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the long Wars with France, 'tis no wonder the Phantom of a new Company fhould be rais'd, to bring in the Subfcrip- tions of the money'd Men ; as the only Expedient to be fupply'd with Money, without diffatisfying the People, alrea- dy wore out with Subfidies, l§c.
Be this as it will, 'tis certain the Miniftry never thought ferioufly, during the whole Courfe of the War, about mak- ing any Settlement on the Coafts of South America ; which was the Thing wherewith the People were firft flatter'd : Befides that, the Fund having been apparently perverted to defray the Expences of the War, its Value was fo lower'd, that it muft in all probability have funk outright, but for the unexpected Help it met with in 1713.
By the Treaty of Utrecht \ the Bufinefs of the French Af- fienta Company, which was to furnifh the Spanijh Weft-In- dies with Negroes, was refign'd to the Eng/ifb, in favour of the South-Sea Company 5 which by this Turn reliev'd it felf from its languifhing Condition, and put it in a Condition to vie with the molt flourifhing Companies of Commerce in England.
The Treaty of this Company with the Spaniards, com- mences from May 1713 ; and is to hold 50 Years ; during which time, the Company is to furnifh the Spanijh Ame- rica with 144000 Negroes, of both Sexes, between fifteen and twenty five Years of Age, found, &c. and at the Rate of 4800 per Annum ; and for all they furnifh be- fides, only to pay half the Dues to the King of Spain, for the firft 25 Years of the Farm, or Ajftcnta. It may be ad- ded, that in confiderarion of 200000 Piafters, paid in Ad- vance to the King of Spain, to be reimburs'd as the Dues rife during the firft ten Years, the Company is only to pay Dues for the 4000 : The King's Due is 3 3 Platters *- per Head. See Assif.nta.
The chief Eftablifhmcnt of the French Ajjienta Compa- ny was at Buenos Ayres, a Town of considerable Trade on the Coaft of South America. The South-Sea Company, who without changing their Name, took on 'em the Ajjienta, or Farm of Negroes, preferves the fame Eftablifhment 5 and 'tis here their Veffels difembark their Negroes, which they had negotiated thro' all the Coafts of Africa within their Grant.
The Company, 'tis certain, fet out with good Succefs; and there was room to hope Hill better : fince, befides that the Value of their Stock the firft five Years, rofe fafter, in pro- portion, than that of any other Company ; his Majefty, af- ter purchasing roooo /. Sterling therein, was pleas'd to con- defcend to be their Governor, or firft Director. For what re- mains of the Hiftory of this Company, with that fatal Train of romantic Companies it drew after it, we chufe to refer to the Article Bubble.
Harborougb Company. This Company is yet, Anno 1722, only in Embryo: Its D fign is to fet on foot an imme- diate Commerce between the Subjects of England, and thofe of his Majefty 's German Territories, The firft Scheme was laid in 1717 ; a Charter obtain'd fome time after : The reft is in fitturo.
I'he Wcfi-India Companies, or thofe of the EnglijJj Co- lonies in North America, are of a lower Ciafs than thofe abovementioned ; and too numerous to be here defcrib'd.
Their Names are, the Hudjbn's Say Company, Virginia Company, New England, New Tork, c Penfylvania, New Scotland, Ma'Jachufet, Connecticut, 'Bermudas, '■Tobago, and Carolina Companies. See Colony, and Plantation.
Scotch SDarien Company, was eftablifh'd with a good Profped! at Edinburgh, in KJ99, for the Commerce of S. America. They fent an Armament and a Colony, which they endeavour'd to eftablifh in the Ifthmus of 2)arien, which parts N. and S. America : But the Englifb Miniftry not thinking proper to avow and fupport the firft Succeffes of the Corn-pans-, which had alarm'd Spain, ever jealous of this part of her Territories, the Scotch Colony was difpers'd by the Spaniards in 1700 : And thus vani/h'd the beff Pro- ject that ever was fonn'd, for dilpuring with that Nation the Pofiefiion of thofe Countries, from which fhe pretends to exclude all other Nations.
2)utch Companies. Dutch Eafl-Jndia Company, had its rife in the midft of the Struggle that People had for their Liberty : For the Spaniards having forbid all Commerce with 'em, and /hut up all their Ports ; neceffity infpir'd fome 2*calandcrs to feek a new North- Eait Paffage to China.
This Enterprise proving unfuccefsful to three feveral Ar- maments in 1 594, 15955 a fecond Company was form'd, un- der the Name of the Company of remote ^Parts ; which, in 1595, took the ordinary Rout of the Tortugueze to the In- dies, and return'd in two Year and a half's time with little Gain, but gcod Hopes.
