House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 26 November 1690

Mercurii, 26 die Novembris; 2° Gulielmi et Mariæ.

Prayers.

York Buildings Water Company.

A BILL for the encouraging, and better ordering and settling, the Waterworks in York Buildings, was read the First time.

Resolved, That the Bill be read a Second time.

African Company.

Sir Peter Colliton reports from the Committee to whom it was referred to consider of the Affrican Trade, and how the same might be best managed for the Benefit of the Nation, That the Committee had met several times, and heard the Affrican Company and their Witnesses, and also their Counsel: Who alleged, That the Campany had Eight Forts within the Territory, whereof the sole Trade was granted to them; viz. Three in the North Parts of Guinea, and Five on the Gold Coast; and that the Maintenance of these Forts stood them in from Nineteen to Twenty thousand Pounds per Annum: That without these Forts the Trade could not be carried on or secured to the Nation; and those Forts could not be maintained but by a Joint Stock: And that they exported for the said Trade from Eighty to One hundred thousand Pounds annually: and that the said Trade would take off no more Goods, their Ships oftentimes bringing back Part of their Cargoes: And that the Dutch and other Nations had Forts, and traded in a Joint Stock.

That the Committee also heard the Petitioners against the Company, and their Witnesses: Who alleged, That from the Northern Limits of the Territory, whereof the sole Trade is granted by Charter to the Company, under Penalty of Forfeiture to any others that shall trade there to James Island in the River of Gambia, where the present Company's first Fort and Factory is placed, is about One thousand Miles: In which Space are several Ports and Rivers for Trade unfrequented by the Company, and where all other Nations do or may trade; but no Englishman may trade there, unless by Licence of the Affrican Company, under Penalty of Forfeiture.

That in the said River of Gambia the French have a Factory over-against the said Company's Fort, and another Sixty Miles farther up that River; and carry on their Trade without the Charge of a Fort there, under the Protection of the King of the Country; and, not having the Charge of a Fort upon their Trade, are able to undersell the English.

From James Island to Sierra Leone, where the Company have another Fort or Factory, is about Three hundred and Sixty Miles; and from Sierra Leone to Sharbro, where is another Factory, is about Thirty-six Miles; and from Sharbro to Secondee, which is their nearest Fort on the Gold Coast, is about Six hundred Miles: In which Space, the Company have neither Fort or Factory: And all the said Space is open and free for all Nations to trade to: But the English are excluded from trading there but in the Joint Stock of the Company, or by Licence from them; for which Licence they must pay what the Company pleaseth.

From Succondee to Acra is about One hundred and Fifty Miles, and is called the Gold Coast, on which Coast the Company have Five Forts or Factories; whereof the said Succondee and Acra are Two; and Fredricksburgh, one of them, is within Gunshot of Cape Corse, their chief Fort: But that other Nations, and even English Interlopers, notwithstanding their Danger of Forfeiture, did any may trade between the said Forts, and within Two Miles of them; which the said Forts are not able to hinder.

That these Forts are very weak, and the strongest cannot make resistance against Two hundred Europeans, that shall land Cannon, and batter them from the Land; and their greatest Use is to be a Receptacle, against Thieves, for the Company's Goods, while they have no Ships on the Coast; and to be a certain known fixed Market, where the Inland Inhabitants may have European Goods for their Gold and Elephants Teeth: But that the English Interlopers, and other Nations, carry on their Trade safer, and as well, on board their Ships; the Natives coming off to them in small Boats with their Gold and Teeth, to buy such Goods, as they want; which the Forts cannot hinder.

That, from Acra, the remotest Fort the Company have from England, to the Cape of Good Hope, which is the Southermost Limit of the Company's Charter, is about Two thousand Four hundred Miles: In all which Space the Company have no Fort, nor can have none, the Princes and Inhabitants of those Countries being sensible of the Inconveniencies of having their Trade obstructed by Forts, or a Company in a Joint Stock, not permitting them to build any; and have refused to trade with Ships that have worn the Company's Colours, until they have taken them down, and put up others; nor do the Company themselves trade to most of the vast Tracts where they have no Forts, but grant Licences to others to trade with Goods delivered them by the Company; for which they have made them agree to give Forty Pounds per Cent. certain Profit to the Company, before they could have Licence to trade, and the Company to run no Hazard, but to get Forty Pounds per Cent. although the Ship be lost, or the Adventurer do not sell his Goods for Forty Pounds per Cent. more than the first Cost the Company rated them at: By which means, any other Nation, that is not under such hard Conditions, are able to undersell the English, and beat them out of their Trade; and the Reason that some of the Company's Goods were not sold, but brought back again, was, because other Nations did undersell them.

That, before the Year 1663, in which Year the English Trade to Affrica was settled in a Company in a Joint Stock, exclusive to all others, the Forts on the Gold Coast were in the Possession of the English East India Company; who excluded no English Ship from trading on the Coast for what they could, without paying the said East India Company any thing for it: Notwithstanding which, the East India Company maintained the said Forts out of the Profit of the Trade; and were very willing to have continued so to do.

That, from the Year 1665 to the Year 1672, the Affrican Company did set out few or no Ships themselves, but carried on the Trade to Affrica after the manner of a regulated Company, permitting all Ships to trade to the Gold Coast, and Southern Parts of Affrica, paying to the said Company Three Pounds per Ton for such Licence; and with which they maintained the Forts and Trade of Gambia, and North Parts to particular Merchants, for Two thousand Pounds per Annum.

