The CASE of the Masters, Wardens, Assistants, and Commonalty of the Art or Mystery of Fishermen of the River of Thames truly stated, and humbly offered to the Consideration of the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled.  
THe Free Fishermen of the River of Thames were Incorporated and made a Company by King Charles the First, in the tenth year of his Reign, but ever opposed and endeavoured to be suppressed by the Company of Fishmongers of the City of London; to prevent which, and for the better support of the Company of Fishermen, to the intents and purposes hereafter mentioned,  
The late King James the II. by Charter in the third year of his Reign, did Incorporate several persons, by the name of Master, Wardens, Assistants and Commonalty of the Art or Mystery of Fishermen of the River of Thames, and all the then Inhabitants in the Counties of Middlesex, Surry, Essex, and Kent, and in the City of London, and that should inhabit in the said Counties and City, or any of them, using, or that should use, the Craft of Fishing in the River of Thames and places adjacent, from the Stone called London Mark-stone westward of Stains-bridge, to Yeandall alias Yeanlet, and Waters of Medway, to the Liberties of the City of Rochester, and all other places from the North-foreland in Kent to Harwich in Essex, with power to make By-laws for the better governing the said Company, Which, when confirmed by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the City of London, and Judge of his Majesties Court of Admiralty, are binding to all the Members of the said Company; and in which Charter is contained as followeth.  

1. The said Charter is declared to be granted, that the said Company should take care that the Fry and Spawn of Fish in the said River be not destroyed.  
2. That the Goods brought and conveyed upon and thro' the said Rivers into this Realm, or intended to be carried out of the same, the Customs not being paid, may the better be discovered to those whom it concerneth for the performance of which. The Master and Wardens of the said Company yearly enter into Bond to the King, of two hundred Marks penalty, that no person of the said Company shall put on board of any Vessel, or take into his Boat out of any Vessel, any goods for which the Custom is not paid, but shall give notice to the Custom-house Officers thereof.  
3. Every person of the said Company who shall take up any Anchors, Cables, Boats, Masts, Yards, Flotson, Jetzou, Lagon, or other goods, shall present them to the Company, and they to the Lord Mayor of the City of London, and Judge of the Admiralty Court, that the same may be restored.  
4. The said Company is to take care that no Fish shall be transported by any Member thereof, or sold to be transported, during such time the same shall be prohibited by the King, or any six Lords of his Privy Council.  
5. The said Company to take care no foreign Fish prohibited by Law be Imported.  
6. The said Company to endeavour to prevent the Engrossing of Fish, and forestalling the public Fish-markets that supply the City of London, by acquainting the Justices of Peace therewith, that the offenders may be punished.   
Pursuant to the authority of which Charter, several By-Laws have been made by the said Company, and after great consideration and debate, have been confirmed by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, and the Judge of his Majesty's High Court of Admiralty, and approved on by several of the Judges of his Majesty's Courts of Kings-bench and Common Pleas: Some to the purpose following.  

1. The By-laws of the said Company have ascertained the Seasons and Methods of Fishing for all sorts of Fish within their Limits, the Size of Nets, and Fish to be taken therewith, and inflicts Penalties and Forfeitures on such as offend.  
2. The By-laws enjoin the Members of the Company to go with, and assist persons deputed to survey the said Rivers from time to time, to seize and cut all unlawful Nets, and to present Offenders to the next Court of Assistants of the said Company, in order to be punished for the same.  
3. The By-laws require every person, when admitted a Free man of the said Company, to take an Oath of Allegiance to the King, and that he will not smuggle or carry any uncustomed or prohibited Goods, or know the same to be done by any other without discovering the same.  
4. The By-laws require every person of the said Company who shall be thought fit by a Court of Assistants for his Majesty's Service at Sea, shall make his Appearance on Summons at the Company's Hall, fitted with  and other Necessaries to be shipped for his Majesty's Service under the Penalty of five Pound; and the said Company hath upon Orders raised five hundred men in a short time.   
By which Instances (amongst many others might be given) it may appear how very serviceable the said Company is, and may be to the King, and useful to the Public: and that it might be more so,  
The said Company humbly Petitioned this Honourable House, that there being a 〈◊〉 endeavouring to be passed, for Encouraging of Seamen, by Registering them; the Master, Wardens and Assistants of the said Company might be permitted and impowered by the said Act to Register an 〈…〉 and their Servants, within the limits of their Company, in such methods, and to such intents and purposes as the said Act shall direct and appoint: By which,  

