%

\

ft

ANNALS

OF

COMMERCE,

MANUFACTURES, FISHETxIES, AND NAVIGATION,

■n I Til

BRIEF NOTICES OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES CONNECTED WITH THEM.

COXTAIMNT, THE

COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

BRITISH EMPIRE AND OTHER COUNTRIES,

nOM THI tARLlEST ACCOUNTS TO THE MEETING OF THE UNION PARLIAMENT IN JANUARY 1801 ;

Ann COMrMIUNDMCTHl MOST VAIUABIEPIKT or THE LATE MR. AVBEMOSfl HISTORT OF COMMEKCE, VlZ.niOMTHE VEAH l«M
TO THE ISn O? THE RIICN OF CKOBCE II. KIXO OF GREAT BRITAIN, lie,

WITH A LARGE APPENDIX,

CONTAININO

eRnaKOi.OGieAL tables or the kotekbigks of EimorE,

TABLES OP THE ALTEnATIONS OF MO-JEY IN ENGLAND AKD
(rOTLAND,

A rHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE PRICES OP rORX, &C. Hlld

A rOMMERriAL AND MAM'FArTl' RAL GAZETTEER OP TRK

INITCD KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND;

WITH A CENEUAI, CHHONOLOCICAL INDEX.

T/ie jinticut Part composed from the most aulhcutic Original IlisloriaiiSditd Public Records,

printed and in Manuscript ; and the modern Fart from Materials of' unquestionable

jluthenticiti/ (mostly unpublished) extracted from the Records of Parliament ,

the Accounts oj the Cnstom-huuse, the Mint, the l>oard of Trade, the

Post- office, the East- India Company, the Bunk of England,

% DAVID MACPHERSON.

L\ POUR f GLUMES.

AOL. HI.

V II I N T K n ]• O 11

MCnOT.S AND SON, W. J. AND J . H I C II A U I.Sd N . J . STOCK DALE, J. WALKER, W I I K I K AND ROUlNluX,

SCATCllERD AND LETTKllMAN, 0. lUlKlNbON, WYNNE AND SON, DARTON /.Nil IIAUViV,

CLARK E AND SONS, CADEI.L AND DA V II S, I.ACKINGTON ALLKN AMi LO. J . >1 A \V V A \ ,

I. IIAI'.DINO, BLACKS AND J- A R U Y , .1 . EOOKKU, AM) J. Abl'LllNi,

I. 0 N" U O \ :

AND rOR Ml'NDRI.L AND SON, EDINHl'mH.

iao5.

ic.Mi;;B;B, rr.:\TFD cy ^i.xd&ll isd st:..

V
'',\

2>5Z
V.3

THE THIRD VOLUME CONTAINS

(THE CONTINUATION OF PART IF)

The Commercial Transactions of the British Empire and other
Countries, from the Union of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland
to the End of the Reign of George II, King of Great Britain, &c. ori-
ginally written by the late IVIr. Anderson, who related the Events of
this Period chiefly from his own Observation, and now re-edited, with
the Retrenchment of Superfluous Matter, wuth Additions, and with
Amendments.

AXD

(PART III)

The Commercial Transactions of the British Empire and other
Countries, from the Commencement of the Reign of his present ]\Ia-
jesty, George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland, to the End of the
Year 178'J; composed from IMaterials of unquestionable Authenticity
(mostly unpublished) extracted from the Records of Parliament, the
Accounts of the Custom-IIouse, the ISIint, the Board of Trade, the
Post Office, the East-India Company, the Bank of England, SiC.Scc.

5i39yS

ANNALS

OF

COMMERCE.

A. D. 1708.

1 HE old law of the firft year of King James I, for garbling fpices and
drugs in London, (which we did not judge worth while then to recite)
being in length of time found to be not only ufelefs for the moft part,
but often prejudicial, was now repealed : and an equivalent given to
the city of London for the profits formerly made by the garbler's office
by laying a tax of 40/yearly, to be paid to the chamberlain of London
by all brokers, who, if ading as fuch without regular admittance, were
now to forfeit \^2S- Neverthelefs, the lord mayor, aldermen, and com-
mon council may, if they fo judge fit, appoint a perfon to be garbler ;
vvho.at therequeftof theowner of any fpices, drugs, &c. garbleable,and
not otherwife, fhall garble the fume, for fuch fee as the lord mayor, &c.
fhall appoint.

In this fame year, the Britifli revenue being under the management
of fo able and uprigb.t a lord-treafurer as the earl of Godolphin, the
credit of the juiblic was on fo good a footing, that it was judged advif-
able to avail the nation thereof, by reducing the rate of intereft on the
debt of two millions due to the Eaft-India company. This was done
by a flatute for alluring to the ILnglilli company trading to the Ead-
Indies, on account of the united llock, a longer time in the fund and
trade. — And for raifing thereby Li ,200,000 for her majelly's occa-
iions.

Vol. Iir.- A

2 * A. D. 1708.

Hereby tlic united company now advanced Li,200,coo without any
additional intercfl ; fo as for the whole capital, now con fi fling of
L3,200,oco, they fliould thenceforth receive of the public but 5 per
cent interefl, or Li6o,cool. per annum : ' On condition, that the term
of their exclufive trade to India fliould be prolonged for fourteen
years and an half longer ; that is to fay, whereas, by the law of
1698, they were to be redeemable upon three years notice after 171 1,
and repayment of principal and interefl:, their redemption was now
prolonged to tliree years notice after Lady-day 1726. And for en-
abling the company to make good this loan to the public, they were
by this aft impowered to borrow as far as Li ,500,000 on bonds, over
and above wliat they were legally impowered to do before, and alfo
to make calls of money from their proprietors. The proprietors of
the L7200 in feparate trade, may flill continue fo to trade till Mi-
chaelmas 171 1 , when the united company may, on three years notice,
pay the fame off; whereby their privileges of trading fliall be folely
vefled in the company. Ey this aft, that part of the act of the I2tli
of King William, which laid a duty of 5 per cent on goods exported
to India, was to ceafe from Michaelmas 1714. And, in order that a
fpeedy and complete union between the old and new companies might
be effefted, in purfuance of the indenture tripartite of the year 1702,
the final determination of all matters in difference between the faid
companies, and the completing of their union was hereby referred
to the earl of Gndolphin, lord high treafurer of Great Britain, as his
lordfliip fliould think fit, by an award in writing, under his hand and
fcal : the whole to be completed, and the old company's charter to
be furrendered, by Michaelmas 1708; after which, the company's
flile and title to be, I'hc united cot?ipaiiy of merchants of Ejiglatid trading
to the Eafl-Indics.'' [6 Jnn. c. 17.]
It is almofl needlefs to remark, that much clamour was raifed againfl
this renewal of the exclufive privileges of trading to India, as was natu-
rally to be expefted, and had always before happened on every fuch re-
newal. Many pamphlets were publiflied for inducing the legiflature to
lay that trade open ; or, at leaft, to let Briflol, Liverpool, Hull, and
other great trading towns, into a proportionable fhare of it. It was plauf-
ibly laid, that it was hard, London alone Ihould engrofs all this vafl
commerce, whereas the Dutch Eaft-India company comprehended fix
of their towns therein, in the year 1602, when that company was firfi:
fettled on its prefent eflabUfiiment. But the (at leaft equally plaufible)
aniwer was, that, as it is a transferrable ftock, every perfon in the three
kingdoms might freely purchafe (hares therein. It is alfo needlefs far-
ther to remark, that the like clamour was afterward renewed, as often
as the legiflature was applied to for a farther prolongation of their ex-

4

A. D, 1708. ^

clufivc privileges ; and this, probably, will continue to be the cafe in
any future application for the like purpofe.

To complete all that is needful to be known concerning the union of
the two Eaft-India companies, we fhall here farther note, that the fol-
lowing regulations were in confequence thereof made, viz.

I) For every Lioo old ftock, there was given Lioo : 8 : 10 flock in
the united company.

II) Twenty-live one half per cent was made a call on the proprietors
of the old company, for enabling them to be joined to the united one.

III) The remaining debts owing to, and effects of, the old company
were veiled in truftees for the benefit of the proprietors of the old com-
pany, who were fuch at the time of uniting with the new one.

By a flatute [6 ^ff«. c. 22] for continuing feveral duties therein men-
tioned, upon coffee, &c. ; and for fecuring the credit of the bank of
England, &c. ; it was, amongft many other points, enacted, ' that dur-
' ing the continuance of the governor and company of the bank of
' England, it fhould not be lawful for any body-politic, eredled or to be
' ereded, other than the faid governor and company of the bank of
' England, or, for other perfons whatfoever, united or to be united in
' covenants or partnerfhip, exceeding the number of fix perfons, in that
' part of Great Britain called England, to borrow, owe, or take up any
' fum or fums of money on their bills or notes, payable on demand, or
' in any lefs time than fix months from the borrowing thereof.' The
reafon affigned for this enacting claufe, was, ' that fome corporations,
' (notwithflanding the law of the 8th year of King William, [c. 19]

* by colour of their charters, and other great numbers of perfons, by
' pretence of deeds or covenants, united together, had prefumed tobor-
' row great fums of money, and therewith to deal as a bank, to theap-
' parent danger of the elhibliflied credit of the kingdom.'

This claufe was principally aimed at the mine-adventure company,
who, contrary to law, had let up for banking, and iillied calh-notcs, &c.
as has been already related.

This year the ifland of Minorca, with its commodious haven of Port-
Mahon, and its flrong fort of St. Philip, belonging to Spain, was fubdu-
ed by the Britifh forces, commanded by Major-general Stanhope. By
poffeflion thereof, (as Mr. Burchett, in his Naval hillory obferves,)
' we have the advantage of a goodly harbour, which, during the war,
' was exceeding ufeful to us, (as it may hereatter be on the like occa-
' fion) in cleaning and refitting fuch of our fiiips as were employed in
' the Mediterranean : and not only magazines of ftores were lodged

* there for that purpofe, but fuch officers were appointed to refide on
' the place as were judged requifite.'

The French king intending this year an invafion of Scotland, for fup-
porting the pretender's claim, there cnfued a great demand, or run,

A 2

4 A. D. 1708.

as it is ufually termed, on the bank of England : and the credit there-
of being fo nearly connc(fted with that of the exchequer, the Lord-trea-
furer Godolphin, for applying an effedual remedy thereto, fignified to
the directors of the bank, that the queen would, for fix months, allow
an intereft of 6 per cent on their fealed bills, which till then bore only
3 per cent. Moreover, his lordlhip, and the dukes of Marlborough,
Ncwcaflle, and Somerfet, and fundry other lords, olTered to advance to
the bank confiderable fums of money : by which encouragement, and
their making a call of 20 per cent on their capital, the bank was en-
abled to weather that florm, and to preferve their credit.

In the fame year, a like ftatute for the regilier of deeds, conveyances,
wills, devifes, mortgages, &c. in the eaft-riding of Yorkfliire, was made,
as had been made for the wefl-riding of the fame county four years
])efore, and for much the fame rcafons as were afligned for that ; only
the necellity of fuch a regifter is, in the prefent act, exprelled fomewhat
ftronger. It is therein faid, ' that the lands in the eaft-riding, and
' in the town and county of the town of Kingfton upon Hull, being
' generally freehold, they may be fo fecretly transferred or conveyed
' from one perfon to another, that fuch as are ill-difpofed have it in
' their power to commit frauds, and frequently do fo, by means where-
' of feveral perfons, who through many years induflry in their trades
' and employments, and by great frugality, have been enabled to pur-
' chafe lands, or to lend monies on land fecurity, have been undone in
' tlieir purchafes and mortgages, by prior and fecret conveyances, and>
' fraudulent incumbrances ; and not only themfelves, but their whole
■ families thereby utterly ruined. All the'provifions and claufes in this
' adl, were hereby extended to the honors, manors, lands, and tenements,
' in the weft-riding of that county, the two former ads relating to it
' being found defedive in feveral particulars.' [6 -.-'/««. c. 25.]

Loud complaints being at this time made againft the London pawn-
brokers, on account of their grinding the faces of the poor by the ex-
travagant ufury they took for pledges or pawns, even the moft mode-
rate of them takiiig at leaft ^o per cent, and fome twice as much, an
application was made to the crown for a charter to incorporate a num-
ber of perfons of credit, which they obtained this year, under the name
of the charitable corporation for lending money to the induftrious, but
neceflitous, poor at a moderate intereft. Yet, as their capital was but
Ljo.ooo, they did not fufficiently extend their fcheme until the year
1719, when feveral gentlemen of fortune came into it. Their condi-
tions for lending were only 10 per cent, viz. 5 per cent as for mere in-
tereft, and tlie other 5 per cent for fupporting the expenfe of the cor-
poration, fuch as houfe and ware-houfe rent, (alaries of officers and fer*
vants, &c. In 1725 they obtained from the crown a farther augmen-
tation of their capital, and foon after another: and their direclors nror

A. D. 1708. - 5

ceeded to borrow large fums of money for the fupport of their fcheme.
But, in a few year^; after, a difcovery was made of many and great
frauds committed by their fervants, fuch as, loans on fiditious pawns,
embezzlements, Sec. which occafioned a parliamentary inquiry; the re-
fult of which was, that by fuch frauds and mifmanagements, the corpo-
ration had not effeds fuflicient to pay even but a fmall part of the mo-
ney they had borrowed at intereft of a great number of perfons, many
of whom were thereby reduced to great diflrefs ; the whole amounting
to L487,895 : 14 : loi, to anfwer which, there remained no more in
money and other effeds, than L34,i50 ; 13 : I7, excepting what might
be recovered from the debtors of the corporation, which (fays the ftatute
after-named) was then uncertain. Hereupon, the houfe of commons
expelled fuch of their members- as were directors thereof; moft of whom
had, in other refpe6ts, retained till then fair charaders. And, in the
year 1733, the parliament, [6 Geo. II, c. 2,S^ granted a lottery for
L5co,ooo for the relief of ^ch of the fufferers as Ihould appear to five
mafters in chancery, therein named, to be obieds of compalfion ; out
of which L25 per cent was deduded, and in the following year diftri-
buted amongll the fufferers, amounting, after all the expenfe of this
lottery was deduded, to gfg per pound of their lofs, by an ad of the
8th of King George 11. c. 11. in 1734. Since which time, that ill-con-
duded corporation retains nothing but its empty name.

1709. — The general naturalization in England of foreign proteftants,
has been varioufly reafoned upon by many perfons, in different periods. In
the beginning of the year 1709, a bill was ordered into the houfe of com-
mons for that end ; in favour of which, it was argued, that very great
benefits would thereby accrue to Britain ; that the king of Prufiia, by
inviting the French refugees to fettle in his dominions, had fertilized :i
barren and ill-peopled country, improved its trade and manufadures,
and incrcafed his own revenues, &.c. The preamble of the ad, [7 ^-Inii,
c. 5.] for naiurali/iing foreign protefiants, therefor, oblcrvcs, that,
V'hereas the increafe of people is a means of advancing the wealth and
flrenglh of a nation; it was therefor enaded, — 1) that all perfons born
out of the ligeance of her majefly, who fliall take and fiiblbribe the
oaths, and the declaration of the 6th of this reign, fiiall be deemed, ad-
judged, and taken to be her majefly's natural-born fubjects : provided
they fiiall have received the facrament of the Lord's lupper in fome
proiefiant or reformed congregation within this kingdom of Great
Britain within three months before their taking the faid oaths, and
fliall produce a certificate figned by the perfon adminiftering the faid
facrament, and attefied by two credible witnefi'es.

II) That the children of all natural-born fubjeds, though born out

of the ligeance of her majefty, her heirs, and fucceflbrs, fhall be deemed'

a.

6 A. D. 1709.

and adjudged to be natural-born fubjeds of this kingdom to all intents,
conftrudions, and purpofes whatfoever. And,

III) The like naturalization of foreign proteftants (hall take place in
Ireland.* This law was faid to have been made with a particular view
to the proteftant Palatines brought this year into England.

For, in May in this Umie year, near 7000 of the poor Palatines and
Swabians, who had been utterly ruined, and driven from their habita-
tions near the Rhine by the French, were, in compallion of their mife-
ry, brought over to England, and were foon after followed by more :
but without any fettled or concerted plan for their eftablifhment any
where. Had they been all immediately tranfportcd to fome of our A-
merican continental colonies, as fome propofed, they would before now
have proved a conliderable addition to our llrength in thofe parts.
Others propofed to fettle them in the New forcft of Hampfliire, where
land might be parcelled out for them by fliares or lots. It was doubt-
lefs an ill-conduded, though well-meant affair. However, being land-
ed, there was a neceflity of keeping them from perifliing. A fufficient
number of tents was eredted for them on Blackheath, and near Camber-
well, and a brief was granted for a colledion for them throughout
Great Britain. Some of them were taken into private families ; 500
families of them were fent into Ireland, where L24,coo was granted by
parliament for their fupport ; ■^coo of them were at length fent over to
New-York, and fettled upon Hudfon's river ; many of whom being
badly received there, removed to Pennfylvania, where they were mofl
kindly entertained by the quakers, which afterwards proved the means
of drawing thither many thoufmds of German and Switz proteftants,
whereby Pennfylvania is fince become by far the moft populous and
flourilhing colony (for its ftanding) of any in Britifh America.

During all this reign, the bank of England was found extremely con-
venient and ufeful in fupporting the national credit : the better, there-
for, to enable that corporation to be farther beneficial to the public, as
well as to themfelves, by aflifting in raifing the fupplies for the current
fervice of the year 1709, the bank was encouraged to propofe to the
houfe of commons a Icheme for circulating L2, 500,000 of exchequer
bills : in which year, the whole fupply voted, amounted to above feven
millions. An ad of parliament, therefor, palled in this year, ' for en-
larging the capital Hock of the bank of England, and for raifing a far-
ther fupply to her majefly for the fervice of the year 1 709 ; wherein
the ad for the firfl eftabliftiment of the bank, and all the fubfequent
ftatutes are in part recited. And that the bank continues to permit new
fubfcriptions for the doubling of their prefent ftock of L2, 201, 171 : 10,
by felling their faid additional ftock at the rate of Lii5 for every Lioo
•fubfcribed.' [7 jinn. c. 7.] The whole was fubfcribed for between the

• This claufe is farther explained by the aft 4 Geo. II, c. z i. yl.

A. D. 1709. ^

hours of nine in the morning and one in the afternoon on the firft day
of opening the fubfcription books. This was by foreigners efteemed a
proof of the great wealth of the nation, more efpecially as near one
milUon more would have been fubfcribed on the fame day, had there
been room for it, fo great was the crowd of people coming with their
money to the books. But, like the Eafl-India company, the bank'
hereby obhged themfelves to advance to the government L400,ooo,
without any additional allowance of interefl for that fum, which made
their original capital of Li ,200,000, at 8 per cent, amount 10 Li ,6co,ooo
at € per cent interefl, to commence from the ift of Auguft 171 1, be-
ing their original yearly fund. And as the bank had 6 per cent per
annum, difcount was thereby allowed them on the fiid L4oo,coo till
the I ft of Auguft 171 1, for the money they were fo to pay in ; and the
advance of 1 5 per cent on the fale of this additional ftock, enabled them
Co make this payment .of L40o,ooo to the public.

Thus the bank^capital, a part of which was only temporary, till now

was _____ L2, 201, 171 10 o

Which being now doubled, became - 4,402,343 o o

And by the L40o,oco now farther advanced, 400,000 o o

. The total w^as now to be, at 6 per cent interefl, 4,802,343 o o

In confideration of which fum of L40o,ooo, fo
lent without any additional intereft, their exclufive
privileges as a bank were hereby prolonged to one
year's notice after the ift of xYuguft 1732. But by
the fame ftatute the bank obliged themfelves to
pay off and cancel all the exchequer bills vv^hich had
been before ilTued, amounting, with their intereft at
6pcrcent,*to « _ _ _ 1,775,027 17 10-'

So that the total capital of the bank, by this acft,
was - - - - - 6,577,370 17 107

By this acl of parliament, the bank was to remain an eftabliOied cor-
poration (notwithftanding the acls of the 5th and 8th of King William),
and all vheir former privileges were now confirmed, as alfo their origin-
al annual fund of Li 00,000, until the whole L 1,600, 000 iliould be
paid off; and alfo the annuity of Li 06,501 : 13 : 5 after mentioned ;
and till all the exchequer bills, to be made forth purfuant to this ad,
fliould be called in, as herein after mentioned, and payment made of
the allowances for circulating the fame. Then, and not before, the
corporation was to ceafe and dctemiinc. The fiid Lio6,5o[ : 13:5
was to be the intereft, at 6 per cent, of the faid Li,775,o27 : 17 : loi.

• Notwitdflanding the rcdiiftidn of tlie intereft received from tlic government from e'jht to _/"»« per-
cent, the bank continued to make a dividend of nint per cent to tlie propiietots. AT.

^ A. D. 1709.

The bank to be allowed 3 per cent per ann'im for circulating the laid
2- millions of exchequer bills, which w -re alio to be at a like interefl
of 3 per cent, or 2d per Lioo per day, except when they fhall be in the
exchequer, or in the hands of the receivers or coUedors of any taxes,
cufloras, &c. payable to her majefty. The bank might make calls on
^heir members for enabUng them to circulate the faid exchequer bills.
The bank might make dividends to their members, of their principal
or capital ftock, (as they afterward did of the faid Li,775,o27 : 17 : \o~),
which principal itock, however, fliall always remain at leaft equal to all
the debts they (hall owe; otherwife, the particular members receiving
ftich dividends flnU be aniwcrable, fo far as fuch dividends fliall ex-
tend. The reft of this long ad relates to the duties and taxes to be
railed for a fund for paying the interefl on the above principal fums.

About this time, and probably in imitation of the bank of England,
the government of France projeded a royal bank for the circulation of
their mint bills. But the fcarcity of money in France rendered the
fcheme abortive.

By a printed paper in the author's colledions, taken from a report to
the houfe of commons, we have the following accurate account of the
revenue of the cufl:oms of Great Britain for the year 1709, viz.

The grofs amount of the cuftoms was - L2, 319, 320 o ®

From which dedud.

Salaries and incidents, Li52,i84 12 1

Drawbacks on foreign goods, 717,190 17 2

Bo"mty-money for corn export-
ed, - - 36,027 1 4

Allowances for damages and over-
entries, - - 57'°75 15 07

Portage paid to mafters of fliips, 3,358 19 6

^65,837 o o

Net amount of the cuftoms in the year 1709,* Li, 353,483 o o
In D' Avcnant's report to the commilfioners of accounts, [part i. p.
^2. London, 1712,] he gives the importation of tobacco from America
into England, at a medium often years, ending in 1709, viz.

Imported pounds weight, on a medium, yearly, 28,858,666

Exported, on a like medium, - • - 17,598,007

Confumed at home, (pounds weight), - - 11,260,659

This year the Britlfli houfe of commons took the African trade into

4heir confideration, and in a grand committee, refolved, that, as that

trade was more efpecially neceflary for the Britifti American planta-

aions, it ought to be free to all her majefty's fubjeds, in a regulated,

* See the yef.r 1 7 1 f'.

A. D. 1709. 9

and not an exclufive, company. Yet when a bill for that end was brought
into the houfe, it met with fo many objedlions that it was dropped for
this time.

The regulations, which had been legally made in the year 1698 in
the trade to Africa, had not given fatisfadion to the feparate traders,
on account of the company's bad condud, which made thofe feparate
traders apply for fuch a law ; as they alfo did in the year following,
with equal fuccefs, after many hearings of the company, as well as of
the feparate traders, the parliament finding it extremely difficult to ob-
viate and remove the objedions ftarted on either fide, in relation to that
commerce.

We have, in this year 1709, a third inftance of the legal registering
of deeds in England, being a law made for regiflering deeds, convey-
ances, and wills, and other incumbrances, made of, or affecting, any ho-
nors, manors, lands, tenements, or hereditaments, within the county of
Middlefex ; the preamble to which runs in fuch a ftrong and jufi; flrain,
as feems well to merit the ferious confideration of both the landed and
monied interefls in every other county of England, viz. ' whereas, by

* the different and fecret ways of conveying lands, tenements, and he-

* reditaments, fuch as are ill-difpofed, have it in their power to commit
' frauds, and frequently do fo, by means whereof feveral perfons (who
' through many years induftry in their trades and employments, and
' by great frugality have been enabled to purchafe lands, or to lend
' monies on land fecurity) have been undone in their purchafes and
' mortgages, by prior and fecret conveyances, and fraudulent incum-
' brances ; and not only themfelves, but their whole families, thereby

* utterly ruined.' Therefor it was now enaded, that a memorial of
all deeds, &c. and of all wills and devifes in writing fhould be regifter-
ed by the proper officers thereby appointed, for the fee of only one
fhilling. And every deed or conveyance, which fhould thereafter be
executed, fhould be adjudged fraudulent, and void againft any fubfe-
quent purchafer or mortgagee for valuable confideration, unlets fuch
memorial thereof be regiftered, as by this ad is direded, before the re-
giftering of the memorial of the deed or conveyance under which fuch
fubfequent purchafer or mortgagee fliould claim : and the like as to
memorials of wills not regiftered. The preamble declares this ad to
have been made at the humble requefl of the juftices of the peace, gen-
tlemen, and freeholders, of the county of Middlefex. [7 ylnn. c. 20.]

Notwithftanding the evident utility and fafety of a general regifter for
all England, an attempt for it, many years after this time, was unac-
countably rejeded.

1 710. — By an ad of parliament, [8 j4nn. c. 12] the entrance into the
port ot Liverpool having been long experienced to be fo dans^erous and
Vol. III. B

lo A. D. I 710.

difficult, that great numbers of ftrangers and others have frequently lofl
their lives with fhips and goods, for want of proper land-marks, buoys,
and other directions into ir, and more efpecially for want of a conve-
nient wet-dock or bafon therein, the parliament laid a duty, for 21
3'ears from midl'ummer 1710, on the tonnage of all fliips ti-ading to
and from Liverpool to any part of Britain arc! Ireland, as well .as to and
from foreign countries, for making a wet-dock, &c. And it has fully
anfwered the ends thereby propofed, the wet-dock in particular, having
been long fince completed, to the great emokunent of that moft mer-
cantile and opulent town, which has long ago become the third port
(after London and Briftol) of Great Britain, whether the number of its
ftout merchant fliips, or oif its opulent and reputable merchants be con-
fide red.

Under the year 1 704 we have briefly laid open the proceedings of
Sir H. Mackworth and his tools, of the mine-adventurers company, to
the great hurt of many perfons and families : the proprietors and credi-
tors of that company having this year petitioned the houfe of commons,
a committee of that houfe was appointed to niake ftrid inquiry into
the fame. The refult was, that it appeared they had loft L88,ooo by
banking, and had fquandered away great fums on Sir H. Mackworth's
other projeds. Therefor the houfe of commons, on the 31ft of March
I 710, refolvcd, neviine contradicente, that it appears to this houfe, that Sir
Humphrey Mackworth is guilty of many notorious and fcandalous
frauds, and indirect practices, in violating the charter granted to the
faid company, in breach of his truft, and to the manifeft: wrong and op-
preflion of the proprietors and creditors of the company. And the like
is voted againil William Sheres, the company's fecretary, and Dykes,
their treafurer. And that a bill be brought in for preventing them
from leaving the kingdom, or alienating their eftates. This arch hy-
pocrite, pretending great zeal for religion, and the tory party, was
thereby fcreened from any farther cenfure or fuflfering by the new mi-
niftry, who, foon after this, got into power : and the bill was dropt by
the adjournment of parliament. And, notwithflanding all the difgrace
thrown upon Sir Humphrey Mackworth, he had the effrontery to appear
again at the head of this company with new propofals, in the year 1720,
though then, and ever fince, little better than a mere bubble.

The ftatute intilled ajfiza pains et cervifitt, i. e. for fettling the aflize
of bread and ale, [51 Htn. III^ being now obicure, and alfo become
ethervvil'e imprad;icable for modern times, the poorer fort of people,
more efpecially, had fmce been deceived and opprefTed by an almof!:
total neglect, in many places, of the due aflize and realbnable price of
bread ; for remedy thereof, and that a plain and conftant rule and me-
thod might henceforward be duely obferved and kept, in making and
afl^ziiig the feveral forts of bread made for fale, it was now enad;ed.

A. D. 17 10. II

that fo much of the llatute of the 51ft year of King Henry III as
relates to the aflize of bread, be repealed. And that from the ift of
May 1 710, the court of the lord mayor and aldermen of London and
its liberties, or the lord mayor alone, by the order of the faid court ;
and the mayor, bailiffs, aldermen, or other chief magiflrates, of any
other city or town corporate ; and two or more juflices of the peace, in
fuch places where there fhall be no fuch mayor, &c. fhall refpedlively,
and from time to time, afcertain and appoint, within tJieir refpetllve
jurifdictions, the alfize and weight of all forts of bread, to be fold by
any baker or other perfon whatfoever, having refpedl to the price which
the grain, meal, or flour, whereof fuch bread fhall be made, fhall bear
in the feveral public markets, in or about the city, town-corporate,
burgh, or place, where fuch aflize fhall be fo fet, making reafonable al-
lowance to the bakers for their charges, pains, and livelihoods ; the faid
aflize to be fet in avoirdupois weight. Moreover, it was enad:ed, that
none fliall make for fale any forts of bread, but white, wheaten, and
houfehold, and fuch other fort and forts of bread as fhall be publicly li-
cenced and allowed by the magiftrates in London and elfewhere. All
which feveral forts of bread fliall be made in their feveral refpedive de-
grees, according to the goodnefs of the feveral forts of grain whereof
the fame ought to be made ; and the alfize and weight of the faid
white, wheaten, and houfehold, bread made of wheat, fhall be fet andaf-
c'ertained according to the table annexed, (being a table of the alTize
of bread, in pounds, ounces, and drams, avoirdupois weight, refpeding,
or in proportion to the price of the bufhel of wheat, and the baking,
from a penny loaf to an eighteen-penny loaf, of the faid three forts of
flour, viz. white, wheaten, and houfehold.) And to the intent that this
law may be eftedually complied with, every baker fhall fairly imprint
or mark on his loaves, the fort, price, and weight of fuch loaf, or fuch
other mark as the faid magiftrates fliall direcl ; who are alio hereby
authorized, from time to time, to limit, dired, and appoint, in what
manner each fort of bread fliall be marked ; or to make any other rea-
fonable rules and orders for regulation of bakers, and the aflize of bread.
And bakers contravening this law, and the magiftrates reafonable re-
gulations, on the confeflion of the party, or on the oath of one or more
credible witnefs or witnelfcs, before any of the faid magiftrates, fliall for
every fuch offence forfeit the fum of 40/" to the informer. Which con-
viclion fliall be certified to the general quarter-icflions, to be there en-
tered upon record. But the profecution of fuch offence fliall be com-
menced within three days next after the oftence committed. And the
offender may appeal to the next quarter-feflions, when, failing of his al-
legations, he fliall pay coils ; as, on the other hand, the informer fliall
do to the baker, if he fail in his allegations. Bakers, mixing any other
grain in their bread than the three forts herein mentioned, fluUi forfeit

B 2

14 A. D. 1 7 10.

lof; and any maglftrate, wilfully omitting the performance of his duty
herein, fliall forfeit the like fum. Any of the within-named magiftrates
may, in the day-time, enter into any baker's houfe or fhop, for fearch-
ing, weighing, and trying, his bread, which, if deficient either in weight,
due baking, or not being duely marked, or of a worfe quality than is di-
rected by this ad, may be feized and given to the poor ; and the baker,
making refiftance, fliall forfeit 40/ This ad fliall not affed the privi-
leges of the two Eiiglifli univerflties, and fliall continue for three years,
and till the end of the next feflion of parliament. [8 Ann. c. 18.]

The due afllze of bread being fo necefl"ary for our manufadurers and
artificers, as well as for all other people, this abfl^rad of fo good a law,
lince made perpetual, feemed proper to be now exhibited.

By two ads [7 Attn. c. 26 ; 8 Ann. c. 21] for better fecuring her ma-
jefty's docks, fli'ps of war, and ftores, commifFioners were appointed to
treat for the purchafe of fuch lands, tenements, &c. as fliould be judged
proper for better fortifying Portfmouth, Chatham, and Harwich, i. e.
for enlarging and flirengthening their fortifications. And proper juries
were to be fummoned for afcertaining the juft value of all fuch lands as
fliould be wanted for thofe purpofes. We fliall hereafter fee tliat this
good plan has been fince enlarged, and alfo farther extended to Ply-
mouth and Milfordhaven, and greater quantities of ground have been
purchafed for extending and improving the fortifications of Portfmouth,
Chatham, and Plymouth ; which, neverthelefs, are, by mod good judges
of fortifications, flill thought, in fome refpeds, infuflScient, confidering
the great danger the navy and the royal ftores would be expofed to,
were an enemy vigoroufly to attack Portfmouth, Plymouth, or Chat-
ham.

The czar of Mufcovy's rapid progrefs againft Sweden had now well-
nigh ruined that kingdom ; for he not only reduced part of Finland,
all Carelia, and the ifle of Oelcl ; but, what was much more valuable
than them all, the flower of all the Swedilh dominions, the rich, com-
mercial, and extenfive country of Livonia, with the cities and po ts of
Riga, Revel, Narva, Pernau, &c. all which Ruflia retains to this day,
thereby, in the opinion of many, difcompofing the balance of power
and of commerce in the North.

In this year General Nicholfon, with a force from England, jointly
with the New-England forces, attacked and eafily reduced a part of
Nova-Scotia, and particularly the fort of Port-Royal, which had been
yielded to France by the peace of Ryfwic, changing its namiC to that of
Annapolis-Royal, which it ftill retains, being alfo afterward confirmed )
to us by the peace of Utrecht. It ftands in the bay of Fundy, on the-
edge of a fine harbour or bafon, capable of receiving 1000 fhips, with
good anchorage in all parts of it. This port was the rendezvous of
French privateers in time of war, and of the French Indians for invad-

A. D. 17 1 o. 13

ing the eaftern frontiers of New-England ; and therefor of the greater
importance to be fecured to us.

Accordmg to D' Avenant's New dialogues, publiflied in 1710, [K ii,
p. 74] there was coined in England between the years 1659 and 1710,
in gold and filver, the fum of L2 1,41 9,307.

The fame author [ibidem, p. 95] fays, he is credibly informed, ' that

* the bank of Amllerdam contains no lefs, in effedual gold and filver,
than L36, 000,000 flerling.

