london in 1731-第22部分

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is　estimate。　　By　the　same　rule；　there　must　be　308；720　people　in　the　seventeen　parishes　without　the　walls；　393；550　in　the　twenty…one　out…parishes　of　Middlesex　and　Surrey；　and　240；805　in　the　city　and　liberties　of　Westminster；　all　which　compose　the　sum…total　of　1；045；075　people。

Let　me　now　proceed　to　inquire　into　the　state　of　the　several　great　trading　companies　in　London。　　The　first；　in　point　of　time；　I　find　to　be　the　Hamburg　Company；　originally　styled　〃Merchants　of　the　Staple〃　（that　is；　of　the　staple　of　wool）；　and　afterwards　Merchant　Adventurers。　　They　were　first　incorporated　in　the　reign　of　King　Edward　I。；　anno　1296；　and　obtained　leave　of　John；　Duke　of　Brabant；　to　make　Antwerp　their　staple　or　mart　for　the　Low　Countries；　where　the　woollen　manufactures　then　flourished　more　than　in　any　country　in　Europe。　　The　business　of　this　company　at　first　seems　to　be　chiefly；　if　not　altogether；　the　vending　of　English　wool　unwrought。

Queen　Elizabeth　enlarged　the　trade　of　the　Company　of　Adventurers；　and　empowered　them　to　treat　with　the　princes　and　states　of　Germany　for　a　place　which　might　be　the　staple　or　mart　for　the　woollen　manufactures　they　exported；　which　was　at　length　fixed　at　Hamburg；　from　whence　they　obtained　the　name　of　the　Hamburg　Company。　　They　had　another　mart　or　staple　also　assigned　them　for　the　sale　of　their　woollen　cloths　in　the　Low　Countries；　viz。；　Dort；　in　Holland。

This　company　consists　of　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　fellowship；　or　court　of　assistants；　elected　annually　in　June；　who　have　a　power　of　making　bye…laws　for　the　regulation　of　their　trade；　but　this　trade　in　a　manner　lies　open；　every　merchant　trading　thither　on　his　own　bottom；　on　paying　an　inconsiderable　sum　to　the　company；　so　that　though　the　trade　to　Germany　may　be　of　consequence；　yet　the　Hamburg　Company；　as　a　company；　have　very　little　advantage　by　their　being　incorporated。

The　Hamburg　or　German　Merchants　export　from　England　broad…cloth；　druggets；　long…ells；　serges；　and　several　sorts　of　stuffs；　tobacco；　sugar；　ginger；　East　India　goods；　tin；　lead；　and　several　other　commodities；　the　consumption　of　which　is　in　Lower　Germany。

England　takes　from　them　prodigious　quantities　of　linen；　linen…yarn；　kid…skins；　tin…plates；　and　a　great　many　other　commodities。

The　next　company　established　was　that　of　the　Russia　Merchants；　incorporated　1st　and　2nd　of　Philip　and　Mary；　who　were　empowered　to　trade　to　all　lands；　ports；　and　places　in　the　dominions　of　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　and　to　all　other　lands　not　then　discovered　or　frequented；　lying　on　the　north；　north…east；　or　north…west。

The　Russia　Company；　as　a　company；　are　not　a　very　considerable　body　at　present；　the　trade　thither　being　carried　on　by　private　merchants；　who　are　admitted　into　this　trade　on　payment　of　five　pounds　for　that　privilege。

It　consists　of　a　governor；　four　consuls；　and　twenty…four　assistants；　annually　chosen　on　the　1st　of　March。

The　Russia　Merchants　export　from　England　some　coarse　cloth；　long…　ells；　worsted　stuffs；　tin；　lead；　tobacco；　and　a　few　other　commodities。

England　takes　from　Russia　hemp；　flax；　linen　cloth；　linen　yarn；　Russia　leather；　tallow；　furs；　iron；　potashes；　&c。；　to　an　immense　value。

