ANSWER OF THE COLLECTOR OF NEW YORK TO QUERIES OF THE BOARD OF TRADE.—1747. [ Lond. Doc. XXVIII. ] The referred queries from the Lords of Trade and Plantations and the required Answer from the Collector of the Customs here as by direction of his Excellency the Governour of His Majtys Province, vizt What is the trade of this First: From Great Britain: First: To London & outports of sea faring men From Ireland: linnen and can- What quantity and sorts of British Manufactures do the Inhabitants annually take from hence ? merated commodities, Rum, ma thereof, the latter seldom, To Ireland: Flax-seed, Rum, Limejuice, snuff, piemento, To other parts of Europe: What trade has the Pro- lish and Foreign settlements From Africa, within the pro per limits directed, Negroes vernt send or receive From Northern & Southern from Foreign Planta- parts of this Continent: Cyt'ns ? What is the natural produce of the Country, staple commodities and Manufactures ? and what value thereof in sterling money may you annually ex port. der, Oil, Blubber, Whale- Lastly from Plantations not grain, hides, Elk-skins, To English districts North & 994513 755 First: The Country people here have for many years, & yet their home spun (so termed) of wool & flax to supply themselves somewhat with the necessaries of clothing ettc. From the year 1715 or thereabouts, have been raised Linseed & milled into oil: hats made of Beaver-fur, the exporting whereof prevented by the Act, from Michelmas 1732, also LampBlack work'd up. From the year 1730 Sugar baking & its In this Province are mines of Iron & There on each column are particularized as to the quantities as qualities in the quarterly lists of Trading sels: the transmitting whereof to their Lordshipps, is from the Naval Officer here, constituted by the Governour & also such Lists duly to their Honours the Commissioners of the Customs from their Officers, hence, thereby, may appear, that within the queries mentioned, time, how the increase or diminution differenceth respectively. Such as are prescribed in the principal Laws of trade & aptly used hereat, whereby to effect the intended preventing used to prevent illegal any what contrary to those Laws; and that upon any breach thereof carefully inquired after by the deputed officers, Trade, and are the process is issued against the same in the Vice Admiralty: or it happening sometimes in the Courts of records of same effectual ? this Province, for the Recovery of the subjected penalty on the fraud or abuse committed. What methods are there Examined and compared at the Custom House of New York with the Books of Reports and entries therein by 5 January 1746-7. ARCH'D KENNEDY Collctr. NEW YORK IN AMERICA. THE REFERRED QUERIES FROM THE LORDS OF TRADE AND PLANTATIONS; AND THE REQUIRED ANSWER FROM THE BOOKS OF REPORTS AND ENTRIES IN THE CUSTOM HOUSE AT ITS PORT BY DIRECTION OF THE GOV" OF THIS HIS MAJESTY'S PROVINCE. 1749. [Lond. Doc. XXIX. ] Qre. What is the Trade of the Province, the Number of Shipping, their Tonage and the number of Seafaring Men with the respective Increase or Diminution within the years past? What Quantity and Sorts of British Manufactures do the Inhabitants Annually take from hence? What trade has the Province with any Foreign Plantations or any part of Europe besides Great Britain? How is that Trade caryed on? What Commodities do the People send to and receive from Foreign Plantations? What methods are there used to prevent Illegal Trade and are the same effectual? Ansr. The Inward Trading in General is from Great Britain, European Goods, & those India with Silk Manufactures chiefly. From Ireland Linnen and Canvas Manufacturies certified duly. From British Colonies, enumerated Commodities, Piemento, sulphur, Strawplating, Lime juice, Coffee growth thereof, Hides, Deer Skins, Conch Shells, Mahogonie, Plank, Ebonie, & Negros. From Europe and Africa, besides from English Foreign Settlements in America, Salt. From the African Coast within the proper limits Directed, Negrôs: now less than formerly. From the Northern & Southern parts of this Continent; Fish, Oil, Bluber, Whale fins, Turpentine oil, Seal Skins, Hops, Cyder, Flax, Bricks, Cole, Lamp Black, certain wrought Iron, Tin & Braziery, Joinery, various Carriages and Chairs. From Plantations not under his Mays Dominions, Molasses, Sugar, & Rum in no great Quantitys, since the Act imposing the new Dutys thereon, Lign. Vitæ, Drugs, Logwood