gov. dongan’s report on the province of new-york.

103

requiring them to make an inquiry thereof @ to return the same to mee on which returns I shall notfail to give your Lodp« the account required.

To the Sixteenth

I believe for these 7 years last past, there has not come over into this province twenty English what number Scotch or Irish familys. But on the contrary on Long Island the people encrease soe fastscmclf Irish that they complain for want of land @ many remove from thence into the neighboringhave° r c r ome to’province. But of French there have been since my coining here several familys come bothinhabit from St Christophers & England @ a great many more are expected as alsoe from Hollandare come several Dutch familys which is another great argument of the necessity of adding to thisGovern 1 the neighboring English Colonys, that a more equal ballance may be kept between hisMaty® natnrall born subjects and foreigners which latter are the most prevailing part of this Govern-ment

I send herewith a petition of the new come naturalized French number of ha ' j For Answer to the Seventeenth <Sf Eighteenth

christenings I must refer your Lop s to my next by which time I doubt not but to be able to give y eher of people desired account having to that end issued forth the like warrant to the Sheriif as aforesaid

dyed Ac

To the Nineteenth

As concerning y e vessels belonging to this place it is already answered in the answererships trade of y r Lop s ninth Querie @ for others they are but few which are either from England NewEngland or the West Indies

To the Twentieth

what Ob- What obstructions do you find to the improvement of trade &c.

structioiis Ac y r

Ans. a great obstruction to our trade is the hindring the importing Tobacco from the three lowerCountys in Delaware as I have already given your Lop» an account in answer to the fifth of yourqueries

It is likewise a great hindrance to our trade here @ an inconveniency to the ships that come out ofEngland and the fishery that his Maty keeps not an officer at Newfoundland for formerly there wentevery year Sloops with provisions thither @ gave the provisions in exchange for their fish who againsold them to the Shipps for Bills of Exchange to England which made good returns from this placeprocuring back from England English goods which paid his Maty custom thereFor the regulation of our trade we have made several rules among ourselves, the chief of whichis that noe goods of the product of Europe or West Indies bee imported into this province unless itwere directly from England or such part of the West Indies where such commoditys were produced,without paying as a custom to his Maty 10 pr cent

To the one and Twentieth

'What advantage

msyTrgmnedw This querie is sufficiently answered in the foregoing answers

your trade

To the two and Twentieth concerning the Revenue

£•"’ and I shall give your Lop 8 an exact answer to this querie as its possible for me, and whereinI am deficient I shall acquaint your Lop 8 with the true causes of it

The Revenue except that of the Quit-Rents has been settled upon his Maty then his Royal High-ness @ Iris heirs by act of Assembly payable in manner following viz 1

For every Gallon of Rum Brandy @ distilled liquors to bee imported into the province @ itsdependencys fou pence currant money of the province

For every pipe of Madera, Fyal St George Canary Malaga Sherry @ all sweet wines the summ offorty shillings currant money aforesaid