THE Petitioners are several Tradesmen, and Artificers, who are con­cerned in the manufacture of Fanns, in which great Numbers of Men, Women and Children, used to be constantly Employed, some in making the Sticks, Papers, Leathers, and in Ordering and Stiffning of the Silks, others in Painting, Varnishing, and Japanning, and in preparing other Materials wherewith Fanns are made, by which there used to be Yearly consumed great Quantities of Silk, Paper, Leather, Wyer, and several Tunns of Whale-bone, Tortoise-shell, Ivory, Box, Ebony, and other sorts of Wood, which were Im­ported from Turky, Russia, and other Foreign Parts, to the Increase of His Ma­jesty's Customs, and to the great Benefit and Advantage of our Woollen Manu­facture, for which such Foreign Goods were bought in Exchange; so that by the making of Fanns here at home, not only the Woollen Manufacture, and the King's Customs are greatly advanced, but abundance of Poor People are con­tinually kept at Work. All which Advantages to the Common-wealth are now likely to be destroy'd, by the Importation of vast Quantities of Fanns from the East-Indies, from whence there have been lately brought over above a 130000, tho' scarce half that Quantity hath been Entred in the Custom-house, the rest ha­ving been Fraudulently conveyed on Shoar by the Seamen and others, without paying any Duty; and as for the Duty which is paid, 'tis but inconsiderable, in comparison of the Duty which arises from the Commodities Imported from Turky, Russia, and other Foreign Parts, which are consumed here about the Fanns; and besides formerly great Quantities of our own Fanns have been Exported, for which a considerable Duty used to be paid to the King; so that 'tis hoped that this Honourable House will think fit to Prohibit the Importation of Indian Fanns, and Fan-sticks, as well as Silks and Callicoes; for that thereby, not only the Woollen Manufacture, and His Majesty's Customs are considerably Lessen'd and Impair'd; but also Multitudes of Poor Artificers, and their Families will be re­duced to a Deplorable Condition. And many of them for want of Work are al­lready become a Burthen to the several Parishes where they Inhabit.