Chiverton Mayor.  
Tuesday the eighth day of December 1657.  
An Order of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, against concealing and colouring the goods of Aliens and foreigners.  
WHereas the Offices of Package, Scavage, Waterballiage, Portage, and weighing the Goods and Merchandizes of Alyens and foreigners, do pertain unto this City, and for the same several customs, Fees and Profits are due, and time out of mind have been paid to the Officers deputed to those places, and been employed towards relief of the poor, the conservation of the River of Thames, the maintenance of Hospitality, and support of the Magistracy of this City, and other public uses: And however the trade especially into foreign parts is now more than ever it hath been in the hands of Alyens and foreigners, who have attained to great estates under the Government of this City, without bearing any Charge of the same; And yet the profits of the said Offices do fall exceedingly short of what formerly they have been, to the great hindrance of the good uses aforesaid: The decay whereof, as this Court hath understood, is especially caused by many ill disposed and unworthy Freemen of this City, who mindless of their Oaths & the Laws under which they live, do in compliance with Alyens and foreigners ofttimes pretend that the goods they export are their own goods until they are on shipboard or beyond the Seas, when in truth such goods are for the account of Alyens, or are contracted for by Aliens or foreigners, and after such contract are the goods of Alyens or foreigners, and are liable to the said duties; And divers other ways do fraudulently own and colour the Goods and Merchandizes bought and sold, taken in or sent out, by the said Aliens and foreigners, some being received into partnership to colour the whole, some for hire permitting the use of their names, and others in their own persons, and in their own names, buying, selling and negotiating, merely for the use and account of Alyens and foreigners, of which sort too many clothworkers, Packers, and Drawers of Cloth are suspected to frequent the Market of Blackwell-hall, and all to defraud the City of their just Rights and customs which by strongest Obligations they are bound to maintain; This Court therefore resolving to put forth the utmost of their power and endeavours for remedy of this so great a mischief to the City, and to bring upon the Practicers of the said offences the just shame and punishment due for their perjury and unfaithfulness to the interest of the City, according to the Laws and provisions in this behalf; do require and enjoin the several persons deputed and entrusted in the said several Places or Offices, and whom else it may concern, to be diligent and active in the finding out and apprehension of any the Offenders aforesaid, and do admonish and desire all other honest and well affected Freemen of this City to be assistant to them, and as they have opportunity to endeavour as well the preservation of the City in its said Rights and Duties, as to discover those of its own unnatural members, and others that would violate and betray the same by any the said practices, to be dealt withal and disfranchised as by Law they ought to be, and do truly deserve.  
SADLER.   

Printed by James Flesher, Printer to the Honourable City of London.