That, while the Forts on the Gold Coast were in the Hands of the East India Company, before the granting the Trade in the Year 1663, by King Charles the Second, to a Company in a Joint Stock; and afterwards when managed by that Company, after the Manner of a regulated Company, granting Licences to all Ships that would, to trade there; that there were many more English Ships employed in that trade, much more of the Manufacture of England exported, and the American Plantations much more plentifully supplied with Negroes, and at much cheaper Rates, than they have been, when the Trade to Affrica hath been carried on in a Joint Stock, exclusive to all others.

That, while the English in general were thus at Liberty to trade to Affrica, they did so undersell the Dutch, and supplied the Coast so plentifully with all sorts of Goods, that the Dutch Factors at the Castle Delmina, confessed, if that open Trade continued to the English, they should not be able to support the Charge of their Castles out of the Profits of their Trade; and must take other Measures, or leave the Coast: And that since the Trade hath been carried on by the English in a Joint Stock, exclusive to all others, the Actions of the Dutch Company are risen to be Four times more in Value to what they were when the Trade was open, and all the English in general permitted to trade there.

That the Company, in a Joint Stock, being the sole Buyer of all the Woolen and other Manufactures of England, exported to that Part of Affrica that is within their Charter, have it, in Effect, in their Power, and do set what Prices they please upon them; so that many have been forced to leave off making those Woolen Manufactures, which is very grievous and oppressive to the Makers of them; and being the sole Seller of all Things brought from thence, do not supply the American Plantations with so many Negroes as they need, and as they were supplied with when the Trade was open; and have it, in Effect, in their Power to sell the Negroes they bring to the Plantations at what Price they please; and have actually sold their Negroes at above double the Price they may be imported for: Which is very grievous to the Plantations, and may hazard the Loss of the Sugar Trade to England; there being several Competitors for that Trade; and which, at last, must fall to be . . . Lot of that Nation that shall be enabled to make and bring Sugar cheapest to the Markets of Europe; and, without Negroes the Sugar Trade cannot be carried on.

That, if this Trade were managed in a regulated Company, with Power to such a Company to impose such Duty on all Goods exported for that Trade, as by them shall, from time to time, be found necessary, the Forts might be maintained out of the Duty so imposed, as was done by the Company from the Year 1665 to the Year 1672; who maintained the Forts out of what each Ship paid for Licence to trade; and, if all Men were permitted to trade that would make themselves free of such a Company, and pay the said Duty, the said Trade would be vastly augmented and improved, to the great Benefit of this Nation, and Increase of its Navigation, and the American Plantations much better supplied with Negroes, to the great Augmentation of the King's Revenue, and Wealth and Trade of the Nation in general; and other Nations, who trade there, would be beaten out of the Trade.

And that the Committee, having taken into their serious Considerations what had been alleged and proved by both Sides, they came to several Resolutions: Which Sir Peter Colleton read in his Place; and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk's Table: Where the same were read, as followeth; viz.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That the Trade to Affrica is best for the Benefit of the Nation to be carried on in a regulated Company.

Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Committee, That Forts are necessary for carrying on and securing the Trade to Affrica.

The First Resolution being read a Second time;

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, That the Trade to Affrica is best for the Benefit of the Nation to be carried on in a regulated Company.

The Second Resolution being read a Second time;

Resolved, That the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution, That Forts are necessary for securing and carrying on the Trade to Affrica.

Ordered, That a Bill be brought in, upon the said Resolutions: And it is recommended to Sir Tho. Vernon, Sir Jos. Herne, Sir Peter Colliton, Sir Benj. Newland, Mr. Papillion, Mr. Palmes, Sir Tho. Mompesson, Mr. Goldwell, Mr. Pitt; or any Three of them.

Cyrencester Return amended.

The Clerk of the Crown attended, and amended the Return of Burgesses to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Cyrencester in the County of Gloucester, by rasing out the Name of Henry Powle, Esquire, and inserting the Name of John Howe, Esquire, instead thereof.

Reducing Interest.

Then the Order of the Day for reading the Bill for reducing Interest of Money from Six Pounds per Cent. per Annum to Four Pounds per Cent. per Annum, the Second time, was read.

And the Question being put, That the said Bill be now read;

The House divided.

The Noes go forth.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative.

Then the Bill was read the Second time.

And the Question being put, that the Bill be committed;

The House divided.

The Yeas go forth.

So it passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the Bill be rejected.

The King's Speech considered.

Then his Majesty's Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament Yesterday, according to the Order of the Day, was read.

And a Debate arising thereupon;

Ordered, That the Debate be adjourned till To-morrow Morning, Ten a Clock.

Ways and Means.

Resolved, That this House will, To-morrow Morning, next after the said adjourned Debate, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider further of Ways and Means for raising the Supplies to be granted to their Majesties.

Privilege.

Ordered, That the Matter, upon the Petition of John Price, and others, in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, upon a Complaint of a Breach of Privilege committed against Sir Carbury Price, a Member of this House, which was ordered to be heard at the Bar of this House To-morrow, be put off, and heard at the Bar upon Saturday Morning next, at Nine a Clock.

Act of Navigation respecting English Seamen.

Ordered, That the Committee to whom the Bill for suspending, during the War with France, that Part of the Act of Navigation, which obliges English Ships to sail with English Seamen; and the Bill for the more effectual furnishing their Majesties Navy with Seamen in time of War; . . . . ; be revived; and do sit this Afternoon.

Committees.

Ordered, That all Committees be revived.

And then the House adjourned till To-morrow Morning, Eight of the Clock.