THE CASE OF The Owners of Ships concerned in the Coal-Trade.  
Humbly offered to the Consideration of the Honourable the Commons in Parliament Assembled.  
THE Coal-trade employs at least 1200 Sail of Ships on the West and East part of the Kingdom of England, 
1200 Sail of Ships employed, and navigated with 15000 Men.  and to Navigate them about 15000 Men, all which are now liable to be Impressed; but if Protected, whether shall the Admiralty go for Men, seeing the Home-trade with our opposite Neighbours is gone, and our Ships at Virginia and the West-Indies can't be reached? Must the Navy Royal lye still, or hazard a Battle at Sea half manned, as its said the Dartmouth did, and was, in an engagement with one or two Privateers, taken, and now at St. Malo's?  
The vast Trade we use to have with the Northern Crowns being lost, as to the English Shipping, the Coal-trade is the greatest Nursery for Seamen; and as it employs 15000 at Sea, so above Ground and under it, employs near a Hundred Thousand of Labouring Men, besides a vast number of Cattle, &c. in getting the Coals.  
1. 
〈…〉 Hundred Thousand of Labouring Men employed aabout 〈…〉 sailor.  To the Surface of the Earth. 2. From thence to the sundry Places at the Water-side. 3. From thence to the Ships-side, and after at 〈◇〉 Port of Delivery to the Shore again, and thence to the sundry Habitations where consumed: All which Employments, both by Sea and Land, are exceeding advantageous to the Poor, as well as to Navigation.  
And this was so far taken notice of, that in the latter part of the Reign of King Charles II. and the beginning of the Reign of the late King James, when a long Duty but of 3 s. per Chaldon, levied for the building of Churches, Gates, &c. of the City of London, was expired, and the City desired the said 3 s. might be continued, viz. 18 d. per cauldron for finishing S. Pauls, and 18 d. per cauldron for paying the Orphans.  
The Parliament, then sitting, before they would grant the City their Request therein, appointed a Committee to inquire into the State of the Coal-trade, as it was at the expiration of paying the 3 s. and at the beginning thereof; and, on Enquiry, it appeared as follows.  
That before the Duty of 3 s. per cauldron was laid on, 

