Another writes, “I had several complaints from the inhabitants and others, of injustice done them by the _admirals_, _vice-admirals_, &c. of their taking their fish off the rocks before cured, and other goods, for debts by them contracted, without any law or justice, which has been a common thing amongst them; so that they wholly ruin the fishery, for the planters have nothing to work with next year. These things are done by masters of ships, when the admiral has been in harbour, without his order. By this irregular proceeding the strongest man gets all, and the rest of the creditors nothing; so that the next year a planter is forced to hire himself out for a servant.” Again—“as for the people complaining to admirals of any injustice done them by others, I do not find that any master of a ship values him, but the strongest side takes away every thing by force[43]”. Another writes, “the admirals prove generally the greatest knaves, and do most prejudice, being both judge and party, in hearing suits for debt; and when they have saved themselves, then they will do justice to others: so it would be requisite to have a civil government, and persons appointed to administer justice in the most populous and frequented places, that they may be governed as Britons, and not live like a banditti or forsaken people, without law or gospel, having no means of religion, there being but one clergyman in all the country[44].” While the king’s officers, and persons employed and trusted by the government, were making such uniform complaints of the abuses and disorders in the government of Newfoundland, the merchants adventurers seem to have been wholly blind to these irregularities. In several representations and memorials from them, sent in consequence of letters from the board of trade, written in the year 1715, there are complaints of grievances, but those were quite of a different sort; and if _they_ were removed, they appear to have been wholly unconcerned as to the continuance of those we have just been recounting. [Sidenote: Complaints from the Merchants.] They complain of the great quantities of liquor and tobacco, which had paid no duty, and were imported by the _New England-men_, whereby the fishermen were debauched, and the fishery generally hindered; that the New England ships enticed away the seamen, and were encouraged thereto by a premium of forty shillings per head, given by the government of New England for bringing seamen and fishermen. They prayed that all import of liquor and tobacco, except from Great Britain, should be prohibited, and the articles forfeited; and that the fishing admirals should have power to seize, and to have half the forfeiture.