Reasons against this Contract .

the whole what they will , and then we shall shift out the rest into Turkey , and be bound not to bring it in againe , nor to sell it to any that is like to doe so .

It seemeth very hard that these Colonies in this their Infancie , should haue worse conditions imposed vpon them for their Marchandize , then any other to our knowledge in the world , for their goods being their owne , and they borne for subiects they shall be commaunded to bring all into this port of London , and yet not certaine to vent the one moyitie of their Marchandize . For , the Colonyes , if they stand and prosper , cannot make so little as 400000. weight a yeare ; and these Contractors will take off onely 200000. Againe , for the particular Adventurers and Planters , there shall no man be certaine to haue any taken off , some onely the Contractors particular friends ; which the Contractors having libertie to choose & refuse what they list , there is an open gate for all parts of partialitie in that kind . The Contractors and their freinds making great quantities . Then for those great quantities of Tobacco which shall be refused , what shall become of them ? They must be sent into Turkey : new Marchants must be sought ; disgraced were offered them ; losse by long keeping and shrinking ; double charge by new fraught , that the poore planter and Adventurer were much better to giue it away in the plantatioe , then here after so great charge to sell it for a little or nothing .

2 Touching the price of two shillings 4 pence for the best sort , and 16. pence for the rest : it is to be knowne and considred , that of long time by agreement betweene the Companies and Colonyes , the Tobacco in Virginia it selfe , is valued at 3 shillings the pound , and in Summer Ilands at 2 shillings sixe pence : which price they planters there refusing to abate , and the Adventurers and Marchants here not able to giue , hath occasioned the selling of wares vnto them at double and treeble their values , they having their no money , but paying for all in Tobacco . See then in what state this contract doth place them . Their Tobacco must now be all made into roule , to the greater wast of the commoditie , and greater charge and labour of the planter and maker , whereas leafe Tobacco in Forraine parts doth sell much better , being made thus , it is all to be brought to the port of London , and so into the custome house , where it must abide the Contracters pleasure and leasure , what & whose they will take , and what and whose they will leaue : the charge of fraught and shrinking , cannot be valued at lesse then 4 pence the pound : so the cleere price commeth of the best to 2 shillings and 12. pence the rest . Now experience hath shewed , that in every yeares returnes of Tobacco , there hath been some few Countries that haue farre exceeded the rest in goodnes , these then must be taken for Tobaccoes of the best sort , and paid for at the best price , and all the rest being aboue 20. times as much in quantitie , and not attaining to the goodnes of the former , must necessarily in right and truth be made Tobacco of the other sort , and consequently rated at the lower price , the Contracts stiftnes refusing to haue more then two sorts . In conclusion the Adventurer and planter , can by this contract expect little more then 12. pence the pound for his Tobacco . And this at the best hand , for so much as the contracters shall be pleased to take off : for , as for the remaines refused , which must goe into Turkey , if he gets 4. the pound , hee may thinke himselfe well dealt with by those that need to giue no maner then the list , And for this 12. pence : it shall be paid , one third part in hand , and the other two thirds , at 6 and 6 moneths . And this being the maine substance of this contract , it cannot but be apparent vnto all men of experience in the affaires of the plantations , that the Adventurers and Planters , shall not sell their Tobacco for one halfe of that which it standeth them in . For as for trusting to the hope of that clause in the Contract , that after two yeares , if their be profit , the price shall be raysed to 2. shillings and 3. shillings , that comfort is small , the time being long , the hope vncertaine ; and even that price being too little to make them sauers . And thus much touching the particular estates of the Adventurers and planters wherin they are to be placed by this new contract .

3. But now thirdly to come to the generall Plantations themselues , and to enter into consideration , whether by vertue of this Contract they are likely to subsist and prosper : It is here first to be considered , that the plantations having been founded vnder his Maiesties gracious amity , at the excessiue great charges of the Adventurers and planters , and so continued for many yeares , with small or no retribution except to some few persons : and the atempts of setting vp Staple commodities , as Iron , Silke , wines &c. though persued with great constancie , care and charge , haue hetherto failed by sundry misaccidents . To thinke the bestowing now of 5000. pounds a yeare vpon the plantations , and that drawne from the labours , and as it were , from the blood of the planters , will raise them vp from that great decay , into which during the space of those latter two years they haue apparently fallen ; is like to proue a great and dangerous error , whereas the only meanes remaining to advance the plantations , was the incouragement of the Adventurers thether , especially in person , with hope of wealth , good government and Iustice . Experience hauing shewed that after the publique stocke was vtterly exhaust , and the Lotteries ended , yet the plantation in Virginia did exceedingly increase by the multitude of Families , and other particular persons , transported thether at their owne charge , vpon the a foresaid hopes and incouragements , till the fatall blow of the Massacrie given those a broad , and the great molestations and disheartnings of the company and Adventurers heere at home , cast the Collony into that consideration in which now it languisheth . But whensoever it shall please his gracious Maiestie , to reviue and renewe the former hopes and incouragements , it will no doubt restore the former life to the plantation ; the remaines whereof this contract must needes extinguish , which is thus to be demonstrated . The onely commoditie for Marchants in both the plantations : is at this day no other then Tobacco , whereby their apparell , tooles , implements , and all other necessaries ( except victuall ) are procured , there are at this day in both the Colonies , at the least 3000. persons . This allowance of 200000. weight to both the Plantations , commeth but to 65. pound weight of Tobacco the person , which at 12. the pound weight , cometh to 3. pound 5. shillings , out of which all the planters in the Sommer Ilands , and such as are Tenants , or Servants in Virginia , pay halfe to their owners , whether Land-lords or Masters : so that to themselues their remaines for their maintenance , only 32 shillings 6 pence the peece . The charge of transporting a person to Virginia , cannot be lesse at this day then 20 pounds , which being a thing so generally knowne , must needes disharten all future planters from going , and force the present Adventurers rather to send for their seruants home , then to mainteyne them at a parpetuall charge without hope of profit . And this hath diuers of them already openly declared , we conclude therefore that to imagine , that the bestowing of 5000. pound a yeare vpon the Colonies , and that drawne from the hard labours of the poore planters themselues will vphold the plantations , when they shall find that they can be no longer masters of their owne goods , but must be forced to transport them , when they cannot vent them , to put them into their hands , who shall take and refuse what themselues please , and sell them before their faces , perhaps at a Noble a pound , and giue them but 6 pence after a yeares attendance for their goods , with the fraught and all other charges and losses : & this example also in Tobacco ingendring a feare of the like measure in all other commodities whensoeuer they should be raysed . That wee say as before in our vnderstanding to be a very great error , and of pernitious consequence to both the plantations . No lesse then to draw 40 ounces of blod from a tender weake Infant , and then to make him a restoratiue out of fiue ounces of the same blood .

