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••he COAL-TRADERS and CONSUMERS CASE, humbly offered to the High Court of PARLIA∣MENT, in Relation to the ORPHANS of the CITY of LONDON.
THERE has been ever since Queen Elizabeth's Reign paid to Her Successors, or their Assigns, Twelve Pence per Chaldron at Newcastle, out of which the Citizens of London have, for the Benefit of the Poor of the said City, two hundred Pounds per Annum.
Next, at Newcastle there is paid to the Poor and Town-House, and at other Places betwixt London and Newcastle, for Lights, Buoys and Beacons, in all the Sum of Twelve Pence per Chaldron.
Next, at London is paid to the Building and Finishing S. Paul's, 1s. 6d. per Chaldron.
Next, at the same Port of London is paid 4d. per Chaldron, by way of Meetage-Money, out of which 1d. per Chaldron goes to the Coal-Meeter, that really measures the Coals; but the other 3d. per Chaldron, which amounts to (and has so done for six or seven Years past) 4000l. per Annum, little more or less, goes to sundry Gentlemen called Master-Meeters; but what Ser∣vice they do for the said 4000l. per Annum, more than paying a Clerk, and finding of Vatts to measure the Coals with; or by what Authority they receive the same, is unknown to such who pay the said Money into the Meeter's-Office.
These sundry Taxes on Coals at all Places amount to 3s. 10d. on every Chaldron, which falls very heavy on two forts of People; First, on those that relate to Navigation or the Importers of them, for they advance the Money in every Place.
Next, on the Consumers of Coals, who by reason of such Tax must pay the dearer for them; and they are the ordinary sort of Tradesmen, and those who live not in the City, but in the Out Places, and all the Counties both East and West from London, bordering on the River of Thames, are the greatest Consumers of the said Coals.
Yet notwithstanding there is so much as 3s. 10d. already paid pro Coals, the Citizens of London Pray, That a further Duty of 18d. per Chaldron may be laid on Coals to pay the Orphans Debts, (which will make in all 5s. 4d. per Chaldron) the said Citizens alledging, That it was once paid to the City before, and they felt not the Burthen of it: It would be well if the poor Inhabitants in the Out-Parts, and the great Consumers of Coals in all other Places could say the same; or that the great Towns to which the Shipping of the Coal-Trade belongs, viz. Ipswich, Albrough, Yarmouth, Scar••ough, Burlington, Whitby, Newcastle, &c. had no Reason to address themselves to the High Court of Parliament, to prevent any further Tax being laid: The Just Complaints they have to make are too many to be here inserted, for the twenty Years last past; during which Time, or thereabouts, the City of London have for their Share had, by way of Impost and Meetage, about 800000l.
However, if the High Court of Parliament shall think fit to lay a further Tax on Coals, towards paying the Orphans Debts, the Coal-Traders, and the greatest Consumers of Coals do in all Humility Pray, That a small Sum on every Chaldron be added to the 4d. per Chaldron already paid for Meetage, as is under-neato proposed; which will be far easier to be paid for ever, than 18d. per Chaldron for twenty Years; for 8d. in that nature will answer the same End, and pay 250000l. of the Debt.
The Orphans of London have owing to them 508000l. Principal Money; and such who have lent their Money about 100000l. As to the Orphans, their Money was compelled out of their Hands into the Chamber of London; so it is a Debt most highly rea∣sonable to be paid, by such equal Ways and Means as may the least burthen one sort of Poor to pay the other.
But as for the 100000l. lent by such who might have chosen whether they would have lent it or not, seems not reasonable to come under equal Consideration with the Orphans.
| So shall only cast up what the Interest of the Orphans Money comes to, for it is to be feared that so great a Sum as | 508000l. |
| cannot be raised to pay them down; and the Interest of the same, at 4l. per Cent. per annum, comes to | 20340 l. |
| lb | |
| First, towards Payment of which, the City-Lands may yearly advance | 4000 |
| Next, the adding of 8d. per Chaldron, per way of Meetage, to the 4d. already paid, will yearly raise, besides a sufficient Sum to pay all the Coal-Meeters off, that hold their Places by Lives, even to the full of what they are now worth, and to defray all Charges relating to managing the said Imploy; and also to pay every Lord Mayor full as much as ever has been yearly paid by the said Meetage. | 12000 |
| Next, the Meetage on all sort of Grain, Salt, &c. imported into London, if so small a Matter as 1d. per Quarter be added to what is already paid, and be appropriated to the Benefit of the Orphans, is hoped, will raise, towards a farther satisfying ••••e said Debt | 2000 |
| ••••xts, If the Benefit of Hackney-Coaches be also appropriated to the said Use, and if the same shall amount to the Sum of | 2340 |
| Then all the above Sums together, will amount unto the Sum of | 20340 |
which 20340l. if setled by Act of Parliament for ever, will be a sure Fund for the Orphans from Age to Age, on which the Young Orphans, during their non-age, may safely pay those off that are now in want of their Money; and so the Chamber of London may once more regain that Credit, which on good Grounds it has not had for many Years past, and yet never be in their Power to wrong Orphans any more, because a Publick Register may be kept in such Manner and Form, as the Fund can never be exceeded.
As to 4000l. on City-Lands and 12000l. on Coals, if the Parliament think fit to lay it, will be a sure Fund for 16000l. per Annum.
And as to the the 2000l. on Meetage of Corn and 2340 on Hackney Coaches, if the Parliament do not think fit to lay it, or that if laid, they may not amount to 4340l. per Annum, there are many other things, which if put together, may easily answer in the room thereof.
But seeing there is already 3s. 10d. per Chaldron, Taxes on Coals, how shall 8d. per Chaldron more be added, and not be bur∣themsome to the poor Tradesmen, &c.
I answer: If the High Court of Parliament shall think fit to take 6d. per Chaldron from the 18d. now paid to the Building and Finishing S. Pauls; and in lue thereof give a longer Time for 12d. than the present Act has allotted for 18d. And also a Power to borrow Money on the Credit thereof, S. Paul's will not at all be hindred thereby; And then put 2d. more to the Tax paid, so ta∣ken off from S. Pauls, which makes the 8d. above specified, and add them to the Meetage-Money already, and make it in all 12d. per Chaldron to the Orphans, as well as 12. per Chaldron to S. Pauls; then still S. Pauls will be built, and the Orphans paid too; and so one sort of Poor will not be burthened to pay the other, any more than 2d. per Chaldron more than what is already paid by Coals.
May not every Landlord, having the Benefit of a House within the City, and every Tenant the Benefit of a Trade within the City, pay some small matter towards the Orphans Debt, as well as so many, unconcerned with the City, should pay to it by Coals?
Such a Way has been sometimes mentioned, viz. an equal Tax on Landlord and Tenant; but the Citizens will by no means hear of that, alledging, That they had nothing to do with what the Government did twenty or forty Years past. If so, pray if they that dwell in the City, and are the Free-Men thereof, say, 'Tis unreasonable they should pay the Orphans, how much more un∣reasonable must the Citizens acknowledge it to be, for such to pay them, as never Eat or Drank for the Mony so spent? yet such must pay it, if the Parliament think fit to lay a further Tax on Coals.