Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	act_n	king_n	parliament_n	3,039	5	6.6283	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85656	A declaration in vindication of the honour of the Parliament, and of the committee of the navy and customes; against all traducers: concerning the managing of the navy and customes, and many other weighty affaires of state: faithfully relating what strength of shipping have been yearly employed for the guarding of the seas, and what moneys arising by the revenue of the customes, excise of flesh and salt, and other receits, have been applyed to that use. The rules by which they have been all managed; and a just account how the moneys have been disposed. By Giles Grene, a member of the Honourable House of Commons.	Grene, Giles.	1647 (1647)	Wing G1817; Thomason E405_8; ESTC R201878	11,599	26

A DECLARATION In Vindication of the Honour of THE PARLIAMENT And of the COMMITTEE of the NAVY and CVSTOMES against all Traducers Concerning the managing of the Navy and Customes and many other weighty Affaires of State Faithfully Relating what strength of Shipping have been yearly employed for the guarding of the Seas and what moneys arising by the Revenue of the Customes Excise of Flesh and Salt and other Receits have been applyed to that Use The Rules by which they have been all managed and a just Account how the moneys have been disposed By GILES GRENE a Member of the Honourable House of Commons LONDON Printed for Laurence Blaiklock 1647. A DECLARATION In Vindication of the Honour of the PARLIAMENT and of the Committee of the Navy and Customes against all Traducers Concerning the managing of the Navy and Customes and many other weighty Affaires of State THere is no truth now more apparent then that the tongues and pens of many men and the Presse have in these latter times been so loose and disordered as that they have been applied too frequently to the scandalizing of proceedings in Parliament and the severall Committees and Members by them imployed in the transacting of the weighty affaires of the Kingdome during the times of these late distempers that so they might bring them into the disaffections of the people The truth of this is clearely proved by those severall Pamphlets which every day are engendred and sent abroad into the world and by the cunning and artifice of severall evill disposed persons of different tempers they are made instrumentall for different ends and intentions And this is perceived by all wise men so that it is hoped those Libells take no impression with them in regard of the persons scandalized And amongst others finding the Committee of the Navy and Customes as they have had no small part of the care and trouble of these weighty affaires so not to have the least share in those scandalls and reproaches In discharge of the duty I owe unto the Parliament who when the King deserted them were necessitated to undertake the Government of the Navy Royall of this Kingdome for the safety and good thereof and likewise of the Customes appointed for its maintenance and support and also in discharge of that particular duty I owe the Committee of the Navy and Customes and the Gentlemen attending those services unto whose care and trust both Houses of Parliament committed that great and weighry Charge And to cleare up the Honour Care Prudence and Fidelity of both Parliament and Committee against all Traducers in the advantagious and faithfull discharge of the trust for the weale and safety of the People and all the three Kingdomes I thought it not the least part of my duty being best acquainted with those affairs to make this following Declaration of the beginning progresse and present State of the same relating to the Customes and Navy and by what Rules they have been transacted In the yeare 1641. shortly after the Parliament first sate and before the King deserted them the House of Commons appointed some Gentlemen of that Committee and recommended to their charge the discovery of the abuses of the then Farmors of the Customes and the Examination of their Accounts from the first yeare of his Majesties Raigne unto that time And notwithstanding the work was conceived by many worthy Gentlemen not to be feazible yet that Cmmittee within few Months by their report did so satisfie the House of the whole State of that affaire as it produced 176000. in fines to the use of the state This done about the 25. of May 1641. the House of Commons commanded that Committee to frame a Bill for the legall payment of Tonnage and Poundage to continue for a few weeks untill some difficulties and misunderstandings between the King and Parliament were removed and upon the same grounds severall other short Acts of Parliament were passed untill Iuly 1642. But the burthens upon Merchandize both forreign and domestick being unequally layd by the old Book of Rates occasioned severall complaints and Petitions from Merchants Cloathiers Shopkeepers and others unto the Parliament for ease of those burthens whereupon in the yeare 1641. the House ordered that Committee to frame a new Book of Rates This proved a work of that travell and consequence in relation to the support of the trade of the Kingdome on the one side and the Revenue of the Kingdome for support of the Navy the strength of the Kingdome on the other side as it became full of labour and intricacy to keep the Ballance even for the encrease of the one and support of the other of which the very bare discovery of those Rules which the wisedome of that Committee found out to the due framing of that elaborate work will sufficiently satisfie the Reader at first view They first divided all Merchandize into Domestick and Forreign Domestick into Commodities totally to be prohibited or to be transported Transportations into Manufactures of Wooll and Other Staple Commodities The Manufactures of Wooll in regard of their generall influence throughout most conditions of men and hazard of the losse of that Trade in Forraigne parts so much of late undermined by Forraigne manufactures was much eased of its former imposition The other Staple Commodities as Tyn Lead c. not so subject to danger as the others were raised to some higher Rates according as the same could well beare The Forraign Commodities were divided into Necessaries and Superfluities Necessaries and of certain use as victualls and all materialls for to encrease the Manufactures of the Kingdome were eased Superfluities which might be spared and were incentives to Prodigality either in apparrall or diet food or rayment had their full load saving that in the very superfluities they found it necessary to make addifference As Those of bulk advantagious in the employment of Shipping and Marriners in that relation were somewhat eased Those of small Stowage had a full load laid on them Yet in those likewise they made a difference Easing all such as were unmanufactured Burthening the re●t But the Marchants of the Kingdome not only suffering under the unequall impositions laid on their Commodities but under the Arbitrary power and undue Fees of the Officers of the Customes which oftentimes more oppressed them then the payment of the impositions themselves It was not the least labour of that Committee to dispose of the manner of payment of the duty and to give such directions therein as by those Rules they delivered the Merchant from all occasions of oppression by the Officer and yet kept up the Officer in his due esteeme In compleating of this great work the Committee proceeded by a further rule as well to attaine to the knowledge of the value of all Commodities as to their usefulnesse without which they could not well agree on the duty And to that end did make use of the labours and judgements of many Merchants of quality of known

