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<DATE>2008-04-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080311.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B06407">
<STC T="W">U99D</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">52529049</BIBNO>
<VID>179178</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 10 -->
<HEAD>UNTO HIS GRACE. HIS MAJESTY'S HIGH COMMISSIONER And the Right Honourable, The ESTATES of PARLIAMENT. <HI>The OWNERS and MASTERS of the SHIPS belonging in the Town of</HI> BORROWSTOUNNESS, GRANGE-PANNS, <HI>and</HI> QUEENSFERRIE.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Sheweth,</HI></P>
<P>THAT whereas in the Year 1695, there was an unprinted Act pa&s;t, im|po&s;ing Four Shilling <HI>Scots</HI> yearly upon the Tunn of all Ships belonging to this Kingdom, and Sixteen Shilling <HI>Scots</HI> upon the Tun of Forraign Ships, coming within the Rivers and Harbours belonging to this Nation; and that in order to the defraying of of Mr. <HI>Adair</HI>'s Charges in making up of Maps of the Coa&s;ts, and Mr. <HI>Slezer</HI>'s Charges for making Maps and Pro&s;pects of the Ca&s;tles and Forts within this Kingdom; which Four Shilling of Tunnage has been &s;trictly exacted off us, for all Years preceeding <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> la&s;t. As to which we humbly Repre&s;ent, That the exacting of the &s;aid Tunnage is a very heavy Bur|den upon us, and if continued, will ab&s;olutely de&s;troy our Trade and Shipping: And whatever is in u&s;e to be exacted from Forraign Ships, yet it is the Practice of all Nations to free their own Ships of &s;uch Tunnage, for encouraging of their Shipping. And therefore it is, that albeit in <HI>France</HI> they exact <HI>50 Souce per</HI> Tun; in <HI>Denmark</HI> a Rix Dollar and &s;ix Stivers, in <HI>Holland</HI> fifteen Stivers <HI>per</HI> La&s;te of all Forraign Ships, and &s;o in many other Places; yet they exact no|thing upon the account of Tunnage of their own Ships. And our Lo&s;s and Pre|judice by the &s;aid Tunnage is &s;o much the greater, that our Ships being pretty large, our principal Trade being to carry Coals, and &s;uch other bulki&s;h Commo|dities Abroad; a good part of our Profit is exhau&s;ted by the &s;aid Tunnage, and Tunnage and La&s;t-money which is exacted from us Abroad, which is very con&s;i|derable. And we having had great Lo&s;s of our Shipping the time of the War, and rather than made any Gain, have brought a Debt upon our Ships: And now in the time of Peace when we may expect to have &s;ome Trade, if the &s;aid Tunnage be not taken off, we will be nece&s;&s;itate to lay up our Ships, or other ways di&s;po&s;e of them. And &s;eing there nothing tends more to the Thriving and Promoting of Trade in a Nation, than the encouraging of Shipping, without which Forraign Trade, which is that, That principally enriches a Kingdom, cannot be carried on.</P>
<P><HI>It is therefore humbly craved, That his Grace His Maje&s;ty's High Commi&s;&s;ioner, and the Right Honourable the E&s;tates of Parliament, may take the Premi&s;&s;es to their Con&s;ideration, and altogether to Di&s;charge the fore&s;aid Impo&s;ition of</HI> 4 &s;h <HI>upon the Tun of</HI> Scots <HI>Ships &s;ince</HI> Augu&s;t <HI>la&s;t, and in time-comming, and to lay the &s;amen wholy upon Forraign Ships, for who&s;e u&s;e principally the Maps of the Coa&s;ts are De&s;igned to be made for their Trade and Security; the</HI> Scots <HI>Ma&s;ters and Mariners being &s;ufficiently acquainted with their own Coa&s;t, and having Maps thereof whereby they have directed their Cour&s;es of a longtime, and as yet have none other: So that the &s;aids Maps can be of litle or no u&s;e or benefit to them; and it &s;eems Rea&s;onable, that &s;eing Forraigners, who are not acquaint with our Coa&s;t, does principally reap the Benefit of the&s;e Maps, whereof the Expences were to be de|frayed by that Impo&s;ition, that they &s;hould only bear the Burden, and they cannot complain that it is too high, &s;eing it is a third part le&s;s than the</HI> Scots <HI>Ships pays in any place abroad.</HI> And Your Petitioners &s;hall ever pray.</P>
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