THAT whereas the Wisdom of the KING, and this present Parliament, has thought fit by two solemn several Acts, and Letters patent under the Great-Seal of this Kingdom, to establish our COMPANY with such Powers, Priviledges and Immu­nities, as were thought needful to encourage any such new Undertaking in this Nation; And particularly to raise a Joynt-Stock in such manner as we should think fit. And for that End to enfranchise such Forraigners as would become Partners with us, & to en­ter into Treaties of Commerce with any in Amity with His Majestie for that effect, &c. Those of our Number who were then intrusted with the Management thereof did think it most Na­tural to make the first Offer of sharing our said Priviledges with our Countrey-Men, and other Neighbours in England, as living under the same Monarchy: And they not only readily embraced the Offer, but in nine Days time subscribed 300000 lib. Serling, as the one half of the Capital-Stock then proposed, & actually payed in the first-fourth Part thereof, part in Specie, part in Bank-Notes, and the rest in Notes payable upon demand.

That both Houses of the Parliament of England taking Umbrage at those Proceedings, did not only joyntly Address His Majesty for frustrating the ends of the said Act, but the House of Commons did also appoint a Committee to Examine what Methods were taken for obtaining the said Act of Parliament here, for establishing our Company, who were the Subscribers thereto, and who were the Promoters and Advisers thereof, with power to send for Persons, Papers and Records; pursuant to which, the said Committee gave Or­ders to Summon not only the English Subscribers, but even some Persons then Residing in Scotland, as by the said Address, Votes of the House of Commons, and Copy of the said Summons may appear; By all which, together with some other measures then taken, our Friends in England were, to our great loss, disappointment, and retardment, forced to relinquish, &c.

That notwithstanding of that discouragement, not only most of the Nobility, Gentry, Merchants, and whole Body of the Royal Burrows, have upon the Inducement, and Pub­lick Faith of the said Acts of Parliament, and Letters Patent, Contributed as Adventurers, in raising a far more considerable Joynt Stock, than any was ever before raised in this King­dom for any Publick Undertaking, or Project of Trade whatsoever, (which makes it now of so much the more Universal a Concern to the Nation) but we have also had all the Pro­mising Hopes of Forreign Aid, that our Hearts could wish, especially at Hamburgh, where the Merchants of that City entred into Contract with our Deputees, to joyn at least 200000 lib. Sterling with us, till, to our great Surprise and Loss, the English Ministers there, did, under Pretence of Special Warrant from His Majesty, put a Stop thereto, by giving in a Me­morial to the Senate of that City, Threatning both Senate and Inhabitants, with the King's outmost Displeasure, if they should Countenance, or Joyn with us in any Treaty of Trade, or Commerce, as by the annexed Copies thereof, in French and English, may ap­pear, which Memorial, we humbly pray, may, for the better Information of Your Grace, and Right Honourable Estates, be also Read in Parliament.

That after the said Memorial was by the Senate transmitted to the Commercij or Body of Merchants of that City, they to assert their own Freedom, did advise and prevail upon our Deputees and Agents who were there for the time, to open Books in the said Mer­chant's Hall, where for some Days they signed considerable Sums pursuant to their said Contract, tho' under Condition to be void, if we should not procure some Declaration from the King that might render them secure from the Threatnings and other Insinuations contained in the said Memorial: And to our great disappointment, thus the Case stands in Suspense between them and us to this Day.

That as the reasonable (nay and unquestionable) Prospect which we had of a pow­erfull Assistance from Hamburgh and several other Places (if not obstructed as aforesaid) induced us to propose a far greater Equipage at first than otherwise we would have done; So the rendring of those Measures abortive, has not only weaken'd our Stock, lessened our Credit, retarded our first Expedition, and disheartned many of our Partners at Home, but even also shackled our Resolutions and Power from prosecuting at Present several o­ther Branches of Forreign and Domestick Trades and Improvements which we had in View, if we had not met with such Obstructions and Discouragements from Time to Time.

That tho' our Company is more immediatly and sensibly touched in many Respects by such Proceedings, than any other; Yet we humbly conceiving also, that the Honour and Independency of the Nation, as well as the Authority and Credit of the Parliament is struck at through our sides; We could not as Countrey men, and in Duty to that Col­lective Power, which gave our Company first a Being, but inform His Grace His Ma­jesties High Commissioner, and Right Honourable the Estates of Parliament of the Premisses, to the End, that the Great Council of the Nation, now assembled (whom GOD Al­mighty Direct) may do therein as to them in their profound Wisdom and Discretion, shall think fit.

That as to what thereof concerns our Company in particular, we shall humbly beg leave to Suggest further, that our Ships being now at Sea, on their intented Voyage, the former Treatment which our Company met with in England and else where, may give us too just grounds to suspect, that if either through multiplicity of publick Affairs, or otherwise how­soever; Your Grace and Right Honourable Estates of Parliament, should neglect the taking present Notice of such Usage, the Enemies of our Company would be thereby en­couraged, either directly or indirectly to pursue their former designs of Ruining (if possible all our Measures.

May it therefore please your Grace, and the Right Honourable the Estates of Parliamenr, to take the Premisses into your most serious Consideration, to vindicat our Company's Reputation Abroad, by supporting the Credit of the Acts of Parliament, and Letters patent, by which the same is established, and wherein the Honour of the Nation is so much concerned, to take effectual Measures (as the said Act provides) for re­pairing the great Loss and Dammages, which we have already sustained, through the unwarrantable Treatment above-mentioned, as well as for preventing the like for the fu­ture; and withal to continue to us the Priviledges and Exemptions mentioned in the said Acts of Parliament, and Letters patent for some longer time, in consideration of the time already elapsed without Execution, and our Stock lying dead without Improvement, by reason of the Obstructions aforesaid.