ALthough the Exportation of Wool , hath in former times been allowed , when our English Manufacture was not brought to that height and perfection that now it is ; yet it follows not that there should be no restraint to it in succeeding times , when a considerable part of the Nation have solely applyed themselves to the Managery of that Affair , the consequence of that very Allowance was much destructive to the Kingdom ; so that the Experience of latter Times , convinced the Supream Authority of the Nation , of the necessity of making those severe Laws which are now in force against it , and though a greater Number of Statutes might be produced against the Exportation of Wool , than for it , yet the Question is not what was fit to be done in those Times , but what is necessary now , as the present State of the Kingdom stands .

If it be alledged , That there is a superfluity of Wool , which cannot be Vended , for want of a quicker Vent of Cloth , and therefore necessary to be Exported : Exportation of Wool is the grand Cause , it having been made appear , That by the means of one Pack of English and Irish Wool , Transported beyond the Seas , our Neighbour Nations have Improved a double Proportion of their own , which would otherwise have been little useful ; and it would be wish'd , That the Act for Burying in Woollen , might be strictly put in Execution , the more to promote the Consumption .

If it be concluded , That it is impossible to hinder Exportation , and that no Laws can be made to restrain it , therefore better to admit it : It is Felony to Steal other Mens Goods , some yet will Steal : It would be a strange Inference therefore , to make no Laws against Stealing , but let all Steal that will .

If a Liberty be granted for Exportation of Wool , and a considerable Duty imposed upon it , whereby it may amount to a greater Rate to Forreigners , than to His Majesties own Subjects ; this will put them upon their old Artifice of Clandestinely Transporting it , to save the Charge of the Duty .

And whereas it is affirmed , That a Limitted Exportation of Wool would increase His Majesties Customs , and raise the Price of Lands , &c. It 's Humbly conceived , the effect of it would be directly the contrary ; for First , The Customs upon the Manufactures Exported , and the Materials used in the Making thereof Imported , do amount to more , than in Reason will be thought fit to be Imposed upon Wool : Besides the Customs of those vast quantities of other Goods which are brought in by reason of our Exported Manufactures , would in great part be lost to His Majesty ; for though it be allowed , that the Exported Wool would bring in some such Goods , yet a Pack of Wool Unwrought at Ten Pounds cannot bring in so much as the same Pack Manufactured , which will be at treble the value ; and if the Kingdom lose Twenty Pound by every Pack of Wool Exported , ( as is beyond all contradiction demonstrable ) it 's conceiv'd no Man can have reason to say that His Majesty will be a gainer thereby . 2. As to Raising the Rents of Land , If the Grower should make some advantage for a short time , It is but like the Feeding of a Man plentifully for a Day , and Starving of him afterwards : For if an Exportation be allowed for some Months , it will be the same thing , as if there were no Prohibition at all : For those Forreigners , who shall have liberty to Buy and Export at certain times , will not want Agents amongst the Manufacturers themselves , to Ingross the Wool for them against the times of Allowance : And so the whole Trade of the Kingdom will be immediately lost : And those Multitude of Families which depend thereupon , must be constrained to follow the Wool , where it is to be Manufactured : The consequence whereof will be the Impoverishing , and Un-peopling of the Kingdom .

In Edward the Second's time , before the Woollen Manufacture came into this Kingdom , Rents of Arable Lands in the best parts of Glocestershire were but at 6 d . per Acre per annum , Pasture Lands at 18 d . Meadow at 4 s . as may be seen in the Exchequer Rolls , 9. Edw . II . No. 63. Which Arable Lands , have since been at 8 s . per Acre per annum , the Pasture 20 s . the Meadow 40 s . principally occasioned by the Prohibition of the Exportation of Wool , and the increase in this Nation of the Wollen Manufacture .

Edward the Third , was the first that brought into this Kingdom the Woollen Manufacture , and by a Statute in in the Eleventh Year of his Reign , it was made Felony to Transport Wool , and confirm'd since by divers Statutes : Now if a Limitted Exportation should be granted , it 's probable , the Lands may return to the same Price as in Edward the Seconds time .

It is said , That there was no Complaint of the want of Wool , until 1647 : To which it is Answered , That the Reason of that may partly be imputed to the Exportation of our Wool , which gave opportunity for the Manufacturing of it , in such Places where our Cloth was formerly Vended ; and partly to the Calamity of our Civil Wars at home in those Years , which hindred almost the total use of the Manufacture : But now there being a sufficient number of Manufacturers in the Kingdom , and Multitudes of Poor , who are ready to Starve for want of Imployment ; It is Humbly conceived to be the present Interest of the Kingdom , to indeavour to the utmost the keeping of our Wool , and the Manufacturing of it to our selves , and prevent the use of it in other parts of the World ; especially considering , how strange and deplorable a thing it would be , if at this instant time , when the French King , and other Neighbouring Princes and States , are indeavouring by all imaginable Artifice and vast Expence , to erect and increase the Woollen Manufacture in their Dominions ( which without the use of our Wool , they can never perfectly accomplish ) We our selves should contrive a way for the perfecting of their design , by delivering that inestimable Jewel into their hands .

Another Reason of the present abatement of the Price of Wool , is the French Kings extream Impositions upon our Manufacture twice doubled since His Majesties happy Restauration , that several sorts of Cloth pay from 25 to 50 per Cent , whereby is prevented the Exportation to His Dominions , in value above Four Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling per annum , as also his Incursions upon Germany , and the Netherlands , whether heretofore was Shipt off from the Port of London 90000 Cloths per annum , and for these Five Years last past , not above 20000 per annum .

There was not more Art and Skill used by our Ancestors to bring home the Work at first to the Wool , and Prohibiting the Exportation thereof , and setting the Manufacturing in England , than is now to Export the Materials Unmanufactured .

So it is , that for some Years past , the diligence of Forreigners to Inrich themselves upon us , hath so much exceeded our Care to preserve our selves , that it is now come to , if not beyond a Question , Who have the greatest benefit of the Manufacture of English Wool , they who have no right unto it , or they to whom the right doth belong .