and other Dying Wood, Indico, Cocoa Nutts, Cotton Wool, Snuff &c. And the Outward is to London and its Outports, the latter more seldom, Naval Stores, Copper Ore, Furs and other the enumerated species, with the legal Import of divers Mercantile Wares, Plantation Iron, Oil, Spermaceti, Whale Fins, Lime Juice, Shruff, snuff?] Myrtle Candles, Mahogany & Walnut planks, Reeds and Drugs. To Ireland Flax Seed, Rum, Sugar, being Prise effects, and Staves. To sev1 Parts in Europe, Grain, Hides, Deer & Elk Skins, Ox Horns, Sarsaperila, Indico, Logwood, Cocoa Nutts &ca. And Foreign produce & Lumber, Moreover Argent Vivum, Coffee, Anatts, Elephant's Teeth, Beewax, Leather, Sarsafrax, Casiafistula, Wines. & other goods as Prise effects hitherto brought and in the Vice admiralty Courts here and els where adjudicated upon proper certifying. To Madeira & the Azorts, Grain and other Provisions, Bee Wax & Staves. To English Districts North & South of this Continent & West Indies, Provisions, Chocolate, Lumber European & India Goods with those enumerated in the Plantation Trade Acts, and such other Imported here for Conveyance home regularly. To neutral Ports as Curacoa, Suranhaim, and Saint Thomas; Provisions, Lumber, Horses, Sheep, and other live Stock with their Provender. All which are particularized as to the Quantitys and Qualitys in the Quarterly Lists of Vessells: the due transmitting whereof to their honours the Commissioners of the Customs from the offices hereat; thereby may appear within the Queries signifyed time what the Increase or Diminution respectively differenceth; Therefore upon comparing which it 'I be thus considerate, that the first is somewhat more than the other. As to the Shipping which at present belong here, the Number whereof is 157, the tons for registry 6406 & Navigated with 1228 men of Sea Employ, and for the preventive method of which happening illicite here, such prescribed in the principal Laws and aptly made use of, whereby to effect the same as contrary thereto; so that upon any Breach carefully inquired after by the Deputed Officers, process is issued against the like in the Vice Admi ralty, or sometimes in the Courts of Record holden hereat, for recovery of the subjected Penalty on the Committed fraud & abuse. Qre. What is the natural produce of the Country, Staple Commodities and Manufacture, and what Value thereof in Sterling Money may you actually export? Ansr. The production and Manufacture is that the people in the Country here for many years. & yet have their home spun, so termed, of Flax and Wool to supply themselves somewhat with necessaries of Clothing &c. That for thirty four years or thereabouts, have been raised Linseed & mil'd into Oil, Hats, made of beaver Furs, their Exportation prohibited by the act from Michaelmas 1730, also the working of Lampblack. That for nineteen years, Sugar baking and its refining in order to consumption here and transportation for other Districts on the Continent & the West Indies upon regular certificate; And Erecting Six houses latterly that rum and other Spirits may therein Distillable. That in the said Province are Mines of Lead & Iron ores; the Manufacturing of which hath been of late proposed; likewise Hemp raised; And that besides there are Grain of all kinds & other Provisions with Tobacco, a small quantity out of soil naturally productive: Yet such with the like hither brought from the Western & Fastern parts of this Continent being Vendible abroad cannot be distinguished as to ascertain the Prices of Annual Exports, neither could be practicable if from the seperated Exportness, because their current value according to the Markets in their respective Species vary. New York 23d May, 1749. G. CLINTON. GOVERNOR CLINTON'S CERTIFICATE ABOUT IRON ROLLING MILLS, &c., 1750. [ Lond. Doc. XXIX. ] By His Excellency Honble GEORGE CLINTON Captain General, and Governor and Chief of the Province of New York and territories thereon depending in America, Vice Admiral of the same and Admiral of the White Squadron of His Majesty's Fleet. IN OBEDIENCE to an Act of Parliament, Entitled, " An Act to Encourage the Importation of Pig and Bar Iron from His Colonies in America; and to prevent the Erection of any Mill or other Engine for Slitting or Rolling of Iron; or any plating Forge to work with a Felt Hammer, or any Furnace for making Steel in any of the said Colonies" passed in the twenty third year of His Majesty's