This Compc.ny, and a new one now juft eftablifiVd at A>n- fierdr.m, being united, equipp'd other Fleets ; and thefe oc- cafion'd other Companies at Amflerdam, Rotterdam, in Zea- /.:.-', &.c. infomuch, that the States began to apprehend they might be prejudicial to each other ; Under this Concern,
they call d all the Directors of the feveral Companies toge- ther, who all confented to an Union, the Treaty whereof was confirmed by the States in itfoi : A very remarkable Epocha, as being that of the raoft folid and celebrated E- ftablifhment of Commerce that ever was in the World.
Its firft Capital was fix Millions fix hundred thoufand Flo- rins. It has tfo Directors divided into feveral Chambers;' 20 in that of Amfterdam, 12 in that of Zealand, 14 in that of Delphi and Rotterdam, and a like Number in thofe at Sluys and Hor. As each Grant expires, the Company is oblig'd to procure a new one, which it has already done four times fince the firft ; viz. one in j6zz, for 21 Years, like the firft ; another for 21 Years, commencing in 1647 ; and a third in 1665, for 25 Years 5 a fourth in Advance, commencing in 1598, to end in 1740. Each Grant cofts the Company a considerable Sum ; that of 1^47 coft idooooo Livres, and the two following ones more. The Iaft of 169$ was con- firm'd by a Placard of the States General, granting 'em a Privilege exclufive.
Their Factories, Refidenccs, &c. in the Eafl-I;idies> are almoft infinite ; reaching from the Werfian Gulf to the Coafts of China : the principal is that of Batavia, the Cen- tre of their Commerce: Here refides their General, with the State and Splendor of a fovereign Prince ; making War and Peace with the Eaftern Kings and Emperors atpleafure. The other more confiderable Factories, are Taiouna?% on the Coaft of China, Nangifac in Japan, Malaca, Surat, Amboyna, Banda, Siam, Moluccos, &c. Several on the Coaft of Coromandel, and at Ifpahan, Cape of Good Hope, Sic. In all, they number 40 Factories and 25 Fortreffes. They have the whole Trade of the Spicery in their own Hands. Sec Spicery.
Dutch Weft-India Company, eftablifh'd in itfu, with an exclufive Privilege to trade 24 Years along the Coafts of Africa, between the Tropic of Cancer, and the Cape of Good Hope ; and in America, from the South Point of Newfound- land, thro' the Streights of Magellan, that of Maire, or others, to the Streights of Anian, both in the North and South Sea.
The Directors are divided into five Chambers, (as in the Eaft-India Company) out of which, 19 are chofen for the general Direction of Affairs. In 1647 the Company renew'd its Grant for 25 Years, but was fcarce able to hold out the Term ; by reafon of its great Loffes, and Expences in tak- ing the Bay of lottos los Santos, Femambouc, and the great- eft Part of Brafil from the <Pomigueze. The Weaknefs of this Company, which had feveral times in vain attempted to be join'd to that of the Eafl-Indies, occafion'd its Diffolu- tlon at the Expiration of its Grant.
In 1574, a new Company, compos'd of the antient Proprie- tors and their Creditors, was fettled in the fame Rights and Eftablifhmcnt with the former ; and ftill fubfiils wiih Ho- nour : Their firft Capital was about dx Millions of Florins. Its principal Eftabli foments, are, one at Cape Vcrd, ano- ther in the Gold Coaft of Africa, at Tabago, Cttrajfao, &C. in America.
Dutch North Company has no exclufive Privilege; the Advantages of its Patent being of another kind, and very in- confiderable.
There arc alfo in Holland, Companies for the Baltic Sea, the Fifhery of Nova "Lembla, David's Streights, and Green- land : yet, none of their Fifheries are interdicted to private Traders; all the difference between thefe and the Companies confifting in this ; that the former may not go afhore to cut their Fifli in pieces, and melt their Lard ; but muft bring their Luggage to Holland. See Fishery.
1)utch Levant Company, In ftrictnefs, there is no Le- vant Company in Holland: but the Commerce of the pri- vate Traders is To confiderable, that the State has taken the Regulation thereof on it felf.
To this End, they have eftablifh'd a Chamber of Direc- tion at Amflerdc.m, compofed of fix Deputies and a Regif- ter ; who, under the Bourgomafters, take care of every thing relating to the Commerce of the Mediterranean : efpecially that of Smirna and Conftantinople.
This Company names the Confuls, appoints the Number and Strength of Convoys, terminates Differences amonp the Traders ; and has a Righr, on occafion, to add new Regu' lations to the old ones ; tho thofe be of no force, till con- firm'd by the States-General.
French Companies. French Eaft-India Company, was eftablifh'd in \C6\, with an exclufive Privilege, to trade for 30 Years in all the Seas of the Eaft-Indies and South-Sea ; No Adventurer to be admitted without 1000 Livres in Stock ; and Foreigners who had 20000 Livres in Stock, to be reputed Regmcolcs.
The Patent grants 'cm the Iiland of S. Madagajcar ; and the King to be at one fifth of the Expencc of the three firft Armaments, without lntereft ; the Principal to be re- funded in ten Years : or, if the Company find it lofes on the whole, the Lofs to fall on the King's fide.
The
