THE GROWN AND THE COLONIES 343
of the business it did transact was delegated to its committee for
trade. In 1634 the first standing committee for foreign planta-
tions was named, with Archbishop Laud as its most prominent
member. It was given very large powers over all the colonies,
including the right to make laws for them. The immediate
purpose of the committee was to regulate the affairs of New
England, but Massachusetts either evaded or defied its orders.
As Charles soon had his hands full of troubles in Scotland, he
was helpless to enforce the decrees of the committee. All that
could be done was to endeavour to control emigration, but
there is no reason to believe that the proclamation restraining
subjects from leaving the realm without a licence was ever
efficiently enforced.1
It proved simpler to regulate trade than to define constitu-
tional relations between the Crown and the colonies. Almost
at once the colonial export trade was subject to regulations in
the interest of the English merchant, who would thus reap the
reward of the sacrifices he had made in helping to found the
plantation. Undoubtedly the most important commodity the
colonies produced for export at this time was tobacco. Various
experiments in regulation were made, but nearly all had this
in common—that the tobacco should be sent directly to London2
and there sold to commissioners, or others named for the
purpose. In return the colonies received two concessions—
that tobacco-growing in England should be prohibited,3 and
that foreign tobacco should either be excluded or imported in
only small quantities.
Although, with respect to Massachusetts, Charles I had been
unable to enforce his desires, a fairly definite policy, both
political and economic, was discernible under the early Stuarts.
There was a conscious effort to create an empire that should
be commercially self-sufficient. At the same time, an attempt
was being made to curtail wide privileges granted in the early
charters and to establish a larger measure of control. As
usually happened then, these two policies were not pursued
consistently, or with much regard for logical development.
Nevertheless a start had been made with the erection of a
1 Rushworth, ii. 298.
2 As early as 1621 the privy council ordered that all the colonial products were
to be first landed in England, and the customs paid thereon, even if their ultimate
destinations were foreign ports. 3 From 1619 onwards.