The Fair Traders Objections, Against the BILL, entitled, A Bill for preventing Clandestine Trading, as it relates to the Plantations of Virginia and Maryland.  
First Clause Enacts, THat all Ships, under just suspicion of an Irregular Trade, by hovering and remaining unnecessarily near the shore, should be subject to a Search, and the Master obliged to declare his Consignment, or in default subjects the Ship and Goods to a Forfeiture. THe Declaration, in this Article, subjects the Owners and Merchants to Ruin, for the Transgressions of Masters and sailors; whereas it is unreasonable, that Ships and Goods should be liable to a Penalty, but only such Master, mariners, and other Persons, concerned in Landing such Goods. 3d, 4th and 5th Clauses Enact, That all Persons shall make Oath, That he believes all the Goods that he Enters are of the growth of that Country, and that they are his proper Goods, or some other English Person, or natuturalized, otherwise amongst other Penalties, subjects him to pay Aliens Duties. This Clause ought not to extend to our Plantations, which daily traffic one with another; and all the Persons, Inhabitants of the Plantations, ought to be deemed the Subjects of the King of England, and not Aliens; there being many Traders there of our Neighbouring Nations, Inhabitants for Forty or Fifty Years. 6th Clause Enacts, That all Foreign Goods, cast or brought on shore, shall be delivered into the Possession of the Officers of the Customs, and detained by them, till the Payments of the Subsidy, and other Duties. All such Goods, casually cast on shore( the Merchants first giving Security, as the Law directs) ought to be delivered immediately to the Merchants( several Goods being liable to a sudden Perishing) that they may be enabled to make the best of their Loss. 9th Clause Enacts, That no Post-Entry shall be practised on any Goods, paying Custom by Tale or Measure, but only in Case where it may sometimes be necessary, on such Goods as pay Custom by Weight; and that that Parcel of Goods not to be delivered, without a deposit in the Warehouse for so much as he appears to be short entered, and no more suffered to be landed without a new Entry. It is impossible in Plantation Goods( especially Tobacco, considering the uncertainties of Weight and Damage) for the Merchants to make such an Entry, without making Post-Entries, which the Law allows; and this Clause seems to deprive them of, and oblige them to over-enter, and draw back by Certificate, which is an extreme Hardship and Charge, besides great Attendance, the Duty upon Tobacco being Six Pence per Pound. 12th Clause Enacts, That no Damage shall be allowed on any Tobacco, otherwise than that where the Merchants are Unwilling to pay the full Duty of any Tobacco, so much thereof being separated, shall be publicly Burnt as not wholesome; for use the King allowing— per Pound for fraught, provided there arises from the Old Subsidy, only upon Tobacco, out of the same Ship, to pay this fraught; and the Officers of the Customs are not to resort elsewhere for this payment. The Conditions of this Clause are altogether Impracticable, there being several sorts of Damages, which are impossible to be separated, without destroying the whole. And is also against the Eleventh Article of the Book of Rates, which this Clause seems to strike at, 32d Clause Enacts, That all Bonds being discharged, by regular Certificates of the Condition performed, shall be canceled; and that the Certificates shall remain annexed to the Bond, to justify the Officer in canceling the same. All Bonds duly Certified ought to be delivered up, the Certificate being a sufficient discharge for the Officer.   

Fair Traders REASONS against the Bill for preventing Clandestine TRADE.