in its Effects, so plainly destructive and prejudicial to the Trade and Interest of these Kingdoms, and so much for the interest of the French, and greatly promoted that Mischief which it was intended to prevent,

Your Petitioners most humbly pray your Majesty That you would be graciously pleased to give the necessary Directions to your Governor of New-York, not to pass any new Act for the reviving or continuing the said Act prohibiting Trade with the French of Canada; and that if any such Act, or any Act of the like Tendency, be already passed, that the same may be repealed. And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.

Samuel Baker, J. Bull,

Rob. Hackshaw, Fra. Wilks,

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

PRESENT

The KING'S Most Excellent Majesty in

UPON

Council.

PON Reading this Day at the Board the humble Petition and Representation of Samuel Baker, Samuel Storke, and several others, Merchants of London, trading to New-York, in behalf of themselves, and the rest of the Persons concern'd in the NewYork Trade, which Petition sets forth, That great Discouragements have been brought upon the British Trade, by an Act passed in the said Colony of New York, the 19th of November, 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 prohibiting the selling of Indian Goods to the French. And that as the said Act was to continue in force only for three Years, they are informed the Government of New-York either have, or are about passing an Act to revive and continue the same: 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purpose; and if any such Act be already pass'd, that it may be repealed.

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

Signed,

James Vernon.

Extract of the Minutes of the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, the 7th of July, 1724.

R. SHARP attending, as he had been desired, with several New-York Merchants, their Lordships took again into Consideration the Order of Council of the 30th of April, mentioned in the Minutes of the first of May last, referring to the Board their Petition against the Renewing an Act passed in New-York, in November, 1720, entitled, An Act for the Encouragement of the Indian Trade, and rendering of it more effectual to the Inhabitants of this Province, and for prohibiting the selling of Indian Goods to the French. And Mr. Sharp, in behalf of the several Merchants, acquainted their Lord

ships, That he conceived this Act, tho' its Intention of gaining the Indians to the English Interest might be good, would have quite a contrary Effect, because, if the Trade with the French was prevented, and the Merchants should discontinue that with the Indians, (as he was informed they would) the French might lay hold of this Opportunity to furnish themselves with Goods from Europe, and supply the Five Nations of Indians, and thereby gain them to their Interest: And this, by reason of their Situation, would not be in the Power of the English to prevent: That they were two or three hundred Leagues distant from Albany, and that they could not come to trade with the English 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 said River, it would be in their Power, whenever they pleased, to cut off that Communication.

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

That several Merchants who had sent over

to New-York considerable Quantities of European Goods, had received Advice from their Correspondents, That should another Act of the like Nature be passed, they could not find a vent for them, and desired they would send

no more.

Upon the whole, Mr. Sharpe desired, in behalf of the Merchants, that Mr. Burnet might be directed not to pass any Act of the like Nature for the future.

To the KING'S Most Excellent Majesty.

May it please your Majesty ;

IN

N Obedience to your Majesty's Commands, signified to us by your Order in Council of the 30th of April last, referring to us the Petition of several Merchants of London trading to New-York, setting forth "The great Discouragements that have been brought upon the British Trade by an Act passed in New-York the 19th of November, 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 prohibiting the selling of Indian Goods to the French. And that as the said Act is now expir'd, the said Merchants are informed the Government of New-York either have, or are about passing an Act to revive and con