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A82359
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Answer to all the material objections against the present East-India-Company
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East India Company.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing E100aA; ESTC R224455
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5,873
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6
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Answer to all the material Objections against the Present East-India-Company THE common Causes assigned for framing a New East-India Company by Act of Parliament or making a change of the Present East-India Company are such as these following viz. I. Objection Because the present Company have procured illegal powers from the late and former Kings of England and have executed those powers severely to the destruction of Interloping the great dammage of many honest Men that were Interlopers and have caused five men to be executed by an illegal Commission of Martial Law in the Island St. Helena II. Object Because the present Company is grown up unto a kind of Monopoly by some few Men and one especially having purchased such an exorbitant share thereof III. Object That the present Company have not Stock enough to carry on the Trade and that a greater Stock ought and may be employed in that Trade and more and greater numbers of Men participate thereof IV. Object That one Man has aspired to such a power and influence upon the present East-India Committees Councils that nothing can be done without his approbation nor any person be brought into the Committee by Election of the Adventurers without his consent by Reason of the great influence he has upon the Voices or Suffrage of the Electors and the great number of his own and his Relations Votes To the first Objection The Company Answer 1. They have neither procured nor executed any Powers or Authority in India but what is absolutely necessary for the preservation of the English Dominion and Trade there nor other than such or less powers than the Dutch and every European Nation in India do enjoy and exercise to an infinite greater degree of severity than ever the English Company did and that if ever there be a new Company establisht by Act of Parliament all those Authorities which the Company have by any Charter must be allowed to the New Company or else the English Dominion in India will be inevitably and suddenly lost and the loss of the Trade follow that as certainly as the shadow does the body 2. The Company say it becomes not them to dispute so high a point of the Prerogative or the Authority of the Kings of England in granting Charters or making Laws in Forreign Plantations extra England Wales and Berwick But this they know very many thousands of men have dyed upon several occasions by the Sword and common Executioners in the several Foreign Plantations But they never heard of any Law in any Foreign Plantation extra England Wales and Berwick aforesaid nor any Rebellion supprest but by Charter Law or such Laws as were made by men Authoriz'd thereunto by the Kings Charter and not by the Common or Statute Law of England 3. The severity charged upon the Company is a notorious falsity the Company being rather chargeable with hazarding the loss of India by too much lenity having procured from his late Majesty K. Charles an Indemnity to all the Inhabitants of Bombay and the Inhabitants of St. Helena after three several Rebellions Which excess of Lenity in all probability occasioned the 4th and last most dangerous Rebellion at St. Helena at the same time that Bombay was in Rebellion which if it had succeeded at St. Helena as it was very likely to do had any less wise or worse Souldier been Governour than Sir John Blackmore it had in all probability carryed with it by contagion the loss of all the English Dominion in India and the sale of those Places by the Rebels to the best Foreign Chapman 4. It is well known where the English have executed one man in India these last 20 years the wiser Dutch Company have executed many hundreds There being hardly a considerable Factory of theirs in India where there is not standing one or too common Gibbets for the Executing of Malefactors besides several Islands unto which they banish for Life and to hard labour many refractory insolent mutinous people of their own Nation as well as others which they find to be of absolute necessity to support their Empire upon which their Trade depends well knowing that generally speaking men that Travel so far from home are not of the mildest tempers nor of the most regular lives nor indeed governable at all without severe Laws and speedy Execution To the second Objection viz. Because the present Company is grown up unto a kind of Monopoly by some few men and one especially having purchased such an exorbitant share thereof 1. The Company say First that the foundation of this Company is as large as the foundation of the Dutch Company that is as large as the bounds of the whole Earth They that is the English and Dutch Company respectively refuse admittance to no Christians of any Nation to buy Stock neither to Turks Jews nor Infidels the more the better All that buy Stock of what ever Nation they are are therein subservient to the publick good of that Nation to which such East-India stock belongs 2. It is well known and will not be denyed That the Jews have at all times the greatest share of actions in the Dutch East-India Company and that one Jew Swasso by name has had at one time more stock in that Company than ever any English man had or hath in this 3. If any English man had the courage to buy and increase his stock to a