tells me that he had demanded the same of Capt: Shep-
pard Commander of the St George, which he ought to have
done, and to have demanded my assistance for the compel-
ling Sheppard, as well as Dennet and Tarleton, for which two
I owne he prest me to assist him. Upon this I askt him
whether he really thought the Certificates of Dennet and Tar-
leton good, and according to law; to which he answered, he
thought they were; I then askt him whether he thought His
Majestie's Customs were not thereby secured, and he answered
yes, but with all told me that by an Act of the 25th of His
Majestie's reign entituled an Act for the better securing the
Plantation Trade such masters, as had certificates for Ireland,
ought still to pay the penny p pound duty, unless such masters
would give bond here anew with good security for the carry-
ing their respective ladeings of Tobacco for England, Wales or
town of Berwick: I then askt him whether the Act made the
22. and 23. yeare of His Majestie's reigne, entituled an Act for
regulating the Plantation trade whereby the word Ireland was
left out, was not expired, to which he replied, it was: I then
further askt him, whether since that Act was expired; he did
not take the act of Navigation made in the twelfth yeare of His
Majestie's reigne, to be againe in its full force and vertue: to
which, he positively made answer, that, yes, he thought it was:
I then told him, that if he granted that, I could not see any
reason for hisrequireing the penny -p pound of the above-said two
masters, since the Act of Navigation was by him own'd, to be
in all its parts in full force; he then said, that, notwithstanding,
by the Act for the better secureing the Plantation trade such
masters must pay the penny p pound: this seeming, of a
sudden, to me to be a kind of contradiction, I desired to know
of him what instructions he had from the Comissioners of His
Majestie's Customes in such cases; to which he made me noe
answer, but, in a scornfull and rude manner, told me he knew
his business, and was certaine he was in the right: finding him
soe possitive and very haughty in his carriage all the time of
this discourse with him, I desired him to meet me the next day
at St Marys, that I might have the Chancellor's opinion in the
business; and Badcock accordingly met me at my uncle's,
where, by accident, there was the Secretary alsoe, and afore
them Badcock and I discourst the thing over againe, but not
afore them as a Councill, for theire was neither clerk nor
enough to make a Councill; soe that in saying he was ordered by
me to appeare at St Maryes afore my Councill is utterly false ;
for I never had such thoughts, only requested the said Badcock
to meet me there for my uncle's advice in that business and it
was (I must owne) his opinion that since the Act of Parliament
made in the 22. and 23. yeare of His Majestie's reigne was ex-
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P. R. O.
Colonial
Papers.
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