[1681/7/64]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forasmuch as ther being a petition presented to the king's majestie and estates of parliament be Frederick Hamilton and John Corse, for themselves, and in name and behalf of their partners, maisters of the tuo suggarworks at Glasgow, representing that upon the encouragement given to them be the acts of parliament made anent manufactories, they did imploy a great pairt of their stocks and fortunes in setting up the saids tuo works, which are now brought to that perfection that they are able and doe sell the suggar at a thrid part cheaper then the same can be imported from abroad, by which many people are keept at work, and a great stock of money, which used to be exported, keeped within the kingdom, and wheras, by the tuelt act of his majesties' last parliament, the former acts anent manufacturies are ratified and approven, and it is thereby declared and ordained that if any strangers shall come or be brought in to this kingdom by natives to set up work and teach his airt of makeing of cloath stuffs, stockings, soap or any kynd of manufacture, that he shall enjoy the benefite of law and all other privileges that a native doeth enjoy, with power to erect manufactures, either in burgh or land as they shall think fitt, and ther to dwell and exercise their trade without any stop or trouble, and that they shall have libertie and freedom of trade and to buy and purchase lands and heretages and all other goods moveable and immoveable, and all other privileges, liberties and capacities that doeth belong to any native subjects born within this kingdom, and for the further encouragement of manufactures all oyl, dying stuffs, forraign wooll, potashes or any other materials whatsoever usefull for manufactures that shall be imported, are declared to be free of custom and excise and all other publict dues in all time coming, and that all cloaths stuffs, stockings or any other commodities to be made and exported by them, shall be free of custome and excise for the space of 19 yeers after the date thereof; and it is furder declaired that any stock employed or to be employed for erecting and intertaining any manufactures, the same shall be free of all privat and publict taxes whatsoever and all quartering and levying of souldiers, and that all the servants of the saids manufactures shall be free of watching, warding, militia and levyes dureing their actuall service therein, for the space of seven years after the date of the said act; with power to the maisters, erectors or intertainers of the saids manufactures, to meet for making of ordinances for the right ordoring of their services, sufficiency of their stuffs, cloath and others and for appointing visitors of their work; and therefore, humbly supplicating that the saids tuo suggar-works might be declared to be manufactures and that they may have, possess and enjoy the haill freedoms, privileges and immunities contained in the saids acts of parliament, and particularly that the collectors, customers and waiters may be discharged from exacting of any custom, excise or other publict dues for any of the materialls necessar imported for the said manufactures in all time coming, or of any commodities as the product of the said manufacture, for the space of nineteen yeers after the dait heirof, conform to the said act of parliament; and that the maisters of the said manufacture may be allowed to grant transires for the product of the said manufactures without application to the custom-house of Glasgow. The king's majestie and estates of parliament, having heard and considered the foirsaid petition and report of the lords of the articles theranent, doe hereby declare the saids tuo suggar-works of Glasgow to be manufactures, and ordains the petitioners and their successors to have, possess and injoy the haill freedoms, privileges and immunities contained in the foirsaids acts of parliament, and discharges the collectors, customers and waiters present and to come from exacting of any custom, excise or other publict dues for any of the materialls imported for or made use of be the saids manufactures, in all tyme coming, or of any commodities being the product of the saids manufactures, for the space of nyntein years after the dait hereof, conform to the said act of parliament; and gives warrand to the maisters of the saids manufactures to grant transires for the product of the saids manufacturies, without necessity of any application to the custom-hous of Glasgow.