THose Worthy Persons who first attended to the Management of the Present East-India Joynt-Stock, were excellently Temper'd for the recovery of a Trade, so sadly disor­der'd by the preceding Interlopers, in the extravagant Enhansing of the Commodities of those Countreys, and beating down of Ours There; which could never have been reduced, but by such moderate Beginnings, and Continuance of some Years. Which when once Effected, and all things well setled, It was no less seasonable, for the indefatigable Appli­cation of that Eminent Person, (so unjustly aspersed) with the Concurrence of the rest, to dilate the Trade; wherein that Progress was made, and those new foundations laid and traced out, as particularly along the Coasts of Mallabar, in the Queen of Attingas Country, and in the Ging [...]e Country on Choromandell side, and of Sumatra, and the more Eastern Seas, as would have exceeded Expectation.

When such a Crew of New Interlopers broke in again, as put all into confusion. And not so content, made in their Business to Decry, to Clamour, and to Instigate all Mankind against them; as well in the Mogul's Dominions, as here. To which alone that Expensive War with so great a Prince, (though not un-presidented by the Portuguese, Hollanders and other Europeans) and all the Vexations here at home, particularly that sudden Calling in of Moneys, do owe their Original; But which by the Goodness of God, have all hitherto been waded through, with so much Honour and Justice, as nothing but Ill Will and Mischievous Designs, can deny them this Praise.

The Style of the Mogul's Phirmaunds, will affect none, who have observed that of the Eastern Princes to all their Neighbours. As for Instance, that of the Turks, to the Emperour of Ger­many, to the Poles, Venetians, Persians, &c. And so of the Saracens and Tartars, from whom He derives. Mean while the Company is not only Tolerated, but Courted to Return, and Settle again in all his Provinces.

The admission of Armenians (being no more than our Neighbours would be glad to afford them) is but a Temporary Allowance, whereby to gain some inspection into the Ʋp-Land and Northern parts; and thereby New Markets for our Woollen Manufactures, which have never yet penetrated so far up, and is above all things sought after by the Company. And in Truth, those Armenians are the only Merchants on the face of the Earth, that can greatly encrease the Vent of English Cloth, and would wonderfully Augment it, if they might carry Our Cloth to Turkie, paying that Companies Duties, as they may, Dutch Cloth, without paying any Duties, but what the Natives pay themselves.

The proportioning the Number of Votes, by the quantity of Stock, is no more than is war­ranted by the Royal Charters, carrying with it The approbation of Kings, Privy Council and Sages of the Law, The General Usage of all the Joynt-Stocks in England, Of all Part-Owners of Shipping in Europe, And those famous Sea-Laws of Olleron and Barcellona so universally received. Without which, in a Joint-stock, The Proprietors of small Stocks, might buy and sell the Whole: An inconsiderable Bribe or Advantage, out-weighing their Trivial, and perhaps designing Shares in the Joynt Concern. But this is seldom used, in ought but in Elections for the Court of Assi­stants; (In which Court the whole management of the Stock being transacted, no Member hath any more than a single Vote.) And yet of great necessity to be exerted, in case of Combinations of the Cyphers against the Figures. It being much less probable, that the greater Stocks should misuse this Priviledge, than the smaller.

Our Prudent Neighbours, as Popular as the Constitution of their State is, have yet thought good, and found it so, to settle that of their Company wholly Aristocratick, and Perpetual: and (for fear of Ostracisms, good only to Exile the Best, the Ablest, and the most Experienced;) have established their Court of Assistants (or seventeen Bewinthebbers) for Life, and still to be sup­plyed by the Votes, not of the Multitude, but the Survivors.

[Page 2] But this objection seems to arise from such, whose practices have run the Company upon the necessity of Private Contracts, (Which are no other than Sales, by allowance of the General Court, committed to the management of the Court of Assistants, and by them made to who bids most.) The same thing as by the Candle, only sometimes thought fitter, when the q [...] ­tity is great, and Combinations apprehended. Or else from such, who for other ends, would have us criple our selves, from the power of a Remedy, which no Merchants nor Companies in the World, were ever yet debarred of, nor can be without; Trade will be free, or will go where it may be so. It may allow of a Limitation to the assent of the General Court, but no Exclusion.

Nor is it necessary for Joynt Stocks to be strained like Procrustes's Guests to the Model of Ele­ctions for Parliament. Which, were that to be new framed, who knows what Modifications it might admit of? But yet will all good Patriotts, ought to beheld, as Venerable and Sacred for its Noble Antiquity, as Blessed, for its happy Influences on this Nation.

As for the Island of Polleroon, no Fortifications upon so small, so Remote an Island, so scituated within the strength of our Undisturbed Neighbours, could ever be rendered Im­pregnable. Nor was it for so Changeable and Precarious an Establishment as this Companies is now represented, to be very lavish in that way of Expence; as these pretended Under-Va­luations, of those which they have elsewere found needful to Undertake, do but too much confirm.

And although the Suggestions, as if the maintaining an Ambassador at the Mogulls Court, would excuse all the great expence of Fortifications, may seem plausible at first hearing, un­till we take into consideration, the Instability of that Government, Frequent Convulsions a­bout the successions, Rebellions, Wars and Disturbances, to which that Unfinisht Con­quest, is ever obnoxious, (Where so many of the Ancient Raja's do still retain a Tributary Possession, in the many fastnesses of those Woods and Mountains;) And then the Necessity of Forts and Castles will speak for it self. Not forgetting the late attempt of the French, in the Road of Fort St. George.

