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Presented to the LIBRARY of the UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

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CONSIDERATIONS ON AP SEE ImporRTANCE of CANADA, AND THE Bay and River of St. LAWRENCE; And of |

The American Fifheries dependant on the _Iflands of Cape Breton, St.Joun’s, New- FOUNDLAND, and the Seas adjacent.

ADDRESS’D TO The Right Hon. WILLIAM PITT, |

L'O.8,D O.N, | Printed for W. Owen, near Temple-Bar, 175¢.

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Ricut HonovuRABLE

WILLIAM PITT,

SIR,

S the prefent juft and ne- ceflary War, was com- ' menced for fecuring our Settlements in North America, from the Incroachments of an am- bitious Neighbour; and as under | . your Aufpices, it has been ftea- dily conducted with that View;

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EO es and Providence has at length crown’d the Valour of our gallant Countrymen with Succefs; I do my felf the Honour to prefent you with the following Pages, in which the Worth of their Con- -

queft is endeavour’d to be fhewn.

If the Value of thefe places, had been at all underitood, they — would have been more attended to, in making the feveral ‘Trea- ties of Ryfwick, Utrecht, and AAix-la-Chapelle ; and in Confe- quence of its not being attended to, we have been plunged into frefh wars, wich endlefs Expence; which till they are attended to, will be always the Cafe; “and therefore as a good Citizen, I

— thought

Br 6} thought it my Duty, to do all _ inmy Power, to enforce fo necef- fary an Attention.

The Confidence your Country fo juftly repofes, on your great Capacity in the Management of Public Aftairs; your known In- tegrity, in the Conduct of them; and your unfhaken Adherence, to the true Interefts of Great Byz- tain; give Propriety to this Ad- — drefs: And leave no Room, to doubt, that what has been hither- to wanting in every Treaty of Peace, will by your Care be fup- plied in the next; which mutt e- gually endear you, to every in- telligent Perfon of this Age; and fecure your Fame to latelt Po-

lterity,

ae fterity, who will, in this Refpe, © reap continually the Fruits of your wife and firm Adminiftra- tion. : RP

I am, With profound Refpe&, &c.

London, Oftober, 175 1759«

CONSIDERATIONS On the Importance of

Canapa, and the Bay and River of St. Lawrence; and of the Amari caN Fifheries, dependant on the Iflands of Cape Breton, St. Joun’s, NewrounpianD, and the Seas adjacent.

i} HE Naval Power of Prance i] had its Rife, and ftill receives its main Support, from our 1 Fifheries in North America. ae ee Till the French were admitted PAZAEEENN! into it, they did not dare to build a Ship of War without our leave: but fince they have been introduced into it, they have become fo very formidable, ds to have contended, fingly, againft the two great ma ritime Powers of Europe united, \

B | Every

ica. Every thip of France, in this Trade, is

obliged to carry a certain Number of Landmen and Boys to train up. About the Year, 1700, it was computed, and allowed on all Hands, - that there were, on this Fifhery, S00 Sail of Fnglifb and French Shi ips; and it is pretty cer- tain, that our Share of them was not 300: It. may be even queftioned, whether we did not fall thort of 250,

The Front have a Nurfery of 50, 000 Sea- men, founded upon this Trade; from whom are fprung as many Thoufands more, who fupply the reft of their Navigation. There are not above 80, 000 belonging to England. We, indeed, have a much larger Navy; but when that is fully employed, the reft of our Navi- gation mutt be greatly diftrefled; and we are obliged, in War time, to employ Foreigners to carry on our Trade; who, being paid high Wages, carry off Abundance of our Wealth; and allby ourown Folly. But it is ftill more furprifing, that we fhould have continued fo Jong indolent; and have permitted fo dange- rous a Neighbour to grow wealthy and formi- dable, without our fo much as endeavouring to deprive him of thofe immenfe Treafures of the Seas, which we have an original and un- doubied Right to enjoy unrival’d