171 1 It having been found inconvenient, that any perfon ihould, at

the fame time, be in the diredion of the bank of England and of the Eafl;-
India company, the parliament this year, in an ad of [9 ^««. c. 7]

* for enabling and obliging the bank of England, for the time therein
' mentioned, to exchange all exchequer bills for ready money upon de-

* mand, inferred a claufe to difable any perfon to be governor, deputy-
' governor, or diredor, of the bank of England, and a diredtor of the

* Eaft-India company at the fame time.'

The former laws for eftablifhmg the poft-ofRces in both kingdoms
of England and Scotland were repealed ; and one general poft-office, as
alfo one general pofl-mafter, was now appointed for the united king-
dom: and chief letter-offices were ereded at Edinburgh, Dublin, New-
York, and the Weil-Indies. At the fame time the poilage of letters
was increafed, \dz. what paid before but 2^ now paid 3^, and for double
letters 6d, &c. ' and for the port of all and every the letters and

* packets by the carriage called the penny-poft, eflablifhed within Lon-

* don, Wellminfler, Southwark, and parts adjacent, and to be received

* and delivered within ten miles from the general letter-office in Lon-
' don, one penny,' which is the firfl: mention of a penny-poft in the
ftatute-book. [9 yinfi. c. 10.]

By this ad, the amiount (grofs) for one year, ended at michaelmas
1710, of the poft-office, was - - Liii,46i 17 10

Dr. D' Avenant's New dialogues make the net
amount, on a medium of the three laft years, to be 56,664 19 loi-

By an ad for preferving white, and other, pine trees, growing in her
majefty's colonies of New-Hampfliire, the MafEichufet's-bay, and Pro-
vince of Maine, Rhode-ifland, and Providence plantation ; the Narra-
ganfet country or King's-province, and Connedicut in New-England,
alfo in New-York, and New-Jerfey, in America, for the mafting of her
majefty's navy ; it is enaded, ' that whereas there are great numbers of
' thofe trees growing in the faid provinces, near the lea and on navigable
' rivers, which may be commodioully broughtinto this kingdom for that

* fervice : for the better prefervation thereof, no perfon afcer the 24th of

* September 1711, in any of the faid colonics fliall prefume to cut, fell,
' or dcftroy, any of thofc trees fit for mafls, not being the property of any.

14 A. D. 17".

' private pcrfon, if fuch tree be of the growth of 24. inches diameter

' and upwards, at 12 inches from the earth, without the queen's li-

' C'^nce firfl obtained, under the penalty of Lioo fterlinji for cverv of-

* fence. And whereas the queen's furveyoi-general, or his deputy, is
*,. authorized to mark with a broad arrow all fuch trees as are, or here-

* after (hall be, fit for the royal navy, and to keep a regifter of the fame,

* none others but he or his deputies fhall prefume to mark fuch trees

* as aforefaid, though growing on common lands, under the penalty of

* L*; for every fuch offence.' [9 Ann. c. 17.]

This law, the firft of the kind for marts, has proved extremely ufeful
for mafting the royal naw, and thereby alfo has faved much money
formerly fcnt to Norway for that purpofe.

Bv an aft of parliament for hcencing and regulating hackney-coaches
and chairs, (as alfo for new duties on flamps, leather, ialt, &c. and other
purpofes), 800 coaches, paying 5 /"weekly, and 200 fedan chairs, at lo/"
each yearly, within London, Weflminfter, and Southwark and the
weekly bills of mortality, are enaded to be under the management of
five commilHoners. One mile and a half for i/fare, and two miles for
1/5, and above two miles 2/", and fo for a greater diftance in proportion,
for coaches : and for chairs, the rule to be, that they fhall have the
fame money for two thirds of thofe diftances. [9 Ann. c. 23.] By the
loth of Qiieen Anne, 100 more chairi were added: then in all to be
300. The duties to commence from midfummer 17 15, and to continue
from thence for 32 years. For raifmg two millions by a lottery. * And

* whereas the proprietors and inhabitants of the iflands of Nevis and St.

* Chriflophers in America, had fuftained very great lofles by a late in-

* vafion of the French, and it became neceffary to give fome eacourage-

* ment to the fufferers for reiettling their plantations, the fum of

* Li 03,003 -.11:4 was allowed to fuch proprietors as refettled in thofe

* two iflands, in proportion to their loffes, by debentures to be ifllied

* by the commiflioners for trade and plantations, at 6 per cent intereft.'
It appears by an a6t, [10 Ann. c. 34] that thofe debentures amounted
to one third part of the whole lofs of the fufferers. Moreover, by an
ad of the 5tli year of King George I, for relief of fuch fufferers in thofe
two iflands as had refeitled in either of them, the diftribution of the
above fum is farther regulated ; and by one of the 8th of that king,
their principal fum unpaid, and the large arrears of interefl; thereon,
joined together, had an interefl of 3 per cent fettled on them.

Bv another acl of parliament, for relief of the creditors and proprie-
tors of the company of mine-adventurers of England, &c. it appears,
that the company had, through the great expenfe of working lii^ir
mines, &c. contraded debts which they were altogether unable to pay ;
whereby, and by the difputes arifen amongft their members, and be-
tween the company and their creditors, the working of their mines wa^

A. D. 171 1. 15

almoft totally interrupted : and whereas their mines are fo valuable,
that, were they eftabliihed under good management, great profit would
accrue to the public, it was therefor enacted, that all grants, contrads,
bargains, &c. to any pcrfons by that company, fnice they firft flopt
payment in the year 1707 of their bills or bonds, be declared void;
and that all new fhares in their flock, above the 601 2 allowed by their
charter, be alio made null and void, and the proprietors of them be
only deemed creditors of the company for the value thereof. The mo-
ney advanced on the call made in the year 1708, to be allowed in the
prefent call, and the furplus to be turned into flock. All bargains for
ore or lead, &c. fince the company ftopt payment, to remain good.
The creditors of the company are hereby made members of, and part-
ners with, the company's 6012 fliares. A deputy-governor and 12 di-
recftors to be annually ele6ted for managing the company's affairs.
Shares to be transferable. After the death of the duke of Leeds, the
prefent governor for life, a governor to be annually elected agreeable to
the charter : and no member to be eleded governor above one year
iii four. The company may call in 40/ per fhare, for carrying on the
bufmefs of the mines. [9 yinn. c. 24.] This flatute was made in con-
fequence of the union between the creditors of this company and the
proprietors of tlie fhares, agreed at a general meeting, which, however,
was not fufficient to keep this ill-condudcd company from fmking,
though frefli propofals were afterwards publiflied for farther payments
on each fliare, in order to carry on the mines vigoroully. To fay all
in one word, Sir Humphrey Mackworth and his alTociates carried their
artifices to the very utmofl ; and inftead of hurting the oppofites in
party, drew in all the zealots of the party difaft'eded to the eftabliflied
conftituiion, to the undoing of many innocent perfons and families.
* The cities of London and Weflminfter, and parts adjacent, being
principally fupplied with coals by fea, from the counties of Durham
and Northumberland, and the town of Newcaftie upon Tine ; and in
confidcration that the having them cheap tends greatly to the improve-
ment of the luanufaclures, and to the increafe of the commerce and
navigation of the kingdom, by breeding many thoufands of Ikilful ma-
riners, the parliam.ent paficd an act to diflolve the prefent, and prevent
the future, combination of coal-owners,, lighter-men, marters of fliips,
and others, to advance the price of coals, in prejudice of the navigation,
trade, and manufactures, of this kingdom, and for the farther encoui-
agement ot the coal-trade. And, as for the relief of the poor, and ad-
vancing the duties on coals, it is neceflary the lame Ihould not be mo-
nopolized, it was enaded, that all contrads betv;een coal-owners, light-
ermen, fitters, mafters of fliips, crimps, coal-fadors, &.c. for engrolling
of coals, or tor reftraining any whomfoever from freely lelllng, buying,,
loading, or unloading, navigating or difpofing of coals, in fuch maunet

1 6 A. D. 171 1.

as they lawfully might, fliould be deemed illegal, null, and void, to all
intents and purpofes. And that if any coal-owners, lighter-men, &c,
fhould hereafter be knowingly interefted or concerned in any fuch con-
tract, he fhould, if a coal-owner, forfeit Lioo, if a fitter, L50, if a fhip-
mafler or owner, L20, and the like fum for every officer, clerk, agent,
or fervant. Fitters, or other perfons vending or delivering coals, were
to give ample figned certificates to every fhip-mafler, every voyage,
containing the day and year of fuch loading, the mafter's and fliip's
name, and the exadl quantity of coals, with the ufual names of the fe-
veral collieries out of which the coals were wrought or gotten, and the
T)rice paid by the mafler for Cvich fort of coals that fuch fitter hath fold
and loaded on board fuch fhip. Such certificate, on the fhip's arrival
at London, to be regiflered at the cocquet-office appointed by the lord
mayor, or at the cuflom-houfe of any other port. And whoever fhall
refufe to give fuch certificate, or give a falfe one, or not regifter fuch
certificate in forty-eight hours after the fliip's arrival at London, or
other port ; or if the perfon keeping the regifler neglect for twenty-
four hours to make fuch regifler, or make a falfe entry thereof; or re-
fufe to fhew fuch entry ; in each of thofe cafes, the party offending
fhall forfeit Lio. Lighter-men, fhip-maflers, crimps, or coal-fadors,
receiving falaries or gratuities from coal-owners, either by the year or
chaldron, for contrading, buying, vending, or difpofing, of any particu-
lar fort of coals, in preference to other forts, or for the loading of any
fhip, or for the difpofal of the coals from any fuch fhip before other
fliips, or who fhall knowingly fell any fort of coals as a fort which they
really are not ; for every fuch offence fhall forfeit L50. Offenders dif-
covering within three months the coal-owners, &c. concerned in fuch
offences, fhall be indemnified, and receive the reward due to any other
dil'coverer. Any number of fhips, above 50, remaining laden in the
port of Newcaflle or other port, bound for London, above feven days,
unlefs detained by contrary winds, or want of repairs or convoys, or
fome other unavoidable caufe, every mafler of fuch fliip fliall forfeit
L50. Every crimp, hufband, and coal-agent, vending coals to his own
agents, partners, or fervants, &c. in trufl for his or their own benefit,
fliall forfeit L50. This adt to be in force only for three years, and
to the end of the next feflion of parliament. [9 jinn. c. 28.]

From the judicious Mr Wood's Survey of trade, we learn, that upon
a medium of four years, viz. from 1707 to 1710, both included, the
exports of merchandize to foreign parts exceeded the imports L2, 389, 872,
or, in other words, England annually gained fo much by foreign con>
merce.

In Dr. D' Avenant's report this year to the commiflioners of public
accounts, the proportion of the amount of the cufloms received at the

A. D. 1 71 1. 17

port of London, to the amount of the cuftoms of all the out-ports, was
as Li, 268,095 was to L346,o8i, which is confiderably above three and
a half to one.

The new Britifh miniftry had laid a plan in the fpring of the year
171 1, by the folicitation of General Nicholfon, for the attack of Pla-
centia in Newfoundland, and, which was of flill more importance, for
the conqueft of Quebec and the reft of Canada, from France, Troops
were early enough brought over from Flanders to Portlmouth, and in
April lyti a powerful armament failed from Portfmouth, and in May,
from Plymouth; the fleet of 12 {hips of war and 50 tranfports, com-
manded by Sir Hovendon Walker, and the 6000 land forces by Briga-
dier Hill. At Bofton in New-England they were detained till the 30th
of July, to fupply themfelves with provifions, 8cc. which, it was faid,
they ought, for difpatch, to have carried with them from England ; fo
that they failed into the river St. Laurence confiderably too late in the
year ; while General Nicholfon, with 2000 provincials, and 2000 Pala-
tines and Indians, proceeded over land to Albany. When they had got
a little way up the river St. Laurence, they met with very tempeftuous
weather ; and being driven among rocks and fmall iflands, it was not
without the greateft hazard that the fhips of war efcaped being loft ;
but eight tranfports were caft away, with the lofs of about 800 men,
officers, foldiers, and failors, and many of the other ftiips were miferably
fhattered : wherefor it was determined to return to England, which
they accordingly did in Odober the fame year, without having made
any attempt on the French at Placentia.

The Englifti African company now petitioned the houfe of commons
for leave to bring in a bill for the confirmation of their exclufive char-
ter. But the petitions from private traders, as well as from the Britifli
American colonies, for laying that trade quite open, effedually fruftrat-
ed the company's petition. Yet nothing farther was done at this time,
in relation to the African trade, except that the houfe of commons ad-
dreffed the queen, to direct that care fliould be taken of the forts, &c.
on the Guinea coaft, until farther provifion ftiould be made.

The new prime minifter of Great Britain, the earl of Oxford, now
created lord treafurer, upon his accefTion to power, fawit to hthishitert^}
to put an end to the war with France and Spain as foon as pofTible,
and was now adlually treating of a feparate peace with thofe powers.
Yet, as he could not prudently avoid carrying it on, at leaft for the year
171 1, and until he could more firmly fix himfelf in power, he judged it,
principally neccflary to find means to quiet the minds of the monied
jjcople by rcftoring the public credit, which was at this time much af-
fected by the late great change in the miniftry, and had occafioned a
run upon the bank. And as the bulk of the monied men, and of tho-

Vol. III. G

1 8 A. D. 171 1.

proprietors of the national funds, were averfe to his new meafures, it
was his great aim to bring them into good humour.

There happened at this time to be a very large arrear of navy, vic-
tualling, and tranfport debentures, and alio of army debentures, &c.
without any eflabliflied fund for putting them into a regular courfe of
being difcharged : for this reafon principally, as well as on account of
this change in the miniftry, they were at a large difcount, whereby the
diftruft, which the proprietors had before generally entertained of the
new miniftry, was greatly heightened : if therefor a fund could be efta-
blifhed for the regular payment of the intereft of that large arrear, and
at the fame time plaufible means could be devifed to give the creditors
the hope of farther advantages by a new and alluring commerce, he
prudently thought he fliould obtain his principal end. We mufl: here
previoufly obferve, that fome of our adventurers to Spanifh America, in
Queen Elizabeth's time, as well as the late buccaneers, had raifed in the
minds of people the higheft ideas of the advantages of a trade thither ;.
which were farther heightened by obferving the vaft; riches which France
had brought home from thence, fmce the duke of Anjou had ruled in.
Spain: moreover, it was remembered, that fo early as the 21ft year of
King James I, a company, or aflbciation, was propofed in the houfe
of commons for a Spanifh Weft-India trade : in the reign of King
William alfo, as well as in the former part of the prefent reign, during
Lord Godolphin's miniftry, there had been much difcourfe of an expe-
dition to the Spanifli Weft-Indies, in conjundion with the Dutch, in
order to make fome permanent fettlement there for commerce. Fur-
thermore, certain fchemes were handed about and publiftied for making
fettlements, by force, in the South feas. of America, in contemplation of
the vaft plenty of gold, filver, and rich drugs, &c. there to be found,
and of the immenfe profit made by the Spaniards on the European
merchandize fent thither ; which confiderations, joined to the feeblenefs
of the Spanifli government in thofe parts, were plaufible allurements for
a nation of fo enterprifing and commercial a genius as ours, to ftrive for
ftiaring fuch advantages at firft hand. Moreover, to make tlie new mi-
niftry's feparate negociations with the enemy to be the better reliftied,
it was induftrioufly given out by their emifllu-ies, that Great Britain was
to have a concelfion from Spain of four ports in the South feas, on the
coafts of Peru and Chill, for the fecurity of her commerce there. But,
without enlarging farther on fuch romantic fchemes, we ftiall now ob-
ferve, that the new prime minifter procured an ad: of parliament of the
9th year of Queen Anne, for making good deficiencies, and fiuisfying
the public debts ; and fjr creeling a corporation to carry on a trade to
the South feas; and for the encouragement of the fiftiery ; and for li-
berty to trade in unwrought iron with the fubjecls of Spain; and to re-
peal the ads for regiftering feamen.

A. D. 171 1. 19.

This adl firft flates the deficiencies and debts unprovided for, viz. the
navy debt, office of ordnance debt, tranfport debt, army debentures, de-
ficient tallies and orders on coals, fubfidies to the eledlor of Hanover
and duke of Zell, with the interefi: on fuch of them as carried interefl,
and alfo monies advanced on feveral duties on goods imported for the
fervice of the year 1710, and L50o,ooo to be raifed for the fervice of
the year 171 1 ; which altogether amounted to £9,471, 325, the interefl
whereof, at 6 per cent, was £568,279: 10. For the payment whereof
this aft makes perpetual the duties on wines, vinegar, tobacco, Eafl-
India goods, wrought filks, whale-fins, and fundry other duties which
were appropriated for limited times for other purpofes, and in the
meantime the deficiency of this yearly fund was to be made good by
the treafurer of the navy. The furplus, if any, to go towards paying
off the above capital, hereby made redeemable on one year's notice af-
ter chriflmas 17 16. The faid yearly fund to be payable weekly, and to
commence from chriflmas 171 1.

I) And to the intent that the trade to the South feas may be carri-
ed on for the honour and increafe of the wealth and riches of this realm,
her majefly is hereby impowered to incorporate all the proprietors of
the faid debts, in the ufual fi:ile and form. This adl allows the compa-
ny L8000 per annum for charges of management. And, for better fe-
cui'ing the privileges of the bank of England, this new company fhall
not borrow money on their bills or notes on demand, nor at any lefs time
than fix months : neither fhall they difcount bills of exchange, nor any
other bills or notes whatfoever ; nor fhall keep any books or cafli for
any perfons or corporations, excepting their own alone.

II) And whereas it is of the greatefl confequence to the honour and
welfire of this kingdom, and for the increafe of the ftrength and riches
thereof, and for vending the produd and manufacture, goods and mer-
chandize of, or brought into, this kingdom, and the employment of the
poor, that a trade fhould be carried on to the South feas and other
parts in America, herein after mentioned, which cannot fo fecurelyand
fuccefsfully be begun and carried on as by a corporation with a joint
flock, exclufive of all others. For the better encouragement of the
members of the faid intended company, be it enadted,

III) That this company fliall, from the i fl of Augufi lyt r, be vefled
for ever in the fole trade and traffic, unto and from all the kingdoms,
lands, iflands, cities, towns, ports, creeks, and places, in America, on the
eafi: fide thereof, from the river of Aranoca to the fouthermofl: part of
Terra del Fuego ; and on the weft fide thereof, from the fouthermoft
part of the laid Terra del Fuego, through the South feas, to the norih-
ermoft part of America ; and into, unto, and from all countries, &c.
within the fiid limits, which are reputed to belong to the crown of

G 2

20 A. p. lyir.

Spain, or which fliall hereafter be found out or difcovcred withiq the
faid limiis, not exceeding 300 leagues from the continent of Anierica,
between the fouthermoft part of Terra del Fuego and the northermoft
part of America ,on the weft fide thereof, except the kingdom of Bra-
fil, and fuch other places on the faid eaft fide of America as are now
in the adual pofllfllon of the crown of Portugal, and the country of
Surinam in the poffenion of the ftates-general of the United provinces ;
it not being intended, that the fole trade to any part of the eaft fide of
America, now in the adual poflefilon of the crown of Portugal or the
ftates-general, fiiall be granted by this ad : but it ftiall be and rcniaiu
lawful for all her majefty's fubjeds to trade and traffic thither, as fully
and freely, in all relpeds, as they might or could do, if this ad had not
been made.

IV) None ftiall trade within thofe limits, but the company, their
ijgents, and fadors.

V) The queen may, in her intended charter of incorporation, im-
power the faid company to make laws for the good government of their
trade, &c. and to inflid reafonable penalties, by imprilonments and
:^ul(?ts, for any breach thereof.

VI) Forfeiture of fiiips and merchandize, and double their value, for
any but the company, or thofe licenced by the company, trading to,
pr frequenting, any part of their limits ; one fourth to the crown ; one
fourth to the informer ; and one half to the company.

VII) The company to be the fole owners and proprietors of all
iflands, forts, towns, and places, which they fliall hereafter difcover
within their limits; to hold the fame of the crown, in free and com-
mon foccage by fealty, on the annual rent of an ounce of gold, if de-
manded.

VIII) AJl prizes of fliips and merchandize, taken by the company,
fliall be their fole property : for which end, they may feize by force of
arms the perlons, with their fliips and goods, trading within theiir
limits.

IX) The company's bonds fliall charge as well their annurd fund, as
their other ftock, efflds, and eftate ; and fliall be aflignable by indorfe-
ment. And it fliall be felony to counterfeit their common-feal or bonds,
or to alter or utter the fame knowingly.

X) The company not to fail into any of the before-named limits
beyond Terra del FuCgo, except only through the ftraits of Magellan,
or elfe round the faid Terra del Fuego ; nor ftiall fail from, thence into
any part of the Eaft-Indies ; neither fliall they return to Great Britain
or to any other part of Europe, Afia, Africa, or America, by any other
way except through the faid ftraits of Magellan, or by Terra del Fuego
aforefaid : neither fliall they trade in the goods of India, Perfia, or
China, nor in any other commodities of the countries within the limits

A. D. 171 1. ji

of the Eiift-India company. Nor fhall this new company's fhips fail
fartlier weft from the fiiores of Chili, Peru, Mexico, California, or any
otlier fhorcs contained between Terra del Fuego and the northermofl
part of America, than 300 leagues ; under forfeiture of fliips, merchan-
dize, and double the value : one third to the crown, and two thirds to
the Eaft-lndiu company.

XI) And forafmuch as nothing can more conduce to the increafc of
the ftrcngth and riches of this kingdom, and the breeding of able fea-
men, than preferving and enlarging the fifhery, the queen may, in her
charter to this company, direct a ftock of 20/ upon every Lioo of the
capital ftock of the company, to be kept apart, and always employed
for carrying on, improving, and enlarging, the fiftiery of this realm, or
any other fifliery ; fo as none other of the queen's fubjeds be excluded
the fifhing trade. And fo as no calls of money for the fifhery, or for
any other parts of the company's trade, be made but by order of a ge-
neral court, on a fortnight's notice.

XII) Neither the governors nor diredors of this company fhall be
capable of being fuch in the bank, nor in the Eaft-India company, at the
fame time.

This is the fubftance of this famous a<S, which was then, and is ftill
generally called the earl of Oxford's mafterpiece ; although it be never-
thelefs extremely plain, that the main of his fcheme was borrowed from
the memorable ad [8, 9 Gul. Ill, c. 19] for doubling the capital of the
bank of England in the year 1697 ' ^^ trade to the South feas, and that
of the fiftiery, being the only new thoughts, by way of allurement or
fweetner.

The royal charter was dated the 8th of September 171 1, incorporat-
ing the i'ubfcribers of thofe debts by the name of the governor and'
company of merchants of Great Britain trading to the South feas and
other parts of America, and for encouraging the fifhery. It recites the
ad of parliament, and grants that the company fhall have a court of di-
redors, and appoints the manner of their proceedings in that court, and
their general courts, their manner of eledions, qualification of the eled-
ors, and eleded, &c. needlefs to be particularly here recited : that
defaulters in payments of calls, and all other debtors to the com-
pany, fliall not be permitted to transfer their ftock, nor to receive their
dividends, without the confent of the court of diredors : that the com-
pany may appoint courts of judicature in their forts, fadories, and fct-
tlements, for determining caufes mercantile and maritime, with an ap-
peal to the queen and council ; may raife a military force for the de-
fence of their forts and feiilements, as v/ell as for acquiring others with-
in their limits. And by an ad of parliament of the 10th of Qtieen
Anne, in 1 7 12, all the powers, privileges of commerce, &c. were made

22 A. D. 171 !•

perpetual to the company, notwithflanding any redemption of their
fund.

Upon the eftablifhment of this company with a proper fund, their
flock advanced very confiderably in price, and continued gradually to
rife : whereupon, the company's general court, in confequence of the
queen's aflurance of afllfting them with a lufficient force for eftablifh-
ing their trade to the South feas, refolved to prepare a cargo for the year
171 2, of L2oo,ooo value.

Accordingly, in July 1712, L20o,ooo was iflued in bonds, under the
company's common feal. Yet, although a celTation of arms was, in
this fame year, agreed on with France and Spain, the company did not
however judge matters ripe for fending out any fliips this year, the peace
with France not being a(3:ually figned till the 31(1 of March 1713, nor
with Spain till the 2d of July following.

In November 171 1, the prices of the public ftocks were as follows,
viz.

Eaft-Tndia flock, - 124^ South fea flock, - yy^

Bank flock, - iii^^ Royal African flock, 4-1.

The late total change of the Britifh miniflry had by this time made
new and flrange alterations of things, formerly in good efleem. Thus,
for one inflance, the general naturalization of foreign proteflants, which
had been enadled not quite three years before, and by that adl was de-
clared to be a likely means of advancing the wealth and flrength of a
nation, and which had been attempted to be repealed in the preceding
year, when the bill was rejeded by the houfe of peers, was now, by an
a6lofthe loth of Queen Anne, totally repealed; and the reafon for that
repeal is therein affigned to be, ' becaufe divers mifchiefs and inconve-

■ niences have been found by experience to follow from the fiime, to
' the difcouragement of the natural-born fubjeds of this kingdom, and

■ to the detriment of the trade and wealth thereof.'

That great numbers of fober and induflrious fubje(5ls are the main
flrength and wealth of a nation, will fcarcely be controverted by any
who underftand the true and folid interefls of nations and communities.
The inflance of the king of PrufTia inviting the French proteflant refu-
gees to fettle in his dominions, as quoted in the former ftatutc, and their
general admifhon into the United provinces, in both which countries
they have been of immenfc benefit to their protedlors, have flrongly
verified the above pofition in the firft flatute.

In Holland, fays Dr. D'Avenant, in the fecond part of his Dijcoui-Jcs
on the public rcvetmes and trade of England, Loudon, 1698, p. iiytli,
' there is reafon to think, that the national flock of that flate is increal-
' ed near 8 millions fince the war ; in regard that by the wifdom of their
' conftitution they invite dayly to them, and increafe in number of in-
' habitants.'

A. D. lyii- 23:

To what difEculties, and even diftrefles, have we very lately been re-
duced, from a real want of men for our fleets and armies ? Yet it ftill
appears, from the difpofition of even great numbers ofperfons ofknow-
lege and abilities in our own days, that the old prejudices, if we may be
allowed to call them fo, againfl a general naturalization are not as yet
eafily to be overcome.

A fpirit of gaming prevailed at this time in fmaller private and un-
lawful lotteries, under the denomination of fales of gloves, fans, cards,
plate, &c. alfo offices for infurances on marriages, births, chriflenings,
fervices, &c. and dayly advertifements for fuch were published in the
newfpapers ; and alfo, for the improvement of fmall fums of money :
a claufe therefor was infertedin an a6l of the 10th year of Queen Anne,
(intitled, an act for laying additional duties on hides, Ikins, &c.)
whereby a penalty of L500 was enacled on any perfons fetting up fuch
offices, lotteries, &c.

The African company's affairs being much in diforder, an adl was'
now pafled ' for making effedual fuch agreement as ffiould be made
' between the royal African company of England and their creditors.'
' For the benefit of their creditors, it was enaded, ' that two-thirds or
' more of them, in number and value, might on or before the 20th of
•^ December 171 2, under hand and feal, confent to allow them a fpacc
' of time for payment of their debts, or to make any other agreements-
' with them refpeding their debts ; which agreements by two thirds, &c.
' as above, fhould bind all the reft of thofe creditors, faving always the

* queen's duties.' On this occafion, there were feveral refolutions oi^-
the houfe of commons, which in part teftify the great importance of
this trade, for fupplying our fugar and other American colonies ; as.
tliat this trade ought to be free for all the queen's fubjeds, in a regulated
company ; that forts and fettlements on that coaft are necellliry, which
forts fliould be maintained out of the trade; that contracts and alliances
are neceflary to be maintained with the natives; that the ])lantations
Ihould be fupplied with a fufficient quantity of negroes at reafonable
rates ; that a confiderable ftock is neceflary for carrying on that trade ;
and, that it is neceflary that an exportation of at leaft Li 00,000 in
merchandize, be annually made trom Great Britain thither. The firfl:
fix of thofe refolutions were confirmed, but the feventh was rejected,
and a bill was thereupon ordered into the houfe, yet it did not fucceed.

An acft of parliament was ixdled, ' for continuing the trade a!'\d cor-
' poration capacity of the United Eaft-ladia company, although their
' fund fliould be redeemed.' It having been enaded by the flatute of
the 6th of (^icen Anne, ' that upon payment to the company of the
' L3, 200,000 due by the public, upon tliree years notice after ladv-day
' I 726, the benefit of iheir trade fliould ceafe and determine ; yet, upon-

* the company's humble petition, and to the intent that they and their:

^4 A. D. 1 71 2.

* fucceflbrs may be the better encouraged to proceed in their trade, and
' to make fuch lafling fettlements for the fupport and maintenance
' thereof for the benefit of the Britifh nation;' it was now enaded,

* that not only the provifo in the above ftatute for the redemption and
' determination of the duties on fait and (lamps, and of 5 per cent on
' imported Eaft-India goods, and their yearly fund, but likewife of the
' benefit of the trade and of the corporation, is hereby repealed and

* made void ; and that the faid duties and fund fliall continue, and the

* faid United company, and their fucceffors, fliall have and enjoy fuch
^ part of their yearly fum of Li 60,000 as they fliall hereafter be intitled
' to, and all the benefit of trade, franchifes, privileges, profits, and ad-
' vantages, whatever, granted to the company by former ftatutes and
' charters: provided, that, at anytime, upon three years notice after

* lady-dav 1733, and repayment of the faid L3, 200,000, and of the faid

* yearly fund of L 160,000, then the faid duties and fund fliall abfolutely

* ceafe and determine.' [10 ^nne, c. 28.]

We muft here remark, that although the title of this ftatute may feem
to imply a perpetuity in their exclufive trade, even although their fund
fliould be redeemed, as they themfelves alleged in the year 1730, when
petitioned againft to the parliament, as will be feen, yet the body (or the
enacting claufes of this a6l) does not clearly imply fo much : but, on the
contrary, declares, ' that the company fliall be fubjed, neverthelefs, to

* the reftridlions, covenants, and agreements, of former ad:s and charters
' now in force ; and alfo fubje6t to the general provifoes or conditions
' of redemption above named.'

But in the very next ftatute, fave one, of this fame feflion of parlia-
ment, the enadting claufe in behalf of the South-fea company is unex-
ceptionably clear, viz. ' an ad; for continuing the trade to the South
' feas, granted by an a£l of the laft feflion of parliament, although the

* capital ftock of the faid corporation fliould be redeemed.' This acl,
after reciting the former one, for the eftablifliment of the company,
adds, ' and whereas fome doubts may arife concerning the power of re-
' demption intended by the faid a6l and charter, which might tend to
' difcourage the fiid company in expending fuch large fums of money
' as are necefliry for new fettlements, and fettling a trade there, for the
' future benefit of Great Britain ; for explanation thereof, be it enad-
' ed, that at any time, upon one year's notice after chriftmas 1716,
' upon repayment of the principal fura due to the company, then all
' the impofitions and duties fliall and may be difpofed of by parliament,
' and the yearly fund fliall ceafe and determine. But the faid corpora-
' tion, by the name aforefaid, after fuch redemption ot the faid yearly
' fund, fliall continue for ever, and have perpetual fucceflion; and fliall
' hold and enjoy all forts, factories, and acquifitions, that they fliall ere<5l
' within the limits prcfcribed ; and fliall have the fole benefit of trade

A. D. 1712.- 2-5

■ in and to tlie South Teas, and fuch other power of trade in the fifhery
' as by the faid a6l is diretSled, and all other benefits, powers, privileges,
' and advantages, as if no fuch redemption were had or made.'

In a reprefentation of the Eaft-India company to the houfe of com-
mons, againfi: laying additional duties- on calicoes, muflins, cottons,
tea, coffee, and drugs, that company alleged, * that they annually ex-
* ported to the Eafl-Tndies about LifOjOOO value in woollen goods and
' other Englifh produd:.'

The king of France granted a patent to Mr. Crozat, hisfecretary, for
r5 years, of the whole commerce of ' all the lands in North-America,
' lying between New-France on the north, Carolina on the eaft, and
' New-Mexico on the weft, down to the gulf of Florida, by the name
' of Louiflana, fince named the province of Miflifippi.' In the preamble
to this famous patent the king fays, ' that having in the year 1683,
' given orders to the Sieur de la Salle to make difcovery of the faid coun-
' try above defcribed, he fiicceeded fo well, that it was now beyond
' doubt that a communication may be prafticable between the bay of
' Mexico and New-France, by certain vaft rivers. This obliged us im-
' mediately on the peace of Ryfwick to fend thither a colony and gar-
' rifon, which has maintained the pofTeffion we took, in the faid year
' 1683, of lands, coafts, and iflands fituated in the gulf of Mexico, be-

■ tween Carolina on the eaft, and old and new Mexico on the weft. Bur,
' war breaking out again in Europe, we have not been able till now to
' render that colony fo advantageous as we hoped for.' The bounds
jiow granted to Crozat were, * from the mouth of the river MilFifippi,
' in the bay of Mexico, to the lake Illinois northward; and from New-
' Mexico on the weft, to the lands of the Englifh of Carolina eaft ward ;
' with all rivers, ports, creeks, ifles, &c. by the name of Louifianu ; the
' province, however, to depend on the general government of New-
' France, and be deemed a part thereof. Crozat to enjoy the fole trade
' ofallexportationsto,and importations from, this province for 15 years;
' as alfo all mines, minerals, &c. paying a fifth of thele to the king,
' and an immunity during, that term from cuftom outward and home-
' ward, &c.'

This is the whole of the French king's title to the pofTeflion of the
vaft country, which, by virtue of his plenary power, he was plealed to
call his own. Under the year 1698, we have related his firft attempting
a fettlement there; but as it was only at the mouth of the river Mifli-
fippi, it properly and folely belonged to Spain to oppole it, as being
within the limits of Florida. From thence France, on any rupture with
Spain, may greatly annoy the Spanlth dominions in old and new Mexico,
&.C. But when, in the above grant to Crozat, Louis clearly proclaimed
his plan of joining Louifiana to New-France, and thereby hemming in
the Englifti continental colonies between the Mifiifippi and the lea eaft-

VoL. 111. D

26 A. D. 1 7 12.

ward, what name AkiII we give to our Engliili counfcllors at fiich a time,
who fupinely (if not treacheroufly) fuffered fuch a grant to pafs un-
opjiofed, when the charters of our king, Charles 11, to the lords pro-
prietors of Carolina granted to them all the lands dired:ly weft to the
South feas, which confequently included the country on both fides the
river Miflifippi * ?

