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

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

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 flourishing Estate and condition, and more especially their Protection and Defence.

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.

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.

To send for Coppies of Commissions and Instructions, and consider of them.

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.

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.

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.

Not to give just Provocations to their Neighbours, Indians, or others.

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 præservation 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.

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 assist 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 furnishing 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 Shipps, as have viewed and coasted along the said places.

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 Shipping, must equally conduce to the Safety and strength of these Nations.

Whether Masts and other Materialls for Shipping 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 Shipps of great burthen may as we are informed be plentifully furnished from some of our Plantations, if care hereunto were more especially used.

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

You are therefore more particularly to advise about this matter, with the severall Governours, and Colonies of New England, and to propound to them or receive their Opinion, what methods and course might be most fitt for the producing of Flax, Hempe, Pitch and Tarre in those Countries in most plenty. As also where Mills might be most conveniently placed and encreased for the sawing of Timber, and Planke, and how best we may ease the charge and promote the building there of great Shipping.

How the Plantations may be supplyed with Servants and Slaves.

10. You are to take into your Consideration, how all and every our said Colonies, and Plantations, may be best supplyed both with servants and Slaves.

To consider the differences betwixt the Guiny Company, and the Plantations, and to find out expedients of agreement.

That none of his Ma^ties Subjects of these kingdomes be forced or Enticed away to the Plantations by any unlawfull Practises, but that they may be duly accomodated.

And what just Objections the said Plantations have against the standing and Priviledges of the Guiny Company, Or what complaints the Guiny Company doth justly make against any of the said Colonies. And to find out such Expedients if possible, that neither of them may lye under any Discouragements, or that at least neither of them may be permitted to injure or oppresse the other. You are also as farre as you may, to provide that none of our Subjects in these Kingdomes, be either forced or enticed away into any of our said Plantations, by any indirect and unlawfull practises, But that all such persons neverthelesse, as are willing, and that shall desire to be transported thither, to seeke a better condition there than what they have at present at home, may by all meanes be encouraged.

And that some Course be duly considered by you also how far the future Vagrants, and all such persons as are Noxious, and infamous for their Lives here, may be Transported, as that the forreigne Plantations may be accomodated with them, and these Kingdomes disburthened.

Correspondency with the Governours the better to understand their Government, Plantations, Complaints, Trade and Shipping, and the Increase or Decrease thereof.

11. You are likewise to order and settle such a continuall correspondence with all and every our said Plentations, and with all and every the respective Governements of them. That you may be able as often as you are required thereunto to give us an Account, not only of the Governement of each Colony, and of the severall Commodities which they respectively plant, but of their severall Complaints and wants also, and how you find their Trade respectively to increase or decrease.

To which purpose you are to require an Account to be sent you continually from time to time of all the Shipps that shall Trade into any of the said Plantations. And of the substance of what lading they import thither togeather with an account also what Shipps are freighted from thence and with what sort of Goods, and what quantity there is of each of the said sorts, and whether Consigned. That so the true state and condition of each Colony in reference to the Trade and Increase and Decrease of it, may be thoroughly and rightly understood.

To regulate the trade of the Plantations, so that they may be serviceable to one another, as well as to these our kingdomes.

12. And being thus informed you are further to apply your selves by all prudentiall wayes and Meanes so to Order, Governe, and Regulate the Trade of our whole Plantations, that they may be most serviceable one unto another, and as the whole unto these our Kingdomes so these our kingdomes unto them.

To take care of the due execution of the Acts for encouragement of Shipping and Navigation.

13. You are therefore to inquire into, and strictly to take care of the due Execution of the severall Acts for the encouragement of Shipping, and Navigation and that as much as in you lyeth, none of those good Ends and purposes, so much tending to the strength and benefitt of this Nation may be frustrated for which the said Acts were primarily intended and designed.

To require Coppies of all Charters and Graunts concerning any forreigne Plantations.

14. And to the End that nothing may be wanting to the said Regulation and that Justice may be equally distributed throughout all our said Plantations, You are likewise to take an Inspection into, and require a Coppy of all Charters, and Graunts that have been passed by us or by any of our Prædecessors, to any particular persons, or to any Societies, and Corporations of Men with reference to any of the said Plantations.

And more particularly to informe your selves what Goverments are held by vertue of any of the said Charters at present, and by whome.

To examine how the Ends of them have been pursued or neglected.

In case of any differences to endeavour the composing of them amicably.

