REASONS For Continuing the Duty of Eight Pence UPON ROCK-SALT.   

REASONS For Continuing the Duty of Eight Pence Upon Each One hundred and twenty Pounds weight of Rock-Salt, without allowing a Draw-back upon Refining the same;  
BY Comparing the Brine-salt made at Northwitche in Cheshire, with the Salt-Rock Refined at the Dungeon near Leverpoole in Lancashire.  
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Printed in the Year 1697.   

REASONS FOR Continuing the Duty of Eight Pence upon each One hundred and twenty Pounds weight of Rock-salt, without allowing a Draw-back upon Refining the same, &c.  
IT is well known that a Tun of Coals makes a Tun of Salt; and a Tun of Coals at Northwitche is Sixteen shillings eight pence, but a Tun of Coals at the Dungeon is only Five shillings six pence, which is Eleven shillings two pence difference.  
A Bushel of Salt Rock of One hundred and twenty Pounds weight will, with the Sea Tide Water at the said Dungeon, produce Two Bushels and an half of Salt at Fifty six Pounds weight to each Bushel; so that Fifteen Bushels of Rock of One hundred and twenty Pounds each, will produce at the said Dungeon, One Tun( reckoned at Twenty one hundred weight) of Salt.  
Now the Duty of Eight pence for each Bushel of One hundred and twenty Pounds weight of Rock for the said Fifteen Bushels, comes to Ten shillings; but then 'tis to be observed, that the Refiner of the Rock at the said Dungeon makes his Tun of Salt with a Tun of Coals, which lye him in only Five shillings six pence.  
Whereas at Northwitche a Tun of Brine Salt is made with a Tun of Coals, which lye in Sixteen shillings eight pence; which, as is aforesaid, is Eleven shillings two pence difference.  
So that the Refiner of the Rock, though he pay Ten shillings per Tun( viz. for Fifteen Bushels of Rock, which produce a Tun of Salt) Duty not drawn back, yet he still has the Advantage over the Brine-salt of One shilling two pence per Tun; And besides, he fells One penny per Bushel dearer than the Brine-salt,( being situated more conveniently for the Merchant) which is about Three shillings and a penny per Tun more, which added to the aforesaid One shilling and two pence per Tun, makes the Refiner of the Rock to have the Advantage over the Brine-Salt Four shillings and three pence per Tun, tho' the Eight pence upon each One hundred and twenty Pounds Weight of Rock is continued.  
Objection. But the Refiner of the Rock pays at the Pit Five shillings and six pence per Tun for the Rock, whereas the Brine comes up with a small Charge of winding.  
Answer. 'Tis true, the Refiner pays Five shillings and six pence per Tun for the Rock, but that is Two thousand four hundred Weight, which produces Two thousand eight hundred Weight of Salt dissolved in Sea-tide Water; But the Proprietor of the Brine is at a greater Charge per Tun for his Brine, for the first sinking and finishing of his Pit costs him One thousand or Twelve hundred Pounds Serling, sometimes more, and oftentimes a Fresh breaks in and puts him to a constant and a very great Annual Charge, so that he pays dearer for the Brine than the Refiner does for the Rock.  
Objection. The Refiner pays for Land-Carriage and fraught of the Rock, Nine shillings and ten pence per Tun from Northwitche to the Dungeon.  
Answer. The Maker of Brine-Salt pays more in that way, then the Refiner of the Rock, for a Tun of Brine-Salt is more bulky then a Tun of Rock, and consequently the Carriage of it is dearer; but it must be observed that Two thousand four hundred Weight of Rock will( with Sea Water) produce Two thousand eight hundred Weight of Salt, so the Refiner gains the Carriage clear of Four hundred Weight in each Two thousand four hundred, which the Maker of Brine-Salt pays for; And it must also be considered, that the Land-Carriage of Brine-Salt is more hazardous then the Rock, for the Brine-Salt is often by falls of the Horse, and overturns of the Carts, thrown in the Water and Dirt, and thereby rendered totally unsaleable, which is a great Loss to the Proprietor, he paying the Duty, and not having any Provision in the Act of Parliament for such Hazards, which the Salt-Rock is no way liable unto.  
And besides all this, it is to be considered, that the Duty of Eight pence upon each One hundred and twenty Pounds Weight of Rock-Salt is made a Fund and a security for Money already lent to the Government, and if it should be taken off to Gratify and Enrich a few Projectors, and to the Ruin and Destruction of the Ancient and Durable Trade of Brine-Salt, it must fall upon the Lands of England, or the produce of Land( which is all one) to make it good.  
But if it be well considered of what dangerous consequence the getting of the Salt-Rock in Cheshire will be, to that and all the Neighbouring Countrys of England, and North-Wales, instead of keeping the balance even betwixt the Refiners of Salt-Rock, and the Makers of Brine-Salt;( which nothing less then the continuing Eight pence upon the Rock can do) it may, perhaps, be thought most beneficial for the public to prohibit the getting of the said Salt-Rock, and that for these Reasons.  

