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To the Right Worshipful the Mayor [Coal Mining Broadside].
Publisher: E Humble, Printer, Newcastle upon Tyne;
Date of Publication: 1819
Stock Code: 5669
Broadside approximately 30 x 18 cm. Single sheet printed in bold type with title in italics. Faint horizontal creases from historic folding; very small pinhole to centre otherwise clean and crisp. Advertisement for a General Meeting of the inhabitants of Newcastle upon Tyne on Monday 8th March “to consider the Propriety of petitioning Parliament, and of opposing, by every means in their Power, the proposed Tax upon Coals at the Pit’s Mouth”. On March 1st local worthies had signed a request for a meeting to be held, and their names and request head the broadside, with details of the meeting to be held below. The background to this is a proposal for the existing high duties on coal imports into London to be replaced by a standard duty on all coal sales at source at collieries around the country; naturally this was opposed by both the colliery owners and by provincial consumers, all of whom would suffer from a change of this nature. The matter was debated in parliament and opposed by the Wolverhampton MP Mr Littleton amongst others, who was concerned that the measure would fall most heavily upon small manufacturers with tight profit margins, and would cause hardship and force firms out of business. £65.00