We have no thing left, which we can call a Fifhery, except that we are now fpeak-

ing

ibe ad, ing of; tho’ it does not employ 4000 of our Seamen. Our Right to Canada and Neqw/ound- land, was the Foundation of Sir Havendan Walker's Expedition in 1717, the Mifcarriage of which was fo greatly lamented ; it being then well underftood, that the fecuring the en- tire American Fifhery, wou’d be of greater Confequence to the Briti/b Empire, than the Mines of the We/? Indies are to the Spaniards. That from this Fithery only, the French have raifed that Naval Strength, the reducing of which has coft us fo much Blood and Trea- fure ; allarmed, againft us, with Men raifedin our Nurferies. The difpoffefling the French of this Fifhery, muft therefore prove the moft fatal Blow they ever felt; fince, from that Moment, their Navies muft wither away, like a Tree cut offatthe Root. The taking of Canada ; befides employing

near 40 Sail of Ships in the * Pur, and other

| B 2 Trades; .

* For one Indian we trade within Hudfon’s Bay (not exceeding three or 4000 in Number,) the French probably trade with one Hundred in Canada, andthe Countries ad- jacent ; who confequently bring them a proportionable Quantity of Furs, beyond what the “ud/on’s Bay Indians furnifh our Settlements with, poffefs’d by the Company. The Hat Manufa@ture, therefore, in France (as at Lyons principally, and other places,) amounts to an immenfe “Value yearly ; with which the French fupply Italy, Spazn,. Portugal, &c. with the vaft Colonies of New Spain and the Brazils, poffeffed by thefe two laft Nations ; all which is well known to our wholefale Hatters here. From Ca-

nada, they likewife carry on a very confiderable contra- band

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Trades ; fuprlying the Natives of that vaft ex= tended Country with Woollen and other Brz- tifb Manufactures ; and depriving the French of the abundant Store of excellent * Timber which that Country affords for Ship Building; would effectually fecure to us the American Fifheries ; as alfo the Briti/> Empire in the Continent of America; which can never be {afe, whil& Canada is in the Hands of France. As a Confirmation of this, it may not be im- proper to quote Part of the Romantic Grant which the French King made. in.1712, ‘to Monfr. Crozat, of a Country much larger than all Europe s and to which he has not the leaft Shadow ‘of f Right, or Title. |

“We, by. thefe Prefents, fign’d by our ‘** Fiand, have appointed, and do appoint she & faid Sieur Crozat, folely to carry cna Trade

band Trade, in all Sorts of European Commodities, to Mexico, with which they have a Communication by | Means of the Lakes and the river Ai ffiffipi ; which yield them, in return, Gold and great Quantities of Silver ; the vaft Advantages whereof wou’d be foon found by.his Majetty’ s Subjects, fhould We be fo happy as to remain in quiet Pofleffion of this Country; and enjoy the free Navigation of the Rivers of St. Laurence and Miffiffipi. They alfo carry ona confiderable Whale Fifhery, 10 two Bays, on the Labrador Coatt, which is comprehended within the Charter of the ‘Hudfon’ s Bay Company.

* Being laft War, in the King’s Yard at Plymouth, and Viewing fome Prize Timber from Quebec (purchas’d for. his Majeity’s Ufe) the Officers declared, that our King had no fuch Timber in any of his Yards. And the Scarcity of good Timber: in England, at this Lime, is but too well known.

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** in all the Lands poffefs’d by Us, and bound- ‘© ed by New Mexico, and by the Lands of *« the Englifh of Carolina ; all the Eftablifh- “© ments, Ports, Havens, and Rivers; and ** principally the Port and Haven of the Ile “© Dauphine, heretofore called Maffacre ; the ** River of St. Lewzs, heretofore called M/z/- ** fifipt, from the Edge of the Sea as far as “* the J/imots ; together with the River of 5t. ° «“ Philp, heretofore called Ovebache ; with all ‘« the Countries, Territories, Lakes within ‘«* Land; and the Rivers which fall directly or * indirectly into that Part of the River St, “© Lewss.””

