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Our sovereign lord, with advice and consent of his estates of parliament, ratifies the eleventh act of the 18th parliament of King James VI, of worthy memory, made anent coal-hewers and salters, with this addition: that because watermen who scoop and draw water in the coalheugh head and gatesmen who work the ways and passages in the said heughs, are as necessary to the owners and masters of the said coalheughs as the coal-hewers and bearers, it is therefore statute and ordained by our sovereign lord, with advice and consent foresaid, that no person shall hire nor seduce any watermen, windsmen and gatemen without a testimonial of the master whom they serve, under the pains contained in the former acts in all points. And because it is found by experience that the giving of great fees has been a means and way to seduce and bring coal-hewers from their masters, it is therefore also statute and ordained that it shall not be lawful for any coalmasters in this kingdom to give any greater fee than the sum of 20 merks in fee or bounty, under any colour or pretext; and because the said coal-hewers and salters and other workmen in coalheughs within this kingdom do lie from their work at Easter, Christmas Day, Whitsunday [May/June] and certain other times in the year, which times they employ in drinking and debauchery to the great offence of God and prejudice of their master, it is therefore statute and ordained that the said coal-hewers and salters and other workmen in coalheughs of this kingdom work all the six days of the week, except the time of Christmas, under the pain of 20s Scots to be paid to their master for each day's failing (in addition to the prejudice sustained by their said masters) and other punishment of their bodies.