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It is probable that you may be acquainted with the principal persons concern'd in the Brittish Grant We cannot Imagine what advantages have been propos'd to them but we are told that it is chiefly from the Mines Minerals Pitch Tar Masts & the Fur Trade We that are concern'd in the New York grant will cheerfully yield them all those Profits or advantages out of the Lands we claim provided we be otherwise Quieted & I'l further affirm that tho we who live upon the Spot may make some profit of these lands they will never be of any Value to them tho the title were not Disputed but on the Contrary a loss or pick pocket & some persons who no way deserve it will only be the gainers. We wish that they would appoint some person they can confide in to examine into the truth of this & then I am persuaded they will not give the poor people here any further uneasiness

It will be of no purpose for me to write now on the subject you was pleas'd to entertain me because that affair is now over but the dispute I hope has brought this advantage that the Plantation affairs are now better understood than formerly they were by the Generality of ev'n those concern'd in the Govern of the Nation

I persuade my self that so much has been discover'd by this Dispute that the Parlt for the future will think it adviseable to give the Plantations an Opportunity to make their objections before any Acts of great Consequence pass that may affect the Colonies The Contrary practise has had an ill effect some acts have been passt upon private Information & Influence discover'd so contrary to the Brittish Interest & Natural Justice that the Governt has never thought fit to put them in Execution These things so much lessens the Opinion which the People ought to entertain of the Wisdom of the Legislature that it cannot be too much avoided

As there seem to be several projects on foot for making the Colonies more usefull to great Brittain I please my self with the hopes that some General Hints on the State of this Country so far as they may be applied to this purpose will not be disagreable to you or your friend Mr Barnard. And in the first place I may observe That no

Manufacture carried on in Europe which requires much labour can turn to advantage in this Country because of the dearness of Labour & want of hands and that it will remain so for at least one age is more than Probable The reasons of this are first The high rate at which Negro's are sold being at about double of their Value in the West Indies & Secondly the Great Charge of mentaining them especially in cloaths by reason of a long Winter in which time likewise they can be of little use & it being a considerable while before new Negroes can be made fit for the labour of the Country which requires skill & dexterity as well as strenth whereas in the West Indies & Virginea also little more is requisite but strenth & a litle slight [skill?] in useing a how [hoe]. But our chief loss is from the Want of White hands notwithstanding of the great numbers which every year come into the Country The hopes of having land of their own & becoming independent of Landlords is what chiefly induces people into America & they think they have never answer'd the design of their coming till they have purchased land which as soon as possible they do & begin to improve ev'n before they are able to mentain themselves This they never fail to do notwithstanding that they every day & every where see the miserable state in which these new Settlers live & that they cannot get in many years the tenth part by their labour on their own lands that they can by wages if they would work for others but such is the desire of being independent & of leaving a certain estate to their children that it overcomes all other Considerations As we have a vast continent for one age at least land cannot be wanting at very reasonable prices to satisfie the desire of all that come into the Country or are born in it. I concluded that there is no danger of our Rivalling great Brittain in any of our Manufactures unless the people of this Country be forced upon it by depriving them of their branches of Trade & Manufactures by which they are unable to Purchase the Manufactures of Great Brittain In the next place that no Manufacture can succeed in this Country that are carried on in the Northern parts of Europe where labour is so extremely cheap & for that reason all our Indeavours of supplying

