WHEREAS We are Informed, That in many Cities and Towns Corporate within this Kingdom, greater Customes, Tolls and Duties than are Really due, have been of late exacted in Right of the said Corpora­tions, upon Goods imported or exported into, or out of the said Cities and Towns Corpo­rate, to the great prejudice of His Majesty in His Customes, the decay of Trade, and the discouragement of Merchants, and o­thers from setling themselves and their [...] Families in this Realm. For Remedy whereof, We the Lord Lieutenant and Council have thought fit hereby, to Require all Magistrates, and other Officers intrusted with the Collection, or Receipt of any Customes, Tolls or other Duties, claimed or pretended unto by any the Corporations of this Kingdom, or by any Companies, Societies or Guilds within such Corporations, that they do at their perills hereafter forbear exacting or demanding any other Duties, upon any Goods or Commodities Imported or Exported into or out of the said respective Cities or [Page] Towns Corporate, but such onely as are really and justly due unto them, and were constantly received and paid in such Cities and Towns Corporate in the year of our Lord, One thousand six hundred forty one, or have been since the said year One thousand six hundred forty one by any new Charter granted unto them. And We do also here­by require all Mayors, Soveraigns, Portrives, Bayliffs and other chief Officers of Cities and Towns Corporate, and all Masters, Wardens, and Heads of inferior Guilds, Fraternities and Corpora­tions within any Cities or Towns Corporate, at or before the Twen­ty forth day of December next, to send unto Vs under such cheif Offi­cers hands, and the usuall Seal of the Corporation, a perfect Schedule or Certificate of all the Customes, Tolls and other Duties of what kind soever usually received in their Corporations; And that they do therein particularly insert which and how many of the said Duties are granted unto them by their respective Charters, and upon what grounds they claim or pretend unto any other Duties than what are expressed in their said Charters: To the end that We may there­by be Enabled to judge of the lawfulness and reasonableness of such their Demands, and to give such Order thereupon as shall be just, and that they do from henceforth forbear to take or receive any Cu­stome, Toll or Duty which they shall not certifie as aforesaid, and in case any Merchants, or other persons shall complain unto Vs, of any Duties which are or have been illegally exacted from them in any Cities or Towns Corporate within this Kingdom, We shall be ready to hear such complaints, and to give such releif thereupon as can be reasonably expected from Vs.