I. The Salt-Rock does make the Spring in the Caverns of the Earth so effectually Brackish, as they become extreme salt, which boils into the best Natural Salt as can be made use of, as daily experience makes manifest, and which will in a plentiful manner, serve all the uses proper for Salt in England, Ireland, and the West-Indies, &c. as the Merchants have experienced.  
II. The Duty of Salt being made perpetual, it is humbly presumed it will become the Wisdom of Parliament to take effectual Care, that that Salt which will be perpetual, be preserved and encouraged to Answer that perpetual Duty.  
III. The said Springs will be perpetually Salt so long as the Salt-Rock is not taken away, but that being the efficient Cause of their saltness, if it is taken away the Springs will cease to be Salt, and then England must be beholden to Foreign Parts for that necessary Commodity which they are now able to furnish all Europe with.   
Objection. But the Salt-Rock is of a very great Substance, and may last some Ages before it is exhausted.  
Answer. The Salt-Rock in one place lies something deep, but in no place broad, and is but of a Narrow extent, for several have boared very deep in their Lands, lying near where the Salt-Rock is now gotten, and could not find it.  
But experience shows that the Salt-Rock Pits do frequently fall in, and indeed it is impossible they should stand long, for the Mineral is of that Nature, that it melts and wasteth either by Air or Water. Now all these Salt-Rock Pits are much amnoyed with Water, and the Pillars of this Salt-Rock which are left to support the Roof of the Hollows, are by the Air, and the Water, so melted and wasted away, that several of the Pits are fallen in and lost, and it is much feared that a River near the Salt-Rock Pits will be by these means let into the said Hollows, which will endanger the loss of the Brine-Springs, by making them so Fresh that they will not boil to Salt.  
Objection. Every Freeholder is Lord and Master of his own Freehold, and may dig in and dispose of it to his best Advantage.  
Answer. This is not so where the public good of the Nation is concerned, for though there are good Coals under Black-Heath, yet it is looked upon that the Lords of the Soil there may not dig them, because it would discourage Navigation and the Nursery of Seamen.  
And though divers Lands in England are very proper and fit for yielding Tobacco, yet the Wisdom of our Ancestors has been such, as by Law to Prohibit the Planting of it in England, because it would discourage Navigation and our Foreign Plantations.  
Objection. But is it not hard, that a Man should have Salt-Rock in his Land which makes Salt-Springs for others, and not be allowed to reap any benefit from it himself.  
Answer. Every Proprietor of Salt-Rock may without digging it, reap a much greater Benefit from it then any Gentleman does from the Salt or Brine-Springs; for whereas a Brine-Pit cannot be made under One thousand, and sometimes Twelve hundred Pounds or more, and oftentimes a Fresh breaks in, and then all must be wrought a-new; He who has the Salt-Rock needs do no more then sink a small Pit into the said Rock, which he may do for about Thirty or Forty Pounds Sterl. and there he has a much stronger Brine than any other Salt Spring is, which he may with less Charge of Coal Boil up to an excellent Salt.  
Objection. But several Persons who have great Plenty of Coals in divers Places have there erected Works for Refining this Salt Rock, and more Works will daily be erected for that purpose, and the Country is and will be better supplied with Salt thence than from the Brine-Pits.  
Answer. This Salt Rock will have an end, and how soon is uncertain, and then there will be an end not only of these Refining Works, but of the Brine-Springs also: Moreover, the clearest and purest Parts of this Salt-Rock are culled out of the Refiners great Parcels grinded to Powder and used in Specie, and by this means pays no Duty, because the Refiner's Clerk makes a general Affidavit, that all within his Cocket is refined: But it must be observed, that the Multiplicity of these Refining Works will be a very great loss and diminution to the Revenue, because of the Multiplicity of Officers which must be Established with great Salaries to inspect them; and whether it is from the many Refining Salt-Works already set on foot, and the many Frauds committed by them,( the Rock-salt Store-house, the Refining Houses, and the Ships or Boats being planted so near each other, and in such a manner, that 'tis not possible for the Officer to detect these Frauds) or from what other cause it is, may be worth inquiring; but plain it is, that since the Rocksalt Trade has increased, the Duty upon Salt in general has decreased a very considerable Sum yearly; and if permitted 'twill occasion a further decrease of that Duty, and then a further Aid may be expected to make good that Deficiency. All which is humbly submitted to Consideration.  
FINIS.