REASONS for Restraining the Factors of Black-well-Hall, from Dealing in Spanish and English WOOLL.  
I. THE Maker of Spanish Cloth in Holland is the Merchant-Importer of his wool, and no Charge upon the Commodity between him and the Merchant.  
II. By the engrossing of Spanish wool by the Factors, the Clothier in England have lately Wrought his Spanish wool at Three Shillings Six Pence per Pound; when the Maker in Holland have had his at Two Shillings Four Pence; And the same wool was bought by the Factor at Two Shillings Four Pence. Our Merchants are now buying Fine Cloth in Holland to Export to Turkey, being considerably Cheaper than can be afforded in England, which will occasion the Loss of our Foreign-Trade, if we are able to bear the Excise at home.  
Obj. The Clothier is not forced to buy his wool of the Factor.  
Answ. The Sale of Cloth being in the Management of the Factors, if the wool is not bought of them, the Cloth will be undervalued, and other preferred. If any wool be bought at Exon or Bristol( the fairest Ports for the Clothier) Bills shall not be Paid, and the Cloth represented to be Course, and the Price hereby Sunk Six Pence per Yard: And which is harder, some London Merchants have lately refused to Sell Five or Ten Bags of wool to a Clothier, though he had Money to Pay, which shows a Combination between the Merchant and Factor: And wool has been Bought up at Exon and bristol by the Factors, and Sold to the Clothiers at Advance Prices.  
Obj. But the Factors buy Quantities, and lend it to the Clothiers; and when they can't Sell their Cloth, supply them with wool.  
Answ. The Factors take Six, Nine, and Twelve Months time in the Payment for their wool of the Merchant; and the Clothiers, by the Management of the Factor, are forced to Lend out their Cloth, and thereby forced to borrow their wool, whilst the Factor gets the Profit, when the Credit is given by the Merchant.  
And to have the Market glutted with Cloth( which is the Support of the Factor) is Prejudicial to Trade in the General, and doth not Increase, but Lessen the Consumption; One Hundred Pounds worth of Cloth lying Six Months for Sale, is Three per Cent. the Dearer to the Consumer, by the Interest of the Money. And when Trade was managed without Factors( which is well in Memory) the Clothier had Money for his Cloth, and made more Cloth with One Hundred Pounds, than he can now with Three. A nimble turn of the Stock is the best way for a little Clothier to get up, who Works his own Cloth himself: And if there is occasion for a Person between the Merchant and Clothier in Spanish wool, enough would take up the practise, and the Clothier in that Case would be upon an equal Foot in the Buying his wool, when most is now sent down by the Factors at their own Prizes: And the most considerable Merchants in former times would sell One or Two Bags at a time to Clothiers for Money, or Credit. And vast Losses have happened to the Clothiers by the Failure of Factors at Blackwell-Hall, and it would be tedious to enumerate their tricking and unfair Practices, in allowing a Merchant or Woollen-Draper a good Pennyworth in the Clothier's Cloth, to obtain a better Penny-worth of Wool to themselves, &c.  
III. The Factor's Ware-house of English Wool in conjunct Interest with the Wooll-Broguer, is a greater hardship upon the Clothier, and more prejudicial to the public, which is now become a general practise, and an extraordinary Profit, have lately been gained by these persons out of English wool. Our Commodities have hereby been very much debased, and rendered Ten per Cent. the dearer at Foreign Markets, which will be of dangerous consequence to our Foreign Trade, if not prevented, when so many new fabrics are setting up against us Abroad; And Wool-Brogers are thought very oppressive, as appears by many Petitions, who have great Encouragement from Factors.  
IV. This unnecessary Charge being saved in all the Woollen-Manufacturers abroad, it is a great Inducement to our Neighbours to get our wool from us.  
V. The Late Act of Parliament intended to relieve the Clothiers in this particular, by taking of Notes for Cloth sold for time, payable to the Owner of the Cloth, have been rendered ineffectual by the Factors Weekly-Meeting, deep Consults, the best Council consulted, a formal Demand made to the Merchant, and at the same time desired not to give a Note,( which can be proved) and the benefit of this Act will not be obtained, but by a restraint of this Nature.  
Obj. But this will be against the Right of a Freeman of London.  
Answ. The public Market of Blackwell-Hall is allowable only to Foreigners to Sell, and none but Freemen, by the Government of the City of London, can come there to Buy, and the Customs of Foreign bought, and Foreign sold, was forced to be taken off by Act of Parliament, to Enable Freemen of the City of London, to act as Factors in the Sale of Cattle in Smithfield— Vicesimo Secundo Carolo II. which was never yet done for the Factors of Black-well-Hall.  
The Government of the Clothing-Trade being got into the Hands of Eight or Ten Factors, they think themselves above control, and Phaeton-like( being got into their Chariots with Liveries of Green) fit to govern the WORLD.