British Committees, Commissions, and Councils of Trade and Plantations , 1622-1675 Part 8

_Sixthly._--They are to consider of some way, that a most exact account be kept of all commodities imported and exported through the Land, to the end that a perfect Balance of Trade may be taken, whereby the Commonwealth may not be impoverished, by receiving of Commodities yearly from Foraign parts of a greater value than what was carried out.

_Seventhly._--They are duly to consider the value of the _English_ Coyns, and the Par thereof, in relation to the intrinsic value which it bears in weight and fineness with the Coyns of other Nations. Also to consider of the state of the Exchange, and of the gain or loss that comes to the Commonwealth by the Exchange now used by the Merchants.

_Eighthly._--They are (in order to the Regulating and Benefit of Trade) seriously to consider what Customs, Impositions, and Excise is fit to be laid upon all Goods and Commodities, either Native or Imported, and how the said Customs, Impositions, and Excise may be best ordered and Regulated, and so equally laid and evenly managed, as neither Trade may be thereby hindered, nor the State made incapable to defray the Publique Charges of the Commonwealth.

_Ninthly._--They are to take into their consideration whether it be necessary to give way to a more open or free Trade than that of Companies and Societies, and in what manner it is fittest to be done; wherein, notwithstanding, they are to take care that Government and Order in Trade may be preserved and Confusion avoided.

_Tenthly._--They are to inform themselves of the particular Ordinances, Orders, Grants, Patents, and Const.i.tutions of the several Companies of Merchants and Handicraftsmen, to the end that if any of them tend to the hurt of the Publique, they may be laid down in such manner as the Parliament shall think fit.

_Eleventhly._--They are to consider the great Trade of Fis.h.i.+ng, and that not only upon the coasts of _England_ and _Ireland_ but likewise of _Iceland_, _Greenland_, _Newfoundland_, and _New England_, or elsewhere, and to take care that the Fishermen may be encouraged to go on in their Labors, to the increase of s.h.i.+pping and Mariners.

_Twelfthly._--They are to take into their consideration the English Plantations in America or elsewhere, and to advise how those Plantations may be best managed, and made most useful for this Commonwealth, and how the Commodities thereof may be so multiplied and improved, as (if it be possible) those Plantations alone may supply the _Commonwealth_ of _England_ with whatsoever it necessarily wants. (Inderwick, _The Interregnum_, p. 74 note.)

APPENDIX II.

Instructions for the Council for Foreign Plantations, 1670-1672.

Given at our Court at Whitehall the 30th day of July, 1670.

[Sidenote: Preamble.]

Forasmuch as our severall Colonies, and Plantations abroad, have by the Prudence of our Predecessors, and not without the great hazard, Charge and Expence of these Nations been respectively setled, and being so setled are become the proper Right and Soveraigne Posessions of us: And forasmuch as the said Colonies having upon severall Occasions readily exprest their loyalty and faithfulnesse towards us, have thereby the more engaged us, out of our Princely care, not only to take notice of them, but by all Wayes and meanes to endeavour the promoting of their Welfare and Increase, togeather with their flouris.h.i.+ng Estate and condition, and more especially their Protection and Defence.

[Sidenote: To inquire of the State of the Plantations, of the Powers and Instructions of the Governours how Executed.]

1. You are therefore strictly to inquire and informe your selves, by the best wayes and meanes you can of the State and condition of all and every of our said respective Colonies, and Plantations, what it is, by whome they are respectively governed, and what Commissions, Powers and Instructions, have been graunted by us, or any way derived from us to that End, how the same have been duly executed and observed.

[Sidenote: Miscarriages to be represented.]

And if upon Enquiry or Examination you shall find any neglect, or miscarriage, to have been committed by any of the said Governours respectively, or by any of their respective Deputies, or that any such neglect or miscarriage shall hereafter appeare to you, that shall tend to the abuse of our Authority, or to the prejudice of our Interest, Or to the dammage and discouragement of any of our said Plantations, you are forthwith and at all times from time to time carefully to represent the same to us, that we may give such direction therein as the affaire shall require and as to our Princely wisdome shall be thought fitt.

[Sidenote: To send for Coppies of Commissions and Instructions, and consider of them.]

[Sidenote: To give Directions accordingly.]

2. And to this End you are to demaund of the said Governours respectively, or of their respective Deputies, the Coppies of all such Commissions and Instructions, as have mediatly, or immediatly been derived from us, or to procure and require the same from the Officers of Record, within this our Kingdome. Which having you shall cause them to be fairly transcribed and entred in a Booke provided for that purpose. That you may at all times be the better enabled to judge of the Duties of the said Governours respectively, and may Administer such directions to them, as may be suitable thereunto, and most agreeable to our service.

[Sidenote: What Number of Parishes, Planters, Servants and Slaves are in the Severall Plantations.]

3. And that you may the better provide for the Defence, Welfare, and Security of the said Plantations, you are diligently to informe your selves how all and every of the said Colonies and Plantations are inhabited (viz) What number of Parishes there are in each respective Goverment, and what number of Planters there be in each Parish and what number of Servants doe belong to the said Planters respectively, and whether the said Servants are Christians, or Slaves that are brought from other parts.

