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An Abstract of the grieuances of the poore Clerkes of his Maiesties Custome-house London, by reason of Letters Pattents lately obtained for the erecting of a new Office called the Office of Clerke of the Bils in all his Maiesties Custome-houses of England, contained likewise in briefe in a petition by them exhibited vnto this honorable Assembly: as also relating the grieuances and inconueniences that do arise thereby to many Merchants and Tradesmen of the Citie of London: as by certificates vnder the hands of neare three hundred of them (annexed to the said Petition) may appeare: viz.
THat they haue bin from their youths trained vp to become Clerkes in his Maiesties said Custome-house, there to write and keepe the bookes and Records of his Maiesties Customes and Reuenues, and to make vp and perfect the accounts thereof to the Audit of his Maiesties Exchequer; by reason whereof they are altogether vnexperienced in any other profession or course of life.
That their paines, attendants and employments therein are great, dayly and almost continuall, and yet for the same they haue (for the most part) no more but some 20. lib. some 10. lib. wages a yeare allowed them, and some haue no wages at all, but such vales for making or Searches, and other extraordinary employment with their pen, as they by their industrie could get: which vailes do chiefly arise by wri∣ting out of the Custome bookes (which they did keepe in their seuerall charges) Bils of entries, and notes of goods and merchandizes from time to time imported into, or exported out of this Realme, the which they did giue and deliuer to Merchants and Shop-keepers of all trades, whereby they might take notice where to find and prouide themselues of such wares and commodities as they did trade in. For which the Merchants & Shop-keepers did giue the said Clerks by way of gratuitie and beneuolence (and no otherwise) some 10. s. a yeare, some 13. s. 4 d. a yeare, some somewhat more or lesse: which was worth amongst all the said poore Clerkes 400. lib. per annum, or thereabouts; and this was the chiefest meanes of maintenance of the said poore Clerkes, their wiues, children and families.
That about the moneth of September 1619. Alexander Foster one of the Pages of his Maiesties Bed-chamber, and Richard Greame one of the Marquis of Buckingham his seruants (both of them hauing otherwise great meanes to liue vpon) did by euil instigation, vntrue pretences, and false suggestions, beg and obtaine from the Kings Maiestie by Letters pattents vnder the great Seale of England a grant for the erecting of the said new Office for certaine yeares in his Maiesties said Custome-house, for the deliuering foorth of the said Bils: and that none should doe the same but onely they, their Officers and Substitutes.
Hence therefore ariseth the grieuances of the said poore Clerkes: which grieuances, together with the dammage to the Merchants and Shop-keepers, do consist in these particulars following.
1. That the said poore Clerkes meanes to liue vpon (being many, and such as do take great paines in their places to doe his Maiestie seruice) is vnduly begged from them, and conferred vpon two persons that did neuer do his Maiestie any seruice in the Custome-house.
2. That when the said poore Clerkes did by petition become humble suppliants vnto the Kings Maiestie for reliefe herein, and that stay might be made of the putting in execution of the said Office, vntill the Lords Commissioners of the Treasurie should certifie his Ma∣iestie their opinions therein, which his Maiestie was pleased graciously to grant. Then Sir Raphe Freeman one of the Masters of Requests (who sithence hath either bought or doth farme the same Office) did cause your suppliants petition and reference thereupon to be ob∣scured, and some of the said poore Clerkes were by Sir Robert Nanton cast into prison in the Gate-house at Westminister, and there kept vntill they had found sureties to be come bound for them, that they should neuer violate or impeach the said Pattent, by giuing of notes or otherwise, although the same were to their vtter vndoing; or to the like effect.
3. That by the proceedings aforesaid the Office was established to the said Pattentees, and they do farme out the same for two hundred pounds a yeare, or else haue sold the same to such as do farme it out, and the said poore Clerkes quite debarred from giuing forth of bils, and so their chiefest meanes to liue vpon taken from them, and yet neuerthelesse they do performe the same seruice and attendance as they did before.
4. That some of the said Clerkes, which before the grant of the said Pattent did liue well, are not now able to maintaine their fami∣lies, but are like to be chargeable to the Parish where they inhabite, as by certificate of the Parishioners of Saint Mary Hils Parish may ap∣peare. It doth also tend to the generall vndoing of all the rest of the Clerkes, for that they being herein trained vp from their youths, as a∣foresaid, shall be inforced for want of maintenance to giue ouer their places, although they know not how to employ themselues in any o∣ther honest profession or course of life.
5. That the giuing forth of the said Bils of entries and notes, haue bin time out of mind vsed by the said Clerks and their predecessors, and euer freely permitted to them by the Officers of the said house, as a benefit peculiar to them: and not a thing wherein the Kings Ma∣iestie is any maner of way interessed, nor a fit subiect to erect an Office vpon, as may appeare to be true by a certificate vnto his Maiestie, vnder the hands of the most part of the Officers of the Custome-house.
6. That the said Pattentees are Gentlemen, and in office about his Maiestie and the Lord Marquis, and neuer any members of the Cu∣stome-house, and therefore vnfit to be Officers there.
7. That what moneys the said Merchants and Shop-keepers did yearely giue and bestow vpon the said poore Clerkes for the said bils and notes, they did receiue the same thankfully as a beneuolence. But on the contrary, the now Pattentees and their Officers doe impose a yearely rate or proportion vpon the said Merchants and Shop-keepers for the said bils; and if they will not giue them their demaunds, they will deliuer them no bils, and so do exact and require the same as a dutie and fee: and besides, for want of skill, they do so vnseasona∣bly deliuer the said bils to them, that they do stand them but in little stead, to the great dammage and grieuance of the Merchant and Shop-keeper, as by their certificates aforesaid may also appeare.
8. That the premisses considered, it is not his Maiesties gracious will and pleasure to vndo many his good subiects and seruants for the benefit of few, or that wrong may be done to any, to the pleasuring of particulars, as in this example there is a president of both kinds.
9. That the said Pattent is a great hinderance in the well performing of his Maiesties seruice in the Custome-house, both in the keeping of his bookes and otherwise: for when the said Clerkes your suppliants are entring downe the bils of entries of merchandizes into the said bookes, and perfecting the same for his Maiesties good, euen then the said Pattentees substitutes doe demaund and will haue the said bookes and bils to take out and recollect their bils for their gaine and profit.
10. That the said Pattent and Office thereupon erected, is in the nature of a Monopoly, and Monopolies for the most part are obnoxi∣ous and ominous to the Commons and Commonwealth.
Lastly, in the behalfe of the said Pattent and Pattentees, there can no iust nor good defence be made, or matter of worth be alledged. Wherefore and in tender consideration of the aforesaid premisses, we the aforesaid poore Clerkes your humble suppliants, do humbly be∣seech you to be a meanes that our petition and certificates being by the Subcommittee for grieuances committed into the Bag in the house, may be called to be read, and that a day may be appointed for the hearing of the cause, and the bringing in of the said Letters Pattents, as in many like cases of grieuances precedent: and we shall daily pray for you in particular, and for the whole bodie of this Assembly.