Reasons
for
Renewing
the
Office
for
finding
out
and
punishing
the
Abuses
in
Silk-Dying
.
THe
Abuse
in
Silk-Dying
consists
in
the
addition
of
weight
in
the
Dying
thereof
above
what
it
is
of
it self
being
discharged
of
the
Gumme
.
And
this
is
performed
either
by
Dying
it
upon
the
Gumme
,
which
is
near
four
ounces
in
the
pound
,
and
ought
to
be
boyled
off
before
the
Silk
be
Dyed
,
or
by
using
ponderous
and
unlawful
ingredients
in
the
Dye
;
which
besides
the
unreasonable
addition
of
weight
,
both
spoiles
the
lustre
and
destroys
the
strength
and
substance
of
the
Silk
.
Whereby
His
Majesty
and
his
good
Subjects
are
cheated
,
His
Majesties
Government
and
the
Nation
dishonoured
,
our
Manufactures
of
Silk
in
Forraign
parts
disesteemed
,
the
trade
of
the
Kingdom
in
that
particular
destroyed
,
and
divers
families
both
Silk-men
and
Dyers
in
their
professions
exceedingly
injured
.
These
abuses
were
first
brought
into
this
Kingdom
by
strangers
in
King
James's
Raign
,
witnesse
the
several
Proclamations
made
both
by
King
James
and
His
late
Majesty
for
the
suppression
thereof
,
and
the
zeal
of
His
late
Majesty
therein
.
Who
in
the
third
of
His
Raign
caused
severall
Informations
to
be
exhibited
against
divers
Silk-men
and
Dyers
,
offenders
in
this
kind
,
upon
whom
great
Fines
were
layed
to
deter
others
.
Afterwards
upon
the
Petition
of
the
Silk-men
,
praying
to
be
pardoned
of
what
was
past
;
and
to
be
incorporated
for
the
time
to
come
with
power
to
regulate
and
reform
the
said
abuses
,
His
Majesty
granted
a
pardon
accordingly
,
and
a
Charter
of
Corporation
to
them
with
the
powers
desired
.
7o
.
Car
.
But
upon
complaint
afterwards
made
,
that
this
Charter
and
power
was
imployed
to
the
upholding
of
the
said
abuses
(
they
being
the
persons
themselves
among
,
and
by
whom
the
Frauds
were
practised
)
His
Majesty
resumed
the
said
Charter
.
The
Company
of
Dyers
likewise
pretend
unto
a
power
by
their
Charter
to
Regulate
and
Reform
the
said
abuses
,
by
searching
and
seizing
all
heavy
Dyed
Silk
,
which
serves
onely
for
them
to
demand
search-money
quarterly
,
they
tollerating
and
coniveing
at
those
abuses
which
they
pretend
to
search
for
,
and
should
cause
to
be
punished
.
It
having
been
therefore
observed
,
that
it
was
impossible
by
a
bare
view
(
without
knowing
the
weight
of
the
Silk
both
before
and
after
the
Dying
)
to
discover
the
abuses
,
and
that
a
search
,
though
duly
and
sincerely
executed
was
a
very
insufficient
expedient
to
reforme
the
same
;
His
Majesty
after
all
other
means
used
,
and
after
serious
consultation
had
with
the
Lords
of
his
Council
and
others
,
in
the
14.
year
of
his
Reign
,
erected
an
Office
for
trying
and
weighing
of
Silk
which
was
gladly
embraced
by
all
sorts
of
Silk-men
,
Dyers
and
Weavers
,
who
acknowledged
that
it
was
the
onely
way
for
a
remidy
.
Unto
which
Office
all
persons
dying
Silk
in
the
City
of
London
were
obliged
to
bring
their
Silk
to
be
viewed
,
weighed
and
registred
,
both
before
and
after
Dying
;
and
in
case
of
suspicion
to
be
tryed
by
discharging
the
colour
of
some
part
of
any
parcel
,
whereby
to
judge
of
the
whole
.
Whilest
this
Office
was
exercised
it
wrought
a
good
Reformation
,
till
the
general
distractions
of
the
Nation
set
all
loose
,
and
gave
new
encouragement
for
the
return
of
old
abuses
.
It
is
therefore
proposed
that
an
Act
be
passed
to
enable
His
Majesty
to
erect
the
like
Office
again
,
with
a
competent
fee
for
the
maintenance
thereof
,
with
such
Regulations
and
Orders
,
as
either
the
Parliament
,
or
such
as
they
shall
authorize
,
shall
be
pleased
to
constitute
.