THE Coal-trade imploys at least 1200 Sail of Ships on the West and East part of the Kingdom of England , 1200 Sail of Ships imployed , and navigated with 15000 Men . and to Navigate them about 15000 Men , all which are now liable to be Impressed ; but if Protected , whether shall the Admiralty go for Men , seeing the Home-trade with our opposite Neighbours is gone , and our Ships at Virginia and the West-Indies cann't be reach'd ? Must the Navy Royal lie still , or hazard a Battle at Sea half Mann'd , as it s said the Dartmouth did , and was , in an Ingagement with one or two Privateers , taken , and now at St. Malo's ?

The vast Trade we use to have with the Northern Crowns being lost , as to the English Shipping , the Coal-trade is the greatest Nursery for Seamen ; and as it Imploys 15000 at Sea , so above Ground and under it , imploys near a Hundred Thousand of Labouring Men , besides a vast number of Cattle , &c. in getting the Coals .

1. 〈…〉 Hundred Thousand of Labouring Men imployed aabout 〈…〉 Saylor . To the Surface of the Earth . 2. From thence to the sundry Places at the Water-side . 3. From thence to the Ships-side , and after at 〈◇〉 Port of Delivery to the Shore again , and thence to the sundry Habitations where consumed : All which Employments , both by Sea and Land , are exceeding advantagious to the Poor , as well as to Navigation .

And this was so far taken notice of , that in the latter part of the Reign of King Charles II . and the beginning of the Reign of the late King James , when a long Duty but of 3 s . per Chaldon , levied for the building of Churches , Gates , &c. of the City of London , was expired , and the City desired the said 3 s . might be continued , viz. 18 d . per Chaldron for finishing S. Pauls , and 18 d . per Chaldron for paying the Orphans .

The Parliament , then sitting , before they would grant the City their Request therein , appointed a Committee to inquire into the State of the Coal-trade , as it was at the expiration of paying the 3 s . and at the beginning thereof ; and , on Enquiry , it appear'd as follows .

That before the Duty of 3 s . per Chaldron was layed on ,

Whi●e 3 s . per Chaldron was paid , all the Trade of Shipping built in England was lost .

No prevailing with the Parliament to great any more than 1●d . in lieu of 3 s .

An Act made to recover the Building Trade back from Holland , &c.

And , whereas , there 's a multitude of Reasons to be given , why 5 s . per Chaldron on Coals will be a very unequal Tax on the Consumers as well as destructive to Navigation ; yet none can be more plain than what is abovesaid , viz. That in the year , 1687. or thereabouts , the Parliament had the full Matter under their Consideration , and found that 3 s . per Chaldron had been very destructive , and would not be prevailed on to lay any more than 18 d . per Chaldron ; and that neither , if it had not been to finish St. Pauls .

The Members of Parliament serving for Ipswich , S●r John Barker , S●r Charles Bloye● , S●r Henry Johnsou and Mr. Fuller . Alborough and Yarmouth , have perfect knowledge of this Matter , and can satisfy the House how great an Advantage that Act was to England that passed in the late King James's time , and how many brave Ships were soon built in England ; which Trade continued until the Tunnage Act was passed ; and that since the said Tunnage Act , not so much as one new Ship , as a Collyer , hath been contracted for . And if 6 d . per Tun , by the Tunnage Act , hath so far discouraged Trade , as that one Ship has not been contracted for last Year , where one hundred used to be in one Year before : What then will be the effect of ten times the Tax , which 5 s . per Chaldron really is ?

But lest the Parliament should be under some Misapprehensions , The Projector cannot make it out that 5 s may be paid , and the Poor be serv'd as cheap as before . and think that what the Owners of the Ships say against the 5 s . per Chaldron is not Truth , and that what the Proposers say on their Part is true , viz. That though there be a Duty of 5 s . per Chaldron levied , yet the Poor shall have their Coals as cheap as in times of Peace . On the Back hereof is an Account of the prime Cost of the Coals , with the present Taxes that are thereon ; which demonstrates , how the Poor were served for 10 years , in Times of Peace , at 18 s . per Chaldron , little more or less ; and that now if all the Owners of the Coal-Shipping would give the Use of their Ships for nothing , they can never sell their Coals under 23 s . per Chaldron : For in this calculation there 's nothing accounted for the Adventure , nor Wear and Tare of the Ship , but every Article that is mention'd in the said calculation is paid out of Pocket .

But some may object , Goals in Time of Peace sold at 18 s . per Chaldron , when 3 s . tax'd , because then cheaper at Newcastle . That Coals was sold at 18 s . per Chaldron when the Duty of 3 s . per Chaldron was upon them , which now is but half so much . To which it is answered , That at that Time Coals was bought cheaper at Newcastle , and the Owners got by many Voyages no Profit . But that this is the nearest and truest Calculation that can be made of the prime Cost and Taxes that are on the Coals , without any thing allow'd to the Owners for the Adventure , and Wear and Tare of their Ships .

It was never heard of in any King or Queen's Reign of England , since the days of Queen Elizabeth , that there was any Duty laid on Coals , Coastwise , 2 d . per Chaldron for the Projectors Pocket , was more design'd than the good of the Nation , until after the Fire of London ; and then London was only Taxed to build the Churches , &c. but all the Out-Ports were left Free . And though there have been many Projectors , not out of any good Design to the Nation , but purely to get 2 d . per Chaldron for their own Management , that have been before King Charles and King James , and with this present King in Council , desiring that they might manage the Coal-Trade , to make it more easie : But all their Pretences appeared to be nothing of Reality , and always sound to be impossible to supply the Sea-Ports with Coals cheaper than they have been supplied from year to year . Though there be a present Rise upon Coals , it 's such an Accident as happen'd but once before since the King came to the Crown , The Fleet arriving from Newcasile will bring down the Price as it was last Year . viz. by a Long , Frosty and Turbulent Winter , in which the Ships could not venture to Sea , and contrary Winds at the Spring of the Year . But that on the Arrival of the Fleet , now laden at Newcastle , Coals will fall down again to the current Price that they were at the last Year , viz. between 22 and 24 per Chaldron , if this present Duty of 5 s . does not come upon them .

To say no more , There were many humble Representations and Petitions against the Tunnage Act , and there are now many against this , which is much worse in its Nature then the said Tunnage Duty ever was , or will be . First , in respect to the prevention of the Building Trade , and so the Country Gentlemen will find in the Price of their Plank and Timber . Secondly , in the Injury to Navigation , by cutting off the Fourth part at least of the Breed of Seamen . Thirdly , in the Ruin of almost all the Artifices that depend on compleating of Ships for Sea , relaing to the Coal-Trade : And last of all , a much heavier Burden on the Poor than ever the Hearth Money was . From which Considerations i● hoped that some more easie way will , in the great Wisdom of this Honourable House be found out , then laying 5 s . per Chaldron on Coals .