To the Right Honourable, and Right Worshipful, the Knights and Burgesses of the Lower House of Parliament:  
The humble Petition of the Artisan Clothworkers of London.  
Humbly showing to this Honourable House, That whereas in forms times there were many good Laws and Ordinances made for the dressing of Cloth in this Land, namely in the 33th of Henry 8. it doth appoint that all Clothes above four pounds' price should be dressed before they be transported; which Law is not yet abrogated. And since in the 8th of Elizabeth: That the tenth white should be rowed, barbed and shorn, before it be sent over: And all Clothes died in the Wool should have their full Manufacture. Also since those said Acts, it pleased his Majesty to make Proclamation, That all Cloth should be dressed and died before it was transported; which was begun to be put in execution: And had there not contentions arisen among the Merchants, we doubt not, but it would have gone forwards, to the great benefit of the whole Land in general. And when the Merchant's Adventurers had procured the trade of White Cloth again, they promised his Majesty that they would dress all the Western Plonkets, which they transported: And that they would visit all their Whites before they sent them away, by wetting two of the score, and by new folding the rest; whereby we should have some employment. But now we have not only lost the benefit of the former Statutes, for all Whites to be dressed and died, and the two in the score, but the Plonkets also; and for their Whites, few are visited.  
Wherefore we humbly beseech this Honourable House, that free leave may be given to all men that will dress and dye Cloth, or set others on work in dressing and dying of Cloth, or any other new Manufacture, made of Wool, or part of Wool, or Cotton Wool: That they may have free liberty to export the same beyond the Seas, there to sell them: But not to export any white Cloth, but that to be left to the Merchant's adventurers. The reason wherefore we entreat for this, is not only for the supplying of our own necessities, although they be very great (we being thousands) but that we are persuaded it will be profitable to the whole Commonwealth, to his Majesty in Customs, to the Wooll-growers in sales of their Wool, to the Clothier in sale of his Cloth and stuffs of all sorts, and to innumerable poor people which are workers. If therefore, it shall please this honourable House well to consider of the premises, and so to grant our requests, not only we poor Petitioners, but also (we are persuaded) many thousands more shall be bound to praise God for you, and daily pray, etc.