To the Right Honourable the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled.  
The humble Proposal of Lewis Rawlins, Whether the Restraining of Retailers of Beer and Ale within the kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales from Brewing, may not only prove profitable to the Crown, but be expedient; upon due consideration of subsequent Reasons.  
1. BEcause it will supply his Majesties Exchequer in present with three hundred thousand pounds of lawful money or thereabouts; without the least trouble ●o the King, or kingdom, to which Sum the present Farmers of the Excise can make no claim.  
II. It will advance his Majesties Annual Revenue in the Excise of Beer and Ale for the future, and that considerably.  
III. It will save his majesty near 30000 per annum, which hath hitherto been disbursed out of that part of his Revenues in contracting the number of Officers which attend that duty.  
IV. It will obviate that general Fraud which is practised by these brewing Retailers, to the detriment of his majesty some thousands yearly.  
V. Hereby the common Brewer will receive encouragement from his increase of Trade.  
VI. No damage can hereby accrue to the Farmers of the Excise, for they still enjoy their contract: The consumption of Beer and Ale will not be lessened by reducing the Brewing only of such Exciseable liquours to the common Brewer, whilst the Victuallers, Inholders and the like, retail as great quantities as formerly, which in short, is but for Country Retailers to comform to the Example of the City of London.  
This Proposition may perhaps be excepted against by the Commissioners of the Excise, whose andor in the Kings business is hardly justified by the ensuing Narrative.  
The Propounder L.R. Gager in the year 1573. did exhibit as many Informations in the Excise office against W.C. a common Brewer in London, as the forfeitures thereupon amounted to above 2000 l. some of those were heard by the Commissioners, and W.C. the offender thereupon condemned in the sum of 340 l. or thereabouts.  
The Prosecutor continued soliciting the Commissiioners by Petitions, and otherwise during the space of six Moneths, to hear and determine the remaining Propositions, upon which, the said W.C.( if Justice had accordingly been done) must as inevitably have been pronounced guilty, as he was upon those which were tried.  
whilst Justice was thus delayed. W.C. makes his Address to Sir William Bucknall and other Farmers of the Excise, and with the payment of 200 l. or such like sum to them contracts to purchase his peace, and excuse his crime.  
At this Contract Robert Huntingdon and Richard Kingdon Esquirs, two of the Commissioners connive, and from that day hitherto, the prosecutor could not by any means be admitted to make good the charge against the said W.C. a practise infinitely tending to the prejudice of the Kings interest, and contrary to the Act of Parliament in that case made and provided, which gives one moiety of the Fines to the Informer, whereof the Informer L.R. hath not as yet received one penny.  
Hereupon the Prosecutor being in effect denied Justice by the Commissioners, humbly acquaints his Majesty by Petition with his grievance, who graciously referred the examination of the matter to the present Lord High Treasurer, of which so soon as the aforenamed commissioners had notice, they and the Farmers without any other cause dismissed the said L.R. out of his office of Gager, of which injury the Propounder justly complains, and preys upon the whole matter Redress, as the wisdom of Parliament shall judge meet.