The Answer on behalf of the City of London, to the Reasons of the County of Middlesex.  

1. THe Houses in London are chief inhabited by Retailers and Handicrafts men, who are much impoverished in their Personal Estates both by the Fire, and the withdrawing of the Trade into the Out-Parishes in Middlesex.  
2. The Houses in London, built according to Act of Parliament, are many of them Empty, and many filled with mean Persons, of mean and inconsiderable Callings: And that part of the City, that was not consumed by the Fire, is likewise filled with very many necessitous People. And such other poor that are withdrawn out of the City, that received Pensions before the Fire, do still receive those Pensions from the respective Parishes unto which they did then belong.  
3. The Houses Eastward of the City are since the Fire greatly increased, and better inhabited by Merchants, and very many other considerable Traders, who have now left the City.  
4. The Houses Westward of the City are not only inhabited by Lords and Gentlemen of Quality, who (besides their Houses) are assessed, and do pay some part of the Tax, as by the Books may appear, but also by Eminent Tradesmen in Covent-Garden, the Strand, High Holborn, etc. And the number of the Poor maintained by the City being very great, the Annual Charge of them to the City amounteth unto Fifteen Thousand Three Hundred Forty One pounds Six shillings at the least.  
5. The City desires not Ease from the Land-part of Middlesex, but only from those Parishes that are within the Bills of Mortality within the said County.  
6. Those Citizens that have left the City are an Advantage to the Parishes within the County in respect of their Trades, Families, and paying of Taxes. And those that live within the City, and have any Stock in the East-India Company, or other Companies, are rated within the City for their Personal Estates, but the greatest part of the Stocks of those Companies belonging to several, inhabiting within the County of Middlesex, and other parts without the City, cannot be rated within the City.  
7. The County of Middlesex was not charged upon the Account of any Office in London: But several Officers, who keep their Offices in London, were taxed in Middlesex, and paid there, to the great Advantage of that County.