We may, under this year, note, that Erafmus Philips's State of the
nation, in refped to her commerce, debts, and money, [2d edition, p. 25]
makes ' the balance of England's trade, one year with another, to have
' been in our favour, on an average L2, 881, 357 from 1702 to 1712 ; fo
' that, allowing a great abatement for falfe entries, here is room enough
' for the greatefl fceptic to admit of a large balance, over and above the
' neceilary expenfes ot the war f.

Before we enter upon the formal conclufion of the commercial part
of the treaty of Uirecht, we fhall briefly exhibit the fubflance of the
new treaty, concluded on the 29th of January 17 13, of mutual guaran-
tee for the proteflant fuccefllon to the crown of Great Britain, and for
the barrier of the flates-general of the United Netherlands. The ftipu-
lation in cafe either fliould be attacked, was, on the part of Great Bri-
tain, 10,000 foot to the alFiftance of the ftatcs, and by the dates 6,000
foot to the afliflance of Great Britain ; alio, 20 fliips of war by either
party. And in cafe of fudden and imminent danger, each party was
obliged (being required by the other) to augment their fuccours, and
to declare war againfl; the aggreflbr ; and even to join all their forces by
land and fea to thole of the party attacked. This treaty repealed one
of the fame kind, made in the year 1709.

We have the befl; authority for obferving, that the copper manufac-
ture of England was by this time brought to the greateft degree of per-
fedion ; it being exprefsly fo declared in a flatute of the 12th of Queen
Anne, for making perpetual the adt made in the 13th and 14th years
of the reign of King Charles II, intitled, an adl for the better relief of
the poor of this kingdom, &c. by which, an expired claufe of an a(ft of
the 9th and 10th of King WiUiam, enading, ' that any of his majefty's
* fubjecfts may export from England, copper-bars imported from foreign
' parts ; and, upon exportation, fliall draw back all duties, or vacate the
' fecurities, laving the half of the old fubfidy, as is ufual in other com-
' modities,' was now revived, in the words following, viz. ' which

* Qu. Had Charles more right to make gifts of EnglanJ, the balance of trade was not near fo high

the CDuntry belonging to the native Americans th;in in anyone of the years here condefccndcd on, cx-

Louis had ? The Spaniards fay that neither of them cept 1712, when it wris L3, 114, 174, whereof

had any title to a foot of land in America ; and the L6do,oi7 was bnllion. But the average of the ten

aboriginal natives with miicli more truth affirm, years ending with cluiflmas 1712 wai L2, 178, 955,

tliat all the white people (with the exception of includingthe bullion exported, which wasL464,059

t!ie Penfylvanians and veiy few others) are intrud- on the average of thofe ten years : and that being

ers, robbers, and rr.urdcreis. M. dcdufted, the real balance v,as about Ll, 7 14,896.

t By Sir Charles Whitworth's Slate oflhc trade nf M. 3

A. D. ly 12. 27

' claufe being expired, and forafmuch as the copper manufa(fl;ure of this
' kingdom is brought to fuch perfedion, that there is more made than

* can be expended here and in the phmtations ; be it therefor enact-

* ed, &c. provided neverthelefs, that no drawback be allowed on the
' exportation of any copper, but fuch as fhall be imported from the
' Eaft-Indies and the coaft of Barbary only.'

1713. — We are now come to a remarkable epocha of commercial hif-
ftory ; for, on the iich of April, new ftile, in the year 1713, Queen
Anne's plenipotentiaries at Utrecht ligned her treaty of peace, and alfo,
at the fame time, a treaty of navigation and conmierce, with France ;
and ratified the fame in four weeks after. Much has been written and
publiflied againft the conditions of this peace, which that queen's new
minifters, for their own fafety, were determined to conclude.

But as commercial matters alone, and fuch points as are nearly con-
nected therewith, are our proper province, we fliall content ourfelves
with briefly remarking, on what is properly the treaty of peace.

I) That though the French king yielded to the queen of Great
Britain, to be pofitfled by her in full right for ever, the bay and ftraits
of Hudfon, and all parts thereof, and within the fame, then polTefled by
France, yet leaving the boundaries between Hudfon's Bay and the north
parts of Canada, belonging to France, to be determined by commiilaries
within a year, was, in effe<ft, the fame thing as giving up the point alto-
gether ; it being well known to all Europe, that France never permits
her commiflliries to determine fuch matters, unlefs with sjreat advantasre
to her. Thofe boundaries therefor have never yet been fettled, though
both Britifh and French fubjccfts are, by that article, exprefsly debarred
from pafling over the fame, or thereby to go to each other by fea or
land. Thofe commifl-iries were likewife to fettle the boundaries between
the other Brititb and French colonies on tliat continent ; which likewife
was never done.

Commiflaries were alfo to fettle, according to the rule of juflice, the
fatisfaclion to be given to the Englifli Hudfon's Bav companv lor the
damage done to their fettlements, fhips, perfons, and goods, by the hof-
tile incurfions and depredations of the French, in time of peace. And
this too was never efFe61uallv done.

II) St. Chrlltopher? was tlie more eafily yielded to the queen, as the
French had before been expelled from it.

III) But although all Nova-Scotia and Acidia, with its antient boun-
daries, were yielded to Qiieen Anne for ever ; as alfo the city of
Port-Royal, now called Annapolis-Royal, and the fubjeds of France were*-
thereby excluded from filhing in the feas, bays, &c. on the coafts of
Nova-Scotia; yet thofe antient boundaries were never yet juflly afcer-
tained by France ; and the ambiguous term, antient boundaries, was,
doubilefs, purpofely contrived by France, for her future dcfigns ; and^

D 2

28 A. D. 1713.

inftead of the true limits of Nova-Scotia, they dill pretended, that only
the peninfula called Acadia was thereby intended to be yielded up, and
not what we called Nova-Scotia, which is properly bounded by the
Ocean, and the bay and river of St. Laurence quite up to Canada ;
which river, we contended, was the antient boundary between Nova-
Scotia and New-France or Canada.

IV) But the ifland of Cape-Breton, which was always deemed a
part of Nova-Scotia, and which is better fituated for the fiihery than
any other part of it, and for the French to interrupt our fiihery and
the communication between Newfoundland and our continental colonies,
was yielded to France ; as alfo all the other iflands in the mouth of the
bay and of the river of St. Laurence, whereby the French were permit-
ted to fortify as they fhould judge proper.

V) Though Newfoundland, with the adjacent lefler iflands, and
the town and fortrefs of Placentia, and whatever elfe the French pof-
fefTed there, were yielded to Britain ; yet thereby, neverthelefs, the
the French were permitted to ere6t ftages made of boards, and huts,
necefTary and ufual for drying their fifli during the fifhing feafon. The
French therefor had liberty to caich fifli, and to dry them on the fliore,
llretching from Cape-Bonavifta to the northern point of the ifland, and
and from thence running fouth by the weft-fide as far as Point Riche ;
thus, having all the advantages of Newfoundland, (which ifland, it is
well known, can never be made a profitable colony or plantation) with-
out the expenie of holding forts and garrifons, wifely left to Great Bri-
tain alone.

VI) The French of Canada were to give no hindrance nor molefl-
ation to the five nations of Iroquois Indians fubjedl to the dominion of
Great Britain, nor to the other natives of America who are friends to
the lame. Yet it is notorious what violence rhe Canadians and French
have fince committed againft thofe Indian nations, fubjeds of the crown
of Great Britain, and what arts, at other times, they have pradifed to
draw them off from their allegiance.

By the ninth Article, France agrees to theintire demolition of all the
fortifications, and of the port, of Dunkirk, and all its fluices, moles, &c.
within five months ; and that they fhould never be reftored nor rebuilt
on any pretence whatever.

The articles of the treaty of navigation and commerce between Great
Britain and France are 41 in number ; moft of which being in the cuf-
lomary form, we fhall pais over : but we could not omit our animad-
verfions on the 8th and 9th articles, as they were fo extraordinary in
themfelves, and as they occafioned fo great a ftir and uneafinefs at that
time, as to bring the whole treaty of coramerce to miicarry then, and
ever fince.

A. D. 1 7 13. 29

' Article VIII) That all the fubjedls of the queen of Great Britain
and of the mofl chriftian king, in all countries and places fubjed to
their power on each fide, as to all duties, impofitions, or cuftoms
whatibever, concerning perfons, goods, merchandize, fhips, freights,
feamen, navigation, and commerce, fhall ufe and enjoy the fame pri-
vileges, liberties, and immunities, at leaft, and have the like favour in
all things, as well in the courts of juftice, as in all fuch things as relate
either to commerce, or to any other right whatfoever, which any fo-
reign nation, the mofl favoured, has, ufes, and enjoys, or may here-
after have, ufe, and enjoy.

IX) ' That within the fpace of two months after, a law fhall be made
in Great Britain, whereby it fliall be fufficiently provided, that no
more cufloms or duties be paid for goods and merchandize brought
from France into Great Britain than what are payable for goods and
merchandize of the like nature, imported into Great Britain froni
any other country in Europe ; and that all laws made in Great Bri-
tain, fince the year 1664, for prohibiting the importation of any goods
and merchandize coming from France, which were not prohibited
before that time, be repealed: the general tarif made in France, on
the 18th of September, in the faid year 1664, fliall take place there
again, and the duties payable in France by the lubjedts of Great
Britain for goods imported and exported, fhall be paid according
to the tenor of the tarif above mentioned, and fhall not exceed the
rule therein fettled, in the provinces whereof mention is there made;
and in the other provinces the duty fjiall not be payable otherwife
than according to the rule at that time prefcribed ; and all prohibi-
tiims, tarifs, edids, declarations, or decrees, made in France fince
the faid tarif of the year 1664, and contrary thereunto, in refpedl
to the goods and merchandize of Great Britain, fliall be repealed.
But whereas it is urged on th-^ part of France, that certain mer-
chandizes, that is to fay, manufadares of wool, fugar, faked fifh, and
the produtfl of whales, be excepted out of the rule of the above-men-
tioned tarif, and that likewife other heads of matters belonging to this
treaty remain, which, having been propoled on the part of Great Bri-
tain, have not yet been mutually adjufled ; a fj^ecification of all which
is contained in a feparate inftrumcnt, fubfcribed by the ambafladors
extraordinary and plenipotentiaries on bolh fides ; it is hereby provid-
ed and agreed, that, within two months from tlie exchange of the rati-
fications of this treaty, commlfl'aries on boih lldcs fliall meet at London,
to confider of, and remove, tlie difficulties concerning the merchan-
dizes to be excepted out of the tarif of the year 1664-, and concerning
the other heads, which, as is above laid, are npt yet whojely adjufled.
And, at the fame time, the f:\id commiiraries lliall likewife endeavour
(which feems to be very much for the intereilof both nations) to have

30 A. D. 1713.

* to have the methods of commerce, on one part and on the other, more
' thoroughly examined, and to find out and eftabUfli jufl; and beneficial
' means on both fides, fi.)r removing the difficulties in this matter, and
' fi^r regulating the duties mutually. But it is always underflood and
' provided, that all and fingular the articles of this treaty do, in the

* meanwhile, remain in their full force; and efpecially that nothing be
' deemed, under any pretence whatfoever, to hinder the benefit of the

* general tarif of the year 1664, from being granted to the fubjedls of

* her royal majefiy of Great Britain, and the faid Britilh fubjeds, from
' having and enjoying the fame, without any delay or tergiveriUtion,
' within the fpacc of two months after a law is made in Great Britain
' as above-faid ; in as ample manner and form as the fubjeds of any na-
' tion the mod favoured might have and enjoy the benefit of the afore-

* faid tarif; any thing to be done or difcufled by the faid commiflaries
' to the contrary in anywife notwithfi:anding.'

When thefe two articles came to be known by the merchants of Great
Britain, they were received with the utmofl; furprife and indignation ;
and the clamour was loud and univerfal, infomuch, that it occafioned
a famous weekly paper to be publifhed, (the joint work ot a number of
eminent merchants) with the title of the Britidi merchant, or commerce
preferved "*, in defence of our commerce with Portugal, and againft
confirming the 8th and 9th articles by law. There were alfo fundry
feparate trads publiihed on the fame fide. On the other hand, thofcin
power found tools to juftify their condud ; and particularly Daniel
Defoe, who publifiied a weekly reply, called Mercator, or commerce re-
trieved. But the former having truth and fads on its fide, clearly
evinced to the world, that a compliance with thofe two articles would
eifedually ruin the commerce we carried on to Portugal, the very befc
branch of all our European commerce f. That the oth article put
France on an equal footing with Portugal, or any other of our bed:
allies, in point of commerce: but that the 9th article fi:ruck more
di redly at the very root of our Portugal trade; feeing, by introducing
the tarif of 1664, the wines and brandies of France would be poured
in upon us, inftcad of thofe of Portugal ; though the later took oft
great quantities of our woollen, iron, linen, &c. manufadures, and
thereby fent us a large yearly balance of money over and above all the
wines, oils, and fruits, which we took from them.

On the other hand, by agreeing to the two articles, and to the tarif
of 1664, France would probably gain annually from Great Britain above
a million fterling, not only from the vafl; confumption of their alluring

• Since coUefted, and puhlilhed in 3 vols. 8vo. /}. coive, how an opinion flionld fo long havj pievail-

f It lias been fmcc diicovercd, that there may cd, that the trade of fo fmall a country as Portu,-

fie better branches of European commerce than ^al flioud be the moit valuable of all our branches.

:iia.t of Portugal. Indeed, il is not eafy to co:i- ofcjramwce. M.

A. D. 1713. 31

wines and brandies, but of numberlefs other articles of filk, lac, linen,
needle-work, and paper, bellde fruits, 8cc. which the authors of the Bri-
tifh merchant made out thus, viz.

- Our imports from France, upon agreeing to thofe two articles, would

annually amount to - _ - _ Li, 712, 559 7 o

And our exports thither would not exceed - 270,181 14 11

Annual balance againft, or lofs to, Great Britain L 1,442, 377 12 i

while, on the other hand, the French had fo efFedually contrived the
exclufion of our woollen and iron manufodures, and almofl; every other
Britifli produdion, that our (hips would have had very little to do in
the French ports but to load home their commodities.

This is, in brief, the fum of this mercantile controverfy. When it was
brought into parliament, it was fo apparent that our trade with France
bad ever been a ruinous one, and that if, in confequence of accepting
the 8th and 9th articles, the Britilh i^arliament fhould confent to reduce
the high duties and take off the prohibitions fo prudently laid on French
commodities, it would effednally ruin the very bell branches of our
commerce, and would therefor deprive many hundred thoufand manu-
fadturers of their fubfiftence ; which was alfo fupported by petitions
from many parts of the kingdom : that, although a great majority of
that houi'e of commons was in other refpefts clofely attached to the
miniftry, the bill for agreeing to the two articles was rejed^ed by a ma-
jority of nine voices, after the mofl: eminent merchants had been heard
at the bar of that houfe, to the great joy of the whole trading part of
the nation, and of all other impartial people. Thus the commerce be-
tween us and France has ever Ance remained in a kind of a ftate of pro-
hibition on both fides, efpecially with refped; to the principal points.
Though it is much to be feared, that by the clandeftine importation of
French liquors, cambrics, fruits, embroideries, lace, &.c. we are ftill
confiderable lofers on the balance with that nation ; as they will take
few or none of our manufadures, and but little of our produd; tobacco,
lead, tin, coals, and fome few other inconfiderable articles, excepted.

Ill as our miniftry managed at this time in refped of commerce, we
ought to do them the jullice to acknowlcge their circumfpedion in re-
gard to the two articles of the treaty with King Philip of Spain, viz. part
of article 8th. ' Neither the catholic king, nor any of his heirs and
* fuccelFors, fliall fell, yield, pawn, transfer, or by any means, or under
' any name, alienate from them and the crown of Spain, to the French,
' or to any other nation whatfoevcr, any lands, dominions, or territories,
' belonging to Spain in America : on the contrary, that the Spanifli
' dominions there may be [wefervcd whole and entire, the queen of

32 A. D. 1715.

* Great Britain engages to endeavour to give afliftance to the Spaniards,

* that the antient limits of their dominions in the Weft-Indies be

* reftored and fettled as they flood in the time of the catholic king,

* Charles TI.'

Article X) ' That all and fingular the fubjeds of each kingdom of

* Great Britain and Spain, (hall, in all countries and places, on both

* fides, have and enjoy, at leaft, the fame privileges, liberties, and im-
' munities, as to all duties, impofitions, or cuftoms whatfoever, relating

* to peribns, goods, and merchandize, fliips, freight, feamen, navigation,.
' and commerce ; and fhall have the like favour in all things as the fub-
' jedls of France or of any other foreign nation the moft favoured, have,

' pofTefs, or enjoy.'

By the faid tenth article, Spain yielded for ever to the Britifh crown
the full and entire property of the town, port, and caftle of Gibraltar,
' but without any territorial jurifdidion, or any open communication
' by land with the country round about ; whereby abufes and frauds
' may be avoided by importing any kind of goods : yet, as the com-
' munication by fea with the coaft of Spain may not at all times be
' fafe and open, and thereby it may happen that the ganifon and other

* inhabitants may be brought to great ftraits ; and as it is the intention
' of the catholic king, that only fraudulent importations of goods fhould

* be hindered by an inland communication ; it was therefor now provid-

* ed, that in fuch cafes it may be lawful to purchafe, for ready money, in
' the neighbouring territories of Spain, provifions, &c. for the ufc of the

* garrifon, fo as no merchandize be imported by Gibraltar into Spain ;
' otherwife they fhall be conflfcated.' We may here, however, obferve,
that had Gibraltar had a fmall territory annexed to it on the land fide,
the Spaniards could not have fince eredled the fort on the ifthmus, fo
near the town, as to prove fome obftruftion to fhips from anchoring in.
time of war farther up the bay.

The eleventh article with Spain yields to the Britifh crown the pro-
perty of the ifland of Minorca, with the port and forts of Port Mahon,
for ever.

But with refped to Gibraltar and Minorca it was exprefsly ftipulated,

* that in cafe it fhall feem meet hereafter to the crown of Great Britain

* to grant, fell, or alienate, the propriety of either, the preference of
' having the fame fliall always be given to- the ci?own of Spain before
' afny others.'

The twelfth article grants ' to her Britannic majefly, and to the com-

* pany of her fubjedls appointed for that purpofe (the South-fea com-

* pany) as well the fubjeds of Spain as all others being excluded, the
' contrad for introducing negroes into feveral parts of the dominions
' of his catholic majefty in America (commonly called, EI pnilo de elaffiento

* de negros) at the rate of 4,800 negroes yearly for the fpace of 30 years

I

A. D. 1713. -^^

' fucceflively, beginning from ift of May 171 3, on the fame conditions

* on which the French company had formerly enjoyed it *.'

It is faid, that the Britifh minifters at firft demanded a free trade for
Great Britain to Spanifh America; but that was a mere iUufion, fince
it would have inflamed the jealoufy of all the reft of Europe. Yet fure-
ly, confidering the fervice they had done to King Philip, they might
have obtained a more favourable alTiento ; fince it was confelfed, that
all former aflientifls had a<3:ually been lofers, although on as good terms
as the prelent affiento, excepting only the annual fhip, which King
Philip allowed to the South-fea company, for the term of 30 years, of
500 tons burden, Spanifh meafure, wherewith they were to trade to
Spanifli America ; but of which the catholic king referved one fourth of
the gain, befides 5 per cent on the other three, fourths. Thus did our
minifters, in this refped: at leaft, fuffer us and the South-fea company to
be outwitted by the Spanifli minifters: it was univerfally known, that the
Portuguefe company firft, and next the French one, were undone by their
, affiento contrads for fupplying the Spanifli Weft-Indies with negroes ;
and this fugar-plurab of an annual trading ftiip, granted to our company,
was too much clogged with difficulties to prove of any certain advantage,
more efpecially confidering how much the court of Madrid had it in
their power to fufpend the licence for any fuch annual fhip, 8cc. as they
often pradifed, and to feize on the company's effeds in America at
pleafure.

Part of the fifteenth article : * and whereas it is infifted on the part of
' Spain, that certain rights of fifliing at the ifland of Newfoundland do
' belong to the Guipufcoans, or other fubjeds of the catholic king ;
' her Britannic majefty confents and agrees, that all fuch privileges as
' the Guifpufcoans and other people of Spain are able to make claim
' to by right, fliall be allowed and preferved to them-f-.'

In the meanwhile the earl of Oxford, lord high treafurer of Great
Britain and governor of the South fea company, in a general court of
that company, on the 2d of June, 1713, acquainted them, that her ma-
jefty had preiented the company witli the alJicnto contradt; and had al-
io procured for them two licences from the king of Spain, for two fliips
of 600 tons each, for carrying merchandize the firft year to the northern
ports of the Spanifli Wefl-Iiidies, befides the annual fliip of 500 tons.
Whereupon the company, flulhed with fuch pompous appearances,
illucd 1.200,000 more in bonds, for carrying on their trade with vigour:
and her majefty lent two of her own fliips, to be the two firft licenced

* Here it was liitcadcd to infi.rt the South f<a company's iinicnto contract. But as all that com-
ji.iny's men amile concerns arc long ago laid afulc, it is nccdlcfs to enlarge on a fubjcft not likely to
be ever renewed, yf.

\ This point Jias never yet Iwen clearly afcertauied, and pro".>abIy never will. yf.

Vol. III. E

34 A. D. 1713.

fhips for carrying over the company's goods, fadlors, and Servants. Biif
yet the court of du'eftors were not a Uttle furprlfed to find, that the
queen had referved to herfelf, or to her afligns, another quarter part of the
.afliento ; befide her grant of 7-^ per cent to Don Manuel Manafl'es Gil-
ligan, the Spanifli agent at her court, out of the clear profits of the an-
nual fliip : yet (he afterward refigned her quarter part of the afllento to
the company, on condition that they fhould, befides the above grant to
Gilligan, aflign 21 7 per cent of the clear profits of the annual fliip to
perfons whom flie would afterward name, who were then faid to be
Lord Eolingbroke, Lady Mafliam, and Arthur Moore, Efq. Such were
then the wild and ill-grounded expedtations from this new trade ; yet,
on better advice, the queen gave up entirely to the company her part
of the fuppofcd profits, to the no fmall mortification of the above and
other courtiers, as was then commonly reported, and generally believed.

On the 30th of April 171 3 the houfe of commons, after reading
the feveral petitions of the feparate traders to the coaft of Guinea with-
in the limits of the royal African company, once more refolved, that
the trade to Africa ought to be free and open to all the queen's fubjeds,
under fuch proper regulations as fhould fubjedl that trade to duties for
maintaining its forts and fettlemcnts. Yet a bill for this purpofe was
foon after dropped in the houfe of peers.

Peter, the czar of Mufcovy, in completion of his plan for a new em-
porium at St. Peterfhurgh, now removed the bulk of the commerce of
Archangel thither, and alfo tranfplanted 30,000 people from his antient
capital city of Mofcow, and obliged more of his bojars (or nobles) to
eredt palaces therein, as he alfo did one for himfelf, making St. Peterf-
burgh henceforth his ufual refidence.

The great importance of the filk manufacHiures of England, at this
time, eminently appeared from a petition to parliament by the weaver's
company of London in behalf of thofe nianufadtures. They therein
fet forth, that by the encouragement of the crown, and of divers adts
of parliament, the filk manufadture is come to be above twenty times
as great as it was in the year 1664: and that all forts of black and col-
oured filks, gold and filver fluffs, and ribands, are now made here as
good as in France. That black filk for hoods and fcarves, not made
here above 25 years ago, hath amounted annually to above L300,ooo
worth, for feveral years pafi:, which before were imported from France;
which increafe of the filk manufacture hath caufed an increafe of our
exportation of woollen goods to Turkey, Italy, &c.

This petition was purpofely levelled againfl the 8th and 9th articles
of the commercial treaty with France, the ratification of which propof-
ed by parliament would, in place of our filk manufidlure, have intro-
duced an inundation of French filks, ribands, embroideries, &c. whefe-
by our Spitalfields and Canterbury looms would have flood flill, and our

A. D. 1713. ^^

moft profitable trade in woollen goods, &c. with Portugal, would have
been utterly loft.

During the two laft wars with France the manufaclurers of England
did irreparable damage to the French, by imitating them in, and even
out-doing them in, many of their beft manufactures, wherewith they
had before fupplied almoft all the reft of Europe. Neceflity, indeed,
firft prompted our people thereunto, in which they were much alFifted
by the French refugees, as we have obferved more at large under the
years 1685 and 1692.

By the treaty of Utrecht, between France and Portugal, the former
yields up all pretenfions to the lands of Cape-Nord, fituated between the
river of Amazons and that of Japoc or Vincent Pinfon. And the
French king thereby declares, that both fides of the river Amazons, as
well Ibuth as north, belong to Portugal ; and he defifts trom any claim
to navigation on the river Amazons, and from all right to any other
domain of his Portuguefe majefty, as well in America as in all other
parts of the world. Neither ihali the French of Cayenne pafs the river
of Vincent Pinion for traflfic, nor fliall buy flaves in the territories of
Cape-Nord. Nor, on the other hand, fhall any Portuguefe go to trade
at Cayenne. Of all which, the queen of Great Britain is hereby confl:i-
tuted guarantee. As this Ihort treaty fhews that France, at that time,
made pretenfions to fome part of that continent, fo it may hereafter be
ufefiil to illuftrate fame commercial point or concern in that part of the
world.

By the treaty between France and the king of Pruflia at Utrecht,
Louis recognil'es the kmg of Pruffia's title and dignity as a king, and
acknowleges him fovereign lord of the principality of Neufchatel and
Valengin, to which Louis grants the fame commercial privileges as are
enjoyed by the reft of the Helvetic nation ; and, m his grandfon's name,
he confirms to him the upper quarter of Gelderland ; which cellion,
however, at firft alarmed the Dutcli not a httle, on account of their trade
on the Meufe, and their communication with Maeftrecht, Liege, Huy,
and Namur. But there was no remedy.

On the other hand, the king of Pruflia thereby renounced all right to
the principality of Orange.

By the loth article of Louis's treaty with the duke of Savoy, it was
ftipulated, that the ordinary commeice of Italy, between France and
that duke, be managed by the way of Suza, Savoy, and Pont de beau
Voifin, and Villa-Franca ; each paying the duties and cuftoms on both
fides, and the French fliips paying the antient duty, called the duty of
Villa Franca.

In the French king's treaty with the ftates-general of the United
Netherlands, at Utrecht, he engages, by the 32d artick-. not to claim

E2

36 A. D. 1713.

nor accept any other advantage, either for himfelf or his fubjeds, in
commerce and navigation, whether in Spain or in the Spanifli In-
dies, belide that which he enjoyed during the reign of the late King
Charles II, or that fhall be likewife granted to every other trading na-
tion.

By their proper treaty of commerce, navigation, and marine affairs
with France, (confifting of 44. articles, befide a feparate one,) which
was to laft for 25 years; the 9th article grants equal liberty to the
Dutch as to the fubjeds of France, to carry merchandize from the Le-
Tant to Marfeilles, as well by their own fhips as in French fhips, with-
out being fubjedl to the 20 per cent, unlefs in cafes where the French
themfelves are fubjedt to it. By the loth, the Dutch may freely im-
port faked herrings into France, without being liable to repackage.
By the 19th, contraband goods are defcribed to be all forts of fire-arms
and military ucenfils ; alfo faltpetre, horfes, faddles, holfters, belts, &c.
But by the 20th, wheat and other corn, pulfe, oil, wine, and fait, were
not to be deemed contraband goods, nor were any other things, in ge-
neral, which tended to the nourifhment of life, but fhall remain free,
as other merchandize, and may be tranfported even to enemies, except-
ing to towns actually befieged or blocked up. By the- 29th, privateers
fhall give 15,000 livres tournois, fecurity for their not committing dif-
orders, &c.

The refl of the articles relate to a multitude of points ufual in all
other treaties of commerce, concerning mutual liberty of commerce,
reception in their ports, captures, contraband goods, tolls, damages,
fearching fhips for contraband goods, arrefls, impofts, pafTports, goods
belonging to either party found in enemies fhips, feizures, &c. and
therefor needlefs to be particularized. But the feparate article flipu-
lates, ' that the impofition of 50 fols per ton, laid in France upon the
' fhips of foreigners, fliall entirely ceafe for the future with refped: to
' all Dutch fhips arriving in France, either loaded or in ballafi ; except-
' ing only in one particular cafe, viz. when Dutch fliips fhall load mer-
' chandize in one port of France, and tranfport them to another port
' of France to unload them.'

In July 1713, there was a temporary or provifional contradi figned
at Utrecht between Great Britain and the ftatcs-general, refpeding the
commerce of tlie Spanifh Netherlands, now unnecefUxry to be fpecifi-
ed.

To conclude all that relates to the famous grand alliance againfi:
France, the Britifh miniftry, by their feparate peace, having left and
abandoned the emperor and empire to fliitt for themfelves, it was eafy
to guefs thev would not long hold out againll the power of France and
Spain. The emperor, therefor, for himfelf, in March 1714, (N. S.)
concluded, at Rafladt, a peace with France (the French king being em-

A. D. 1713. 37

powered all along ta treat for his grandfon) on as good terms as could
well have been expeded in his then fituation, being obliged to leave
Landau and Strafburg in the poffefllon of France, and to confent that
Arras, Douay, and Lifle, fhould alfo remain to France, and to reftore to
the eledors of Cologne and Bavaria every thing they before enjoyed.
And, in September following, a lolemn treaty of peace was concluded
at Baden between the emperor and empire and the French king,
which confirmed what was ftipulated by that of Raftadt, relating to the
frontier towns in Alface and rhe iVetherlands, and to the revtoration of
the above electors, as alfo recognizing the eledoral dignity to the houfe
of Brunfwic-Lunenburg ; confirmed the former intercourfe of com-
merce between France and the empire, and the rights, commerce, and
privileges, of the imperial cities and Hanfe towns ; as alfo what the em-
peror then pofleiTed in Italy, the neutrality of which country was alfo
confirmed. But nothing is remarkable therein, in relation to commer-
cial hiflory.

This year the former treaties between the fi:ates-general of the
United provinces of the Netherlands, and the burgomaflers and com-
mon council of the free and imperial city of Lubec, for the preferva-
tion of the freedom of commerce, were renewed for fifty years ; to
which defenfive treaty and contederacy, any other of the Hanfe towns
were permitted to accede. This treaty was occafioned by the wars
then raging between the northern potentates bordering on the Baltic
fhores.

In confequence of an ad of parliament [12 Ann. c. 1 1] for raifing
Lr ,200,000 for the public fer\dce, by circulating a farther fum in ex-
chequer bills, &c. the bank of England undertook the circulation of
that fum in exchequer bills, for which they were to have L3 per cent
per annum. And, to enable the bank to perform that circulation, by
exchanging the bills for ready money on demand, this act allows them
L8000 yearly, over and above the L45,ooo allowed them annually by
the 9th of the queen, till all the prefent and former exchequer bills
fliall be paid off and cancelled ; for which end the bank might call in
money from their proprietors, which might be called additional llock.
The bank likewife was to continue a corporation, till all Ihould be paid
off and cancelled. Secondly, on twelve months notice, after the \i\ of
Auguft 1742, and re-payment of the yearly fund, and of the original
capital of Li, 600,000, then the corporation of the bank was to ceafe
■and determine *.

• It is worthy of notice, tliat Sicily, which .ip- pril'e on the one hand, and of lloth and fuperlli-
parently was the originnl mother oi" all the fugiir- lion on the other, npptnrs in a rcprcfentation
canes, which havt- llockcd the Weft-Indie;, ufually to the board of trade by the merchants tradir.g
TcctivcJ fugars at this time from Britain. This re- to Sicily, dated 27th Oiftobcr 1713. M-
maikabic efieft of injuilry and commercial cnler-

i

38 A. D. 1 7 14.

1774. — In the beginning of the year 171 4 the queen's declining
ft.ite of health, and the great uneafinefs of the men of ])roperty on the
apprehenfion of her death, occafioned a confiderable fall in the prices
of the public funds, viz. bank ftock from 126 to 116; South-fea flock
from 944- to 85. There was alfo, for fome days, a great run on the
bank : yet national credit very foon returned to its former ftate, and
even gradually advanced higher than before ; though, at the death of
that princefs, the national debt amounted to about 50 niillions of money.
Upon the petition of Mr. Whifton and Mr. Ditton, fupported by the
opinions of the great Sir Ifaac Newton and Dr. Halley, in the year
171 4 the Britifh parliament pafled an ad [12 Ann. Jeff] 2, c. 15] for
providing a public reward for the difcovery of the longitude at fea.
The preamble obferves, that ' it is well known by all that are ac-
quainted with the art of navigation, that nothing is fo much wanted
and defired at fea as the difcovery of the longitude, for the fafety and
quicknefs of voyages, the prefervation of (hips, and of the lives of
men : and whereas, in the judgment of able mathematicians and na-
vigators, feveral methods have already been difcovered, true in theo-
ry, though very difficult in pradice, fome of which, there is reafon to
expect, may be capable of improvement, fome already difcovered may
be propofed to the public, and others may be invented hereafter.
And whereas fuch difcovery would be of particular advantage to the
trade of Great Britain, and very much for the honour of this king-
dom : but, befidcs the great difficulty of the thing itfelf, partly for the
want of fome public reward as an encouragement, and partly for want
of money for trials and experiments neceflliry thereunto, no fuch in-
ventions or propofals, hitherto made, have been brought to perfec-
tion.' It was therefor now enaded, that the lord high admiral, the
fpeaker of the houfe of commons, and fundry other great officers, by
virtue of their offices, and feveral other perfons, fhould be commiffion-
ers for trying and judging of all propoHtls, experiments, and improve-
ments, relating to the fame; who, being fatisfied of the probability of
fuch difcovery, fhould certify the fame to the commiflioners of the
navy, who were empowered to make out a bill for any fum, not exceed-
ing L2000, which the commiflioners for the longitude fhould think ne-
ceflary for making the experiments. And the ultimate reward offered
to the difcoverer of the longitude, if he determines it to one degree, or
60 geographical miles, was Lio,coo, if to two thirds of a degree, Li 5,000,
and if to half a degree, L2c,ooo, &c.

