WHereas the Offices of Package, Scavage, Waterbal­liage, Portage, and weighing the Goods and Mer­chandizes of Alyens and Foreyners, doe perteine un­to this City, and for the same severall Customes, Fees and Profits are due, and time out of mind have been payed to the Officers deputed to those places, and been imployed towards reliefe of the Poore, the conservation of the River of Thames, the maintenance of Hospitality, and support of the Ma­gistracy of this City, and other publique uses: And however the trade especially into foreyne parts is now more then ever it hath been in the hands of Aly­ens and Foreyners, who have attained to great estates under the Government of this City, without bearing any Charge of the same; And yet the profits of the said Offices doe fall exceedingly short of what formerly they have been, to the great hindrance of the good uses aforesaid: The decay whereof, as this Court hath understood, is especial­ly caused by many ill disposed and unworthy Freemen of this City, who mindlesse of their Oaths & the Laws under which they live, do in complyance with Alyens and Foreyners ofttimes pretend that the goods they export are their own goods untill they are on Ship­board or beyond the Seas, when in truth such goods are for the accompt of Alyens, or are contracted for by Aliens or Foreyners, and after such contract are the goods of Alyens or Foreyners, and are lyable to the said duties; And divers other wayes do fraudu­lently owne and colour the Goods and Merchandizes bought and sould, taken in or sent out, by the said Aliens and Foreyners, some being received into partnership to colour the whole, some for hire permitting the use of their names, and others in their own per­sons, and in their own names, buying, selling and negotiating, meerly for the use and accompt of Alyens and Foreyners, of which sort too many Cloathworkers, Packers, and Drawers of Cloth are suspected to frequent the Market of Blackwell-hall, and all to defraud the City of their just Rights and Customes which by strongest Obligations they are bound to maintaine; This Court therefore resolving to put forth the utmost of their power and indeavours for remedy of this so great a mischiefe to the City, and to bring upon the Practicers of the said offences the just shame and punishment due for their perjury and unfaithfulnesse to the interest of the City, according to the Laws and provisions in this behalfe; Doe require and enjoyne the severall persons deputed and in­trusted in the said severall Places or Offices, and whom else it may concern, to be dili­gent and active in the finding out and apprehension of any the Offenders aforesaid, and do admonish and desire all other honest and well affected Freemen of this City to be assistant to them, and as they have opportunity to endeavour as well the preservation of the City in its said Rights and Duties, as to discover those of its own unnaturall members, and others that would violate and betray the same by any the said practices, to be dealt withall and disfranchised as by Law they ought to be, and doe truely deserve.