To the Supream Authority, the Par­liament of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND.

FOr as much as the Lord hath been pleaſed in his providence, to place your Honours in this preſent Parliament. And that the Counties by whom you are choſen, and for whom you ſit; expect, and in all humility deſire, that you would redreſſe their grievances, power being put into your hands to doe good to this Com­monwealth, by taking away oppreſſion and removing oppreſſors, and laying no other or greater burden upon the people, then what publike neceſſity requires. And ſo to order the leavy, of what is impoſed, that the rich may not oppreſſe the poore, but that all things may be tendred as little burthenſome as may be.

But when we feele the heavy burden of oppreſſion o­ver2 loading us, to what humane authority ſhould wee ſeeke for help or eaſe; but unto your honours, who want no power if the Lord be pleaſed to ſtir up your hearts thereunto? And becauſe you cannot know and eaſe our grievances, unleſſe they bee manifeſted unto you, we therefore with oppreſſed ſpirits complaine.

That many idle perſons of malignant ſpirits, are im­ployed with Piſtolls, Swords and Staves, rooking up and downe the Countrie, deceiving, and cheating the people (eſpecially thoſe that have ſtood for the ho­nour of the Parliament) by forceable entries, ſeizing, driving, and bearing away the Goods and Chattels of the Inhabitants, and that upon very ſleight or no occaſi­on; unleſſe upon occaſion of their own creating. The ſaid Farmer allowing many of his ſervants no wages (as his ſervants themſelves have confeſſed) but what they can get by catching, harraſing, and poleing the people; ſo that we are neceſſitated to take up the complaint of the Prophet Iſa. 56.11. They are as greedy dogs which can never have enough, they all looke to their own way, every one for his gaine from his quarter.

Servants are not onely inforced to ſwear againſt Ma­ſters, and children againſt parents, But the people are inforced to ſweare againſt themſelves (elſe to ſuffer) which is not onely againſt the law of nature, but againſt the law of God, and a meanes to increaſe unnaturall af­fection, lying, and perjury.

The Clothiers are not permitted to ſend their goods to any Faire, before they have made Entry in the Office of Exciſe, both of the number of the peeces, and the value thereof.

Neither can they bring their goods back from the Mar­ket, before they can procure licence, or ſwear the ſame is neither bought nor ſold.

Nor remove their own goods, much leſſe deliver ſuch goods as are ſold without licence.

They have alſo cauſed goods that have been ſold to be praiſed, and being ſold a good penniworth, they have ſeaſed the ſame, and have inforced the ſeller (for fear) to let them have the goods at the price ſo entred, or fined, diſappointing ſuch Chapmen as dealetherein.

The goods that have been ceized without cauſe, for which the people have not only been fined, but are infortced to acknowledge in writing under their hands, tha-they have committed a fault, otherwiſe they cannot be diſcharged, though no offence at all was committed.

The people are alſo inſlaved, and enforced by the Far­mers at Kendal, Mancheſter, and other places to pay Ex­ciſe there, and are by the Farmer of Exciſe of the Weſt-Riding aforeſaid, inforced to pay againe, all for one and the ſame goods, and are inforced to attend the Officers at their pleaſure, without any cauſe at all.

They have inforced poore women being big with child, to lay their hands upon the Bible, to ſwear againſt themſelves, and ſuch as have refuſed, have been grie­vouſly by their threatnings affrighted, indangering their untimely travell.

And ſince I came to London, a complaint came unto me, of a woman that was not above three pence at the moſt indebted for Exciſe, for which ſhee had her goods ſeiſed to the value of forty ſhillings, the poore woman ſeeing that, preſently fell diſtracted, and with a knife had cut her childrens throats, if ſhee had not by Gods mercy been prevented, and after ſlaine her ſelfe, as ſhe hath ſince confeſſed, remaining ſtill, at times, diſtracted. I fear too many of theſe, or of the like nature, are often committed.

But the ſaid Farmer or his ſubſtitutes, for the carry­ing4 on of their irregular and arbitrary proceedings, did illegally inforce the people to ſubſcribe their names unto a Certificate, and ſuch as refuſed ſo to doe, was by the Officers detained as priſoners, and greivouſly threa­tened, they did alſo ſubſcribe other mens names there­unto without their conſent or knowledge, beginning their ſubſcriptions at the bottome of the paper, writing upwards, leaving a diſtance to write what they pleaſed above, and the ſaid Officers ſhewed the ſaid Certificate unto the Juſtices, but what was the effect; this Petiti­oner, nor the people knoweth not. But your Petitioner hath uſed his uttermoſt indeavor to make proof of their illegall practiſes, and did in May or June laſt, make his appeale to the ſaid Juſtices (before whom the ſaid Cer­tificate was ſhewed) and produced many witneſſes, but they did not only refuſe to take cognizance thereof, or to examine upon oath; but on the contrary, have (as your Petitioner is informed) returned a Certificate in favour of the ſaid Farmer, perſwading this Petitioner, that the extent of the Farmers Commiſſion was ſo, that they did not conceive how the Officers of Exciſe could offend: thereby indeavouring to render them acquit of any matter or thing charged upon them, ſo that no redreſſe hitherto is had, for the good of the Country or Commonwealth.

