out__4_

Chap. II. Reflections upon the Rpya; African COMPANY As Oliver established this present East Indy Company, and excluded the rest of the Nation from trading into that half of the world, which the Company call the East Indies; So King Charles the 2d. erected this present African Company, excluding all others of the English Nation from trading to Africa, from the Country of Sufa, to the Cape of Good-Hope; so that if you take the extent of this part of the Coast of Africk, its little less than a Quadrant of the Globe, being above 80 degrees; so that the prerogative which these two Companies claim against the rest of their fellow Subjects in these two Trades, extend to two thirds of the circumference of the Globe of the earth, and herein both are at peace with all the world besides, and only in a state of War with the rest of their fellow Subjects... Here let's see first the Consequences of this Restrraint, upon the Nation in the foreign vent of our domestick manufactures: Secondly, in reference to our American Plantations; and Thirdly, in reference to the returns, which this Company imports into England.

from that part of Africa, wherein they Trade, I am not sure of the Companies Patent for this Trade, they know better, nor will I take notice how far the export of our woollen manufactures have been restrained in other Countries of England, I shall only take notice of it from the County of Suffolk: Before this African Company was incorporated, the Cloathiers in Suffolk yearly vended 25000 Cloths to Africa, but about two years after this Company were Incorporated, the Clothiers in Suffolk, as they did before, endeavored to have vented their Cloths in the African trade, but they were not permitted, and the Company would take off but 500, and those at scarce half the prices there were sold before... I am assured that this Company ( and the Parliament may Inquire into the Truth of it ) after it was Erected, carried it so that the Planters in our American Plantations, were not permitted to Buy Negroes but of the Company, and the Planters must buy only such as the Company would sell, and at the Price of 30 l. per cents more than they did before, so this is submitted to judgement, whether this will not resolve into a dearness of all the Products of our American Plantations, and thereby enable both the French and Dutch, who are Competitors with us in these Trades, to the Endangering the Loss of them... The Returns into England from Africk are principally Gold-dust, which is so much less as the restraint by the Company is more... I say the Company raised the priced of Elephant's Teeth so high, that the Dutch could bring them in cheaper, and so work the Manufactures of them cheaper than the poor English could work them, and this being a Manufacture of Holland, the Dutch by the Act of Navigation may import them... whether this be not a grievous tyranny of this Company over multitudes of poor Artificers in Ivory, is submitted to Judgment : yet this, as well as the East Indy Company, have the Confidence to petition the Parliament, to have this abominable Tyrannies over the rest of their fellow Subjects, to be Established by a Law.

As these two Companies are Simean and Levi in their Wickednesses over the rest of their fellow subjects, in the Excercise of their Dominion, so are their Pretences the same for their so doing, viz. First, That these Trades cannot be managed but by a Joint Stock, to the excluding the rest of the English Nation, which is a Lye diametrically to their Practice ; for then Interlopers could not Trade in either, by seizing their Ships and Cargoes, and Imprisoning the Persons; and its Well they escape so. The Second is, That they are at great Charges in erecting Forts, for securing these Trades : If they have any such Forts, as the East Indy, the Fort of St. george, and another at Bombay, for which they pay Ten Pounds a Year to the Crown ; yet I fear the African Company have not the same Plea, now the French took from them their Fort this last Summer, at one of the Mouths of Gamba; but the Fort St. George, and that at Bombay are of no use in the Indian Trade, being quite out of the way ; and if they be of use to the Company, is this a Reason that no English but themselves shall Trade to near half the known World. The Zealanders have built a Fort, in the Scheld called Lillo, whereby they restrain all other nations, but the Dutch, from Trading to Flanders... Yet sure it would be a strange Impudence in the Zealanders, to forvid the rest of the Inhabitants of the United Netherlands to Trade to any part of the World, because they have erected a Fort in the Scheld called Lillo ; yet they may do this, as well as these companies forbid all the other English to Trade to Africk and the East Indies, because one Company has Fort St. George, and the other a Fort at one of the Mouths of Gambo. But there is a difference between the Zealanders and these Companies ; for they permit the other Dutch to Trade up the Scheld, and refrain Foreigners; whereas these Companies permit Foreigners to Trade in the East Indies and Africk, and only forbid the English, upon pretence of their Forts. And sure it is just with God, that these Companies which have thus Rent themselves from the rest of the Nation, and insult over their fellow Subjects, should themselves be subject to the Insults and Injuries of the French and Dutch, without any reasonable prospect pf relief from this Nation, so treated by them.

This page is not transcribed, please help transcribe this page

This page is not transcribed, please help transcribe this page