And here I must needs admire their monstrous Zeal for their Countreys honour, at the charge of their Countrey men; Who rather than their Project of Subscriptions, shoul [...] not be received in India with all imaginable applause, would have their needless Ambassador, go stuff­ed with the Restitutions from the Company in Specie, which (they cannot but have learnt) have been allready made at Surrat in ready Money, with the very Fraights to the Junks out of which the Goods were taken, to the content and admiration of all Parties concerned; As if they would have the said Companies Stock laid out in Carpets, for this new One to make a Solemn Entry upon.

That the Company are in a capacity to revive and carry on their Trade, is now Actually in practice. But whiles they make such a noise, the imaginary Necessity, of so vast an Increase of the Stock, for the full carrying on of the Indian Trade, it were fit, to consider soberly, how great a Limb of the Consumption of those Commodities here, is lopt off by the French Prohibition; besides other obstuctions as such a Juncture at this, and it will then appear, how safe a Precedent, the Prudence of the first Conductors of the present Joynt-Stock have laid before us.

It was no Fault of the Companies, that they have not been allowed a Parliamentary Con­firmation, whilst it was neither fit nor safe, may I not say Criminal, for them to question a [...] Authority, in their Case, which the Parliament themselves would never yet undertake. Nay have on several occasions, if not directly approved, Let pass. But it had been a National, and Irreparable Misfortune had they Sat still, and waited for it until now.

The Companies Enemies are at length brought to agree, that a Joynt-Stock is the only good way to manage and improve the Trade for India.

Mean while, what Loads of Jnjuries and unspeakable dammages, have the Interlopers and their Adherents heaped upon the Company, and by Consequence upon the Nation, under this Exploded Pretence of Liberty, to undo both the one and the other, as far as in them lyes; Besides these unseasonable disturbances to the High Court of Parliment, which Battery being thus blown up, they do but change their Colours, and under the fresh notion of a new Stock, begin again. But what pity, were it, that such restless Intruders should be suffered thus to proceed, from one Cavillation to another, to discredit, and molest so well deserving a Society! Rather may our Honourable Representatives make reflexion, how mischiveous they must needs have been in India, from their carriage here.

[Page 3] So they asperse the Company on the one hand, for making a Piratical War in India, to recruit their Stock, by rich Prizes from those Merchants. And on the other hand, for not condemning them when brought in, Though (as appeared) out of an honourable intention to preserve them intire, in order to a fair Restitution; when the great Mogul, being better satisfyed of the Mis­demeanours of his great Governours (who were thereupon displaced, and succeeded by others, better disposed towards the Company) should condescend to an amicable Composure. Much more might be enlarged here to the Reputation of the Company, had they not just grounds to apprehend ill Offices abroad, by the Instruments of these our homebred Enemies; whereof we have had but too many Instances, in the inflaming of the Quarrel. It is good Manners, to let Great Princes speak their own Style, whiles they do us Right.

That Infamous Term of Conspirators, and Tricks, is most liberally bestowed upon the Com­pany, for their Worthy Endeavours, to assert the Right of a stock, intrusted to their Manage­ment. But after so many years combining, to ruine it, both abroad and at home, and the courses taken to inveigle others into their Interests, by cajolling them into Subscriptions for a new Stock, upon hopes, if not assurance, of twenty per Cent. profit thereon (without one peny disbursement) as soon as ever they shall have obtained an Act of Parliament for their purpose: One would think this should much better suit with their own Intreagues, Conspiracies being generally ingaged in, to ruin the Innocent, and not the preserve a Right in Possession. But in this manner, with unequall'd Confidence, do they lay their own Mischiefs at the Companies door. Imputing the Wars with the Mogul and Siam, with all the multiplyed consequences to the Trade, the Stock, the Ship­ping, Mens Lives, the Customs, the Nation, and even the calling in of Moneys, unto the Com­panies Piratical designs. Whiles all these have been the meer effects of their own unworthy Practices.

As if a Company of Men should come to the Supream Magistrates, and tell them. ‘There lies a spacious Plain upon the Confines of three Potent States; of a consequence well known to all. Our Industrious Countreymen have several times, and not unsuccessfully, put in for our Nations share; but for want of Countenance from above, have been as often disturbed, by men of like unruly Principles with our selves. At length, some Publick Spirited Persons, with such Authority as the Reigning Powers would afford them, (and this from the time of Good Queen Elizabeth's first Charter, never disallowed of before,) took heart, and rather than indure so irreparable a loss to the Nation, Undertaking the Work, had at length recovered this Desolate Plantation into a posture so inviting, That We not longer able to refrain, resolvedly broke in (at the Windows, though the Doors were open) and throwing down all the Fences, with all the Mischief and Combinations we could devise and pack against them, both abroad and at home: We have reduced it into a Condition, which will require both Time and Charge to restore it. And now, how reasonable soever it were, to strengthen and comfort the Undertakers, and their Suc­cessors, who having so vigorously Weathered all these storms, and laid out in Building Castles, Towns, Factories, and Buying Lands, Territories Priviledges and Revenues, which cost them at sundry times above 1000000 l. might promise to themselves from this High Court, that tender Consideration at least, which our Laws do allow even to a Tenant at Will, (who having Tilled his Ground, and Sowed his Grain, may not be turned out before he has got in his Crop.) Especially, when the main Encouragement upon which they did engage their Fortunes, was, that they should have three years continuance after warning. We do present these our Clamorous Requests to the Supream Magistrates, that laying aside all regard for the injured Parties, the Widows, Orphans, and all that number of Interessed, unconcerned in any of our Suggestions, they will de pleased to Legallize all the Wrongs that we have done them, and (for Encouragement to such as our selves,) give up this costly Plantation to our Discretion, that we may take all that they have, at all manner of Disadvantages, to them; In short, We may kill the Heir and the Inheritance shall be ours:’