<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-04-07</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140219.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B18691">
<STC T="W">C1124B</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99832073</BIBNO>
<VID>198897</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE CASE OF <HI>The Owners of Ships concerned in the Coal-Trade.</HI></HEAD>
<HEAD>Humbly offered to the Con&s;ideration of the Honourable the Commons in Parliament A&s;&s;embled.</HEAD>
<P>THE Coal-trade imploys at lea&s;t 1200 Sail of Ships on the We&s;t and Ea&s;t part of the Kingdom of <HI>England,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1200 Sail of Ships imployed, and navi|gated with 15000 Men.</NOTE> and to Navigate them about 15000 Men, all which are now liable to be Impre&s;&s;ed; but if Protected, whether &s;hall the Admiralty go for Men, &s;eeing the Home-trade with our oppo&s;ite Neighbours is gone, and our Ships at <HI>Virginia</HI> and the <HI>West-Indies</HI> cann't be reach'd? Mu&s;t the Navy Royal lie &s;till, or hazard a Battle at Sea half Mann'd, as its &s;aid the <HI>Dartmouth</HI> did, and was, in an Ingage|ment with one or two Privateers, taken, and now at St. <HI>Malo's?</HI></P>
<P>The va&s;t Trade we u&s;e to have with the Northern Crowns being lo&s;t, as to the Engli&s;h Shipping, the Coal-trade is the greate&s;t Nur&s;ery for Seamen; and as it Imploys 15000 at Sea, &s;o above Ground and under it, imploys near a Hundred Thou&s;and of Labour|ing Men, be&s;ides a va&s;t number of Cattle, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> in getting the Coals.</P>
<P N="1">1.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> Hundred Thou&s;and of Labour|ing Men imployed a|about <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> Saylor.</NOTE> To the Surface of the Earth. 2. From thence to the &s;undry Places at the Water-&s;ide. 3. From thence to the Ships-&s;ide, and after at <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> Port of Delivery to the Shore again, and thence to the &s;undry Habitations where con&s;umed: All which Employments, both by Sea and Land, are exceeding advantagious to the Poor, as well as to Navigation.</P>
<P>And this was &s;o far taken notice of, that in the latter part of the Reign of King <HI>Charles</HI> II. and the beginning of the Reign of the late King <HI>James,</HI> when a long Duty but of 3 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldon, levied for the building of Churches, Gates, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> of the City of <HI>London,</HI> was expired, and the City de&s;ired the &s;aid 3 <HI>s.</HI> might be continued, <HI>viz.</HI> 18 <HI> d. per</HI> Chaldron for fini&s;hing S. <HI>Pauls,</HI> and 18 <HI> d. per</HI> Chaldron for paying the Orphans.</P>
<P>The Parliament, then &s;itting, before they would grant the City their Reque&s;t therein, appointed a Committee to inquire into the State of the Coal-trade, as it was at the expiration of paying the 3 <HI>s.</HI> and at the beginning thereof; and, on Enquiry, it appear'd as follows.</P>
<P>That before the Duty of 3 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron was layed on,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P>Whi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">e 3 s. <HI>per</HI> Chal|dron was paid, all the Trade of Ship|ping built in <HI>England</HI> was lo&s;t.</P>
<P>No prevailing with the Parliament to great any more than 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>d.</HI> in lieu of 3 <HI>s.</HI> </P>
<P>An Act made to re|cover the Building Trade back from <HI>Holland,</HI> &amp;c.</P></NOTE> abundance of brave &s;tout Engli&s;h Ships were con&s;tantly built for carring on the Coal-trade; and &s;o our own Carpenters, Sail-makers, Rope-makers, and all manner of Artificers were employed: But before the &s;aid Duty of 3 <HI>s. per</HI> Chaldron was at an end, almo&s;t all Building in <HI>England</HI> cea&s;ed, and what Ships were mployed were brought from <HI>Holland, Sweden,</HI> &amp;c. whereby the &s;undry Seaports in <HI>England</HI> were very much impoveri&s;hed; no Building for Artificers, no Planck nor Timber bought of the Coun|try Gentlemen, and all becau&s;e the Owners had no Profit by rea&s;on of the 3 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron; but as fa&s;t as our Engli&s;h Ships decayed, a few old <HI>Holland</HI> built Ships and Scootes were brought in the room thereof. And from the Re&s;ult of the &s;aid Inquiry, the Parliament would by no means be prevailed on to grant any more than 18 <HI>d.</HI> for fini&s;hing St. <HI>Pauls;</HI> and in liew thereof gave an Incouraging Act to recover again the lo&s;t Trade of Building, by an Act, Intituled, <HI>An Act to Incourage Building of Ships in</HI> England: To which Act the Reader is referred.</P>