England with Hemp are to no purpose The low prices of Grain here has put many on raising hemp & tho' the price of Hemp has never been so low as to prevent the Importation of European Hemp they that have made trials of raising Hemp give it over as of no profit Certainly if the Hempen Manufacture can not be carried on with profit in the Northern parts of Brittain & Ireland where labour is cheap we can have no hopes of it here We have very little land that will raise Hemp with out Dung & such as will at first do it is soon wore out & requires dung as much as in Europe So that our lands give us no advantage above the Europeans in this particular But we may hope to succeed much better in such things as require much land & little labour & for that reason I think it would be more for the advantage of Brittain to incourage our Raising of Provisions especially of Beef & Pork by discourageing the same in Ireland while the Hempen Manufactures are by all means incouraged in that Kingdome The Incouragem of our Lumber Trade seems to promise the most naturally of any thing to succeed well because in the cleaning of our Lands we are forced to destroy a great deal of Timber & that at a considerable charge so that we desire more than to be paid for the labour of cutting it up into such seizable stuff & of Transporting it to the sides of the Rivers where the shipping can take it in We have many Saw Mills & understand them well so that we can furnish all Europe with boards & Plank of all sorts and all sorts of Square Timber & Scantling Stuff as well as Masts of all seizes So that if large fly boats were sent to the Plantations as the Dutch do to the Northern & Eastern Countries I am persuaded it would succeed well because as I observ'd before this Trade is adapted both to the Nature of the Country & the Humour of the people that are bent upon clearing of New Lands. But then Traders ought to be implor'd here to have the ships loadings all ready at the Rivers side before the ships sail from England & to put the people upon carrying their timber the prices of all sorts of timber should be made publick & their money paid so soon as brought to the Landings & the prices offer'd at first should be as large as the Trade will bear

after the Country has generally fall'n into this Method of Trade the prices may fall if the profit be found too small for the Merchant This Method I think can be attended with litle risque to the Merchant & will be the most effectual means of setting the Country to work

There are some other things that our Climate may be peculiarly suited for that will not grow to advantage in Europe of which sort I believe Rheubarb may deserve our thoughts It grows in Tartary in much such a Climate as ours is there is a great Consumption of it & is sold at a very high rate & I cannot think but out Turky Merchants may find ways of having it Transported to America by the seed or if that will not do ev'n by taking care to send fresh roots & it would well Answer the charge The Dutch have now transplanted the Coffee tree to Surinam & are allready all most able to serve all Europe from thence The French have transplanted the Cocoa tree to Martanico [Martinique?] & raise considerable quantities of that fruit. I wish our Islanders would Imitate them in Industry & Labour & they would have no reason to complain I cannot think it impossible to get the Spices of the East Indies transplanted to the West but rich people too often chuse rather to gain with ease & laziness by Monopoly & abridgeing our Trade than by inlargeing it with Industry

I designed to have mention'd some things more peculiarly suited to our Climate & that are not of European grouth but I have allready trespassed so far on your patience that I cannot otherwise excuse it than that by lenth of my letter have endeavour'd at least to show how desirous I am of intertaining you & that want of Capacity not want of will prevents me from doing it more to the purpose If there be any thing you want to be more particularly inform'd of or any thing wherein I can serve you I will receive your Commands with the greatest pleasure for I am very desirous that you believe me to be as I really am

Your very affectionate & obed

humble servt

[Indorsed]

Copy of a Letter to

Alderman Perry

My Dear

To Mrs. Cadwallader Colden.

I have yours by the Bearer Mr Nottingham I have nothing to inform you off but that I am in good health & that I at present know of nothing to detain me after Saturday if I then can have a passage. You may tell Coll Mathews that we have more good chances as to the Equivalent lands than I thought we had before I came doun Remember me to the Children I am Your Most affectionate

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I had the favour of yours concerning the boards but it came So late that none of the Albany Sloops then here resolved this Season to come down again, so that it was hardly possible to get them to Deliver them as you desired, if you write to Mr Collins he can dureing this winter make a bargain for delivering them in the Spring, my Share of charge concerning Newburgh pursuant to our articles I shall be ready to pay upon Sight of any order for that purpose

Yours of the 9th instant I had on Fryday night when I returned from a meeting at whitestone with persons appointed in behalf of our partners of the Equivalent Lands, where that matter of Blagg was had under our Consideration & all the means we could think of proposed for Counterplotting Harrison in that matter Either by

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