Object 1 THAT the making Writing and Printing Paper in England is no New Invention.

The Company have brought it into England as a New Inventi­on; Answer. for none of them were ever Brown-Paper-Makers, neither could the Brown-Paper-Makers, by an hundred years experience, effect it: and the Kingdom, notwithstanding all our Brown-Pa­per-Makers, might have been without it an hundred years longer, had not the Company set it up.

Object 2 That it is a Monopoly, and against the Statute of 21 Jac. 1.

The Company by their Bill desire no more than to have liberty for fourteen years to do what none can do but themselves, Answer. and for which reason the Nation hath been without the Manufacture all this time, and have remitted yearly to France above 100000 l. for Paper. Now if it be a Monopoly, it is as extensive as the Nation, any of the Subjects having liberty, if they please, to come in.

Object 3 If the Trade be left open, it will thrive better, and there are many English Work­men, well-skilled in making Writing and Printing-Paper.

This indeed they have asserted in their printed Paper, Answer. delivered to this most Honourable House, altho they could not produce one Sheet of tolerable Paper before the House of Commons, but one Sheet made by one Burnaby about twelve Years ago, which the Paper-Sellers showed as Paper made by the Brown-Paper-makers. And notwithstanding a Prohibition of French Paper for at least twelve Months past, they are as far from making Writing or Printing-Paper as ever: Insomuch, that to show a Specimen of their Art, they brought a Book before the House of Commons, printed upon English Paper, well knowing that the Print covers many of the Defects, they not having one Ream of White-Paper fit to produce.

Object 4 The Company will raise the Price of Paper.

There is no Imposition on Paper, Answer. nor Prohibition of it in the Company's Bill, and therefore it lies not in the Company's Power to raise it; for the Com­pany must sell it at the same price which Foreign Paper is sold for, or they must keep it. But on the contrary, if the Company establish the Manufacture here, and no less Quantities come from Foreign Parts, it will make Paper the Cheaper, the Nation being supplied by their own Manufacture, as well as by the Foreign Markets.

Object 5 That the Company will inhance the Price of Rags.

The Company have no Clause to impower them to buy Rags, Answer. but a Clause only to prohibit the Exportation of them, great Quantities having been for­merly shipp'd off, because these pretended Artists knew not what to do with them: And though one of the Brown-Paper-Makers declared before the Com­mittee of the House of Commons, that the Company had raised the Price of Rags to double the value; yet the Company are ready to make appear to the con­trary, and that the Brown-Paper-Makers have raised the Price from time to time upon the Company, being instigated thereto by our Paper-Sellers, hoping thereby to deprive the Company of Materials.

Nothing therefore is more evident, than that the Design of these Paper-Sellers, is to destroy the Manufacture; and for that End, they have left no Stone unturn'd to effect it. And to discourage all Persons from undertaking it,

First, They render'd it as a thing Impossible, to make Writing and Printing-Paper in England, alledging, that neither our Air nor Water was good enough to make it.

When we convinc'd the Nation to the contrary, by shewing Paper made here, then they joined with the French Ambassador and his Confederates to ruin the Manufacture. And how active the said Ambassador was in it, did not only most plainly appear before the late King James in Council, and at the Court of King's Bench, where one of the Confederates was convicted, and fined 500 l. but the Company are also ready to produce some of the said Ambassador's Letters writ­ten to Monsieur Louvois, wherein he gives an account what Progress he made to ruin the Manufacture, and how many of the Companies Servants he had enti­ced away from their Service.

The Company having gone through so many Troubles and Difficuties in establishing the Manufacture in England, by means of the said Paper-Sellers, who still oppose the same: The Company humbly hope that this most Honourable House will not suffer the said Paper-Sellers to give them any further Interruption in delaying the Passing the said Bill.