4. Now in the last place , seeing this contract is so much magnified as tending to the great and certaine good of the plantations , wee will take a little paines to make inquirie by way of reasons for whose benefite in truth , it hath been set on foote .

By force of this Contract , and by vertue of his Maiesties Proclamation , getting into their handes the sole sale of all Tobacco to be expended either in this vertue , or the kingdome of Irelad . It is not to be thought but they will advance the price ( after the nature of all Monopolies ) at least to as high a rate as it hath borne in former times , that is to 8 or 9. shillings the pound ; but admit they will begin first with a Noble a pound , two hundred thousand Nobles commeth vnto sixtie six thousand , six hundred sixtie six pounds 13 shillings 4. pence . His Maiesties rent out of the plantations commeth vnto 15. thousand pounds : the planters and the Adventurers part after the rate of 18. pence the pound , which in probabilitie is like to be the highest medium commeth vnto 15000. pounds . So the charge in the whole comming vnto 30000 pound . Thereis 36000 pound , and one thousand markes remayning to themselues in way of retribution for their paines & adventure ; and as themselues say to appease all such stormes as may arise . To great a proportion to be drawne from the plantations , to allow them scarce a sixt part of their owne , and to bestowe almost foure six parts vpon men no better deseruing . In the former Contract , what clamor and complaint against 25000. pounds to haue ben raised for Saleries , and all other charges , which came to little more then a pennie vpon the pound ? Whereas these men professe that under 12 pence a pound gotten at least , they would not medle with it , and they hoped for farre more . By computation of the former contract there was to come 60000 pounds at least , to the benefite of the plantations ; whereof the 4 part is now is thought a sufficient portion , and yet that Contract was said to be pernitious to the Colonies , and this beneficiall . Indeed to doe equall right vnto both , the contract is better then the former , in that it excludeth all forraine Tobacco which with great violence was pressed vpon the former for the first two yeares ; but this is to be attribued to his Majesties great grace , giving a favorable eare to the sute of the Commons in Parliament , as appeareth in his Majesties late proclamation . In the debating of the former Contract it was alleadged against it , by such as are now great furtherers of this , that though the planters Tobacco were sold at 5 shillings the pound yet by reason of his Maiesties third , they should be loosers ; and now 16 pence a pound is thought price sufficient . This excessiue gaine of the contracters & vndertakers , we conceiue vndoubtedly to be a thing vniust , and tending to the immediate destruction of the plantations , for whatsoever they get the planter looseth , and where the planter looseth , the Colony is so much impouerished : For whatsoever the planter makes , that goes all backe to the plantation againe , and what the contracter gets , it remaineth with him to his owne inriching . For , as for the returning of 5000. pounds to the plantations which this heavie contract adnexed ; It is in truth to send one hundred men thether , and to stay thousands from thence . The strenght and prosperitie of the Colony consisting in multitudes of people .

5. Some things we are forced to adde touching the proceeding of this Contract .

1 First , whereas the Adventurers of the Sommer Ilands remaine still a Company , and are restrained by their Letters Pattents from ordering of matters of Trade but in a Quarter Court : This Contract hath been sought to haue ben concluded , in a meane and extraordinary meeting , and no Court at all , when few were present , and those few mens silence also entred as a consent , not many of them vnderstanding it , and those that vnderstood it being amazed , at so great Iniustice .

2 Secondly , the Virginia Company being now discharged , it had been fit the Colony had been consulted about it ; and not to dispose of other mens states and goods , without their consent and knowledge .

3 Thirdly , the very manner of treating of this Contract , hath bred a suspicion of very indirect proceedings : for first it hath been framed secretly and in the darke : it hath been published but by fragments , and some principall parts concealed . Some of the Commissioners appeare to be the cheife and principall Contracters : other some , though they do not appeare ; yet they are partners with them in their Trading , are Contracters , which plainely shewes that they haue an interest in it . And so the same men are the Contriuers and makers of the bargaine for themselues , and buyers and sellers , of one and the same wares ; and take away and set the prizes of other mens goods , for their owne inordinate lucre .

4. Lastly , vnder pretence of doing althings orderly , they haue made a Commitie of themselues , as in the behalfe of the Colonyes and planters , to Treate with their fellow Commissioners the Conracters for speedier payments .

And most of these men haue they chosen to be Committies whom the Adventurers and planters haue a long time complained off for their exorbitant wrongs to one or both the plantations .

Many other exceptions may be taken , but these shall suffice at this present .