Читать книгу Papers Relating to an Act of the Assembly of the Province of New-York - Great Britain. Board of Trade - Страница 14

May it please your Majesty;

In Obedience to your Majesty's Commands, signified to us by your Order in Council of the 30th of April last, referring to us the Petition of several Merchants of London trading to New-York, setting forth "The great Discouragements that have been brought upon the British Trade by an Act passed in New-York the 19th of November, 1720, entitled, An Act for the Encouragement of the Indian Trade, and rendering of it more beneficial to the Inhabitants of this Province, and for prohibiting the selling of Indian Goods to the French. And that as the said Act is now expir'd, the said Merchants are informed the Government of New-York either have, or are about passing an Act to revive and continue the same; and therefore pray, that a stop may be put thereto." We humbly take leave to represent to your Majesty,

That we have been attended by the Petitioners, who informed us, that they have found this Act, by Experience, to be so great a Discouragement to the British Trade, that there has not been, by far, so considerable a Quantity of Beaver, and other Furs, imported into Great-Britain, from New-York, since the passing the said Act, as heretofore, nor half the Quantity of European Goods exported thither; in consequence whereof the Price of Furs is raised Five and Twenty and Thirty per Cent. to the great Prejudice of several British Manufactures.

They likewise affirmed, That it was impracticable to hinder the French from supplying the Indians with European Goods: For tho' New-York should not furnish them, the French would find another way to be supplied therewith, either from some other of his Majesty's Plantations, or, it might be, directly from Europe. That it was of dangerous Consequence to force this Trade into a new Channel, many of the Goods which the Indians want being as easy to be had directly from France or Holland, as from Great-Britain.

They further added, That it was not likely the Act, in question, should produce the Effects expected from it, more particularly that of securing the Five Indian Nations firmly to the British Interest; because, if the French should once get a Supply of the Goods necessary for the Indian Trade, from any other Place, as the Five Indian Nations are settled upon the Banks of the River of St. Lawrence, directly opposite to Quebeck, two or three hundred Leagues distant from the nearest British Settlement in New-York, the Vicinity of the French would furnish them with the Means of supplying even the Five Nations with these Goods, and consequently of alienating their Affections from the British Interest. And that there was no Prospect of obtaining a Trade with the French Indians by this means, because the French would always be able to prevent their Passage cross the Lakes and River of St. Lawrence to our Settlements.

These were the most material Objections made by the Merchants against the Bill.

On the other hand, the Preamble of the Act sets forth, That it was found by Experience, that the French of Canada, by means of Indian Goods brought from that Province, had not only almost wholly engrossed the Indian Trade, but had in great Measure, withdrawn the Affections of the Five Nations of Indians from the Inhabitants of that Province, and rendered them wavering in their Allegiance to your Majesty; and would, if such Trade were not prevented, altogether alienate the Minds of the said Indians, which would prove of dangerous Consequence to the English Interest in America.

And Mr. Burnet, your Majesty's Governor of New-York, informs us, That, since the passing of this Act, several of the far Indians had come to Albany to trade; That some of them came above one thousand Miles, and are now incorporated with the Five Nations: That he had likewise Intelligence of more far Indians that design'd to come to Albany, which he conceives to have been a good Effect proceeding from this Act: And likewise adds, That he did not doubt but the Cheapness of Goods in Albany would induce the Indians to trade there, rather than with the French at Montreal; and that the Traders of Albany began to be sensible of their Error in sharing a Trade with the French, which they now perceive they can keep wholly to themselves.

Upon the whole, being doubtful of some of the Facts alledged by the Merchants, and considering how far the British Trade may be affected by this Act, on the one hand; and how much the Security and Interest of your Majesty's Colonies in America may be concerned, on the other, we are humbly of Opinion, That no Directions should be sent to New-York, upon the Subject-Matter of this Act, till Mr. Burnet shall have been acquainted with the Objections of the Merchants thereto, and his Answers and Observations received thereupon. For which end, if your Majesty shall be graciously pleased to approve of this our Proposal, we shall forthwith send him Copies both of the Merchants Memorial, and of what Objections they have made before us to the Subject-Matter of this Bill.

Which is most humbly submitted. Signed,

J. Chetwind, T. Pelham, M. Bladen, R. Plummer, Ed. Ashe.

Whitehall, July 14, 1724.