THE HUMBLE AND JUST REMONSTRANCE.  
OF The Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, in Parliament assembled in JRELAND.  
Printed for Hugh Perry, in the Year 1641.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, The Lord deputy.  
Showing that in all Ages past, since the happy subjection of this Kingdom, to the imperial Crown of England; it was and is a principal study, and Princely care of his Majesty, and his most Noble Progenitors, Kings and Queens of England and Ireland, to the vast expense of Treasure and blood, that their loyal and dutiful people of this Land of Ireland, being now for the most part derived from the British Ancestor, should be governed according to the municipial and fundamental Laws of England, that the Statute of Magna Charta, or the great Charter for the liberties of England, and other laudable Laws and statutes, were in several Parliaments, here enacted and declared, that by the means thereof, and of the most prudent and benign government of his Majesty, and his Royal Progenitors, this kingdom was (until of late) in its growth to a flourishing estate, whereby the said people were hearetofore enabled to answer their humble and natural desires, to comply with his Majesty's Royal & Princely occasions, by the free gift of 150000. l. star. and like wise by another gift of 120000. l. star. more during the government of the Lord Viscount Faulk-land, & after by the gift of 40000. l. & their free & cheerful gift of 6. entire subsidies, in the 10. year of his Majesty's Reign, which to comply with his Majesties then occasions signified to the then house of Commons, they did allow should amount in the collections unto 250000. l. although as they confidently believe, if the said subsidies had not been levied in a moderate parliamentary way, they would not have amounted to much more than half the said sum, besides the four entire subsidies, granted in this present Parliament. So it is, may it please your Lordship, that by the occasion of the ensuing and other grievances and innovations, though to his Majesties no considerable profit, this kingdom is reduced to that extreme & universal poverty, that the same is now less able to pay a Subsidies, than it was heretofore to satisfy all the before recited great payments, & his Majesty's most faithful people of the same, do conceive great fears that the grievances and the consequences thereof may hereafter be drawn into precedents to be perpetuated upon their posterity, which in their great hopes and strong belief, they are persuaded is contrary to his Majesty's Royal and Princely intention towards his said people, some of which said grievances, are as followeth.  
I. First, the general and apparent decay of Trades, occasioned by the new & illegal raising of the book of Rates and Impositions; as xij. d. a piece, custom for Hides bought for 3. 4. or 5. s. and many other heavy Impositions upon native & other commodities exported and imported, by reason thereof & of the extreme usage, and censures, Merchants are beggred, and both dis●nable, and discouraged to trade; and some of the honourable persons who gain thereby are often judges and parties, and that in Conclusion his Majesty's profit thereby is not considerably advanced.  
II. Secondly, the arbitrary decision of all civil causes and controversies, by paper petitions before the Lord Lieutenant and Lord Deputy, & infinite other judicators upon references from them derived in the nature of all actions, determinable at the common law, not limited unto certain times, seasons, causes, and things, whatsoever, and the consequence of such proceed, by receiving immoderate & unlawful fees by Secretaries, Clerks, Pursivants, Sergeants at Arms, & otherwise, by which kind of proceed, his Majesty loseth a considerable part of his Revenue, upon original writs, & otherwise, and the subject loseth the benefit of his writ of error, Bill of reversal, vouchers, and other legal and just advantages, and the ordinary course & Courts of justice declined  
III. Thirdly, the proceed in civil causes at the Council board, contrary to the law and great Charter, and not limited to any certain time, or season.  
IU. Fourthly, that the Subject is in all the material parts thereof denied the benefit of the princely graces, and more especially of the statute of Limitations, of the 21. jan. granted by his Majesty in the 4. year of this Reign, upon great advice of the Counsel of England and Ireland, and for great consideration; & then published in all the Courts of Dublin, and in all the Courts of this Kingdom in open Assizes, whereby all persons do take notice, that contrary to his Majesty's pious intention, his Subjects of this Land have not enjoyed the benefit of his Majesty's Princely promise thereby made.  
V. Fiftly, the extrajudicial avoiding of Letters Patents of estates of a very great part of his Majesty's subjects under the great Seal (the public faith of the Kingdom) by private opinions delivered at Counsel Board, without legal Evictions of their estates, contrary to the Law and without precedent or example of any former age.  
VI Sixtly, the Proclamation for the sole exemption and uttering of Tobacco, which is bought at very low Rates, and uttered at high and excessive rates, by means whereof thousands of Families within this Kingdom and of his Majesty's subjects in several Islands, & other parts of the West Indies (as your Petitioners are informed) are destroyed, and the most part of the Coin of this Kingdom is engrossed into particular hands: Insomuch that your Petitioners do conceive that the profit arising & engrossed thereby, doth surmount his Majesty's revenues Certain and casual within this Kingdom, and yet his Mastjestie receiveth but very little profit by the same.  