The Extent ef this Country, from North to South, is 2400 Miles; and from Weft, Weift- ward about 3500 Miles, filled with nume- rous Nations of Indians: it contains the whole North Coaft of the Gulf of Florida or Mexico; into. which, from this Country, run above twelve large Rivers, particularly the famous River Mififips, many of whofe Branches al- moft join Three of the Five great Lakes that fall into the River St. yp tehe a which River lies South Weft, and North Eaft, on the Back of all our Colonies, on the Continent of America. On it’s Banks, and on thefe Lakes, the French have built feveral Fortifications; the deftru&tive Confequences of which, to our Co- Jonies, we have feen, and felt, but too feve- rely. The French, euatia with thefe nu- ‘merous Nations, (whom they convert to theiz

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fuperftitious Religion) intermarry with, and bring up in an utter Deteftation of the Englifhs would, in Time, have driven our People, on the Frontiers, into the Sea; had not a moft aufpicious Attention, forthe Britifh Poffeffions in America, very provicentially prevail’d, at this Juncture, in his Majefty’s Councils.

To that Part of the Continent, called by us Nova Scotia, and by the French Avaibies be- longs the Iland of Cape Breton, of a large Ex- tent, and not two Leagues from the Shore, Each Side of the Channel; form’d by this If- land *; abounds with a oveat Number of good Harbours, ftrongly fortified by Nature ; fome of which the induftrious French have render- ed more fo, by Art. There arealfo many Banks dependant upon this Coaft, abounding with as great Quantities of Cod, as any Part of New- ‘dasigellcnsh Here, and at the Ifle of Sables,

the French} formerly obliged the Britz/b Sub-

* All the Coaft, of the IMands of Cape Breton and St. Fobn’s, abounds with Cod Fifh; as does alfo the Bay of - Fundy, Gafpte Bay at the Mouth of the River St. Law- rence ; and likewife the Straits of Be/lifle, between New- foundland and Labrador, at which laft Place the French have carried on this Fifhery ; ; (even during the prefent War;) clofe to our Shore, in Barks only, and cured their Fifth on the Land ; wh tich, two or three fmall Forts built there, woulde entirely hie prevented, and fecur’d to Us. We carry on this Fifhery to much )greater difadvan- tage, by employing large Vellels and going 30 Leagues to catch our Fifh.

+ Ta 1699 the French colleéted this Tax of ten Shillings per Head,

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jects to pay ten Shillings per Head, for catch ing their own F'fh; which they colle@ted by Ships of Force, fent from Quebec for that Pur- pofe, The New Englanders, and the Inhabi- tants of the adjacent Colonies, always looked | upon. thefe Places, as fo far belonging to the Crown of Gréat-Bri‘ain; that they ufed to fetch their * Coals from the Ifle of Cape Bre- ton, even in Time of War, unlefs interrupted by Privateers.

,

The French, if difpoffefs’d of this Fifhery, would be obliged to take their Mud Fith, or Cod falted wet in Bulk, from us; except his

_. moft Chriftian Majefty fhould think proper

to prohibit it, at the risk of flarving his owa Subjects. The Produce of this Sort of Fifh. would, in fuch Cafe, pay amply for all ‘our fuperfluous Imports from France; where there is yearly confumed, of this Kind of Fifth, to the amount of fome hundred thoufand Pounds Sterling.

The great Advantage of this Fithery, and _ the Danger to be apprehended, fhould the French continue in Pofleffion of it; toge-

* In 1758, after we had taken Loui/bourg, we fent thither, from England, 3000 Tons of Coals for the Ufe of that.Garrifon; although it was very well known here at that Time (and even inthe laft War) that they might have been fupplied with Coals, from the Spot, for lefs than ten Shillings a Ton: a Miftake which, it is not doubted, will be rectify’d for the future.

ther

[ BQ ther with their other Ufurpations in North America, would not have been fo much ex- patiated upon here; did not a fair Opportunity now offer, for us to fecure to ourfelves this vatt Support of our Naval Power, and of our American Empire.

In 1583, Queen Efizabeth fent the firft Go- vernor, Sir Humphrey Gilbert to Newfoundland. In the Reign of King Yames the firft, this nifhing Trade was in a flourifhing Condition, and entirely enjoyed by the Exgijh unrival’d. It continued the fame in the Reign of Charles the firft; as appears by. Letters Patent, bea- ring ate the roth of February 1633, 3 the

ninth Year of his Reign, reciting, vz.

