upon soap, is a gain so great to those that can boil privately, and steal it, that 'tis worth the cost to erect private boiling Pans whereby they will be more in use daily, and the Excise be no considerable advantage to the State, though a destruction to some that have faithfully served them; and thus it appeared in the Case of the Refiners of Gold and Silver, that two Thirds of the Excise of Gold and Silver Wyer being taken off, there would be more money advanced by it to the State then was before.  
VI. That since the Excise of soap was raised from 3 s. per Barrel unto 4 s. 8 d. the Revenue of it hath been less than it was before; for now men will run more hazard to steal it, and now the Trade of those whose boiling is most visible is decayed; and if this continue, will come to nothing.  
VII. Soap is most necessary for all sorts of people next to Victuals, and must be used by the poorest people; and it hath been thought Justice and Policy to lay the burden of Excise upon such Commodities as the poor are least necessitated to use, and not a double burden upon the most necessary Commodities.  
And though we desire to preserve the Trade of the commonwealth and ourselves, yet we desire not to diminish the Revenue of the Commonwealth in the Excise, and therefore we humbly propose,  
That 12d. per pound may be imposed upon all the imported materials, whereof soap is made; whereby all that buy the materials, shall equally bear the burden, and those whose names are hereunto subscribed will engage, that in case they or some of them, may be entrusted to collect the Excise of those imported materials, and have such allowance per pound therefore, as the Commissioners for Excise confess by their Certificate it costs them, than they will advance the Revenue of that Excise of the materials, to a value equal to what hath been advanced these two last years from the Excise, both of soap & the materials of it.  
Yet they beg not the Office, but humbly leave it to the wisdom of the Commissioners entrusted therein, to employ such Officers as they think fit to Collect it, only they propose so to engage to secure the Parliament, that they shall suffer no prejudice in their Revenue, by condescending to their just desires in taking off the Excise of soap, which they humbly crave may be speedily done for the Reasons offered.  


John Hayes  
Ia. Baker  
Tho. Howlett  
William Hester  
Robert Burfoote  
Robert Drinkwater  
John Hutchest  
John Hardwicke  
Tho. Pulteney  
Roger pears  
Caleb Phinnies  
Tho. Bromley  
Edw. Leader  
John Wolcott.  
John Lilburne  
Edw. Whittwell  
Simon Weeden  
Richard Cox  
Thomas Woodstock  
Edw. Halley