The Reasons Humbly offered to Consideration, Why the Incorporating the whole Trade of the WOOLLEN Manufactures of this Kingdom to the Company called The Merchant-Adventurers of ENGLAND, is and will prove more and more detrimental as to the Country in general, so especially to the County of Devon, and City of Exon. And also how a Frank and Free Trade to all ENGLISH Merchants, will be far more advantageous to the whole Land.  
I. BEcause a Company of men Incorporated, may combine at pleasure to make the Clothier take what Prices they please: For though they may be many Members, yet evident it is to reason, that many Incorporated become as one man, and may by their joint Orders amongst themselves( in which by their Oath they are bound to keep secrecy) become as one Buyer.  
II. Because, as very many Manufactures are made at a very great distance from London, the Residence of this Company,( who ship most of the Woollen Commodities made on this side Trent, from that Port;) So it is most convenient to the Clothier to sell his goods as near home as he can, and most advantageous to the Merchant to export them from the nearest Port. For it is evident to reason, That those that ship the Devonshire-Drapery from Exon or any other Port thereabout, may afford the Commodity considerably cheaper than he that ships the same from London; moreover it affords some Trade to our City of Exon, to the relief of our Poor, and encouragement of our Navigation.  
III. It is repugnant to the very Law of Nature, to give the chief and general Commodity of a Country to a few; in which every free born Inhabitant may claim a natural interest.  
IV. It is contrary to the custom of all Nations; for there is no Kingdom or Commonwealth hath the like example of managing a Trade so near home, by a Company.  
V. We are informed by Learned Council, That it is repugnant to Magna Charta, Petition of Right; and it is point-blank against an express Statute of Hen. 7. an. 12. cap. 6. made against the Company of Merchant-Adventurers, and is yet in force.  
VI. The same, if not higher Reasons may be alleged against this Company, that were produced against the Spanish and French Companies, 3. Jacobi, which were put down as Monopolizers, a word odious all the world over.  
VII. Because it hath been the practise of this Company, and is naturally incident to a Company of men united; Not to endeavour to put off Quantities of Commodities, but to get much b● a little. And therefore Anno 1606. Octob. 11. at their Court they made an Order to stint the general Number of Clothes to be exported, and what proportion each Brother should have; And thereby keeping the Market bare, did give an advantage, yea put a necessity upon the Dutch to increase their Making: wherea● if they would have carried plenty, and afforded at a reasonable gain, so that the Dutch could not have made so cheap; they would never so monstrously have increased the number of Clothes made. This we find to be the practise of the East-India Company of Holland, who having the sole Trade of many East-India Commodities, do not bring the half of what they could procure, as of Spices &c. that they may by scarcity advance the prices of them, as they have done: Which though it be a benefit to that Company, yet must needs, especially in Manufactures, be a great prejudice to the Natives of East-India. And the like practise, much more a detriment to this Kingdom; it being a stinting of a Commodity, by which so many thousand families have their subsistence.  
VIII. Because the County of Devon and City of Exon do find, that the Merchant-Adventurers do trade very little in that Country's Commodities; as by an account taken at the Custom-house Books of Exon, does demonstrate, That from 24 June 1661. to 29 September next following, the said Company entred out but 225. pieces of Woollen Manufactures, which paid Custom to His Majesty, 8 l.— 3 s.— 10½. But in that space of time, the Free Merchants entred 9254. pieces, and paid Custom, 325 l.— 3 s.— 5 d. Hereby may be seen what prejudice would arise to His Majesty by loss of Custom,( which even the Officers of the Port of London do experience, and can testify to be very great, since this Company's Patent,) should the Free Traders be wholly debarred from that liberty they have used.  
IX. It is an undeniable truth, That nothing conduceth more to the improvement of Trade, than plenty of Merchandise, and multitude of Merchants; whereof there hath been of late years most clear and actual experience. For( as Mr. Skinner declared) 22 Jacobi, Certificate was given of 25000. Clothes per annum made in Holland: And it was made apparent to the Parliament, that the cause hereof was the Restraints which were used to be made by the aforesaid Company. Whereupon these two Votes passed in full Parliament.  

