REASONS Offered to the Consideration of his Grace, His Majesties high Commissioner, and the Honourable Estates of Parliament, by several Salt-Masters, against the Act for a Manufactorie of Salt upon Salt, given in by Mr. VVilliam Areskin Governour of Blackness Castle.
1. IF this Act in favours of Mr. William Areskin shall be past, it will make one Manufactrie destroy another which is of far greater Import and Advantage to the Nation, viz. The Manufactorie of small Salt, by which so many thousands of People are maintained, and by the Exporting of which, so much Advantage redounds to the Countrey; For should it be past in his favours, under the Notion of making Salt upon Salt, he would import so much Foraign Salt, as should not only serve for Curing of Fishes, but all other Domestick Uses, and being free of Duty, will be able to sell it at a lower Rate than the Salt-masters can make their Salt at.
2. If the Advantage of the Countrey be consulted, it cannot be past in his favours and Partners only, for then the Buyers are confined to Buy as it were from one hand, and so must pay what Price they shall please to impose upon it, and thus it becomes a Monopoly, whereas if power be granted to every Salt-master to make Salt upon Salt, the Countrey shall be far better served, and the Merchants if they cannot buy from one may go to another, as in the buying of ordinary Salt.
3. The Art of making Salt upon Salt is not so great as Mr. William Areskin represents it, since any persons who have any Skill in Alchymie may do it, and it is ordinarly done in Holland by silly Women; the Expense of bringing some of these home, cannot be so very great as he would have it to be.
4. It is offered by several of the Salt-masters, that each of them shall set up for themselves, and have their Works in readiness for accomplishing the Design betwixt and the time condescended on in the Act.
5. Should this Act be granted in his favours, Coal-masters might close up their Pits, to the great loss of the Countrey: for when small Salt cannot be made with some Advantage, the small Coals by which it is made must be left in the Coal-heugh, which in some places takes Fire, and in other places so Immures the Coal-heugh that they cannot work, and so in effect renders their Works altogether useless.
It is therefore humbly expected, that His Grace His Majesties High Commissioner and the Honourable Estates of Parliament in respect of the above Reasons, will not pass the Act in Mr. Areskines Favours, but in Favours of such of the Salt Masters as are willing to set up for themselves to make Sal [...] upon Salt▪