The Present State of Virginia

by Hugh Jones

Of Trade in Virginia.

The Projects before laid down might be put in Execution without any Impediment to the planting of Tobacco, Corn, &c. in the Methods that are now practised, and without any Loss to the present Virginia Trade, and Income to the Crown arising from Tobacco, or Decrease of the vast Quantities of all Sorts of Commodities yearly transported to that large Plantation. And till such Designs as are here laid down be put in Execution, or brought to due Regulation and Perfection, it might not be Cost and Labour thrown away if the Virginia Gentlemen, Traders and Planters attempted at some, if not all the Things mentioned for their Advantage in the last Scheme; especially when Tobacco is so very low, that it is not worth while to plant too much of it, which frequently happens. They might soon perceive if these Designs would answer Expectation; and Trials for Experience at their Leisure would not cost much; for their Experience, I say, rather than their Satisfaction, because they may be satisfied as to the Practicableness and Usefulness of most of these Things, from the repeated Proofs that have been already made in most of these Commodities, together with many more; particularly Hides, which I forgot to mention, which are now hardly of any Use or Value there, but might be tann'd very cheap, because of the Plenty of Bark; and I believe likewise that good Use might be made of their Sheep and Calf-Skins, which are now of no Value nor Use worth speaking of. What Numbers would the Manufacture of these Things employ, and what Advantage would it bring to the Workmen and the Planters?

But I see that these Propositions may raise the loud Clamours of Thousands of People concerned in England, in the Trades belonging to all the Commodities here spoken of: In Answer to whose various Objections it may be replied, that all these Things would be wrought by their own Countrymen, poor Neighbours, or Friends; that it will ease them of their Poor, Vagabonds, and Villains: That all these Goods are to be transported to England, so that in reality Virginia would be only as a Yard or Work-House where these Servants and Journeymen would labour for the English; besides several of these Things are such as we are wholly or in part supplied with from other Nations; and certainly we had better have Goods of the Produce of our own People and Countries, than buy them of Strangers, who make them for us; and if too great Quantities of any kind should be made, more than our own Consumption requires, surely it will be very advantageous for us, if we can supply other Nations with such Goods, the best of their Kind, and at the cheapest Rate. Whenever any of these Projects should interfere with the Interest of Great Britain, by all Means they should be stop'd; and when particular Trades or Persons might receive Damage by any of these Projects carried on in Virginia, Amends might be made them by some other Privileges and Advantages in several other Respects. Such Things should be encouraged there, though they made less of several Kinds here; for Abundance of our People and our Land might be employed more properly in other Things, rather than in what they are; which might be much more easy to them, more agreeable to their Soil, and more to the Interest of themselves and the Publick; especially with Respect to such Things as would be produced better, with less Labour and more Plenty, with less Expence and more Profit in Virginia than in Great Britain. Such Things certainly might more properly be manufactured there, and our Land and our People now employed at Home about those Things should be put to better Uses and Purposes, more suitable and more beneficial both for the publick and private Interest. These Measures would create no Alteration in the present Trade and Methods, but would only augment and add new Advantages and Improvements to our Merchandize and Manufactures: Instead of being a Hindrance to the present Customs and Methods, it would promote the Interest and Trade both of Great Britain and Virginia, and the other Plantations. Would it not be for the Good of Thousands of unfortunate People, besides for the Benefit of Virginia, if Farmers were there well settled, and Husbandry carried on regularly, and all Sorts of Grain and Grass brought to Perfection; if greater Quantities of good Cyder and fine Spirits were made there, not only for their own Use, but for Transportation to the West-Indies; nay, and thro' England to the Turkish Dominions where Wine is prohibited? How cheap might Ships be there victualled with the best Provision, and what Quantities of barrelled Pork and Beef might be exported from Virginia, with Indian Corn, Wheat, Rye, &c. and be sent to several Parts of the World, where such Things turn to very good Account for the Merchant and Farmer? Many indeed have been baulked in planting and husbandry there; but such have been chiefly Londoners, who are Strangers to Country Business. Any Person may conceive the great Profit and Use to Trade in general, by having the Marshes turned into Meadows, the Rivers confined to deep Channels, by Passages being contrived at the Falls, and the upper Parts of the Rivers being made navigable. England is the Mart and Store-House, whither the Manufactures and vendible Goods of Virginia for the most Part should be sent; and after the English have culled what they like and have Occasion for, surely they are so skilful in Merchandize, that they could vend to other Countries the Overplus of these Commodities, and reap sufficient Profit for their Pains. Thus suppose we should have more of the following Things than our own Use requires, certainly they might easily and profitably be disposed of to others; such as the leathern and woollen Manufactures, hempen and flaxen Goods, Pitch, Tar, Timber for Ship and House-Carpenters, and Cabinet-Makers, Joyners, &c. such as Oak, Deal, Walnut, Hickory, Cedar, Cypress, Locust, and the like, with Masts, Yards, Ships, and all Sorts of naval Stores, with Planks, Clapboards, and Pipestaves; and also Hops, Wine, Hoops, Cask, Silk, Drugs, Colours, Paper, Train Oil, Sturgeon, with various Sorts of Stones, Minerals, and Oars, with Cord, Wood, and Coals, and Metals, particularly Iron; which last, if it meets with proper Encouragement, will soon be made extreamly useful to the Publick.

