To His Grace His Majesty's High Commissioner, and the Right Honourable the Estates of Parliament.  
The humble PETITION of The Council-General of the Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies.  
Shows,  
THAT whereas the Wisdom of the KING, and this present Parliament, has thought fit by two solemn several Acts, and Letters patent under the Great-Seal of this Kingdom, to establish our COMPANY with such Powers, Privileges and Immunities, as were thought needful to encourage any such new Undertaking in this Nation; And particularly to raise a Joint-stock in such manner as we should think fit. And for that End to enfranchise such Foreigners as would become Partners with us, & to enter into Treaties of Commerce with any in Amity with His Majesty for that effect, etc. Those of our Number who were then entrusted with the Management thereof did think it most Natural to make the first Offer of sharing our said Privileges with our Countrymen, and other Neighbours in England, as living under the same Monarchy: And they not only readily embraced the Offer, but in nine Days time subscribed 300000 lib. Serling, as the one half of the Capital-Stock then proposed, & actually paid in the first-fourth Part thereof, part in Specie, part in Bank-Notes, and the rest in Notes payable upon demand.  
That both Houses of the Parliament of England taking Umbrage at those Proceed, did not only jointly Address His Majesty for frustrating the ends of the said Act, but the House of Commons did also appoint a Committee to Examine what Methods were taken for obtaining the said Act of Parliament here, for establishing our Company, who were the Subscribers thereto, and who were the Promoters and Advisers thereof, with power to send for Persons, Papers and Records; pursuant to which, the said Committee gave Orders to Summon not only the English Subscribers, but even some Persons then Residing in Scotland, as by the said Address, Votes of the House of Commons, and Copy of the said Summons may appear; By all which, together with some other measures then taken, our Friends in England were, to our great loss, disappointment, and retardment, forced to relinquish, etc.  
That notwithstanding of that discouragement, not only most of the Nobility, Gentry, Merchants, and whole Body of the Royal Burrows, have upon the Inducement, and Public Faith of the said Acts of Parliament, and Letters Patent, Contributed as Adventurers, in raising a far more considerable Joint Stock, than any was ever before raised in this Kingdom for any Public Undertaking, or Project of Trade whatsoever, (which makes it now of so much the more Universal a Concern to the Nation) but we have also had all the Promising Hopes of Foreign Aid, that our Hearts could wish, especially at Hamburgh, where the Merchants of that City entered into Contract with our deputies, to join at least 200000 lib. Sterling with us, till, to our great Surprise and Loss, the English Ministers there, did, under Pretence of Special Warrant from His Majesty, put a Stop thereto, by giving in a Memorial to the Senate of that City, Threatening both Senate and Inhabitants, with the King's outmost Displeasure, if they should Countenance, or Join with us in any Treaty of Trade, or Commerce, as by the annexed Copies thereof, in French and English, may appear, which Memorial, we humbly pray, may, for the better Information of Your Grace, and Right Honourable Estates, be also Read in Parliament.  
That after the said Memorial was by the Senate transmitted to the Commercij or Body of Merchants of that City, they to assert their own Freedom, did advise and prevail upon our deputies and Agents who were there for the time, to open Books in the said Merchant's Hall, where for some Days they signed considerable Sums pursuant to their said Contract, tho' under Condition to be void, if we should not procure some Declaration from the King that might render them secure from the Threaten and other Insinuations contained in the said Memorial: And to our great disappointment, thus the Case stands in Suspense between them and us to this Day.  
That as the reasonable (nay and unquestionable) Prospect which we had of a powerful Assistance from Hamburgh and several other Places (if not obstructed as aforesaid) induced us to propose a far greater Equipage at first than otherwise we would have done; So the rendering of those Measures abortive, has not only weakened our Stock, lessened our Credit, retarded our first Expedition, and disheartened many of our Partners at Home, but even also shackled our Resolutions and Power from prosecuting at Present several other Branches of Foreign and Domestic Trades and Improvements which we had in View, if we had not met with such Obstructions and Discouragements from Time to Time.  
That tho' our Company is more immediately and sensibly touched in many Respects by such Proceed, than any other; Yet we humbly conceiving also, that the Honour and Independency of the Nation, as well as the Authority and Credit of the Parliament is struck at through our sides; We could not as Country men, and in Duty to that Collective Power, which gave our Company first a Being, but inform His Grace His Majesty's High Commissioner, and Right Honourable the Estates of Parliament of the Premises, to the End, that the Great Council of the Nation, now assembled (whom GOD Almighty Direct) may do therein as to them in their profound Wisdom and Discretion, shall think fit.  
That as to what thereof concerns our Company in particular, we shall humbly beg leave to Suggest further, that our Ships being now at Sea, on their intented Voyage, the former Treatment which our Company met with in England and else where, may give us too just grounds to suspect, that if either through multiplicity of public Affairs, or otherwise howsoever; Your Grace and Right Honourable Estates of Parliament, should neglect the taking present Notice of such Usage, the Enemies of our Company would be thereby encouraged, either directly or indirectly to pursue their former designs of Ruining (if possible all our Measures.  
May it therefore please your Grace, and the Right Honourable the Estates of Parliamenr, to take the Premises into your most serious Consideration, to vindicat our Company's Reputation Abroad, by supporting the Credit of the Acts of Parliament, and Letters patent, by which the same is established, and wherein the Honour of the Nation is so much concerned, to take effectual Measures (as the said Act provides) for repairing the great Loss and Damages, which we have already sustained, through the unwarrantable Treatment , as well as for preventing the like for the future; and withal to continue to us the Privileges and Exemptions mentioned in the said Acts of Parliament, and Letters patent for some longer time, in consideration of the time already elapsed without Execution, and our Stock lying dead without Improvement, by reason of the Obstructions aforesaid.  
Signed at Edinburgh the 22 Day of June 1698. in Name and presence of the said Council-General. By BASIL HAMILTON, I. P. C.G.