1611. Vol. 629, p. 184. 118. An ANSWER to the Objections against the transporting of By the first it is confessed necessary that all merchandise shall be sold only in set markets. 1. The means to bring their markets in Ireland to English fashion is the orderly bringing in of things vendible unto the market where property may be altered by sale to the benefit of the subject, as the same is here in England, and by proclamation if this shall be, the people will be settled and markets kept accordingly. There is then no reason to respite a proclamation that will instruct the people how and where to market for their own good. 2. The merchant enriched by hurt of the common weal seeks still to enrich himself by all underhand dealing and private bargaining, and is ever discontented with public proceeding for benefit of the common weal. Inhibitions and licenses bring benefit to the common weal as appears by many statutes, as well for the good of England as of Ireland, which ordain, restrain, and yet again give liberty as time and cause requires for the good of the common weal. 3. The benefit of this appears by many statutes made for the good of both realms, by which merchant strangers are restrained and sellers also. Markets increase commerce and procures one produce to be brought to sale for buying of another, which teaches that [he] that has access to the market shall be more readily furnished with commodity wherein to employ his money, and so the seller furnished with money to buy. 4. Many, but especially the factious, will speak against Government how good soever, and the imposition is not so great, but a great has been, as namely, 2s. for every barrel of wheat that is transported, and a raw hide is always as good and of as great price as a barrel of wheat, and experience teaches that the merchant charged with a burthen will make his return by buying and selling accordingly. 5. To restrain the several, and license some particular, is in places of government found very necessary, and there is no question but licenses and inhibitions are prejudicial and beneficial to some, but the best for the King and the Commonwealth is to be preferred, though some grief thereby rise to some particular. 6. Love of subjects is to be preferred before commodity, but in granting this that is desired, if he lose the love of one greedy merchant he shall gain the love of many hundred good subjects. The rent reserved will be no hindrance to the King's custom. 7. If hides were the only commodity of Ireland, and the merchant stranger had nothing to buy in the land but hides, the opposition were something, but the merchant stranger buys many other commodities of the country, and 1611. this puts him to no charges, nor restrains him merely from buying, for he may lawfully buy from merchants of the country (with whom he deals) and takes commodities from them, in respect the Irish home merchant will not suffer the stranger to buy or deal. It cannot be any prejudice to his Majesty's custom, for such hides as the country affords will first come to the home merchant, and from him to the stranger that transports and pays customs. 8. Hides are seldom laden without some great quantity which cannot be of raw hides, and if the proclamation do not restrain raw hides and the transportation of them, which seldom happens, it will enhance the price of leather in the country. Transportation of salt hides may enhance, therefore restraint or license should be as occasion requires. 9. Touching the undertakers of Mounster, there are few of them who dwell by the sea side, and such as do, never have any bark or vessel of their own, nor yet transport anything of themselves, and they and their tenants send all their corn and commodities to the sea towns, and if like should be in Ulster they would follow the like, and yet they were to be restrained or licensed at the King's pleasure; and even in Mounster there are many more tanners than can get hides to use their trade, by reason the merchant engrosses all. 10. The country offers plentiful bark, and tanners would be in and adjoining to market towns, if hides were brought for them to buy, but being forestalled by the merchants, the tanner wants employment, and therefore arise defects of one of the wealthiest trades; and to say that one only tans well is no conclusion. In the towns of Leinster, Galloway, and Alloune there are very many tanners. 11. The merchant does not lend but for his own private profit, which if it rises to him by the hide, must again be received by the butcher, from the commonalty, by sale of the carcase, and so the price of victual is enhanced to the prejudice of the common weal and enrichment of the merchants. 12. If so small number be transported the burthen is the less, and no person could be discontented with the imposition, but the number of hides that are transported are far beyond that, that is supposed, although haply it may not appear to the general officer, for they are secretly and at unseen creeks transported to the great loss of the King's customs. Pp. 4. Endorsed. HIDES. Vol. 629, p. 187. 119. TEN lawful and merchantable hides (viz., of cows that be about or above 3 years old) makes a dicker, and 20 dickers a last. The price of raw hides usually is (in Cork, Youghall, &c.,) 6s. or 7s. a piece, sometimes more but seldom less. The price of a dry hide is half as much as a raw hide. There are now but few of this kind. 1611. Vol. 629, p. 189. 120. The price of a tanned hide is usually 108. or 12s. The greatest vent they have for these hides is at St. Malloe's, in France, where they sell them, viz., raw hides at 10s. a piece, dry hides at 5s. a piece, tanned hides at 158. a piece. They also send hides sometimes to Lysborn [Lisbon], but mostly to Civell [Seville] and the Cannaras [Canaries], where they sell them much about the price they do in France. In the time of the wars Cork has all the traffic and transport of hides from Kinsale, Ross, Kerry, Desmound, &c., and then they transported near a hundred lasts a year, but now they transport not past 30 or 40 lasts yearly. A stone of tallow is commonly sold for 2s. 6d., and they seldom buy any unless it be refined. The stone is 14 lb. weight, and 8 stone make a great hundred. P. 1. INSTRUCTIONS for Wines, Aqua Vitæ, and Usquebagh. The same laws which restrain the retailing of wines, and inflict penalties upon such persons as sell wines by retail in their houses in England without warrant under the Great Seal are also in force in Ireland, and the same penalties are also incurred there by such persons as retail wines in their houses within that kingdom. By releasing the penalties already incurred, and granting licenses under the Great Seal of that kingdom for their warrant and preservation from the like penalties in time to come, and by adding thereunto the sale and retailing of all sorts of aqua vitæ and usquebagh, some reasonable profit may be conveniently raised, by some indifferent fines and rents to be agreed and compounded for by such persons as shall use trade. For the effecting thereof, it will be requisite that the persons already sent over as agents for the King's customs there be also appointed to travel in this business. The entrance into which business is thus.