The INSTRUCTIONS last sent touching the CUSTOMS.

That all ancient customs paid within the ports of Ireland, and the subsidy of 12d. in the pound, are due to the King by the laws of that realm. It is apparent by the late certificate made by the L. Chief Baron, the Barons of the Exchequer of England, and the King's learned counsel of England, and his Attorney-General of Ireland, being Commissioners appointed for the examination of all charters and claims, pretended to the said customs, by the magistrates and inhabitants of the ports of that kingdom, and that all persons residing there and resorting thither are to pay the same, excepting freemen of the ports of Dublin, Waterford, Drogheda, and Galloway, who claim to be free from payment of the said 12d. in the pound, which certificate in Ireland is extant and to be found.

That the agents lately sent thither are furnished with instructions for the material things fit to be done for the settling and reducing the customs into the King's hands, according to the form now used in England, with fit books of rates for the rating and valuation of all merchandises, with orders and directions for such officers as are to be established for his Majesty's service in that behalf.

That after the consideration of the same mentioned in the King's letters last sent, the next thing convenient to be done will be to settle a competent number of fit persons in every port, to collect the customs to the King's use; so as from and after Michaelmas next they may begin to collect, and in the meantime to be named, chosen, and bound with sureties in the King's Exchequer there for performing their services and yielding accounts according to the form used in that behalf.

The offers which the King in the said last letters hath made to the magistrates and freemen of the ports of Dublin, Waterford, Drogheda, and Galway are so gracious and reasonable, that they have great reason to accept them; for, if it be considered that the merchants of England, for commodities brought from foreign parts and spent within the realm, pay his Majesty a subsidy of 12d. in the pound, and also an impost of like value; and that the merchants of Ireland buying and shipping from England the said foreign merchandises into Ireland, are to have the said impost of 12d. in the pound repaid and answered unto them; the same impost so to be repaid will defray the subsidy which they are to pay in England outwards. And then, if they should be free and pay no customs in their own ports above named, first, the King would lose by their trading into England so much as is to be so repaid for impost; next, profit nothing in Ireland; and thirdly, all the other ports of that kingdom, besides the four above named, would be utterly ruined, for that all the trade would in short time be drawn and brought into the free ports, and the rest neglected. And for the better effecting thereof, the said freemen of the said ports would, by colouring the goods of strangers both in their own ports and also in other parts of that kingdom, and by all other means which they could desire, leave no sinister practice unattempted.

The most part of the merchandises which the realm of Ireland doth afford to be vented outwards, are tallow, hides, timber, butter, grain, yarn, and such like goods, which are by the laws prohibited, and cannot be transported without license. Whereby it is in the power of the Deputy there to impose a certain convenient rate upon the transporting of them, or else to prohibit the transportation of them by any of the said obstinate freemen of the ports aforesaid, and so to hinder and debar them from making their accustomed benefit by the said prohibited commodities during his pleasure.

But the principal way to advance the King's revenue in this behalf, and to preserve all the port towns of Ireland from ruin, will be to counterpoise the balance of trade and traffic equally between all the ports of that kingdom, and to make the rates and payments in all the ports alike. That will be most fitly done by raising upon the merchandises imported or exported by the freemen of the said four ports, so much by way of impost as the freemen of the other ports do yield to pay for subsidy, which the King hath power to do by his prerogative; and by calling their charters and privileges into question effectually, their Trinity guilds, which (as they are used) are mere monopolies, and are the greatest hindrances unto the good of the traffic of that kingdom that can be devised. And it is not to be expected that the customs will ever come unto their full growth and benefit until the said impost be effected and the said Trinity guilds examined.

Endorsed: Irish customs, July 1611.

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