At the Committee of Lords and Commons for the Navy and customs. 10 November 1648.  
WHereas the Card-makers and Wyar-drawers of the City of London and other parts of this kingdom presented their humble Petition unto this Committee, showing, that they were in former times well employed by drawing of wire, and making of Wooll-cards, whereby they maintained both themselves and their Families: But their Trade is now almost lost, by reason of the great quantity of Outlandish Cards for wool, and wire of Iron, that is daily imported into this kingdom, contrary to several Statutes made in former Parliaments prohibiting the importation of the said Commodities; by reason whereof the Petitioners are impoverished and ruined in their Trades and livelihood, Praying therefore that Order may be given unto the Commissioners and Officers of the customs to be assisting unto them in the performance and execution of the said former Acts of Parliament; The examination of which Petition being referred unto the Commissioners of the customs, they have thereupon certified that they find the suggestions of the said Petition to be true, and that by several 
3. E. 4. cap. 4. 1 Ri. 3. cap. 12. 5. Eliz. cap. 7. 39 Eliz. cap. 14. 3 Car. cap. 4.  Statutes mentioned in the margin no Wooll-cards, or white wire, ought to be imported into this kingdom, or Wales, on pain of forfeiture; which Statutes are still in force. And whereas many Clothiers have also certified, that foreign wool cards, or any other Cards made of foreign wire are very prejudicial to the Manufacture of the Clothing of this kingdom, being not any ways so stiff or serviceable as the Cards made of our own wire( drawn in this kingdom) are; and that by the sole use of our own the Manufacture of Cloth is much bettered.  
The Committee having perused those Statutes, and taken the whole premises into consideration, Are of opinion that the desires of the petitioners are just to be granted; And because this Committee doth find that by connivancy several Merchants not taking notice of the said Statutes have for divers yeeres past taken liberty to import foreign Cards and wire; And not being willing that advantages should be taken on Merchants by these dormant Statutes without premonition, Do therefore hereby admonish them of the danger they are likely to incur by confiscation of their Goods, by virtue of the said Statutes in case they shall hereafter import any more of the said foreign Manufactures. And this Committee do thereupon Order, that the Commissioners and Officers of the customs in the Port of London and all the Outports do take care that no person or persons do bring in, sell, or convey into this kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Barwick,( after reasonable notice hereof given) any foreign Wool-cards, or wire, made in any places beyond the Seas; But in case that any of the said Commodities shall be imported, they are to make seizure of the same, according to the Statutes.  
And it is further Ordered, that the Copies hereof be sent to the customhouse of the port of London, and to all the Out-parts, that the Officers and all other whom it doth or may concern may take notice hereof accordingly.  


Giles Gr●…,  
Thomas Toll,  
Squire Bence.  
Ed●… d M●…,  
Ri. Aldworth.  
Edward Exton.     

A Statute made at Westminster Anno 3. Ed. 4, prohibiting certain merchandises not lawful to be brought ready wrought into this REALM.  
ITem, Whereas in the said Parliament by the Artificers of manuel Occupations men and women, inhabiting and restant in the City of London and other Cities, Towns, Boroughs and Villages within the said realm of England and Wales, it hath been piteously shewed and complained, how that all they in general, and every of them be greatly impoverished, and much hindered and prejudiced of their worldly increase and daily living, by the great multitude of divers Commodities& wears pertaining to their Mysteries& Occupations being fully wrought& ready made to sale, as well by the hands of strangers, being the Kings Enemies, as other in this Realm and Wales, fetched and brought from beyond the Sea, as well by Merchant strangers, and Denisens, and other persons, whereof the greatest part in substance is deceitful, and nothing worth in regard of any Mans Occupation or Profit, by which occasion the said Artificers cannot live by their Mysteries and Occupations as they have done in times past, but divers of them, as well householders as Hirelings, and other Servants and Apprentices in great number be at this day unoccupied, and do hardly live, in great misery, poverty and need, whereby many inconveniences have grown before this time, and hereafter more be like to come( which God defend) if due remedy be not in this behalf provided. Our redoubted sovereign Lord the King, considering the premises, and willing in this case to provide remedy, by the advice, assent and authority aforesaid, hath Ordained, Enacted and Established. That no Merchant born Subject of our said Lord the King, Denizen nor Stranger, nor other person after the Feast of S. Michael the archangel next coming, shall bring, sand nor convey, nor cause to be brought, sent nor conveyed into this realm of England and signory of Wales, any of the chaffers, wears or things under written; that is to say, any woollen Caps, woollen Clothes, Laces, Corses, ribbons, Fringes of Silk and of thread, Laces of thread, silk twined, silk in any wise embroidered, Laces of Gold, of silk or Gold, saddles, stirrups, or any harness pertaining to saddles, Spurs, Bosses for Bridles, Aundirons, Gredirons, any manner of Locks, Hammers, Pinsons, Fire-tongs, Drippingpans Dice, Tennis balls, Points, Purses, Gloves, Girdles harness for Girdles of Iron, latin, steel, Tin, or of Alkemine, any thing wrought of any tawed Leather, any tawed Furs, B●… scans, shoes, Galoches or Corks, Knives, Daggers, Wood-knives, Bodkins shears for Taylors, Cisors, razors, Chessmen, playing Cards, Combs, pattens, Pack-néedles, any painted Ware, Forcers, Caskets, Rings or Copper, or of latin gilded, Chafingdishes, hanging Candlesticks, Chaffing-balls, sacring bells, rings for Curtains, Ladles, Scommers, counterfeit basins, Ewers, Hats, Brushes, Cards for wool, black Iron thread, commonly called and name white Wire, or any of those wears or chaffers to be uttered and sold within the same realm of England, or in the country of Wales, by way of merchandise, upon pain to forfeit the same merchandises, at every time, and as often as they may be found in the hands of any person or persons to be sold. The one half of the same forfeiture to be paid to the use of our Lord the King, and the other half to him that will first seize the same for the King. The same half by him so seized for our Lord the King to be delivered by the said seizor thereof to the Escheator of the country or place where the same seisin shall be, by Indenture betwixt them made duly to answer thereof in his account.  
