翻刻
霊岸島へ引請処被仰付候御引合も有之猥に御取放
難被仰付且者農商人之隔有之綿実絞油共郷分
自在に取計候而は市中迷惑成候懸も有之に付一概之
申立難相成候思惟仕双方全存寄申上候様再応
被仰付奉畏候
一御公義御究向之義者関東筋油絞草少多分
西国筋ゟ積送遠境相隔取遣仕候に付水車之
ケ所江戸地引請之御定も可有御坐候得共御国方
絞草買入方市郷無指別相伺申懸に付亦市中燈油
指支可申趣意には無御坐様奉存候
一此已前手草手絞之
御公制御坐候砌佐那河内山々水車相立武市増助東條
清蔵引請に而上方へ指登之綿実拾弐万約定仕り
取行候節右登残り綿実に而水車壱ケ所之稼仕候事ゆへ
右上方積整候程は壱梃建之水車に相余候様奉存候事
一寬政暦之比者綿実価壱貫目に付七分位に候処
前書取究出来後直段同五分に落時に寄四分にも
買取不申様成行申懸に付右商人究を洩上方筋へ
抜積仕候も有之哉に相聞且は価下直に付中分已上之
現代語訳
霊岸島へ引き請け処をお申し付けいただく御引き合いもございましたが、みだりに御取り放しを申し付け難く、かつ農商人の隔てがあり、綿実絞り油ともに郷分で自在に取り計らいましては市中が迷惑する懸念もございますにつき、一概の申し立ては成り難く存じ、双方全体の存じ寄りを申し上げ候様に再度お申し付けいただき、畏れ入って承知いたしました。
一、御公儀の御究明向きの件については、関東筋では油絞り草が少なく、多分西国筋から積み送り、遠境相隔てて取り遣りいたし候につき、水車の箇所を江戸地引き請けの御定めもございましょうが、御国方では絞り草買い入れ方について市郷で指別なく相伺い申し候懸につき、また市中の燈油に指し支えを申すべき趣意ではございません様に存じ候。
一、この以前、手草手絞りの御公制がございました砌、佐那河内山々に水車を相立て、武市増助・東條清蔵引き請けにて上方へ指し登りの綿実十二万の約定をいたし取り行い候節、右登り残りの綿実にて水車一箇所の稼ぎをいたし候事ゆえ、右上方積み整え候程は一梃建ての水車に相余り候様に存じ候事。
一、寛政暦の頃は綿実価一貫目につき七分位でございました処、前書取り究め出来後、直段同五分に落ち、時によりては四分にも買い取り申さぬ様な成り行きを申し候懸につき、右商人の究明を洩れて上方筋へ抜け積みいたし候もございますやに相聞こえ、かつは価格下落直につき中分以上の
英語訳
There have been consultations about establishing receiving operations at Reiganjima, but it would be difficult to grant unrestricted permissions, and furthermore, given the distinctions between agricultural and commercial interests, if cotton seed oil pressing were managed freely in rural areas, this might cause inconvenience to urban areas. Therefore, blanket proposals are difficult to make, and we humbly acknowledge your renewed request to submit the overall sentiments of both sides.
Regarding the government's investigative policies, in the Kantō region where oil-pressing materials are scarce, most are shipped from western provinces across distant boundaries for processing. While there may be regulations for water mill locations to be managed from Edo territories, in our domain, the purchase of pressing materials is conducted without distinction between urban and rural areas, and we believe this does not intend to hinder the lamp oil supply in urban areas.
Previously, when there were governmental regulations for manual grass pressing, water mills were established in the Sanagōchi mountains, and under the management of Takeichi Masusuke and Tōjō Seizō, they made contracts for 120,000 units of cotton seeds to be shipped to the Kansai region. Since they operated one water mill location using the cotton seeds remaining after these shipments, we believe that a single-beam water mill would be sufficient for the volume prepared for Kansai shipping.
Around the Kansei calendar period, cotton seed prices were about 7 bu per kan, but after the aforementioned investigation was completed, prices fell to 5 bu, and at times became so low that merchants would not purchase even at 4 bu. Consequently, it seems that some merchants, evading these controls, engaged in unauthorized shipping to the Kansai region. Moreover, due to the price decline, middle-grade and higher quality [cotton seeds]