Your Petitioners most humbly pray your Ma-. jefty, That you would be gracioully pleased to give the neceffary Directions to your Governour of New-York, not to pass any new Act for the reviving or continuing the faid Act prohibiting Trade with the French of Canada; and that if any fuch Act, or any Act of the like Tendency, be already paffed, that the fame may be repealed. And your Petitioners fball ever pray, &c.

At the Court at St. James's the 30th Day
of April, 1724.

PRESENT

The KING'S Moft Excellent Majefty in Council.

UP

PON Reading this Day at the Board the humble Petition and Reprefentation of Samuel Baker, Samuel Storke, and several others, Merchants of London, trading to New-York, in behalf of themfelves, and the reft of the Perfons concern'd in the New-York Trade, which Petition fets forth, That great Difcouragements have been brought upon the British Trade, by an Act paffed in the faid Colony of New York, the 19th of November, 1720,

entitled,

entitled, An Act for the Encouragement of the Indian Trade, and rendering of it more beneficial to the Inbabitants of this Province, and for prohibiting the felling of Indian Goods to the French. And that as the faid Act was to continue in force only for three Years, they are informed the Government of New-York either have, or are about paffing an Act to revive and continue the fame: Wherefore they humbly pray, that the Governour of that Colony may be ordered, not to pass any new Act for that purpose; and if any fuch Act be already pafs'd, that it may be repealed.

It is ordered by his Majefty in Council, That the faid Petition (a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed) be, and it is hereby referred to the Lords Commiffioners for Trade and Plantations, to examine into the fame, and report to his Majefty, at this Board, what they conceive fit to be done therein.

Signed,

James Vernon.

Extract of the Minutes of the Right Honour able the Lords Commiffioners for Trade and Plantations, the 7th of July, 1724.

R. Sharp attending, as he had been defired,

MR

with feveral New-York Merchants, their' Lordships took again into Confideration the Order of Council of the 30th of April, mentioned in the Minutes of the first of May laft, referring to the Board their Petition against the Renewing an Ac paffed in New-York, in November, 1720, entitled, An Att for the Encouragement of the Indian Trade, and rendering of it more effectual to the Inhabitants of this Province, and for prohibiting the felling of

B 4

Indian

Indian Goods to the French. And Mr. Sharp, in behalf of the feveral Merchants, acquainted their Lordships, That he conceived this Act, tho' its Intention of gaining the Indians to the English Intereft might be good, would have quite a contrary Effect, becaufe, if the Trade with the French was prevented, and the Merchants fhould discontinue that with the Indians, (as he was informed they would) the French might lay hold of this Opportunity to furnish themfelves with Goods from Europe, and fupply the Five Nations of Indians, and thereby gain them to their Intereft: And this, by reafon of their Situation, would not be in the Power of the English to prevent: That they were two or three hundred Leagues diftant from Albany, and that they could not come to trade with the Englife but by going down the River St. Laurence, and from thence through a Lake, which brought them within eighteen Leagues of Albany.

And that the French having made Settlements along the faid River, it would be in their Power, whenever they pleased, to cut off that Communication.

That this Act had been fo great a Difcouragement to the British Trade, in general, that there had not been, by far, fo great a Quantity of Beaver, and other Furs, imported into Great-Britain fince the paffing the faid Act, as there was before; nor half the Quantity of European Goods exported.

..That feveral Merchants who had fent over to New-York confiderable Quantities of European Goods, had received Advice from their Correfpondents, That should another Act of the like Nature be paffed, they could not find a vent for them, and defired they would fend no more.

Upon the, whole, Mr. Sharp defired, in behalf of the Merchants, that Mr. Burnet might be directed not to pafs any Act of the like Nature for the future.

To

To the KING's Moft Excellent Majefty.

I

May it please your Majefty;

Obedience to your Majefty's Commands, fignified to us by your Order in Council of the 30th of April laft, referring to us the Petition of feveral Merchants of London trading to New-York, letting forth The great Difcouragements that "have been brought upon the British Trade by an "Act paffed in New-York the 19th of November; દ 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 "probibiting the felling of Indian Goods to the "French. And that as the faid Act is now ex"pir'd, the faid Merchants are informed the Go"vernment of New-York either have, or are about "paffing an Act to revive and continue the fame; "and therefore pray, that a ftop may be put We humbly take leave to reprefent

66

"thereto."

to your Majefty,

That we have been attended by the Petitioners, who informed us, that they have found this Act, by Experience, to be fo great a Discouragement to the British Trade, that there has not been, by far, fo confiderable a Quantity of Beaver, and other Furs, imported into Great-Britain, from NewYork, fince the paffing the faid Act, as heretofore, nor half the Quantity of European Goods exported thither; in confequence whereof the Price of Furs is raised Five and Twenty and Thirty per Cent. to the great Prejudice of feveral British Manufactures.

They likewise affirmed, That it was impracticable to hinder the French from fupplying the Indians with European Goods: For tho' New-York fhould not furnish them, the French would find another way to be fupplied therewith, either from

fome

.

some other of his Majesty's Plantations, of, it might be, directly from Europe. That it was of dangerous Confequence 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, fhould produce the Effects expected from it, more particularly that of fecuring the Five Indian Nations firmly to the British Intereft; because, if the French fhould once get a Supply of the Goods neceffary for the Indian Trade, from any other Place, as the Five Indian Nations are fettled upon the Banks of the River of St. Lawrence, directly oppofite to Quebeck, two or three hundred Leagues diftant from the nearest British Settlement in New-York, the Vicinity of the French would furnish them with the Means of fupplying even the Five Nations with thefe Goods, and confequently of alienating their Affections from the British Intereft. And that there was no Profpect of obtaining a Trade with the French Indians by this means, because the French would always be able to prevent their Paffage crofs the Lakes and River of St. Lawrence to our Settlements.

Thefe were the moft material Objections made by the Merchants against the Bill.

On the other hand, the Preamble of the A& fets 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 engroffed 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 fuch Trade were not prevented, altogether alienate the Minds of the faid Indians, which would prove of dangerous