<P>And, whereas, there's a multitude of Rea&s;ons to be given, why 5 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron on Coals will be a very unequal Tax on the Con&s;umers as well as de&s;tructive to Navigation; yet none can be more plain than what is above&s;aid, <HI>viz.</HI> That in the year, 1687. or thereabouts, the Parlia|ment had the full Matter under their Con&s;ideration, and found that 3 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron had been very de&s;tructive, and would not be prevailed on to lay any more than 18 <HI> d. per</HI> Chaldron; and that neither, if it had not been to fini&s;h St. <HI>Pauls.</HI></P>
<P>The Members of Parliament &s;erving for <HI>Ip&s;wich,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">r <HI>John Barker,</HI> S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">r <HI>Charles Bloye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">r <HI>Henry John&s;ou</HI> and Mr. <HI>Fuller.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Alborough</HI> and <HI>Yarmouth,</HI> have perfect knowledge of this Matter, and can &s;atisfy the Hou&s;e how great an Advantage that Act was to <HI>England</HI> that pa&s;&s;ed in the late King <HI>James</HI>'s time, and how many brave Ships were &s;oon built in <HI>Eng|land;</HI> which Trade continued until the Tunnage Act was pa&s;&s;ed; and that &s;ince the &s;aid Tunnage Act, not &s;o much as one new Ship, as a Col|lyer, hath been contracted for. And if 6 <HI> d. per</HI> Tun, by the Tunnage Act, hath &s;o far di&s;couraged Trade, as that one Ship has not been con|tracted for la&s;t Year, where one hundred u&s;ed to be in one Year before: What then will be the effect of ten times the Tax, which 5 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron really is?</P>
<P>But le&s;t the Parliament &s;hould be under &s;ome Mi&s;apprehen&s;ions,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Projector can|not make it out that 5 <HI>s</HI> may be paid, and the Poor be &s;erv'd as cheap as before.</NOTE> and think that what the Owners of the Ships &s;ay again&s;t the 5 <HI> s. per</HI> Chal|dron is not Truth, and that what the Propo&s;ers &s;ay on their Part is true, <HI>viz.</HI> That though there be a Duty of 5 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron levied, yet the Poor &s;hall have their Coals as cheap as in times of Peace. On the Back hereof is an Account of the prime Co&s;t of the Coals, with the pre&s;ent Taxes that are thereon; which demon&s;trates, how the Poor were &s;erved for 10 years, in Times of Peace, at 18 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron, little more or le&s;s; and that now if all the Owners of the Coal-Shipping would give the U&s;e of their Ships for nothing, they can never &s;ell their Coals under 23 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron: For in this calculation there's nothing accounted for the Adventure, nor Wear and Tare of the Ship, but every Article that is mention'd in the &s;aid calculation is paid out of Pocket.</P>
<P>But &s;ome may object,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Goals in Time of Peace &s;old at 18 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron, when 3 <HI>s.</HI> tax'd, becau&s;e then cheaper at <HI>Newca&s;tle.</HI></NOTE> That Coals was &s;old at 18 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron when the Duty of 3 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron was upon them, which now is but half &s;o much. To which it is an&s;wered, That at that Time Coals was bought cheaper at <HI>Newca&s;tle,</HI> and the Owners got by many Voyages no Profit. But that this is the neare&s;t and true&s;t Calculation that can be made of the prime Co&s;t and Taxes that are on the Coals, without any thing allow'd to the Owners for the Adventure, and Wear and Tare of their Ships.</P>
<P>It was never heard of in any King or Queen's Reign of <HI>England,</HI> &s;ince the days of Queen <HI>Elizabeth,</HI> that there was any Duty laid on Coals, Coa&s;twi&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI> d. per</HI> Chaldron for the Projectors Pocket, was more de&s;ign'd than the good of the Nation,</NOTE> until after the Fire of <HI>London;</HI> and then <HI>London</HI> was only Taxed to build the Churches, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but all the Out-Ports were left Free. And though there have been many Projectors, not out of any good De&s;ign to the Nation, but purely to get 2 <HI> d. per</HI> Chaldron for their own Manage|ment, that have been before King <HI>Charles</HI> and King <HI>James,</HI> and with this pre&s;ent King in Council, de&s;iring that they might manage the Coal-Trade, to make it more ea&s;ie: But all their Pretences appeared to be nothing of Reality, and always &s;ound to be impo&s;&s;ible to &s;upply the Sea-Ports with Coals cheaper than they have been &s;upplied from year to year. Though there be a pre&s;ent Ri&s;e upon Coals, it's &s;uch an Accident as happen'd but once before &s;ince the King came to the Crown,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Fleet arriving from <HI>Newca&s;ile</HI> will bring down the Price as it was la&s;t Year.</NOTE> <HI>viz.</HI> by a Long, Fro&s;ty and Turbulent Winter, in which the Ships could not venture to Sea, and contrary Winds at the Spring of the Year. But that on the Arrival of the Fleet, now laden at <HI>Newca&s;tle,</HI> Coals will fall down again to the current Price that they were at the la&s;t Year, <HI>viz.</HI> between 22 and 24 <HI>per</HI> Chaldron, if this pre&s;ent Duty of 5 <HI>s.</HI> does not come upon them.</P>