‘© That the Region and Country called New- « foundland, had been acquired to the domi- «© nions of his Progenitors, which he held; and «© his People had for many Years reforted to «© thofe Parts; where, and on the Coaft ad- *« joining, they employed themfelves in Fifh- cc Be whereby a great Number of his Peo- ** ple had been fet at Work, and Navigation ‘© and Mariners much increafed, &c.” And his Majefty then ordained fome Libel for the better Government of the Fifhing, ae and Inhabitants, &c.

In 1638, the French obtained Liberty, from

King Charlesthe firft, to fifth there, and in ac- ; knowledg-«

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knowledgment of our Right, were to pay 4 Tribute of five per Cent; and his Majetty fent a Governor thither to cableces it. Atthat Time, the French had very few Ships. But they grew ‘Weary in a few Years of paying this Tribute ; upon which they went to the South Side of the Ifland, built two Forts, and carried cn this Fifhery to the: Weftward on Cape Race. In 1070, they tovk in two Bays more, viz. Plz- centia and Paffura; and thereby augmented their fifhing to ten times what it was before.

And fo rapid was the Increafe of their Naviga= tion, by this Fifhery, that they, ina few Years

after, had raifed a Naval Power able to con- tend, fingly, with the united Fleets of England and Holland.—But we have now juft Réafon to hope, from the well known Wifdom of thofe who at prefent are the Guardians of our Colonies; that the Confeque neesof the French enjoying fo great a Share in this Fithery, is as well underftood at this critica! Juncture, as it was in the Year 1659; when the Merchants -jn Order to guard againft fo growing an Evil, deliver’d the following tree lle oy 8. to the Government.

“© We had many Ezgl/b Ships, and many ¢ thoufands of Seamen that had their conftant ** Employment for Newfoundland; and being *€ loaden with Fith, the moft of them {ail ed © from thence for fegeral Ports of Spain, and _-** its Territories ; as from so to 60 to Bilsoa, 6% Fick

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and St. Sebaftian’s, 40 to Cadiz and St. Lu= car, 20 to Malaga and Velez, and from-20 to 30 for Valencia, Alicant, and Cartagena ; befides others that went to the ‘Groyne, and other Sea Port Towns in Spain; the moft of the Remainder went for Mijcoen and Mz norca, Sicilia, Sardinia, Naples; and foent in the Dukedom of Mé/an, and in ae their Galleons, Galleys, &c, Hereby (well

confidered) we had great Advantage; for that,

clearly, there were added to the Stock of the Nation, at leaft £500,000 per Annum; and: fo much sot out of the Sea, by the Labour and Induftry of our People, and the Ship- ing maintained. And it was alfoa N urfery for Seamen, breeding more than all other Trades whatfoever, They carry out not fo much Beef and Bread as they would have. eaten in England, the moft of their Food being Fifh : And if they had not been thus employed, perchance they might have lived idle at home; and fo have been unprofi- table Members of the Commonwealth, and

to have their Subfiitance from other induf-

trious Perfons.

Whilft we affifted the French, they have ina Manner got this whole Trade. This Year they had above 250 Ships at New- “* foundland; and have obtained free Permif- fions from the King of Spain, to enter into

‘ the Ports of Bilboa, St. Sebaftian’s and Paf- fague,

ety 4

“ fague, with their Fith and Men; where “‘ they do not enly furnifh the Men of “© War that take us, but the Fifth is carried _* from 3 to 409 Miles up into the, Country * of Spain. ;

*¢ St. “Fobn de Luz, had not formerly above ** eight Ships, and this Year they have near “*’ fifty Sail ; a good Part of which were En- ** glifh Prizes, and without doubt zxcovertly “ the Spaniards have a great Intereft in them; “* and tt will be a bard Matter now to get this “* Trade again from the French.”

