| Title: | Copy Petition, Hugh L'Amy Peter Le Pruvost, With Reasons Why Parliament Should Pass Ordinance |
|---|---|
| Dating: | undated |
| Ref: | 12/184A-187B: 186A-187B BLANK |
| Notes: | Other versions of petition at 12/182 and 12/188, and copy of 'Reasons' at 2/134. |
[12/184A]
Peter Le Pruuost in the name of Hugh L'Amy both of them French Protestants, Remonstrates vnto the right honourable House of Commons, that hee knowes a way of Improving husbandry whereby may bee advanced yearely at leaste<sub> </sub>1200m li sterling to the benefitt of the subject in particular; and at least 300m li sterling more to the benefitt of the State without Imposing any manner of Cessments, Taxacions, subsidies or Customes vpon the subject: Which aforesaid secret hee freely profferrs and promises to discover vnto this Kingdome so soone as the honourable House shall please to passe an ordinance for securing the aforesaid 300m li vnto the state and obliging all the Inhabitants of this Kingdome who shall make vse of the aforesaid secret, only to nominate and present one man of their kindred or acquaintance for euery 70 acres of Land which they shall soe manure or husband according to the aforesaid secret, euery foure of which men soe nominated, in tyme of warr, and eight of them in tyme of Peace shall nominate and present one Marriner to be continually imployed at <H: Sea for> secureing of the Coast, and Convoying Marchants shipps to and fro out of danger wheresoeuer they shall trafficke. All which said Marriners being 5400 at least, togeather with whatsoeuer shall be requisite to the compleate arming and setting out of 72 shipps [catchword: of warr]
[12/184B]
Warr, to wit 36 of about 400 Tonns a peece and other 36 of aboute 150 Tonns a peece shall be maintained out of the aforesaid 300m li sterling per Annum And such other wayes as the said Peter Pruuost in the name of Hugh L'Amy shall discouer to the State, without imposing any manner of Cessment subsidie or the like vpon the subject. Provided alwaies that if the said Marriners be not named in due tyme that then the Parliament shall name them, And that whosoever shall transgresse the said Ordinance shall become lyable to haue all that yeares Revenue of his Land Confiscated and forfeit 1000li besides 2/3 whereof to be ymployed on the Poore or other Charitable and publicke vses, and 1/3 to whomsoeuer shall informe thereof/
[12/185A]
Reasons
Why the Parliament should passe the
desired Ordinance
1 Because the secret cannot verbally but experimentally bee discovered
2 Because the secret being discouered before an Ordinance bee passed; privat Men may engrosse it, and the Publicke deprived of its benefit
3 Because the secret may bee soe meane and Contemptible that after it is discouered there is noe likelyhood that an Ordinance will bee obtained for it
4 Because Ordinances[H deletes] <H: Patents> haue beene <H: legally> granted for Publick and privat vses, before the Inventions and Improvements of them were fully discovered
5 Because the Ordinance is desired Conditionally in case the Experiment and Effects succeed, which saues the Credit of a Parliamentary Ordinance
6 Because it may be recalled, if after the discovery any notable prejudice or inconveniencies should appeare to redound to the Publick or the Inhabitants of the Kingdome, they offerring to discover even verbally (assoone as the Ordinance is passed) not only the [catchword: secret]
[12/185B]
secret of the Inventions but also the whole managing of their Order, before they fall to the Execution of it.
7 Because it will incourage those honest Protestants to propose to the Parliament yet greater matters of privat &Publick concernment (which they haue in readynes) if first they may approove their abillityes and faithfullnes in that most harmelesse designe of the Agriculture