REASONS Against the BILL For making the Rivers air and CALDER in the West-Riding of the County of York; Navigable.  
showing that the same will not only utterly ruin the Trade of the City, and great part of the County of York, but will likewise destroy much of the Coal Trade, from Newcastle and Sunderland; and be prejudicial to Navigation, and breeding of Seamen, and can be in no sort beneficial to the Nation in general, or Manufactures thereof; tending only to the private Advantage of the Undertakers.  
Humbly Offered to the Consideration of the Honourable House of COMMONS.  
THIS BILL being founded upon the like Popular Pretences, with that, which was lately Brought in for the making the River Dun Navigable. Several of the Reasons against that Bill, are directly Applicable in this Case: As to All, but what is now Pretended for the increase and encouragement of the Woollen Manufacture.  
As to which the only Reason or Argument Pretended, Is, That by making these Rivers Navigable, the Carriage of Cloth will be Cheaper than heretofore, by Land Carriage; and more Cloth Vended.  
In Answer to which, it is to be Considered, That the Way of Carriage from Leeds( which is the Chief place of Manufacture) to Hull, is either by the City of York, or Selby: And till of late years, the constant Carriage was by York, and at this time all the Merchants of York, bring thither by Land Carriage, all their Cloth from Leeds, which costs about Six shillings, for the value of One Hundred Pounds worth of Cloth to York, and Eighteen pence from thence to Hull. And the Undertakers under this Bill, declare that they expect at least Five shillings and Six pence for Carriage of the same Quantity of Cloth, by their New invented Water Carriage, which is only about Two shillings saved in One Hundred Pound, and that is so inconsiderable a Charge, as cannot upon that account hinder the making and Vending of more Cloth.  
But the Design of this Bill, tending to the utter Destruction of the Trade of the City of York, by making use of such New Rivers for the Carriage of other Commodities, which heretofore came to, and were Vended there: The Argument will lie in Competition of Place, whether Leeds or those Adjacent parts, whose Trade hath been founded first and advanced by the Merchants of York, and thereby Grown up to be Opulent, shall be Encouraged to take all the Trade to themselves from York( so Ancient as to be Reputed the second City of the Nation) the support of which is only by Trade and Benefit of the River Ouze, the Tide of which River( in Case of such New Rivers which come in nearer towards the Sea by Ten Miles) will be Lost, or so Lessened, that it cannot be Possible for York to have any Water-Carriage at all.  
The City of York stands as the Center of the whole County for Trade, and there is yearly sent from thence, for the City of London and beyond the Seas, above 40000 Firkins of Butter; many Thousand Quarters of Corn, and Rape Seed; and Great Quantities of led, Tallow, and other Commodities, all of the Growth and Product of that County; which cannot be otherwise transported but by the River of Ouze, so that to Prejudice the said River, will in Consequence not only Destroy the said Trade of the City, but also great part of the County will suffer in not Vending the said Commodities.  
Besides the Merchants of the City of York, vend most of their Foreign Commodities to Lancashire and Cheshire, which Enables them the more in Trade, and this will be also utterly lost to them, and gained to Leeds, by making the River air Navigable, and that but only by coming nearer to those Counties by about Twenty Miles Water Carriage, and putting the City of York in such Condition, as not to have any Water Carriage for themselves.  
And whereas it may be Pretended that the Making of those Rivers of air and Calder Navigable, would be for the encouragement of Navigation, and Breeding of Seamen— It is so far from any Colour of Reason, That there Lying so many Collieries, upon the said Rivers of air, and Calder; The making of them Navigable will enable the Undertakers, to fell those Coals so Cheap, that no Ships can Afford to bring any Coals from Newcastle, and Sunderland, to Sell within the Rivers of Humber, and Trent, where above Two Hundred Ships Lading are Sold Yearly; by which Means such Part of that Navigation and Trade, which is the Great Nursery of Seamen, will be lost.