REASONS against making the present East-India Company the Root for carrying on the future Trade: Humbly offered in a LETTER to a Member of PARLIAMENT.  
Much Honoured Sir,  
SINCE you were pleased to command my Thoughts upon the present State of the East-India Company, I shall deliver my Sense with as much brevity as I can: And although you were pleased to Argue for them at a better rate than many of them can for themselves, yet I cannot reconcile myself wholly to your Sentiments, for the following Reasons.  
I. For that this great Extensive Trade, under the conduct it has been of late years, has been managed only to serve the ambitious Designs of Two or Three aspiring Men, without any regard had to the Common Good.  
II. The Distress and Exigence they have brought on their Affairs at home and abroad, has laid them under a disability of carrying on the Trade; their Factors writing by a Ship lately arrived, That Poverty and Desolation reigns throughout all their Factories; That they had been so long strangers to Supplies from England, that they feared their Masters had quite forgot them.  
III. An Act of Parliament will give such great Advantages to the future Adventurers, that I am morally assured, One Thousand Pounds paid in, upon an Establishment by Act of Parliament, would with a moderate success of Trade, in Five Years time, be currently sold for Six Thousand Pounds; and very probably in a little time after the passing such an Act, would swell to near half that vain: And this Position will appear so reasonable to any who are conversant in the East-India Trade, especially now at this time, when all Eastern Goods are bought at so low Rates in the Country, and sold at such excessive Prizes in all European Markets, that the Computation I have made, will be found modest to any Critical Enquirer.  
From which I infer, that considering the Deportment and Behaviour of the present Company, at home and abroad, one would think they should be the last Men in the Nation to whom such a Blessing should be offered, who have made so ill a use of their Grants and Charters hitherto.  
iv A Condemning and Censuring, by some National Act, the Violence and Depredarions committed on the Subjects of the Great Mogul, by direction of this present Company, will tend very much to secure the Honour of the English Nation, and will be looked on with a good Eye in the Court of that great Prince. And let the present Adventurers say what they please, so long as they continue under Reproach and Disesteem with the Natives, they can never hope to Trade with that Freedom▪ Honour, and Security, which a New Company may expect to be caressed with▪ The poor Indians will not easily lay down their Fears and Jealousies, but will be under constant apprehensions of meeting again with the same Treatment, so long as they have to do with the same Men.  
To what I have been ●●ging, 'tis very likely they will reply, That by the Credit of an Act, they can carry on the Trade themselves without calling in the help of an additional Subscription. In this they say the Truth, but the Argument is so frivolous, and has been so often exposed, that I shall give it no other answer, but that I hope you will oblige them to bring in very good Testimonials of the faithful discharge of the Trusts hitherto reposed in them, before they are admitted to put in their Plea to have the preference of so Royal a Largess as an Act of Parliament, while there are so many others of their Fellow-Subjects, no doubt as well qualified and deserving, who are capable of improving it to as good Purposes as themselves.  
I am, Your most faithful Servant, R. S.