The Virginia Gazette

Extract from the Votes of the Parliament of Great-Britain:

March 3, 1738. A Petition of divers Merchants, Planters, and others, trading to, and interested in the British Plantations in America, on behalf of themselves and many others, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That Application was made to this House, in the Year 1728, against the many unjust Seizures and Depredations, that had, for several Years preceding, been committed, by the Spaniards, in America, upon His Majesty's Subjects, whilst they were carrying on their fair and lawful Trade in those Parts; upon which Application, this House came to a Resolution, That from the Peace concluded at Utrecht, in the Year 1713, to this Time, the British Trade and Navigation, to and from the several British Colonies in America, has been greatly interrupted by the continual Depredations of the Spaniards, who have seized very valuable Effects, and unjustly taken and made Prizes of great Numbers of British Ships and Vessels in those Parts, to the great Loss and Damage of the Subjects of this Kingdom, and in manifest Violation of the Treaties subsisting between the Two Crowns; and that this House was pleased humbly to address His Majesty thereupon; and that the Spaniards continuing their Depredations on the British Subjects, and no Satisfaction having been obtained for those before committed, a farther Application was made to this House in the Year 1730, complaining of the great Interruptions given by the Spaniards to the Trade and Navigation of this Kingdom, and their cruel Treatment of the British Subjects; and that this House, having again taken this Matter into their Consideration, and examined into the same with the utmost Deliberation, came to a Resolution, that an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, 'That He will be graciously pleased to continue His Endeavours to prevent the Depredations of the Spaniards for the future; to procure full Satisfaction for the Damages already sustained; and to secure to the British Subjects the full and uninterrupted Exercise of their Trade and Navigation, to and from the British Colonies in America,' which Address was presented to His Majesty accordingly; and representing to the House, that the Spaniards have paid so little Regard to His Majesty's most gracious Endeavours, that they have continued their Depredations almost ever since the Treaty of Seville, and more particularly last Year have carried them to a greater Height than ever; they having arbitrarily seized several Ships, with their Effects, belonging to His Majesty's Subjects on the high Seas, in the destined Course of their Voyages to and from the British Colonies, amounting to a very considerable Value; and that the Captains or Masters of some of the said Ships were, according to the last Advices of the Petitioners, and are (as the Petitioners believe) at this Time confin'd by the Spaniards in the West-Indies, and the Crews are now in Slavery in Old Spain, where they are most inhumanly treated; and that, that cruel Nation make it their Practice to attack and board all British Merchant Ships they meet with in the American Seas, under pretence of searching for Goods, which they deem contraband or not, according to their own Will and Pleasure, contrary to the Law of Nations, and in manifest Violation
Ratification of the Treaties subsisting between the Two Crowns, and that by their unjust and violent Proceedings of the Spaniards, the Trade and Navigation to and from America, is rendered very unsafe and precarious.

Another Petition to the same Purpose, was also presented to the House by sundry Merchants and Traders of the City of Glasgow.

A third Petition from the Merchants trading from Liverpool to the British Plantations.

And a fourth Petition was also presented by sundry Merchants and Traders of the City of Bristol, further setting forth the great Losses they have sustained by the Spaniards in their Trade to America, humbly praying for Relief in the Premises. Which were referred to the Consideration of the Committee of the whole House.