. The Authors of this Remonftrance, plainly forefaw the bad Confequences which would eniue, fhould the french continue this Pifhery. Neverthelefs King: Charles the fecond, in 1675, (the 27th Year of his Reign) did not only con- firm the French therein, but even remitted them the Tribute of 5 per Cent. They alfo obtained, from King “fames the fecond, a Con- firmation of the aforefaid Grants. Ther ob- taining aConfirmation of thefe Grants, from 3 fucceeding Kings of Exgland, thews, that they themfelves were well acquainted with the Weaknefs ef their own Title. Bat in King William sDeclaration of War againft the Freschs their Incroachment upon our ‘Trade, and upon the Fithery of Newfoundland, is particularly fet forth, as one of the Caufes of the War; andas

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even contrary to the very Statutes of thefe

Realms, by which itis enacted, Stat. 10, 11.

of King William the third, Cap. 25.

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“¢ That whereas, the Trade and F ifhery of Newfoundland, is a beneficial Trade to this —

Kingdom, not only in employing great

Numbers of Seamen and Ships, and export- ing and confuming great Quantities of Provi- fionsand Manufactures ofthis Realm;where-_ by many Tradefmen and Artificers are kept» at Work ; but alfo in bringing into this Na- tion, by Returns of the Effects of the faid, Fithery, from other Countries, great Quan- tities of Wine, Oil, Plate, Iron, Wool, and fundry other ufeful Commodities ; to the Increafe of his Majefty’s Revenue, and the Encouragement of Trade and Navigation. Be it enacted, &c. That henceforth, all his Majefty’s Subjcéts fhall have, ufe, and enjoy the free Trade and Traffick, and Art of Merchandifing and Fifhing to and from Newfoundland; and take Baite and Fifth on. any of the Rivers, Creeks, or any of the Iflands adjoining or adjacent thereunto, as

fully and freely, as at any Time heretofore _

hath been ufed or enjoyed by any of the Subjects of his Majefty’s Predeceflors, with- out any-Hindrance, &c. of or from any Per- fon whatfoever. And that no Alien or Stran- ger whatfoever (not refiding with England)

: {hall at any Time hereafter take any Baite, £ or ufe any Sort of Trade or Fifhing what-

“ foever

i Certs 3) * foever in Newfoundland, or in any of the “< Places or Iflands abovementioned.”’

The great Increafe of the Naval Power, and Wealth of France, will be obvious to every one who confiders, that from the Year 1638, the Date of their Admittance into this Fifhery, (at which Time they had very few Ships in any Part of the world) to the Year 16509, (only 21 Years) they increafed their Ships in this Trade, from about 40 to about 250; and that, from this Period, to the Reign of King ames the fecond, (only 25 years more) they had aug- mented fo vattly their Wealth and Naval Power, as to make all Europe ftand in Awe of them: A Proof how very formidable a Prince may become, by Sea and Land, who -isleft, during only a few Years, in quiet Pof- feffion of this Trade: by fuch an annual In- creafe of Men, Ships, Bullion, &c.

The French by their extraordinary Frugality, joined to other great Advantages, fuch as the ~ Cheapnefs of Salt of their own making; thelow Wages of their Mariners; the little Expencein _victualling their Ships; and their having the beft and moft convenient Places for fithing ; have almoft difpofieffed the Engli/b of this - Trade, as may be inftanced, in many of the Out-Ports of this Kingdom, viz. Barnftaple, Biddeford, Dartmouth, &c. whirh do not employ one fourth Part of the Ships they did ee The two firft could furnith the

Royal

[ 4 ] |

Royal Navy with 400 Voluntier Sailors; whereas they now find it difficult even to man the few Veffels they fit out. But were this ereat fifhery Trade to center with us, (as we have itrong Reafonto hape it will) our ‘Weftern ‘Navigation wou’d foon flourith ; our Lands rife in their Value; and the Manufacturers of thofe Counties (in ‘particular) be confiderably enriched, by the vaft Demand for their Mer- chandize of all Kinds.

_ Toencourage ftill morethis ufurp’d Fifhery, the French King iffued out the following Edict,

UZ.