I shall not insist at large upon the great Profit accruing from the Goods sold to the Indians, and their Dear-Skins and Furs which we buy. There is Land, Provision, Materials, and all other Requisites for carrying on these Things to the greatest Perfection and Profit; and must not Trade and Shipping be wonderfully benefited and advanced, by transporting to and fro the Persons and Things before-mentioned?

These Projects would tend to the great Interest of the Plantation, as well as the Good of Thousands of poor or idle English, and the Advantage of the English Dominions and Trade in general; and besides the Benefits above-mentioned, we may further observe, that by such Means our inferior People that now are cloathed with Rags, being promoted to Circumstances that would afford it, would yearly expend vast Sums in good Apparel, Houshold Goods, &c. which they must be supplied with from Great Britain, whereas now they are not only useless, but even are noxious Branches of our Society; to which Class we may reduce at least (I believe) 1/20 Part of our People, who might thus be put in a Method, not only to maintain themselves handsomly and live well, but likewise by their Consumption of Goods would support Thousands of Families in the manufacturing of such Commodities as they may have Occasion for: And the Addition to our publick Riches, which would be required in the Advancement of the Fortunes and Estates of all these mean People, would arise from the Encrease of our foreign Trade, in supplying other Countries with those Commodities, many of which we now even buy ourselves; so that in Realty these Folks might be maintained and provided for well at the Expence of foreign Nations, without the least Charge or Contribution (in effect) of our own Fellow-Subjects.

Virginia was the first Plantation, and is one of the very best and largest, depending most directly upon the Crown, and bringing most into the Treasury upon account of the Customs and Quit-Rents; therefore it has the first Title to claim, and a superior Right to demand such Encouragement, as may tend to the speedy Promotion of its Trade and Prosperity. This Colony ought first to be brought to its greatest Perfection, and then the others may crave the like Assistance, in such Methods as may best suit with their Occasion and particular Circumstances; so that in their Course continually all the Plantations might be made constant and sure Receptacles, and find sufficient Provision and Employment for all our Poor, our Beggars, and our notorious Rogues; all which might more effectually and expeditiously be brought to pass, if our Slave Trade were moderated, if not ended, and exchanged for some other as advantageous for the Merchant, and the publick Good; for by what I understand since the Plantations are so well stock'd with Slaves, and they breed and thrive there so prodigiously, the Company has not gained very exceedingly by slaving of late Years; but be their Gain much or little, I am persuaded that if fewer Slaves were imported to Virginia, it would be better for the Virginia Planters and Merchants; and with humble Submission I am of Opinion that the African Traders might prosecute more gainful Adventures than too much slaving.

But I should not pretend to direct in the Regulation of Trade; only I shall take Leave to make this Observation as to the Trade of Virginia, viz. It is great Pity but that the publick Tobacco were well ordered; for the Publick, the County, and the Parish Levies might be paid much better, there being too frequently Deficiencies, both in the Manner of the Payment, and the Quality of the Commodity.

This with the Negroe Trade is what the Assembly have often considered and attempted to rectify; in which Respects their strenuous Endeavours justly merit the Applause and grateful Acknowledgments of all Persons interested in these Affairs. As for the English Laws and Duties relating to Tobacco, they are out of my Sphere; only I know that frequently the Duty is so high, and the Price so low, that it is very hard for the Merchant; and the Planter and the Smoaker get little or nothing but their Labour for their Pains and Expence; for it has happened that Planters, who have had a great Dependance upon their Years Crop of Tobacco, for the Support of themselves and Families, have, instead of clearing any thing, been brought in Debt by it, the Charges and Duties far over-balancing the Price of the Tobacco; so that though the Virginians are for the most Part very eager at making Tobacco, which formerly turned to a vast Account, yet of late Years they sometimes get little or nothing by it, but Trouble and Loss; because of the great Expence in making and sending it Home to Market, and the great Duties which are paid out of it, and the small Price that it usually bears, especially when there is no great Demand and Call for it. Besides many Frauds having of late Years crept into the Trade, and Abundance of Tobacco being counterfeited, and more run in some Parts and Ports of Great Britain, the cunning Dealer often by such Means ruins the fair Trader, by vending his poor damaged counterfeited or run Goods at a cheap Rate, thus underselling his Neighbour, imposing upon the Publick, and defrauding the Government; nay, 'tis said that such have often doubly cheated the Government, first by running Tobacco, or entering all light Hogsheads at Importation, which in their Language is called Hickory-puckery; and then again by getting a Debenture for Tobacco that has been run, or entering all heavy Hogsheads for Exportation, which they term Puckery-hickory; after which it is said that the same Tobacco has been runned again into some neighbouring Port.

It must be allowed as a Demonstration that some such Practices have been used, if upon Enquiry it be discoverable that the Government has lost by the Customs, when the Amount even of the Debentures has by much exceeded the Income of the Duties; without any Allowance for the vast Quantity that is consumed in the Country in smoaking, chewing, Snuff, &c.