VII. Seventhly, the unusual and unlawful increasing of Monopolies to the advantage of few, to the disprofit of his Majesty and the impoverishment of his people.  
VIII. Eightly, the extreme and cruel usage of certain late Commissioners and other, towards the British Farmers and Inhabitants of the City and County of , by means whereof the worthy plantation of that Country is almost destroyed, and the Inhabitants are reduced to great poverty, and many of them forced to forsake the Country, the same being the first and most useful Plantation in the large Province of Ulster, to the great weakening of the Kingdom, in this time of danger, the said Plantation being the principal strength of those parts.  
IX. Ninthly, the late erection of the Court of high Commission for causes Ecclesiastical in these necessitous times, the proceed of the said Court in many causes without legal warrant, and yet so supported as prohibitions have not been obtained, though legally sought for, and the excessive fees exacted by the ministers thereof, and the encroaching of the same upon the jurisdiction of other Ecclesiastical Courts of this Kingdom.  
X. Tenthly, the exorbitant and barbarous Fees and pretended Customs exacted by the Clergy against the Law, some of which have been formerly represented to your Lordship.  
XI. Eleventhly, the Petitioners do most hearty bemoan that his Majesty's services and profits are much more impaired then advanced by the grievances aforesaid. And the Subsidies granted in the last Parliament having much increased his Majesty's Revenue by the buying in of Grants and otherwise, and that all his Majesty's debts then due in this Kingdom were satisfied out of the said Subsidies, and yet his Majesty is of late (as your Petitioners have been informed) in the house of Commons become indebted in this Kingdom in great sums, and they do therefore humbly beseech that an exact account may be sent to his Majesty, how and in what manner his treasure issued.  
XII. Twelfthly, the Petitioners do humbly conceive great and just fears at a Proclamation published in this Kingdom in Anno Dom. 1635. prohibiting men of quality or estate for to departed this Kingdom into England, without the Lord Deputies Licence, whereby the Subjects of this Kingdom are hindered and interrupted from free access and address to his sacred Majesty and Privy Counsel of England, to declare their just grievances, or to obtain remedy for them, in such sort as their Ancestors have done in all ages, since the Reign of King Henry the second, and great fees exacted for, every of the said Licenses.  
XIII. Thirteenthly, that of late his Majesty's late Attorney general hath exhibited informations against many ancient Burroughs of this Kingdom into his Majesty's Court of Exchequer, to show by what warrant the said Burrougheses, who heretofore sent Burgesses to the Parliament, should send the said Burgesses to the Parliament. And thereupon for want of an answer, the said Privilege of sending Burgesses was seized by the said Court, which proceed were altogether Coram non Judice, and contrary to the Laws and Privileges of the house of Parliament (and if way should be given thereunto) might tend to the subversion of Parliaments, and by consequence to the ruin & destruction of the Commonwealth, and that the house of Commons hath hitherto in this present Parliament been deprived of the advice and Counsel of many profitable and good members by means thereof.  
XIV. Fourteen, that by the powerfulness of some Ministers of State in this Kingdom, the Parliament in its members and actions hath not his natural freedom.  
XV. Fifteenthly, that the fees taken in all the Courts of Justice in this Kingdom, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, and by other inferior Officers and Ministers, are so immoderately high, that it is an unspeakable burden to all his Majesty's Subjects of this, who are not able to subsist, except the same be speedily remedied & reduced to such a moderation as may stand with the condition of this Realm.  
And lastly, That the Gentry, Merchants, and other his Majesty's subjects of this Kingdom, are of late by the grievances and pressures aforesaid and other the like, very near to Ruin and destruction. And Farmers of Customs, Customers, Waiters, Searchers, Clerks of unwarrantable proceed, Pursuivants, and Gaolers, and sundry others very much enriched, whereby and by the slow redress of the Petitioners grievances, his Majesty's most faithful and dutiful people of this Kingdom, do conceive great fears that their readiness approved upon all occasions, hath not been of late rightly represented to his Majesty.  
For Remedy whereof, the said Petitioners do humbly and of Right beseech your Lordship, that the grievances and pressures may be speedily redressed. And if your Lordship shall not think fit to afford us present relief therein, that your Lordship may admit a select Committee of this House of persons uninteressed in the benefit arising, the aforesaid grievances to be licenced by your Lordship, to repair to his sacred Majesty in England for to pursue the same, and to obtain fitting Remedies for their aforesaid and other just grievances and oppressions, and upon all just and honourable occasions, they will without respect of particular interest or profit to be raised thereby, most humbly and readily in Parliament, extend their utmost endeavours to serve his Majesty, and comply with his Royal and Princely occasions, And shall pray, etc.  
Copia vera.