So that the free people of England are by theſe abu­ſes abridged of their liberty, many of them inforced to give over their Trades, which have imployed many poore families, it being impoſſible for them to follow their Trades and Callings, without the favour of the Farmer; to the great terrour and greife of the people, having their goods ſeized, their ſhops watched, their houſes ſearched, their packs in high wayes or fields un­packed,5 rifled and ſpoiled, their Markets and Fairs decay­ed: And not only the Commonwealth damnified, but alſo the ſoules and conſciences of the people (by ſwearing and lying) grievouſly oppreſſed.

By all theſe, and many other inſufferable abuſes, Clo­thiers, and men of other Callings, are not only diſcou­raged, but many of them impoveriſhed, the Countrey being intollerably troubled, ſuch vaſt ſums of money by the Farmers collected (for ſo ſmall a benefit by them paid) ſo that it is conceived, and upon examination will appear, that all the Exciſe of In-land goods what­ſoever, excepting Beer and Ale (yea I may adde one halfe of the Exciſe of Beere and Ale thereunto) bring­eth not any benefit to the State, neither diſcharging the Arreares of the Souldiers, nor ſtopping the gaps of the neceſſities of this Commonwealth. But is waſt­ed and conſumed by the Farmers and their creatures; which grieve the people, conſuming the benefit of this Commonwealth, devouring the peace of this Land, which if not ſpeedily prevented, many thouſand Fami­lies muſt of neceſſity be impoveriſhed, and not onely diſabled to releeve the poor, but ſtand in need of being releived

So that if any evill deſigne or invaſion ſhould happen, in, or againſt this Nation, it is to be feared, that the gene­rallity of the people (by their diſcontents) would joyn not only againſt their own good, but againſt the good of this Commonwealth, which I heartily deſire may be prevented.

It is conceived that one half of the duty of Exciſe of Beer and Ale, will clear the whole Exciſe thereof, and will alſo cleare the whole Exciſe of all other In-land goods whatſoever, and bring many thouſand pound a6 year benefit to the State, more then is now paid by the Farmers.

Therefore we humbly propoſe and deſire your Ho­nours will be pleaſed, ſo to moderate the Exciſe, that one halfe of the Exciſe of Beer and Ale may be taken a­way, with the whole Exciſe of all other In-land goods whatſoever (eſpecially old and new Drapery, which is the cheife promoter and upholder of ſo many hundred thouſand families, and that every In holder, Victual­ler, Alehouſe-keeper, or Tipler, may bee aſſeſſed according to their proportion, as the Juſtices, or foure honeſt men in every Weapon-take, Hundred, or Diviſion, ſhall thinke meete, for the advancement and benefit of this Commonwealth, and to bee paid into ſome publike Treaſury in the reſpective Counties, Cities, or Liberties quarterly, upon forfeiture of their Licenſes, and being diſabled of that priviledge; by which means the Taxes of the ſaid Inholders, Victuallers, Ale­houſe keepers and Tiplers will be much abated, and the whole collections will freely and clearly accrew to the Commonwealth.

And it wil take away innumerated oppreſſions and op­preſſors, and in no way leſſen or impaire the benefit of the State. But will adde unto the ſame many thouſand pounds as aforeſaid, permitting all Tradeſmen and o­thers to follow their Callings, attend their Markets, and Faires quietly, and all Carriers and others to travel upon their occaſions without moleſtation or trouble, wherby the people may be the better inabled to contri­bute unto the neceſſities of this Commonwealth.

It will alſo acquit all common Brewers, which make ſale by the Hogſhead, Barrel or Firkin, whereby the Ex­ciſe of all private Families will be totally taken away, to7 the infinite eaſe and ſatisfaction of the Country.

Laſtly, It will gaine ſuch an engagement, and an ac­knowledgement of the love and affections of the people, as by Gods aſſiſtance wil be a ſtrengthening of the peace and ſafety of this Nation, ſo that the affections of the people may continue in the love of the Parliament, and the Parliament in the love of the people, for the peace and welfare of this Commonwealth.

And the inhabitants of the ſaid Riding, for the liberty aforeſaid, ſhal be willing to give the Parliament ſuch ſe­curity for the performance hereof, as they in their wiſe­domes ſhall thinke meet, which without doubt will be performed throughout the whole Nation, for the good of this Commonwealth.