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<DATE>2014-04-28</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140218.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B18718">
<STC T="W">C1169B</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99832171</BIBNO>
<VID>198912</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>The CASE of the <HI>Turkey, We&s;t-India,</HI> and other <HI>Merchants</HI> and <HI>Traders</HI> of <HI>London,</HI> in Reference to the <HI>Office of GARBLING.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THAT the Act for <HI>Garbling of Spices</HI> made 1 <HI>Jac.</HI> I. might then be convenient; but is now a <HI>&V;&s;ele&s;s, Vexatious Burthen on</HI> Trade <HI>and a Clog upon our</HI> Exportation.</P>
<P>When this Act was made <HI>Spices</HI> were Imported in their <HI>Soil,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">U&s;ele&s;s.</NOTE> but is now Imported <HI>perfectly Clean;</HI> That the <HI>Garblers</HI> Bu&s;ine&s;s for the&s;e many Years pa&s;t hath been only to &s;et his Seal on the Casks or Bales, and take his Money.</P>
<P>And for many <HI>Drugs,</HI> as <HI>Sena, Worm&s;eed,</HI> &s;weet <HI>Fennel-Seed, Ca&s;&s;ia Lignum, Pearl-Barley, Tea,</HI> &amp;c. if u&s;es his Office upon them he <HI>&s;poils</HI> them.</P>
<P>By the Penalties of the Act if the Merchant makes not u&s;e of the <HI>Garbler</HI> his Goods are Sei&s;ed and taken from him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vexatious.</NOTE> and if he do make u&s;e of him his Goods are <HI>&s;poil'd:</HI> When the Act had Enumerated &s;everal Commodities it adds <HI>and all Goods Garbleable,</HI> which it &s;eems to give him a <HI>Boundle&s;s Power,</HI> in &s;o much that the pre&s;ent Officer (taking Advantage of tho&s;e <HI>&V;nlimited Words</HI>) does now pretend to <HI>Garble</HI> Twenty Eight Other Commodities be&s;ides tho&s;e mentioned in the Act, &s;ome of which were unknown when that Act was made; and if any Merchant or Trader di&s;putes his Authority he fir&s;t Sei&s;es his Goods and then puts them into the <HI>Exchequer,</HI> where though he is frequently ca&s;t the <HI>Defendant</HI> recovers no Co&s;t the Suit being in the King's Name; That when the <HI>Garbler</HI>'s Pretences amount to 40 or 50 <HI>s.</HI> or &s;uch a &s;mall Summ the Merchant being Di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;s'd of his Goods will pay it, becau&s;e any Oppo&s;ition will certainly co&s;t him Five Times as much be&s;ides the lo&s;s of Time, Hinderance in his Affairs and the Vexation of a Law-Suit: And thus by degrees he will bring all <HI>Traders</HI> under <HI>Contribution.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">A Clog to Ex|portation.</NOTE>The <HI>Levant-Company</HI> u&s;ually Imports from <HI>Turkey</HI> 6 or 7000 &s;acks Gauls <HI>per Annum,</HI> a u&s;eful Commodity in our <HI>Manufactories,</HI> The greater part whereof are Exported (be|&s;ides &s;everal other Commodites) as <HI>Drugs</HI> and <HI>Gauls</HI> for Exportation, which have been never required to be <HI>Garbled</HI> 'till very lately; and if In&s;i&s;ted on, will occa&s;ion the Goods to be &s;ent from <HI>Turkey</HI> directly to <HI>Holland</HI> and other Markets (to avoid the Vexation and Charge of that <HI>Office</HI>) to the Prejudice of the <HI>Engli&s;h Navigation</HI> and the Lo&s;s of His Maje&s;ties <HI>Cu&s;toms.</HI></P>
<P>When this Act was made we had only a little <HI>Ginger</HI> from <HI>Portugal</HI> for our own Expence, but &s;ince that by our Plantations of <HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">rbadoes</HI> and the <HI>Leward-I&s;lands,</HI> and the Taking <HI>Jamaica</HI> which was Fifty Years after the Act was made, we do not only Import for our Com&s;umption but to Furni&s;h the <HI>Northern</HI> Markets, and to &s;end gre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> Q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">antities to the <HI>Mediteranian,</HI> in which Exportation the Merchants were ever undi&s;turb'd by the <HI>Gar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="4 letters"></HI> 'till this la&s;t Year; but now he has formed a Claim upon this Commodity having begun to <HI>Exchequer</HI> the Exporters of it which will be of evil Con&s;equence and a great Mi&s;chief to our <HI>Trade:</HI> For it is to be con&s;idered, That the Cheapne&s;s of any Commo|dity does encrea&s;e its Vent; and that if we can &s;ell cheaper than other our Competitors in the Trade, we &s;hall not only keep what Trade we have but encrea&s;e it.</P>
<P>If we were the Sole Ma&s;ters of the Commodity we might Tax and Burthen it as we plea&s;e, but the <HI>French</HI> and <HI>Dutch</HI> have their Plantations; That if we be pre&s;&s;ed either by Old or New Invented Charges, the Trade will certainly be carried from us. <HI>Ginger</HI> in Times of Peace, doth but Co&s;t in our Plantations 7 or 8 <HI>s. per C.</HI> His Maje&s;ty upon what is Exported only receives 9 <HI>d. per C.</HI> Cu&s;tom, and the <HI>Garbler</HI> demands 12 <HI>d.</HI> which if the Exporter be forced to pay will be &s;uch a Burthen upon it, that the <HI>French</HI> and <HI>Dutch</HI> in a few Years will be the Sole Venders of that Commodity.</P>
<P>The <HI>Parliament</HI> have thought fit for the Export of Provi&s;ions to make the Cu&s;tom free, and even to give a Reward of 5 <HI>s. per</HI> Quarter upon <HI>Wheat,</HI> and 2 <HI>s.</HI> 6 <HI>d.</HI> upon <HI>Barley, &amp;c.</HI> to tho&s;e that Export them: <HI>Ginger Gauls</HI> and all other Goods Exported will as certainly bring Riches to the Nation and prevent the Export of <HI>Bullion.</HI></P>
<P>This Act among&s;t many other Old Ones had remained ob&s;olete and di&s;&s;us'd were it not that the Lord Mayors do Sell this Office, Mr. <HI>Stewart</HI> owning that he gave 976 <HI>l.</HI> for it to Sir <HI>Robert Jefferies,</HI> the then Lord Mayor; and the Rent to the City is only 300 <HI>l. per Annum;</HI> whereas by the pre&s;ent Execution 5 or 6000 <HI>l. per Annum</HI> may be rai&s;ed upon the Subject from It.</P>
<P>It is pre&s;umed that this Office in its fir&s;t In&s;titution, was not intru&s;ted in the Hands of the Maje&s;tracy to rai&s;e Revenues out of It to them&s;elves; but let that be as it will, <GAP DESC="missing" EXTENT="1 span"></P>
</DIV1>
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<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="half title">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<P><HI>Other</HI> Merchants <HI>and</HI> Traders Again&s;t the OFFICE of GARBLING.</P>
</DIV1>
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