But it is too well known, how remiss and careless the Officers are, and neglectful of their duties in many of the out-Ports especially, that it is a thing very usual with Smugglers to get blank Certificates, with the Seal of the Customehouse, to take up their Bonds that are given for the true delivery of their goods at some other Port in England; and moreover there is a great cheat in the shifting Masters of such Vessels, as take in such goods, they will oftentimes exchange the Master, before he goes out of the Liberty of the Port, where the goods were Shipped; and yet if all these things fail, and their coast Bonds come to be forfeited and put into Suit, it is not to be exprest, the delayes, shifts and deceitful tricks that are practised by some undersheriffs and their Deputies, in their returns, and in the Execution of the Law, which ought to be done both with speed and justice, but both these are by such persons omitted, and these kind of doings do highly incourage these offenders, in their sinful practices.
Farming the King’s Customes.
Injury to the Kingdome.
Springs to fill us with Forreign goods.
I have also observed that the Farming the King’s Customes hath been an occasion of great prejudice to the trade of the Kingdome, and the publique good; for when the weal and good of the whole Nation, comes in competition with the present profit of the Farmers, they are apt to resolve the question for their own advantage, permitting Prohibited goods to be Landed, so long as the due Customes, for them come into their Coffers, and the under-Officers, knowing what the Farmers their Masters do, are very apt to learn the trade, to let pass our goods out of the Land that are also prohibited: and those Smuggling Merchants that deal in such kind of wares, can easily find out the blind side of such Officers, & that will be bribed, to wink at such their deceitful practises, such an unfaithful Officer shall be highly commended among these theevish Merchants for a brave fellow, one that knows his business, and for a very civil person, that will do a Merchant a kindness upon occasion. Thus evil is called good, and good is stiled evil, as I said before; those Officers that are faithful to King and Countrey, are called Knaves, Troublesome fellowes, evil Neighbours, &c. these the honest good men, &c. Good Lord! what a pass are we come to in this Nation? people account it no sin to steal from the King, and now a daies those that practice such things have changed the terme, it is not (by them) called stealing Custome, but saving custome; for my part I am of the opinion, that he that steals Custome from the King to the value of twenty shillings, deserves to be punished as well as he that steals so much from any other man. For as I heard a Scholler once a reasoning, either it is this or that, &c. so I say here, either Custome is the Kings due, or it is not, but no man dares be so impudent as in words to deny it, but they must needs acknowledge it a truth, that it is his due, and if so, why then do they not give to Cæsar the things that are his, according to the Commandement of our Saviour, and the Commandement of the King, and Parliament, it being established by Law, and constituted for the publique good, and the general advancement of the Trade of the Nation, and such Officers as will not comply with these sort of people to cheat the King, are called Fooles, men that do not know their business, but if another had that Office, he would make something of it, &c. but such men minding the faithful and conscionable discharge of their duty to God, to the King and Kingdome; with the blessing of God live better, and do a thousand times more good than others, and may be principal Instruments to make the Kingdome happy and flourishing.
Pattent against Transporting Wooll
do more harm than good.
I have had discourse with some persons who have had the thoughts of getting a Pattent, to put the Laws into Execution, that are against the Transportation of Wooll, and other prohibited commodities; but I can hardly think they would be careful and diligent in that imployment, except they should reap a considerable profit for their labour, how should they expect to ballance their expence. I refer to the censure of the judicious, except it be by conniving at, (or compounding with) the Offenders; so that by such a design as this, the transgressors may be encouraged to sin more, and more; for if such Patentees should too much discourage that sort of people, that carry off the Wooll, &c. to other Nations, (who are the only men that must bring grists to their Mill) it would be as ridiculous a thing, as for Lawyers to perswade people to peace, and by that means lose their Practice; and it is generally beleived, that there would be more Prohibited goods transported then, than what have been before, if the care for the putting the Lawes into Execution, were once committed to Pattentees, for as in other cases of the same nature, the love of Money is so natural, and money so much hunted after, that it may be acquired, that the minding of putting the Lawes into Execution, and men doing faithfully and uprightly their duty, is not a thing now a dayes at all regarded, or taken into consideration as it ought to be.
But I hope that his Majesty with all the Peers of the Realm, and all others, are made in some good measure sensible of the great concernement of Trade, and the sad effects and consequents of exporting our Wooll, Fullers earth, &c. as also of the idleness of our poor people, occasioned by the loss of forreign Markets, for our woollen Manufactures; that I think it is high time for all Loyal Subjects, to give their utmost assistance to discover all Offenders, and make them manifest in their kind, and for all Superiors to give their just assistance that the Lawes may be put into a speedy and severe execution against all Delinquents as soon as made visible.
In the dayes of King Edward the third (formerly spoken of) and since, to the times of our late unhappy confusions, the Trade of Clothing made the Kingdome flourish for many years together, and doubtless would do so again, if our Lawes were but put into Execution, and every one were obliged to discover, and make manifest the Transgressors, for this is not a business for two or three men to do, let them imploy themselves with all endeavours imaginable, but the eyes of all men must be about this matter, tending to such a Reformation; and the Courts of Judicature must be expeditious and severe in the administration of Justice against such Offenders, when once convicted, and let not one of them be spared, who deserve to be punished without mercy: because for a little private advantage, they do their utmost to bring ruine on the whole kingdome: I could also declare other things that might be very assistant to the increase of Trade, and the prosperity of the Kingdome, which is not so convenient to be made publique, before it be debated among the Clothiers and Tradesmen.