CCXCVI. Sir Nathaniel Rich. "A Proposic̃on for the Aduance-
ment of His Maties Proffitt and Good of the Plantac̃ons of Vir-
ginia and the Sum̃er Ilandℯ by Setling the Trade of Tobacco—".
March 20, 1622/3
Manchester Papers, No. 313. See No. 312,
ante, Doc. CCLXXXVI
[36]
Document in Public Record Office, London
List of Records No. 411a
A Proposic̃on for aduancemt of His Maties proffitt and good of the Plan-
tac̃ons of Virginia and the Sum̃er Ilandℯ by setling the trade of Tobacco,
wch is the comoditie by wch they now cheifelie subsist.[37]
Ffirst the Plantac̃ons subsisting as yet by this Comoditie of Tobacco it is
necessarie that some Prouision be made that the sale and vent thereof
may be contynewed, and that the price may be kept vp at some such
proportionable Rate as may yeald the Aduenturers and Planters reason-
able proffitt
And as it is necessarie for the good of the Plantac̃ons so likewise His Maties
proffitt is carefullie to be regarded, whose casuall Reuenew by this Com̃od-
itie hath ben increased at least to 8 or 10 thowsand pounds p̱ An9: and
may hereafter be much more: But if some tymelie Prouision be not made
both his Maties Reuenew wilbe lost, and the Plantac̃ons (especiallie that
of the Som̃er Ilandℯ) in danger to be vtterlie ruyned, for
1.
The Quantitie of Tobacco (by reason of the late excessiue planting
thereof in the West Indies and in the new Plantac̃ons of Guiana and
Brasil) is like to be so great that all these parts of Christendom wilbe
glutted with it, and the price of Tobacco brought so lowe that in proba-
bilitie it will not be worth so much a pound as His Matie hath now for
Custome.
2.
The Tobacco of those Countries, though not in wholesomnes yet in
strength and tast and estimac̃on doth so farr excell ours of the English
Plantac̃ons that if in His Maties dominions we can not find sale for it, our
Tobacco will yeald nothing at all.
Therefore for the setling be and aduancemt both of His Maties yearelie
Reuenew and the good of the Plantac̃ons in Virginia and the Som̃er Ilands
(wch are amongst many others most memorable works of His Maties happie
gouermt) It is propounded That as the French King hath the Gabell of
Salt in France: and the K: of Spaine the sole Merchandize both of Pepper
and euen of this particular com̃oditye of Tobacco in Spayne: So it would
please his most Excellent Matie our Soueraigne to take the sole preemption
of all the Tobacco of the English Plantations in Virginia and the S: Ilands:
allowing the Aduenturers and Planters §within some conuenient tyme
after they shall delyuer it at ye Port of London § 2s a pound for the worser
sort (so yt it be merchantable) 2s 6d for the middle sort, and 3s a po: for
the best: cleare of charge of fraight, Custome and Impost: only the Ad-
uenturers and Planters to [beare] delyuer theyr when it sh This will giue
full and uniuersall content to the Planters and Aduenturers, who must
needs acknowledge it a worke of great grace and princely wisedom in his
Matie so to prouide for them that they shalbe in better case then euer
they we[re.]
[2] And for securing His Maties yearelie b proffitt it may be managed that
*Some able men may be conferrd wthall who will become the Kingℯ Mer-
chantℯ for this Com̃oditie and allow his Matie double the proporc̃on wch
His Matie payes to for this Tobacco: so that the quantitie thereof exceed
not 400 thowsand weight, wch is as much as the Plantations wilbe able to
affoord, and these Kingdomes of England and Ireland vsuallie vent. Thus
will His Maties Reuenew by this Com̃oditie be raysed to fortie if not fiftie
thowsand pounds p̱ Añ certaine and his Matie not one penny out of purse:
*] Or if Mer-
chants will not
take so great a
bargaine then
may it be man-
aged by some
Com̃issioners
wholy for his
Ma
ties benefitt
w
ch will much in-
crease his the
kings proffitt.