All that needs farther to be faid on this mofi: important fubjed, is,
that part of the L2000 has been already expended on fruitlefs experi-
ments ; and that many are of opinion the longitude never can be
found. But who can pronounce with certainty on a fubjed of this na-
ture, fince many ufeful difcoverics have, at different times, been made
on othtT points of great importance, when leafl expeded ?^

3

A. D. 1 7 14. 39

Another ftatute made in the fame feffion, [c. 16] for reduchig the
tate of intereft without any prejudice to parUamentary fecurities, h:\<
the following preamble, viz. ' Whereas the reducing of intereft to ten,
* and from thence to eight, and thence to fix, in the hundred, hath from
' time to time, by experience, been found very beneficial to the ad-
' vancement of trade and improvement of lands ; it is become abfo-
' lutely neceffary to reduce the high rate of intereft of 6 per cent to a
' nearer proportion with the intereft allowed for money in foreign
' ftates.' It was therefor enacted, that from the 29th day of Septem-
ber, 1 714, no perfon fhould, diredly nor indiredly, take for the loan of
monies, goods, or merchandize, above the value of L5 for the forbear-
ance of Li 00 for a year; and that all bonds, contrads, and aflurances
whatfoever, made after that day, for payment of any principal or mo-
ney to be lent, or covenanted to be performed upon, or for any ufury,*
whereupon, or whereby, there fliall be referved or taken above the rate
of L5 in the hundred, ftiould be utterly void. That all perfons who
fhould after that time receive, by means of any corrupt bargain,
loan, exchange, chevizance, fhift, or intereft of any wares, merchan-
dize, or other thing whatever, or by any deceitful way or means, or
by any covin, engine, or deceitful conveyance for the forbearing or
giving day of payment, for one whole year, for their money or other
thing, above the fum of L5 for Lioo for a year, fliould forfeit for
every fuch offence the triple value of the monies or other things fo
lent, bargained, &c. And all fcriveners, brokers, folicitors, and driv-
ers of bargains for contratls, who fhould, after that day, receive above
5/ for negotiating the loan of L 100 for a year, or above 12^ over and
above the ftarnp-duties, for renewing the bond or bill for loan, or for
any counter bond or bill concerning the fame, fliould forfeit for every
fuch offence L20, with cofts of fuit, and fuffer imprifonment for half
a year.'

Another ftatute of the fame fellion, [r. 18] for preferving all fuch
fliips and the goods thereof, which fliall happen to be forced on fliore,
or ftranded, upon the coafts of this kingdom, or any other of hermajef-
ty's dominions, confirmed the ftatute of the third of King Edward I, con-
cerning wrecks at lea, which enacts, that where a man, a dog, or a cat,
efcape quick (alive) out of the fliip, neither that fliip nor barge, nor
any thing in them, Ihall be adjudged a wreck ; but the goods fhall be
faved for the proprietors, &c. And alfo a ftatute of the 4th of that
king, that if any lay hands on the wreck, he fliall be attached bv fuffi-
cicnt pledges, and the price of the wreck ftiall be valued and delivered
to the next town. And whereas great complaints have been made by
both Britilh and foreign merchants, that their ihips, being unfortunate-

• The worJ u/ury is Hill rctaiiicil in this aft as the legal tirm for a fair intereft of money, tlioi'^^h in
common acceptation it applies only to inttrell above the lawful lalc.

40 A. D. 1 714.

ly run on fhore near home, have been barbaroufly plundered, and their
cargoes embezzled; and when any part thereof has been faved, it has
been fwallowed up by exorbitant demands for falvage. It was now
enaded, that the flieriffi, juflices of the peace, and magiftrates of port-
towns, alfo conftables, tything-men, and officers of the cuiloms, fhall,
upon application made to them by the concerned, command the con-
ftables to fummon as many men as neceffiiry for alii {ling in the prefer-
vation of fuch fhip in diftrcfs, and the goods thereof; and if any queen's
fhip or merchant-fliip be riding at anchor near the wreck, their affifl:-
ance fliall be demanded; or, negledling fuch afliflance, the commander
oi fuch fhip (hall forfeit Lioo to the proprietors of the fhip in diftrefs.
Secondly, for the encouragement of fuch as fhall affifl, the colledors of
the cufloms, and the commander of fuch fhip, and all others aflifting,
fhall be paid a reafonable reward for the fame fi-om the proprietors.
And, in default of fuch reward, the faid fhip or goods, fo faved, fhall
remain in the cuftody of fuch officer of the cufloms until all charges
be paid, and fuch reafonable gratification given, or fecurity for it, of
which three neighbouring juftices fhall adjufl the quantum to be paid.
Goods, not claimed by the right owners in twelve months, fliall be fold,
and perifliable goods immediately ; and the value of both fhall be lodg-
ed in the exchequer till claimed by the right owners. Perfons entering
a diflrefTed fliip without proper leave, or obftrucling the faving of fhip
or goods, or, when faved, defacing the marks of fuch goods, fliall make
double fatisfadion, or be fent to an houfe of corredion for twelve
months : and fuch perfons, fo entering the fhip without leave, may be
legally repelled by force. Any perfon, carrying ofl" goods without leave,
fhall forfeit triple the value. Making holes in any fhip in fuch diflrefs,
or flealing the pump thereof, or otherwife contributing to its deflruc-
tion, fliall be felony without benefit of clerg)^

Provilb, for faving the right of the crown, or of patentees, or of lords
of manors, to any wreck, or to goods that fliall be flotfam, jetfam, or
lagan, (i. e. floating, thrown on land, or lying on the fhores,) within
their refpeclive jurifdidions.

By an a6l of the 4th of King George, this flatute was made perpetual:
and for effedually preventing wilfully cafling away, burning, or other-
wife deflroying, fhips by the owners, maflers, or mariners, it was hereby
enacted, that perfons fo doing to the prejudice of underwriters of poli-
cies of infurance, or of merchants lading goods in fuch fhips, fhall fuffer
death.

Yet, vi^e are truely forry to remark, that, notwithflanding this good
law, there have been frequently very barbarous infradions of it, more
efpecially on the farther fouth-weflern fhores of England, which feem
to want a flronger enforcemicnt : although this ad direds it to be read

A. D. 1714. 41

fonr times yearly in all the parifli churches and chapels of all fea-port
towns on the fea-coafts of the kingdom.

As we have formerly obferved, that the pofl-office revenue is, in
feme fort, a kind of politico-commercial pulfe or teft of a nation's prof-
perity, we (hall here exhibit a flate thereof for fome years part, as the
materials have fallen in our way.

The author of the Royal treafury of England, {oBavo, 1725, p. 307),
fays, ' that, when an aft of parliament paffed in 1660, for eftalDHlhing a
' general pofl-office in England, it then brought in a revenue of L2 1 ,000
* per annum *.'

The rates of portage continued the fame till the end of 1 710 : we have
noted, under the year 1711, that on a medium of three years, 1708-10,
the net income was 1.56,664, (according to D'Avcnant's New dialogues,)
but, by the printed report of the comraifiioners of the equivalent, 1718,
to the houfe of commons, that medium then amounted to L62,ooo for
England, and L2000 for Scotland.

From lady-day, or the beginning of 1711, an addition of one third
to the pgrtage of home letters was made by aft of parliament, as it re-
mains to this day ; and, on a medium of four years, to lady-day 171 5,
the net revenue was _ _ . _ 1.90,223

Now dedufting the revenue at the reftoration, - 21,000

69,223
Alfo one third for the increafe in 171 1 , by the additional port-
age. -_-___ 23,000

And the net increafe of this revenue, fince the reftoration, is L46,ooo

Only dedufting about L2000 for Scotland ; which deduftion is proba-
bly more than compenliited by the additional expenfe arifen from the
great increafe of franked letters.

About this time the emperor Charles VI firrt granted commiflions
"to rtiips fitted out at Oftend, for trading to Eaft-lndia, whereby great
quantities of India goods were brought to Europe, which very much
interfered with the commerce of the Englirti and Dutch companies ;
moft of which Interloping iliips, as well as their commanders and fecret
projeftors, were, nevertiielefs, procured from England and Holland.
Some fliips, under that prince's comrniflion, were fitted ovit from Lif-
bon and Leghorn. All which moved the Englifli and Dutch compa-
nies to make loud complaints at the court of Vienna, though for fome
years without any rcdreis.

* ! prtluir.c, lii^ nK3n,t, net icv,ciiucv

Vol. IIT.

42 A. D. 1 7 14.

On the 9th of June 1714 the houfe of commons addrefled Qiieeii
Anne, that her quarter part of the afliento contract with Spain might
be apphed to the difcharge of the national debts ; but on the i8th, flie
anfwered, that fhe had given the fame up to the South-fea company.
And the fame year the queen granted two other fhips of war tofac-
company and efcort the other two fliips, which fhe had before granted
for carrying out the company's goods, fadors, &c. The ports where
that company had leave to trade, and to fettle fadories, were Panama
in the South fea, and Portobello, Carthagena, and Vera Cruz, on the
North fea, Buenos- Ay res on the Rio de la Plata, and the port of Ha-
vanna in the ifle of Cuba, befides their inland fub-fadlories in New
Spain, &c. and their agents at Jamaica, as well as at Cadiz and Madrid
in Old Spain. So here was a moil pompous and fpecious out-fet. And
the queen's grant of her quarter part of the afliento not having been
formally conveyed to the company before her death, King George I
confirmed that grant on his accefhon to the crown, as alfb that of the
four fhips, which failed to America in the beginning of the year 1715.]
Neverthelefs, in the debates in parliament, it already too plainly ap-
peared, that, from the explanations made by the court of Madrid to
their treaty of commerce with Britain, fince figning the treaty of
Utrecht, it was not very probable that we fhould be able to carry on an
advantageous trade with the Spanifh Weft-Indies, as matters then
flood.

The acceilion of the prefent royal family of Hanover to the Britifh
throne, by the death of Queen Anne, gave great fiuisfadlion to the bet-
ter part of the nation of all ranks, and efpecially to the monied and
trading interefts, who thereupon affumed new life and vigour : and al-
though difaffedion foon after broke out into an open rebellion, yet that
being alfo foon and eafily quelled, our general commerce and manufac-
tures have continued, very fenfibly, to increafe ever fince that happy
period. Our mercantile fliipping, not only in London, but in mofl of
our other fea-ports, have alfo vifibly increaled, as in Briftol, Liverpool,
Glal'gow, Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and in many other ports of Britain'
and Ireland ; and for a never-failing confirmation of the great increafe
of the commerce of thofe cities and towns, let the vaft increafe of the
fuburbs of London and Dublin more eminently fpeak fince that pe-
riod ; as well as of Briftol and Liverpool, and of fundry inland manu-
faduring towns to a great degree alfo ; fuch as Manchefter, Birming-
ham, &c. And the like may be fiiid with refped to our American co-
lonies. Where liberty and property are inviolably preferved, and the
eftablifhed form of religion firmly fecured, while, at the fame time, fuch
as dilTent from it, of all perfuafions of proteftants, are made eafy and
fi\fe under the protedion of the laws ; what can poffibly hinder fuch a
country and people from growing rich and powerful ? on the other

A. D. 1 7 14. 4^

hand, while, for want of heirs of the queen's body, the fpurious preten-
fion of one bred up in the perfecuting bigotry of a very different reli-
gion frorn ours, and yet favoured by too many at home, as well as en-
couraged by certain foreign potentates, hung over our heads, it is not
to be wondered at, that in the later part of that queen's reign, a general
diffidence and uneafmefs prevailed among all ranks, till the legal fettle-
ment of a proteflant fucceflion, with a numerous royal family, took
place. And where fuch a general uneafinefs long continues, commerce
will gradually languifh, many perfons will at length leave fuch a coun-
try to feek for fweet content and liberty elfewhere ; and as the people
will thereby decreafe, fo will likewife their manufadlures and fhipping.
But, thanks to kind providence, the reverfe is now, and long has been,
our happy condition.

1 71 5 King Louis XIV of France dying in this year 171 5, we

fhall only briefly note, that, as during his long reign, he had done much
hurt to his country, by driving out of France fo many induftrious ma-
nufadurers, artifans, and merchants, whom neceflity prompted to pro-
pagate their arts and Ikill in the countries, to which they had retired
for fhelter : fo, on the other hand, in his reign foreign commerce and
plantations were confiderably improved by the French : he alfo greatly
improved and increafed his marine, fo that it fometiraes proved a match
for the joint fleets of both the other maritime powers of Europe. And
although in this work we have nothing particularly to do with his un-
jufl invafions of his peaceable neighbours, any farther than as it affedled
the general flate of commerce either in his own kingdom or elfewhere ;
yet we cannot avoid remarking, that his perfecution of his protefl:ant
fubjeds nearly depopulated a confiderable part of his country, and alfo
greatly leflened the former vafl; confumption of French manufactures
in foreign countries, as we have elfewhere remarked : his foreign wars
alfo confumed great numbers of his people, infomuch that it is doubted
by many, whether France would not upon the whole have been hap-
pier, more populous, and richer, had Louis folely cultivated the arts of
peace and manufadures, and thereby not only would have increafed
his own people, but would have likewife drawn thither great numbers
of foreigners ; inftead of having, by his unjuft conquefts, extended his
dominions on almofl every fide ; and would thereby have alfo increafed
his maritime flrcngth, and his American plantations.

Be this as it may, we fliall only farther note, from Voltaire's Age of
Louis XIV, ' that during his whole reign, he expended eighteen thou-
' fand millions of French money, which, on an average, comes to 330
' millions yearly of prt-lent money;' or about fourteen millions fterling
per annum, one year with another.

In Mr. Wood's Survey of trade, {p. 51) he gives us the balance of
commerce in our favour, for the years 171 3 and 17 14, on a medium

F 2

44 A. D. I7i'5.

of the two years, viz. our exports, on a medium, exceeded our imports
L2,io3,i48 yearly.

About this time, pig and bar iron began to be made in Virginia of
a very good quahty ; and it is faid to be fmce much improved.

By an acft of theBritifh parliament of the id: year ot King George 1,
for enlarging the fund of the bank of England, relating to exchequer
bills, &c. it was enacfted, that after the redemption of the bank's origi-
nal fund, andlikewife ot the fund created by this aft, for farther circu-
kiting exchequer bills ; then, and not till then, the corporation of the
bank fhould ceafe and determine. This was commonly called the ag-
gregate fund, though not applied to conftitute apart of the general fink-
ing fund for leflening the national debts, till the act of the 3d of King
George, c. 8.

By an a6t of parliament of this ift year of King George I, for en-
larging the capital ftock and yearly fund of the South-fea company, and
for fupplying thereby 1^822,032:4:8 to public ufes; and for raifing
Li 69,000, &c.

The capital ftock of the South fea company, which till now was

^9,177,967 15 4
Had an addition made to it from the navy-office
trearfurer, of - - - - 822,032 4 8

Whereby the capital was, after midfummer I7i 5,
made up _ _ _ _ 10,000,000 o o

Which additional ftock confifted of the following particulars, viz.

1 For half a year's intereft on their capital of
^^275,339 o 8 )-L9,i77,967 : 15:4 from chriftmas 1714, to mid-
j fummer 1715-
7 More thereof in full for the half-vear, ended at

500,000 O O >- , -n ,1 • c A •, y

•-' ' j chrntmas 17 15, on the mcreaied capital.

g 7 For their allowance for charges of management

' \ for one year, ended on the 25th of December 171 5.

L583>339 08

"7 Laftly, there was an addition of ftock made trans-
238,693 4 o >-ferable for the ufe of the public, as the treafury
J ftiould dired.

L822,o32 4 8 as above.

By thefe additions there was alfo an addition of L49,32i : 18 ; 8 to
th^ company's yearly fund, which thereby was made up L6oo,ooo per
annum, at 6 per cent.

A. D. 1715. 45

Yet, notwiihftandiug the provifion hereby made for the year 1715,
rhe company might ftill proceed to receive the duties arifing by lalt,
candles, clerks, apprentices, &c. by virtue of the act of the 9th of Queen
Anne, wliereby they were enabled to make their dividends tor this year
1 715 in money; and that we may end this point here, though fomewhat
out of its place, the company's general court in May 171 6, made the two
half-years dividends for the year 17 16, in the flock aforefaid ; the divi-
dends for both half-years being made at midfummer 1716, by add-
ing 6 yyev cent in flock to each proprietor's account, for the two half-
years dividends, (9th and loth) to chriflmas 1716.

In this fame year, the South-fea company's firfl annual fhip was
launched, and named the Royal Prince, in honotir of the prince of
Wales, (fince King George II) governor of that company, who, on
that occafion, was magnificently entertained on board her, with all his
court. This fhip's firfl voyage was in 171 7, and her fecond voyage,

1723-

A printed paper now appeared, giving the net amount of the cufloms
of England, for the fifteen immediately preceding years ; which was as
follows, leaving out the odd fhillings and pence, viz.

Anno 1700, _____ Li ,379,460

1 701, - - - - 1,637,809

■ 1702, - _ - - ^ _ 1,285,605

1703, _____ 1,206,349

1704, 1,401,390

1705, - _ - - - 1,139,277

1706, -__._-_ 1,311,856

1707, - - _ . _ 1,192,081

J 708, - _ - - ^,35^,53^

1809, _ - _ - . 1,353,483

1710, _ _ _ . 1,208,292

17H, - - _ _ - _ 1,253,598

1712, - - - - - 1,315,423

1713. - - - - 1,541,170

1714, - _ _ - 1,714,139

Total in 15 years, L20,29i,468

The cufloms, on a medium, for one year, - Li, 352,764

Here we may naturally obferve, that the years 1701, 1713, and 1714,
confiderably exceeded any of the other eleven ; and yet 1704, aprotper-
ous year of war, fomewhat exceeded the year 1700, a year of peace,
but an vuifcttled and threatening one. And, lafily, that the net amount
of the year 1709, exadlly correfponds with that given in to the houfe of
commons in that year, which fo far confirms the authenticity of the
account.

4^ A. D. 1 7 15.

Upon a petition of the agent for the planters and merchants of Caro-
lina, and of the other inhabitants of that colony, reprefenting the op-
prefTion of the lords proprietors, and their negledt of defence againft the
Indians, &c. the houfe of commons addrefled the king to fend them
relief: and a bill was this year brought into the houfe of commons, for
the better regulation of the charter and proprietary governments in
America, and of his majefty's plantations there ; the principal fcope of
which was to reduce all the proprietary charter governments into regal
ones. Ever fince the proprietary colonies began to be very confiderable,
(i, e. fince the death of King Charles II, and more efpecially fince the
revolution in 1688,) the miniftry forefaw the great confequence it would
be of to the crown and kingdom, to buy off the proprietors of colonies,
before they (hould grow too powerful ; and frequent treaties were held
with them by the minifters of the crown for that end; particularly with
the truely great Mr. William Penn, for the purchafe of his fine province
of Permiylvania. His demand was L20,ooo and Queen Anne, in
council, referred that demand to the lords commiflioners of trade
and plantations ; whofe report was referred by the queen to the
lords commiflioners of the treafury ; foon after which an agreement
was made with Mr. Penn for L 12,000 for the province : but he being
foon after feized with an apoplexy, which difabled him to execute
the fame, a ftop was put to that bargain, till by the queen's order a bill
in parliament fhould be prepared for that end. While that bill was
depending, Mr. Jolhua Gee and others, who were mortgagees under Mr.
Penn, petitioned the houfe of commons for relief; wherein they repre-
fented, that Mr. Penn having purchafed of the Indians their title to that
country, he had by his induftry and at great charge improved it, and
edabliilied confiderable colonies therein, whereby he had very much
impaired his efiate in Europe ; and that, in the year 1708, to clear a
debt contradled for fettUng and improving the faid colonies, he had bor-
rowed of the faid. mortgagees L6,6oo, to whom he mortgaged the pro-
vince and all his powers of government. How beneficial it would have
been for the public to have then paid off the mortgagees, and have pur-
chafed that province, fince fo vaftly increafed in people and value, is
naw (almofl; too late) feen by every one.

Lord Baltimore, as we have feen under the year 1661, (though at this
time only firfi; reprefented to the legiflature, by the young lord's guard-
ians) in his petition reprefented the great expenfe his great-grandfather
bad been at in fettling his province of Maryland; and that he and his
three brothers and two fiflers, (lately become protefiants, the family
having always been papiflis till now) had no way of providing for them-
felves but out of thofe feveral branches of the civil government of the
province, which by a bill for the better regulation of the charter and
proprietary governments in America, and for the encouragement of the
aade of this kingdom and of his majefl;y's plantations, were intended

A. D. 1715: 47

to be taken away ; the amount whereof was at leafl L3,ooo per annum *.
And, as the Indians in this province were very inconfiderable, the white
people therein being now much more numerous and ftronger than they,
they therefor humbly hoped, that Maryland might be excepted out of
this bill.

A petition was likewife prefented by the agent for his majefly's pro-
vinces of Maflachufet's bay and Connedicut. With relation to MafTa-
chufet's bay, it was reprefented, that it had its charter from King James I
in the i 8th year of his reign, afterward confirmed by King Charles I
in the 4th year of his reign, by virtue whereof, the governor and com-
pany of the Maffachufet's bay had power to appoint their own officers,
civil and military, with other privileges therein mentioned : that in the
reign of King James II, their charter was vacated, at the fame time that
many corporations in England were disfranchifed : that after the revo-
hition King William reftored the charter, only referving to himfelf the
appointment of a governor, lieutenant-governor, fecretary, judge of the
admiralty, and the attorney-general ; and that this is the charter which
the province now enjoys. Hereupon it is humbly obferved, that the
charter of this province being on the fame footing with the corporations
in England, it feems equally "hard to diveftthem of it, as it would be to
disfranchife the corporations at home. That this province has given a
valuable confideration to the crown for their charter, viz. the fubduing
and planting a wildernefs, at a vafi; expenfe, and with the lofs of many
lives ; whereby they have added a large territory to the crown, and
thereby alfo greatly increafed the trade and commerce of Britain. That
this province is not within the reafons fuggefted in the bill, for they
have not excercifed arbitrary power; neither indeed can they : for the
principal officers before mentioned, being appointed by the crown, are
fuch a check on the government, that it is entirely out of their power
to opprefs the fubjeft. Moreover, they have not negleded the defence
of the inhabitants ; on the contrary, they have well defended both them-
felves and their neighbours in a long French and Indian war ; and their
ordinary charge for guards, garrifons, guard-flups, &.c. has been L35,oco
one year with another. And though thereby the province has eontracfi:-
ed a debt of Li 50,000 yet they do not complain; nor arc they,
burdenfome to the crown, but are paying it olF yearly by degrees
Moreover, if this charter fliould be taken away, no compenfation can be
made for it: whereas, in the cafe of proprietary governments, an equi-
valent may be given to the proprietors, as it ieems is intended : but
here it cannot be, becaufe the privileges here are not vcfled in particu-
lar perfons, but in the body of the people. Thus, it is like to liappen,
that the proprietors of Carolina, &c. on whofe account alone this bill is
brouglit in, may come oiYwell enough, while the charter governments-.

• They arc faid to be now (1762) above L9,coo a year.- A.

.48 A. D. 1715.

In New-Engkind, which have done nothing amifs, fliall be the only fuf-
ferers : it is therefor humbly prayed, that this province may ftill enjoy
its privileges, by being excepted out of the bill.

With refped: to the Connecticut charter, which was alfo intended to
be taken away by tins bill ; it had, like* other charter governments, a
grant from the crown, whereby they were empowered to appoint all their
own oiTicers, civil and military, for the adminiftration and execution of
juflice : the firft planters, entirely confiding in the royal charter for the
lecurity of their Uberties therein granted, did, at a vafl; expenfe and
great peril, fubdue and plant a wildernefs, whereby they have increafed
the dominions of the crown, as well as the commerce of Britain : they
have, in all times fince, defended themfelves againft the enemy ; and
have impartially adminiftered juflice to the lubject: and when public
meafurcs have been concerted for the common good of the colonies,
they have cheerfully joined in the expenfe. Moreover, they have never
to" this day cofl the crown fo much as one fhilling. They have ftrictly ob-
fcrved the acts of trade and navigation. They have been always dutiful
to the crown ; and, if their charter be taken away, no equivalent can be
given for it ; (for the fame reafons afligned in the Madachufet's bay
petition.) It is therefor humbly hoped, that the colony of Connecticut
may be excepted out of the bill.

Petitions were alfo prefented in behalf of the duke of Beaufort and
Lord Craven, both minors, to be heard by council againftthe bill, they
being confiderable proprietors in Carolina and the Bahama iflands ;
and from the agent for the colony ot Rhode ifland and Providence
plantation in New-Eiigland. The foregoing petitions, which contain
much of the hiftory of the firfl: planting of thefe colonies, were referred
to the committee to whom the bill was committed.

Yet, notwithftanding all the buflle oCcafioned by this bill, it was in
the end dropped ; although it is moll certauily and obvioufly of the lafh
importance to the public, that the proprietary colonies, ftill exifting as
fuch, fliould be bought off and vefted in the crown ; fince the longer
they remain proprietary, the more v;vluable they confi:antly grow to the
proprietors, and the more difficult it will prove to buy them out. This,
iloubtlefs, the legiflature will hereafter duely confider in afeafon of pro-
found peace and tranquillity. The foregoing petitions and allegations
of the charter colonies are much more difficult to be anfwered, for
the 'reafons tlierehi exhibited. And this <\'as probably one main reafon
for dropping the bill ; Which, doubtlefs, was a well intended one, though
liable to fome objeclioris, which may hereafcer be obviated. What will
poflerity fay of the prefent age ? but that, in refpe<5l to the large proprie-
tary governments of Britifh America, we were fupinely negligent of the
national interefi; ; when it (hall be found, that the proprietors have fo
yall an income thereby, as to render it impracticable to buy them out,

1

A. D. 1 7 15. 49

without cither laying too heavy a burden on the public, or elfe ufing
coinpulfive means, which are inconfiflent with our conftirution.

By the treaty of peace, concluded at Utrecht this year between King
John V of Portugal and King Philip V of Spain, the later cedes to the
former, by the fixth article, the territory of the Sacrament, fituated on
the northern bank of the river of Plate, in America; but fo as that no
other nation of Europe fhall be permitted to fettle in or trade to it.
Yet, in the next article it is ftipulated, that the king of Spain may ne-
verthelefs offer an equivalent for the faid colony, if agreeable to his
Portuguefe majefty ; provided it be made within one year and an half.
All other conquells on either fide are by this treaty to be mutually
reftored.

So greatly does the colony of New-England abound with naval ftores
of almoft all kinds, that in a letter from a New-Englander to the board
of trade and plantations (printed in this year, 171 5) concerning the New-
England trade, it is aflerted, * that one fleet only from New-England
' brought home 6000 barrels of pitch, tar, and turpentine, to London,

* and that millions of trees are rotting in the woods, for want of encou-
' ragement to colle<ft them. Mafts,' fays this author, ' we have the fineft

* in the world : of hemp we have hitherto raifcd but little ; but our foil

* is very proper for if : our woods afford all forts of fhip-timber and

* plank : fliips-of late we build very v/ell, botli for beauty and ftrength :

* our country abounds with iron ore ; but we have not yet got into the

* way of making enough for our own fupply. Wherefor, to prevent
' our fetting up in New- England manufactures that will interfere with

* Great Britain, it is highly neceiTary to employ the New-England

* people as much as poflible in making naval flores for their mother
' country, left we fhould hereafter be obliged to depend on the pka-
' fure of the Danes, Swedes, and Ruflians, for leave to fet a fleet to fca ;
' to whom we pay ready money for their naval ftores, which, by the
' war in the north, have rifen near 50 per cent on us. That, in the
*' great fcarcity of woollen goods from England about nine years ago,
' the New-England people, not being able to pay 200 per cent advance
' thereon, let uj) a very confiderable manufadlure, flill in being, fo£
' fluffs, kerfeys.linfey-woolfeys, flannels, buttons, &c. Copper alio, New-
*• England has the beft in the world, &c.' Herein, even lo early as this
time, we find our fugar colonies complaining of New- En gland's great
trade to the Dutch colony of Surinam, which they now fupplied with
vaft numbers of horfes, and with provifions, fifli, &c. and, in return,
took their mclafles, which they made into rum. The reft of this jjiece
pleads for a royal charter for incorporating a bank of credit, lately ered-
ed at lioflon, iVom which they pron:iifed great things to tlie- colony, bc-
fides one per cent to the crown.

Vol. IU. G-

50 A. D. 1715.

Such efTays are to be cautioufly confidered, as being almoft always
exaggerated, becaufe generally calculated for certain partial ends or pur-
pofes. His plan in general is undoubtedly good ; and we have before
feen, that our legiflature has encouraged it: neverthelefs, as our colonics
on the continent come to grow populous, it will be impoflible altogether
-to prevent their entering upon manufadures interfering with thofe of
the mother country ; and the moft that can fairly be effected feems to
be, to ftudy as much as potlible to fet thoie people upon raifing the raw
materials of new produdions, and particularly naval (tores. As for their
havmg copper and iron, it feems to be doubtful, whether it can ever
prove profitable for the mother country. The former we have feen, by
good authority, to be in great" plenty with us at home ; and, with regard
to iron, we fliall hereafter fee how far the Britiih legiflature has judged
proper to encourage it. Tin and lead mines have not as yet made their
appearance in Britifli America.

In December Mr. Bubb, the Britifli rainifler at Madrid, concluded a
new treaty of commerce with the king of Spain, containing, however,
nothing very particular. By the firft article Britifli fubjeds were to pay
no higher duties in the Spanifli ports than thofe they paid for the fame
merchandize in the reign of the catholic king, Charles II. The fecond
confirms the treaty made by the Britifli fubjecls with the niagifl:rates of
St. Andero, in the year 1700. By the third, they may, as formerly ufed,
gather filt at the ifland of Tortuga. By the fourth and fifth, Britifh fub-
jeds were to pay no higher duties than Spanifli fubjeds paid in the fame
place : and they fhould enjoy all the rights, privileges, &c. which they
enjoyed before the lafl war, and by the treaty of 1667 ; and the fubjeds
of both nations fliall mutually be treated as thofe the moft favoured in
commercial matters. The fixth and feventli abolifh innovations on
either fide, and confirm the treaty of Utrecht. {Foliticaljlate of Great
Britain, V. xi.]

1^7 1 6 Notwithftanding what we havejufl feen of the fuperabund-

ance of naval ftores in New-England, and particularly of timber, yet we
find, in the year 171 6, Mr. Shute, governor of the Maflachufet's bay,
complaining to their aflTembly, ' that, notwithftanding a law palled in
' Great Britain for encouraging naval ftores for the navy royal, and for
' the prcfervation of white pine trees in America, for mafls, yards, &c.
' great fpoils are dayly committed in the king's woods, by cutting down
' and putting to private ufes fuch timber as may be proper for tlie navy
' royal.' He therefor recommends pafling a new law in New-England,
as well as putting the old ones in Arid execution, for this great end.

In the former part of this year, 1716, the duke of Orleans, regent of
France during the minority of Louis XV, was fo ill advifed as to raife the
Vfilue of a loiiis d'or from 16 livres to 20, and of a crown from. 54 and

A. D. 1 71 6. jr

4 livres to 5 livres. Thus he got one fifth part of the value of thofe
coins, gulhng the people with a belief (but with the wifer fort, with only
a pretended one) that they were no lofers thereby, becaufe they receiv-
ed back from the mint the fame number of livres they had paid in ;
although they only received back four ounces of filver inftead of five.
This occafioned great quantities of old fpecie to be hoarded up, to the
confiderable obflrudion of the circulation of money. For this malady
a new expedient was f illen upon, viz. the eredion of a general bank,
whofe bills bore 5 per cent intereft: ; for this bank paid only the new
raifed fpecie, though they received both new and old fpecie : as the coins
were fo fluctuating in value, and the bank bills were invariable, people
for that reafon carried all their money to the bank. This was allure-
ment fufficient for the duke-regent to feize on fo vafl a treafure : the
bank therefor on a fudden was made to flop payment ; though the
quantity ot gold and filver coin then in France was computed to be neiu"
400 millions of livres, or near 17 millions of fterling money. And thus,
the king's treafury was filled by the ruin of his people. In like fort,
though not quite as yet in fo violent a degree, were the public debts
paid off in France : the capital was retrenched and the intereft reduced
by edicts, without the content of the creditors ; infomuch, that fome of
the public fecurities fell 50 per cent, others 80 percent, and fome 90 per
cent : which fad ftate ot things produced innumerable bankruptcies.

There was coined in the tower of London, from Auguft 171 5 to
Auguft 1716, Lt, 452, 155 in gold; and but L7,ooo in filver; [Bayer's
Politicol Jlote of Great Britain, for Augujl 171 6] and it was reckoned,
that near two thirds of that gold was from French louis d'ors melted
down.

No redrefs being obtained for the invafion of the privileges of the
Englifli Eaft-India company, a proclamation was ifTued by the prince of
Wales, guardian of the realm in his father's abfence, ftrictly prohibiting
his majefty's fubjedts from trading to the Eaft-Indies under foreign com-
miflions, contrary to the privileges of the Englifh Eaft-India company ;
and alio trom fcrving on board fuch foreign ftiips.

Some controverfies having arifen this year concerning the trade of
Great Britain into the countries within the Baltic lea, we find in a pe-
riodical paper, formerly well known by the name of Boyer's Political
ftate of Great Britain, for the month of November 1721 , * the total
value, at prime coft, of all merchandize either imported or exported,
between Great Britain f on one fide, and Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
the Eaft country, (i. e. Pruftia and Livonia) and RufTia, on the other,
during the fa id year 1716, viz.

• It conlals in all of 60 volumes 8vo, and extends fiom ift Jamiary 1710 to 31ft Dcccn ber 1740. A.
f The impcrls and exports of Scotland arc not included in litis llalemcnt. M.

G 2.

52 A. D. 1716.

Imported in the year 1716, into Great Britain, '

.From Denmark and Norway, in mafts, timber, pitch

and tar, hemp, &c. _ _ _ - L 73,896 *

From the Eall: country, chiefly in marts, hemp, &c. 103,635
From Sweden, chiefly in iron, pitch, tar, mafl;s, &c. 136,959
FromRuflia, chiefly in hemp, pitch, tar, mafts, &c. 197,270

Total imported 1 — 511,760

Exported from Great Britain, viz.

To Denmark and Norway - _ - _ 60,317

To the Eaft country ----- 65,293

To Sweden - - - - - - 24,101

To Rullia ----- - 113,154

Total exported 262,865

Total balance, or lofs to Great Britain _ . _ L248,895

Excepting fomefew commodities from Ruflia and Pruflla, as rhubarb,
and fometimes raw iilk from Perfla, cavear, &c. all other articles got
from thofe northern parts are fince this time difcovered to be had from
our own American plantations •, as iron from New-York and Pcnnfyl-
vania, timber of all kinds from mofl: of our continental colonics, pitch
and tar from the fame, as alfo hemp and flax. Raw fdk, increafing
apace, from Carolina and Georgia. Oar legiflature have indeed enaded
fundry bounties on feveral of thofe commodities already with good ef-
fedl ; and, we hope, will give earneil attention more and more to fuch
important purpofes. We will not, however, anfwer for the precife ex-
aclnefs of the above account; but fear the general balance is increafed
againfl; us fince that time, more efpecially with rcfpect to Rullia f.

