It hath pleased his Majesty to plant such Commissioners now, for the management of his Customes, that it is hoped they will do much good, especially in the regulation of the Out-Ports, concerning those notorious evil practises, which have been continually done among them, and for the encouraging of those Officers that are honest and faithful, if they should be troubled at any time, or be any wayes damnified about lawful seizures, by reason of Actions brought against them, that they shall be releived by the Commissioners, and the charges that may arise in such cases at the Law, to be born by the common stock.
[Sidenote: _Concerning Staplers. Quære 1._]
I could say something for the Staplers, though not much, because I cannot find by our Lawes, that any such people were in those dayes, when the Trade and Manufacture of Wooll was first brought into _England_; and yet Wooll was sent to the Staples, and all the Manufacturers thereof, had those sorts that suited best for their trade, and we got and kept the whole trade of our _English_ wooll, and of other Countries to our selves, in this Kingdome, and had the command of the forreign Markets, which was the occasion of the first setling all those Companies, as hath been formerly and briefly set forth; and I doubt not, but that those Staplers will set a gloss upon their business, and without question their money doth speak much for them, lying for the most part in and about _London_, so near to the Fountain of the Lawes; yet I do verily beleive those people have much to answer for, as to the ruine of many poor people, occasioned by their Exportation of Wooll beyond Sea, by which evil practice, the Trade of the kingdome is in a great measure lost, as hath been set forth already something largely; by reason whereof many of our poor people in the kingdome are ready to perish for want of Bread, notwithstanding the great plenty in the Land, and this is because they want work.
I should lose time further to complain, seeing all people are experimentally sensible of the loss and decay of Trade, to the great disadvantage of the Nobility, and Gentry in the Land, as also to the great detriment of the Farmer, and Merchant; although indeed the Poor are most pinchingly sensible hereof, throughout the King’s Dominions, and hence ariseth the want of Money, (the thing by all men complained of) and the fall of Rents occasioned thereby.