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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A24294 An Account of a dangerous combination and monopoly upon the collier-trade in a letter from the country. 1690 (1690) Wing A179; ESTC R6028 5,924 10

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AN ACCOUNT Of a Dangerous Combination and Monopoly UPON THE COLLIER-TRADE In a LETTER from the Country SIR I Am infinitely oblidg'd to you for the Welcome Notice you gave me of the Joyful Hopes and Wishes that appear in most Peoples Faces and Conversations that the insuing Parliament will move the King to enter into Treaties and Alliances for the preservation of the Peace of Europe against the formidable Conjunction of France and Spain The best Return I can make you for the Transporting News is an undoubtable Assurance that we in the Country keep Pace with you in the Town and are not behind you either in the Zeal nor the Generality of our Dispositions and Sentiments But since we are enter'd into the Theme of Foreign Alliances I beg leave to give you some account of a Domestick one upon the Collier-Trade from which worse Consequences is to be fear'd to the Navigation and all that depends upon it and perhaps a greater Imposition upon the City of London and the Consumption of Coal in general and the Manufactures depending upon the use of Coal than our Foreign Alliances will stand the Nation in to second them and make them good the Business is plainly thus There is a dangerous Combination and Monopoly set on Foot upon the Collier-Trade which must lay one half of our Ships by the Walls and Tax the Consumption of Coal at Home and Abroad at the Discretion of Mr. Arthur Shallett who is the unlucky Author of a more pernicious Project than the Invention of our greatest Enemies cou'd have found out against us which is to this Effect This Project Mr. Shallett after much Toil and Labour at last has brought the Majority of the Coal-Owners in the North to give unto This Project he has had in his Head as is known to all that know him for many Years The General Articles were agreed to in November last betwixt him and so many of the Coal-Owners in the North as were then in Town and these Articles have been since extended into Writings and are Signed and Sealed by the Parties on one side and t'other which in substance are thus 1. The Coal-Owners on the one side oblige themselves to Work nor Vend no greater quantity of Coals than Thirteen Thousand Tenns of Coals which is but 130000 Chaldrons of Coals New-Castle Measure and Two hundred and Sixty thousand Chaldrons London Measure Instead of Twenty three thousand Tenns of Coals which is 230000 Chaldron of Coals New-Castle Measure and 460000 Chaldron London Measure Rockoning at double Goal as by this Project the Coal-Owners agree to Over-load their Keels and have the Ships make out at London which has been the Medium of the Vend of Coals since the War from the River Tine Coast-ways and over Sea and can never be less unless this Project takes Effect 2. These Coal-Owners agree to Sell or Dispose of this quantity of Coals to no Man or Company of Men but Mr. Shallett or his Order On the other Part Mr. Shallett agrees to take the foresaid Thirteen thousand Tenns of Coals and no less from the said Coal-Owners which is one Third less than the foresaid Medium of the Vend or Export from the River Tine but he obliges himself to Pay for every Chaldron of the said 13000 Tenns no less than Ten Shillings and Six Pence per Chaldron and for some Eleven Shillings per Chaldron which is one Fourth Part more than the best Coals in the River Tine have been Sold for for many Years and a Fifth Part more than the best Collieries can afford to Sell for at Reasonable Profit This is the main Business of the Combination and that which chiefly concerns the Publick I shall not trouble you with the Detail of the private Parts of it which contains the several Quota's of the Coal-Owners which are to be Deliver'd by them and Receiv'd by Mr. Shallett nor shall I trouble you with the Method agreed to deliver them at New-Castle and to Vend them at London which would take almost a Volume to Explain to you But in genetal I assure you my Friend by this Combination the Coal-Owners will receive a Fifth more Profit than reasonably ought to be expected and Mr. Shalett being possess'd of all or most of the Coals Exported from the River Tine can set what Price upon the Coals at London be pleases and where the thing will end no Body knows for every Day they may advance the Price of Coals upon us and thereby equal their Collieries in the North to the Mines of Peru and Mexico or the Trade round the Cape of Good Hope and hereafter the Collier-Trade shall be Christen'd the Black-Indies and Mr. Shallett's Project upon it shall be enlarg'd into Companies upon Joint-Stock The first sight of this soul Business my Friend no doubt will raise both Horrour and Contempt but I assure you the thing is Practicable upon the foremention'd Measures and will take Effect The Persons concern'd in it are Men of Conduct and Interest and have Wit and Address to Colour Countenance and Support most things they Undertake and therefore I beg leave to give you the necessary Lights I have into this dark Business in order to your prevention from being surprized with what may be cunningly offer'd for the Justification of the Undertakers and in doing of this I shall have occasion to give you some further Prospect of the Consequences of this fatal Combination But before I begin to Propose and Answer what the Combinators may say for themselves I desire to discover unto you the Spring that gave Life to this Combination and the Engine that set it first in motion and must keep it still a going Which is in plain English The King and the Peoples Money viz. The Branch of Excise upon Salt in the Port of New-Castle and its Members Together with Excise upon Beer Ale and Spirits in Northumberland Bishoprick and Part of Yorkshire which together one and all amounts to Two hundred thousand Pounds per Annum which 200000 l. by Agreement made betwixt the Commissioners of Excise and Mr. Shallett is return'd from the North by Mr. Shallett for 8 s. in the 100 l. into the Treasury of Excise in Broad-street London this 8 s. in the 100 l. is just 800 l. clear gain to Mr. Shallett per Annum Besides the unspeakable Benefit that it has been and continues to be to him in his Trade and Credit but Mr. Shallett not content with so Profitable and Convenient a Gain is resolv'd to make a farther use of it of which the Commissioners of Excise are absolutely Innocent and no doubt as soon as they discover the ill designs that the King's Money is put to they will take care to place it in better hands which the Nation or he must repent of at last which I shall have occasion to Explain in answering what I know will be offered in his Favour and those concerned with him 1. It will be offer'd that the Combination will fall