Mr. Bubb, the Britifli minifter at Madrid, in behalf of the South-fea
company, now concluded a treaty by way of an explanation or emenda-
tion of the afllento contrad for negroes: but as that trade has been long
Ijnce laid afide, we fliall not detain our readers with what is elfewhere
in print, and may likewife probably be of very little information or ufe
to an}- at this time, or perhaps at any other period of time. Only we
may jufl: remark, that the annual {hip allowed, was ftipulated to be of
650 tons, Spanifli meafure, from the year 1717 to the year i 727.

17 1 7. — The Dutcli Eall-India company's privileges were now pro-
longed for forty years.

An unnatural rebellion of free and proteftant fubjeds, in behalf of a
popifli pretender, and againfl; a mofl; humane and indulgent proteflanc
king on the throne of Great Britain, being happily fupprtlTed, the mi-
niftry and parliament determined to take advantage of a time of tran-
quillity to reduce the interefl; on the public debts, preparatory to the

* Tlie odd fliilllngs and pence are thrown out. ^.

\ This account may be compated with that of the year 1701. j^. i

A. D. 1717. ^7^

gradual reduclion of the principal, for which good purpofe the reduc-
tion of the legal iiitereft of money from 6 to 5 per cent in 1714, had
indeed paved the way; as did alfo what is ufually called the natural in-
terefi: of money, or that rate of interefl; at which money miglit now
be borrowed on good private fecurity. In order that this good and great
end might be attained with fuccefs and fecurity, the government treated
with the bank and South-lea company, to whom a great part of the
national debt was due, and brought them to agree, not only to the re-
dudion of the interefl on their own rel'pedlive capitals from 6 to 5 per
cent, but that the bank fhould advance to the public, when wanted,
L2, 500,000, and the South-fea company the fum of L2, 000,000, at 5 per
cent interefl, to be in readinefs for paying off" fuch of the proprietors
of the orders of four lotteries of the reign of Queen Anne, and of other
redeemable annuities, as fhould demand their principal money to be
paid to them, rather than accept 5 per cent inflead of their prefent
interefl; of 6 per cent. This falutary fcheme was effected in confequence
of three feveral ads of Parli^iment. [3 Geo. I, cc. 7, 8, 9.]

By the firft, intitled, an aft for redeeming the duties and revenues
which were fettled to pay off the principal and interefl on the orders
made forth on four lottery acts, 8cc. commonlv called the general fund,
the two companies were impowered to borrow money on their common
feals, or to make calls on their proprietors, for enabling them to advance
to the public the two fums above I'pecified : the reduction of interefl to
commence from michaelmas 1727, for which interefl a new annual fund
was hereby eftabliflied, and has ever fmce been called the general fund,
amounting to L724,849 : 6: 10}. Hereby meaiures were fo well con-
certed by the government, that all the proprietors of thole redeemable
duties acquiclbed in the reduction of their interefl from 6 to 5 per
cent, without borrowing any part of the ftipulated fums to be advanc-
ed by the bank and South lea company.

For by the ad \c. 8] for redeeming feveral funds of the bank, pur-
fuant to former provifoes of redemption, &c. the bank's willingnefs
to accept 5 per cent interefl for all the debts due to that corporation
was declared, inflead of their then allowances, and to advance the above
L2, 500,000 if called for : and the bank was hereby to deliver up
L2, 000, 000 of exchequer-bills ; for which they were to have an annui-
ty of Li 00,000 redeemable on one year's notice, after cliriflmas 171 7.
This is called the aggregate-fund, fir ft eflablifhed by an ad [i Gio. I, c.
I 2] though not particularly applied to leflening the national debts till
now. Hereby alio the bank was to have 3 per cent jier annum and \ d.
per cent per diem inflead of oi -id. formerly allowed for circulating the
fum of 112,561,025, being the remaining exchequer-bills, till fully can-
celled, from chriflmas 1717 : fo that the whole capital of the bank was
hereby increafed to L5, 375, 027 : 17 : 10, vi/.

54 A. D. 1717.

The original capital flock was - - Li, 600,000 o o
The exchequer-bills, cancelled by the 7th of Queen

Anne ----- i',775,027 17 10

And now by exchequer-bills cancelled - 2,000,000 o o

Total bank capital - L5,375,o27 17 10

But their original capital of Li, 600, 000 was to continue at fix per
cent interefl: to the ift of Auguft 1742.

The next adl \c. 9] was for redeeming the yearly fund of the Sotith-
fea company at fix per cent, and fettling on them a yearly fund at five
per cent, redeemable by parliament, &c. as before mentioned, viz.

The South fea Company's prefent capital being 10 millions,

And their prefent annual fund being L6oo,ooo, their fund was now
reduced from fix to five per cent, i. e. from L6oo,ooo to 1.500,000
from midfiammer 1718, befides their yearly allowance of L8, 000 for
charges of management. The company were alfo hereby impowered
to borrow money on their common feal, either for the purpofes of this
ac^, or for carrying on their trade, or other neceflary occafions, at fuch
interefl as they fhould think fit, and for any time not lefs than fix
months : and although their fund might be redeemed, on one year's no-
tice, after midfummer 1723, yet their trade and corporate capacity was
hereby to continue for ever. This was, in the fl:ile of the exchequer,
called the South-fea fund.

By all thefe favings, viz. by one per cent on the funds before men-
tioned, and by one penny per cent per day, faved for the future on the
exchequer-bills hereafter to be circulated, a good foundation was laid for
the famous finking fund, amounting then to L323,434 : 7 : 74- per an-
num. Moreover, for the greater conveniency of the proprietors of the
lottery-orders and other debts at the exchequer, hereby ranged under
this new general fund, they were brought from the exchequer to the
bank, and erected into a transferrable fl;ock, at five per cent interefl:.
The yearly faving or furplus, called the finking fund, was hereby to be
folely applicable to the difcharge of the principal and interefl: of fuch
national debts as were contraded before chriftmas 1716. As by the
ud c. 7, the moiety of the original bankers debt, whicli had been fixed
at fix per cent by the ad 12 Gul. III. c. 12, and which moiety was
thereby properly made the whole debt on the public to be redeemed,
amounting to L664,263, was included in the redemption from fix to five
per cent. And as almofl: all the other public debts comprehended in
that ad, called the aggregate-fund, were either fubfcribed into the South-
fea company in the year 1720, or ha^-e fince been paid otf or annihilat-
ed, we have the more concifely defcribed them, as they now exifl: no
more. >

A. D. 1717. 55

N. B. By a claufe in the faid a£l [c. 7] the duty of 6d on every
piece of forty ells of Britifh-made linen exported, which had been laid
on by the tonnage and poundage adl, was taken oflf ; ' the faid manufac-
ture' (fays this adl) ' employing many thoufands of the poor of this
kingdom.'

Thus out of the three funds, called the aggregate, the general, and
the South fea fund, was formed the finking fund ; being purely the
favings out of thofe funds by the feveral redud;ions now and afterwards
made in the rates of intereft and allowances ; and as thefe have at dif-
ferent times been lefTened, and annual or other payments have been
made to the creditors of the public out of the finking fund, it has pro-
portionably increafed *.

We fhall only farther remark on this firfi: famous reduction of the
intereft on the national funds, and the eftablifliment of a fund for far-
ther lelTening the public debts, that inftead of lowering the prices of the
feveral ftocks at market, it was feen, that, by michaelmas in the year
1717, they had confiderably rifen in price ; and particularly that South-
fea flock, which, at lady-day T717, was but at looi per cent, got up to
Illy per cent by michaelmas.

The regent of France having, in the year 1716, ereded the firft
public circulating bank that had ever been in France, by the perfuafion
of Mr, John Law, a native of Edinburgh ; whereby he propofed mighty
matters for the advancement of the commerce and manufactures of
France: ' which kingdom,' fays the preamble to the patent for that bank,
very juftly, ' by its fituation and fertility, wanted nothing but a Iblid
' credit to eftablifh therein the moft flourifhing commerce. Where-

* for the Sieur Law has now authority granted to him and his company,

* for 20 years, to ilTue notes, as a public bank, with abiolute protection
' for the cafli of foreigners, even though their country fhould be at

* war with France. The crowns or money of this bank to be always
' of the fame weight and finenefs, and their notes to be always payable
' on demand. This bank might keep cafli for merchants, and difcount
' bills of exchange, &c.' This bank, of which the regent called himfelf
the protedlor, was principally projeded by Mr. Law for the grand pur-
pofe of paying off the public debts of France, being above 1500 mil-
lions of livres, or about 70 millions fterling, by drawing its creditors
into the newly-projeded Miflilippi or India company ; for wliich end,
the Sieur Crozat was brought to refign his patent of the country of Mif-
fifippi, granted to him by the name of Louifiana, in the year 171 2.
The regent therefor now ereded a company of commerce by the name
of the company of the Weft, commonly called the Millilippi company,

* It was bi'C.mfc the hint for this finking fund was probably Inkcn from thofc of Holland in the viar
1655, and tlic piipi: in tlic year 16S5, tliat tlic fucccfs of thufc fouign fchcmcs of linancc liasLccn no-
ticed in onr work. j^.

56

A. D. 1 717.

wich the folc trade thither, and alfo the trade of beaver to Canada, for
25 years : and great pains wtrrc taken to fpread all over France pomp-
ous accounts of the country of Midifippi, from north latitude 29, up to
the country of Canada, or New France, in north latitude 40.

Mr. Law was appointed chief direcftor of this company, into which all
the national debts were intended to be brought, being now at 60 to 70
per cent difcount ; this being an exad: copy of the earl of Oxford's
fcheme for the South-fea company in the year lyri. In December
1 71 7, the capital ftock ot this IMilhlippi company was fixed at ico mil-
Hons of livres, with four per cent intereft. In the meantime, as the
bank was to co-operate with this company for the fliid grand fcheme,
the king direded all the receivers of his revenues to make their receipts
and payments in bank bills only. As the public debts were taken in
at par, it might have been expeded that the creditors would have readi-
ly come in ; yet it was fome time before they could get 100 millions
fubfcribed, where we will leave them for the prefent.

This new company for Louifiana would not fail to give grounds of
jealoufy to Great Britain, its territory lying behind our American plan-
tations, and New Orleans, its capital, having already 600 houfes.

There being a confideruble fcarcity of filver coin in England, by rea-
fon our gold coins were rated too high in price, and the great Sir Ifaac
Newton being confulted thereupon by the lords commiffioners of the trea
fiiry, he advifed the redudion of guineas from 21/6 to 21/, which was
accordingly done, by approbation of the houfe of commons, who ad-
drefled the king for this purpofe : at which rate they have remained
ever fince ; whereby, in fome mcafure, the filver coins, which before
had been exported in exchange for gold, were kept at home. Guineas
were originally coined only for 20/" in filver, and lo were the old broad
pieces of King Charles I, though at this time pailing for Li : 3 : 6.
But now the cafe is going to be the reverfe, occalioned by the vafl ex
portations of filver bullion to the Eafi-Indies, whereby filver is become
icarcer, and gold is become more plenty, by the profit of bringing gold
from India and China. For filver ever has, and probably ever will, hold
the prerogative of being the fixed ftandard, gold being always va-
lued by filver, but not filver by gold. It was aflerted, that our Eaft-In-
dia company had exported in one year near three millions of ounces,
of filver to India, which was more than was imported from all parts.

In the fame year, there was a treaty of alliance concluded between
Great Britain, France, and the flates-general of the United Nether-
lands, for the guarantee of the treaty of Utrecht ; and particularly for
maintaining the order of fucceflion to the crowns of England and.
France thereby eftablifhed ; and for the demolition of the ports of
Dunkirk and Mardyke. [Colknioti of treaties^ V. iv, p. 39, ed. 1732.J

A. D. 1717. 57

Article IV) ' For the entire deflrudion of the port of Dunkirk: the

* great paflage of the new fluice of Mardyke, which is 44 feet wide,
' fhall be demolifhed from top to bottom, and the Httle fluice (hall be

* reduced to 16 feet in breadth. The jettees and fafcine-work to be alfo
' demolifhed : it being hereby the intention of the contrading parties,
' that no more jettees nor fafcine-work fhall ever be again made on the
' fhore of this coaft, for any port or haven at Dunkirk, or at Mardyke,

* or at any other place whatever within two leagues from either of
' thofe two places. The demolition of the jettees or piers on both fides
' of the old canal, or port of Dunkirk, fhall be entirely finifhed and

* made level with the ground all the way from the lowefb ebb as far

* as within the town of Dunkirk : and if there fhall remain any pieces
' of Fort-blanc, Chateau-verd, and Bonne efperance, they fhall be totally

* laid flat to the ground.'

Never furely were articles flronger worded for the entire execution of
this part of the treaty of Utrecht : and the three contracting parties alfo
mutually agree to guarantee this as well as the other articles relating to
the order of fucceffion, by refpedively contributing, viz. the two crowns
each 8000 foot and 4000 horfe, and the flates 4000 foot and 2000
horfe, in cafe either of the allies fhould be attacked by any other po-
tentate, or be difturbed by inteftine rebellions, or on any other pretext
whatever. And in cafe the faid fuccours be not fufHcient, the allies
fliould agree in concert to furnifh a greater, and, if the cafe fliall re-
quire it, they fhall declare war againfl the aggrefTors, and affifl; one an-
other with all their forces. Articles VI, VII) But, by the feparate ar-
ticles, the guarantee and fuccours are both limited to the territories of
the refpedive allies in Europe only.

This year the South-fea company's fir ft annual fhip, the Royal Prince,
failed for La Vera Cruz.

About this time, and for fome time backward, there were great com-
plaints againft the Swedes for the unjuft captures of many Britifh mer-
chant-fliips and their cargoes, though in time of peace ; and for Ihel-
tering Britifh rebels, contrary to treaties, and particularly to that of
the year 1700, with this very king of Sweden. Yet matters could not
be fettled during his life ; but he being killed the following year, at the
fiege of Frederickfhall in Norway, an accommodation was foon after
concluded with his fifter and fucceffor Ulrica Eleonora.

The right of Britifli fubjeds to cut logwood, (or, as the Spaniards
term it, Campeacliy wood) came again this year on the carpet *, and
the lords commillioners of trade and plantations, in a reprefentation to
his Britannic majefty, afTerted, and proved beyond contradiction, the
right of his fiibjeds to cut logwood in the bay of Campeachy. This was

• See above in the vcar 1662.

Vol. III. H

58 A. D. 1717-

occafioned by the Spainifli ambafllidor extraordinary, the marquis de
Monteleone having delivered a memorial againft the Britifh fettlement
in the ifle of Trifl, and on the Laguna de Terminos in the bay of Cam-
peachy, where they continued to cut logwood : declaring, ' that if, in
the fpace of eight months, they do not leave the place, they (hall be
looked on and tre:ited as pirates.' That board reprefents to his ma-
jefty, * that fince a trade of fo great importance to our navigation and
the American colonies is in danger of being loft, we have again care-
fully perufed the books and papers in our office, and have received
from the merchants and others the fulleft information we can hope
to obtain, which hath taken up much time. And we now humbly
crave leave to lay before your majefty the paft and prefent ftate of
this trade, with the arguments that formerly engaged your majefty's
royal predeceflbrs to protect and fupport the fame ; to which we fhall
add fome obfervations, and the reafons that induce us to conclude,
your majefty's fubjedls have now as fiill and ample a right to this
trade as to any other liberty or privilege that has been allowed by the
crown of Spain, and enjoyed by them, by virtue of any treaty what-
foever.

' Firft, logwood is one of the productions of the province of Yuca-
tan, where the Spaniards are poflefled of San Francifco de Campeachy,
its capital town and port (which has been thrice taken by the Englifh)
and of two other inland towns, Merida and Valladolid, having but
few inhabitants : but the reft of the province, before the Englifti
logwood-cutters were fettled, was in a manner wholely defolate and un-
inhabited. It is, however, allowed, that the Spaniards had from time
to tinie cut wood in feveral parts near their own fettlements : but,
during the hoftilities in the Weft-Indies before the year 1667, they
deferted that employment, being frequently interrupted by the priva-
teers, both by fea and land ; who, by degrees, becoming acquainted
with the coaft, and with thofe parts where the wood grew, that were
moft remote from the Spaniards, at laft fell into the trade, and laid
the foundation of their future eftabliftiment near Laguna de Termi-
nos, and Trift and Beef iflands. For, notwithftanding the treaty of
Madrid, concluded by the earl of Sandwich in the year 1667, was
principally intended to adjuft our commerce with Spain in Europe,
yet a general, firm, and perfect, amity being thereby concluded, it was
conftrued to extend to America as well as to Europe ; wherefor many
of the Britifh privateers were then induced to quit their former courfe,
and to fettle with the logwood-cutters in the Laguna de Terminos :
fo that in the year 1669, their numbers were confiderably increafed,
and great quanties of wood were tranfported both to Jamaica and
New-Eri gland. ,

A. D. 1717. 59

' The American treaty, for reflraining depredations in thofe parts,
concluded in 1670, encouraged feveral others of the privateers or fea-
men to fall into this employment of cutting wood, to which, it was
now generally fuppofed, they had a right by the faid treaty.

' And Sir Thomas Lynch, then governor of Jamaica, tranfmitted to
the lords of the council, his reafons for encouraging this trade, viz.

' I) That the Englifh had done fo for divers years.
' ' II) It was in defolate and uninhabited places.

' III) That it feems a pofleflion granted by the American treaty.

' rV) It might give a right to feclude the Dutch and French, if wc
(hould break with Spain.

' V) The Spaniards had not, to that time, made any complaints of it.

' VI) This employ makes the reducing of the privateers more eafy.

' VII) And, that it will employ 100 fail of fhips annually, and bring
in more to his majefly's cuftoms and the nation's trade than any co-
lony the king hath.

' Although at fir ft they found the logwood by the fea-fide, they were
afterward forced to go four or five miles up into the country for their
refrefhment, where they planted Indian provifions, and built houfes to
keep themfelves from the fun and rain. That, in all the time of their
working, they had never feen any Spaniard, or other perfon, although
they had gone fix or feven miles farther into the country, to kill deer,
&c. That Sir Thomas Lynch, governor of Jamaica, in 1672, wrote all
this to the earl of Arlington, fecretary of ftate ; and that this kind of
pofl'eflion is held in the Weft-Indies to be the ftrongeft that can be,
viz. felling of wood, building of houfes, and clearing and planting the
ground. That the depofitions of many Englifti concerned in this log-
wood trade were, in fubftance, as follows, viz. that our king's fubjeds
have been ufed, for fome years, to hunt, to fifti, and to cut logwood,
in divers bays, iflands, and parts of the continent, not frequented or
poflefled by any of the fubjeds of his catholic majefty, and without
any molellation ; which cutting of logwood there, had been approv-
ed of by the committee of the king's privy-council. Which allow-
ance gave trefti vigour to the logwood-cuuers : although about that
time the Spaniards began to interrupt them, and to difpute their right
to that liberty which they had fo long quietly enjoyed. For it is an
imdoubted fait, that from the publication of the treaty of 1667, until
about two years after the conclufion of tlic American treaty in 1670,
the logwood-cutters had never been in tlie leaft difturbed, either
diredlly or indirectly. Nor does it appear, that the SpanilTi governors
took any umbrage at, or made any complaint about, it ; much lefs did
they pretend to an cxclufivc right, or that it was contrary to the laws
of iheir commerce. That the Englifli w!io were fettled at the Laguna
dc Terminos, in rcfentment for the Spaniards having taken two

H 2

6o A. D. 1717.

Englifli fliips which had logwood on board, feized on a Spanifli bark
at the faid Laguna, bound to Tabafco : yet the governor of San Fraii-
cifco de Campeachy, in vindication of the firft hoftiiities of the Spa
niards, complained of by Sir Thomas Lynch in 1672, took not the
leafl notice of thofe Englifh fliips having logwood, nor of our cutting
logwood, nor of our being for fome years fettled on the faid Laguna,
nor did he aflign any other realon for making thofe reprifals, but our
having taken the faid Spanifh bark. That the Englhh having been
in pofleffion of the Laguna de Terminos prior to the American trea-
ty of 1670 ; and the 7th article of that treaty running as follows : it
is agreed, that the king of Great Britain fliall have, hold, and always
poflefs, in full fovereignty and propriety, all the lands, countries,
iflands, colonies, and other places, be they what they will, lying and
fituate in the Weft-Indies, or in any part of America, which the faid
king of Great Britain, or his fubjeds, now hold and poflefs ; info-
much, that they neither can nor ought hereafter to be contcfted or
called in queftion for them upon any account, or under any pretence
whatfoever. That by the queen regent of Spain's cedula, in June
1672, declaring fuch to be pirates who fhould make invafion, or trade
without Ucence, in the ports of the Indies, it docs not appear, that
cutting of logwood was then efteemed an invafion. Yet, by virtue of
this cedula, it was at length carried to that height, that, if our fhips
had but any logwood onboard, they were confifcated without remedy,
although the faid cedula was inconfiftent with the American treaty,
and made ex pojl fado, after the ratification of that folemn treaty.
That although in 1680 the Spaniards violently diflodged our log-
wood-cutters from the faid ifland of Trift, and the Laguna de Ter-
minos, yet in 1682 our trade to and from thofe parts was greater
than ever. That, excepting two or tliree months after the aforefaid
affault in 1680, it is well known to the Spaniards, that we have been
ever fmce poUefled of thofe parts where we cut logwood. That a
claufe in the firft article of the treaty of commerce at Utrecht de-
termines this contcft relating to the cutting of logwood beyond all
poflibility of difpute for the future, viz. after the confirmation and ra-
tification of the American treaty of 1670. It follows:
' Without any prejudice, however, to any liberty or power which the
fubjeds of Great Britain enjoyed before, either through right, fuf-
ferance, or indulgence.

' If therefor this comprehenfive claufe, which relates only to the
Weft-Indies, confirms, lecures, and re-eftablifhes, thofe liberties, which
the fubjeds of Great Britain enjoyed in America before the treaty in
1670, it necefTarily follows, that they having then enjoyed the liberty
of cutting logwood without any interruption, as hath been fully prov-
ed, either through right, fufferance, or indulgence, they are again in-

2

A. D. 1717. 61

titled by this (Uti-echt) treaty to the fame liberty, in as plain and
exprefs words as can be uled or imagined. And that your majefly
may be more fully apprifed of the importance of this trade, the fame
will be effedually demonftrated by the following account of the quan-
ties of logwood imported ilnce the war, viz. In the year 17 13, 2189
tons, 15 cwt. In 1714, 4878 tons, 14 cwt. In 1715, 5863 tons, 12
cwt. and in 171 6, 2032 tons, 17 cwt. being, one year with another,
3741 tons ; which cannot be computed at lefs than L6o,ooo per an-
num, though the price at prefent be reduced from L40 to L16 per
ton : whereas, before your majelly's fubjeds were fettled there, it was
worth Li 00 per ton.

' Nor is this trade lefs necelTary than beneficial to your majefty's do-
minions, by reafon of the great encouragement it gives to our feamen
and (hipping. Upon the whole, therefor, we are humbly of opinion,
ijl, that the fubjedts of this your majelly's kingdom, for fome years
before, as well as after the American treaty of 1 670, did enjoy an un-
interrupted liberty of cutting logwood in thofe parts of the bay of
Campeachy not inhabited by Spaniards ; either through right, fuf-
ferance, or indulgence : 2dly, that the laid American treaty did efta-
blifh a right in the crown of Great Britain to the Laguna de Termi-
nos, &c. thofe places, at the time of the treaty, and for fome years
before, being adtually in pofTelTion ot the Britilh fubjeds : '^dly,
that the royal cedula, iffued out by the court of Spain, was a viola-
tion of that treaty, forafmuch as the carrying on the trade to the La-
guna de Terminos was thereby interpreted an invafion, and the log-
wood-cutters accounted pirates. And that your majefty's fubjeds
having been at leaft fuffered to enjoy the liberty of cutting logwood,
as aforel'aid, before the conclufion of the American treaty, although
your majefty Ihould not infift on your right to the Laguna de Termi-
nos, yet that the fame liberty is abfolutcly granted and confirmed by
the treaty of commerce made at Utrecht. And we do farther think
it our duty to reprefent to your majefty, that, although the faid
Spunifh ambaftlidor feems to declare in his memorial, that no attempt
fliould be made to dillodge your fubjeds, fettled on the Lagima de
Terminos, in a lefs time than eight months from the date of his me-
morial, yet ihey were diftodged and taken prifoners in the fame
month the memorial was delivered, as appears by feveral affidavits.'
All which is humblv lubmitted by

(Signed) " Suffolk, J. Mokfwortb,

y. Chetxvynd, D. Pulttuy,
Whiiehal', Sept. 25, 17 17. Cba/lts Cooke^ M. Bladen.

171 8. — In March 171 8 the Snuth-fea company's fecond great annual
ftiip was launched, and named the Royal C^eorge, in honour of his majefty
King George I, the company's governor. But the commerce of that

62 A. D. 1718.

company was completely ruined in its infancy by the war with Spain,
which began this year: and their effe6ls,fa61:ors,and fervants, in the Spanifh
Weft-Indies were feized and detained, contrary to the afliento-contrad,
whereby they ought to have had eighteen months time allowed them for
the removal of their effeds, &c. which the company's agent at Madrid
reprefented in very ftrong terms to the cardinal minifter, whole anfwer
was, that the company fhould be indemnified whenever peace fhould be
concluded ; yet the fame was never effedually performed : and though
this war was but of a fhort duration, the company, neverthelefs, fufFered
confiderably by it ; and toward the clofe of this year, reprefented to his
Britannic majefty their various grievances, which were in fubftance, viz.

I) That whereas in refped to the queen's two fhips, the Bedford and
Elizabeth, laden for the company's account, by virtue of two cedulas
granted by the king of Spain in the year 171 4, the former to Cartha-
gena, and the later to Vera Cruz, yet the Bedford's cargo was confifcat-
ed, on the pretext of over-tonnage, though it afterward appeared upon
remeafurement, that its cargo was under the ftipulated tonnage. Yet
the obtaining a fufpenfion of the fale of that cargo, till the company
could appeal to Europe, coft an exceflive fum to the Spanifh officers, be-
fides the lofs of their market, &c.

II) That the cargo of the Elizabeth had an alcavala (or duty) laid on
it at Vera Cruz, to a very great amount, though the king of Spain had
expreisly fpecified that it fhould pay no duty whatever, on condition that
he fljiould enjoy 10 per cent out of the profits thereof : which impofition
he afterward confirmed and extended to all the company's future annual
fliips, though contrary to the 42d article of the affiento contrad.

III) The king of Spain's fufpending the company's new fhip the Royal '
George from failing this year, after having on board a cargo of near
L30o,ooo value, which was thereby much damaged, was a very great
lofs to the company.

IV) By laying exorbitant duties on the company's {hip permitted to
load fruit at the Canaries for the Spanifh Weft-Indies.

V) By laying duties on the purchafers of the company's negroes.

VI) By conniving at, and permitting, many negroes to be imported
clandeftinely by others, contrary to the affiento contrad.

\TI) By obftruding the company's officers from loading homeward,
-either tobacco or cacao, likewife contrary to the affiento.

VIII) By falfe meafuring of the company's negroes, and denying
juftice therein .-

IX) In delaying juftice in law-fuits againft the Spanifta officers, for
extorting exorbitant fees for the negroes imported by the company.

X) By obliging the company's fadors at Panama to pay the duties
on ffaves courifcated and indulted, contrary to the ufage of former
^fllentifts.

A. D. 1718. 6^

XI) For compelling the company's fadors at Panama and the Havan-
na, to pay a duty of fix pieces of eight for the burial of each negro.

XTI) Tn denying the company's facftors at Buenos-Ayres the lands fti-
pulatcd by the afliento contrad: to be afligned them for raifing cattle,
provifions, &c. and for their negroes.

__ XIII) Extorting extravagant port-charges there, for the company's
{hips, and obftrudling their purchafing goods there : with other abufes
at that port, and at Panama.

XIV) The Spanifh guarda-cofta fhips flopping the company's afliento
{hips, and taking from them fundry things not contraband.

For thefe and fome other grievances and defeds in the afliento con-
trad, the company prayed his majefty to procure redrefs, which he was
gracioufly pleafed to promife, when the differences with Spain fhould be
adjufled.

N. B. By the feizure of the company's efFeds on the breaking out of
this war, they are faid to have been lofers above L 200,000, which was
never efFedually made good.

In this fame year, the Dutch colonifts at Surinam in Guiana are faid
to have begun to plant coffee ; which was then thought to be much bet-
ter than either the coffee of Martinico or Jamaica.

About this time, according to Bi{hop Huet, (in his Memoirs of
the Dutch commerce) the Dutch fent annually to the countries within
the Baltic fea no fewer than 1000 or 1200 fhips to load the bulky com-
modities of thofe northern countries, with which they fupply many
other parts of Europe ; fo vaft then was, and in a great meafure ftill is,
their trade to Denmark, Sweden, Ruflia, Pruffia, Livonia, &c. within
that fea.

The felling or buying of chances, and parts of chances, of tickets in
the ftate-lotteries of Great Britain, being at this time in general pradice,
a claufe in an ad of parliament for continuing certain duties on coals
and culm, &c. prohibited inch pradices : and alfo all undertakings re
fembling lotteries, or being on the footing of a ftate-Iotttry, were ftrid-
ly prohibited, under th.e penalty of Lioo, over and above all penalties
enjoined by former ads of parliament againft private lotteries.

The Oftenders ftill continuing their trade to Eafl-India under the
emperor's protedion and comniiflions, an ad of the Britiih parliament,
of this 5th year of King George, paffed, for the better fecuring the law-
ful trade of his majefly's fubjeds to and from the Eaft-Indies, and for
the more effedual preventing all his majefly's fubjeds from trading thi-
ther under foreign commiflions ; whereby it was enadcd, that where-
as it is of great importance to the welfare of this kingdom, that the
trade to and from the Eaft-Indies be regulated accordin.j to ads of par-
liament and the royal charters; and that, particularly by an ad of the
5th of King William ill, the Eaft-ladies fliould not be viflted nor

64 A. D. 1718.

frequented by any Britifh fubjeds other than fuch as might lawfully
trade thither, under the penalties therein fet forth ; and that the goods
laden from India fliould, without breaking bulk, be brought to fome
port in Great Britain to be unladen. Notwithftanding which reftric-
tions, and the proclamation of the year 17 16, feveral Britifli fubjeds,
not intitled under the faid laws, have prefumed to trade to India in
foreign and other fliips, to the diminution of his majefty's cuftoms, and
the trade of this kingdom ; wherefor the contraveners are hereby de-
clared liable to all the penalties of the laws in being. And, moreover,
the Eaft-India company is hereby authorized to feize on the perfons of
all fuch Britifli fubjeds as fhall be found within their limits, and to fend
them prifoners to England : and that all or any Britifli fubjeds, ading
under a commifllon from any foreign potentate, fliall forfeit L500 for
every fuch offence. This ad was farther continued, by the 5th of Geo.
II, c. 29, for feven years from the ifl; of May 1732, and to the end of
the then next feflion of parliament.

A bill, in the houfe of peers, for continuing a duty on the trade and
•navigation of this kingdom, and for repairing Dover harbour, met with
much oppofition. The merchants alleged, that this harbour had, for
many years paft, been a burthen to the trade and navigation ; although
its fituation was fuch, that whenever the wind blows hard from the fea,
i. e. from fouth-eafl to fouth-weft, the entrance of the pier is fo choak-
ed with fmall flones, waflied in by the wind and fea, that very often, at
high water, a hoy of 30 tons cannot get in or out, and the packet-boats
are liable to the fame misfortune. That the charges on our na\-igation,
called petty port-charges, were fo high, that a fliip of 250 tons paid
each voyage L30 fterling, of which at leafl L6 : 5 was for the repair of
this pier and harbour. That the mouth of the pier is but 100 feet in
breadth, and the channel much narrower, occafioned by a lodgment of
ftones : and at the pier-heads the tide runs fo flrong diredly acrofs it,
that it is both difficult and dangerous to get in or out, feveral fliips hav-
ing been loft in the attempt. That the execution of the ad for this
duty had already cofi: upwards of L2o,ooo, although it be much the
fame as before. Neither can it be made of any advantage to any but
♦iflier-boats and fmall vefFels ufmg the place. Yet the fame duty was
continued, though hitherto to very little purpnfe.

The pirates in the Weft-Indies, and efpecially among the Bahama
iflands, being at this time a great obftrudion and detriment to the
Britifli commerce, the king's fliips, and the proclamation for furrender-
ing themfelves by a limited time, had the defired efFed ; and the peace-
able navigation of thofe feas was reflored.

In May 1718, new louis d'ors and new filver coins were coined in
France, which were to pafs for confiderably more than their intrinfic
value, much to the detriment of the commerce of France; and all the

A. D. 171 8. 65

old monies, heavier than this new coin, were called in. And to make
this foolifli and wicked fcheme appear fomewhat uniform, the prices of
gold and filver bullion were hereby to be accommodated thereto. Fool-
ifh it was, becaufe the monied part of the world was too wife not to
take advantage thereof, to the detriment of the ftate ; and wicked, as it
brought great mifery upon many thoufands of individuals. And in the
fame month and year the king, or rather the duke regent, by letters
patent, ordained the capital of the bank to confift of 1200 fhares, of
1000 crowns each. Yet in the fame year the king took this bank into
his own hands, and publifhed, * that he had paid off all the proprietors
' of the faid Li, 200,000 capital, which fum, as a farther fecurity for the
' future juft management of this now royal bank, he had lodged with the
' general cafh thereof;' yet this fuppofed fum was not in actual cafh,
but only in adions of the Miflilippi company belonging to the king.
This was a part of Mr. Law's fcheme for bringing about an union of the
bank with that company, for the execution of his grand projedl" of pay-
ing off the public debts by getting them fubfcribed into this company.
It was no difficult matter for intelligent men to forefee the ruin of the
bank, from the moment of its being called royal, and to foretell, what
foon after happened, the ruin of vail: numbers of opulent and honour-
able families, not only, though principally, in France, but in other parts
of Europe, rafhly venturing deep into this projed, formed under an ab-
folute government, which, by a dafh of the pen, could undo every thing
at pleaiure. When the old coins were thus called into the mint, it was
directed, ' that there (hould be permitted to be therewith brought into
' the mint, two fifth parts in ftate bills, becaufe, fays this extraordinary

* edid, the difreputation of thofe ftate bills has proved an obftrudion to
' commerce and to the circulation of money.' The other wife reafon
for this edid was, ' that by thus ftamping an higher value on the gold
' and filver coins of France, gold and filver from other countries would

* be brought thither in greater abundance.' The new- coined and over-
valued crowns of fix livres were now ordered to be paid and received at
that price in the bank. Yet all this was revcrfed towards the end of the
following year by arrets, which gradually reduced the new gold and
filver coins to very near their intrinfic value ; as the court faw the vaft de-
triment, which enhancing the nominal value of the new coins had done to
the crown as well as to commerce. Four millions per annum were al-
lotted for the intercft of i'uch public debts, being ico millions, as had
been already fubfcribed into the Miftifippi company; and, for a farther
allurement, that company had the entire farm of tobacco granted to them
tor nine years ; whereupon they fet about tranfporting great numbers
ot artificers, planters, labourers, and foldiers, to Louifiana : and a great
ftir and buftle was artfully made in order to allure people to become

Vol. III. I

66 A. D. 1718.

adventurers in the ftock of this company, already arri\ed at the pnc*
of 120 per cent.