integrity and best experienced in Forraigne Trade and Importers of the severall Commodities who having with much labour laid the foundation of this great work It was also the wisdome of the Committee in so high a trust to take advice from the Retailors and severall Traders in the respective Commodities And after divers dayes disputes with them having made their observations in writing of the differences in opinion between the Importer and Buyer did referre the whole work together with their own observations unto the Farmours and Officers of the Customes who according to their great experience and wisedome did contribute much unto the compleating thereof And upon return of their opinions the Committee finding yet further differences did after divers dayes spent in conference with the three Parties viz. the Importer the Buyer and the Officer and upon observations from them all appoint a generall meeting of the Merchants Retailors and Officers acquainted them with their differences in opinion which were reduced to very few considering the variety and greatnesse of the work And after a deliberate debate with them joyntly the Committee did compleat that work and so presented it to the House of Commons where it received a generall approbation with very few amendments The Book of Rates thus formed and upon Report made to the House of Commons thereof being approved and passed without a contradicting voyce Order was given for the same to be printed and published and an Act of Parliament to be drawn for Tonnage and Poundage relating to these Rates which with great deliberation of that Committee and advice with the Kings Councell learned in the Law was drawn accordingly reported and past both Houses and sent to the King then at York for the Royall Assent which his Majesty refusing Order was given to that Committee to consider of a way how to continue the payment of Tonnage and Poundage by an Ordnance which they did accordingly which upon Report passed both Houses Here arose the great difficulty of managing the affaires of the Customes which by Ordnance of Parliament was committed to the charge of that Committee wherein power was given them to remove and place all Officers belonging to the Customes to give Orders and Directions to the Commissioners of the Customes as occasion should serve To heare and decide all differences happening between the Merchants and Officers in reference to the Customes and by their Orders to dispose of all moneys arising on the Customes for the use of the Navie An imployment of great weight and as great trust and which they discharged with as much faithfulnesse wisedome and advantage to the State the distractions of the times the disaffections of many Merchants and the want of a penalty to enjoyn the payment considered as ever that affaire was managed sithence the Conquest which doth manifestly appeare by their saving upward of twelve thousand pound per Annum in the very charge of the Commissioners and reduced unnecessary Officers formerly employed in the managing of those affaires and yet encreased that Revenue at least one third per Annum in those Ports which were still under the obedience of Parliament besides the receits of those Out-Ports that were regained from the Enemy The distractions of the Kingdome encreasing after the Kings deserting the Parliament It pleased both Houses by Ordinance in August 1642. to commit the charge of the Navy and setting forth the yearly Fleets to Sea for the defence of the three Kingdomes unto the care of that Committee of the Customes and so they became the Committee of the Navy and Customes By which Ordinance they had power to order the payments of moneys arising from the Customes to the Treasurer of the Navy who was a member of that Committee for the carrying on of that work And the moneys being so setled in his hands they were all to be issued out by him by the only Order of that Committee which Trust I dare confidently affirm he hath discharged with as much clearnesse and freedome from any corruption as ever Treasurer did And to satisfie the world that this trust was faithfully discharged by that Committee I will here give a short account of the severall Fleets set to Sea with their strength and charge In the year 1642 the Parliament doubting that Forraign Force would be invited into this Kingdome commanded that Committee that a strong Fleet should be set to Sea for that yeare which consisted of twenty Saile of the Kings Ships and twenty three Merchants Ships with 5382. Marriners the charge whereof as well in the Summer as Winter Guard with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy that yeare amounted to two hundred and one thousand seven hundred sixty one pounds 201761 l. In the year 1643. the Parliament having more particular information of preparation of Forraign Forces to infest this Kingdome there were set forth for the Summer Fleet 34 of the Kings Ships 34 Merchants Ships with 7265 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 21 Kings Ships and 24 Merchants Ships with 4035 Marriners the whole charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navie did amount unto three hundred and thirty thousand three hundred sixty nine pounds 330369 l. In the yeare 1644. there were set forth for the Summer Fleet 36 Kings Ships and 20 Merchants Ships with 5099 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 18 Kings Ships and 13 Merchants Ships with 2677. Marriners The totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy did amount unto two hundred thirty eight thousand foure hundred and seventy pounds 238470 l. In the year 1645. there were set forth for the Summer Fleet 34 Kings Ships and 20 Merchants ships with 4483 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 27 Kings Ships and 14. Merchants Ships with 2950 Marriners the totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy amounted to two hundred twenty five thosand five hundred forty foure pounds 225544 l. In the yeare 1646. there were set forth for the Summer Fleet forty foure Kings Ships and 29 Merchants Ships with 5605 Marriners and for the Winter Guard 26 Kings Ships and 12 Merchants ships with 2880 Marriners the totall charge whereof with other matters incident to the keeping up of the Navy amounted to two hundred ninety six thousand fifty one pound 296051 l. And this year there are set forth for the Summer Fleet 43 of the Kings Ships and Frigats and 13 Merchants Ships the charge whereof with the Frigots now building furnishing the Magazin and paying the Ordinaries and the other matters of the Navy will per estimate amount unto two hundred thirty three thousand foure hundred and fifteen pounds 233415 l. Besides there have severall years been set out severall Ships by private Adventurers by way of reprizall which have been allowed victuals by the State In all which Expeditions these particular actions of that Committee are remarkable 1. That being furnished with this great