‘© An Arret of the King’s Council of ftate, “© by which Cod Fith caught, and Oil made, “* by his Subjects, fithing at Je Royale, for- _* merly called the Ifland of Cape Breton, are “ exempted from all Cuftoms during ten Years.

“© At Fontainbleau the gth of September 1713. “« the King havirig been ever attentive to all «* Methods which might contribute to the In- ‘* creafe of the Commerce of the Kingdom; “ with Refpect as well to the Fifheries on the ‘© Maritime Coafts of France, as to thofe for “* Cod-fith green and dried on the Sea of Ca- ‘* nada: And his Majefty being defirous to ** procure greater Advantages, to thofe of his ** Subjects, who fhall undertake the Fithery of & dried Cod- fife at Ife abe called hie ort &C the

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** the Tle of Cape Breton; by a general Ex- emption of the faid dried Cod-ji/h, and the Oil made thereof, that fhall be brought into this Kingdom, from ail Duzzes of Importa- tion.——Accordingly, his Majefty in Coun- cil ordains; that for ten Years, beginning from the firft of Fanuary next, they thall be exempted accordingly.”

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Tis therefore evident, that the French have employed all the Arts in their Power, and ufed every Endeavour poffible, to extend their Fith- eries in the Seas of Canada, to which they fo infolently pretend to have a Right.

The Total, (inthe Calculation of this French American Fifhery) has varied at different Pe- riods; but we may venture to fettle it, in Time of Peace, at goo Ships annually (each of 150 Tons, one with another) which, at 20 Quintals of Fith per Ton, makes 2,700,000 Quintals; and valuing the Quintal at 20 Shil- lings, the * annual gain to France, by this Fifhery, will then be £-2,700,000 Sterling, Thefe goo Ships (as above) carrying each 18 Men, one with another, make 16,200 Seamen employed only in this Fifhery. So that, thould this Calculation be thought but tclerably juft, we need not wonder that the Naval Power of France fhould have rifen to the Height, in

* Qut of this annual gain, muft be deducted the value of the Mad and dried Cod-fifh, confumed in France.

whic!

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which we have {een it, during the laft and the fent War. Nor would it be matter of Sur- prize fhould we again fee it, after a few Years Peace, in a yet more formidable State than ever, in Cafe that Crown fhould be fo fortu- nate, as to be left in Poffeflion of the Ifands of Cape-Breton and St. Fobn's. ~

When we refle&, that this American Fith- ery is the grand N, arfery for the beft Seamen, and that the French raife out of it, five times the Number we do; we may naturaily infer, that Great-Britain, ‘which claims Obedience on the Ocean, will, in a few Years, become fubfervient to france, if timely care be not taken to prevent it: And that we have it now in our Power, to preferve fuch Su- periority, 1s beyond all Difpute.

By the 13th Article of the Treaty of Utrecit, the French are limited with refpect to their — Fifhing in Newfoundland; which howeverthey | are well known to have always deviated ffom, even to this Day They will now (’tis to be hop’ abe totally excluded from any fhare in this American Fithery, by our Right of Congue/t.——And we fhall thew, immediately, our inconteftabie Title to ttiete Seas, from our firfi Difcovery. Ina word, the French have dealt fo very treacheroutly by us, that we may juitly lament their being poftets’ d of a fingle Inch of Land, or Sea Territory, in |

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North America: And we ought to be fo well acquainted with our own Intereft, as not to let flip any more, the fair Opportunity which offers itfelf; now the Sword 1s impending over their Heads. ; without our wrefting from chem, and fecuring to ourfelves, thefe Territories and Seas, whence only they can have it in their Power to deffroy us, or render us contemptible; and fuch we fhall unpitied be, when ever the Naval Power of France fhall become fuperior to that of Great Britain.