Die Veneris 30 Aprilis, 22 Jacobi.  
VPon Report made this day to the Commons House of Parliament, from the Grand Committee for Trade, concerning the impressed money set by the Company of Merchant-Adventurers of London upon Cloth, And after long Debate thereof in the House, It is resolved and declared by the said House of Commons, That the Opinion of the House is. That such setting of the impressed money upon Cloth, is unlawful, unjust, and a grievance to the People, and is to be taken off and no longer to be continued by them. And upon further Report by the said Committee, and like Debate in the said House, It is further declared, that the House thinks fit, That as well the Merchant-Adventurers, as all other Merchants promiscuously, may transport to all places all Northern and Western Dozens and kerseys, and New Manufactures.  
H. elsing, clear. Dom. come.   
And as if this had not been full enough, this following Order was made the month following, to strengthen it.  

Die Lunae 10 Maii, 22 Jacobi.  
VPon the Report made this day to the House of Commons from the Grand Committee for Trade, concerning the freedom of Exportation of Dyed and Dressed and all Coloured Clothes into the Parts of Germany and the Low-Countries, by other Merchants besides the Merchant-Adventurers; And after a long Debate thereof in the House of Commons, It is resolved and declared by the said House of Commons, That the Opinion thereof is, That other Merchants besides the Merchant-Adventurers, may freely Trade with Dyed and Dressed, and all sorts of Coloured Cloth, into Germany and the Low-Countries.  
H. elsing, clear. Dom. come.   
Now very remarkable it is, That by that concession of Liberty, not only the English Traders increased to about Six hundred, but the Dutch fell off from making of Cloth; so that Anno 1632. they did not make 4000. Clothes per an. But afterwards a Proclamation came out about Anno 1634. restraining Trade onely to the said Company; by which means, in 1639. & 1640 the 600 Traders fell to 180. and the Dutch increased to make 20000 Clothes per annum, greatly to the damage of this Kingdom: All which can be clearly proved. And therefore,  
X. It may be urged as a Reason, That if this Company had been good for the Kingdom in general, it is almost impossible but this Company would have been established by Law; the Conveniences and Inconveniences thereof having been so oft debated in Parliament: But in stead thereof, a Law was made against them, above 160. years past.  
XI. It is humbly offered, That the limiting so great a Commodity to so few Men, is a mighty discouragement to the Invention and framing of New Manufactures. For, what Merchant will busy his brain to invent new, except he may have the liberty to transport to what Port or place he shall think fitting.  
XII. The Course and Custom of this Company, which they blanche with the specious name of Regulation, is destructive to the Trade of this Kingdom, and a discouragement to any Merchant to enter into their Society.  
First, In regard of some extravagant Oaths which binds the Members to an implicit Obedience;( as may be seen in their Oath:) though never so prejudicial to the general good of the Kingdom; then they have a purging Oath, which they at pleasure administer, whereby the party sworn, is to accuse himself; which is repugnant to all laws, and abhorring to Nature; for, Nemo tenetur accusare seipsum.  
Secondly, Another Inconveniency is, their seldom Shipping; sometimes but twice, and at most, but thrice in a year, as bewitched to an old Custom; whereas the ground and reason of the ancient practise is ceased: For of old it was so, because the Manufactures were then carried to Fairs, which were called Marts, as bristol Fair is twice a year; when the Fair was done, there was no more to do till next Fair; against which time, the Merchants provided Goods to sand or carry to that Mart: But it is otherwise now, for Customers are weekly coming to them, and therefore this Order now is prejudicial to the Merchant, who by such tedious Shippings, is forced to pay double the Frait other Merchants pay; and young men are fain to venture all their Stocks at once, and many times their Credit also. But to the Clothier it's most hurtful; for he cannot sell, but when the Merchant pleaseth to buy; and most Merchants cannot buy, but when they may Ship; except upon time, which endeareth the Commodity; or else the necessitous Clothier is fain to sell, for want of moneys, to the great moneyed Merchant, though to his great loss. Moreover, we have found by experience, that some sorts of Goods have been presently sold, and more have been desired; but cannot be obtained by this manner of Exportation, and therefore the Dutch are necessitated to fall to make it themselves, which by daily Exportation would be prevented.  
