The REPLY of the Country to the kind Reasons of the great City, for a general Liberty to the Clothiers for selling their Cloth when, where, and as they please,  
Humbly offered to the PARLIAMENT.  
WHen so general an Application hath been made for three or four years to this Honourable House by the Clothiers of Gloucester-shire, Wilts, Somerset, Berks, Warwick-shire, &c. by Petitions and Letters to the Members, to regain their lost right at the public Market of Blackwell-hall, where alone they have a free liberty to sell their Cloth; and by which means solely, they can be redeemed from the more than Egyptian Bondage they are brought into by the conjunct interest of the turkey Merchants and Packers. It seems a more than ordinary Imposition upon this great Council( after their practise has past the Censure of a Committee) to shelter the extraordinary advantage they gain from the Country, under a specious pretence of Favour to the little Clothiers, as if they were totally uncapable of understanding their own Interest.  
The Reasons are flourished( like a Citizen) in the beginning, with Bodies politic, and Bodies Natural; to which I shall only answer, That the Bodies politic in the City, hath made many Natural Bodies very Poor in the Country; and come to the first lion in the way, That all sudden alterations in Trade are dangerous, which I am sure, is not so fierce as its painted. The Clothiers are now obliged by the City Law, to bring their Cloth to Blackwell-hall, and there pay a Duty; as likewise restrained from selling them in Inns and public Houses, which doth denote some advantage to the Clothiers at this public Market. Here are more convenient Warehouses to lodge Cloth than in any private House, and more secure from Fire, which at present are other ways employed; and if this Cloth be bought by the Merchant, and sent into his own House instead of the Packers, it will be a means to have it Exported the Cheaper, and no loss to the public, if their withdrawing Rooms were once more turned into Warehouses, and the old Cloth Perches were put up in their Coach-houses again: Hereby Apprentices will be brought up to a due knowledge in Cloth, which will beget a greater delight in Trade; and the old Proverb was, A Man's own business never dirts his Fingers. But supposing this to be inconsistent with the new Equipage and Gallantry, it is the same to sand Cloth into the Packers Houses when bought, as now to sand Cloth there to sell; and many hath used Spectacles so long, that the Servant, the Packer, lately fined for Sheriff, when the Master desired to be excused. As our matters now stand, the saving all unnecessary Charge seems most agreeable to the Constitution of our Body politic; and this dangerous Alteration will be converted into the Security of the Clothier, by avoiding two Hazards in three that he now runs in the Sale of his Cloth; and his present case is directly contrary to what is suggested; for he now scarce ever knows when his Cloth is sold, to whom it was sold, or at what price; which in great measure will be redressed by this Bill. The greatest Happiness that this Nation ever enjoyed, came lately in a sudden Alteration; when our lost Rights were restored: And I am sure, that private Interest in Trade hath as much invaded the public Good of our Nation, as the Jesuit in Religion.  
The next Position is, That if Cloth is sold at the public Market, none but the rich Clothiers can Trade. If the little Clothier can't sell his Cloth himself, which in former days was very usual, he hath a Factor ready at hand to sell them for him, the first opportunity. A Liberty to empower the Hall-keeper to deliver them to a Merchant that is his Friend; when his occasions prompt him to take them at his Price, or otherwise if transacted by Letter; or if he hath a mind to put them up in a Store-house, the Bank hath offered to lend money upon easy Terms for the Relief of the Poor: So that this is evidently the advantage of all little Clothiers. And if the necessity of our Affairs should require an Excise out of our home Consumption, this is no way to be Collected, but by preserving the Sale in public Markets. Small quantities will then be sold for Exportation, and at far dearer Rates than the now Prices. To answer this, I will only add his own words: When the Merchant at one view sees the many unsold Cloths in the public Market, he will be so far from giving more, that he will probably give less than he non gives.— And this being laid down last, like a bequeath in a Will, it must take place of the former: The more Markets, the more Buyers, in this case is no maxim; for the Packers Houses are no Markets; they keep their Doors locked, and no lettuces, or other Signs that Cloth is there to be sold; but indeed, rather so many private Monopolies, to which belongs some favourite Merchants. More Houses than one are let out to Packers by Merchants, that they may thereby command the better pennyworths.  
Credit is the Life of Trade: I have often heard, that ready money is the Life of Trade; I am sure that drives it the quickest round; which seems to have more Life than Credit.  
The Clothier is not hereby restrained from giving Credit with his Cloth, and the Packer may buy and sell again for what Credit he pleaseth; but it can't but be thought hard to all Mankind, that a Clothier should be forced upon a hazardous Credit, beyond his own Ability, and his Family want employment in the mean time, and the Poor ready to Starve. Light Gain makes a heavy Purse, is the Language of ready money, and nor Credit; and hereby our Woollen Manufacture will be Exported much the Cheaper, which will encourage the Consumption. A public Market doth always encourage a good Commodity; and until our Cloth is truer made, our Trade can never mend. The Sums of money cheerfully paid by the Country, the present regret that there is not a better Ability to do more to assist the Government, which evidently springs from the loss of our Wool, the extraordinary Charge to the Relief of our Poor, and the Oppression in Trade by those that drink Claret in Quarts; and the neglect in a long Application, where Relief may be expected, are Considerations that are strangely dis-spiriting to multitudes of his Majesties Trading Subjects, are humbly offered to the Consideration of this Honourable House.  Vox Populi, Vox Dei.  

Clothiers Reply TO THE Packers Reasons.