Reign His said Excellency doth hereby certify, that there is erected within the said Province, in the County of Orange, at a place called Wawaganda, about twenty six miles from Hudsons River, one plateing Forge to work with a Tilt Hammer, which belongs to Lawrance Scrauley of the said County a Blacksmith; has been built about four or five years, and is not at present made use. And further that there are not erected in his said Excellency's Government, any other or more plateing Forges, to work with a Tilt Hammer or any Mill or Mills, or other Engine for Slitting or Rolling of Iron, or any Furnace or Furnaces for making Steel. In Testimony, whereof his said Excellency hath subscribed these Presents, and caused the Great Seal of the Province of New York to be hereunto affixed. At Fort George in the city of New York the fourteenth day of December in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and Fifty, and in the seventy fourth year of His Majestys Reign. G. CLINTON. My Lords-I had the honour of your Lordships letter of the 9th of June directing me forth with upon the receipt thereof to take the most effectual method for obtaining an account of the quantity of Iron made in this Province from the year 1749 to the 5th of January 1756. I accordingly wrote to Mr. Robert Livingstone who has the only Iron work in this Province which is carried on & I send your Lordships enclosed the account received from him as soon as it came to my hands. This Country abounds in Iron ore especially in the Highlands & several works have been begun but were dropt though the mismanagement or inability of the undertakers; of these there were two Furnaces in the Mannor of Cortland & several Bloomeries; but they have not been worked for several years past; it is probable after the war upon the Encouragement the Parliament of Great Britain are giving the Colonies in this Article these and several others will be carried on in this Province. I have the honor to be Your Lordship's most obedt & must humble servt JAMES DE LANCY. Right Honorable Lords Commissioners of Trade. [Council Min. XXIII.] At a Council held at Fort George in the city of New York, Wednesday, 27th May 1761. The Petition of William Hawkshurst praying a Grant for the sole making of Anchors and Anvills within this Province for the Term of Thirty years, or such other Term, and under such Regulations as shall be thought meet, was presented to the Board, and being read was rejected. CIRCULAR. THE BOARD OF TRADE TO ALL THE GOVERNORS ON THE CONTINENT OF AMERICA. Lond. Doc. XXXIX. ] WHITEHALL, August 1. 1766. In pursuance of an Address of the House of Commons to His Majesty on the 27th March last, and of his Majesty's Commands thereupon, signified to us by his Grace the Duke of Richmond, in a letter to us dated the 11th ultimo, you are forthwith to prepare, and as soon as possible transmit to us, in order to be laid before the House of Commons in the next Session, a particular and exact Account of the several manufactures which have been set up and carried on within the Colony under your Government since the year 1734 and of the Public Encouragement which have been given thereto. You are also from time to time Annually to transmit the like Account of any Manufactures which shall be hereafter set up, and of the Public Encouragement which have been given thereto. We are &c. DARTMOUTH. WM. FITZHERBERT. PALMERSTON. [ Council Min. XXVI. ] At a Council held at Fort George in the City of New York on Friday the 7th day Nov 1766. Present-His Excellency Sir Henry Moore Baronet, Capt. Genl &c Mr Reed Mr Apthorpe His Excellency communicated to the Council a Letter to him of the 1st of August from the Right Honble the Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plantations requiring his Excellency, in pursuance of the Address of the House of Commons to his Majesty on the 27 March last, and of his Majesty's Commands thereupon, forthwith to prepare and transmit to their Lordships, in order to be laid before the House of Commons, at their next Sessions, a particular and exact Account of the Several Manufactures &c. [As in the preceding Letter.] The Council declared, that no manufactures had been set up within this Colony since that Period, or received any public encouragement; nor did they know of any Manufacture of Wool or Woolen Cloth, but what was principally confined to private Families, for their own particular Consumption. |