[1705/6/48]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Her majesties' high commissioner and the estates of parliament, haveing heard the petition of Mr George Campbell, merchant in Edinburgh, humbly shewing unto them that the petitioner hath, with great pains and industry, found out an improvement whereby the salt as formerly made in the present salt pans may be considerably bettered in its quality and augmented in its quantity more than in the ordinary way hitherto used, whereupon there is a contract drawn up betwixt the salt masters of this kingdom and the petitioner and which is already signed by a considerable number of the salt masters and the petitioner, by which contract the petitioner is to discover and communicat to the said salt masters his said improvement on the terms and conditions expressed in the contract. Likeas, upon the twenty first of November, jM vjC and ninety nine the petitioner obtained an act of privy council in his favors upon the narrative of his said new invention and of his agreement with the salt masters and of the great benefite and advantadge that may redound to the leidges by this so considerable an improvement of the chief manufactory of the kingdom, and therefore, giveing and granting to the petitioner, his heirs and assigneyes, and such only as he and they have agreed or shall agree with, the sole power and priviledge for useing of the said improvement dureing the space of twenty five years next ensuing the date of the said act, in the terms and conditions therein contained, and hereafter expressed in the petitory part of the said petition, as the said contract and act of privy council both produced with the said petition do instruct. And this being a considerable improvement of the chief manufacture of the kingdom and may tend to the great benefite and advantage of the leidges, the petitioner is desireous it should be secured by authority of parliament, and it being not possible to have all salt masters concurring by reason of minors, creditors and salt pans to be built hereafter and other hindrances, and as little just that such as do not agree with the petitioner should have the benefite of his invention and discovery, therefore, craveing his grace and the honourable estates to consider the premisses and for further security and incouragement to the petitioner to pass an act of parliament in favors of the petitioner, and such as do or shall contract with him, giveing and granting to him, his heirs and assigneyes the sole and special licence, power, priviledge and authority that he and they by him and themselves, and by his and their deputes, servants and workmen, and such only as he and his foresaids have agreed or shall agree with, shall and may from time to time and at all times dureing the space of twenty five years after the date of the said act of parliament, use and exerce the petitioner's new way and method of makeing and improveing salt,† that it shall be leisum and lawful to them to enter or accept of the contracts already made or to be made with any of the salt masters upon the same terms that others have agreed into, or entered in thereanent, and the petitioner to be oblidged and, by the said act, declared bound and lyable to receive them upon the same terms that others have already agreed and are received upon, and by the said act to approve and interpone their authority to the contract abovementioned or any other contract or contracts to the same import entered, or to be entered into, betwixt the petitioner and his foresaids and the salt masters or others who do or shall contract with them. And in regaird the present salt works are by act of parliament declared manufactories that, therefore, by the said act all salt works to be fitted and made after the petitioner's new method be declared to continue and be manufactories with all the priviledges and immunities formerly pertaining and belonging to the salt manufactories by the acts of parliament jM vjC and sixty one and jM vjC and eighty one. And for the better incouragement, security and establishment of the said new improvement against minors, creditors and others not contracting with the petitioner or his foresaids, prohibiting and dischargeing all the salt masters or others who have or within the foresaid space of twenty five years may have any going salt pans to use the petitioner's said new method and invention, or to counterfeit or resemble the samen whereby to pretend themselves the inventers and devisers thereof, dureing the space foresaid, unless they first agree with the petitioner or his foresaids in the terms of the contract abovewritten, with certification to them if they or any of them do in the contrair, the going of their salt pans shall be stoped by any judge ordinary upon summar complaint or process instructed by an instrument of interruption taken by the petitioner, till they agree in manner foresaid, or find caution to make their salt after the former manner, without meddleing with the petitioner's said new invention, and they shall also be further punished for their contempt as the lords of privy councill shall see cause. And further, that they shall be answerable to the petitioner and his foresaids according to the outmost rigour of the law for his or their damnages thereby to be sustained. And by the said act, to recommend to all her majesties' judges, officers and ministers of the laws to give their favourable concurrence to the petitioner and his foresaids in the prosecution of the said act, and on all occasions needful to be assistant to them therein, as the said petition bears. And her majesties' said commissioner and the estates of parliament, haveing this day fully considered the said petition and being therewith well and ripely advised, they granted and hereby grant the desire thereof and ordained and hereby ordain this present act to be extended thereupon and given to the petitioner for his security in manner and to the effect represented. Extract.