greater proportion than ordinary in the times when wiser men ran from the house fearing it would immediately fall on their heads by the practice of Interlopers That man certainly deserves rather the commendation that the wise Romans gave to Terentius Varro at his return to the City after the loss of the Battle of Cannae Quod non desperasset de Republica than to be blamed for his standing up at such a dangerous time to preserve the Interest of his Countrey which was just falling into the hands of Foreigners if great application had not been used to prevent it 4. To assist vigorously to defend and improve the English Dominion and Trade in India requires great and constant thoughtfulness and an extraordinary measure of experience and the person that does that to purpose must have some not inconsiderable reputation in the World And it is not to be imagined that any such person will be at the requisite pains in such an affair except he has a great share therein or be a man that will carve for himself to the prejudice of the publick And if he be so he shall not hold it long For the adventurers are wiser than to trust such an one much or often It is well known that neither the Dutch or English East-India Company were ever without some one man that did principally carry on and force themselves to understand the general Affairs of the Company That man in the English East-India Company was formerly the late worthy Sir William Thompson deceased and before him Mr. Cockain who was Governour for 15 years together
and Mr. Massingbird that was Treasurer and before them Sir Morice Abbot who was Governour or Deputy 22 years together and in Q. Eliz. and K. James the Firsts time Sir Thomas Smith was often Governour and the Principal Manager And that man now living in the chief conduct and managery of the Dutch East-India Company is that ancient most experienced and prudent Mr. Peter Van Dam. 5. If we may credit that contemned but wise Author Machiavel he tells us The state of Florence when it was a Commonwealth never prospered but when some one Citizen arrived at Reputation enough to moderate the Councils of the Commonwealth 6. We dare appeal to the Honourable Sir William Temple who we think has made the best inspection into the management of the Affairs of that flourishing Protestant Commonwealth of the seven Provinces whether even in their state Affairs that Commonwealth was not always most prosperous when some one man as lately the incomparable Monsieur Fagel had the greatest influence upon their Councils Further we dare adventure to say that never any publick society did well when it was otherwise But notwithstanding the Answers aforesaid to this Objection rather than the Nation should suffer by doing such a mischief to England which can never be cured by Repentance if the present East-India Company be dissolved broken or impolitickly inocculated or grafted upon That Gentleman who hath the greatest share of the stock being wearied with the fatigue of it and want of health occasioned thereby is content to be totally excluded from any concern in the management of the East-India Affairs or giving in any of his Votes at the Annual Election of the Governour Deputy and Committees To the Third Objection viz. That the Present Company have not Stock enough to carry on the Trade and that a greater Stock ought and may be employed in that Trade and more and greater Numbers of Men participate thereof The Company say and are ready to prove First That this is a most Notorious Falsity and peradventure such an One as never any English Men before had the Confidence to impose upon so Great and Venerable an Assembly as the Honourable House of Commons If this had any Truth in it how comes it to pass that the East-India Company have now more East-India Goods at home than the Dutch except Spices and all other Nations put together and had in India upon the coming away of their last Ships which the Company do affirm for Truth a very great Treasure in Gold and Silver undisposed of according to their latest Advice and Information besides great quantities of Goods and Stores in their Forts and Factories which is well known to the Dutch East-India Company Besides the Company can't compute their dead Stock in India viz. Forts Castles Cities Towns and Territories Phirmaunds Husball Hookum and Priviledges to have cost them less than a Million of Pounds sterling All which are worth and would be a good penyworth to the Dutch Company at above double that Sum. Secondly But the Gentlemen who fram'd this Objection say The Company are greatly in Debt in India and if they did say the Company are greatly in Debt at Jerusalem the Company can give them no other Answer to such confident groundless Assertions but to assure the Parliament upon the Word of Honest Men Honour Conscience and all that amongst good Men compels Belief as they do hereby that there is no truth in this Assertion more than that where there is great Dealings between private Men or Nations there will be alwayes some Debts on both sides but more are due to the Company than from them The Company do believe and are modest in saying no more that this Company is as rich in quick Stock in India all Debts deducted as the Dutch East-India Company although in Empire and Dominion the Dutch have much the advantage of the English in India Because the English were not formerly empowered by the Kings 〈◊〉 Legislative Authority to make such progress in that most necessary work of acquiring Sovereignty or Dominion in several parts of India for the benefit of this Kingdom And this Excess of Quick-Stock on the English part was so well known to Monsieur Van Beuninge when he was Ambassador here that he did in Discourse with some of the Committee