TO
THE
HONOVRABLE
THE
HOVSE
OF
COMMONS
NOW
ASSEMBLED
IN
PARLIAMENT
.
The
Humble
Remonstrance
of
the
Grievances
of
all
his
Majesties
Posts
of
England
,
Together
with
Carryers
,
Waggoners
,
and
others
,
miserably
sustained
by
the
unlawfull
Projects
of
Thomas
Witherings
,
sometimes
Mercer
of
London
.
FIRST
,
THAT
the
said
Mr.
Witherings
,
by
Proclamation
of
July
,
1635.
did
unjustly
thrust
Thirteene
Post-Masters
,
and
their
two
Factors
'
out
of
their
imployments
;
for
the
weekely
conveyance
of
all
mens
Letters
,
betweene
London
and
Plymouth
:
which
they
themselves
,
(
long
before
the
said
Proclamation
)
at
their
great
labours
and
expences
,
had
set
up
:
To
the
great
contentment
of
all
his
Majesties
Subjects
;
And
thereby
the
said
Witherings
did
ingrosse
to
himselfe
forty
pound
per
annum
,
out
of
each
of
their
labours
,
amounting
to
600.
pound
per
annum
,
and
so
continued
till
his
Majesties
Sequestration
,
in
July
1640.
being
five
yeares
,
or
thereabouts
,
which
comes
to
3000.
pound
.
Secondly
,
That
the
said
Mr.
Witherings
,
from
July
aforesaid
1635.
did
pay
unto
the
Post-Masters
of
Yorke
,
Chester
,
and
other
Roades
,
for
some
short
time
,
sixe
pence
per
mile
,
and
afterwards
fell
to
three
pence
per
mile
,
for
the
weekely
carrying
,
and
re-carrying
,
of
all
mens
Letters
upon
those
Roades
,
untill
he
had
gotten
his
Monopoly
Patent
of
1637.
Then
by
vertue
of
the
said
Patent
,
he
compelled
the
said
Post-Masters
,
forcing
them
to
runne
two
thousand
miles
every
weeke
,
to
carry
all
mens
Letters
for
nothing
.
Thereby
violently
taking
out
of
their
labours
likewise
,
the
summe
of
678.
pound
per
annum
,
and
upwards
,
which
he
also
so
continued
,
till
his
Majesties
Sequestration
aforesaid
,
which
comes
to
2035.
pound
,
4.
shillings
,
and
8.
pence
.
So
the
whole
summe
,
which
the
said
Witherings
hath
extorted
out
of
the
Labours
,
and
Callings
,
of
a
thousand
persons
,
the
Post-Masters
,
and
their
Families
,
amounts
to
5038.
pound
,
4.
shillings
,
and
8.
pence
.
Besides
4000.
pound
he
made
and
received
for
Post-places
,
within
the
compasse
of
three
yeares
,
or
thereabouts
.
Thirdly
,
That
whereas
the
Post-Masters
had
formerly
4000.
pound
per
annum
Fee
,
onely
for
carrying
his
Majesties
Pacquets
,
which
summe
being
divided
amongst
them
,
comes
not
to
above
20.
pence
,
2.
shillings
,
or
3.
shillings
,
to
each
mans
share
,
per
diem
,
or
thereabouts
,
And
for
which
service
the
Post-Masters
,
were
enjoyned
to
keepe
two
or
three
servants
,
and
horses
,
purposely
to
attend
that
service
,
yet
Witherings
under
pretence
of
doing
his
Majesty
some
extraordinary
service
,
reduced
the
said
4000.
pound
per
annum
,
to
2053.
pound
per
annum
.
And
yet
paid
them
the
same
out
of
the
fruites
of
their
owne
Labours
,
And
gave
also
out
of
the
benefit
which
he
gained
out
of
their
said
Labours
,
1500.
pound
per
annum
,
to
the
then
Secretaries
of
State
,
for
the
supporting
,
and
securing
the
said
Monopoly
Patent
,
thereby
altogether
Monopolizing
other
mens
labours
to
his
owne
particular
profit
,
contrary
to
the
Lawes
,
and
Constitutions
of
this
Kingdome
,
and
of
free
Subjects
,
whereas
the
Lord
Stanhope
,
had
nothing
out
of
their
labours
.
Onely
he
had
100.
