Package and scavage

Package and Scavage.

II. 217 Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lords of the Council, as to the annuity proposed to be granted to Mr. Proby, out of the Scavage.
(Circa 1602–3.)

V. 116. Petition of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen to Lord Cranfield, Lord Treasurer, reciting that the City, amongst other things, held of His Majesty, at the yearly rent of 300l., the office of Scavage, an ancient duty, payable by Merchant Strangers, for goods imported or exported into or out of the City, or the Ports thereof; and also, by ancient grants from the Crown, had the office of Package for Strangers' goods exported; which offices, with their accustomed fees, had been enjoyed by the City; the Merchant Strangers had, however, refused to pay such fees, and passed their goods without doing so, by which the City would be obliged to proceed by suit in law to recover every small duty. They therefore prayed him to give order to the officers of the Customs in London not to permit Merchant Strangers to pass their goods inwards or outwards until such dues had been paid.
In margin, delivered in October, 1621.

VI. 14. Letter from the Lord Mayor to the Lord Treasurer, reciting that the City, by ancient Charters, held, amongst other things, the office of Package and Scavage of Strangers' goods and merchandise carried by them by land or water out of the City and Liberties to foreign parts, whereby the customs and duties due to His Majesty had been more duly paid, and a stricter oversight taken of such commodities so exported; but that latterly the Strangers had passed their goods by land in unknown names, to be transported in some of the outports, and when inquirty had been made no such parties could be found. He requested that orders might be given that no goods of any Englishman or Stranger should pass out of the City or suburbs or the borough of Southwark until the owner had himself entered them in the Custom House, London, either with the King's officers if the goods belonged to an Englishman, or the City's Packer if they were a Stranger's
17th June, 1623.

VI. 115. Letter from Sir Lionel Cranfield, Lord Treasurer, to ..........................., stating that the Lord Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London, had petitioned him for an order for reformation of abuses by Merchant Strangers in passing their goods outwards and inwards, and directing that orders should be given that no Merchant Strangers should be permitted to pass any entry of goods inwards or outwards until the City's dues had been paid; and further, that as the Merchant Strangers usually entered their goods at night to defraud the City of their dues, orders should be given not to discharge any entry of such goods until satisfaction had been given to the City's officers.
Chelsea, 29th November, 1621.

VII. 81. Order in Council, reciting that a Petition had been presented to the Board from divers Merchants, born in London, the sons of Strangers, complaining that the Packer of London required of them as much fees for Package, Balliage, Shewage, &c., as of Strangers not English born, and praying to be relieved from such payments; and requiring the attendance of the Petitioners and the Packer of London before the Board on the ensuing Saturday, when the Attorney-General, and some of His Majesty's Farmers of the Customs, were also to be present.
Whitehall, 19th December, 1632.

VII. 82. Order in Council postponing, at the request of the Lord Mayor, the consideration of the foregoing complaint till the 9th January next.
Whitchall, 22nd December, 1632.

VIII. 106. Order in Council, appointing a Commission to inquire into the whole business of Package, Balliage, and Scavage Dues, and also of the colouring of Strangers' goods by Englishmen, to the prejudice of His Majesty's Customs.
16th January, 1632.

IX. 17. Letter from the Lord Mayor and Aldermen to the Commissioners of Customs, stating that the ancient tolls and duties of Water-Balliage, upon the goods of Foreigners and Aliens trading to and from the port of London, had much decayed by the deceitful colouring of those goods, and recommending that Mr. Robert Carpenter and Mr. John Carpenter, the collectors of those duties, should be permitted to have a seat in the Custom House, and by that means discover such Packers and others as exercised such deceit.
7th January, 1660.