Our having taken, funk, or deftroy’d, du- ring the prefent War, a full third Part of their Navy, has certainly leffen’d the Mifchiefs which our Commerce might otherwife have fuftain’d from them ; at the fame Time, that their Trade has been fo much the more ex- pofed to Capture, by our Men of War and Privateers.---- Yet, as no Country recovers fo foon, from it’s Wounds, as France ; and asthe Flower of her Seamen, (now Prifoners here) _-muift be reftored to her upon a Peace; fhe then will need but to replace the Ships the has loft, either by building them at home, or by employing Foreigners for that Purpofe, (which we well know may be done in a very few Years,) In Order for her to be as formidable a Naval Power, as fhe was before the commen- cement of the prefent War. It is even very na- tural to fuppofe, that the French will exert their utmott Endeavours, to be ftill more

| D power~

[ 8 a]

powerful ; They having feen, and felt, from our Example, that Their very Exiftence as a Trading Nation, depends wholly upon Their having a mighty Navy. But fhould we be fo happy as to eftablith our Pofleffions and Con- quefts in North America ; (neglecting nothing which may fecure to us the firm and lafting Alliance and Friendfhip of the Indians) it wilt then be impoflible for France to cultivate her Fifheries in thofe Seas ; from which Moment we may pronounce her no longer a Maritime Power. She may, indeed, poflefs Ships of War, but they will rot in her Harbours for want of Seamen (at leaft good ones) to man them, and of Trade to proteét! ‘The com- pleating fo glorious a Plan; which, by the Wif- _dom and Fortitude of our Councils, is already brought to fuch great forwardnefs ; cannot fail of producing ‘He moft Signal Advantages to this Nation ; by furnifhing the means of laying a very folid Foundation, for unbur- thening it of that heavy load of Debt and Taxes, under which the People: have been groaning for fo many Years.

To determine our Right to his Majetty’ S Territories in North America, it may not be improper to confider, by what Title any Euro- pean Nation holds any Dominions there. South America was difcover'd by Columbus, at the Expence of the King of Spazn, about 250 Years ago; and he has poffefs’d it ever fince, by this we of Difcovery only ; whieh has been

admit-

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admitted, by all Ewropean Nations to this Day,» as a firm and Bbentic ‘Fille, ; and acknow- ledged as fuch by the King of England, wheh he difavow’d (to Spain) the Scotch Expedition to Darien. | :

North America was difcover'd by S:baftian Cabot, at the Expence of the Crown of En- gland, under our Henry the Vilich: whence our Title, to the Whole cf North America, is full as firm and authentic, as that of the Crown of Spain to South America, which has never been queftioned.

, | Both the Dutch and Engh/h claim a Right to’Greenland, as being the Sirf Difeovererss and

from their fetting up Ma-&: in that Country : Now, fuch Maz ks did Sebaftian Cabot ere, in various Parts of North America.—{s it not juft, that thofe Nations, whoare at the Trouble and Expence of fitting out Lopediticus, for making Difcoveries, fhould reap the Benefit of them? Or is it equitable that one Perfon fhould reap the Fruits of another Man’s E x pence and Labour? And if it is not, why fhould it be otherwife between Nations? If Difcov ery gives no Right, farely nothing can. Hf nothing bucan inhabiting Pofieflion gives a Right, no Difco- verercou'd be fure to reapthe Benefit of his Ex- pence and Labour, fince Ditcos very muft ne- ceffarily precede inhabitancy,as for inftance, in

the prefent Cafe ; Can any one fuppofe, that a i}. 2 Ship

[ 2 ] Ship fent out upon a Difcovery, cou’d have” Inhabitants, on board, enough to plant Co- lonies ? Or that Scbaftian Cabot could have left Settlers behind him, to keep Poffeffion till his return, with a fufficient Number. of People to inhabit this wide extended: Country; where a defenfible Force, (at leaft) was re- quifite, in order to withftand fo many nume- rous Nations of Indians? Elfe any Power, upon Notice of fuch Difcovery, might have fent a Fleet, with Inhabitants, to take Poffef- fion; fuch People might have arrived before ours; and Thefe, by firft inhabiting thofe Countries, might lawfully have the Fruits of the Labour and Expence of the Difcoverer. But furely no Man can be fo wrong-headed or unjuft, as to favour fuch a Kind of Right; or pretend that the Expence, to which Henry the Vilth put himfelf, in thefe Difcoveries, was merely for the fake of France.

