70,000 and the loss of its Irish estate for having, as was alleged,
broken the terms of the charter under which their Irish estate was held.
One of the charges against the city and the companies was that they
continued to employ the "mere Irish" on their estates instead of
relegating them to the narrow limits reserved for them, there to perish of
disease or starvation.(377) There were differences too touching the Royal
Contract, differences as to the City's rights to estreated recognisances,
as to pretended encroachments and other matters. It was felt that there
would be no peace until some arrangement could be made with Charles on all
the matters in question, and for this purpose a committee was appointed in
May, 1636, to see what could be done. A schedule of "thinges desired by
the cittie of London" was drawn up, and an offer was made to the king of
the sum of L100,000, to be paid by annual instalments of L20,000, if he
would make the concessions desired.(378) The king's commissioners, who had
the business in hand, refused the offer. They informed the committee that
not only would the City have to surrender certain valuable fisheries and
other privileges in Ireland, as well as the castle of Culmore, but it
would have to provide an allowance of L5,000 to Sir Thomas Philips.
Instead of L100,000 it would have moreover to pay L120,000.(379)
Negotiations continued for two years. Eventually a compromise was effected
in June, 1638, and the city was fain to accept a pardon on surrendering
its Irish estates and payment of the comparatively small sum of
L12,000,(380) of which the queen happened at that time to stand in need.
The patents of the Irish Society and of the companies were not however
actually surrendered until 1639.(381)

(M148)

In the meantime Charles had given umbrage to the City in other matters,
more especially in the measures he had taken for regulating trade and the
institution of corporate monopolies. An order restricting the use of
coaches and carts, and forbidding anyone to keep a carriage unless he was
also prepared to keep four sufficient horses or geldings for the king's
service, weighed heavily upon the mayor and aldermen of the city, who were
for the most part men advanced in years and whose duties carried them a
good deal abroad. They therefore petitioned the king for an exception to
be made in their favour. The petition was granted, but only after long
delay.(382)

(M149)

The civic authorities w