It was found, that the allowances granted by former laws relating to
the duties on fait, upon exportation of fifh, much exceeded the duty it-
felf on the fait tiled in curing the fifli ; for remedy whereof, it was now
enabled, [5 Gl-o. I, c. 18J that the curers of filh for exportation, inftead
of all former allow^mces, fliould be permitted to ufe either foreign or
Britifli fait, without paying any duty, excepting the cuftom on importa-
tion of the foreign fait ; and that fait intended to be ufed in curing fifl),
fhould be warehoufed, and the proprietor fhould make oath of the
quantity, and that it is intended for curing fifh for exportation only :
and after the fifliing feafon, the remaining fait to be again v/arehoufed,
and the proprietor to give aii account of the quantity of fifh exported,
on which the fait was ufed, and the remaining fait to be delivered over
to other perfons, for the fame end : perfons not giving true accounts-
upon oath, forfeit L40, &c. then follow the allowances to be made by
eoUedors of the fixlt duty to the exporters of fifli, vi?j. on pilchards, cod,
ling, and hake (wet or dry) fa'.mon, white and red herrings, and dried
fprats, certain allowances therein fpecified, either by the barrel or the
hundred weight, or clfe by the number o^ fifh, with their fize, &c.
needlefs herein to be fpecified ; it not being our intent to particularize
every law relating to the regulation of merchandize, but only to take
notice of any great or remarkable alteration, like this of the allov.'ances
on flilted fifl> exported.

17 19. — The iiland of St. Lucia in the V/eft-Indies has at fundry
times been inhabited by both Englifh and French planters at the fame
time : about this time the Marefchal d'Eirees f'ent a colony thither, but
Hur ambaflador at Paris rcmonflrated againfl: it with fuch fpirit and luc-
cefs, that the French court fent orders to evacuate th:it iiland for the
prefent.

For the farther execution of Law's wicked fcheme of drawing in tire-
numerous proprietors of the national debts of France to be paid with
the Mifilfippi ftock iind royal bank notes, he was in the beginning of
the year 171 9 made diredor general of that bank, in the fame year
creating, in different months, no fewer than 1000 millions of livres,
. (i. e. between 40 and 50 millions fterling) in new bank notes ; lefs (fays,
the royal arret) not being fufhcient for the various operations of the
royal bank ; though in tad this lum was more than all the banks in
Europe could circulate.

In the meantime, ftill the more to inveigle mankind. Law perfuaded
the regent to unite the French Eafl-India company to this new Miflifippi
or wellern company. The preamble to this edicl fliews the very bad
itate of their Eait-India company's affairs, viz. that nolwithflanding the
lums of money, fliips, &.c. beftowed on the Eaft-India company from

3

A. D. 1719. 67

time to time, and their many privileges and immunities fmce their firfl
erection in the year 1664.; yet, inftead of increafmg their commerce,
they had totally abandoned their navigation, and were now about to fell
their exclufivc privileges to fome private perfons tor certain allowances ;
though they might as well have made their commerce profitable to their
proprietors and to the kingdom, as the Eaft-India companies of other
nations have done. That though the original fund was not large enough,
yet their diretTiors injudicioufly laviflied it away, borrowing money af-
terwards at 10 per cent intereft. Nay they even paid L5 per cent per
month for the intereft of the bullion they procured for their eaftward
cargoes, which fwallowed up all the profits of the voyage. That King
Louis XIV ftill continued his kindnefs to that company ; but the Eaft-
Indians complaining that the company did not pay either principal or
intereft of their juft debts, and that they had not fent one fhip to Surat
in 16 years time, they being greatly in debt there, from whence cottons
and alnioft all the fpices and drugs of India and Arabia are brought ;
the fubjeds of France, to their immenle lofs, are compelled to buy of
Grangers thole and other Indian wares, not only for home coniumption,
but alfo for carrying on the trades of Senegal and Guinea ; though at
triple the prices they would otherwife have coft. Neither is their trade
to China better conduced than that to India. For retrieving, therefor,
the commerce and honour of France in India, by paying the company's
debts (of many millions) there, the king hereby nullities the privileges of
that company, and unites them to this weftern or Millifippi company,
which will thereby be much ftrengthened. Thus, having before joined
the Senegal company to the weftern one, this newly-confolidated com-
pany will have the four quarters of the world to track in. For thefe
caufes we have thought proper to unite thole companies, and have grant-
ed this now united company the abfolutely exclulive commerce from
the Cape of Good Hooe eaftward, to all the reft of Africa, and to Per-
iia, India, China, Japan, and the ifles, even to the ftraits of Magellan
■and Le Maire ; they hereby enjoying all the forts, ifles, &c. of the
old company, and paying all their debts. How different has the condi-
tion of the French Eaft-India company fincc been from what ic was at
the time we are treating of?

Moreover, fays the king's edic^, befides the 100 millions of public
debts, already fubfcribed into the weftern company's capital, there fliall
now be a lubicription, in ready cafti, of 25 millions of new adlions, each
to conlift ot 550 livres. And this newly-united company fliall hence-
forward be called the India company.

In July 1719, 25 millions more of ftate bills were fubfcribed into this
new India company's capital, which was by this time run a great way
above par, and, by the vaft number of adventurers in that ftock, the
dirty ftreet called Rue Quinqucmpoix, was dayly crowded bevonJ

'12

68 A. D. 17 19.

meafure. We may here remark, that a great part of the firfl flock of
this company was fubfcribed by the king and government alone, which,
by the mad running up of the flock, was afterward fold out at 1000 per
cent and upwards ; and thereby put near 200 millions into the king's
coffers : the like was pradifed by Law on the company's own behalf,
thereby enabling them to pufh their fchemes yet farther. In Auguft
171 9, for the farther promoting of ftock-jobbing, the laft 50 millions
of India flock had every fhare fplit into 100 fhares ; which brought in
the very dregs of the people to be adventurers : whereupon the flock
rofe to 500 per cent, which again fell to 445 on the bare rumour of the
Sieur Law's indifpolltion, and rofe again to 610 on his recovery. In
the fame month the king's arret granted the company the general farm
of all the revenues, and prolonged their exclufive term to the year 1770 :
in confideration whereof the company agreed to lend the king no lefs
than 1200 millions of livres (or about 50 millions flerling) for paying
off all the public debts. . For this general farm the company agreed to
pay 52 millions yearly *, of which the company was to retain annually
;^6 millions, as the intereft of the 1200 millions lent to the king, for
which vafl fum they were to take fubfcriptions at 3 per cent. In the
meantime, the bank was ordered to ifl'ue 25 millions, in their notes, to
the India company, to be fent to Louifiana inflead of coin, for carrying
on an extenfive commerce there ; a wretched means for that end in lieu
of cafli : the company at the fame time agreed to pay to the king 50 mil-
lions for the fole privilege of the coinage of money for nine years to
come. By another arret, the public creditors were permitted to take
adlions or fhares of India flock in payment of their feveral debts ; and
thus the public *debts were all paid off. The people of France eafily
fwallowed the bait, fondly believing all the fine flories which Law and
his emilTaries artfully gave out; and the flock in a few weeks more ran
up to 1200 per cent, when 150 millions more were" added to their capi-
tal, by three feveral fubfcriptions at 1000 per cent, to enable them to
make good their loans to the king; which 150 millions were permitted
ro be fplit into fuch fmaller parts as they fhould take out fubfcriptions
for, whereby the market in Rue Qiiinquempoix was well fupplied.

A falfe appearance of an unufal plenty of money was now obferved
at Paris, whereby all things rofe in price, and lands near Paris were fold
at "50 years purchafe ; and a wife purchafe it was to fuch as fold out their
flock at 1200 per cent, which they very properly termed reaUzing their
Hock. By fuch means, Mr. Law's credit was arrived ilt the highefl
pitch; his levee was crowded with perfons from mofl parts of Europe,
prefling for fubfcriptions, which now bringing in fo much cafli to the
company, they were enabled to lend the king 300 millions more, at

* This was 35- millions more than wr.s paid for the general farm by Lambert, whom therefor the
kiniT now deprived of it, though fix years of his grant were unexpired, y^.

A. D, 1 7 19. 69

3 per cent. Many were the arts made ufe of for keeping up the price
of the now unwieldy ftock ; fuch as, an arret to enable the company
to employ part of their capital for the improvement of manufactures,
tilheries, &c. ; alfo, for improving their tobacco farm ; for fuppl)ing the
king with all the hemp he fhould want for his navy ; and many other
devices too tedious to enumerate. The king, moreover, engaged,
not to ereft any other company in France but this. And the company,
on their part, engaged not to take in any more new fubfcriptions *, nor
to increale their capital ftock. The payments for the new fubfcriptions
were to be by ten inftallments, each at a month's diftance ; but the new
fubfcriptions foon made the old ones fall, for want of money to pay in
on thefe laft ; the firft payment of which laft new ones was currently
fold at 200 to 300 per cent profit ; and yet the old ones were equally
good as thofe of the laft fubfcription : but the quantity of the capital
ftock, being now 300 miUions, made the old fubfcriptions fall in price :
the company therefor, in order to keep them up, declared they would
pay 900 per cent for them, which immediately raifed them to i 200 per
cent ; and the laft fubfcriptions were about 1300 per cent. Now 300
millions of that ftock, at the price of i 200 per cent, amounts to 360,000
millions of livres, or about 18,000 millions fterling f .

From the beginning of November 171 9 till about the middle of
December following the French India or MilFifippi ftock was in its
meridian glory : during which time, more efpecially, and for fome time
before and after, the city of Paris was crowded with ftrangers, and with
foreigners from different nations, who haftened thither tor dealing in-

* This was ncccfTary in order to keep up tlie Poitiigal' ... 6

price of tdc former ones. A. Italy, Sicily, and Venice - lo

f Which lum is perhaps near I So times as much Turkey iu Europe ... ^

as all Europe contained of c\irrent catli, fuppofing it Ruflia - - . - 6

to amount to lOO millions (lerling: for, as to what is Poland • - . . ^

iTiut up in banks, and particularly tiie bank of Am- Sweden, Denmark, and Norway • 3

fterdam, (laid, by fonie, to amount to 36 millions)

it is not properly the current coin of the country, 100

though it anfwers in commerce as well as if it were. So that the utmoft, we think, we can rcafonably

being but a mere depofit of credit. Yet it is con- fuppofe the current ca(h of Europe, amounts lo

felfed to be very diflkult to arrive at a juft diftri. 100 millions lleiling ; and poflibly many may con-

bution of the fuppofed ico millions of current jcfture, we have allowed moll nations, efpecially the

cnlh amongft the feveral nations of Europe, more northern ones, too much, and lomc perhaps too little.

elpecially as we have not met with any former at- Ourjudieious readers will not be ilarlled at our al-

tempt for fuch a proportionul dillribution thereof, lowing Spain and Portugal fo Iniall a ciurcncy of

by any author whatever. Yet although, with re- cafli, who fupply the tell of Europe with filvorand

gard efpecially to lome countries ot Europe, wc gold ; nor for allowing France fo much, when the

be quite upon mere conjecture, we (hall, however, annual expenfe of that kingdom is duelv conlider-

though with diffidence, venture at it in round ed, as well as that of Britain and Ireland ; the

funis, viz. other nations may be varii)ully realoncd upon with

Britain and Ireland (mfllions fieri, money) 16 refpert to the quantum of their calh, from vari-

France .... - 18 ous conllderaiions : as, from the quantity of their

The 17 provinces of the Netherlands \l commerce and niatiufaCtures, from the numbei-s of

Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland - y their people, from their fliipping, the number and .

Spain - - . - 8 magnitudeof their trading cities, &c. Aj

70 A. D. 17 19*

this Ilock ; iuloniucli, that it was currently believed, there might then
refide uc Paris iialt" a million of flrangers more than ufual, and that
1 200 now coaches were let up. Nothing to be feen but new and
Iplendid equipages, new houfes, and fmery in apparel ; lodgings Icarce-
]y to be had for money ; and the highefl; prices given for provifions.
See. in that city. Yet, in a few more months after, the very revcrfc
of all this was feen to be the miferable condition of both city and
country.

By an ael for fettling certain yearly funds, payable out of the
revenue of Scotland, to fatisfy public debts in Scotland, and to dif-
charge the equivalents claimed on behalf of Scotland, &c. it was enabl-
ed, that, for obviating many doubts and difficulties, which the commif-
lioners of the equivalent found too hard for them to fettle, arifing fron\
the doubtful and various conftrudion ot the 15th article of the union
of the two kingdoms, the fum of 1^48,550 : o : 97 fliould be a capital
Hock, transferable, attended with an annuity, or annual fund, of
LiG.oco, out of the exclfe and cuftoms of Scotland, as alio L600 per
annum allowed for charge of management, out of thofe revenues. The
king was hereby empowered to incorporate the proprieto-rs thereof, who
fliould have perpetual fucceflion, &c. Yet the fiid ftock is to be re-
deemable by parliament. {5 Geo. I. c. 20.] The Hock remains to this
day transferable, and its directors meet weekly at their office in Lon-
don, being 13 in number, eleven refiding in London, and two refiding
at Edinburgh. Their charter is dated nth Geo. on the 21ft of No-
vember 1724. They pay their proprietors 4 per cent per annum.

By this fame flatute, L2000 per annum, out of the revenues of cuf-
toms and excife in Scotland, was allotted for ever, to be wholely applied
towards encouraging and proteding the filheries and fuch other manu-
fadures and improvements in Scotland as may mod conduce to the
general good of the united kingdom, according to the tenor and true
meaning of the 15th article of the union. Provided however, that up-
on payment by parliament of L4o,ooo, the faid annuity of L20CO {hall
<;eafe and determine.

The irredeemable debt being at this time thought a dead weight on
the public, the miniflry and parliament were extremely defirous to get
rid of as much of it as they could, at a reafonable rate : a bargain was
therefor now flruck with the South-fea company ; whereby, in the firll
place, the blank pay-tickets, and the prizes of the lottery of the year
1710, which were irredeemable annuities tor 32 years from 17 10, were
now to be turned into redeemable principal fums at 5 per cent intereft,
by an ad of parliament of the 5th of King George, for redeeming the
fund appropriated for payment of the lottery tickets, which were made
forth for the fer vice of the year 17 10, by a voluntary fubfcription of
the proprietori into the capital ftock of the South-fea company, &c. It

A. D. 1 7 19. 7*

was hereby, in fubftance, enabled, * that whereas the nation at prefent
' pays Li 35,000 per annum for 23I- years to come, at chriftmas 1718,
' to the proprietors of that lottery,'

They were now to have an offer of 1 1 ^ years purchafe in South fea
flock, ____->_ Li, 55 2, 500 o o

And they being i -j year in arrear, they had an of-
fer of ftock for the fame, being _ _ _ 168,750 o o

Total South fea flock propofed to be given, Li,72i,25o o o

And the government propofing to make, in all,
an increafe of L2, 500, 000 to the company's capital,.
by that company agreeing to advance the refidue in
money for the public fervices, the fame would be 778,750 o o

L2, 500, 000 o o

The interefl of which laft fum, at 5 per cent,
would be, --_.--_ Li 25,000 o o

To which add, for charges of management, - 2000 o

So there remained L80C0 yearly laved, (as they
ihen termed it), at ihe difpofal of parliament, which
faving they made out to be worth L200,ooo, - 80C0 o

o

Lij5,ooo o o

And as the company's general court in December 171 8 had ordered
an increafe of one half per cent to the dividends on their capital for the
three fucceeding half years, over and above the 2r per cent for each
lialf year, allowed by the public, in order to keep up the old dividend
of 6 per cent per annum, the increaled capital of L2,5oo,ooo fliould
alfo enjoy that benefit, which for ly year would be L37,5oo. This laft
fum was propofed to be deducted out of the above L778,75o.

Neverthelefs, many proprietors ot the lottery 1710 rcfuled to accept
thofe conditions : fo that of the Li35,ooo, there was only fubfcribed
into the Souih-fea company, - _ _ I'94>329 12 o

Which, at i2|- years purchafe, made in capital
flock, -__---_ 1,202,702 8 o

And, in that proportion, the company was oblig-
ed to advance only - _ _ — - 544,142 O 10.

So the total capital added to the company, by this
fcheme, was but - . _ _ - Li, 746,844 8 jc

72 A. D. I 719*

And the company's allowance from the government for their pro-
portion of the above L37,5oo was L26,202 : 13 : 4. Laftly, as
L2,5oo,ooo was to L2000, fo was Li, 746, 844 : 8 : 10 (the real aug-
mentation of the company's ftock) to L1397 • 9 • 6, the real annual fum,
due from the public, for charges of management for the faid additional
capital.

Thus, however, the South-fea company's capital flock was increafed
to Li 1,746,844 : 8 : 10 from chriftmas 1718, and their whole annuity
to L587,342 : 4 : 5. By this ad alfo the whole South-fea capital was
made redeemable, on one year's notice after midfummer 1723, on re-
payment of their capital. This tranfaclion with the public unfortu-
nately laid a foundation (together with the fad example of the Miffifippi
flock) for the madnefs of the fucceeding year 1720, of which we are,
by and by, to give an account. In the meantime, in July 171 9, by
way of prelude, the South-fea company opened a fubfcription for the
fale of L5 20,000 of their flock, (part of the above addition to their ca-
pital) which they now fold at the price of 1 14 per cent, whereby they
gained L72,8oo.

A bill was brought into parliament for rendering the laws concern-
ing the importation of naval flores from the Britifh American planta-
tions more extenfive, by extending it to all forts of timber from thence.
For, whereas in our trade thither, it fometimes happens, that the crops
of tobacco, fugar, &c. f^ll fhort, many fhips in that cafe are obliged to
come home to Great Britain dead-freighted ; and fome remain there a
whole feafon, waiting for the next crop ; it was therefor imagined by
the houfe of commons, that, if encouragement were given for bringing
timber, &c. from our plantations, our fhips would be fure of a cargo ;
\\'-hereby the demand from our northern colonies for Britifh manufac-
tures of all kinds, would be greatly increafed, and their people divert-
• ed from farther attempts at manufactures of their own, interfering with
thofe of Britain and Ireland. But the people of the northern colonies
were lb furprifed and dilappointed by fome claufes put into that bill,
that, rather than they fliould ftand part of it, they were very glad to
have it dropped altogether. Such, for inftance, as, that none in the
plantations fhould manufacfture iron wares of any kind, out of any fows,
pigs, or bars, whatfoever, under certain penalties : by which ckufe,
fays an ingenious author, on this occafion," in behalf of the colonies,
no fmith in the plantations might make fo much as a bolt, fpike, or
nail ; whereby the colonies mufl have been brought into a miferable
condition; the fmith being, above all other trades, abfolutely neceffary
in all other employments there. Amongfl the reft, that of fhip-build-
ing would have hereby been utterly deftroyed, although by that article
they make a great part of their returns for the purchafe of Britifh ma-
oiufacfLures. The houfe of peers added another claufe, that no forge.

A. D. 1719. 11

going by water, or oihcr work whatfoever, fhould be ereded in any of
the plantations, for making fows, pigs, or caft iron, into bar or rod iron.
This fecond claufe, lays the fame author, muft have ruined all the
iron works in the colonies, to the great lofs of their proprietors, and
have given the French a fair handle to tempt them into their iettle-
ments which join to ours. The chief oppofers of the manufafture of
iron in our American plantations, were the proprietors of our iron
works at home ; and our author adds, (what is probable enough, or
rather within bounds) that the iron manufadure of England, which
is deemed the third of the kingdom, employs 200,000 perfons : that
the wafte and deflruction of the woods in the counties of Warwick,
Stafford, Worcefter, Hereford, Monmouth, Glocefter, and Salop, by
thefe iron works, is not to be imagined ; and that, if fome care be not
taken to preferve our timber from thefe confuming furnaces, there will
not be oak enough left to fupply the royal navy, and our mercantile
(hipping: that within thefe 60 years Ireland was better flocked with
oak timber than we now are ; but the iron works, fince fet up there,
have in a few years fwept away the wood to that degree, that they
have not fmall rtuff enough left to produce bark for their tanning, nor
timber for common ufes ; infomuch that at prefent they are forced
to have bark from England, and building timber from Norway, &c.
and to fuffer their large hides to be exported untanned to Holland,
Germany, &c. : that about 20,000 tons of iron are annually imported
to England from foreign parts, over and above what is made at home,
for which we pay ready money; and at L12 per ton, comes to
L240,ooo, paid annually to foreigners ; and the boards and other tim-
ber which we take of them, come to L20o,ooo more : whereas, our
own plantations would be paid for their iron and timber in our own
manufadures, thereby evidently bringing a double benefit to the na-
tion : that they have iron-flone all along the continent, from the
fouthernmofl part of Carolina, to the northernmofl part of New-Eng-
l^and, in great plenty ; and no part of the world abounds more with
prodigious quantities of wood, nor with more rivers and flreams : that
the Swedes have laid near 25 per cent additional duty on their iron ;
and that the interruptions of our trade in the Baltic had greatly diftrefi-
ed our iron manufadurers for want of iron : that by the naval-llore
laws, now in force, which comprehend only pitch, tar, and turpentine,
fuch great quantities thereof are produced and imported from our
plantations, as enables us to export great quantities thereof to the
Straits, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Bremen, and Hamburgh : that tak-
ing timber and iron, as well as hemp and llax, froui our own planta-
tions would employ a vafl; many fliips and people : that iron, in par-
ticular, is a commodity of univerfal ufe, and certain in all parts of the
Vol. III. K

74 A. D. 1 719.

world, and therefor as much to be valued as gold or filver : that the
Dutch fupply Portugal, the Straits, and Turkey, with great quantities of
iron ; and had we a full fupply of it from our plantations, we might
not only ballaft our fhips with it, but export great quantities to thofe
countries, and even to Africa and India : that hemp, another mod
neccflary naval ftore, may hereafter be fo enhanced by the czar of
Ruflla, from whofe ports we are principally fupplied with it, as to at-
tempt, like the Swedes, to oblige us to receive it by his own fhipping,
and at his own prices : finally, our greateft fecurity and riches flow
from our American plantations : and, were they encouraged to raife
all the naval ftores we want, how greatly would our riches be increafed
as well as our navigation, people, and power. Our author, however,
concludes, that negro flaves in our plantations fhould not be permitted
to work in manufactures there, (as certainly many do), but be kept to
their original intent for planting and drudgery : and alfo that the in-
creafe of woollen, &c. manufadlures there, interfering with thofe of our
own, fhould be retrained as much as pofTible.

Thefe are points of the lad: importance to our commercial interefts,
wherefor we have enlarged the more upon them, in fundry parts of this
work.

A convention was renewed and enlarged this year between his majef-
ty of Great Britain and the free and imperial city and republic of Ham-
burgh, concerning the trade of herrings, &c. viz.

Article 1) Hamburgh grants permiflion for the free importation of
herrings caught on the Britifh coafts, upon paying ihe fame duties of
entry as are ufually paid for Flemifh or Dutch herrings.

II, and III) The Britifh herrings fhall be brought into warehoufes,
and (hall be opened in the fame manner as thofe of Holland are.

IV) The fenate fhall appoint two appraifers and two packers, who
fliall take an oath of fidelity every year.

V) If the proprietors or their fadors come in pcrfon, they fhall have
liberty to fell their herrings to any inhabitants indifferently : and if they
cannot difpofe of them in eight days, to the inhabitants, they may af-
terwards fell them to whomfoever they will, or may fend themwhither-
foever they pleafe.

VI) When the proprietors fend their herrings to flidors, they fhall be
at liberty to choofe their fadors either from among the laudable Eng-
lifh company (i. e. of merchant-adventurers) refiding in the town, or
among the burghers.

VII) His Britannic majefty's fubjeds Ihall always enjoy the fame
privileges and advantages in the herring trade, as are, or fhall be, grant-
ed to the fubjeds of the ftates of the United provinces.

VIII) His Britannic majefty's fubjeds may alfo bring to Hamburgh,
falmon, ftockfilh, cod, and all other forts of fiih, either dried, fmoaked„

A. D.I 7 19- 75

or in barrels, paying the cuftomary duties. And, in like manner, the
inhabitants and burghers of Hamburgh (hall have free liberty to trade,
according to their antient cuflom, to the provinces of the Britifh king-
doms ; and may carry their merchandi^ie thither, and truck or exchange
the fame for thofe forts of fifli and other goods.
Done at Hamburgh, Sib February lyip *.

It was at this time computed, that from the year 171 1 to 171 9 (both
years included) being nine years, there had been exported from Eng-
land to Eaft-India, in foreign filver bullion, the fum of L3, 786, 005,
which on a medium is, one year with another, 1^^20,66^] annually.

Captain Barlow was fent out by certain private adventurers f , for the
dlfcovcry of a north-weft pafTage to China, &c. through Hudfon's bay.
Eut this proved a moft unfortunate attempt ; for neither he nor any of
his company were ever heard of. Yet a part of the wreck of his fhip
was faid to be found in that bay, in the latitude of 6^ degrees north.
[E//is's l^uyage to Hudjoii's bay, />■ 78, ed. 1748.]

About the clofe of this year a pamphlet appeared with a propofal
for a fettlement to be made in tlie country of Guiana, in South Ame-
rica, by the South-fea company, upon a plan which the anonymous au-
thor alleges he had laid before King M'^illiani 30 years before. His
pamphlet is intitled an Hiftorical account of the voyages and adven-
tures of Sir Walter Raleigh (from whom he fays he is defcended.) But,
in our humble opinion, this kinfman of that great man could not have
touched upon any part of his adventures which does fo little honour to
him as that wild fcheme ; of which we have faid enough in its place,
next to the projed: of a north-weft pafllige, this unaccountable whim of
a fettlement in Guiana has at different times employed our fpeculative
ichemers to the leaft purpofe.

In this 5th year of King George I a patent was granted to Sir Tho-
mas Lombe for the fole and exclufive property, for 14 years, of that
wonderful machine for filk-throwing, fometime before ereded by his
brother on the river Derwent, at Derby, by mills, which work three ca-
pital engines. This amazingly-grand machine contains 26,586 wheels,
and 97,746 movements, which work 73,726 yards of organzine filk
thread every time the water wheel goes round, being thrice in one mi-
nute, and 318,504,960 yards in one day and night. One water wheel
gives motion to all the other movements, of which any one may be flop-
ped feparately, without obftructing the reft. One fire engine conveys

Mr Wich, tlic rtfiJeut at Hamburj^h, wlio f According In Dr. Forrtcr, he and Captain

■iirgotiatcd tliis tif.ity, wrote lionie in Ortobir Knight wcic fcnt out together by the Huellon's

1719, tliat the quality of the htrrini;-3 impoitcd b.iy coropany. [Dif.-.veriet in the tfirlh, fi. ■;,%■] y

this year from Great Urilain had proviJ ixcicd- iL- £n^l;/blt\vifldlijii.] AI.
iaglv fjooil ^1.

': K 2

76

A. D. 1 71 9.

warm ali* to every individual part of this vaft machine, containing in all
its buildings half a quarter of a mile in length. The model of it is faid
to have been taken by Mr. Lombe from the original in Piedmont, un-
der the difguife of a common workman, by fecretly drawing the plan
on paper. Thefe engines have faved a great deal of money to the na-
tion, which they formerly paid for organzine, or thrown, filk to the
Piedmontefe, altogether with ready money. And (that we may take
in all this matter together) the 14 years being run out before Sir Tho-
mas Lombe could make fufficient advantage thereof, upon his applica-
tion to parliament in the year 1732, Li 4,000 was granted to him from
the public, as a confideration for the eminent fervices he has done the
nation, in difcovering, introducing, and bringing to full perfedion, at
his own great expenfe, a work foufeful and beneficial to this kingdom :
provided, however, that his majefty may and fhall diredl proper perfbns
to view the faid" three engines, and to take an exact: model thereof, to
be depofited in fuch place as he fliall appoint, to fecure and perpetuate
the faid art for the advantage of this kingdom. This ftatute mentions
' the great obflrucftion to this undertaking by the king of Sardinia, in
' prohibiting the exportation of the raw filk which the engines were
' made to work'. [5 Geo. I, c. 8.]

1720. — We now enter upon the year 1720; a year remarkable, be-
yond all others, for extraordinary and romantic projeds, propofals, and
undertakings, both private and national ; as well refpeding commercial
concerns, as the great internal interefts of two of the mofl potent king-
doms of Europe ; which, therefor, ought to be had in perpetual re-
membrance, not only as being what never had its parallel, nor, it is to
be hoped, ever will hereafter ; but likewife, as it may ferve for a per-
petual memento to the legiflators and minifters of our own nation, never
to leave it in the power of any hereafter to hoodwink mankind into fo
fhameful and baneful an impofition on the credulity of the people,
thereby diverted from their lawful induftry !

We have feen in the preceding year, to what extravagant lengths the
famous Law had led the duke-regent of France, in order to get clear off
the public incumbrances, by giving the unhappy proprietors of the
French national debts what, in the end, proved little better than nothing.
And we are forry to be obliged to add, that we have in part alfo already
{^tn our own Britifli parliament and minillry approaching too near,
though not intentionally, to fuch unjuft and vifionary fchemes for lef-
fening the Britifli national debt, by liftening to the propofals of crafty
projectors, calculated for deceiving and hoodwinking the proprietors of
thofe debts, by altering or changing the names, fhape, and pofition, of
them, too much refembling, what is vulgarly called, flight-of-hand, ra-
ther than for any folid lefiening of thofe incumbrances, as if any other
method whatever, confiftently with national juftice and honour, could

A. D. 1720. 77

leflen our incumbrances, but a clear and inviolable finking fund, the
confequence of the frugal favings from the redudion of interefl: ; and
avoiding of all needlefs expenfe, more efpecially in times of fettled
peace ; and from the increaie of foreign commerce proportionably in-
creafing the public revenue. All other methods are an impofition upon,
and a difgrace to, a nation enjoying liberty and property. Other me-
thods were, however, at this time adopted, to the ruin of many honour-
able, and, till then, wealthy, families, to the advancement of many low
and obfcure perfons, and to the great temporary detriment of our com-
merce.

The grand point, as already obferved, which the Britifh government
had now in view, was the redudion of what are called the irredeemable
annuities, created at divers times in the reigns of King William and
Queen Anne, moll of them for 99, fome for 96 and 89 years, and others
for fhorter terms, amounting in all to very near L8oo,ooo per annum.
And the managers of the South-fea company having been fo fuccefsful
in taking in the greatefl part of the annuities of the lottery of 1710, the
miniftry encouraged the diredors of that company to make their pro-
pofals for reducing them all into a redeemable ll:ate. It is now become
imneceflary to relate a great deal of what pafTed on this fubjed. In
January that company at firft propofed to the houfe of commons to
give L3, 500, 000 to the public, for the privilege of taking in all the faid
irredeemable debts, and alio the redeemable debts then at the exche-
quer and bank, moflly bearing 5 per cent, either by purchafc from the
proprietors or by fubfcription, into their capital flock. This projed ex-
citing the jealoufy of the bank of England, the diredors of the later on
the very fame day offered above five millions for the iiime privilege.
This rivalOiip proved in effed the bane of the whole plan : for a fecond
propofal of the South-fea company amounted to no lels than L7, 567,500,
in cafe all thofe debts fhould be I'ublbribtd, and in that proportion for
any part of them ; and alfo propofed farther, to pay to the ufe of the
public one year's purchafe of all inch of the long irredeemable an-
nuities as flioiild not be brought into their capital. The bank made a
fecond propofal, more advantageous to the public in ftmdry rcfpeds,
and therein obliged themfelves to give L1700 bank ftock for every
Li 00 irredeemable long annuity. Let any one of common underftand-
ing confider one moment, how it could be polhble for either company
to perform what they now propofed, fo as not to be lofers themfelves,
without egregioufly deceiving and injuring the proprietors of thefe
debts ! Was it not tlierefor mofl" unaccountable in any Britifli parlia-
ment and miniftry to give encouragenient to propolais of io obvioufly
pernicious a nature ?

It fecms, that, upon the king's arrival from Hanover in November
1719, this fcheme was laid before the minillry by the managers of the

7"8

A. D. 1720.

Souih-fea company ; who, fluflied with their late fuccefs, aimed at no
••lefs than incorporating all the funds of the bank, the Eaft-India com-
•^any, and the exchequer, into their own capital. But, though that was
not reliflied, the very rumour of fome fuch fcheme raifed their flock to
I 26 per cent at the fliutting of the books for chriflmas 1719. In con-
clufion, the South-fea company's lafl propofal was accepted in parlia-
ment, and a bill brought in for enabling that company to increafe their
prefcnt capital Hock and fund by redeeming fuch public debts and in-
cumbrances as are therein mentioned ; for raifing money to be applied
"for leffening feveral of the public debts and incumbrances ; for calling
in the prefent exchequer-bills remaining uncancelled ; and for making
.forth new bills in lieu thereof, to be circulated and exchanged upon
demand at the exchequer.