Markes
per
annum
,
and
that
payable
out
of
his
Majesties
Exchequer
.
Fourthly
,
That
the
said
Witherings
,
by
vertue
likewise
of
his
Monopoly
Patent
,
imprisoned
Carryers
,
and
Waggoners
(
a
long
time
together
,
and
would
not
release
them
without
giving
great
Bond
,
to
bring
all
Letters
to
his
Office
)
for
carrying
the
Letters
of
his
Majesties
Subjects
,
causing
their
Bagges
and
Fardels
to
be
ript
open
,
violently
taking
their
Goods
and
Letters
from
them
,
to
their
great
prejudice
and
losse
,
and
to
the
great
hinderance
of
all
commerce
betweene
his
Majesties
loving
Subjects
.
Fifthly
,
That
as
soone
as
his
Majesty
did
fully
understand
,
what
great
oppressions
and
wrongs
Witherings
had
committed
,
in
the
execution
of
the
said
Patent
,
against
the
Post-Masters
,
and
others
his
Majesties
Subjects
;
his
Majesty
was
gratiously
pleased
to
Sequester
the
same
into
the
hands
of
Phillip
Burlemache
,
ordering
him
to
pay
1500.
pound
per
annum
,
to
the
said
Post-Masters
,
formerly
given
to
the
then
Secretaries
of
State
,
being
the
fruites
of
their
owne
labours
,
which
said
addition
of
1500.
pound
per
annum
,
is
now
paid
by
Mr.
Burlemache
unto
the
Post-Masters
,
according
to
his
Majesties
gratious
appointment
:
his
Majesty
referring
the
full
settlement
thereof
unto
this
Honorable
House
.
Sixthly
,
That
the
said
Witherings
,
by
his
projecting
,
and
insinuating
wayes
,
to
the
aforesaid
Secretaries
of
State
,
hath
not
onely
barred
,
and
cut
off
the
Post-Masters
from
making
suite
to
his
Majesty
,
for
their
just
arreares
of
30982.
pound
,
or
thereabouts
,
to
the
utter
undoing
of
a
great
number
of
his
Majesties
poore
Servants
.
(
Some
part
of
which
arreares
,
being
the
whole
Estates
,
and
Portions
of
divers
poore
Widdowes
,
and
Father-lesse
Children
.
)
But
also
very
cunningly
contracted
with
divers
of
them
to
take
a
third
part
for
the
whole
,
or
else
they
were
to
receive
nothing
at
all
,
and
some
of
them
being
greatly
necessitated
,
were
constrained
so
to
doe
.
But
some
others
,
although
they
so
contracted
,
yet
they
could
receive
none
of
that
Composition
.
Seventhly
,
That
by
reason
of
the
multitude
of
Post-warrants
granted
to
any
person
for
a
small
gratuity
,
and
likewise
divers
Pacquets
,
commanded
to
be
carryed
for
persons
not
nominated
,
or
allowed
by
his
Majesties
Orders
,
(
which
Pacquets
might
as
well
goe
against
,
as
for
the
State
)
the
Post-Masters
(
being
so
over-charged
,
having
not
sufficient
wages
to
keepe
a
competent
number
of
horses
to
discharge
their
places
)
have
beene
enforced
to
presse
and
charge
the
Country
with
horses
,
and
thereby
subject
to
their
arrests
,
cryes
,
and
complaints
.
Eighthly
,
That
when
the
Sequestration
of
the
Letter-Office
for
forraigne
parts
,
was
in
examination
before
Mr.
Glyn
,
then
the
Post-Masters
,
Carryers
,
Waggoners
,
and
others
,
petitioned
this
Honourable
House
,
against
Mr.
Witherings
Monopoly
Patent
,
for
the
In-land
Letter-Office
,
But
because
Mr.
Witherings
Counsell
,
confessed
that
the
same
Patent
to
be
a
Monopoly
,
and
that
they
could
say
nothing
for
it
,
nor
would
meddle
in
it
,
therefore
the
said
Patent
at
that
time
was
no
further
questioned
.
All
which
Premisses
considered
,
they
most
humbly
beseech
this
Honourable
House
to
Commiserate
their
great
pressures
,
and
that
according
to
Justice
they
may
be
relieved
.
And
as
in
duty
bound
,
they
shall
dayly
pray
,
and
praise
God
for
the
happy
proceedings
of
Parliaments
.