The　next　company　is　the　Eastland　Company；　formerly　called　Merchants　of　Elbing；　a　town　in　Polish　Prussia；　to　the　eastward　of　Dantzic；　being　the　port　they　principally　resorted　to　in　the　infancy　of　their　trade。　　They　were　incorporated　21　Elizabeth；　and　empowered　to　trade　to　all　countries　within　the　Sound；　Norway；　Sweden；　Poland；　Liefland；　Prussia；　and　Pomerania；　from　the　river　Oder　eastward；　viz。；　with　Riga；　Revel；　Konigsberg；　Elbing；　Dantzic；　Copenhagen；　Elsinore；　Finland；　Gothland；　Eastland；　and　Bornholm　（except　Narva；　which　was　then　the　only　Russian　port　in　the　Baltic）。　　And　by　the　said　patent　the　Eastland　Company　and　Hamburg　Company　were　each　of　them　authorised　to　trade　separately　to　Mecklenburg；　Gothland；　Silesia；　Moravia；　Lubeck；　Wismar；　Restock；　and　the　whole　river　Oder。

This　company　consists　of　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　twenty…　four　assistants；　elected　annually　in　October；　but　either　they　have　no　power　to　exclude　others　from　trading　within　their　limits；　or　the　fine　for　permission　is　so　inconsiderable；　that　it　can　never　hinder　any　merchants　trading　thither　who　is　inclined　to　it；　and；　in　fact；　this　trade；　like　the　former；　is　carried　on　by　private　merchants；　and　the　trade　to　Norway　and　Sweden　is　laid　open　by　Act　of　Parliament。

To　Norway　and　Denmark　merchants　send　guineas；　crown…pieces；　bullion；　a　little　tobacco；　and　a　few　coarse　woollens。

They　import　from　Norway；　&c。；　vast　quantities　of　deal　boards；　timber；　spars；　and　iron。

Sweden　takes　from　England　gold　and　silver；　and　but　a　small　quantity　of　the　manufactures　and　production　of　England。

England　imports　from　Sweden　near　two…thirds　of　the　iron　wrought　up　or　consumed　in　the　kingdom；　copper；　boards；　plank；　&c。

The　Turkey　or　Levant　Company　was　first　incorporated　in　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　their　privileges　were　confirmed　and　enlarged　in　the　reign　of　King　James　I。；　being　empowered　to　trade　to　the　Levant；　or　eastern　part　of　the　Mediterranean；　particularly　to　Smyrna；　Aleppo；　Constantinople；　Cyprus；　Grand　Cairo；　Alexandria；　&c。　　It　consists　of　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　eighteen　assistants　or　directors；　chosen　annually；　&c。　　This　trade　is　open　also　to　every　merchant　paying　a　small　consideration；　and　carried　on　accordingly　by　private　men。

These　merchants　export　to　Turkey　chiefly　broadcloth；　long…ells；　tins；　lead；　and　some　iron；　and　the　English　merchants　frequently　buy　up　French　and　Lisbon　sugars　and　transport　thither；　as　well　as　bullion　from　Cadiz。

The　commodities　received　from　thence　are　chiefly　raw　silk；　grogram　yarn；　dyeing　stuffs　of　sundry　kinds；　drugs；　soap；　leather；　cotton；　and　some　fruit；　oil；　&c。

The　East　India　Company　were　incorporated　about　the　42nd　of　Elizabeth；　anno　1600；　and　empowered　to　trade　to　all　countries　to　the　eastward　of　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　exclusive　of　all　others。

About　the　middle　of　King　William's　reign　it　was　generally　said　their　patent　was　illegal；　and　that　the　Crown　could　not　restrain　the　English　merchants　from　trading　to　any　country　they　were　disposed　to　deal　with；　and　application　being　made　to　Parliament　for　leave　to　lay

the　trade　open；　the　ministry　took　the　hint；　and　procured　an　Act　of　Parliament　（9　and　10　William　III。；　cap。　44）　empowering　every　subject　of　England　to　trade　to　India　who　should　raise　a　sum　of　money　for　the　supply　of　the　Government　in　proportion　to　the　sum　he　should　advance；　and　each　subscriber　was　to　have　an　annuity　after　the　rate　of　8　per　cent。　per　annum；　to　commence　from　Michaelmas；　1698。　　And　his　Majesty　was　empowered　to　incorporate　the　subscribers；　as　he　afterwards　did；　and　they　were　usually　called　the　New　East　India　Company；　the　old　company　being　allowed　a　certain　time　to　withdraw　their　effects。　　But　the　old　company　being　masters　of　all　the　towns　and　forts　belonging　to　the　English　on　the　coast　of　India；　and　their　members　having　subscribed　such　considerable　sums　towards　the　two　millions　intended　to　be　raised；　that　they　could　not　be　excluded　from　the　trade；　the　new　company　found　it　necessary　to　unite　with　the　old　company；　and　to　trade　with　one　joint　stock；　and　have　ever　since　been　styled　〃The　United　Company　of　Merchants　trading　to　the　East　Indies。〃

