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To his grace [James Douglas], duke of Queensberry, his majesty's high commissioner, and the right honourable the estates of parliament, the humble petition of the heritors of Mid Lothian.
That whereas it has pleased God by the good conduct of his majesty to settle an honourable peace in these parts of Europe, and that thereby we do hope, by his majesty's gracious favour and protection and the care and authority of your grace and the right honourable the estates of parliament, to enjoy the blessed and happy fruits thereof, by your applying such remedies to the present grievances that during the tract of so long a war has crept in, to the great detriment and loss of the subjects of this nation, whereby our trade is mightily decayed, our coin carried out by importation of commodities from places where ours are prohibited, our poor still lying unprovided for as a heavy burden upon the nation, by not executing the good and wholesome laws made relating thereto, and by not duly restraining the export of the product of our own country, whereby our manufactories are discouraged, and the poor thereby want a great relief, and our companies for trade, especially that of our Indian and African Company, so gloriously and advantageously designed for this nation, meets with so great discouragement, both abroad and at home, and which, without your special assistance, protection and encouragement, is likely entirely to go to ruin. To all which we may humbly add the disproportionate burden of so great a number of forces lying upon the nation in the time of peace.
Therefore, may it please your grace and the right honourable the estates of parliament in your wisdom to lay down such measures for executing the many good laws already made, and make others that may be further necessary for regulating and advancing the trade of this nation, supplying and maintaining our poor, and encouraging our manufactories by effectually restraining the import of whatsoever may be manufactured within the kingdom, and to assert also the undoubted right and title of the Indian and African Company to their plantation in Caledonia, which has been and is still unjustly called into question, and to give such support to it as may encourage the adventurers to go on in an undertaking, tending so much to the wealth and honour of the nation, and to relieve our country of so great a number of forces every way so uneasy to the people. And your petitioners shall ever pray.
†9 January 1701
Presented and read in parliament.