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The principal tacksmen of his majesty's imposts and customs, their bill to the parliament
To the right honourable my lords and others of this present high court of parliament, the humble petition of his majesty's principal tacksmen of the imposts and customs
Shows,
That whereas the committee of estates of parliament did appoint a committee for regulating the affairs of the exchequer, which committee did set to us a five year tack in November last of his majesty's impost and customs through the whole kingdom, and did oblige themselves to procure the said tack ratified by the estates of parliament then next ensuing and to put us in peaceable possession of the said whole imposts and customs by annulling all tacks and subtacks set to any tacksmen of the same of before or by doing any other thing necessary to us for the good of the said tack, whereby merchants may be encouraged to traffick and trade by exporting or importing commodities, through which the tack may be advanced and we enabled to pay your lordships the due tack duty that we are bound to pay your lordships. Therefore we humbly supplicate your lordships to ratify and approve this our present tack, and to annul and declare void by your lordships' act of parliament all prior tacks or subtacks set to any others in this kingdom of before of whatsoever ports, harbours or bounds, commanding them to desist from molesting us or any of our subtacksmen in uplifting and collecting the imposts and customs through this kingdom. And we do most humbly supplicate your lordships to recommend our pitiful condition to the commissioners of exchequer, that a consideration may be granted to us, seeing, through the appearance of troubles, trade is much decayed and likely totally to cease, whereby your petitioners this year will not recover the half of the tack duty. And lastly that your lordships would appoint ships of strength for clearing the seas from pirates and robbers, that merchants may be encouraged to trade safely without the loss of the whole stocks, life and fortune, as, to their heavy loss and prejudice, they have found these years bygone. And your lordships' answer humbly we expect.
15 March 1649
The estates of parliament ratify the supplicants' tack in the whole heads and articles thereof and annul all former tacks, and recommend the second part of the bill to the exchequer, and remit the last part anent the securing of the seas to the committee of estates.
[John Campbell, earl of] Loudoun, chancellor, in the presence of the lords of parliament