INFORMATION For Whytefield Hayter, and James chiefly Merchants in London, and Partners.  
Against The Skinners in Edinburgh.  
THe said Whitefield Hayter, etc. all Scotsmen besides himself, and some residing here, having attained to more than ordinary perfection in the Ai●t of dressing and colouring of Leather, making of Glews and Parchment, and entered in Society and Co-partnerie, and stocked a vast Sum of money for carring on a considerable Trade there with; they did mean themselves to the Lords of his Majesty's Privy Council, and craved that they might be declared to be free manufactory, and have the privilege of the same, and accordingly conform to the Act of Parliament 1661., obtained the desire of their Petition, and were allowed all the Privileges competent by Law to a Manufactory; Against which Act the Skinner's having reclaimed by a Petition, representing all that was possible for them to do, and craving that the said Act might be recalled, the said Lords were pleased upon Answers given in by the said Whitefield Hayter most readily to refuse the desire of the Bill given in by the Skinners, and to adhere to their former Act with this Addition, that the said Hayter and Partners should set up in no Burgh-Royal within this Kingdom, unless upon Invitation, and with the Consent of the Burgh, and that they should take Scotsmen both to be Partners and Apprentices, and communicate the Secret of the Trade to such Apprentices, upon the faith of, and conform to these two Acts, the said Hayter and Partners did increase their Stocks, and have been at vast Charges and Expenses for carring on the said Manufactory this while bypast; But (as it would appear by the instigation of the Skinners) the Privilege competent to them as a Manufactory, not being pleasantly allowed them, and the Partners being unwilling to mortify more Money unless they had an Act of Parliament in their favours, they meaned themselves to the Parliament, craving that the Act of Council might be Ratified, and they have an special Act in their own name, against which it is informed, the Skinners did compear and object. 1. That the said Hayter and Partners had no Skill in dressing and colouring of Leather, at least can pretend to no better Skill therein than the Skinners themselves, and have offered not Specimen of their Airt, and do offer to make appear that they can dress Marikin and Shambo, which the Partners cannot pretend to do, and are content to produce Specimens' of that same Leather, to which the Partners pretend Skill, and unlesss there were great odds of their Skill, the Partners ought not to have the Privilege of the Manufactory, and that by the said Erection, they and the hail skinner's of the Kingdom sustain prejudice, in so far as that Skins are bought up by them, and exported out of the Kingdom, so that the Skinners cannot have enough of the Product of this Kingdom to serve the lieges but at dear Rates. 2. That if the said Manufactory be free of public Burden, they will be able to out-sell all the Skinners who bear a proportion of these Burdens, and so enhance the said Trade, as also other Manufactories may be encouraged to be set up to the prejudice and Ruin of other Trades. 3. By Erecting such a Manufactory, there will arise a considerable Diminution of the King's Customs, at least the Tradesmen and others would come to be overcharged by their Immunity. 4. The said Skinners have Seals of Cause confirmed by several Acts of Parliament erecting them in an Corporation, and granting them many Privileges, and particularly that none should be allowed to exercethe Skinner Trade, but such as are admitted by the said Incorporation.  
Whytfield Hayter and his Partners, need make no other answer but shortly this, that all these Objections were under the Lords of Privy Council their Consideration the time of their pronouncing their Acts, and particularly their second Act, and that the Opposition made by the Skinners, is chief of design to have a Monopoly of dressing of Skins in their own hands, which may clearly appear from this, that there being only One in the Kingdom who knows to dress Leather: the Skinners at least some of them hath taken him bound to Work, to none but themselves. However more particularly it is answered, 1. that what is represented by the Skinners themselves anent the Exportation of Leather, doth fully evince the Partners Skill in dressing of Leather, seeing if the Leather were not dressed better than ordinar, it could not be so Exported as the Skinners do complain it is, and seeing the Encouragement of the Exportation of t he native Commodities and Manufactories of the Kingdom does so much tend to the Advantage both of His Majesty's Customs, and of the whole Nation: it is hoped that the Skinner's Argument founded upon the great Exportation of Leather occasioned by the foresaid Manufactory, will be so far from Tending to their prejudice, that on the contrair, the Copartners will retort the same, and make it an Argument why the Act of Parliament ought to pass in their Favours and as to any thing that is founded upon the Skinner's Skill in dressing Shambo and Marikin: the Copartners are not concerned therein, seeing it is no part of their manufactory: but as to any specimen of their Art, if need beiss they are willing to give the same when required, but as said is, the great Export (albeit it be not so great, but there always remain sufficient to serve the Skinners, and a great quanity of Skins even in the Wool are yearly Exported,) is a sufficient Demonstration and Proof of their Skill.  
It is answered to the 2d. and 3d. that the same is of no moment in respect that the Partners have been at vast Charges and Expenses in setting up their said manufactory, which will more than balance any Immunity they may enjoy besides that always there is Encouragement given to ingenious Spirits for promoting of new Inventions and Manufactories, and the Advantage arising by the Immunities being but small, the Skinners their proportion of Relief will be very inconsiderable, and will bear no Proportion with the Advantage they and the Liege's will reap by the Encouragement of the said manufactory, especially these whose states consists in Sheep and Cows, neither will the King sustain any prejudice thereby, seeing the Thriving of the Nation is His Majesty's great Interest and Desire, and that as said is, the Kingdom is much bettered by the Export, besides that the forsaid Export will occasions the Import of Commodities, which will augment His Majesty's Customs, much more than they were diminished throw not paying of Duty for Export.  
It is answered to the 4th that the Seal of Cause does no waves meet the present Case, seeing, conform to Act of Council, the Copartner are not to set up within any Burgh Royal, far less within the Town of Edinburgh.