University of Virginia Library

CCLXXXVI. [Sir Nathaniel Rich.] A First Rough Draft of a
Proposition concerning Tobacco
[March], 1622/3

Ffirst it is necessary the Plantac̃ons subsisting as yet by these §this§
comodities of Tobacco it is necessarie that some prouision bee made that
the price same §sale and vent thereof§ may be vented §contynewed§ and
that the price may be kept vp so as it may §§at such some§ such§ pro-
portionable rate to as may§§ yeald proffitt the Adventurers and Planters
proper so[m] reasonable proffitt And as it is necessarye for the goods of
the Plantac̃ons so likewise his Maties proffitt is carefullie to be regarded
& whose yearelie casuall Reuenew by this very weed hath ben increased,
at least to 100 8 or ten thowsand po. p̱ An̄ and may hereafter be much
more: but if some tymelie Prouision be not made, both his Matie§s§ will
Revenew wilbe lost and the Plantac̃ons (especially that of the Somr Ilandℯ)
in danger to be vtterly ruyned: for

1.

• The Quantitie of Tobacco by reason of the late excessiue planting
  thereof not onlie in the West Indies former and in the new Plantac̃ons in
  Guiana and Brasill is like to be so great that all these p̱tes of Christendom
  wilbe glutted wth it, and the price ther of this com̄oditie reduced to 1
  brought so low as it in probability it will not be worth so much a pound
  as his Mate hath now for Custome.

2.

• That Tobacco of those Countryes though not in wholesomnes yet in
  strength and tast doth so farr excell ours that if the To §that if the English
  

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  Plantac̃on§ ours of the English Plantac̃ons, that it §our Tobacgo§ will
  not be worth any §any§ thing at all: And so

To preuent both wch Inconveniences, and for the setling both of his
Maties yearelie Reuenew, and the good of the Plantac̃ons in Virginia and
the S. Ilandℯ (wch are amongst many others most memorable workes of
his Maties happie gouermt) It is propounded

[2] A Proposition for aduancemt of His Maties proffitt and setling good of
the Plantations §of Virginia—/S. Ilandℯ§ by setling the trade of Tobacco
by wch they now cheifele subsist:

And of wch if

That the King §§according to the[14] Custo vsage §as the French King hath
the Gabell of Salt in Ffrance & the King of Spayne the sole merchan-
dize both of pepper and euen of this p̱ticular com̄odity of Tobacco §in
Spaine§ so his Matie would be contented to take§§ haue the sole preemption
of all the Tobacco from the sd Plantations allowing the Aduenturers and
Planters 2s 6d a po: cleare of all other charge of Custome fraight and
Impos: wch will giue them §vniversaly§ full content.

That m̃chantℯ be some be conferrd wth all who will become the Kingℯ
m̃chantℯ for this Com̄odity §&§ allow his Mate 5s p̱ po: The quantitie not
exceeding 400 thowsand weight the Stock whereof is iust a 100 thow po.
50 to thowsand po. to the Plantations & 50m ll͠ to the p̱ An̄ to the King.

Ffor Incouragemt of these m̃chantℯ: they may haue §sole§ power of §to
licence the§ retayling§ers§ §of§ this Com̄oditye: and the better and there-
fore to agree in euery Citye Towne and p̱ish wch shalbe thought fitt §to
sell Tobacco§ wth a certayne nomber who shall vndertake to buy of [of]
their handℯ yearelie so much a thow 500 or 100 or §more§ §a proportion§
in weight of this Tobacco at §such§ a Rate of a noble a po: at lest §such
as the sayd m̃chantℯ shall think§ by wch meanes the kingℯ m̃chantℯ shalbe
secure §sure§ likewise to be gayners and by §though they§ ingaging§e§
themselues to his Matie for so great a Sum̄.

No Alehouse to retayle sell Tobacco but by buying of it in papers sealed wth
the seale of him that is licensed §to Retayle§ in that or the next p̱ish where
the Alehouse is kept to Retayle, wch Retayler shall sell it to the Alehouse-

keep̱ in penny papers 13 to the dozen: and so the Alehousekeep̱ shall gett a
peny in a shilling and he §the poore§ that takes Tobago shall not be
cosened as now they are to pay 6d or 8d for that wch the Alehousekeep̱ payes
but 2d.

By this meanes the kingℯ proffitt is highlie increased, his mate likewise
deeply interessed to regard the prosperity of these Plantac̃ons that afford
him so great a yearelie proffitt The good and benefitt of §arising to the
owners &c in§ the Plantac̃ons secured §& satisfied§ No hurt to any man
The wch els would soon come to nothing by the aboundance of Tobacco
now planted in Brasill & the W. Indies wch in 3 or 4 yeare will eate out all
the kingℯ proffitt [3] and the proffitt of the Plantac̃ons by bringing it to that
cheapnes that it will not be worth 4d a po: to be sould if some speedy course
be not taken to preuent it: Again §likewise§ this §is a§ secure §r§ §course§
against priuate stealing in of Tobacco for if not none but the such as are
licensed may retayle euery Retayler wilbe an Informer, and there wilbe
none that will aduenture to buy but the Retaylors themselves who will
§can§ not s buy of any other but to his §theire§ owne hinderance at least
not any great quantity Neither shall his Mate need to forbidd the Impor-
tac̃on of Spanish Tobacco but sett a good Custom vpon it And if the kingℯ
Merchantℯ will buy it they may and that they may make proffitt by it
they may: pro wch they will not doe if they see it wilbe any hinderance to
the venting of the Plantac̃on Tobacco.

Lastly as it is good for his Mate §benefitt and§ good §may * * necessary§
for the §subsisting of§ the Plantac̃ons: so it is §it is§ §And§ preiudiciall
to no man but only will regulate the disorderly abuse of it §§may it b
without forbidding §Imposition§ of foreyn Tobacco, to the offence of any
of his maties Allyes: so is it good for this kingdom if the last price be ordered
at the vttmost not to exceed 9s in the pound whereas now by retayle of
small q they pa Subiect payes ordinarilie a third p̱t more. And in truth
is hurtfull to none §b§ And it beeing a sup̱fluous com̄odity it can̄ot by any
discreet or indifferent man but be thought a matter of high prudence in his
Matie thus to order a sup̱fluitie to so good iust and hoble͠ endℯ

Mm each Alehousekeep̱ is to haue inserted in his licence that he sell no
Tobago but such as he shall buy of him that is licensed to Retayle in
that or the next p̱ish in pap̱rs sealed as aforesaid.

[Indorsed in the same hand:] A first Rough draught of a Proposic̃on con-
cerning Tobacco wch afterward I del to my L: Thre'ar.