[Sidenote: If thinly stockt to consider how they may be supplyed from other Plantations or from these Dominions.]

And if you shall find any of the said Plantations to be so thinly and weakly inhabited as that it may endanger the losse of them, you are to consider how and which way they may most conveniently be supplyed either from some other of our Plantations, where they are overstored, or from any part of these our Dominions.

[Sidenote: Not to give just Provocations to their Neighbours, Indians, or others.]

[Sidenote: To preserve Amity with them.]

4. And forasmuch as most of our said Colonies doe border upon the Indians of severall Countries, or doe lye neare the Plantations of our Neighbours the French, Spanish, or Dutch, and that peace is not to be expected either with the said Indians, or with such as are our Neighbours, without the due observance and praeservation of Justice to each of them respecively. You are therefore strictly in our Name to charge and Command all and every the Governours of our said Colonies respectively, that they at no time give any just provocation to any of the said Indians, nor to any of our said Neighbours, that are at peace with us, or their Subjects, but that they doe by all just wayes and meanes endeavour to preserve the Amity that is respectively setled betweene them, and to begett also for the future a good and faire Correspondency with them.

[Sidenote: Governours to receive all Indians under their Protections.]

5. And inasmuch as some of the Natives of the said Indians may be of great use to give Intelligence to our Plantations, Or to discover the Trade of other Countries to them, or to be Guides to places more remote from them, or to informe our Governours of severall Advantages, and Commodities that may be within or neare to our severall Plantations, not otherwise capable to be known to them, And may be many other wayes serviceable, either to defend or to succour and a.s.sist our Plantations.

It is therefore our pleasure, and we doe hereby require you, to give strict order to our severall and respective Governours, that if any of the said Indian Nations shall at any time desire to put themselves under the protection of our Goverment, that they doe receive them, And that they doe by all Wayes and Meanes seeke firmly to oblige them, And that they doe direct or employ some persons purposely to learne the languages respectively of them.

And that they doe not only carefully protect and defend them from other Indians, and from any that are the Adversaries of them. But that they more especially take care that none of our owne Subjects, nor any of their respective Servants, doe at any time any way harme them.

[Sidenote: Not to suffer them to be injured in their persons Goods or Possessions.]

And that if any shall dare to offer any Violence to them in their respective persons, Goods or possessions, the said Governours doe severely punish the said Injuries agreeable to Justice and Right.

6. And for the better Improovement of the Trade and Commerce of the said Plantations, you are as much as in you lyeth to take care, and to give such Rules and Directions therein, as you shall in your Judgement thinke best.

[Sidenote: That all Commodities of their Growth or making be duly manufactured and Improoved.]

That all the Commodities which are made and produce in every of our said Plantations, may be duly cured, Manufactured, Improoved, and made as Merchantable to the utmost as they may, to the end that they may not only be of the greater perfection, but of the greater value, worth and repute abroad among other Countries.

[Sidenote: Whether other Commodities, then what grow at present, may not be planted and thrive, as Cotton, Ginger, Cocoa &c.]

7. To which End you are to inquire and informe your selves aright.

Whether there may not be some better Species even of those very Commodities which we now plant, Than what we yet have, as of Cotton, Ginger, Cocoa &c. Or whether there may not be some better and more perfect skill used, in some other places, for the husbanding, managing, and perfecting the said Commodities, than what we use at present.

[Sidenote: To gaine the knowledge and skill of such, & impart them to the People.]

And if you find the same to be so, you are to use all Endeavour possible to procure the said Species, or to gaine the Knowledge of the said skill, and to impart the same to the people of our said Plantations.

[Sidenote: What Islands are fittest and most conveniently seated for breeding of Cattle.]

8. And forasmuch as the Increase of Horses, and Cattle for Draught or for Victuall, are of very great use for the settling of new, and for the furnis.h.i.+ng of old Plantations, And that there are severall Islands which as we are informed, are not so fitt for the inhabiting, or for the planting of any Commodity in, as for the breeding the said Cattle, and which may yet be the more easily setled, by how much they require the lesse people.

You are therefore to informe your selves, what Islands are scituate most convenient for that purpose, and to conferre with such Seamen and Captaines of s.h.i.+pps, as have viewed and coasted along the said places.

[Sidenote: To give Encouragement towards the effecting of the same.]

And to consider accordingly of such Conditions, and to publish such encouragements, as that the same may be most probable to be effected.

9. And in regard whatever conduceth to the Increase of s.h.i.+pping, must equally conduce to the Safety and strength of these Nations.

[Sidenote: Whether Masts and other Materialls for s.h.i.+pping may not be furnished from the Plantations.]

And that not only Masts, but all other Materialls, as well for the building, as fitting out of s.h.i.+pps of great burthen may as we are informed be plentifully furnished from some of our Plantations, if care hereunto were more especially used.

[Sidenote: To encourage the producing of Hempe, Flax, Pitch and Tarre in New England: and setting up of Sawing Mills.]