The oppofers of this bill in parliament in vain urged (what afterward
proved but too true) that it was calculated for the enriching of a few,
and the ruin of many : that it countenanced the pernicious pradice of
llock-jobbing, thereby diverting the proper genius of the people from
trade and induflry : that the artificial raifing of South-fea flock fo
high while the bill was depending (viz. to 319, per cent) was a danger-
ous bait for decoying the unwary to their ruin, by a falfe profpedt of
gain, to part with what they had gotten with labour and induflry, for
imaginary wealth ; that it would give foreigners an opportunity of
perhaps tripling the great fums they already poflefl^d in our funds, and
would thereby drain the kingdom of its treafure, when they fliould
realize their flock : that a national bargain fliould be wifely made,
with more advantage to the public than to individuals ; but this fcheme
was quite the reverfe ; fince, if South-fea fiock fliould be kept up at
300 per cent, its old members would gain above thirty millions, whilft
the public were to avail themfelves of but a quarter part of that fura :
that although neither of the propofals of the two rival companies were
fit to be received, yet that of the bank was fairer, as they declared
plainly what they would give the long annuitants in their fiock. But
if, neverthelefs, the South-fea company's propofals fliould be accepted,
the rife of their fiock fhould be limited, for preventing the pernicious
effects of fiock -jobbing in fo high a degree as was like to happen. To all
which, and much more, faid againft the fcheme, it was anfwered by the
minifterial advocates, that neither the minifiers nor the company could
forefee this great rife of the fiock : for had its price remained as it was
when the bargain was firft firuck, viz. at 137 per cent, the public would
have been the greater gainer : that the miniftry had nothing in view,
but eafing the nation of part of its prefent heavy load of debt, and put-
ting the remainder in a method of being gradually difcharged; and
laflly, that it was but reafonable, that the company fhould enjoy the pro-
fit of the rife of fiock procured, by their own prudent condud, &c.

A. D. 1720. 79

It is to little purpofe now to enlarge on the methods then taken by
the South-feu company's managers, for enabling them to execute fo vafl:
a fcheme ; fuch as, making their dividend warrants at chriftmas 1719
to carry interefl: till chriftmas 1720, fums under L20 only excepted ;
obtaining an acl: of this fame fellion, for making forth new exchequer-
bills, not exceeding one million, at a certain intereft, and for lending
the fame to the South-fea company at an higher intereft, &c. taking in
four money- fubfcriptions for the fale of their ftock which they propos-
ed to gain by the fcheme ; which large money-fubfcriptions were par-
ticularly intended for enabling the company to pay off the holders of
fuch of the redeemable debts as fhould choofe to take their principal
money, inftead of fubfcribing the fame into that company ; and alfo for
paying the above great fum to the public for the privilege of this
icheme ; which laft fum was deftined by this aft to be applied, in the
firfl place, to pay off all fuch debts, not included in the company's new
capital, as carried 5 per cent intereft, and afterward to pay off" part of
the company's capital at 5 per cent. They were alfo hereby empower-
ed to make calls of money on their members, or to open books for lub-
fcriptions, or to grant annuities redeemable ; or by fuch other methods
for railing money as their general courts fhould diredt ; fuch as loans on
contrafts, bills, bonds, or obligations, under their common feal, or on
the credit of their ftock, which hereby was all to be reduced to 4 per
cent redeemable at midfummer 1727. And the additional allowance
for management was to be in proportion to that allowed for their old
capital. Not lefs than one million to be paid the company at any one.
time : but their trade and privileges were to continue for ever.

The debts propofed to be taken in were,

I) Irredeemable long annuities, per annum L666,82i JT 3-

Ditto fliort annuities, - 127,260 6 i

Making together _ _ _ 1794,081 14 4;

The long annuities originally did not, in general, coft the proprietors
above fixteen years purchafe ; fo that the proprietors had already been
over-paid their principal with legal intereft, and yet, after fo many
years elapfed, their prelent market price was confiderably more than
what was originally paid for them at the exchequer ; and therefor they
were now deemed an incumbrance on the public equal to their current
value, and were to be juftly confidered in that light only.

For thefe long annuities the company obliged themielves to allow the
proprietors twenty years purchafe ; and fourteen years purchafe for the
fhort annuities : but the main fallacy was, that the company was not
limited in the price they were to put on their ftock to be given to
them. Whereas, on the contrary, the bank's fecond propoial obliged

So A. D. 1720.

ihemfelvcs to offer Li, 700 bank flock for every L 100 per annum of
long annuities, and in like proportion for the fliort ones.

Total fo valued was _ - _ 1^15,118,072 11 o

II) The redeemable debts at the exchequer and bank, carrying 5 per
cent intereft, amounted to Li 1,779,660: 11:3!; and thofe at 4 per
cent to L4, 766,8 21 : 15 : 9y. So that if all the public debts aforefaid,
amounting to 1.31,664,554 : 18 : i{-, had been fubfcribed, the South-fea
company's capital flock would have been increaled to the fum of
L43,4ii,399:6; Hi.

The South-fea direilors, who were alfo, by commifTion, truflees for
taking in the public debts, opened their firfl money-fubfcription on the
14th of April, for the fale of two millions of their flock at 300 per cent,
the market price that day being 325. Some of the directors feemed to
diflike this method, as copying too clofely the Miffiflppi proceedings:
yet the junto of managers judged it advifeable, for keeping up the price
of flock. And fuch was the concourfe of perfons of diftindlion to that
fubfcription^ that it was increafed to L2, 250,000, and thereupon it foon
fold for double the price of the firfl payment, which was L60, and the
ftock role to 340 per cent.

Their next mafter-piece was in a general court, where now were
feen many of the highefl rank and quality, to vote a dividend of 10 per
c«nt in fiock for midfummer half-year 1720, as well to the new fub-
fcribers as to the old capital. This dividend was one great caufe of the
enfuing calamities, by occafioning too high an opinion of the value of
the fcheme.

At the fame general court it was refolved to grant money-loans on
flock, as far as £500,000 (lecretly enlarged to £900,000) for four
months at 5 per cent. There were alfo at this time large premiums given
by the agents of the managers for the refufal of flock at very high
prices. More money was afterward lent out both on flock and on fub-
fcription-receipts. On the other hand, the diredors were conflantly fo-
licited for more fubfcriptions, loans, &c. And to fo great a height was
the frenzy already got, that the bare refolution of the court of diredlors,
on the 28th of April, to receive the irredeemable annuities into their
flock influenced many of the proprietors of thofe annuities actually to
depofit their annuities at the South-fea houfe, and implicitly to fub-
fcribe the fame, before they knew what terms they were to have for
them : fome of whom, neverthelefs, were the loudefl afterwards in the
clamours againfl the diredlors.

On the 30th of April a fecond money-fubfcription was taken for one
million of ftock at L400 per cent price ; and this fubfcription was, in
like fort, increafed to £1,500,000.

On the 1 9th of May the directors declared the terms for the irre-
deemable fubfcribed to be.

For the long annuities, thirty-two years purchafe, and at that rate

A. D. 1720. 81

they gave them L700 (lock for each Lioo annuity, at 375 per cent, its
value being _____ L.2,625 o ^

And they gave them in bonds and money to the amount
of - - - - - - 575 o o

The total, as they were thus valued, was - L3,200 o o

For the other long annuities, called 14 per cents, they gave for

each L98 per annum, the fame flock, valued as above L2, 625 o o

And in bonds and money - - - 5 1 1 o o

Total - - L3,i36 o o

And in this proportion for any greater or lefler fum of thofe
annuities.

For the fhort irredeemables, called 9 per cents, which, as well as
the blank and prize tickets of lottery 171 o, they valued at feventeen
years purchafe, they gave the following terms, viz.

The 9 per cents for every L90 per annum, had L350 flock at 375
per cent - - - - - Li,3i2ioo

And in bonds and money - - - 217 10 o

Total - - Li,53o o o

For prizes of lottery 171 o for every Lioo per annum they had L400

flock at 375 per cent, which is - - - Li,5oo o o

And in bonds and money - - - 200 o o

Total - - Li, 700 o o

For blank tickets of lottery 1710, for every L98 per annum, L350

flock at 375 per cent, which is - - - Li,3i2 10 o

And in bonds and money _ - _ ^^■^ 10 o

Total - - Li, 666 o o

Confidering the frenzy of this time, it mufl be confcfled, that thefe
terms to the irredeemables were tolerably fair, had the lubfcribers been
allowed the immediate difpofal of the flock now allotted to them,
which was far from being the intention of the junto. We mufl: here
alfo remark, in favour of the diredlors, that they gave fix days time to
thefe firfl fublbribers to declare their acceptance or non-acceptance of
the terms *. So that in this, and mofl of the other tranfadlions relating
to this great and unparalleled affair, the fubfcribers, efpecially in the for-

• The (lock being above 500 ptr cent on the 25th of May was a great temptation to accept. ^.

Vol. III. L

82 A. D. 1720.

mer part of the madnefs, were equally acccflliry to their own future
lolles with the conductors of the fcheme ; all ranks and claiTes of per-
fons eagerly forwarding their own ruin, through an exceflive thirft; of
gain ; for, the numerous dealers in South-fea {lock and fubfcriptions,
by dayly continuing to buy, in the hope of their ftill rifing higher, of
which rife they themfelves were the principal caufe, did undoubtedly
lay a temptation in the way of the managers for ftill growing more ex-
travagant in the conditions of their future fubfcriptions *. This, never-
thelefs, was by no means a fufficient vindication of the court of direc-
tors, who, as fworn truftccs for the proprietors, ought to have either
flopped the unreafonable rife of {lock, or elfe have difqualified them-
felves, and by a public declaration to the world have teflified their ab-
folute difapprobation thereof. Neither indeed was the board of trea-
fury, who framed the famous acl, to be at all juflificd, for not laying
effectual re{lrairits therein againft even the bare pofTibility of any un-
reafonable rife of flock.

-T-u c n. r \ r • ■ f L427,340 1 8 o of the annuities for long

The fir{l fubfcription \ ^ ''^^ -> &

I terms

of the irredeemable debts "S o c ^ ■ •

, 48,1 ^2 o o or g per cent annuities.

amounted to - L and 15,988 4 o of th^ lottery 1710.

By the dayly rife of South-fea flock, the fame and credit of the lead-
ing directors and managers rofe in proportion. Addrelles were made to
them froni perfons^ of high rank ; and, in teflimony of mini{lerial ap-
probation, feveral of the diredors had the hereditary honour of baronet
conferred on them. Yet, very foon after, there happened fuch fudden
fluctuations in their {lock, fometimes even in the fpace of a few hours,
as might have given clear indications of its precarious value, notwith-
flanding the various arts dayly pradifed to keep it conflantly rifing.
For, though on the 2d of June it got up to 890 per cent, yet that va{l
price bringing many fellers the day following to Change-alley (now
become a fecond Rue Quinquempoix), it fell before night to 640, and
yet the fame evening role again to 770. On the 6th it was at 820, but
by the 14th fell to 710. Many were obliged to fell out their flock to
enable them to make their fecond payment on the fir{l money-fubfcrip-
tion ; and fome began to have their eyes opened by the judicious cal-
culations of Archibald Hutchefon and others. Thefe alarming confi-
derations obliged the managers to lend out great fums of money on
South-fea {lock at 400 per cent. Thole loans anfwered a double pur-
pofe, i/i, by locking up lb much flock as was fo pawned, and idly, by

■* The author of this work remembers diftinft- tors intended foon to open tlieir third fubfcription

ly, that farther on in this fiimmcr a certain direc- at 1,000 per cent, he facetioufly rephed, Triieiy

tor (Mr. Ed n, long fincc dead) being a{l<ed gertkmen feem tojlrive to talk us into fomf fuch price,

by a gentleman at Garraway's coffee-houfe, whe- luhctl-cr we ivill or not. A,

VUc; the report was true, that the court of direc- 4

A. D, 1720, 83

fupplylng the borrowers with the means of buying more ; fo that,
though the price of the {lock was fomewhat under 800 per cent, tlie
junto ventured fo fur out of their depth as to take a third money-fub-
fcription, for the purchafe of (lock at 1 000 per cent in ten different
payments of L 100 each, for five milhons of ftock : crowds of people at-
tended at the South-iea houfe, loudly calling for a new fubfcription, and
even named the faid price of 1000 per cent. And, in a few days, their
firfi: payment of Lioo rofe to L400. Of the five millions now paid in
for the firlT: payment, the managers lent out in one day three millions,
for fupplying the ftock-market with cafli. A few days after the mid-
fummer fluitting of their books, the price of South fea flock for the
opening of them was at 1000 per cent and upwards, including the 10
per cent midfummer dividend.

Whilfl South fea flock was thus in its meridian glory, the frenzy in
part affeded the other two great companies by railing them greatly-
above their jufl value, viz. Eafl-India flock to 445 per cent, and bank,
flock to 260 per cent. This rife was partly occafioned by the fellers
out of South-fea flock, and alfo out of the bubbles, (as they were juflly
termed) or numerous leffer flocks, at very high prices ; who thought
their money fafer in the flocks of thofe two great companies. The ad-
vanced prices of all thofe flocks, greater or leffer, of every kind,
were computed, about midfummer 1720, to amount to about 500
millions llerling ; or about five times as much as the current cafh of all
Europe. And if the yearly rents of all the lands and houfes in Great
Britain do not exceed fourteen millions, and the utmofl value thereof,
houfes and lands together, do not exceed fixteen years purchafe on an
average, or two hundred and twenty-four miUions of money ; then here
was above double the value of the fee-fimple of all the immoveable
property of the nation in this chimerical traffic ; while the real and fub-
llantial traffic of many of the dealers therein was for many months in a
great meafure fufpended, or at leafl much neglecfled.

On the 4th of Augufl: the fccond fubfcription of the irredeemable
annuities was taken at the South fea houfe, viz.

Li25,392 17 6 long annuities.
18,750 o o nine per cents,
and 14,906 6 o of lottery 17 10.

y?. The long annuities, all but the 14 per cents, had L400 South fea
ftock, and L400 in bonds and money for each Lioo per annum, thofe
annuities being now valued at ^6 years purchafe. 2d/y, And for every
L98 per annum of the Lr4 per cents, they gave L420 in flock, and
Li 68 in bonds and money. ^My, For every i-90 per annum of the
nine per cent annuities, they allowed L200 ftock, being 17^ years pur-
chafe. A-lff/j, For every Lioo per annum of the prizes of lottery 1710,
they gaveL2oo ftock, and L150 bonds andmonev, which was 17-y vears

'L 2

84 A. D. 1720.

purchafe. 5/<''/>', For every L98 per annum of the blank tickets of
lyro, they gave L210 flock, and L35 in bonds and money, being Uke-
wife at the rate of i 7^ years purchafe.

At the fame time there was fubfcribed 1.14,393,788 of the redeem-
able debts, every Lioo being taken in or valued at 105, and, on the
1 2th of Auguft, South-fea flock being about 910 per cent, the midfum-
mer dividend included, they declared their valuing flock at 800 per
cent for theie redeemables fubfcribed. But, although thefe redeem-
able proprietors were about 16,000 perfons in number, they were
not allowed the choice of withdrawing their fubfcriptions, after the
price was now declared ; which made a mofl grievous clamour foon af-
ter upon the fall of the flock.

Many v/ays were now found neceffary by the junto to keep up the
price of South-fea flock, after thus taking in the proprietors of the pub-
lic debts at fuch extravagant rates ; fuch as gi'ving credit for fix months,
at 4 per cent intercft, for the third payment of the firfl fubfcription,
and the fecond payment of the fecond money-fubfcription, in order to
keep a plenty of cafh in the dealers hands, &c.

But of all the rafli proceedings of the managers during the execution
of their fcheme, none proved more quickly fatal than their obtaining
of the government, on the i8th of Augufl, vl fci re facias againft thofe
airy projects called bubbles, which, at this time, were become very nu-
merous, and had greatly advanced in their prices, even after an a£l of
parliament of this fame feffion [c. 17] had paffed for fupprefling them,
intitled, an act for better fecuring certain powers and privileges in-
tended to be granted by his majefly by two charters for afTurance of
fliips and merchandize af fea; and for lending money upon bottomree :
and for reflraining feveral extravagant and unwarrantable pradlices
therein mentioned, as well as a royal proclamation for enforcing the
laws againfl them : info much, that Change-alley, like the Rue Quin-
quempoix at Paris, was dayly crowded from morning till night, as well
as the coffee-houfes, with dealers in thofe bubbles; many of whom,
having obfolete and forfeited charters, under that pretext took large
money fubfcriptions for carrying on what they had no right to do.
Others of them grafted new- and additional projedls on their obfolete
charters, originally granted for very different purpofes. A third fpecies
of bubbles, and the mofl numerous, did not even pretend fo much as
to any fuch obfolete charters, or other authority whatever. It is indeed
very true, that the trafHc in thefe did greatly promote luxury, idlenefs,
and extravagance, in the middling and lower clafTes of people, divert-
ing them from their wonted induflry and frugality. But the great mif-
take of the South-fea managers concerning thofe bubbles was their be-
lief that their traffic obftrucled the rife of South-fea ftock ; whereas, on
the contrary, it was quickly found, that the trade in them was aflifling

A. D. 1720. 85

in keeping np the price of South-fea ftock : for, very many of the lower
people, not being at firft able to purchafe South-fea ftock, ran greedily
into the bubbles, and even into fmailer fliares or parts of them ; and,
having foon gained confiderably therein, they very often came afterward
into South-fea ftock and ilibfcrintions. And thus thofe leller currents
or rivers were a conftant fupply to the great South fea ; but this the ma-
nagers did not perceive till it was too late.

It appeared, by an inquiry of the houfe of commons in February
preceding, that this new humour of new projects or bubbles had been
on foot for two or three years paft ; as alfo appeared by a petition in
January 171 8 for a charter for infuring fhips and merchandize, figned
by near 300 merchants and gentlemen, and that a million of money
had been previoufly fubfcribed for it. Another petition, about the fame
time for a grand fifhery company, was figned by feven peers of the
realm, and many merchants and gentlemen. A third petition was,
in May 171 9, by the focieties of the city of London for the mines-royal,,
the mineral and battery works, under certain obfolete charters ofQueen
Elizabeth and King James I, for mines, &c. for a like patent to infure
(hips and merchandize, for which Li, 152,000 had been fubfcribed.
Thefe were, in the main, the fame perfons as thofe in the firft petition :
they petitioned a third time, on the 8th of January 1720 [N. S.], only
as fo many private gentlemen and merchants, (dropping their claim by
the obfolete charters) and were in the end fuccefsful by their prefent
name of the Royal-exchange afllirance company, their capital confining
of L5oo,ooo. That fame day, another body of petitioners applied for
a patent for infuring fliips and merchandize, with a lubfcription of two
millions, and were incorporated alfo in the end, by the name of the-
London afliirance company. This laft company had at firft two fepa-
rate fubfcriptions, which were afterwards united. Their capital at pre-
fent confifts of 36,000 fhares, on each of which Lr2 : 10 was originally
paid. This was the original rife of the prefent two very ufeful and
flourifhing infurance corporations, who alfo are empowered to lend
money on bottomree ; and each of them afterward obtained charters
for inluring from lofs by fire. Yet neither of them are by the Itatute,
nor by their confequcnt charters, exclufive in any refpedl relating to
private perfons, who may and ftill do practice infurance on fliips and
merchandize as formerly ; but with refped to all other corporations
they are both e.xclufive ; excepting, however, the Eall-Indiaand South-
fea companies, both which corporations may ftill continue to advance
money (fays the ftatute) by bottomree on their own fliips.

A third petition of a different body of people was prcfented to the
king on the 21 ft of January 1720 [N. S.] for an infurance charter, which
did not fucceed. And,

On the 8th of the fame month three Englifli peers, two biftiops, and aa

86 A. D. 1720.

Irifh peer, with many eminent gentlemen and merchants, petitioned the
king, that they might be incorporated for purchafmg and improving
forfeited and other eftates in Great Britain : for granting annuities for
Hves ; and for infuring Uves : feeing (continues this petition) this
^vill unite, by interefl:, many of the king's fubjeds againfl; the pretender
and his adherents forever. In order to which, feveral of the petition-
ers have fent perfons into Scotland for purchafing the forfeited eflates
there, and have fince, by a voluntary fubfcription to the governor and
company of undertakers for railing the Thames water in York-build-
ings, raifed a joint flock of Li, 200,000 fterling : upon the credit of
which eflates they propofe to grant annuities for, and to infure on, lives,
for the benefit of fuch of his majefty's fubjeds as are ftraitened in their
fortunes by the redudion of interefl : but they did not defire any exclu-
five charter. The fame day alfo, another fet of gentlemen in vain
petitioned for the very fame purpofe.

When thofe petitions for infurance, &c. came to be referred to, and.
confidered by, the crown lawyers, they were oppofed by counfel on the
•other fide, the grand fifhery fcheme alone excepted, viz. the infurance
petitioners, by the numerous friends of the private infurers, and by the
amicable fociety for a perpetual infurance on lives, with benefit of fur-
vivorfhip ; which fociety, their counfel fet forth, was incorporated in the
5th year of Queen Anne, (1706) conflituting any number of perfons,
not exceeding 2000, to be a body politic, for raifing a joint flock, for
the relief of widows and orphans, by granting policies on lives, with
annual payments during fuch lives ; on the deceafe of which lives a cer-
tain fum is paid as a dividend to the proprietors of fuch policies; and
alleging, that thefe petitions for infurances would prejudice their interefls.

The petitioners for purchafing the forfeited eflates were adviled by
counfel to withdraw their petition, as they might fafely tranfad all they
wanted to do, by virtue of the powers of a charter of the 27th of King
Charles II, for raifing the Thames water in York-buildings ; which
charter thefe petitioners had purchafed of the old patentees for L7,oco,
together with all the benefits of a private act of parliament of the 2d of
William and Mary, for incorporating the proprietors of the water-works
in York-buildings, and for encouraging, carrying on, and fettling, the
laid water-works.

The two firfl; petitions for infurance were, as already noted, approved
of, and the crown lawyers reported, that a fifiiery charter, under proper
regulations, might be very beneficial to the nation. The fifhery had
been farther favoured by a refolution of the houfe of commons, on the
27th of April 1720 ; that the undertaking propofed to be carried on by
the aame of the Britifh fifhery, wherein the lea ports and royal burghs are
concerned, may be fuccefsfuUy carried on, and thereby prevent great
fums from going annually out of the nation ; may fecure a valuable

A. D. 1720. 87

trade, and may, upon any emergency, furnifli Teamen to man the royal
navy ; and therefor highly deferves encouragement. Neverthelefs, no
charter was at this time granted for the fifliery ; owing to the improba-
bility, if not impoflibility, of any company being able (unlefs an exclu-
five one) to can-y on a profitable fifliery: fince, if private undertakers,
being on the northern coafts, are not as yet able to beat the Dutch out
of the fifhery, it is highly improbable, that a joint- flock company, which
is never fo frugally managed as private adventurers manage their own
money, fliould prove fucccfsful ; of which we have a more recent proof
at prefent, notwithftanding the moll: unparalleled parliamentary encou-
ragements.

The two infurance companies were both incorporated on the fame
day, the 24th of June 1720, the flatute in fjivour of them having had
the royal aflent 14 days before ; each having power to purchafe lands,
&c. of Li 000 yearly : but no perfon can be either a dired:or or pro-
prietor of both companies at the fame time. Each company's capital
not to exceed Li, 500, 000: may make calls on their proprietors, with-
out limitation : may create bonds under their common feal, for advanc-
ing money on parliamentary fecurity ; but for not lefs than fix months
time. Each corporation to pay L3oo,ooo for difcharging the king's
civil lift debts*. No other corporation fhall infure but thefe two ; yet
private infurers may acft as before : may be determined by the king's
charter, if found inconvenient to the public ; in which cafe no other
corporation fhall ever be eredled in their ftead with the like privileges.
They both have very confiderable capital ftocks, and therefor may
reafonably be prefumed a greater fecurity to our merchants than pri-
vate infurers can be fairly admitted to be, how juft and honourable
foever their principles and charader, and how large foever their for-
tunes in general may be : a lift being on this occafion laid before the
attorney-general of 150 private infurers who had failed in but a
few years paft f . It was then alfo urged in behalf of infurance com-
panies having large capitals, that the merchants of foreign nations in al-
liance, or at peace, with us would now probably be induced, in great
numbers, to make their infurances at London ; and thereby bring an
additional benefit to the kingdom. As both the infurance companies
have continued punctually and inviolably to fuftain their credit and re-
putation, this juft commendation of both of them fell naturally in our
way.

The ad of parliament before mentioned, for enabling the king to in-
corporate thofe two infurance companies, was alfo exprefsly for reftrain-
ing feveral unwarrantable pradices therein mentioned ; feveral I'uch

• Part of tlic L;^oo,ooo was afterwards remittcJ to each of the companies, yl.
■\ Few of thefc infurciB had underwritten more than L50 ; a fum wliicli would be thought cou-
tcmptibly cautious in tlie prefent day. M.

88 A. D. 1720.

projecfts of different kinds having, fince the 24th of June 171 8, been fct
on foot in London and other parts of the kingdom, as alio in Ireland,
which manifeftly tend to the common grievance of the fubjedt ; the
contrivers whereof, under falfe pretences of public good, have prefumed
to open books for public fubfcriptions for the fame, and have drawn
unwary peiions to fubfcribe large fums to fuch undertakings, paying
down only fmall proportions thereof, which yet upon the whole do
amount to very large fums ; in many cafes afting as bodies politic, by
transferring fliares, &c. Others acfting under charters granted for quite
different purpofes, and others under obfolete charters, become void by
non-ufer or abufer, &c. : which dangerous projedls relate to feveral fifli-
eries, &c. wherein the trade, commerce, and welfare, of the people are
concerned. For the fupprelhon and prevention of which mifchievous
practices, it was enadled, that, from the 24th of June 1720, all fuch un-
dertakings and attempts fo described as aforefaid, and all other undertak-
ings tending to the common grievance, and all public fubfcriptions, re-
ceipts, payments, affignments, and transfers, for fuch matters, fliould be
forever deemed illegal and void, and be liable to fuch fines and punifh-
ments as the lavrs direcft. And perfons ading as brokers for others, or
for themfelves, either in buying or felling, fliould forfeit L500, and
be incapable of ading afterwards as fuch. But this ad did not extend to
undertakings fettled before midfummer 1718*. Laftly, the two infur-
ance corporations, hereby eflablifhed, are exprefsly reflrained from lend-
ing money to the crown on parliamentary funds, except on the credit ot
ads of parliament.

The more to inforce this flatute, the king, on the very day he pafled
it, viz. on the i ith of June 1720, iffued a proclamation, flridly enjoin-
ing the obfervation of the later part of it relating to thofe projeds vul-
garly called bubbles ; whereby it might have been expeded, that they
would have all fhrunk to their original nothing in a moment. For a
few days, indeed, fome check was thereby given to that frantic traffic :
yet, maugre all authority, it foon revived, and even increafed more than
ever, and while they dayly advanced in price, every one was a gainer,
whereby the lower clafs of people fell into luxury and prodigality, as
well as their betters. From morning till evening, the dealers therein,
as well as in South-fea flock, appeared in continual crowds all over Ex-
change-alley, fo as to choke up the pafTage through it. Not a week
day pafTed without fre^ projed:s recommended by pompous advertife-
ments in all the newfpapers, thereby fwelled enormoufly, direding where
to fubl'cribe to them. On fome 6d per cent was paid down ; on others
i/per cent ; and fome came fo low as 1/ per thoufand at the time of
fubfcribing. Some of the obfcure keepers of thofe books of fubfcrip-

* Sundry undertakings not incorporated, fuch as the feveral fire-infurance offices, the fcveral fub-
fciiptions to the South-fea company, &c. were favcd hannlefs by this ckufe. jil.

4

A. D. 1720. 89

tion, contenting themfelves with what they had got m the forenoon by
the fubfcriptions of one or two millions, (one of which the author parti-
cularly well remembers) were not to be found in the afternoon of the
fame day, the room they had hired for a day being fhut up, and they
and their fubfcription books never heard of more. On others of thofe
projects 2/, and 2/6, per cent were paid down; and onfome few lo/per
cent were depofited, being fuch as had fome one or more perfons of
known credit to midwife them into the alley. Some were divided into
fhares, inflead of hundreds and thoufands, upon each of which fo much
was paid down, and both for them and the other kinds, there were
printed receipts figned by perfons utterly unknown. Perfons of quality
of both fexes were deeply engaged in many of them, avarice prevailing
at this time over all confiderations of either dignity or equity ; the gen-
tlemen coming to taverns and coft'ee-houfes to meet their brokers, and
the ladies to the fliops of milliners and haberdafliers for the fame ends.
Any impudent impoftor, while the delufion was at its greatefi; height,
needed only to hire a room near the alley for a few hours, and open a
fubfcription book for fomewhat relative to commerce, manuficSture,
plantation, or fome fuppofed invention, either newly hatched out of his
own brain, or elfe llolen from fome of the many abortive projeds, of
which we have given an account, in former reigns, having firll adver-
tifed it in the nc fpapers the preceding day, and he might, in a few
hours, find fubfcribers for one or two millions, and in fome cafes more,
of imaginary flock. Yet many of thofe very fubfcribers were far from
believing thofe proje<fl:s feafible : it was enough for their purpofe that
there would very foon be a premium on the receipts ior thofe fubfcrip-
ions ; when they generally got rid of them in the crowded alley to
others more credulous than themfelves. And in all events, the projec-
tor was fure of the dcpofit-money. The firll: purchafcrs of thofe re-
ceipts foon found fecond purchaiers, and fo on, at llill higher prices,
coming from all parts of the town, and even many from the country.
And fo great was the wild confufion in the crowd in Exchange-alley,
that the fame project, or bubble, has been known to be fold at the
fame inflant of time 10 per cent higher at one end of the alley than at
the other end. Amongft thofe many bubbles, there were fome fo bare-
faced, and palpably grofs, as not to have fo much as the fhadow of any
thing like feafihility. The infatuation was at length fo fining, that one
project was, in the newfpapcrs, advcrtifcd thus : for fubfcribing two mil-
lions to a certain promilmg or profitable dcfign, which will hereafter be
promulgated.

We can well remember one of thofe named globe-permits, wbich
came to be currently fold each for 60 guineas and upwards in the alley,
which neverthelcfs was onlv a fquare bit of a plaving card, on which

Vol. 111. ' M

CJO

A. D. 1720.

was the impreflion of a leal in wax, being the figri of the globe tavern
in the neighbourhood, witli the motto or infcription of iail-cloth per-
mits, fwithout any name figned thereon), the pofleHbrs thereof being to
be hereafter permitted to fubfcribe to a new fail-cloth manufactory, pro-
jeded by one who was then known to be a man of fortune, thougli af-
terward involved in great calamities and difgrace.

Thefe inftances, out of hundreds more that might be produced, are
fufficient to difplay the frenzy of the time : when the taverns, coffee-
houfes, and even vidualling-houfes, near the Exchange were conftantly
crowded, and there was known to be much extravagance therein. The
very advertifements of thofe bubbles were fo many, as to fill up two or
three fheets of paper in fome of the dayly newfpapers for fome months.
Yet, all men were not infatuated : and one advertifemcnt in a weekly
newfpaper well enough burlefqued the madnefs, in the following flrain.
' At a certain (fham) place, on Tuefday next, books will be opened for
' a fubfcription of two millions, for the invention of melting down faw-
' duft and chips, and cafting them into clean deal boards without cracks
' or knots !'

Before we return to the remainder of the execution of the grand
South-fea fcheme, we fhall, as an ufeful warning to pofterity, here ex-
hibit a more complete catalogue than any we have feen, of the flocks,
fubfcriptions, projeds, or bubbles, of this unparalleled time, with their
higheft prices in Exchange-alley, before the fatal Jcire facias had (like
the touch of Ithuriel's fpear) reduced them all to their proper fize and
value !

I) South-fea flock -
Ditto ifl: money-fub-
fcription, at 300 per cent
2d do. at 400 per cent
3d do. at 1 000 per cent
4th do. at 1 000 percent
Eafl-India capital ftock
L3, 200,000

Bank of England ca-
pital, then L5,559,995
14/8 - - - -

This was the bank's
nominal or transferable
capital : yet the govern-
ment adually owed them

Orfginal money paid

ill or due.

Higheft

prices

fold for In i yzo.

L-

J-.

d.

£■

J-.

d.

100

0

0

—

1000

0

0

120

0

0

750

0

0

80

0

0

600

0

0

100

0

0

440

0

0

200

0

0

245

0

0

100

0

0

445

0

0

96

^3

5s

— ~

260

0

0

no more than L5 ,37 5 ''^2 7
17/107, (till the year
1722, when they purchaf-
ed4 millions of theSouth-
fea company) whereby
Lioo bank flock, as due
from thepublic, was now
really no more than L96
^3757- So that all its
advanced value muft and
did arife from the profits
of banking !

Royal African flock,
old capital L40o,ooo, ad-
ditional one Li, 600, 000

II) Million-bank,
Ljoo.ooo

York-buildings com-
pany, Li, 200, 000 -

Luflring company,
10,000 fhares, valued at
Li, 200, 000, not worth
one farthing, - - -

Englifli copper compa-
ny, ----- -

Welch copper compa-
ny, worth nothing at all,

Royal fifhery company,
worth nothing,

(N. B.— TheHudfon's-
bay com]>any's capital
being fo fmall as about
Li 1 0,000 was engrofTed
by fo few, that it was not
known what its price was
at that time.)

III) Note alio, that be-
fides the great legal com-
panies, whole flocks were
ufually tranra(fled in Ex-
change-alley, there were,
nnd Hill are, fome whofc

A. D. 1720. 91

Original money paid in or due. Highcfl; prices fold for in 1720.

£•

23

100

10

5i o
5 o

4i o
10 o

C

per fhare
per fhare

o per cent
o per cent

200

440

J'-':)

d.

20

0

0

per fhare

05

0

0

per fhare

95

0

0

per cent

25

0

0

per cent

INI 2

<)2

9

capitals are too fmall to
come thither, and do
therefor vary but Httle in
price ; fucli as, the New-
river company ; the Lon-
don-bridge water compa-
ny; the Shadwell, Hamp-
ftead, Southwark, and
Chelfea, water companies.
Alfo the Sunfire-office
infurance : fundry alfo of
obfolete joint-flock cor-
porations, fo far funk and
deferted, that their (lock
at this time bore no price
at all : fuch were,

The mine-adventurers
company of England,

The fword-blade com-
pany,

The frame-work knit-
ters company, and

The charitable corpo-
ration for pledges.

IV) For local and par-
ticular purpofes, viz.

For making the river
Douglas navigable, -

For frefhwaterbrought
to Liverpool, - - -

Temple - mills brafs-
works, -----

Fifli-pool, for bringing
frefli fifh by fea to Lon-
don (Sir Richard Steele's)

Harburg company (for
bringing commerce thi-
ther from Hamburg,
and for a lottery there,
1,500,000 nominal ca-
pital) - - - - -

A. D. 1720.

Original money paid in or due. Highcft prices fold for in 1720.