1. The said Company will discover some thousands of Fishermen and Dredgermen, which stand in Contempt of their Company, and Offend daily against the said Charter and By-Laws, and run out of the way, and sculk and abscond themselves, when the King hath occasion for them.  
2. The Company will be able, as Orders shall be given to them, in a very short time, and with little Charge to the King, to supply the Royal Fleet yearly with 2000 good Seamen.  
3. The said Company will be able the better to observe and perform the aforesaid intents and directions, contained in their said Charter and By-Laws. But the Company finding two Petitions delivered in opposition to their Petition, beg leave to make these following Remarks, in Answer to them.   
The first Petition against the said Company s Petition is in the name of the Fishmonger's Company of London.  
Observe, The Fishmonger's Company have ever since the Fishermen have been Incorporated endeavoured to ruin their Company and enslave their Members, and rate Fish to what extravagant price they please: as the same hath been Reported by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to the King and Council, upon a Reference on a Petition of the fisher-men's Company, against the said Fishmongers evil practices of Engrossing and Forestall the Markets of Fish, and Combining to take all Fish coming, or that comes to London, and dividing the same amongst themselves by Lots, and preventing the same being sold in Markets as they ought to be, and by that means raising the price of Fish near two thirds more than it would be, if the same were disposed of as by Law it ought, and when they have taken whole Cargoes of Fish from the Fishermen, making them take what rate they please for the same.  
Observe. The said Fishmongers at this time, as appears by printed papers, put out in the names of Thomas Hutchins, Edward Newport and William Ellis, are under a Combination to monopolise all Salmon into their hands, to prevent which the said persons, in the said Paper, set forth several places where persons may be furnished with Salmon, at reasonable rates by the pound, on several days in the week.  
Therefore it cannot be wondered at, that the said Fishmonger's Company do endavour to prevent any thing that may tend to the support and advantage of the said fisher-men's Company, to prevent their reducing them to their ancient and legal way of Trading, and thereby making Fish plentiful and cheap in all parts of the Town; and their being nothing in their Petition of any weight alleged against the said fisher-men's Company, it's hoped the same will have no effect, unlese it be to induce the Honourable House of Commons to grant the said fisher-men's Company what, to the Ends and Intents aforesaid, they humbly desire.  
The second Petition against the said Company of fisher-men's Petition is under the hands of several Members of the said Company, and at first may seem strange, but will be of no force on the considerations following.  

1. The said Petition was solicited, and obtained by the contrivance, and at the instigation of some of the Fishmonger's Company, in hopes thereby to seem to divide the Members of the said Company, and protect themselves in the continuing their aforesaid practices by such division.  
2. All, or most of the Persons whose Names are subscribed to the said Petition, have been frequently, and are Offenders against the Charter and By-laws of the said Company, and divers times have been presented, convicted, and punished for the same; and it may justly be feared are drawn in by the said Fishmongers, in hopes to throw off from themselves all Regulation and Government over them, that they may make what Destruction of Fish, and commit what Nuzences and other Misdemeanours in the said Rivers they please.   
All which matters being considered, 'tis humbly hoped, that the Honourable House of Commons, by a Clause in the Bill for Registering of Seamen, will permit and authorise the Master, Wardens, and Assistants, for the time being, to register all Fishermen, Dregermen, and their Servants, within the Limits of their Charter, in such methods to such purposes as the said Bill shall direct and appoint any other Seafaring Men to be Registered; it being not to be doubted, that the Right Honourable the Lord Marquis of Carmarthen, now Master of the said fisher-men's Company, will supply his Majesty's Royal Fleet with Men able and fit for that Service out of the said Company, as occasion shall require.  
All which Matters are humbly submitted to the Consideration of this Honourable House.