翻刻
糶売仕難渋至極奉存候綿商売之儀先年は
大坂表ゟ篠巻綿にて取寄売ニ仕候処近来ハ
他行ならでハ売捌不申候時節ニ相成申候処
御当所之儀年々衰微困窮仕当時綿商
売仕入等仕候者も無数地打綿致候者一向
無御座候ニ付自然と他所商人多分入込申候儀と
奉存候何卒御当所江綿打商売仕候者出来
仕度奉存候右御運上之余力を以綿打商売
為習請候様世話仕綿打商売之者数多
出来仕候ハヽ近江商人先年之通送綿等
多分入込申候ハヽ第一金子操合等も宜敷
融通ニも相成商売筋取続之儀も出来
仕幾々潤沢ニも相成可申様奉存候依之以
御憐愍被仰付被下置候様奉願上候
右之趣被為 聞召分以
御慈悲奉願上候通被為 仰付被下置候ハヽ
両町一統難有仕合奉存候以上
中町
組頭 勘次郎㊞
同町 幸吉㊞
現代語訳
競売して難渋極まりないと存じます。綿商売については、先年は大坂から篠巻綿を取り寄せて販売していましたが、近来は行商でなければ売り捌けない時節になった所、当地については年々衰微困窮し、現在綿商売の仕入れ等をする者も無数におり、地打綿を作る者は全くおりませんので、自然と他所の商人が多数入り込む事と存じます。何とか当地に綿打ち商売をする者ができるよう存じます。前述の御運上の余力をもって綿打ち商売を習得するよう世話をし、綿打ち商売の者が数多くできれば、近江商人が先年の通り送り綿等を多数持ち込めば、第一に資金調達等もよろしく、融通も利くようになり、商売筋の継続もでき、ますます潤沢になると存じます。これにより御憐憫をもって仰せ付けられ下されるよう願い上げ奉ります。
右の趣旨をお聞き召し分け、御慈悲をもって願い上げる通りに仰せ付けられ下されれば、両町一同ありがたい仕合わせと存じます。以上
中町
組頭 勘次郎（印）
同町 幸吉（印）
英語訳
auction sales, causing us extreme hardship. Regarding the cotton trade, in previous years we imported bundled cotton from Osaka for sale, but recently we have reached a point where goods can only be sold through traveling sales. As for our locality, it has been declining and becoming impoverished year by year. Currently, there are countless people engaged in cotton trading and procurement, but there are no cotton ginners at all. Therefore, we believe that merchants from other regions naturally enter our territory in large numbers. We earnestly wish for cotton ginning businesses to be established in our locality. If we use the surplus from the aforementioned tribute money to arrange for people to learn the cotton ginning trade, and if many cotton ginning businesses are established, then Omi merchants could bring in raw cotton in large quantities as they did in previous years. This would primarily improve our financial arrangements, facilitate better credit, enable the continuation of our business operations, and make everything increasingly prosperous. Therefore, we respectfully request that this be granted with your compassion.
If you would graciously hear these circumstances and, with your benevolence, grant our request as petitioned, both towns would unanimously consider it a most grateful blessing. The above.
Nakamachi
Group Leader: Kanjiro (seal)
Same town: Kokichi (seal)