-First, the Lo. Deputy and Council of Ireland by their warrants directed to every sheriff, mayor, and magistrate shall require that they immediately cause their bailiffs and officers in their several circuits and precincts to collect and gather into a roll, the names of every person retailing any sort of wine, aqua vitæ, or usquebagh within the same, and the place and places in which they then dwell, and summon them to appear before the Lo. Deputy and Council and the said agents or commissioners on such days and at such places as are appointed by the Lo. Deputy. At the appearance of these persons, the Attorney General of Ireland, or some other, appointed by the Lo. Deputy, shall make known to them, in the presence of the Council, the great danger into which they have run by selling wines, &c., in their houses by retail, contrary to the laws, and the great 1611. May 8. Vol. 629, p. 191. 121. penalties which the King may by the same laws inflict upon them. Afterwards he shall let them know that his Highness in consideration and favour towards them, is pleased to send over certain agents and commissioners, authorised to compound with every of the said vintners. And he shall tell them that every person who refuses to compound must be subject to such penalties as the Lo. Deputy and Council shall think fit to lay and impose upon them for the King's use, and also be for ever debarred from selling and retailing of any sort of the same at any time after, and that others shall be authorised in their rooms. And thereupon if any shall immediately enter into speech of making composition, it will be good to deal favourably with them, and another day and place appointed to all the residue, at which time (after due and mature consideration) they may give up their answers and full resolutions. On the second day of appearance it will be fit to take especial notice of such persons and their dwellings who refuse either to appear or to compound, and to give them especial charge that by a certain day (then to be set), they surcease retailing any sort of wine, &c. That the Lo. Deputy and Council upon all needful occasions upon the informations of the said agents or commissioners grant and send warrants from time to time for the apprehending of all such persons, [as] either refuse to make composition, or to surcease retailing of wines according to the order given as aforesaid. Pp. 2. Endorsed. ADVICES for the Establishment of the county of Longford. That the inhabitants of that county be freed from the distresses and dependency of any but the King, and that the 2007. per annum claimed by the assignees of Sir Nicholas Malby's and Sir Francis Shane's rents and Irish chiefries be compounded for and extinguished. The means to accomplish this: (1.) First, that the patent granted to O'Farroll Boy be surrendered or avoided, and the freeholders give up their estates, whereby the whole country may be in the King['s hand] of which so many cartrons may be assigned to Sir Francis Shane and his heirs as may countervail his yearly rent of one hundred pounds English per annum of clear yearly value (ultra reprisas), to be indifferently set forth out of both the O'Farroll's parts, the same to be laid in the most convenient places for Granard and the Abbey of Longford, and then granted to Sir Francis in fee farm. (2.) Secondly, that all the rest of these possessions (except for so much as is hereafter otherwise appointed) be re-granted 1611. in fee simple from the King to the chiefest men and the ancientest inhabitants and their heirs, with reservation of so many particular rents as shall amount to 150l. English per annum, in satisfaction of Malbie's rent being the King's composition out of that county, in which reservation regard may be had of the chief Irish lords, that their rents may be small in regard they lose their chiefries. (3.) That the fort of Balleleig with 300 acres be granted in fee simple to some good servitor to be appointed by the Lo. Deputy, who will be bound to the inhabitants there and maintain the fort at his own charge, Sir Patrick Barnwell having built as fair and strong fort and house on the other side, the passage against this fort, as is able to command the fort by the same, [it] is unmeet to be kept as the King's fort. (4.) The impediment to this settlement is the patent of O'Farrall Boy, which is thought to be void in law, but, if it were good, that part is chargeable with all these rents, and therefore it is likely that they will surrender, if they may be eased of their charge in passing this new assurance, and well dealt with in these tenures, for the effecting whereof commissions may be granted to Mr. Baron Hase; Mr. Baron Eliott; Mr. Beere, the King's serjeant; Sir Patrick Barnwell; Sir Christopher Nugent; William Parsons; Edward Beecher; Pierce Dillon FitzRichard, of Demonlaig, in the county of Longford; James Magauley, of Ballighlow, in the county of Westmeath; Edward Pond; or any five or more of them, whereof Baron Hasett, Baron Eliott, Mr. Beere, Sir Patrick Barnwell, Sir Christopher Nugent to be three, all of whom may attend this affair without extraordinary charge to the King. These commissioners are to take the surrenders of all people who pretend title; and their names and general holdings may be entered into a book and so surrendered. These commissioners are to impannell one or more juries of the better sort of inhabitants of every barony, who are to present how many cartrons of land in that county were subject to those charges, and who were reported to be the ancient tenants of those lands, and what other lands are not charged in that county, and who are the reputed owners of them, what lands are in the county that are the King's and by what title, and what church land is in that county, and by whom the same is enjoyed, and by what title. And then the commissioners are to proportion out for Sir Francis Shane so much of those lands aforesaid as may well countervail his 100l. per annum for ever hereafter, and so much land as may recompence his arrearages, and plot and rate the King's rent upon the rest of the land to be granted to the natives. (5.) For passing the general patents one book may be agreed on by the King's Council, for which there may be given some reasonable fee, and all the rest pass without fee, the |