34 Industrial Experiments in Colonial America. 



after trial by the government, to make a new contract. The 

 company were confident that they could lower the price of 

 Swedish Tar, and if ,after having done that service, they were 

 to be thrown over, it would seem very unjust; but they were 

 willing to be dissolved for misdemeanor or abuse of the charter. 

 They offered to give the government the refusal of all stores 

 which they imported, if the government would declare their ac- 

 ceptance or refusal of the same within a reasonable time.^ 



In December, the Commissioners of the Customs handed in 

 their report on the charter.- In the first place, they observed 

 that some of the principal merchants had already withdrawn 

 from the enterprise. Moreover, certain other merchants had 

 sent in bids to furnish larger quantities at reasonable rates and 

 in less time, without a charter ; they were inclined to believe, 

 therefore, that this charter was designed for a private advan- 

 tage rather than a public service of importing at lower rates. 

 They did not think it advisable that the petitioners should be 

 incorporated, when other very responsible merchants would 

 undertake the trade on easier terms for the government. The 

 legal authorities made the further criticism that the charter did 

 not oblige the company to import pitch and tar for more than 

 the two years mentioned. Moreover, there would be no point 

 in incorporating them unless they were obliged to import stores 

 during war, for in peace the freight would make the goods 

 dearer than those brought from Sweden. Certain other objec- 

 tions were raised relating to verbal ambiguities in the draft, 

 which the petitioners readily consented to alter; but on one or 

 two essential points they remained firm. They would not admit 

 that their not being useful to Her ]\Iajesty was a suffiicient rea- 

 son for dissolution; for if they should succeed in forcing the 

 Swedes to lower their rates, the government would save a vast 

 sum yearly. That, in itself, was no inconsiderable service; but 

 they were willing to pledge themselves to import a fixed quan- 



^B. T. Proprieties, M: 37. 



^Reports of Commissioner of Customs, Attorney and Solicitor 

 General, B. T. Proprieties, M: 50. 



