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they could repofe confidence to trade in the Indian, 

 Countries, and to prohibit all others from going out 

 of the colony. The number of thefe licences was' 

 limited, and they were distributed amongft poor 

 widows and orphans, who might fell them to the 

 Traders for more or lefs, according as the trade was 

 good or bad, or according to the nature of the places 

 to which the licences granted the liberty of trading y 

 for they ufed the precaution to fpecify thofe places, 

 to prevent too great a number from going the fame 

 way. 



Befides thofe licences, the number of which was 

 regulated by the court, and the distribution of which 

 belonged to the governor-general, there were others 

 for the commandants of forts, and for extraordi- 

 nary occafions, which the governor ftill grants un« 

 der the name of fimple Permiffions. Thus one pari 

 of our youth is continually rambling and roving 

 about ; and though thofe diforders, which formerly 

 fo much dilgraced this profeffion, are no longer 

 committed, at leaft not fo openly, yet it infects 

 them with a habit of libertinifm, of which they ne- 

 ver entirely get rid •, at leaft, it gives them a dif- 

 tafte for labour, it exhaufts their Strength, they be- 

 come incapable of the leaft conftraint, and when 

 they are no longer able to undergo the fatigues of 

 travelling, which foon happens, for thefe fatigues 

 are exceflive, they remain without the leaft re- 

 fource, and are no longer good for any thing. 

 Hence it comes to pafs 5 that arts have been a long 

 time neglected, a great quantity of good land re- 

 mains ftill uncultivated, and the country is but very 

 indifferently peopled^ 



It has been often propofed to abolim thofe perni? 

 poys licences, not with a view of hurting the trade, 



