'TIS Certain, That the Rock Salt ought to be lookt upon as a Treasure and a Blessing to this Kingdom, in its being so happily discovered in a Time of War, (whereby the Price of that Commodity hath been moderated, which in former Wars was wont to be Excessive) and in such Quantities, as that we have now no more need of buying Salt from Forreigners, but may in some time be in a Condition to Transport it to Forreign Parts. And 'tis evident, that the Persons concern'd in the other Salt works, do use their utmost Endeavours to bring this under all the Discouragements and Difficulties they can, to no other Intent, but that either by quite ruining the Rock Salt, or at least making it dearer, they may keep up their own to higher Prices upon the People; which is a Design that can never be intentionally Countenanc'd by an English Parliament: Besides that, it's plain that the Revenue will be lessen'd, and the Funds prejudic'd, by the Decrease of the Expence, which Necessarily follows the Dearness of Commodities, by every ones spating the Use, and saving the Waste of what is neglected when they are cheaper.

There are two Reasons pretended by the Owners of the Brine-pits, why the Rock Salt should be discouraged, or at least made to pay a higher Duty than the other: The First is, Least the Rock being workt out in time, the Brine pits should be spoyl'd, by their Water's loosing it's strength. The Second is, That the Rock Salt may afford to pay a high­er Duty, because they have their Coals much cheaper.

These are sufficiently answered, if there were no more to be said, than that all Govern­ments permit their Subjects to enjoy the utmost benefit of what Nature gives them; and there was never any such thing heard, as that a Man should be hindered by a Law, from making his best Advantage of a Rich Lead Mine newly discovered, for the sake of his Neighbour, who had an ancienter one, which was much more Chargeable to Work, and yet yielded less Oar.

Yet there is no room for even these weak Objections; because, First, There's more probability of working out the Coal-Mines at New Castle, than of these Salt Mines; in some of which, the Veins of the Mineral Salt are twenty five yards thick: But then if it were possible to work them out, the Brine-pits would not be prejudic't thereby, if as is generally believ'd, the Saline Petrefaction is caused by a Salt Water, and not the Brine-Springs impregnated by the Mineral Salt. For the Second, 'Tis true, that the Workers of the Rock Salt have their Coals cheaper in some Places; but then the digg­ing, landing, and bringing the Rock Salt to the place where it must be melted into Brine, costs manifold more than it doth the Brine-Workers, for they have no more to do than to pump it out of the Brine-Pit into the Pan for boyling, and they are there­by sufficiently over recompenc't for the difference of the price of Coals.

If the Refining of Rock Salt shall be wholly discouraged, the Owners of the Salt Mines will be greatly injur'd in their Properties; divers Persons that have been engag'd in that Business will be wrong'd, not only in being hindered from making a reasonable Improve­ment by, but even quite losing great Summs of Money, which they have laid out upon an Undertaking, not only Lawful, but also of Publick Conveniency to the Kingdom; many hundreds of Work-men will be thrown out of their Work, and depriv'd of the means of maintaining their Families; Employment for many sail of Ships will be lost, and the Western Countries will be much incommoded, who have been for many Ages well furnisht with Salt from Bristol, and other Ports of the Seavern, where they formerly refin'd upon Forreign Salt, but that being now in Effect prohibited, they make all their Salt out of the Rock Salt, and their Trade hath been so much encreas'd, since they have been able to supply the Place of French Salt, that they have much encreas'd their Work­houses, and multitudes depend upon so considerable a Business; on whom 'twould be un­reasonable to put so great a hardship, as to deprive them of their way of Living at once.

'Tis therefore Humbly Hop'd, that when the Honourable House of Commons, shall be rightly inform'd in this Matter, they will, according to their declared Intention in the first Salt Act, ascertain that all kinds of Salt whatsoever, made fit for use, shall pay alike Duty; and that the whole Duty, first secur'd at the Pits upon all the Rock Salt, shall be return'd when it hath paid the full Duty for all the Refin'd Salt that hath been produc'd from it.