The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17

West Indian waters: from 1887 to
1904 the nations were openly at war.
When peace made avail BILE for other
purposes the large amounts OF English
capital invested In privateering English
venturers turned to exploration and
commercial colonizing. Men of public
position, actuated by desire to relieve
tho economic stress incident to rapid
growth in population, united with the
rich and powerful merchants in such
undertakings as those of the Plymouth
and London companies for Virginia.
After much dissension the Virginia
Company was finally taken over by
the Crown. The Somers Islands Com
pany, which had acquired the other
corporations interests In the Bermu-
das, went from bad to worse In respect
OF management. and in 1928 appealed
to the House Of Commons for adjust
ment OF It's difficulties. John Pym was
member Of the Parliamentary COM
mittee appointed to investigate the
grievances; and that was the gateway
into n long experience in executive re-
sponsbilities more educational. perhaps.
in leadership than profitable In cold
cash. The venture was a combination
OF business and religion, which refused
TO blend; and before II terminated the
Puritan hackers had TO submit to heavy
self-imposed assessments. But, as Prof.
Newton says:
The leaders OF the Parliamentary opposi-
tion acquired their power of working har-
moniously together IN the Joint scheme of
colonization that Interested them; mon who
had for years discussed questions OF policy
| around the board OF "A chartered company
were more capable OF acting In concert than
had they only met one another In tho hunt
| ing field. upon the bench or during the rare
| and brief sessions OF Parliament. The work
| OF the Long Parliament that broke forever
| the power Of absolute monarchy In England
was begun in the courts of the Virginia,
Say brook and Providencs companies
II was long letter which Sir Ma
thaniel Rich, tho Earl of Warwick 8
man OF business, received in 1929 from
Capt. Philip Bell, Governor of the Som
ers Islands Company's colony, that
centred Wsrwlcks attention specifically
upon the island called by the Span
iards Santa Catalina and by the Eng
| llsh Providence n fertile, well watered
! and wooded salubrlous and easily for
| tilted island some six miles long and
four miles wide, about equally distant
from Porto Bello, Cartagena and ia
maica and in the track OF vessels trav-
| ersing the western Caribbean, as In
| the traffic between Porto Bello or Car
| tagena and Mexico or Havana AT
this time tho "Iberian monopoly OF the
| New World" had been destroyed and
| the westward looking Powers OF Eu-
| rope were set for the long struggle
for the overlordship of a new western
world.
In 1880 the Providence Company
took out It's letters patent under the
Great Seal the title was n mouthful
"The Governor and Company of Ad-
venturers OF the City of Westminster
for the Plantation Of the Islands OF
Providence or Catalina, Henrietta OF
Andreas. and the Adjacent Islands
Lying Upon the Const of America" anc
the limits of the company's enterprise
were fixed at the tenth and twentieth
parallels of north latitude, the merid.
ians dn the present notation) OF G.
and SIS west longitude. enclosing ar
area measuring 500 miles north anC
south and 1900 miles east and west
san Andreas or Henrietta, about six
teen miles long and four miles wide, {
low island well timbered hut inferior
to Providence in fertility and fitness fol
defensive fertilization. lies sixty mile.
to the southwest OF Providence. Elk
posed 10 the winds OF the Gulf. tn,
only harbor that cut into its sand!
shores was unsafe, but under the direc
ton OF Dutch shipwrights Il number
, OF shalops were built there for thu
colonists. The only other use to which
tho island was put was that of a bas'
for privateers. BY an extension OF tn
grant the island of Tortuga or Asso
citation. which lies Just outside the
northern limit OF this territory. or tn
northwest coast OF Hispaniola or Hayti
: at the entrance of the Windward Pas
sage. with a fine but not easily acces
sible harbor was opened TO tho Provi
; dence Company. The Island had lon
. been a rendezvous for rovers and hue
] cancers. It's best product was dye
: woods, but the difficulty OF getting tn
I material out and OF disposing of It i
England, where fraudulent use 4
, manufacture had led to prohibition @
its Importation, and the unsettled locs
conditions, due to contention among tn
Spaniards, French and English, lie
Gin 1880 70 abandonment by the com
4 pany's colonists. Partially resettled b
Englishmen from ST. Christopher.
was recaptured and finally held by tn
| s'pahiSh i'iNNS "NshNH'' - .
e l643 and 1854. but were driven Off. an
r thus began tho greatest French colon
4 OF tho eighteenth century. the 'Sain
|, Dominique that was the richest an
= best cultivated of tho West India
/. Islands"
The Providence Company's pater
= followed the customary lines of sue
I charters. giving the company the usut
c broad rights In trade and powers {
e government subject 10 a royal veto 1
= certain minor respects and prescribin
}. the usual payment to the Crown OF
S 20 per cent. royalty upon all preciou
y metals found. A provision not Gus
= tomarily contained in colonial frar
e chses. however. was that which AT
3 thor,zed the company to At and operat
e armed vessels for use with the roy
d sanction In specific emergencies. In RI
= prisal against attacking nationalitie
i Another unusual provision was for cor
n firmation OF the patent by act OF Pa
s lament, with assurance OF the King
e assent 10 the act of confirmation.
h concession remarkable IN view OF n
i efforts OF Charles I. and his Mnistr
: to secure executive independent
against Parliament's interference; "
n forced probably by the Parliamentar
N jpduenca ~ m many ~ the chart,