<P>To &s;ay no more, There were many humble Repre&s;entations and Petitions again&s;t the Tunnage Act, and there are now many again&s;t this, which is much wor&s;e in its Nature then the &s;aid Tunnage Duty ever was, or will be. Fir&s;t, in re&s;pect to the prevention of the Building Trade, and &s;o the Country Gentlemen will find in the Price of their Plank and Timber. Secondly, in the Injury to Navigation, by cutting off the Fourth part at lea&s;t of the Breed of Seamen. Thirdly, in the Ruin of almo&s;t all the Artifices that depend on compleating of Ships for Sea, rela|ing to the Coal-Trade: And la&s;t of all, a much heavier Burden on the Poor than ever the Hearth Money was. From which Con&s;iderations i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> hoped that &s;ome more ea&s;ie way will, in the great Wi&s;dom of this Honourable Hou&s;e be found out, then laying 5 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron on Coals.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="table">
<PB REF="2">
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL ROLE="label">&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL ROLE="label"> l. </CELL>
<CELL ROLE="label"> s. </CELL>
<CELL ROLE="label"> d. </CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>PRime Co&s;t of Coals at <HI>Newca&s;tle,</HI> 10 <HI>s.</HI> 6 <HI> d. per</HI> Chaldron, reduc'd to <HI>London Mea&s;ure</HI></CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>06</CELL>
<CELL>03</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Duke of <HI>Richmond</HI> and Earl of <HI>Monmouth,</HI> at <HI>Newca&s;tle</HI> 1 <HI>s.</HI> reduced to <HI>London</HI> Mea&s;ure,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>07</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Town Duties,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>05</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Light-Mony,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>03</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Balla&s;t at <HI>Newca&s;tle</HI> and <HI>London,</HI></CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>06</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Kecledge,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>01</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>S. <HI>Paul</HI>'s,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>01</CELL>
<CELL>06</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Meetage,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>04</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Orphans,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>04</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Tunnage Duty 6 <HI>d.</HI> as was intended by Act of Parliament, but by rea&s;on of over-Mea&s;ure,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
<CELL>08</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Labourers,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>01</CELL>
<CELL>06</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Seamen's Wages and Victuals, at the lowe&s;t Rates, in Times of Peace, 4 <HI>s.</HI> or now, with &s;ufficient Convoys, and their Men being kept clear from the Pre&s;s,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>05</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The intended Duty,</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>05</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
<CELL>1</CELL>
<CELL>03</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>To this may be added, the Freight of the Coals, <HI>viz.</HI> for the Adventure of the Ship, and the Wear and Tare of the &s;ame, 4 <HI> s. per</HI> Chaldron; which is but 3 <HI>per Cent.</HI> for the Voyage and Home (no Man will In&s;ure them un|der 4 or 5 <HI>per Cent.</HI> in Times of Peace) for the Ships that bring 300 Chaldron of Coals apiece, may, one with another be valued in the Bulk of Coals, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> at 2000 <HI>l.</HI> a Ship, many of them being worth 3000 <HI>l.</HI> a piece.</CELL>
<CELL>0</CELL>
<CELL>04</CELL>
<CELL>00</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>So that if the Owners have 3 <HI>per Cent.</HI> for their Adven|ture, Coals mu&s;t be at</CELL>
<CELL COLS="3">27 <HI>per</HI> Chald.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>And if the Owners nave nothing they mu&s;t be at</CELL>
<CELL COLS="3">23 <HI>per</HI> Chald.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>So the Poor mu&s;t pay in time of Peace or War 5 <HI>s.</HI> purely put of Pocket more than if it be not laid; for Coals were &s;old con&s;tantly for 18 <HI>s.</HI> in time of Peace; and the la&s;t year, in time of War, at 22 <HI>s.</HI> at both which Prices the Owners had not a Farthing for their Adventure.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="half title">
<PB REF="2">
<P>The CASE of the Owners of Ships, con|cerned in the Coal-Trade.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