It has been urged, by French Advocates, that their King has an undoubted Right, not only to all he lays Clatm to on the Continent: of North America; but even to Newfoundland and other ifiands: That nothing gives a Right, but Poffeficn or Inhabitancy:——That if the Englifh remove from any one Spot of Ground, or Ifland, toinhabitany other more convenient,the French may immediately poffefs the deferted Spot; and from that Moment, have an original, heredi-. tary, and undoubted Right to it. But on the contrary, fhould they offer but to fet

Foot

[ 2: ] Foot in.a Country, of mary thoufands Miles it Circumference, where the French had but a Hutt built of Twiggsand Leaves, and fhou’d in anew Map, alter the old Name into. any which - has a Sound of Frenchin it, as Loutfana, Bour bontana, Orleaniana, &c. tho’ it were our own - Acquifitiowand Difcovery; yet truly our Right to it, wou’d not only be un-original and un- hereditary, but unlawful. ——Such Law may indeed, be current at Verfazlles ; but it is to be hoped, will never be thought binding at

Whiteball.

- We need look no further back, -for Exam- ples of their infolent Ufurpations of this Sort, thanthofe which gave Rife to the prefent War ; to which the Pleadings of the French Hirelings abroad, and even at home, have not a littie contributed. If Poffeflin gives a Right, they may inhabit many of the Scotch Ifles, fuch as the Hebrides, &c. which are unpeopied. They alfo might poffefs Themfelves of many unin- habited Parts of Ire/and and its dependant Ifles ; which being only a Difcovery, the French wou'd have the fame Right to them, as they sie to any Part of North America.

His mioft Chriftian Majetty; hogar: fome of his SubjeGts have unjuftly inhabited the Mouth of the River St. Lawrence and the Entrance of the Mififipi ; (which two Rivers run through all North America) has founded a. pre ended Right to that whole Country, on each Side their

Banks,

[ 22 J Banks, except the Edge of the Coaft which the Englijh inhabit. We, indeed, are much obliged to him for excepting that, in his romantic Grant to Monfr. Crozat ; to whom he might. as juftly have granted the Ifland of Great Bri- tain, by the Name of De/phiniana, or any o-. ther Appellation. His Catholic Majefty has as good a Right to all the Dominions on both ‘Sides of the Mediterancan, from his SubjeGs. inhabiting each Side of it’s Mouth, The Ham- burghers, to all the Territories on each Side of the E/be, from their being feated at the Entrance of that River. The Turks, to the Poffeflion of the whole German Empire, be- caufe they are Mafters of the Mouth of the | Danube: And the Cham of Tartary might as juftly make a Grant of the Empire of Rufia, under the Name of Yartariana, from his

pofleffing the Mouth of the Volga.

The Spaniards, who have ever preferved their Right to South America unqueftioned, (even by the French themfelves) have there a Circumference of Coaft, of above 22,000 Miles. They do not permit any European Nation to poflefs or inhabit the leaft Spot of it. Nor does any other people fo far queftion their Right to it, as tomake any Attempt of this Sort. There are Iflands and Countries above 1,000 Miles diftant from any of the Spanz/b Colonies or. Habitations, and yet, They do not permit any Foreigners to pofiefs or inhabit them. The

Scotch

eae,

Scotch Settlement at Darien is a glaring Proof of this, being more remote from any of their Inhabitants, than the French, in North Ame- rica, ate from ours. Shall then the Spa- ’ nifh Title, to fo vaft a Part of America, and to fuch a mighty Circumference of Coatt, be fa- cred and inviolate ; and that of Great Britain only, be queftioned and infulted, which has not above 1500 Leagues of Coaft, from the North of Hudjons Bay, to the Southward, round Cape Florida, tothe Confines of Mexico? And fhail We, the greateft Naval Powerin the World, clofe the prefent glorious War, with- out our being made perfectly fecure, for the future, againft fuch unjuftifiable and barba- rous Incroachments as the French have made upon thofe indifputable Rights, which We, under the Aufpices of his Majefty, and his Succeflors ; ought to enjoy unmolefted ?

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