That your Petitioners have received Advice, That the Government of New-York either have, or are about passing an Act, to revive and continue the said Act for prohibiting all Trade between New-York and Canada.
Upon which Occasion, your Petitioners humbly beg leave to represent to your Majesty, That the said Act, tho' in the first Intention of it, it might be well designed, yet, in its Effects, it has proved very pernicious to the British Trade in general, and to the Interest of New-York in particular: For, besides the Nations of Indians that are in the English Interest, there are very many Nations of Indians, who are, at present, in the Interest of the French, and who lie between New-York, and the Nations of Indians in the English Interest; and this Act prohibiting all Trade between New-York and the French of Canada, or any of the Subjects of France, the French, and their Indians, would not permit the English Indians to pass over by their Forts, so as to carry on a free Trade with New-York, but prevented their Passages, as much as possible, whereby that most considerable and only valuable Branch of Trade from New-York, hath, ever since the passing the said Act, very much lessened, from the great Difficulties of carrying on any Trade with the English Indians, and the Prohibition of all Trade with the French; and all the Indian Goods have, by this Act, been raised in their Price 25l. to 30l. per Cent.
Whereas, on the other hand, this Branch of the New-York Trade, by the Discouragements brought upon it by this Act, is almost wholly engrossed by the French, who have already, by this Act, been encouraged to send proper European Goods to Canada, to carry on this Trade; so that should this Act be continued, the New-York Trade, which is very considerable, must be wholly lost to us, and center in the French.
And your Petitioners further beg leave humbly to represent, That as they conceive nothing can tend more to the with-drawing the Affections of the Five Nations of Indians from the English Interest, than the Continuance of the said Act, which, in its Effects, restrains them from a free Commerce with the Inhabitants of New-York, and may, too probably, estrange them from the English Interest: Whereas by a Freedom of Commerce, and an encourag'd Intercourse of Trade with the French, and their Indians, the English Interest might, in time, be greatly improved and strengthened among the Indians in general, who, by such Latitude of Trade, might be link'd to our Friendship in the strongest Ties of their own Interest, as well as Inclinations.
That therefore, and as the said Act was, 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,
Rob. Hackshaw,
Jo. Lloyd,
Sam. Storke,
J. Bayeux,
Sam. Fitch,
Rich. Jeneway,
Jos. Lowe,
Asher Levy,
John Paine,
J. Bull,
Fra. Wilks,
Wm. Parkin,
John Gilbert,
Jos. Paice, jun.
Rich. Mico,
Jo. Miranda,
Geo. Streatfield,
John Everet,
Thompson Hayne.