You are likewise to examine what Causes, Covenants and Conditions, with relation to our selfe and to the Crowne are inserted in any of the said Charters or Graunts, and how the same have been performed, and how the Ends of the said Graunts themselves have been respectively pursued. Or how much on the contrary, you find they have been neglected, and our selfe præjudiced, and to report the same to us. And in case there shall any differences arise concerning the bounds, and Limits of any of the said respective Charters, or concerning the Priviledges, Rights, or Properties, which may be challenged by any by vertue of the said Charters.

Otherwise to state and report them to his Ma^tie.

You are to endeavour by the best and justest meanes you may, amicably to compose and determine the same. But if the difference arising about any of the said Charters, shall have so much difficulty, as that the same cannot be friendly and amicably ended as aforesaid. In that case you are after Examination of it to state it to us. That we may give such Resolution thereupon as may be agreeable to Justice.

To send for Coppies of the Lawes now in force that if upon examination any of them be found contrary to honour, Justice, or the Law of England, they may be nulled.

15. And as you are not to permitt any of our Loving Subjects to be oppressed by any of the Governours of our said Colonies contrary to the Lawes that are in force, within the said Colonies respectively, so you are as carefully to examine, send for and require a Coppy of all such Lawes, as have been at any time made, and doe stand yet unrepealed within any of our said Plantations. That if any of the said Lawes be found inconvenient or contrary to the Lawes of this Land, or to the honour and Justice of our Governement, all such Lawes may be immediately nulled.

To procure Mapps and Charts of the severall Plantations, and to Register and keep them.

16. You are also by all Wayes and meanes you may to procure exact Mapps, Platts or Charts of all and Every our said Plantations abroad, togeather with the Mapps and Descriptions of their respective Ports, Harbours, Forts, Bayes, Rivers with the Depth of their respective Channells comming in or going up, and the Soundings all along upon the said respective Coasts from place to place, and the same so had, you are carefully to Register and Keepe.

To take effectuall care for the Propagating the Gospell in the Plantations, and for the providing and maintaining of a pious and learned Ministry.

To reforme the Debaucheries of Planters and Servants.

You are above all especially required to take an effectual care for the Propagation of the Gospell, in all our said Colonies and Plantations respectively, by providing that there be good Encouragem^t setled for the Invitation and maintenance of pious and learned Ministers, and by sending strict Orders and Instructions for the regulating and reforming the Debaucheries of Planters and Servants, whose evill Example doth bring Scandall upon the Profession of Christianity, and doth deterre such as are not yet admitted thereunto, from effecting and esteeming the same.

To invite and Instruct the Indians and Slaves in the Christian Religion.

And you are to consider how much of the Indians, or such as are purchased from other parts for Slaves, may be best Instructed and invited to the Christian Religion and Faith, it being both for the Honour of our Crowne, and of the Protestant Religion it selfe. That all persons within any of our Territories though never so remote should be taught the Knowledge of God, and be accquainted with the Mysteries of Salvation.

To write Letters to the severall Governours to informe them of his Ma^ties great care of the Plantations in erecting this Councill as also a generall Councill for trade.

18. You are therefore forthwith to write Letters and to send them to the severall Governours of our said respective Plantations, or to their respective Deputies in all parts, wherein you are to informe them of our great care and signall grace towards our said Colonies, and of our erecting not only a general Councill for Trade, that might take cognizance of such things as may be their concerne, But of our appointing this Councill in particular which is employed only for the better care and conduct of them.

To require of them an Account of the state of their present condition and of what they judge necessairie for their Securitie, Encouragem^t, and accomodation.

You are therefore to require them, by themselves, or by the Assistance of the respective Councills or Assemblies of the said Colonies to send you an exact account of the State of their Condition at present, and of such particulars within these your Instructions as you shall in the first place thinke most necessary for them to answer or informe you of.

And that they doe further propound to you what they judge to be most immediately necessary either for their security, or for the encouragement, and accomodation of them.

To observe such other Instructions as shall be sent under his Ma^ties Signe Manuall, and if further Powers be found necessary, the Councill to adresse to his Ma^tie therein.

19. Lastly you are to follow such other Instructions concerning the Præmises, as shall be sent to you from time to time by us under our Signe Manuall.

And in all cases wherein you shall judge that further Powers and Assistance shall be necessary for you, You are to addresse Your selves to us, for our further pleasure Resolution and Direction therein.

Given at our Court at Whitehall the 30^th. day of July 1670, in the two and twentieth yeare of our Reigne.

By his Ma^ties Command

Arlington