REASONS
MOST
HVMBLY
OFFERED
TO
THE
HONOVRABLE
House
of
Commons
in
Parliament
,
by
Sr
Robert
Sharpeigh
Knight
and
Alexander
Haitley
Esquire
,
Patentees
for
Survey
of
Sea-coales
at
Newcastle
,
&c.
by
nomination
of
the
late
Duke
of
Richmond
and
Lenox
,
proving
the
Grant
and
Patent
thereof
to
be
necessary
and
profitable
to
the
Common-wealth
,
the
Fee
to
be
but
competent
and
proportionable
to
the
charge
,
and
no
imposition
but
a
meere
wages
,
or
quid
pro
quo
,
voluntarily
,
offered
to
be
payd
for
the
service
.
VPon
petition
to
his
Majesty
of
great
abuses
and
deceipts
practised
in
corrupt
mingling
,
Newcastle
,
Sunderland
,
and
Blithe
,
his
Majestie
referred
the
same
to
the
examination
of
his
then
learned
Councell
.
They
certified
the
abuses
and
deceipts
to
be
verified
by
the
Coale-Merchants
,
Woodmongers
,
and
Chandlors
of
London
,
who
desired
reformation
thereof
by
way
of
Survey
,
and
freely
consented
to
pay
the
Surveyors
for
such
reformation
,
4
pence
the
great
Chaldron
Newcastle
measure
,
being
about
2
pence
London
measure
.
Andrew
Boyd
Knight
.
Where
accordingly
an
Information
was
exhibited
against
the
Oastmen
and
some
Shippers
,
and
there
(
upon
hearing
of
the
cause
)
it
appeared
by
oath
of
above
twenty
witnesses
,
that
the
Oastmen
of
Newcastle
(
being
the
Coale-merchants
there
)
did
mingle
one
third
part
of
low
prized
Coales
,
of
4
shillings
6
pence
,
and
5
shillings
the
Chaldron
,
with
two
third
parts
of
their
good
Coales
of
10
shillings
6
pence
,
and
11
shillings
the
Chaldron
,
and
sold
them
so
mingled
for
the
best
Coales
,
and
at
the
best
price
:
For
which
fraud
and
abuse
the
Oastmen
were
(
by
the
decree
of
that
Court
,
made
6
Maij
,
16
Iacobi
)
censured
,
fined
,
and
imprisoned
,
and
their
abuses
ordered
to
be
published
by
reading
of
the
same
Decree
two
seuerall
market
dayes
at
Newcastle
,
and
the
Shippers
then
also
defendants
were
admonished
not
to
use
such
fraud
thereafter
.
XXV
Marcij
,
21
Iacobi
,
the
Shipmasters
then
being
in
the
Port
of
Newcastle
,
by
their
Letters
complained
to
their
Owners
of
London
,
Alborough
,
Harwich
,
Ipswich
,
Woodbridge
,
Colchester
,
and
other
Townes
,
and
their
owners
to
the
Lords
of
the
Councell
,
That
the
said
Oastmen
,
their
agents
and
servants
,
did
then
debarre
them
of
a
free
market
,
and
of
their
accustomed
over-measure
,
and
did
and
would
inforce
them
to
lade
one
third
part
of
unsaleable
Coales
,
not
fitting
their
Markets
.
Whereupon
their
Lordships
wrote
their
Honourable
Letters
to
Newcastle
,
15
April
following
,
commanding
the
Market
there
to
be
opened
,
and
that
some
should
be
sent
vp
to
attend
the
Honourable
Board
,
and
to
answer
the
Complaint
.
Besides
the
prevention
of
the
foresaid
losses
by
mixture
,
to
King
and
subject
,
it
is
by
experience
found
and
certified
,
that
by
the
paines
and
care
of
the
Surveyors
in
looking
to
the
workes
and
workmen
,
slate
,
stone
,
mettall
,
and
unfuellable
stuffe
,
is
and
may
be
separated
and
wealed
out
of
the
Coales
,
which
formerly
have
passed
unseparated
,
and
beene
sold
in
and
with
the
Coales
for
ten
or
twelue
thousand
pounds
per
annum
,
though
worth
nothing
of
themselves
:
for
since
the
Surveyors
appointed
by
the
Lords
,
1
Augusti
,
20
Iacobi
,
above
8000
Chaldrons
of
slate-stone
and
unsaleable
stuffe
per
annum
more
then
formerly
have
beene
wealed
out
of
Coales
by
their
care
and
authority
given
them
,
being
but
a
few
men
.
And
also
since
the
Patentee
hath
placed
and
imployed
a
competent
number
of
officers
for
that
service
,
like
unfuellable
stuffe
hath
beene
wealed
out
of
the
coales
there
,
to
at
least
a
double
proportion
of
what
the
Surveyors
appointed
by
the
Board
had
formerly
caused
to
be
cast
out
as
aforesaid
.
The
money
spent
in
the
discovery
of
the
abuses
,
suits
of
Law
,
touching
the
same
against
the
Oastmen
,
who
all
this
time
opposed
by
practices
the
reformation
justly
desired
,
and
maintaining
men
in
that
service
of
Survey
for
a
long
time
by
direction
of
the
Lords
of
the
Privy
Councel
,
upon
their
Lordships
order
that
recompence
should
be
given
,
hath
cost
5000
pounds
at
least
,
which
how
the
benefit
of
the
whole
fee
above
the
charge
of
the
officers
imployed
will
satisfie
,
and
with
what
remainder
for
the
Kings
intended
bounty
to
the
Grantee
,
is
humbly
left
to
consideration
.
No
benefit
having
beene
made
,
nor
fee
received
by
the
prosecutors
or
officers
imployed
for
the
service
and
expences
aforesaid
,
since
the
beginning
of
this
sure
,
which
was
above
eight
yeares
sithence
,
save
onely
7
shillings
.
The
Lords
of
the
Councell
upon
many
petitions
,
propositions
,
and
offers
,
made
under
the
hands
of
severall
Companies
in
London
,
and
other
Coast
townes
traders
in
Coales
,
and
many
hearings
of
all
parties
,
and
divers
reports
upon
references
to
Honourable
Committees
of
the
same
Board
,
finding
the
greatnesse
of
the
abuses
and
necessity
of
reformation
,
and
the
complainants
in
this
case
offering
to
lay
the
charge
of
the
officers
fee
upon
themselves
and
such
like
buyers
,
without
charging
the
subject
in
generall
;
as
also
in
the
behalfe
of
the
towne
of
Newcastle
,
Master
Warmouth
their
Solicitor
,
willingly
consenting
to
any
course
for
reformation
of
the
said
abuses
,
did
by
order
of
that
Honourable
Board
confirme
the
said
former
course
of
Surveyors
as
most
fitting
:
adding
thereunto
a
caution
for
restraint
of
mingling
good
and
base
coales
after
they
came
from
Newcastle
,
which
the
Surveyors
by
officers
and
wayters
to
be
kept
and
attendant
at
London
,
also
will
see
there
performed
.
And
likewise
that
the
Surveyors
shall
make
good
the
Merchants
dammages
for
Coales
mis-certified
:
And
that
for
want
of
due
execution
or
abuses
of
survey
the
Office
should
be
voyd
.
All
the
particulars
herein
,
and
inferences
thereupon
,
shall
appeare
by
proofes
,
and
cleare
demonstrations
out
of
the
same
.