And for incouragement of these m̃chauntℯ it is propounded that they may
haue the sole power to licence the Retayling of this com̃odity: And then
for their owne securitie they may agree wth a convenient nomber in euery
Citie, Towne, and §greate§ p̱ishe to buy from of their handℯ yearelie a
proporc̃on of this Tobacco, at such Rates as the saied m̃chants may be
reasonable gayners, and such quantities as the m̃chants shalbe sure to
haue the whole com̃oditie taken from them and dispersed into many
handℯ, and this is very feasible fro[m] for if none may §sell or§ retaile
§Tobacco§ but such as shalbe licensed by the Kingℯ m̃chantℯ they will
find rather too many then too few that will in this kind deale wth them.
1.
By this meanes the Kingℯ Proffitt is highlie increased. It is §And§
§2ly§
2.
His Matie euen in that respect (besidℯ his owne gracious disposition)
deepelie ingaged in the welfare and Prosperitie of those Plantac̃ons that
already euen by one Com̃oditye affoord him as greate or phaps greater
yearelie proffitt then all his Reuenew both certayn and Casuall in the
Kingdom of Ireland doth come vnto wch yet is a potent and fruitefull
Countrey §so large a Reuenew§.
3lie
In this course His Matie shall not need to inhibitt the importac̃on of
Spanish Tobacco, or by inhibiting th' importac̃on of forrey[n] Tobacco, for
if §also auoyd so much as a colourable occasion of giuing offence to His
Maties Allyes abroad§
3lie
The excesseue stealing in of §forreyn§ Tobacco into this Kingdom
wilbe §hereby§ auoyded and the charge of strict search for it in the Portes
saued, for euery Retaylor will in his case be an Informer because it will
hinder his both his owne and his fellowes proffitt: And for their better
incouragemt they may haue the Moyetie of all such Tobacco as they shall
discouer to be brought in and acquired by fraud §in any other sort then as is
formerlie propounded.
4lie
It wilbe§l§ §tend to the general§ §generally§ good §o§for this kingdom
both by restrayning thexcessiue expence of Bullion wch was wont to be
wasted layed out in forreyne p̱tes for [3] this comoditie to the great dimi-
nuc̃on of the Treasure of this kingdom 2ly it will §And secondly by§
mayntein §ing§ a trade and com̃erce betweene theis kingdoms and those new
acquired Countreyes of Virginia and the S. Ilandℯ and that wthout money,
whereby the Natiue Com̃odities wilbe better vented §wch is a thing of
singuler note and consequence worthy of obseruac̃on§ for we retourne
not money but or owne Natiue Com̃odities of Cloth §wollen stuffes§ Tyn̄
Lead §Leather§ &c for the goodℯ wch we receaue from thence. And
thirdlie by regulating the g this way of managing the sale of Tobacco if it be
ordered so, that the last price of the best Tobacco exceed not ten or xj
shillingℯ will as it very well may then hath doth the Subiect buy it at a
better rate then euer he hath done heretofore. And so in that case §hath§
no cause to complayne.
Thus §Lastly it§ doth not §Lastly§ the propounder of this course who
§prayes it may be considered that he§ onlie aymes here at publick good as
may appeare by all the wayes and reasons alleadged an professing that
he sees no wrong or Inconvenience that can happen to any man b hereby.
But conceaues that this beeng §but§ a sup̱fluous weed and fitt to be regu-
lated all discreet and indifferent men wilbe so farr from excepting against it
as they will rather thinke it a matter of high §great grace &§ prudence in
his Matie thus §to preuent the former mischeefes &§ to order a sup̱fluitie
to so good iust and hoble ends and publick endℯ at wch the Com̃ons house of
plmt did ayme when in their last convenc̃on they concluded to petic̃on
his Matie that the sole Importacon of Tobacco might be restrayned to the
s̃d 2 Companies of Virginia and the S. Islandℯ.
[Indorsed[39]
:] An Ouerture concerning Tobacco: by Sr N.R: 20 M̃che 20.1622
he only yett hath intimated the same to the E. of War. L. Threas.
L. Avon. Sr S. Arg.
