Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
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A39785
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A short and impartial view of the manner and occasion of the Scots colony's coming away from Darien in a letter to a person of quality.
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Fletcher, Andrew, 1655-1716.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing F1297; ESTC R6209
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27,049
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42
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Hands in this Kingdom could of themselves be able to raise a sufficient Stock for that Purpose the first Offer thereof was made to our Friends at London who in nine days time concluded a Subscription there of 300000 Pounds Sterling and paid in the first fourth Part thereof either in Money Bank-Bills or Notes payable on Demand and further declared their Willingness to Subscribe for as much more if allowed But you know how that Subscription was quickly render'd void by the Measures taken in the Parliament of England The next Attempt you know that the Directors made for strengthning their Stock and Interest was to endeavour the procuring of Forreign Subscriptions for some considerable Sum And in Order thereunto upon repeated encouraging Advices from several Parts beyond Sea but more especially from Hamburgh they sent some of their own Number as Commissioners or Deputees thither with whom soon after their Arrival the Merchants of the said City of Hamburgh enter'd into Contract to joyn at least 200000 Pounds Sterling with the Company 's Stock But you know likewise how the English Ministers there did under Pretence of a special Warrant from His Majesty put a Stop thereunto by giving in a Memorial to the Senat of that City Not only disowning the Authority of the said Acts of Parliament and Letters Patent but also threatning both Senat and Inhabitants with the Kings outmost Displeasure if they should countenance or joyn with the Company 's said Deputees in any Treaty of Trade or Commerce Notwithstanding whereof tho' the Council-General and Court of Directors of the said Company have not only often Address'd and Petition'd the King and Privy Council of this Kingdom but also His Majesty's High Commissioner and the Right Honourable Estates of Parliament at their last Session And likewise that the said Estates were thereupon pleased by their Unanimous Address of the 5th of August 1698 to His Majesty To manifest not only their own and the whole Nation 's Concern in that Matter earnestly entreating and most assuredly expecting that His Majesty would in His Royal Wisdom take such Measures as might effectually vindicat the Undoubted Rights and Privileges of the said Company and support the Credit and Interest thereof But were also pleased in the same Address To recommend the Concerns of the said Company to some special Marks of His Majesty's Royal Favour as being that Branch of the Trade of this Kingdom in which They and the Nation they represent have a more peculiar Interest Yet it seems His Majesty has been all along so taken up with the far greater and more general Concerns of Europe that to this Hour I have not heard of any manner of Redress that has been given in that Matter There were likewise considerable Steps and Advances made by several Merchants in Holland particularly at Amsterdam and Rotterdam towards a Subscription there But upon notice had of their Meetings with the Company 's Deputees above-mention'd and of the Success their Negotiations were like to have had the most considerable and Leading Men of those Merchants who had shewed most Forwardness in that Matter were sent for by some of the States and threatned that Measures would be taken to make them repent their Doings if they persisted any further in Treating with the said Deputees or if they would joyn with the Scots Company This I remember happen'd some Months before the Hamburgh-Memorial above-mention'd was presented which I confess makes it seem a Problem to me as well as to many others that have heard of it Whether the English were influenc'd by the Dutch or the Dutch by the English to deal so unkindly by us But in short I think we may truly say with the Prophet The Syrians before and the Philistines behind c. Isaiah 9. 12. But to pass over all these previous Discouragements and Disappointments and to come closely to the Point in Hand The Colony that was first sent away in July 1698 for settling a Plantation in America pursuant to the Instructions then given carried along with them not only abundance of all Necessaries for such an Undertaking but also such a Quantity of Provisions as was calculated for a whole Year and of some Particulars namely Stock-Fish what was computed might have served for near 18 Months And for their further Security in case those Provisions should happen to fall short before Advice could be had of their Settlement and the fresh Supplies of Provisions sent after them there was likewise a Cargo of Sortable Goods to the Value of about 16000 Pounds Sterling prime Cost here sent along with them at the absolute Disposal of the Council for the Colony's Use which Goods were either to be Traded with upon the Coast and American Islands or Barter'd for Provisions and other Necessaries at the Council's Discretion as should best sute with their Circumstances for the time Yet such was the Directors Care of their Welfare and Safety That immediatly after their Departure from Scotland the Directors did upon the Encouragement of the Parliaments Address above-recited apply themselves in a dutiful manner to His Majesty by their humble Petition of the 16th of August 1698 To bestow upon them as a Gracious Mark of His Royal Favour the Use of the two small Friggots then and to this Hour lying useless in Burntiâ—land Harbour with Design to â—it them out as soon as possible with Provisions and other Necessaries for the Colony and appointed a particular Committee to wait upon the Chief-Men in the Government to desire their Assistance in Seconding the said Petition But in a short time thereafter they found it necessary to call a Council-General of the Company which accordingly met on the 5th day of September following And the Directors laying before them a Representation in Writing which contained an Abstract of the then State of the Company 's Affairs together also with their own Opinion what they thought necessary to be done by the Company at that Juncture with relation to a Supply of Provisions and other Necessaries to be sent to the Company 's Colony they thereupon ordered a further Proportion of the Company 's Joint-Stock to be call'd in from the respective Proprietors for that Purpose And upon the 9 th day of November The Court of Directors did upon the Prospect of the Martinmass Payments come to a Resolution that a Ship of near about 200 Tuns burden should be bought forthwith for the Company 's Use and that the buying and fitting thereof as also the buying of the needful Provisions for a Supply to the Colony should be referred to a Committee which was appointed for that End but after enquiry made in several Places about such a Vessel they could find none reported to be so fit for their Purpose as one that lay then in Leith-Harbour exposed to Sale which one of their Number bought with a special Condition to be free if upon Survey she should not be sound fit for the Company 's Use And upon the 14 th day
