AN Act was passed to charge 2 s. per annum Duty to the King upon every Fire-hearth and Stove; 14 Car. 2. In which Act it is pro­vided, That the same should not extend to charge any Blowing-House, and Stamp-Furnace, or Kiln, nor any other House wherein there are but Two Chimneys, and for which the Rent paid is not above 20 s. yearly.

Upon former complaint made to the Parliament, by the Black-Smiths, of several Abuses committed in the Collecting of Hearth-Money.

The said Smiths Petition was committed to the Committee of Grievances; Nov. 6. 1667. Which Committee several times met, and Voted all the Matters complained of to be Grievances: And amongst many other things, They

Resolved; That no private Oven, no Still, no Smiths-Forge or Blowing-House, no Furnace, no places in Kitchins for keeping Dishes warm, or Stewing; no Lead or Copper, nor any place used onely for conveighing the Smoke, or for receving the Coles drawn out of the said Ovens or Furnaces from under the said Leads or Coppers, and not used as a Hearth for any other intent or pur­pose, ought by any of the said Acts of Parliament to be charged as Fire-Hearths, and be lyable to the said Duty.

And that the best way to remedy the said Inconveniences, would be a New Bill.

The Committee made part of their Report to the House, Dec. 7. 1667. and the House agreed all their Resolves to the 12th to be Grievances.

The House proceeding to take into further consideration the Committees Report concerning Hearth-Money, Decemb. 10. 1667. and all Resolves from the 11th, with the Opinion of the Committee being read the second time, were, upon the Question, severally agreed unto by the House to be Grievances.

Resolved; That a Bill be brought in for the Redressing the Grievances and Abuses in Collecting of Hearth-Money, and for the better ascertaining the Duty upon the several Heads, and the Opinion of the Committee in their Report being all agreed to by the House, it was referred to the same Committee to prepare and bring in a Bill accordingly.

Accordingly a Bill was brought in, and twice read, and committed, but the House was Prorogued before the Committee could come to make their Report.

Nevertheless the poor People in the several Counties in England did think themselves secure in these Votes and Resolves of the House, and accordingly were quiet in the Countrey for some years after, but are now disturbed in most places of England: To in­stance all would be long, therefore shall insist only upon one Place, whose Case is the same with all others of their Trades in other parts of England.

In Hallamshire there are above One Thousand Cutlers, Sciser-Smiths, Shere-Smiths, Sickle-Smiths, &c. And at Brimmingham are Sword-Smiths, Cutlers, Spurriers, Bridle-Bit-Makers, Naylers, and divers other Handicrafts Men who live by Manufacturing of Iron and Steel, are very Poor, have numerous Families, most of them Working at 6 d. or 8 d. a day Wages, cannot make any Work without Blowing, and therefore must have Blowing-Forges in their Houses, (as well as Thousands of others in other parts of England;) some of them (though the poorest Men of all) have Two or Three.

These most of them live in poor Cottages, wherein there are not above two Chimneys apeece, and for which there is not above 20 s. per annum Rent paid.

For several years after the Act, and Additional and Explanatory Acts, and Votes and Resolves aforesaid concerning the Du­ty of Hearth-Money passed, there was no demand made of these poor People of any Duty for their Forges.

But since the Collectors of the Chimney-Money have made Demands upon all those poor People of 2 s. a Forge, (which is ex­presly against the Letter of the Acts and Votes aforesaid) and for non-payment have made Distresses, taken away their Goods, to their great prejudice, whereby they are discouraged from continuing to work any longer. And which is most severe, they com­monly destrain upon their Working-Tools, which for want of Money they cannot sometimes redeem in four or five days; all which time they stand still, and must lose the getting much more than might have paid the Duty demanded.

Several have had Tryals at the Assizes concerning this Demand, been put to vast Charges, and upon the Tryals special Verdicts being found, the Persons have attended many years in London to have got them Argued, but cannot obtain the same, which is their further Grievance; inasmuch as their Journeys, Expences in attending, and loss of their Time and Work by such delayes, tend to their and their Families ruine.

If these Forges be made lyable, then the Case will be sad to the Poor, who were (as appears by the Act) intended to be exemp­ted, (having not above two Chimneys apeece in their Houses, and not paying above 20 s. a year Rent) for if they shall be judged as Hearths, then having two Chimneys, and most of them two or three of these Blowing-Forges, they will be brought by this Con­trivance to pay 6, 8, or 10 shillings per annum to the King for a House of 20 s. a year Rent, which they humbly conceive was not the Intention of the Parliament, their Act being expresly to the contrary; And if it be not so, will tend to the Ruine of those Ma­nufactures, and thereby many thousands of his Majesties poor Subjects.

Therefore they most humbly pray the favour of this Honourable House to declare their Intentions in this Matter, that they may be discharged from any further Attendance upon the Court of Kings Bench for Arguing the said spe­cial Verdict, and not be disturbed upon this Account for the future.

And they shall pray, &c.