The CASE of the Company of
Glass-sellers in
London, and all others selling Glasses or Earthen Wares, in any City, Burrough, Town-Corporate, or Market-Town in
England and
Wales, in relation to the Bill for suppressing of
Hawkers, Pedlers, &c.
Humbly offered to the Consideration of both the Honourable Houses of Parliament.
ALL Pedlers and petty Chapmen, wandring abroad, 39 Eliz. Ch. 4. are adjudged Rogues and Vagabonds, with a Proviso for Glass-Men, licensed to travel in the Countries only.
Whereas in the Statute of 39. 1 Jacob. Ch. 7. Eliz. There was a Proviso, That the said Statute should not extend to such Glass, Men as were of good behaviour, and should travel through any County without begging, having License from three Justices of the said County where they travel. Said Proviso repealed, and Glass-men made Rogues. By reason of which Liberty, many notorious Rogues and Vagabonds, and evil disposed Persons have undertaken, and do profess the Trade of Glass-Men, and by colour thereof, do travel up and down divers Counties of this Realm, and do commit many Pickeries, petty Felonies, and other Misdemeanors. For the avoiding of which inconveniency, Be it Enacted, &c. That all such Persons that shall wander up and down to sell Glasses, shall be adjudged, deemed, and taken as Rogues and Vagabonds, and shall suffer the like pain and punishment in every degree, as by the same 39 of Eliz. is appointed, and is further provided in this Statute.
In the Act for the Poor, 14 Car. 2. Ch. 2. The 39 Eliz. and 1 Jacob. reinforc'd; But the Reward made so small, have never been executed. His M [...]jesties order in the Glass-sellers Charter. To suppress Hawkers of Glasses, &c. within the limits of their Corporation. In their By-Laws signed by the Judges. It is Enacted, That whereas those good Laws have not been put in execution, for want of encouragement to such as should apprehend Rogues; That every Person that shall hereafter apprehend a Rogue, shall receive of any Constable, through whose Parish he had passed unapprehended, for every Rogue two shillings, which, if any Constable shall refuse to pay, the Justice of Peace shall proceed against the Constable, according to the Statutes of 39 Eliz. and 1 Jacob. Which is, for his neglect of apprehending a Rogue, twenty shillings; out of which money, the Constable or other Person that hath apprehended the Rogue, is to be paid two shillings, and also to be satisfied for his loss of time.
Our further Will and Pleasure is, and We do hereby straitly charge and command, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, which by the Statute made in the first year of the Reign of our late Royal Grandfather King James, or any other Law of this our Realm, are prohibited to carry Glasses or Earthen Wares to sell, do at any time hereafter presume to wander up and down to sell Glasses or Earthen Wares; or to act, or do any thing contrary to these Statutes upon the pains and penalties therein declared, and such other punishment as can or may be inflicted upon such Offenders, according to the Laws of this Realm: And We will and straitly command, that the Masters and Wardens, &c. of the Company of Glass-Sellers of London, do from time to time take care, that at all times hereafter, The said Statutes be put in full execution upon all such Offenders, as shall presume to wander up and down to sell Glasses or Earthen Wares in our City of London, or within seven miles thereof. And his Majesty commands all Mayors, Bayliffs, Justices, Constables, and other Officers, to be aiding and assisting the said Company of Glass-Sellers therein.
It is Ordered, That every Member of the Corporation of Glass-Sellers, shall use his utmost care and endeavour to discover all such Persons as shall wander up and down to sell any Glasses or Earthen Wares, and as often as he shall discover any such, immediately to give notice thereof to the next Constable or other Officer, to the intent they may be punished according to the Statutes of 39 of Eliz. or the 1 of King James, or any other Statute of this Realm made to punish Pedlers, and Petty Chapmen &c. And every Member of this Company neglecting his duty herein, is to forfeit for every Offence five shillings.
Upon all which Laws and Orders, The Glass-sellers endeavours to suppress them. and in discharge of their duty therein, the said Company of Glass-Sellers have been at very great trouble and expence for many years, to suppress these wandring Glass-Men; and although some have been whipt and imprisoned for their Offences, they still abound more than ever, they being a sturdy incorrigible sort of People, who regard not such corporal punishment.
Provided also, Proviso in the Patent granted for licensing of Pedlers and Petty Chapmen. That this our said Commission, nor any thing therein contained, shall not extend to impower our said Commissioners to give or grant License or Priviledg to any Person or Persons whatsoever, to travel or wander up and down to sell any sort of Glasses, or Earthen or Gally Ware, contrary to the Statute of the 39 of Eliz. or the 1 of King James, or of any other Laws or Statutes of this our Realm in that Case made and provided.
There is in and about London near an hundred Glass-Sellers, many of which, by reason of the Bulkiness of their Commodities, are constrained to exercise their Trades in houses of near 100 pound per Annum, and it is believed pay more Scot and Lot, and bear more publick Offices in one year, than all the Pedlers and Petty Chap-men in England do in seven; who yet many of them are almost undone already, Reasons why these persons should be suppressed. by reason of the multitudes of these wandring Glass-Men all England over, who now go about, not only with Baskets and Crates, but also with Horses and Asses laden with all sorts of Glasses and Earthen Wares, which, if not timely restrained, the said Shop-keepers will be utterly disabled to pay their Rents, or maintain their Families, but must be constrained to leave their Shops, and betake themselves to the like practice of sending their Wares abroad.
There is no need of such people to wander abroad to supply the Countries with these Commodities; Glasses and Earthen Wares being sold by Shop-keepers in all Market Towns, and almost in all Villages in England, and would be much more in Cities, Burroughs, Towns-Corporate, if these People were suppressed. Which Shop-keepers are forced, by reason of the Bulkiness and Brittlenss of these Wares, to take greater Houses, and pay greater Rents than otherwise they need to do, and pay all publick Taxes, and Parish Rates and Duties.
These Hawkers of Glasses and Earthen Wares do generally carry abroad, and cheat the Gentry and others with very imperfect and deceitful Wares, as with Earthen Wares not fully burnt, which will crack, and the white peel off, when wet and used, and Glasses not well nealed, but crackt and faulty, which defects are not easily discerned, unless by Persons of judgment in those commodities, and sell only such Ill-made Wares as Shop-keepers cannot put off.
They are grown so insolent, that they frequently offer their Wares to the Shop-keepers Customers at their Shop-doors; nay, even in their houses, and will call their Customers out of their Shops, and sell them Ware before their faces, of which there can several Instances be given.
They very often corrupt Mens Servants where they come, and tempt them to steal their Masters Provisions to truck with them for such things as they have a mind to, or occasion for.
It will be in vain to prohibit the carrying abroad of Linnen Cloath, or other Wares, if these wandering Glass-Men are not suppressed; for Glasses being a light Commodity, they will carry any other commodities covered in the Straw, in which Glasses and Earthen Wares are always packt.
It is therefore most Humbly prayed, on the behalf of all the Glass-Sellers in London, Westminster, Sou [...] wark, and all other Cities, Burroughs, Towns Corporate, and Market Towns, at least in England and Wales, that a Proviso may be added to the Bill now depending against Pedlers, To prohibit all Hawkers of Glasses or Earthen Wares from Travelling, or wandring, or going about in any City, Burrough, Town-Corporate, or Market-Town in England or Wales with Crates, Baskets, or otherwise, to sell, offer, or Barter any Glasses or Earthen Wares, upon pain of suffering the same penalties inflicted by the Act upon other Pedlers and petty Chapmen, to be recovered in like manner, and for the same uses, that other penalties Inflicted upon other Pedlers and petty Chapmen are to be recovered and imployed.