We have, of grace, allowed six tax-free years to persons prepared to settle in and bring under cultivation certain derelict places on Our Electoral domains; thereafter they are without fail to pay their dues and to help carry the general national burden like other subjects. Meanwhile, however, the new settlers cannot be exempted from the dues in kind which the priests and sextons receive in lieu of stipends; they must deliver these, or else allow the priests and sextons the use of sufficient land from their holdings to make up the outfall in their dues. [ . . . ]
[The rest of this article deals with the special difficulties of certain towns. Arts. 42 to 44 are directed against restrictive practices by blacksmiths, carpenters, bell-founders, and dealers in hops. Art. 45 promises an early delimitation of the frontier with Poland. Art. 46 approves arrangements made by the Knights and towns to discuss certain difficulties that had arisen between them. Art. 47 lays down the procedure for settling disputes between the Crown officials on the one hand and Knights and towns on the other. Art. 48 deals with the appointment of commissioners to collect certain taxes. Art. 49: where possible, persons against whom prosecutions are pending are not to be kept in custody.
The articles which follow are, in the main, concerned with economic questions. The chief interest in them lies in the efforts made by the Knights and towns to retain old privileges of exemption from taxation. As a rule, the Elector admits these, but insists on safeguards against abuse. The most important articles dealing with this question are 52, 62, and 65. An article of a different interest is 63. While the right of coinage was at this date a Crown prerogative almost everywhere, and the practice of making a profit out of it by debasing the currency almost a regular one, Frederick William had been carrying this so far that the level of prices had been badly affected.
Under Art. 50, a general ban on exports, especially of corn, hops, cattle, and hemp, is not to be enacted except in cases of urgent necessity, and then only after consultation with representatives of the Estates. Art. 51 deals with the abolition, total or partial, of certain emergency levies.]
52. Fifty-secondly, except for the new duty on corn exported abroad by land or water, which is to be paid by all exporters, but only at a place which We shall designate, We are willing to confirm those Knights and towns which are exempted from the payment of duty in their traditional privileges and exemptions from cartage duty, and Prelates, Lords, and Knights shall be absolutely free to export by land or water corn grown by themselves and their tenants, also wine so much as they have above their own needs, and also cattle, wool, and any other produce from the Knights’ estates that may be for sale, and to import in return, duty-free, wine, victuals, cooked articles, and other commodities needed by them.
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