I. THat all Ships may have Liberty, (if they find it for their convenience) to take in ſuch Beer and other Proviſion, as they ſhall at any time want for their Voyages, in or about Sheilds, and not to be forced (as now they are) to ſend Seven Miles up the River to Newcaſtle for the ſame, whereby they often loſe the opportunity of a fair Wind, or a Convoy, and by conſequence their whole Voyage.

II. That it may be lawful for any Ship in Diſtreſs, to make uſe of any Pilot or Carpenter, though no Freeman of Newcaſtle, (which is now by no means permitted) for whilſt they ſend ſo far as Newcaſtle for help, (which when they do, they cannot have from thence, but at Exceſſive Rates) the Ships that want, or have wanted ſuch help, may be, and often have been caſt away, before ſuch Pilot or Carpenter could come to them.

III. That a Free Ballaſt Shore, may be Built by the Owners of Jarrowſlike near Sheilds, or any other Owners of Lands and Grounds there. And that all Ships may, (if for their own Benefit) be at liberty to lay Ballaſt there, and not forced (as now they are) to carry it ſeveral Miles, upon a dangerous River to Newcaſtle Shores; In as much as Jarrowſlike Shore, when Built, will be greatly for the Advantage of the River, and all Ships Trading up the ſame Anent, is farther offered to Conſideration, and will eaſily be Demonſtrated, That if theſe things were done, the River would be much Bettered, and made Deeper, and more Navigable, which would Encourage the Building of Great Ships, which are the moſt proper for that Trade, and ſuch as would be Ʋſeful for the Defence of the Kingdom, in time of War; Beſides, by theſe Means, Maſters of Ships might make Two or Three Voyages in the Year, more than now they do, by reaſon of the quick Diſpatch they would then receive, above what they now have; the conſequence whereof muſt needs be, That Coals, Glaſs, Salt, and Milſtones, which are the proper Commodities of thoſe Parts, would be much Cheaper to the Subject than now they are, and the great Duty laid on Coals for ſeveral Years to come, be leſs felt by the Poor than now it is.

To the Third, the Anſwer is, That Jarrowſlike is no fit place for a Shore, being near the Mouth of the Haven, becauſe the unavoidable fall of Ballaſt would make a Sand-Bed, which would hinder Ships to paſs in and out. It would be a Nuſance to have a Shore there, there being no Foundation to erect a Wall for a Ballaſt Key. And it would be further inconvenient, the Channel of the River being Narrow in that place, it would make the Current ſo quick, that no Ships could lie at Anchor there, or Keels come to caſt Coals or Ballaſt there. And it would hinder the paſſage of Ships in the ſaid River, and would be an injury to the Mayor and Burgeſſes to make an Act of Parliament to erect a Shore at the place deſired; for they do preſcribe, That no Shores ſhould be built upon that River, without their Licence; if this were not, the River had been long ſince blockt up, and it were impoſſible to prevent Nuſances to the ſaid River, if the Mayor and Burgeſſes had not the Survey and Government of it: For every Man that has Land upon the ſaid River, might be at liberty to build into the River as far as they pleaſe.

This Preſcription has been likewiſe Tryed at Law at the Bar of the Court of Exchequer, and found for the Mayor and Burgeſſes: And why may not all, or any the Franchiſes of all other Corporations, be taken away by Act of Parliament as well as this? And there is no inconvenience to Ships that Trade to that Port, for want of a Shore there, becauſe there are Shores four or five Miles lower than Newcaſtle, ſeated in convenient places, where Ships caſt their Ballaſt, and take in their Coals without danger.

The Mayor and Burgeſſes being Conſervators of the River and Port of Tine, (a place of great Import to the Kingdom, and Nurſery of Seamen and Navigation) and having an ancient Court for the Government and Preſervation of the River and Port, do never give leave to build a Ballaſt Shore, until the place be viewed by a Jury of Maſters of the Trinity Houſe and Pilots, and they upon their Oaths give a Verdict, that the place is convenient, and without prejudice to the River.

That the Expedients propoſed, will not in any ſort leſſen the Price of Coals; for the ſame Tide that will carry Ships to the place deſigned for a Shore, will carry them to ſome other Shores or Wharfs that are already erected. And the ſame Wind that will carry Ships out from the one place, will carry them out from the other. And the Ballaſt is caſt out upon as cheap and eaſie terms from ſome of the other Shores already erected, as it can poſſibly be from the place deſigned for a Shore. Beſides, the Charges for Lighters to bring down Coals to Ships lying at Jarrowſlike, will be greater than the Rates are at the other Shores already erected upon the River. And Lighters which bring Coals to the Ships riding at Jarrowſlike, will not be able in great Weſterly Winds (which often happen) to go up again to fetch more Coals to Load the Ships there; although from the other Shores they may go up, notwithſtanding the greatneſs of the Wind.

And in truth this is but a deſign for ſome particular Mens Intereſt, (upon pretence of publick good) which they have long endeavored by ſeveral means to effect at the Council Board, and at Law, but could not prevail.