Peace holden for the said City at the Guildhall within the same by Adjournment on
Wednesday the second day of Novr. last Upon a Petition preferred to the said Court by
some of the Master Taylors agt. the Journeymen; The Court came to a resolution to
make no alteration in the abovementd. Order of the eleventh day of May One thousand
seven hundred and fifty six , But without prejudice nevertheless to any future
Application to the said Court by the Journeymen Taylors for an increase of
their Wages.

That your Petitioners with the deepest Sense of Gratitude acknowledge the
condescension and indulgence which they have always experienced from this Honble
Court, and particularly in the said Order of the 2d. of Novr. last; And in pursuance of
the Liberty thereby to them given, they with all humility beg leave to inform your
Lordship and the rest of the Justices here assembled, That by reason of the advanced
price of all the necessaries of life since the making of the said Order of the Eleven
day of May One thousand seven hundred & fifty six , they are unable to maintain
themselves and their families upon the Wages by such Order stipulated; And likewise
that by reason of the hours of working therein appointed their Constitutions are so
hurt by their sedentary course of life, and their sight so greatly impaired (especially)
when upon black work or Gold & silver holes which in the Winter Season they
are frequently employed on for Six hours by Candle light) that a Journeyman Taylors
of forty five years of age is so despised & rejected by the Masters that few (if any) of
them will employ him on that account.

Your Petitioners further beg leave humbly to inform this Honble Court,
That by the said Act of Parlt. of the 7th. of King George the first, and all the Orders of
Sessions heretofore made in pursuance thereof, the Wages allowed during the winter
Season are much less than those allowed during the Summer Season;although it
is notoriously known, that in the Winter your Petitioners are at much greater
expence in the support of themselves and their families, and have much less work
whereby to defray that expence.

That the Wages now stipulated by the said several Orders abovementioned
to be paid to your Petitioners amount in the whole to the yearly Sum of Thirty
seven pounds one shillings upon the supposition that they are constantly
employed all the year; Whereas your Petitioners humbly beg leave to inform
this Honble Court, that by the constant course of Trade they are not employed
above thirty six weeks in the year, by which means the annual amount of
their Wages as now stipulated is reduced to the Sum of Twenty six pounds one
shilling which is not more than Ten shillings a week; a Sum greatly insufficient
to maintain a Man and his Wife with two or three children, much less to
defray the incidental expences of Sickness Etc.

That many of the Master Taylors within this City and the Liberties
thereof, out of a humane and compassionate sense of the hardships which
your Petitioners labour under by the means aforesaid, are ready and willings
to increase the Wages by the said several Orders appointed, and to permit
your Petitioners to leave off working at Seven of the Clock in the Evening (an
indulgence which your Petitioners shall ever gratefully acknowledge) But me
Masters