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PAPERS

RELATING TO

An ACT of the ASSEMBLY

OF THE

PROVINCE OF NEW-YORK,

FOR

Encouragement of the Indian Trade, &c. and for prohibiting the felling of Indian Goods to the French, viz. of CA NA DA.

I. A PETITION of the Merchants of London to His Majefty against the faid Act.

II. HIS MAJESTY's Order in Council, referring the Petition to the Lords Commiffioners of Trade and Plantation.

III. EXTRACT of the Minutes of the faid Lords, concerning fome Allegations of the Merchants before them. IV. The REPORT of the faid Lords to His Majefty on the Merchants Petition, and other Allegations.

"

V. The REPORT of the Committee of Council of the Province of New-York, in Anfwer to the faid Petition.

VI. A MEMORIAL concerning the Furr-Trade of NewYork, by C. Colden, Efq;

B..

TO THЕ

KING'S Moft Excellent Majefty in Council,

The Humble Petition and Representation of Samuel Baker, Samuel Storke, John Bayeux, Richard Feneway, Robert Hackshaw, Jofeph Low, Jofeph Paice, George Streatfield, William Parkin, and John Evered, Merchants of London, trading to New-York, in behalf of themselves, and the reft of the Perfons concern'd in the New-York Trade.

SHEWET H,

T

HAT by an Act paffed in New-York the 19th of November, 1720, entitled, An Act for Encouragement of the Indian Trade, and rendering it more beneficial to the Inhabitants of this Province, and for prohibiting the felling of Indian Goods to the French, all Trade whatsoever is prohibited in the ftrictest Manner, and under the fevereft Penalties, between the Inhatants of New-York Government, and the French of Canada, or any Subjects of the French King, or any Perfon whatsoever, for or on the behalf of any fuch Subjects; and which Act was to continue in force for three Years.

That the Reasons affigned in the Preamble of this Act, for the paffing thereof, are, For that the French at Canada, by means of Indian Goods purchafed from the Inhabitants of New-York, had not only almost wholly engroffed the Indian Trade to themB 2 felves,

felves, but had, in great measure, withdrawn the Affections of the Five Nations of Indians from the Inhabitants of New-York, and render'd them wavering in their Faith and Allegiance to your Majefty; and would, if fuch Trade was not prevented, wholly alienate the Minds of the faid Indians, which might prove of dangerous Confequence to the English Intereft in America.

That this Act was fent home for your Majesty's royal Confideration, but your Petitioners do not find that your Majefty ever fignified your Allowance or Difallowance thereof; from whence, and from the Act's being to continue but three Years, your Petitioners humbly conceive the fame was fuffered to lie by probationary, to fee whether the faid Act, in its Effects, was really advantageous or prejudicial to the British Trade and Intereft in America.

That your Petitioners have received Advice, That the Government of New-York either have, or are about paffing an Act, to revive and continue the faid Act for prohibiting all Trade between NewYork and Canada.

Upon which Occafion, your Petitioners humbly beg leave to reprefent to your Majefty, That the faid Act, tho' in the firft Intention of it, it might be well defigned, yet, in its Effects, it has proved very pernicious to the British Trade in general, and to the Intereft of New-York in particular: For, befides the Nations of Indians that are in the English Intereft, there are very many Nations of Indians, who are, at prefent, in the Intereft of the French, and who lie between New-York, and the Nations of Indians in the English Intereft; and this Act prohibiting all Trade between New-York and the French of Canada, or any of the Subjects of France, the French, and their Indians, would not permit the English Indians to pafs over by their Forts, fo as to carry on a free Trade with New-York, but prevented

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vented their Paffages, as much as poffible, whereby that most confiderable and only valuable Branch of Trade from New-York, hath, ever fince the paffing the faid Act, very much leffened, from the great Difficulties of carrying on any Trade with the English Indians, and the Prohibition of all Trade with the French; and all the Indian Goods have, by this Act, been raised in their Price 25. to 30%. per Cent.

Whereas, on the other hand, this Branch of the New-York Trade, by the Difcouragements brought upon it by this Act, is almoft wholly engroffed by the French, who have already, by this Act, been encouraged to fend proper European Goods to Canada, to carry on this Trade; fo that fhould this Act be continued, the New-York Trade, which is very confiderable, must be wholly loft to us, and center in the French.

And your Petitioners further beg leave humbly to reprefent, That as they conceive nothing can tend more to the with-drawing the Affections of the Five Nations of Indians from the English Intereft, than the Continuance of the faid Act, which, in its Effects, restrains them from a free Commerce with the Inhabitants of New-York, and may, too probably, eftrange them from the English Interest : Whereas by a Freedom of Commerce, and an encourag'd Intercourfe of Trade with the French, and ́ their Indians, the English Interest might, in time, be greatly improved and ftrengthened among the Indians in general, who, by fuch Latitude of Trade, might be link'd to our Friendship in the strongest Ties of their own Intereft, as well as Inclinations.

That therefore, and as the faid Act was, in its Effects, fo plainly deftructive and prejudicial to the Trade and Intereft of thefe Kingdoms, and fo much for the Intereft of the French, and greatly promoted that Mischief which it was intended to prevent,

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