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gerous Confequence to the English Intereft in

America.

And Mr. Burnet, your Majefty's Governour of New-York, informs us, That, fince the paffing of this Act, feveral of the far Indians had come to Albany to trade; That fome of them came above one thousand Miles, and are now incorporated with the Five Nations: That he had likewife Intelligence of more far Indians that defign'd to come to Albany, which he conceives to have been a good Ef fect proceeding from this Act: And likewife adds, That he did not doubt but the Cheapnefs 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 fenfible 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 fome of the Facts alledged by the Merchants, and confidering how far the British Trade may be affected by this Act, on the one hand; and how much the Security and Intereft of your Majesty's Colonies in America may be concerned, on the other, we are humbly of Opinion, That no Directions should be fent to NewYork, upon the Subject-Matter of this Act, till Mr. Burnet fhall have been acquainted with the Objections of the Merchants thereto, and his Answers and Obfervations received thereupon. For which end, if your Majefty fhall be gracioully pleased to approve of this our Propofal, we fhall forthwith fend 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 moft humbly fubmitted. Signed,

7. Chetwind, R. Plummer, Ed. Afhe

Whitehall,

T. Pelham,

July 14, 1724.
5.

M. Bladen,

The

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The Report of a Commmittee of the Council held oat New-York, November 6, 1724.

May it please your Excellency,

IN

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N Obedience to your Excellency's Commands in Council, the 29th of October, referring to us a Petition of feveral Merchants in London, prefented to the King's most excellent Majefty, against renewing an Act paffed in this Province, entitled, An Act for Encouragement of the Indian Trade, and rendering it more effectual to the Inhabitants of this Province, and for prohibiting the felling of Indian Goods to the French; as likewife the feveral Allegations of the faid Merchants before the Right Hon. the Lords of Trade and Plantations, we beg Leave to make the following Remarks.

In order to make our Obfervations the more diftinct and clear, we fhall gather together the feveral Affertions of the faid Merchants, both in their Petition, and delivered verbally before the Lords of Trade, as to the Situation of this Province, with refpect to the French and Indian Nations, and obferve on them, in the firft Place, they being the Foundation on which all their other Allegations are grounded. Afterwards we fhall lay before your Excellency, what we think neceffary to obferve on the other parts of the faid Petition, in the Order they are in the Petition, or in the Report of the Lords of Trade.

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In their geographical Accounts they fay,

"Be

fides the Nations of Indians that are in the English Intereft, there are very many Nations of "Indians, who are at prefent in the Interest of the "French, and who lie between New-York and the "Nations of Indians in the English Intereft."The French and their Indians would not permit "the English Indians to pass over by their Forts.

The

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The faid Act "Reftrains them (the Five Na"tions) from a free Commerce with the Inhabitants "of New-York.

"The Five Indian Nations are fettled upon the « Banks of the River St. Lawrence, directly op"pofite to Quebeck, two or three Hundred Lea66 gues distant from the nearest British Settlements

<< in New-York.

"They (the Five Nations of Indians) were two "or three Hundred Leagues diftant from Albany; "and that they could not come to trade with the English but by going down the River St. Law"rence, and from thence through a Lake, which "brought them within eighteen Leagues of "Albany."

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Thefe Things the Merchants have thought it fafe for them, and confiftent with their Duty to his facred Majefty, to fay in his Majefty's Prefence, and to repeat them afterwards before the Right Hon. the Lords of Trade, though nothing can be more directly contrary to the Truth. For there are no Nations of Indians between New-York and the Nations of Indians in the English Intereft, who are now fix in Number, by the Addition of the Tufcaroras. The Mohawks (called Annies by the French) one of the Five Nations, live on the South-fide of a Branch of Hudfon's-River, (not on the North-fide, as they are placed in the French Maps) and but forty Miles directly Weft from Albany, and within the English Settlements, fome of the English Farms upon the fame River being thirty Miles further West.

The Oneidas (the next of the Five Nations) lie likewife Weft from Albany, near the Head of the Mohawks-River, about one Hundred Miles from Albany.

The Onondagas lie about one Hundred and Thirty Miles Weft from Albany. And the Tuscaroras live partly with the Oneidas, and partly with the Onondagas.

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The Cayugas are about one hundred and fixty Miles from Albany:

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And the Sennekas (the furtheft. of all these Nations) are not above two hundred and forty Miles from Albany, as may appear by Mr. De L'Ile's Map of Louifiane, who lays down the Five Nations under the Name of Iroquois.

And Goods are daily carried from this Province to the Sennekas, as well as to thofe Nations that lie nearer, by Water all the Way, except three Miles, (or in the dry Seasons, five Miles) where the Traders carry over Land between the Mohawks-River and the Wood Creek, which runs into the OneidaLake, without going near either St. Lawrence-River, or any of the Lakes upon which the French pals, which are entirely out of their Way.

The nearest French Forts or Settlements to Albany, are Chambly and Monreal, both of them lying about North and by Eaft from Albany, and are near two hundred Miles diftant from it. Quebeck lies about three hundred and eighty Miles NorthEaft from Albany. So far is it from being true, that the Five Nations are fituated upon the Banks of the River St. Lawrence, oppofite to Quebeck, that Albany lies almoft directly between Quebeck and the Five Nations. And to fay that thefe Indians cannot come to trade at Albany, but by going down the River St. Lawrence, and then into a Lake eighteen Leagues from Albany (we fuppofe they mean Lake Champlain) paffing by the French Forts, is to the fame Purpose as if they fhould fay, that one cannot go from London to Bristol, but by Way of Edinburgh.

Before we go on to obferve other Particulars, we beg Leave further to remark, that it is fo far from being true, that the Indians in the French Interest, lie between New-York and our Five Nations of Indians, that fome of our Nations of Indians lie between the French and the Indians, from whence the

French

French bring the far greatest Quantity of their Furs: For the Sennekas (whom the French call Sonontouons) are fituated between Lake Erie and Cataraqui Lake, (called by the French Ontario) near the 1. great Fall of Jagara, by which all the Indians that live round Lake Erie, round the Lake of the Hu1 rons, round the Lake of the Illenois, or Michegan, and round the great Upper Lake, generally pafs in their Way to Canada. All the Indians fituated upon the Branches of the Mifilippi, muft likewife pafs by the fame Place, if they go to Canada. And all of them likewife in their Way to Canada, pafs by our Trading-Place upon the Cataraqui Lake, at the Mouth of the Onondaga River. The nearest and safest Way of carrying Goods upon the Cataraqui Lake towards Canada, being along the Southfide of that Lake, (near where our Indians are fettled, and our Trade of late is fixed) and not by the North-fide and Cataraqui, or Frontinac Fort, where the French are fettled.

Now that we have reprefented to your Excellency, that not one Word of the Geography of thefe Merchants is true, upon which all their Reasoning is founded, it might feem needless to trouble your Excellency with any further Remarks, were it not to fhow with what earnestness they are promoting the French Intereft, to the Prejudice of all his Majesty's Colonies in North America, and that they are not ashamed of afferting any Thing for that End, even in the Royal Prefence.

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First, They fay, "That by the Aft paffed in "this Province, entitled, An Act for Encourage"ment of the Indian Trade, &c. All Trade what"foever is prohibited in the ftri&teft Manner, and "under the feverest Penalties, between the Inha"bitants of New-York Government, and the French of Canada."

This is not true, for only carrying Goods to the French; which are proper for the Indian Trade, is

prohibited.

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