THE Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London for the time being, by An­cient Usage and Custom of the said City, confirmed by several Acts of Parlia­ment, and saved to them by the Statute of 12 Car. 2. Cay. 24. That enables the Fathers to appoint Guardians for their Children by Deed or Will, Have been and are Guardians to the Children of all Free-men of London, being Orphans, under the Age of One and twenty years, at the time of the Decease of their Parents, till they attain such Age; and hold a Court before themselves for the good Government of the Estates and Persons of such Orphans. The Executor or Administrator of every Freeman, leaving any Orphan, by the said Custom is obliged on pain of Imprisonment, forthwith after the De­cease of the Free-man, to deliver into the said Court upon Oath, a perfect Inventory of the Estate of such Free-man, and within two Months after to pay into the Chamber of, Lon­don such part thereof as shall belong to any Orphan, or to become bound to the Cham­berlain of London, with Three sufficient Sureties, Free men of London, for payment of the same at such time as the Orphan shall attain the Age of one and twenty years, be married, or die; and that in case any of the Security die or become insolvent before the Money be paid, to bring in so many other good and sfficient Sureties as the said Court should, accept and allow of to be Security for the Payment as aforesaid.

The hardship of the said Custom, in relation to the Security required, rendred it difficult in all Orphans Cases, and in most of them impossible to prevent their Estates being put into the Chamber of London. And there is now due from the City of London to about Fourteen hun­dred of Orphans, whose Estates, since the Burning of London in the year 1666. and before the bringing of the Quo Warranto against the said City, pursuant to the said Custom; and by Process and Compulsion of the said Court of Orphans, and for want of Security, were paid into the said Chamber of London, the Sum of 508314 li. 12 s. 4 d. Principal Money, besides Finding Money, the non-payment whereof hath reduced the greatest part of the said Orphans, their whole Fortunes being in the said Chamber, to extream want and Misery.

This Honourable House were pleased the last Session, to order a Bill to be prepared and brought in by a Committee of the House, for Relief of the Orphans, upon the Heads un­der-mentioned; which Bill was accordingly brought in, and twice read in the House, and committed to a Committee of the whole House, and once read there, and thereupon the House Adjourned, and afterwards was Prorogued, and thereby the said Bill abated.

To Appropriate the City Lands towards payment of Four pounds per Cent. per Ann. for ever, for every Hundred pounds of the Orphans principal Debt.

The Ancient Duty of Trovage, or Weighing of Un-freemens Goods.

The Ancient Duty or Water-bailage for Un-freemens Goods imported or exported to and from London.

The Outropers Office for Goods sold by Out-cry or Auction in London.

The Duty belonging to the Fifteen Cole-meeters of London after their Death.

For Eight pence per Chaldron on all Coals imported to London.

For One Penny per Quarter on all Corn, Grain, Seed, Mault, Meal or Flower imported or brought to London.

For one Moiety of the Duties arising by Hackney-Coaches. All these with the City-Lands to be applyed for the Purpose abovesaid, viz. For the Use of the said Orphans.

Since the said Orphans are reduced to this Deplorable Condition without any default in themselves, their Estates having been forced into the Chamber of the said City by the Law of the Land, and not voluntarily paid in, and it not having been in their powers to prevent mis-applying the same by the Persons the Law had fixed to be their Guardians,

It is humbly hoped, That the Parliament in commiseration thereof, will by their Le­gislative Power provide such Relief to the Distressed Orphans, that they may not remain so great Sufferers by their having yielded obedience to the known Laws of the Land.