FIrst , Because the Law made in the first year of King James against the said Offence is still in force , and was made ( no doubt ) to prevent many great evils and mischiefs that might arise thereby ; and amongst others such as are herein after mentioned .

2. Because the said offence tends greatly to the deceit and abuse of the Kings Subjects in general , for that thereby much Leather insufficiently tanned hath been and may be put into , and vented in Wares made of Leather , whereby the Kings Subjects have been , are , and may be greatly deceived and injured .

1. In the price they pay for such Ware , it being not worth half so much as they give for it , because it will not do half the service as that which is good .

2. In their health , for that Boots and Shooes made of such Leather cannot but take in wet ; whereby many have and may get cold and sickness , to their great grief and loss ( yea , and to the peril of their lives ) especial to such as are of weakly constitutions .

3. The oftner Leather is bought and sold before it is made into Ware , the dearer the Kings Subjects must pay for the fame in Ware .

Secondly , This Offence tends very much to the hurt and damage of all Arrificers that work and convert Tand Leather into made Ware .

1. For that hereby Leather hath been , is , and will be ( if not prevented , ) ingrossed and regrated , so that they that work and convert it into Ware have been , are , and will be forced to buy it at ●econd and third hand ; whereas the Law provides they should buy it at the first hand of Tanners in open Fairs and Markets , after it hath been there lawfully searched and sealed .

2. By means of this Offence of selling Tanned Leather so contrary to the Law , Artificers that convert Leather into made Ware ( especially Shoomakers ) have been , and may be cheated by those they imploy in making their Ware ; for that Leather being sold ●n private places , Journy-men Shooemakers have often-times bought bad and insufficient Leather , and put into their Masters Wares instead of their Masters good Leather , selling and using their Masters good Leather to their own advantage , so cheating both their Master and his Customer that buyeth such Ware , thereby also ruining their Masters Trade , which abuse ( was not ) nor could be so frequently committed , till Leather was sold in private places so contrary to the Law .

3. By means of selling Tanned Leather in private places contrary to the Law many persons that keep no open Shops do buy bad and offal-Leather , and make Ware thereof selling the same not in any open Shop , Fair or Market , but do carry them up and down to private houses , thereby evading the penalty for bad Ware , deceiving those they sell to , and spoiling the Trade of such as sell good Ware in open Shops and Markets .

4. By means of this Offence Artificers that convert Leather into Ware ( especially Shooemokers ) have been raised much in the prices for making of their Ware , which must needs make them dearer to the Buyers .

Thirdly , By this evil practise of selling Tanned Leather so contrary to Law , open Fairs and Markets appointed for selling of Tanned Leather are greatly lessened and decayed , and in great danger to be quite lost and ruined ( if not timely prevented ) and the necessary and useful Trade of Tanning much impoverished and discouraged .

1. For first , by the frequencie of selling Tanned Leather in Shops and private places , there is brought little more than half so much Leather to many open Fairs and Markets ( especially to the Morket of Leaden-Hall London ) as commonly was accustomed before .

And of some sort of Leather not one part of ●●urty is brought to the open Fairs and Markets , but carried from Tanners Yards to their houses and shops that sell the same again ; being also never searched and sealed , nor sold in the Markets , as the Law requires .

2. Hereby Artificers and converters of good Leather into Ware cannot have good Leather of that sort for their Money in the Markets , but are forced to buy such as they can get of them that ingross it , at the second or third hand .

3. Hereby many Artificers being kept from buying in the Markets , divers Tanners who tan good Leather and sell it in the Markets are oft-times forced to lay up or carry home some sorts of good Leather for want of Chapmen to buy it .

4. By this means several persons that buy tanned Leather to sell again to them that work and convert it into made ware , do oft-times agree together to buy that Leather that comes to the Markets at such low rates as they please themselves ( knowing that Artificers that should buy it in the Markets ) are so ingaged to them , that they cannot or dare not buy any but of them in their houses and shops , and that the Tanners must sell it them at such low rates , or carry it back again many miles to their great charge and loss ; and having thus gotten and ingrossed it into their hands do inhance the price to those that buy it of them again .

Objection . If tanned Leather may not be sold but in open Fairs and weekly Markets , how shall the poorer sort of Artificers , that work and convert Leather into Ware be supplied with such quantities as they need and are able to pay for ?

Answer . First , No doubt but this matter was well weighed and considered by the King and Parliament that made the Law against the said Offence ; and if there had been a necessity of selling Leather otherwise than in open Fairs and Markets , they would not have made a Law against it ; but did ( no doubt ) upon experience of the evil consequences thereof make the aforesaid Law against it . 2. Since the making of the said Law , and before this evil practice hath been used , it cannot be denied but is well known that the poorer sort of Artificers were supplied in open Fairs and weekly-Markets with such quantities as they needed and could pay for . For first , divers Tanners in all open Fairs and Markets cut many Hides of Leather into several pieces selling it in pieces there , each piece being searched and sealed to prevent deceit , as the Law requires ; and so some do still , and others would if such Artificers did come to buy it in the Markets . 2. In Leaden Hall London is appointed two Markets weekly for selling of tanned Leather whereby all may be supplied . 3. It is altogether unreasonable that the conveniencie of a few should be an occasion of so great loss and damage to the whole Kingdom in general . 4. The Law provides that no Wares made of tanned Leather should be exposed to sale by any but in their open shops , Fairs and Markets , that such Ware may be liable to be searched , whether well made and of good Leather , and if any cannot keep an open shop , they may make new Ware for such as do , or mend old work as many do . 5. Neither is it just or reasonable that any Interlopers and Ingrossers should get away the profit and livelihood of the Tanners , and such as work and convert tanned Leather into Ware , nor yet inhance the prices of such Ware to the damage of the Kings Subjects by their ingrossing and regrating of Leather . Lastly , This evil practice hath already discouraged and much hindred the livelihood of such as tan Leather well and sell it in the Markets according to Law , and incouraged only both such Tanners and Ingrossers that deceive the Kings Subjects so contrary to Law .