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. Sharp 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 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 continue the same; and therefore pray, that a stop may be put thereto." We humbly take leave to represent to your Majesty,
That we have been attended by the Petitioners, who informed us, that they have found this Act, by Experience, to be so great a Discouragement to the British Trade, that there has not been, by far, so considerable a Quantity of Beaver, and other Furs, imported into Great-Britain, from New-York, since the passing the said Act, as heretofore, nor half the Quantity of European Goods exported thither; in consequence whereof the Price of Furs is raised Five and Twenty and Thirty per Cent. to the great Prejudice of several British Manufactures.
They likewise affirmed, That it was impracticable to hinder the French from supplying the Indians with European Goods: For tho' New-York should not furnish them, the French would find another way to be supplied therewith, either from some other of his Majesty's Plantations, or, it might be, directly from Europe. That it was of dangerous Consequence to force this Trade into a new Channel, many of the Goods which the Indians want being as easy to be had directly from France or Holland, as from Great-Britain.
They further added, That it was not likely the Act, in question, should produce the Effects expected from it, more particularly that of securing the Five Indian Nations firmly to the British Interest; because, if the French should once get a Supply of the Goods necessary for the Indian Trade, from any other Place, as the Five Indian Nations are settled upon the Banks of the River of St. Lawrence, directly opposite to Quebeck, two or three hundred Leagues distant from the nearest British Settlement in New-York, the Vicinity of the French would furnish them with the Means of supplying even the Five Nations with these Goods, and consequently of alienating their Affections from the British Interest. And that there was no Prospect of obtaining a Trade with the French Indians by this means, because the French would always be able to prevent their Passage cross the Lakes and River of St. Lawrence to our Settlements.
These were the most material Objections made by the Merchants against the Bill.