The CASE of the Turkey, West-India, and other Merchants and Traders of London, in Reference to the Office of GARBLING.
THAT the Act for Garbling of Spices made 1 Jac. I. might then be convenient; but is now a Ʋseless, Vexatious Burthen on Trade and a Clog upon our Exportation.
When this Act was made Spices were Imported in their Soil, Useless. but is now Imported perfectly Clean; That the Garblers Business for these many Years past hath been only to set his Seal on the Casks or Bales, and take his Money.
And for many Drugs, as Sena, Wormseed, sweet Fennel-Seed, Cassia Lignum, Pearl-Barley, Tea, &c. if uses his Office upon them he spoils them.
By the Penalties of the Act if the Merchant makes not use of the Garbler his Goods are Seised and taken from him,Vexatious. and if he do make use of him his Goods are spoil'd: When the Act had Enumerated several Commodities it adds and all Goods Garbleable, which it seems to give him a Boundless Power, in so much that the present Officer (taking Advantage of those Ʋnlimited Words) does now pretend to Garble Twenty Eight Other Commodities besides those mentioned in the Act, some of which were unknown when that Act was made; and if any Merchant or Trader disputes his Authority he first Seises his Goods and then puts them into the Exchequer, where though he is frequently cast the Defendant recovers no Cost the Suit being in the King's Name; That when the Garbler's Pretences amount to 40 or 50 s. or such a small Summ the Merchant being Dispossess'd of his Goods will pay it, because any Opposition will certainly cost him Five Times as much besides the loss of Time, Hinderance in his Affairs and the Vexation of a Law-Suit: And thus by degrees he will bring all Traders under Contribution.
A Clog to Exportation.The Levant-Company usually Imports from Turkey 6 or 7000 sacks Gauls per Annum, a useful Commodity in our Manufactories, The greater part whereof are Exported (besides several other Commodites) as Drugs and Gauls for Exportation, which have been never required to be Garbled 'till very lately; and if Insisted on, will occasion the Goods to be sent from Turkey directly to Holland and other Markets (to avoid the Vexation and Charge of that Office) to the Prejudice of the English Navigation and the Loss of His Majesties Customs.
When this Act was made we had only a little Ginger from Portugal for our own Expence, but since that by our Plantations of B [...]rbadoes and the Leward-Islands, and the Taking Jamaica which was Fifty Years after the Act was made, we do not only Import for our Comsumption but to Furnish the Northern Markets, and to send gre [...] Q [...]antities to the Mediteranian, in which Exportation the Merchants were ever undisturb'd by the Gar [...] 'till this last Year; but now he has formed a Claim upon this Commodity having begun to Exchequer the Exporters of it which will be of evil Consequence and a great Mischief to our Trade: For it is to be considered, That the Cheapness of any Commodity does encrease its Vent; and that if we can sell cheaper than other our Competitors in the Trade, we shall not only keep what Trade we have but encrease it.
If we were the Sole Masters of the Commodity we might Tax and Burthen it as we please, but the French and Dutch have their Plantations; That if we be pressed either by Old or New Invented Charges, the Trade will certainly be carried from us. Ginger in Times of Peace, doth but Cost in our Plantations 7 or 8 s. per C. His Majesty upon what is Exported only receives 9 d. per C. Custom, and the Garbler demands 12 d. which if the Exporter be forced to pay will be such a Burthen upon it, that the French and Dutch in a few Years will be the Sole Venders of that Commodity.
The Parliament have thought fit for the Export of Provisions to make the Custom free, and even to give a Reward of 5 s. per Quarter upon Wheat, and 2 s. 6 d. upon Barley, &c. to those that Export them: Ginger Gauls and all other Goods Exported will as certainly bring Riches to the Nation and prevent the Export of Bullion.
This Act amongst many other Old Ones had remained obsolete and dissus'd were it not that the Lord Mayors do Sell this Office, Mr. Stewart owning that he gave 976 l. for it to Sir Robert Jefferies, the then Lord Mayor; and the Rent to the City is only 300 l. per Annum; whereas by the present Execution 5 or 6000 l. per Annum may be raised upon the Subject from It.
It is presumed that this Office in its first Institution, was not intrusted in the Hands of the Majestracy to raise Revenues out of It to themselves; but let that be as it will, [...]