foreseen all the Misfortunes that must necessarly have attended the Affairs of a Company that was under such Management making even the very Wisest and most Considerat Actions of the Directors Conduct the Subject of their Buffoonry and Ridicule And that they may the better not only impose on the credulous and ignorant Multitude but also distract and confound the Judgement of even Discreet and Unbyass'd Persons they make it their daily Divertisement first to hatch and then give Wing to an indefinit Number of detracting and slanderous Stories that have as little of Truth in them as the Authors have of either Probity Honour or Honesty And knowing that these spurious Brats of their own Invention cannot possibly be long Lif'd because a very short Period of Time must of Course necessarly demonstrat their Falsehood they providently take care to have whole Troops of them ready at Command to succeed one to another thereby to amuse the Brain-sick Multitude with continued false Alarms and having already by such Means declared themselves so openly Enemies not only to the Directors but to the Undertaking in General they think it seems that since they cannot Reasonably expect to regain their lost Credit with the Company they had best according to the common Course of the most Wicked of all Sinners endeavour to justifie always one Crime by another greater than it self And Juvenal aludes very concisely to such sort of Men in his 6 th Satyr Fortem animum proestant rebus quas turpiter audent But how agreeable soever the Poisonous Wit of such Envious and Designing Slanderers may possibly seem to many of the Heedless Unwary and Giddy-headed People of this Age yet what mean Opinion the Generous and Wise Romans entertained not only of them but also of such as gave them any Countenance may be seen in the few following Lines of Horace Absentem qui rodit Amicum Qui non defendit alio culpante solutos Qui captat risus Hominum famamque Dicacis Fingere qui non visa potest Commissa tacere Qui nequit hic Niger est hunc tu Romane caveto But above all The grossness of these Mens Folly does manifestly appear by these Words of Solomon He that hideth Hatred with Lying Lips and he that uttereth a Slander is a Fool Prov. 10. 18. Andho w secure soever these Fools Scoffers and Slanderers may imagine themselves to be at present we have Assurance from the Words of the Wisest of Men that they shall not always escape unpunished Judgements are prepared for Scorners and Stripes for the Backs of Fools Prov. 19. 29. As to the second Objection concerning Advice-Boats not being sent directly from hence to the Colony It is an easy Matter after an Accident is over to propose such a Remedy as might have prevented that Accident But who could have dream'd of such Proclamations unless we had been at open and declared War with England And in the Name of Wonder who could ever have imagined that such Rigorous Proclamations or indeed any at all should be issued forth against us in the Name of our own Sovereign who gave our Company first a Being and of whose Protection we had all possible Assurance not only in common with the rest of the Nation as we are his Subjects but in a very special manner by the Concessions of his Royal Grant by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of this Kingdom as well as by three several Acts of Parliament in favours of our Company By the first of which namely the 32 d. Act of the 4 th Session of this current Parliament It is specially provided for the Encouragement of such as should become Adventurers by Joint-Stock in carrying on of Trade to the East or West-Indies or to the Coast of Africa That if in their Endeavours for the Advancing and Promoting of Trade to any of the said Parts they should happen to be attack'd violently seized or otherways disturbed by Persons not in open War with Their Majesties That then and in that Case Their Majesties would be pleased to order that the Recovery of the Ships and Goods so seized or otherways molested and hindred be carried on and prosecuted by publick Means and at publick Expense By the 32 d. Act of the 4 th Session of this current Parliament The said Company is not only Impowered to Equip Fit Set out Freight and Navigat their own or hired Ships in Warlike or other manner as they shall think fit to any Lands Islands Countreys or Places in Asia Africa or America and there to plant Colonies build Cities Towns or Forts in or upon any Place or Places not Inhabited or in or upon any other Place by Consent of the Natives and Inhabitants thereof the same not being posses'd by any European Sovereign Potentat Prince or State and by Force of Arms to defend their Trade and Navigation As also to make Reprisals and to seek and take Reparation of Dammages done by Sea or by Land and to make and conclude Treaties of Peace and Commerce with the Sovereigns Princes States Rulers Governours or Proprietors of the aforesaid Lands Islands Countreys or Places in Asia Africa or America But also His Majesty amongst several other considerable Concessions is graciously pleased to promise that if contrary to the Rights Liberties Priviledges Exemptions or Agreements mentioned in the said Act or contrary to the general Treaties of Peace and Commerce between His Majesty and any Potentat Prince or State in Amity with His Majesty the Ships Goods Merchandise Persons or other Effects whatsoever belonging to the said Company should happen to be stopt detain'd embezel'd or away taken or in any sort prejudg'd or damnified that His Majesty would interpose his Royal Authority to have Restitution Reparation and Satisfaction made for the Dammage done and that upon the publick Charge And by the 3 d. Act in favours of the Company namely the 42 d. Act of the 5 th Session of this current Parliament It is specially statute and declared that for the Encouragement of the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies it should be lawful to the Magistrats and others the Administrators of the common Good of Burrows as also to the Deacon Masters and other Administrators whatsoever of any Incorporation or Body or Company incorporat or Collegiat within this Kingdom to adventure and put in Money belonging to their respective Administrations in the Stock of the said Company Which they could not warrantably do without some such Act. And seing the whole Body of the Royal-Burrows and the most considerable other Incorporations and Bodies Collegiat in this Kingdom as well as many Noblemen Gentlemen and particular Burgesses did upon the Faith of those Acts become Adventurers in the Joint-Stock of this Company it were almost an absurd thing in the Directors especially when perhaps all the Money they were then Masters of was not sufficient to answer the Company 's pressing Occasions to have been at the trouble expense of