[A1641/8/154]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Supplication of William Dick of Braid remitted to the exchequer†
To the king's most excellent majesty and honourable estates of parliament, the humble petition of William Dick of Braid, your highness's principal tacksman of your majesty's customs of this kingdom,
Shows that in the years of God 1637, 1638 and 1639, which was the last year of the tack set to me thereof, I really paid the whole tack duty of the said customs the said three years to John [Stewart], earl of Traquair, your majesty's treasurer. Nevertheless, the merchants and others, apprehending eminent dangers and troubles in these years, deserted all customable trade, only importing ammunition such as musket, pick, powder, bullet and match, pretending immunity from all custom thereof, notwithstanding the great advantage they made thereby; and all utterly refused not only making lawful entry but also payment of their due customs, and, contrary to my expectation and foreknowledge, upon 11 June 1640 procured an act of the estates of parliament ordaining all sort of ammunition imported within the kingdom the said year 1637 and to be imported thereafter during the troubles to be free of all customs and imposition, to my heavy prejudice and loss, unless your royal majesty and estates provide remedy. Likewise in the time of the reading of the said act, I came in face of parliament and protested against the same, which protestation was admitted.
Wherefore I most humbly beseech your most sacred majesty and the honourable estates of parliament to take to your gracious consideration my real advancement to your highness's treasurer of the whole tack duty of the said custom the said three years and my heavy prejudice and loss by the merchants' refusal of payment of their due customs the said three years, and act foresaid of exemption of them therefrom. And either to grant me real and personal execution against merchants and all others that have imported any ammunition the said three years for payment to me of their due customs, or otherwise appoint me to have retention and allowance in my hand of as much impost and other customs intromitted with and to be intromitted with by me as may be equivalent to my prejudice and loss of the said customs the said three years. Wherein your sacred majesty's and honourable estates' answer humbly I attend.
16 November 1641
Read in audience of the king's majesty and estates of parliament, and referred by them to the exchequer.
[John Elphinstone, lord] Balmerino, in presence of the lords of parliament