frequently talk what great things the English Wealth and the Dutch Power conjoint might do in India And this was in time immediately before the surprize of Bantam But the Gentlemen who frame this Objection which they neither know nor understand themselves would prove it by an Inference They say if the Company be not in Debt nor want Stock to carry on the Trade Why did they permit private Ships to go for India while they exclaim so exceedingly against Interlopers The Answer to which is very easie First Such Ships went with the Companies Allowance and under such Limitations and Stipulations as were agreed by Charter-party with the Company under the Masters and two substantial Merchants Hands and Seals and were to contribute an adjusted satisfaction towards the Companies Garrisons and other General Charges Secondly The Company gave those permissions only in time of War against the Mogul but do it not now nor will hereafter except there should be the like occasion of having more Ships to carry out Ammunition Stores Provisions and Souldiers than can be loaden home with proper Goods for Europe during the War where such small Ships as they gave Permission to might notwithstanding find some small Employments in Trade in the Country Flagrante Bello while our more Warlike Ships were only to attend the Enemy in several Places and to defend that unvaluable Island of Bombay as it is lately improved Fortified and made the Seat of the English commerce on that side as Batavia is of the Dutch on the other side of India This Objection about the Free Ships was made in the Late King James's time by the Interlopers and others their Abettors and answered in Writing The Queries and Answers are extant which silenc'd that Objection but are not so fit for publick View To the Fourth Objection viz. That One Man hath aspired to such a Power and Influence upon the Present East-India Committees Councils that nothing can be done without his approbation nor any Person be brought into the Committee by Election of the Adventurers without his Consent by reason of the great Influence he has upon the Voices or Suffrage of the Electors and the great number of his own and his Relations Votes The Company say This Objection is sufficiently answered before but if any Man through unacquaintedness with East-India Affairs or indeed in any other Affairs of the World shall yet think this a fault in the Companies Constitution which ought to be mended which is a meer mistake in Politicks such Gentlemen may satisfie themselves that Nature will cure the Company of this Disease without the application of Art in a little time that Gentleman being near Sixty Years of Age and sickly and it may be concluded his Son will be too much at ease in his Fortune to be at the Drudgery of making himself understand the East-India Affairs to such a degree as to over-influence the Councils of the Committees which never any Governors Son did take the pains to do since the first Foundation of the Company in Q. Elizabeths time Yet there is another cure of this Distemper which is what that Gentleman would think no hardship finding the greatest Diligence Fidelity and even good Success and Victory it self will not generally please viz. of being excluded from any further concern in the Management of the East-India-Companies Affairs It being his greatest Consolation that God has been pleased to spare his Life hitherto to see the English Interest in India in such a prosperous way and to leave it in that Condition The Company having in this and a former Paper answer'd every thing they think to be substantial do not conceive themselves obliged to give any further answer to the several Scurrilous Papers which daily come out with scandalous and untrue Reflections upon the Companies Management from persons unknown to the Company whether they be Interlopers or the King of Syams Factors or Foreigners which write in the stile of Interlopers who are really angry not at the Companies mis-management but at the Excellent Conduct of their Affairs which has enervated and defeated all the Designs of Foreigners and such Natives which in Combination with Foreigners for these last Seven years have endeavour'd to destroy the present thriving East-India-Company Such Writers are not answerable for any thing they say true or false Or else they would not have had the confidence to out-face the World by their bold affirmations that there is no peace yet between the great Mogul and the English in India and that the Narrative of the Rebellion at St. Helena and the proceedings of the Court Martial received from the Governor and Council under their own hands are Forgeries or Fictions made and contrived here Are such mens furious Discourses or self-ended Notions to be relied upon in such important Publick Affairs But the Company are a Society which stand upon their Honour and dare not nor will â—lledge any thing but what they are ready to make out to Their Majesties the Lords or Commons of England at their Peril The Company hope it will not be forgot That the French Court hath spent of the Kings Money â—â—sides the French Companies above a Million of Pounds Sterling to attain some Empire and â—â—â—ade in India and yet so difficult a thing that is as the French Policy could never attain in â—â—ove Twenty years pursuit any considerable Trade or any one strong fortify'd settlement of â—â—â—ir own The Company hope likewise That the Honour obtain'd to this Kingdom in compelling the Great â—â—gul in open War by force of Arms to such advantagious Articles in favour of the English Naâ—… as are extant in Print which is the wonder of Foreigners and will be admired and apâ—…ded in the next Age shall not be treated with contempt at home in this