STATE OF THE PROVINCE OF NEW YORK.
117
[Lon. Doc. XXVI.]
The referred Queries from the Lords of Trade and Plantations, and the required answer from theCollector of the Customs here, as by the Govern r and Council of this his Majesty’s Province, theirorder
QUERIES AS
REFERD.
ANSWER AS REQUIRED BEING THEREUPON THE
TRADING IN GENERAL
Present
No. of
Vessels.
Their 1
Ton. per
Register
1 And No.
of Sea-
men.
PRODUCTION AND
MANUFACTURE.
INWARDS.
OUTWARDS.
What is the Trade ofthis Province thenumber of Shiping,their Tonage, andthe number of sea-faring men with therespective increaseor diminution with-in ten years past?
What quantity andsorts of British ma-nufacture do the in-habitants annuallytake from here?
What Trade has thisprovince under yourGovn’t with any Fo-reign Plantation orany part of Europe besides Great Britain how is that Trade carried on, what com-modities do the peo-ple under your Go-vernment send to orreceive from ForeignPlantations?
What is the naturalproduce of the coun-try staple commodi-ties and manufac-tures, and what va-lue thereof in ster-ling money may youannually export.
First, From Great Britain ;European and Ind'n goodswith silk manufactureschiefly?
From Ireland; Linnen andCanvas as duely certify‘dthence.
From British Collonies, enu-merated commodities, Rum ,Liraejuice, Snuff , Pimento,Sulpher Strawplatt, hides,D’r Skinns, Conchshells,negroes mahogany & Ebo-
ny.
From Europe and the Eng-lish and foreign settlementsin America and Africa ;salt.
From Africa , within the pro-per limits directed negroes,now less than formerlybrought hither.
From Madeira and CanaryIslands ; Wines the growththereof.
From North’n and South’nparts of this continent Cy-der, oil, Bluber, hops, flax-seed, flax, Bricks, Sealskinnsand certain wro't Tin andBraisiery.
Lastly from Plantations notunder his Majesty’s domi-nions, small quantities ofRum Mollases and Sugar ,since the act impos'd newduties thereon, snuff, Spa-nish tobacco, Lignum vitae,Indico, logwood, and otherdying-wood, Cocoa nuts,cotton, wool &c.
First to London and outports,the latter seldom, the enu-merated goods and othermerchandize legally im-ported.
To Ireland flax seed andstaves.
To other parts of Europe ,Grain, hides, Elke and D’rSkinns, Oxliorns, sp. snuffLogwood, Indico, Cocoa-nutts &c. of foreign produceand Lumber.
To Madeira and Azores ,Grain, Beeswax and staves.
To English districts N’th andS th of this Continent andWest Indies , provisionsChocolate Lumber, Euro-pean goods with those spe-cies enumerated and suchothers as brought here forexport regularly.
Lastly to the neutral ports,as St. Thomas, Curacoa andSurenlvum, provisions lum-ber and horses with pro-vender.
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3215
352
First, the country people here havefor many years and yet theirhomespun, so term’d of wool andFlax , to supply somewhat them-selves with the necessary’s ofclothing &c.
From the year 1715 or thereabouts,have bin raised linseed andmill’d into Oil, hatts made ofbeaver furr, the exportingwhereof prevented by the Actfrom Micklemass 1732, also lampblack work’d up.
From the year 1730, Sugar bakingand its refining have been forhome consumption & transporta-tion hence to other districts onthe Continent and to the WestIndies by regular certificates andlatterly the distilling of Rum andother spirits for those only aretwo houses erected.
In this province are mines of ironand lead oars the manufacturingof which have bin of late pro-posed, and the raising of hemplikewise.
Lastly of these several besides, aregrain of all sorts and other pro-visions, with Tobacco , a diminu-tive quantity naturally producedout of this soil yet being withsuch like brought hither from theEastern and Western Parts ofthis Continent are satiable andvended abroad cannot be distin-guished as to ascertain the anualexporting or their value neitherpractically could it be, if fromthe import thereof separated be-cause their prices according tothe markets currently varie.
These on each Column are particularized as to quantity’s as quality’s in the quarterly list of Trading Vessels, thetransmitting whereof to their Lordships is from the Naval officer here constituted by the Governor, and also sneh listsduly to their honors the Commissioners of the Customs from their officers hence, thereby may appear that within thequeries ment’d to me, how seemingly little the increase or diminution differenceth respectively.
What Methods are Such as are prescribed in the principal laws of Trade and aptly used here, whereby to effect the Intendeet pre-there used to pre-jventing any what contrary to those laws; and that, upon any breach thereof; carefully inquired after by the Deputedvent illegal trade, Officers, process is issued against the same in the Vice Admiralty or it happening sometimes, in the Courts of Recordsand arc the same of this Province for recovery of the subject penalty on the Fraud or abuse Committed,effectual? *