Whi●e 3 s. per cauldron was paid, all the Trade of Shipping built in England was lost.  
No prevailing with the Parliament to great any more than 1●d. in lieu of 3 s.  
An Act made to recover the Building Trade back from Holland, &c.   abundance of brave stout English Ships were constantly built for carrying on the Coal-trade; and so our own Carpenters, Sail-makers, Rope-makers, and all manner of Artificers were employed: But before the said Duty of 3 s. per cauldron was at an end, almost all Building in England ceased, and what Ships were mployed were brought from Holland, Sweden, &c. whereby the sundry Seaports in England were very much impoverished; no Building for Artificers, no plank nor Timber bought of the Country Gentlemen, and all because the Owners had no Profit by reason of the 3 s. per cauldron; but as fast as our English Ships decayed, a few old Holland built Ships and Scootes were brought in the room thereof. And from the Result of the said Inquiry, the Parliament would by no means be prevailed on to grant any more than 18 d. for finishing St. Pauls; and in lieu thereof gave an encouraging Act to recover again the lost Trade of Building, by an Act, entitled, An Act to encourage Building of Ships in England: To which Act the Reader is referred.  
And, whereas, there's a multitude of Reasons to be given, why 5 s. per cauldron on Coals will be a very unequal Tax on the Consumers as well as destructive to Navigation; yet none can be more plain than what is abovesaid, viz. That in the year, 1687. or thereabouts, the Parliament had the full Matter under their Consideration, and found that 3 s. per cauldron had been very destructive, and would not be prevailed on to lay any more than 18 d. per cauldron; and that neither, if it had not been to finish St. Pauls.  
The Members of Parliament serving for Ipswich, 
S●r John Barker, S●r Charles Bloye●, S●r Henry Johnsou and Mr. Fuller.  Alborough and Yarmouth, have perfect knowledge of this Matter, and can satisfy the House how great an Advantage that Act was to England that passed in the late King James's time, and how many brave Ships were soon built in England; which Trade continued until the tonnage Act was passed; and that since the said tonnage Act, not so much as one new Ship, as a Collyer, hath been contracted for. And if 6 d. per Tun, by the tonnage Act, hath so far discouraged Trade, as that one Ship has not been contracted for last Year, where one hundred used to be in one Year before: What then will be the effect of ten times the Tax, which 5 s. per cauldron really is?  
But lest the Parliament should be under some Misapprehensions, 
The Projector cannot make it out that 5 s may be paid, and the Poor be served as cheap as before.  and think that what the Owners of the Ships say against the 5 s. per cauldron is not Truth, and that what the Proposers say on their Part is true, viz. That though there be a Duty of 5 s. per cauldron levied, yet the Poor shall have their Coals as cheap as in times of Peace. On the Back hereof is an Account of the prime Cost of the Coals, with the present Taxes that are thereon; which demonstrates, how the Poor were served for 10 years, in Times of Peace, at 18 s. per cauldron, little more or less; and that now if all the Owners of the Coal-Shipping would give the Use of their Ships for nothing, they can never sell their Coals under 23 s. per cauldron: For in this calculation there's nothing accounted for the Adventure, nor Wear and Tare of the Ship, but every Article that is mentioned in the said calculation is paid out of Pocket.  
But some may object, 
Goals in Time of Peace sold at 18 s. per cauldron, when 3 s. taxed, because then cheaper at Newcastle.  That Coals was sold at 18 s. per cauldron when the Duty of 3 s. per cauldron was upon them, which now is but half so much. To which it is answered, That at that Time Coals was bought cheaper at Newcastle, and the Owners got by many Voyages no Profit. But that this is the nearest and truest Calculation that can be made of the prime Cost and Taxes that are on the Coals, without any thing allowed to the Owners for the Adventure, and Wear and Tare of their Ships.  
It was never heard of in any King or Queen's Reign of England, since the days of Queen Elizabeth, that there was any Duty laid on Coals, Coastwise, 
2 d. per cauldron for the Projectors Pocket, was more designed than the good of the Nation,  until after the Fire of London; and then London was only Taxed to build the Churches, &c. but all the Out-Ports were left Free. And though there have been many Projectors, not out of any good Design to the Nation, but purely to get 2 d. per cauldron for their own Management, that have been before King Charles and King James, and with this present King in Council, desiring that they might manage the Coal-Trade, to make it more easy: But all their Pretences appeared to be nothing of Reality, and always sound to be impossible to supply the Sea-Ports with Coals cheaper than they have been supplied from year to year. Though there be a present Rise upon Coals, it's such an Accident as happened but once before since the King came to the Crown, 
The Fleet arriving from Newcasile will bring down the Price as it was last Year.  viz. by a Long, Frosty and Turbulent Winter, in which the Ships could not venture to Sea, and contrary Winds at the Spring of the Year. But that on the Arrival of the Fleet, now laden at Newcastle, Coals will fall down again to the current Price that they were at the last Year, viz. between 22 and 24 per cauldron, if this present Duty of 5 s. does not come upon them.  
To say no more, There were many humble Representations and Petitions against the tonnage Act, and there are now many against this, which is much worse in its Nature then the said tonnage Duty ever was, or will be. First, in respect to the prevention of the Building Trade, and so the Country Gentlemen will find in the Price of their Plank and Timber. Secondly, in the Injury to Navigation, by cutting off the Fourth part at least of the Breed of Seamen. Thirdly, in the Ruin of almost all the Artifices that depend on completing of Ships for Sea, relaing to the Coal-Trade: And last of all, a much heavier Burden on the Poor than ever the Hearth Money was. From which Considerations i● hoped that some more easy way will, in the great Wisdom of this Honourable House be found out, then laying 5 s. per cauldron on Coals.  

  l. s. d. PRime Cost of Coals at Newcastle, 10 s. 6 d. per cauldron, reduced to London Measure 0 06 03 Duke of Richmond and Earl of Monmouth, at Newcastle 1 s. reduced to London Measure, 0 00 07 Town Duties, 0 00 05 Light-Mony, 0 00 03 Ballast at Newcastle and London, 0 00 06 Kecledge, 0 01 00 S. Paul's, 0 01 06 Meetage, 0 00 04 Orphans, 0 00 04 tonnage Duty 6 d. as was intended by Act of Parliament, but by reason of over-Measure, 0 00 08 Labourers, 0 01 06 Seamen's Wages and Victuals, at the lowest Rates, in Times of Peace, 4 s. or now, with sufficient Convoys, and their Men being kept clear from the Press, 0 05 00 The intended Duty, 0 05 00   1 03 00 To this may be added, the fraught of the Coals, viz. for the Adventure of the Ship, and the Wear and Tare of the same, 4 s. per cauldron; which is but 3 per Cent. for the Voyage and Home( no Man will Insure them under 4 or 5 per Cent. in Times of Peace) for the Ships that bring 300 cauldron of Coals apiece, may, one with another be valued in the Bulk of Coals, &c. at 2000 l. a Ship, many of them being worth 3000 l. a piece. 0 04 00 So that if the Owners have 3 per Cent. for their Adventure, Coals must be at 27 per Chald. And if the Owners nave nothing they must be at 23 per Chald.  
So the Poor must pay in time of Peace or War 5 s. purely put of Pocket more than if it be not laid; for Coals were sold constantly for 18 s. in time of Peace; and the last year, in time of War, at 22 s. at both which Prices the Owners had not a Farthing for their Adventure.    

The CASE of the Owners of Ships, concerned in the Coal-Trade.