〈…〉 of the said ●… res or chaffers made out of this Land, be taken upon the Sea without fraud and collusion, or come in this Realm of England, or the country of Wales, by way of wreck, that those be in no 〈…〉 of England or Wales, this Act or Statute notwithstanding.  
Provided also, That all wears and chaffers made and wrought in the Land of Ireland or Wales, may be brought and sold in this Realm of England, as they were wont before the making of this Statute, this Act or Statute notwithstanding,  
Also our Lord the King hath Ordained and Established, by the assent and authority aforesaid. That the Masters and Wardens for the time being of every Craft and Mystery in every City, Borough, Town and Village, where any such Craft or Mystery is used or occupied, shall have sufficient power and authority in every such City, Town, Borough and Village, where they for the time being shal be Wardens or Masters of any such Craft or Mystery, and the Mayor of such City, Borough, Town or Village for the time being, if any Mayor be, or the Bailiffs or Bailiff of any such City, Borough, Town or Village for the time being, if any Bailiffs or Bailiff there be, and no Mayor or Sergeant, or any other Officer to them assigned by the said Mayor, Bailiffs or Bailiff in every such City, Borough, Town and Village, where any such Craft or Mystery is used or occupied, where no such Masters nor Wardens of any such Craft or Mystery be, that the Masters or Wardens of the Crafts and Mysteries of the City, Town, Borough or Village next adjoining to the same, and the Constable of such City, Borough, Town or Village, shall have power and authority to search in their own Crafts and Mysteries, and in all other Crafts and Mysteries, uttering by way of sale any of the aforesaid wears, as well within Cities, Boroughs, Towns and Villages of the same realm of England, and of the country of Wales, as within the Liberties and Franchises of the same Cities, Boroughs, Towns and Villages at all times reasonable by the day, at fairs and Markets, Shops open, and Ware-houses, all such manner of wears chaffers& merchandises pertaining to every of their proper Crafts and mysteries, which shall be made by any Alien Artificer, man or woman, or any other person or persons within the same Realm of England or Wales, or which at any time shall be occupied by any of the said Crafts or mysteries, in whose hands soever they may be found.  
Provided also, that the said Masters, Wardens, and other name in the said Ordinance to be searchers, shall not enter in any place exempt by privilege, franchise or custom, to make in the same any search as is aforesaid, but by the oversight of some Officer of every such place so exempt where any such search shall happen to be made,& if the said searchers by the same search do find that such chaffers, wears or merchandises, or any part thereof be not pure, lawful and able chaffers, wears, or merchandises, and duly wrought and made as they ought to be and that sufficiently proved, that then it shall be lawful to such searchers to take and seize all such chaffers, wears and merchandises, which shall so be found not good, pure, lawful or able, nor well wrought, as a thing forfeit. The one half of the same forfeiture to be paid to the use of our Lord the King, and the other half thereof to such Masters or Wardeng, which so shall make search and find the same. And that this present Ordinance or Statute concerning the said Artificers, stand and be in his force as long as shall please our sovereign Lord the King.  
Provided always, That this Ordinance and Act, nor any other Ordinance or Act made, or to be made in this present Parliament, shall extend, or in any wise be prejudicial or hurtful to Robert Stillington Clerk, dean of the free chapel of our Lord the King, of S. Martin le grand of London, nor to his Successors of the said chapel hereafter for the time being in any maner, nor to the said Robert dean and Chapter of the same chapel, as in and for all maner privileges, Liberties, Franchises, Rights and customs, in any manner pertaining to them before this Parliament Nor to any person or persons dwelling or inhabiting, or which shall hereafter inhabit and dwell within the Sanctuary and Precinct of the same chapel, and especially within the Lane, commonly called S. Martins Lane. St. 5. El. 7.