The　company　have　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　twenty…four　assistants　or　directors；　elected　annually　in　April。

The　East　India　Company　export　great　quantities　of　bullion；　lead；　English　cloth；　and　some　other　goods；　the　product　or　manufacture　of　that　kingdom；　and　import　from　China　and　India　tea；　china　ware；　cabinets；　raw　and　wrought　silks；　coffee；　muslins；　calicoes；　and　other　goods。

Bengal　raw　silk　is　bought　at　very　low　prices　there；　and　is　very　useful　in　carrying　on　the　manufactures　of　this　kingdom。

China　silk　is　of　excellent　staple；　and　comes　at　little　above　one…　third　of　the　price　of　Italian　Piedmont　silk。

The　China　silk　is　purchased　at　Canton；　but　their　fine　silk　is　made　in　the　provinces　of　Nankin　and　Chekiam；　where　their　fine　manufactures　are　carried　on；　and　where　prodigious　quantities　of　raw　silk　are　made；　and　the　best　in　all　China。

The　Royal　African　Company　was　incorporated　14　Charles　II。；　and　empowered　to　trade　from　Sallee；　in　South　Barbary；　to　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　being　all　the　western　coast　of　Africa。　　It　carries　no　money　out；　and　not　only　supplies　the　English　plantations　with　servants；　but　brings　in　a　great　deal　of　bullion　for　those　that　are　sold　to　the　Spanish　West　Indies；　besides　gold　dust　and　other　commodities；　as　red　wood；　elephants'　teeth；　Guinea　grain；　&c。；　some　of　which　are　re…exported。　　The　supplying　the　plantations　with　negroes　is　of　that　extraordinary　advantage；　that　the　planting　sugar　and　tobacco　and　carrying　on　trade　there　could　not　be　supported　without　them；　which　plantations　are　the　great　causes　of　the　increase　of　the　riches　of　the　kingdom。

The　Canary　Company　was　incorporated　in　the　reign　of　King　Charles　II。；　anno　1664；　being　empowered　to　trade　to　the　Seven　Islands；　anciently　called　the　Fortunate；　and　now　the　Canary　Islands。

They　have　a　governor；　deputy…governor；　and　thirteen　assistants　or　directors；　chosen　annually　in　March。　　This　company　exports　baize；　kerseys；　serges；　Norwich　stuffs；　and　other　woollen　manufactures；　stockings；　hats；　fustians；　haberdashery　wares；　tin；　and　hardware；　as　also　herrings；　pilchards；　salted　flesh；　and　grain；　linens；　pipe…　staves；　hoops；　&c。　　Importing　in　return　Canary　wines；　logwood；　hides；　indigo；　cochineal；　and　other　commodities；　the　produce　of　America　and　the　West　Indies。

There　is　another　company　I　had　almost　overlooked；　called　the　Hudson's　Bay　Company；　and　though　these　merchants　make　but　little　noise；　I　find　it　is　a　very　advantageous　trade。　　They　by　charter　trade；　exclusively　of　all　other　his　Britannic　Majesty's　subjects；　to　the　north…west；　which　was　granted；　as　I　have　been　told；　on　account　that　they　should　attempt　a　passage　by　those　seas　to　China；　&c。；　though　nothing　appears　now　to　be　less　their　regard；　nay；　if　all　be　true；　they　are　the　very　people　that　discourage　and　impede　all　attempts　made　by　others　for　the　opening　that　passage　to　the　South　Seas。　　They　export　some　woollen　goods　and　haberdashery　wares；　knives；　hatchets；　arms；　and　other　hard