Thirdly, The Impositions and Fines which they lay upon the Manufactures, are very great, being near as much as the Kings Customs; insomuch, that from Anno 1616. to 1641. they received in Impositions, as it hath been extracted out of their own Leger-Books, 182295. l. odd moneys, which hinders the cheapness of our Commodities; and cheapness is the only way to cause the Dutch desist making of Cloth; for the Dutch-man goes always to the cheapest, though from a Christian to a Jew.  
Fourthly, The Company strictly ties their Members to two Towns; Hamburgh and Dort: The first, but the entrance into Germany, and the confining the Trade to that place, and necessitating people to travail two or three hundred miles, to fetch what they needed, is, doubtless, a great cause why they also have been put upon making of Cloth. The last, viz. Dort, is the most inconsiderablest and inconvenient place imaginable for that Trade. 1. Because it is but the entrance into the country, and Goods may be carried much further for the same Frait. 2. It is discomodious for all people to come unto; and for the Companies Trade the most inconvenient place, as they confess, of all the country. 3. They want there the greatest accommodations of a Merchant; viz. Commodities for Returns, and Bills for Exchange; they are forced to use Correspondents at Rotterdam and Amsterdam to do both; which must cost moneys, and puts them to greater hazards than they need run.— The confining to either of these places, is greatly prejudicial to the dispersing of our Commodities; first, because if the Chapmen can have of their own, or any others nearer hand, they will never travail so far, and leave their Families and Callings, to obtain Goods. Secondly, because those that come to Dort, most are Grossiers, who also make much Cloth, and will endeavour to make use of our Manufactures to put off their own: All these inconveniences attend them for ●se● imaginary privileges to save a little Excise to their Factors, with some other so inconsiderable advantages, that they are not worthy to be put into the Balance, with the advantage of convenient places for vending their merchandise. Thirdly, By their being at such a distance from the heart of the country, they can never prie into, and discover what the country most wants, that they may give advice for a suitable supply to be timely brought unto them.  
XIII. The present condition of this Company is a great discouragement to any Merchant to join with them, being indebted for a very great sum of moneys, Which they ●ave at Interest. The payment of the very Interest, and other daily charges for the support of the government, do's put a great charge upon the Manufactures; how much more must it be for the raising moneys to pay the capital sum owing; old men that made the debts, and got estates by it; have most left off trading, and pay nothing to dischage this debt; and those they now invite in upon paying down one hundred pounds, may no sooner be made a brother; but may be arrested for the paying of their Company debts, and be left by them to the mercy of the Creditors as a kind of revenge upon them.  
XIV. The small number of the trading-members of the said Company, is humbly offered as a strong Argument against confining so general and great a Trade into so few hands, who may well be supposed not to have stocks enough to manage the whole Manufactures of this Kingdom; for when they traded with more Members who had great sums at Interest, and stretched their credit by Exchange and otherwise to the uttermost,( though to the ruin of many, yet then the free-traders shipped from this Port of London as much as the said Merchant-adventurers reckoning all sorts of goods; besides what was shipped by free-traders at Exon. Colchester and other Ports: where the Company exported little or nothing;— We could enumerate many exorbitant practices of these Monopolizers towards his Majesties Subjects by seizing on their goods, by taking their goods out of Ships, and detaining them at pleasure; yea, have refused such as desired to come in to them, with many other tyrannical courses, both here and abroad; to their fellow-subjects and to strangers also, upon whom they Impose their terms, and make their wills binding, as though it were the duty of Chapmen to pay and pray too; which causeth that the generality of the Dutch shop-keepers do hate them; and choose rather to take pains to make Cloth, than to be so proudly imposed on; But we are not willing to ravel into the manifold oppressions of this Company, they being so notoriously known, that men do not wonder they have no better success; it falling out, at least to many, according to the Proverb, All covet, all lose.