£■ s d.

5 o o per ftiare

10 o o —
10 o o

15 00 percent

>c. s. d.

70 o

20 o

250 o

160 o

o per fhars
o per fhare
o per fhare

?per fhnre
before any
money
paid.

120 o o per cent

Puckle's machine gun,
called the defence, -

Another Harburg fub-
fcription, (Burges's) inef-
fedlual.

V) Projeds or bub-
bles, having neither char-
ter nor adl of parliament
to authorize them : none
of which were under one
million, and fome went
as far as ten millions :
very many whereof are
diflindlly remembered by
the author of this work,
how ridiculous and im-
probable foever they may
now feem to many not
acquainted with the in-
fatuation of that year,
viz.

The Orkney fifliery,

Globe permits, (for
fubfcribing fome time or
other, to a projedt for a
fail-cloth manufadure)

For building ihips to
let to freight, - - -

For raifmg hemp and
flax at home, - - -

Another, in Pennfyl-
vania, -----

Improvement of land,
(Sir John Lambert's)

For a whale fifhery
(bydoO - - - -

National permits for a
flihery, (Geo. James's)
50,000 permits, at L6
each, ..---.

A. D. 1720.

Original money paid in or due.

400 per fhare

93

HIghcft prices fold for in 1720.

25 o o per {hare

100 per fliare

026 per fhare

210 o per fliare

500 per fliare

010 o per cent

500 per fliare

jr. s, d.

800 per fliare.

250 o o

70 o o

15 o o

I 10 o

2800

20 o o

^ 10 o

T Each permit
I before any
r money paid
60 O O \ ilown.

:94

Salt to be made at Ho-
lyhead, (two millions),

For fettling the Baha-
ma iflauds, (L6000 had
adtually been paid in on
this project, in which
many eminent perfons
werefufFerers, as appeared
by their petition to parlia-
ment, Feb. 1723-4, which
was rejected, becaufe it
would have brought end-
lefs petitions of that fort,
for redrefs of fuch griev-
ances), -----

The grand fifhery, (fo
named), - - - -

A bottomree compa-
ny, - - - - - -

Weflley's auctions, (i.
e. adions), for buying
and felling of flocks, -

General infurancefrom
fire, Li, 200, 000

Royal-exchange afTur-
ance, LjoOjOoo, valued
at L2, 500, 000 - - -

London afllirance com-
pany, 36,000 fliares, L12
lof each, valued at
L3, 600, 000 once,

A. D. 1720.

Original money paid in or du; Higheft prices fold for In 1720.

C. S. d.

500 per fhare

300 per fliare

010 o per fhare

100 per fhare

710 o per fhare

026 per fhare

Sundry payments
Ditto

C

15 o o

40 o o

500

300

100 o o

800

250 o o per cent
1 75 00 per fhare

N. B — Some of thefe foregoing bubbles, we may fee, were fold at
above fix times the money paid in on them : others very near as high,
and all fliamefully and madly raifed. It would be endlefs to hunt for
the prices of many more, which were the mere embryos of a few days,
though they drew in many unwary perfons to their undoing. We fhall
therefor content ourfelves with exhibiting a bare liflof them in the fol-
lowing catalogue, viz. i

A. D. 1720. 9j

VI) Fifheries.

1, Cawood's North-fea fifhery.

2, Britifh fifliery.

3, A royal fifliery, for ten millions.

4, 5, Two more Greenland or whale fiflieries.

6, A grand American fifliery.

7, Garraway's or Pillan's fifliery..

8, The free fifliery.

9, A coral fifliery.

10, Wrecks to be fiflied for on the Irifli coaft.

11, Another Greenland fifliery.

12, Orkney fifliery.

VII) Salt.

1 , Another fait proje6l, befides one already mentioned,

2, Rock- flit projed.

3, Saltpetre to be made.

4, Salt-pans in Holy ifland, two millions.

VIII) Infu ranees.

1, Saddler's-hall infurance, afterward united to the royal-ex-

change ditto.

2, Infurance of horfes and other cattle, two millions.

3, Infurance and improvement of children's fortunes.

4, Infurance of houfes and goods in Ireland, with an Englifli

earl at the head of it.

5, Infurance againft lofl^es by fervants.

6, Friendly fociety for infurances,

7, Britifli infurance, fo called.

8, Shales's infurance.

9, Infurance againft theft and robbery,
lo, Ditto for infuring feamen's wages.

IX) For making fire-engines.

X) Remittances of money.

• I, General remittance and infurance of debts.
2, Stogdon's remittances.

XI) Water companies.

1, An engine to bring frefli water into ti.e town of Deal, in Kent.

2, A projcd to bring water by a new canal from St. Albans to

London.

3, Another, from Rickmanfworth to London.

4, To make faltwater freih.

XII) Sugar.

1, Refining of fugar.

2, Bleaching or whitening coarfe fugar, without fire.

XIII) For building hofpitals for baftard children.

g6 A. D. 1720.

XIV) America.

1, For fettling the ifland of Santa Cruz in America.

2, — Ditto, for the iflands of Blanco and Sal-Tortuga in Ditto.'

3, Trade to the river Oronoko.

4, Ditto to Nova-Scotia, two milUons.

5, Ditto to the Golden iflands, Sir Robert Montgomery's.

6, Ditto for importing naval flores from Nova-Scotia and Vir-

ginia.

7, Ditto for walnut-tree from Virginia, two millions.

8, Ditto for hemp and flax from Pennfylvania.

9, Ditto for beaver fur, two millions.

10, Ditto for pitch and tar from America and Scotland.

1 1 , Ditto for importing and exporting tobacco, four millions.

XV) Buildings.

1 , Building and rebuilding houfes in England.

2, For purchafmg grounds to build on in London.

XVI) Lands.

1 , For meliorating lands.

2, For improving lands in Great Britain, four millions fubfcribed.

3, Ditto in Flintfliire, one million fubfcribed.

4, For improving the breed of horfes, and the improvement of

glebe and church lands, &c.

5, Planting madder.

6, Improving gardens.

7, For purchafing and improving lands.

8, Ditto for a royalty in EflTex.

9, Ditto for fenny lands in Lincolnfliire.

10, Ditto for improving tillage and cattle.

11, Another for the breed of horfes.

12, Another for purchafing the forfeited eftates, (Sir James Hal-

let's,) L 1,2 00,000 fubfcribed.

13, For the corn trade.

XVII) For ereding turnpikes and wharfs.
XVIII) For dealing in hops.
XIX) For building fliips againft pirates.
XX) For buying naval and vidualling llores, for the ufe of the

royal navy.
XXI) Oil-bubbles.

1 , An oil-patent, with land fecurity.

2, Rape-oil fubfcription.

3, Beech-oil, Aaron Hill's projed:.

4, For making oil from poppies.

5, Ditto from fun-flower feed.

6, Ditto from raddifli feed. 2

A. D. 1720. 97

XXII) For the corn trade.

XXIII) For drying malt with hot air.

XXIV) For improving malt liquors, four millions
XXV) For recovering feamen's wages.

XXVI) For working tin plates, or whited iron plates*.
XXVII) Harbours and rivers.

1, For repairing Morifon's haven.

2, For an engine to take up ballaft.

3, For making the river Dee, in Chefhire, navigable.

4, Ditto for the river Douglas.

XXVIII) For cleanfing and paving London Itreets, two millions
XXIX) Supplies for London, viz.

I, For fupplying London with fca-coal, three millions

2, with cattle.

3, with hay and ftraw.

4, paving its ftreets, two millions

XXX) Weft's permits for buying and felling flocks.
XXXI) Hemp, flax, and their manufadures, viz.

I , For planting hemp and flax in Scotland and Ireland, and
making fail-cloth, cordage, &c.
2, and 3, Two other different fail-cloth fubfcriptions.

4, For the Holland and fail-cloth manufadures.

5, For the cambric and lawn manufactures.

6, Sail-cloth in Ireland.

XXXII) For the filk and cotton manufactures, viz.

1 , For raifing filk-worms.

2, Another for planting mulberry trees, and breeding filk-

worms in Chelfca park, by Sir Richard Manningham,
where 2Cco of thofe trees were adually planted, and many
large expenfive edifices were ereded ; the remains where-
of are fcarcely now to be feen.

3, For making muflin.

4, For improving the cotton, and the filk and cotton, manu-

fadures.

5, Another for improving the filk manufadure.
XXXIIl) Metals, mines, and minerals, viz.

1, For making iron and flecl in Great Britain, four millions.

2, For improving Englifli iron and fteel.

3, For extrading filver from lead.

4, For improving the tin mines of Cornwall and Devonflurc.

5, For tranlmuting quick-filver into a malleable and fine metal.

6, For fmelting lead.

* This manvifafltirf, whi'cli we formcilj' had entirely from Germany, lias fiiicc the year 17:0 been
brought to Ruwt pei fcdion in Monmouthfhire and clfewlicrc in England, the Englilli tin-plates beinj
now more duraUle and beautiful than any foreign ones. A.

Vol. III. N

98 A. D. 1720,

7, For milling lead.

8, For improving Mr. Wood's iron works and manufadures.

9, For improving the lead mines in Gloucefterfliire.

10, For importing Swedifli iron.

1 1 , For improving Engliih copper and brafs.

12, For improving the Derbyfhire mines.

13, Ditto for the Jamaica mines.

14, For improving the Britifli alum works.

15, For making iron with pit-coal.
XXXIV) For making china-ware and delft-ware.

XXXV) For importing a number of large jack-afles from Spain, in
order to propagate a larger kind of mules in England,
for which purpofe marfh lands were treating for near
Woolwich, A clergyman, long fmce dead, was at the head
of this bubble.
XXXVl) For trading in human hair.
XXXVII) Ditto in Flanders' lace.
XXXVIII) For tattening hogs.
XXXIX) For preparing tobacco for making liiuff.

XL) For purchafing, or recovering, eflates illegally detained.
XLI) For a more inoflfenfive method of emptying or cleanfmg

neceffary houfes.
XLII) For better curing the venereal difeafe.

XLIII) A fubfcription advertifed, and adually opened', for an un-
dertaking, which fhall in due time be revealed.
XLIV) For importing timber from Germany.
XLV) Ditto from Norway.

XLVl) For a trade to his majefly's German dominions.
XLVII) For the exportation of our woollen manufadlure, and the

importation of copper, brals, and iron.
XLVIII) For the more cffedual making of Colchefler bays.
XLIX) For employing the poor. (Lawr. Braddon)

L) For employing poor artificers, and furnifliing merchants

with money.
LI) For lending money to merchants to pay their duties ; for
purchafing government fecurities j for granting annuities
for lives ; and for building fliips to let to freight.
LII) For lending money on flocks, annuities, &c.
LIII) Another ditto for lending money at intereft.
LIV) Another ditto for the encouragement of the induftrious.
LV) For making glafs bottles.

LVI) For making coach glafles and looking glafles, two mil-
lions.
LVII) For making pitch, tar, turpentine, &c.
LVIII) For mi'king pantiles.

;4

A. D. 1720. 99

LIX) For making foap.
LX) For making Joppa and Caftile foap.
LXI) For making Manchefter fluffs, cottons, and tapes.
LXII) For a grand difpenfary, three millions.
LXTII) For a wheel for a perpetual motion.
LXIV) For loading and entering goods at the cuftom-houfe.
LXV) For trading in, and improving, certain commodities of this

kingdom, three millions.
LXVI) For a trade to Barbary. (Jczreel Jones's)
LXVII) For making pafteboard and packing-paper.
LXVIII) Another for the paper manufadure.
LXIX) For making ftarch.
LXX) For building and rebuilding houfes tliroughout England,

three millions.
LXXI) For furnifhing funerals.
LXXII) Another for buying and felling lands, and lending money

at interefl, five millions.
LXXIII) Loan offices for encouraging the induftrious.
LXXIV) For the clothing, felt, and pantile, trades.
LXXV) Infuring, and increafing, children's fortunes.
LXXVI) For importing oils and other materials for the woollen

manufadures.
LXXVIl) For paying pcnfions to widows, &c. at a fmall difcount,

two millions.
LXXVIII) For employing poor artificers, furnifhing merchants, &c.
with watches.
LXXIX) For infuring maflers from the loflcs fuflained by fervants,

three millions.
LXXX) Timber from Wales.

Although this be tlie largefl colledion of the bubbles of this year,
yet I am ])errLiaded there are fome omitted, which I have not been able
to recoiled: fome may poffibly think this coUedion of them too prolix;
yet I apprehend, that to many readers they may be a curiofity, and to
poflerity an ufeful memento: and it is even pofTible, that out of fo many
as confiderably above 200 fuch abortive ones, fome improving genius
may hereafter luckily render fome of them pradicublc and ufeful ; as
has been the cafe already with rcfped to the tinned-plate manufadure,
&c. yet of all the above numerous projeds, only four, properly fpeaking,
exifl at prefent, viz. the two alVarance companies, by legal new char-
tx^rs, the York-buildings company, (if il mnv be faid iiill to cxiil) and
the Englilh copper company, its charter being found \c^^\\.

Many of the above bubbles were indeed fo nonfenfical and ablurd, ap-
pearing even from their very titles, as it might be imagined could only
draw in the moft ignorant part of the people ; yet even thole had a very
' " " N 2

loo A. D. 1 7 14,

confiderable run, much money being got and loft by them : and as for the
great bulk of them, there were almoft incredible numbers of t ran fic-
tions in them dayly and hourly, for ready money, and moftly at very
advanced prices ; as may partly be conceived by thofe whofe higheft
prices we have let down. Moreover, great numbers of contrads were
made for taking many of ihem at a future time ; and alio for puts and
refufals of them, at very high prices ; more erpecially in the York-build-
ings company ; in the temple mills, brafs manuhicturc ; in the two
copper companies, &c. in the books of one of which, viz. the Welch
copper company or bubble, long (ince come to nothing, I have {een
fome hundreds of contrads regiftered, according to aCt of parliament,
at very extravagant prices. And it is much to be lamented, that per-
fons of high rank and dignity placed themfelves at the head of many
of thole even illegal projeds : lb great was the infatuation of this time.

The fatal writs of fci re facias at length were iflued, on the 1 8th of
Auguft, againft the following pretended companies, viz. the York -build-
ings company, luftring company, the Englilh copper and Welch cop-
per companies, exprei'sly by name, and in general againft all other
projeds promulgated contrary to law ; and the crown lawyers were di-
reded io profecute all fuch as had opened books of fubfcriptions, and
all who fubfcribed to them, or who made or accepted any transfer in
them.

It was apprehended by many thinking people, that the general infa-
tuation might laft till winter, when, it was imagined, it would infcnlibly
fubfide of itl'elf. But the earneftnefs of the South-fea junto to obtain
the fcire facias brought it fooner to an ilfue, though very differently
from what they afl'uredly expeded. The publication of it by autho-
rity, in the London gazette, inftantly ftruck io general a panic aniongft
the condudors of all the undertakings, projeds, or bubbles, that the
fuddennefs as well as greatnefs of their fall was amazing. York-build-
ings ftock, for inftance, fell at once from 300 to 2Co ; and in two days
after, neither it nor the other three undertakings, exprefsly named in
the fcire facias, had buyers at any price whatever. The more bare-
ficed bubbles of all kinds immediately (hrunk to their original no-
thing: their projedors fliut up their offices, and fuddenly difappearcd; ard
E.xchange-alley with its coftee-houies were no longer crowded with ad-
venturers, many of whom having laid out their lubftance in thofe airy
purchafes, now found themlelves utterly undone ; while, on the other
hand, fuch as had dealt in them to great advantage, became extremely
ftiy ot owning their gains. This Rate of things, however calamitous it
might appear, was but the prelude to the grand calamity which loon
enfued by the fall of South-fea ftock and fubfcriptions. For when the
fcire fiicias came abroad, that ftock was at 850 per cent for the opening
of the books in Auguft, including the midfummer dividend; but, from
that time foward, it gradually declined in price, though with many

A. D. 1720. loi

great flu(5hiations, occafioned by the various arts and endeavours
of the junto to keep it up ; fome of the particulars whereof have, in
part, been mentioned ah-eady. At the opening of their books, on
the 2 2d of Auguft, the flock was at 820 per cent ; and two days after,
the dircdors opened a fourth money fubfcriptlon for the purchafe of
Li, 2 5 0,000 flock at 1000 per cent, whereof 200 or (20 per cent)
was paid down ; the remainder to be in four ecjual half-yearly payments
of L2ooeach, though afterward altered to eight different payments of
Li 00 each. This fubfcription was alfo much crowded, and was com-
pleted in three hours time, and fold that fame evening at 40 per cent
advance, but this advance was not lafling ; for though the managers
now lent out large fums of money, for fix months, on their ftock, valu-
ing it only at 400 per cent, and at fo moderate an intereft: as 4 per cent,
yet the ftock could not be kept up to 800. Moreover, the lafl fublcrib-
ers of the public debts, both irredeemable and redeemable, began to
murmur on account of the high prices at which they had fubfcribed in-
to the ftock ; and alfo becaufe their flock was not as yet brought into
their names, but artfully poflponed from time to time. Numbers alfo,
who had contraded for flock for the opening of the books, at much
higher prices than the flock now fold at, joined in thofe com])laints, of
whom not a few were perfons of high rank and quality : all which
was not a little heightened by the numerous fufferers by the lefler flocks
and bubbles. The court of directors now faw their miflake, but too
late, in procuring the fcire facias, but inflead of healing and moderate
meafures, they, on the .30th of Auguft, in order to raife the expectations
of men to the highefl pitch, declared, that 30 per cent in money fhould
be the dividend for the half year which would be due at chriftmas fol-
lowing ; and, to fill up the meafure of their extravagance, that, for the
next i'ucceeding twelve years, not lefs than 50 per cent in money
ftiould be the annual dividend on their flock. However romantic
this laft declaration may at prefent fecm, it was but barely cor-
refponding with the price of their two laft money fubfcriptions.
Had all the remaining public debts been taken in at the price of the
laft lubfcription, and had the four fets of money fubibribers duely
made good all their payments, and, moreover, had the company been
able to fell all their reniaining ftock at 1000 per cent, or higher, and
their loans of money had all been duely repaid, upon ihefe fuppofitions,
the company might poflibly havebeen able to have made fo vaft a dividend,
for at leaft part of ihe twelve years ; but that would have been attended
with the certain and grievous future lofs in their principal as well as in-
tereft. However, even this pompous d^claiaiion was able only for two
days, viz. till the ill of September, to raile the ftock from 780, to 8ic_
from which laft day it gradually funk to the 8th of that month, when
it was at 680: whereby it plainly appeared, that none believed the divi-
dends could prudently and rationally take place. Yet. on tlie 8th of

102 A. D. 172G.

.September, a general court, crowded with perfons of diflindlion, gave
thanks to the court of dired;ors for their prudent and ilcilful manage-
ment ; and even fulfomc commendations were added by fome members
of both houfes of parhament. Thofe panegy rifts then told the diredors,
' that they had laid afleep all our domeftic animofities, and had re-
* conciled all parties in one common intereft, (i. e. money-getting) that
' they had inc'reafed the fortunes of the monied men, whilft they had
' been the means of doubling the value of land-eftates.' It was indeed
true, that for a few months, fuch as had fold out at high prices, eagerly
-coveting to purchafe land with the money, occafioned lands to be fold
at 35 to 40 years purchafe ; and fome for fomewhat more, as happened
at Paris the year before; which might have been warning fufficient to
our fchemers. Yet, in the fpace of a few weeks after, thofe very per-
fons were for hanging up all the court of diredlors. On the 20th of
September the ftock was fallen to 410, when a general court agreed to
reduce the term of the lail fubfcribers of the public debts to the price
of ^00 per cent, as alfo of the ^d and 4th money-fubfcriptions from
1000 to 400 per cent. It was alfo hinted that the bank had agreed, or
would agree, to take a quantity of their ftock at 400 per cent, in pay-
ment for L3,775,ooo redeemable debt, for wliich the South-fea company
was to pay off the bank. This was afterwards called the bank contrad,
the very furmife of which had run up South-fea ftock on the 1 2th of
that month to 675, which, however, fell the next day to 550. It was
afterward denied to have ever been executed as a legal contract ; but
had only been difcourfed of between fome minifters of ftate and the
two companies : but though it never took place, it certainly drew in
many new purchafers of ftock, to their great lofs, and, for that reafon,
occaiiontd niuch noife and fcribbling, though long fmce buried in obli-
vion. The frailty of the whole South-fea fcheme now hereby alfo
•plainly appearing to all, the ftock, on the 29th of September, had fallen
to 175 per cent ; and their bonds were at 25 per cent difcount ; where-
upon there appeared great uneaftnefs and clamour auiong the monied
men, which produced a great demand for cafli at the bank, and a greater
one on the private bankers, who had generally lent out much of their
cafti on South-fea ftock and fubicriptions, whereby feveral very fubftan-
tial ones were obliged to ftop payment for fome time. And now% juft
when drowning, all people began ferioufly to refled on the calamines
brought on France, but a few months fooner, by the famous Miilifippi
flock or bubble ; and to draw a melancholy parallel ; which reflections,
made a few months fooner, would have faved many' a worthy family
from diftrefs : great clamour was alfo raifed on account of contracts
at high prices, for the 3d and 4th money fubfcriptions performable on
delivery of the company's receipts, though no receipts had e^ er been if-
fued for them. At a general court, on the 30th of September, the
fuppofed contradt with the bank was again mentioned as a pofitive
■agreement, at 400 per cent for South-fea ftock, which nov.-, therefor,

• A, D, 1720. 103

from 130 roic to 320, but could by no methods be kept fo high: the
fafcination was over, and therefor it fell dayly, more eipecially when it
was known after all, that the bank contrad: was no reality, but a mei e
temporary, and very unjuft, expedient to quiet the clamours of the
people.

At this general court, alio, the redeemable debts, before taken in at
105 for 100, were now reduced to 100; and, inftead of the former al-
lowance of flock at 800 per cent, they were now allowed (lock at 400
per cent, with the midfummer dividend of 10 per cent in flock.

The fecond fubfcription of irredeemables was made equal to the firfl: ;
and the third and fourth money fubfcriptions were reduced to 400 per
cent in flock : and the 10 per cent in flock was allowed to them all.

It was then thought very hard on the bank (if ever really intended)
to be forced into a bargain fo difadvantageous, merely for helping their
rivals out of the mire. And now, towards the clofe of this year of mar-
vels, were feen the great lofles of many famlhcs of rank, and fome of
great quality, and the utter ruin of merchants before of great figure,
and alfo of certain eminent phyficians, clergymen, and lawyers, as well as
of many eminent tradefmen : fome of whom, after fo long living in fplen-
dour, were not able to fland the fhock of poverty and contempt, and died
of mere heart-break ; others withdrew to remote parts of the world, and
never returned.

Many expedients were at this time flarted, for the relief of the fuf-
fcrers by South-fea flock; among others, an ingraftment of iS mil-
lions of that flock into the other two great companies, 9 millions into
the bank, and 9 millions into the Eaft-India flock ; which occafioned
warm debates in rlie general courts of thofe two companies, who at Icngtli
agreed to it. Yet, though an ad of parliament, of the yth of King
George, confirmed it, it was never carried into execution. The South-
fea company alfo, in their diflrefs, petitioned the king for a grant of
that part of the i fland of St. Chriflophcrs, in the Weft-Indies, which
France had yielded to as by the treaty of Utrecht ; as alio of the coun-
try of Nova-Scotia, which, they alleged, would be very much to the
advantage of their trade, and to the king's revenue : but, though they
did not fucceed therein, they proved iuccefsful in their applications to
have a remiflion by the legiflature of the entire fum they were bound t'>
pay for taking in the national debts : whereby the public was depriveil
of all the benefit hoped for from that fcheme, except reducing the ir-
redeemable debts into a ftate of redemption. This remiftion however
was tliereby granted ; with a provilo, that from midfummer 1722 two
millions of the company's capital llock Ihould be annihilated, for the
benefit of the public. Yet, by the ad of the 9th of that kiiiL', which
divided their capital into two equal moieties, the laid two millions ca-
pital ftock was again rellored to the company fi om the term of mid-
fummer 1722.

I04 A. D. 1720.

We mufl again return back to the French ftock-jobbing or bubble
affairs of this year 1720. In February, an arret came out for uniting
their bank to their India company, (now eftabhflied in perpetuity) as
we have already feen the later united to thcMiflifippi company, and the
appellation of MilTifippi funk in the more general name of the India
company. The arret fets forth, ' that, as this bank is royal, the king
' is bound to make good the full value of its notes or bills ; and that,
' as there is a great conneclion between the operations of this bank
' and thofe of the India company, he commits to the later the go-
' vernment and profits of the bank during their term of fifty years.
' Hereby alfo the king fells to the company the fifty milhons of India
' flock, belonging to him, for nine hundred millions:' (i. e. 1800 per
cent.) ' The king alfo hereby declares,' (though it was foon after feen
how far fuch declarations were to be relied on,) ' that he will ne-
' ver draw on the bank till they have the value firll brought in to them
' by his receivers-general, &c. Nor fliall the company be obliged
' to advance any money hereafter for his fervice on any pretence what-
' ever, farther than what their cafliier fliall previoufly have of his ma-
' jcfly's in his cufl:ody.'

This junction of the bank to the India company hafiened the down-
fal of both. It was faid, that this bank had already iffued notes to the
amount of one thoufand millions*, which was more paper than all the
banks in Europe are able to circulate: for that of Amflerdam is ra-
ther a depofit of credit than a proper circulating bank. And, to make
this bank the more reputable, the receivers of the king's revenue were
direded to take bank-notes of their fub-receivers : and it was farther
ordered, that all payments of one hundred livres and upwards fhould be
made in bank-notes ; fo that, for a fhort fpace, they began to have great
credit, whereby they fell into dilcounting merchants bills, and lending
money on jewels, plate, &.C. and alfo on mortgages. All thefe, however,
proved too little, under fo delpotic a government. For, though by fuch
methods, and by altering the nominal value of the coin, &c. they
thought to fupport public credit, yet its bottom being rotten, thofe
compulfive means were highly improper for eftablifliing credit, which
ever mufi; be as free as common air, and plainly argued the want
of folid fecurity. For, as nothing but the inviolable fecurity and
freedom of property can ever create a confidence in people for eftablifli-
ing a permanent paper credit; who could poilibly, for any long fpace,
confide in a bank which had only the bare parole d'honeur of a mo-
narch, who, at his pleafure, can, and frequently does, alter the value of
private property, and who may at once lay his iron hands on the whole
cafh of the bank ? Louis XIV had tried" every means, but the only
rruc one, which human art could devife for creating a real public

* A! out forty millions flerling:, as tlic cxcliange tJien wk. A.

A. D. 1720. 105

credit in France, from obferving what immenfc advantage it had
been of to England in the wars of King William and CKieen Anne,
whereby we were become the wonder and envy ot' the reft of Europe,
yet he could never effcd; it ; becaule, agreeable to his nature and to
his arbitrary government, he fallified the mod folemn of his own edids
whenever his necellities pinched him ! By another edit'l of the lame
■month, the king enjoins, that no perfon keep in his houfe or poflellion
above five hundred livrcs in current coin, under the penalty of ten
thoufand livres. All which violent methods are declared in thofe ar-
rets or edids, to be, ' for the good of his fubjecls, to make provifions
* cheap, to fupport public credit, to facilitate circulation, and to increafe
' commerce and manutadures !'

In March came out a moft extraordinary arret of the coimcil of flate,
for fixing the price of the adions (or fhares) of the India company at
gooo livres each ! many arrets in thefe times appeared for altering the
nominal value of the gold and filver coins ot France, fometimes to an
higher, and at other times to a lower value, which tended to no other
end but getting rid of the public debts, and filling the king's coffers,
Avithout any regard to the immenfe lofles which fuch proceedings brought
on his impoveriibed fubjeds.

Yet the India (or Miliifippi) flock ffill continued to advance in price
by entire hundreds per cent, even in one day's time: and whilfl that
flock continued riling, great were the encomiums beflowed on the duke-
regent ; and his tool, Mr. Law, was deemed an infallible oracle ! — Whole
fcheme of fatisfying the public creditors, by giving them the general
farm of the revenues, was by his agents faid to reiemble the bank of
St. George at Genoa ; and, like it, would be the fiaff and flay of the
flate"! When the laid India flock was got to the price of 2,050 per
cent, it produced, for a few months, the following llrange paradoxical
efFeds in France, viz.

The llate-bills, which before had been at 6^ per cent difcount, got
up to 20 per cent above par. — The king got rid of 1,500 millions of
public debts, in a few weeks, without paying any money ! — And, by
remitting certain burtlienfomc taxes on the people, the royal revenue
had been increalcd ibme millions !

The 'king now abfolutely prohibited all the ecclefiaflical communities
and hofpitals of France from putting out their money at intereft any-
where but in India flock. Notwitliflanding all thefe, and many other
extraordinary meafures, the immcnlenefs of its capital at length could
not fail to bring down its price : for the prevention whereof, fundry
means were tried, fuch as giving the company the Ible property of the
iOand named BcUcifle on the fouth-wefl coafl of Brctagne, and after-
wards the trade to the ille of Hifpaniola, &c.

Vol. III. O

loG A. D. 1720.

The flock of the India company ftill fluduating, Mr. Law caufed
fundry pamphlets to be publifhcd, for ilkiftrating its vifl benefits to the
proprietors of it ; and the impolTibility of the king's ever doing it any
prejudice. Wliat followed fo very foon after puts one in mind of Ben
Jonfon's comedy of Bartholomew fair, where, for promoting the trade
of cut-purfes, the chief of their gang gets on a ftool, and fmgs a ballad
againft cut-purfes.

For, on the 21ft of May tlie king's fatal arret comes out, whereby,
under pretence of his having reduced the value of his coin, it was de-
clared necefTary to reduce the nominal value of his bank-notes and the
India flock, viz. the former to one half, and the later from 9,000 livres
per action to 5,000 livres. It is eafy to conceive the calamity, which
this reduction produced throughout France ! The bank-notes iiiftantly
lofl their currency. Mr. Hutchefon, an author of credit, obferves, that
the French crown in bank-money, which, in September 1719, was worth
^od flerling in exchange to London, was now worth about 31^ payable
in French bank-bills ! To prevent tumults, the guards were placed
everywhere. The parliament remonftrated to the king the fatal confe-
quences thereof; which occafioned the following arret, viz. ' the king
' being informed, that his reduclion of bank-bills has had an effed:
' quite contrary to his intentions, and has produced a general confu-
' fion in commerce : and being defirous to favour the circulation of
' the faid bank-bills, for the conveniency of fuch as give or take them
' in paym.ent : and-, having heard the report of the Sieur Law, he
' has ordained, that bank-bills be current on the fame footing as be-
' fore the above arret, which he hereby revokes.'

On the 29th of May, however, Mr. Law found it prudent to refign his
office of comptroller-general of the finances, by the interpofition of the
parliament of Paris with the duke of Orleans ; whereupon it was thought
needful to allow him two Switz officers as liis guard; and commiflarieS'
were appointed to infpecfb his accounts. Sundry other means were now
ufed to keep up the tottering tumbling public credit. And, as many of
the ftate creditors had lately been paid off with bank-notes, which were
now become troublefome to circulate, by reafon of their vafl quantity,
thefe were now taken in by a new fubfcription of 1,000 millions on the
town-houfe of Paris, at 24- per cent, or 25 millions of annuities.

And, for leflening the number of adions in the India company, the
king gave up 100 millions which belonged to him, and the company
alfo funk 300 millions which they held in their corporate capacity. But,,
on the other hand, in order to make a dividend to the proprietors of
3 per cent on the nominal value of 12,000 livres per fhare, they made a
fort of call of 3,000 livres per fliare, payable in fix months. Sundry
other flight-of-hand tricks were now put in practice, to hoodwink the
people, and, if poffible, to retrieve their good opinion of India ftockj

A. D. 1720. 107

upon which a new company of infurance was now ingrafted for that
end : and every three or four days arrets came out, contradicting, re-
peaUng, or altering, the preceding ones ; fo that no fewer than ten fuch
came out during the month of June this year ; the fubllance whereof,
and of the proceedings of France for three years pad, relating to their
India or Miilifippi trade and company, and their royal-bank, we find
principally in a large collection of arrets, memorials, &c. publiflied at
Paris, in 1720, by authority, in two quarto volames, wdiich we have
abridged as much as podlble ; whereby a general knowlege may in
part be gathered of that madnefs in France, which had in this year in-
fected all the other monied countries of Europe !

The cruel reduction of the value of French bank-notes, the reduc-
tions of their India flock, and the confequent general confufion, the

numberlefs alterations, within the fpace of a few months, in the nomi-
nal value of the coins of France : all thefe obliged wife and provident
perfons to fend their effects into other countries, left they fhould be gra-
dually reduced to nothing ! For preventing thereof an ordinance came
out on the 20th of June, whereby the king enjoined all his fubjects to
bring back their effeds, upon pain of forfeiting double the value ; and,
on like forfeiture, ftridly enjoined them not to invert their money in
the flocks of foreign companies ! Than which ordinance nothing fure-
ly could more effedually alarm the people.

Merchants and others now refufing to take their bank-notes in pay-
ment, an arret came out, prohibiting anyperfon whatever from refuf-
ing them, under forfeiture of double the value ! Yet, on that lame day,
the run or demand on the bank was fo great, tliat another ordinance
of the king came out, importing, ' that he being informed of the tu-
' mult at the bank upon account of paying their notes, he has thought
* fit to fufpend the payment of the faid notes till farther orders *; llridt-
' ly forbidding all perfons whatever to meet or aflemble together on
' any pretence whatever.' And guards were placed, on this lamentable
occafion, at fundry public places in Paris, where merchants and others
concerned in India flock, bank-notes, and bills of exchange, ulcd to af-
femble in great numbers, whereby they were difpcrfed.

In July many arrets came abroad, for raifing the fillen credit of India
flock, though to no purpofe. And, on the 30th, an arret appears for
again raifing the nominal value of the French coins, and, for lelfen-
ing the number of bank-notes, 600 millions thereof were now turned
into India flock, at 9,000 livres per lliare. And although this was but
an airy manner of payment, it was however efleemed better than bank-
notes, which had no currency at all. Other great funis in bank-notes
were ereCled into annuities at 2 per cent per annum, and into life-an-
nuities at 5 per cent.

•• There was not cafh in ihc bank to pay llic fiftieth part of tl-.tm. jf.

O2

io8" A. D. 1720.

On the I il ot Sepcember the duke-regent of France pubhihed a ge-
neral ftate of the public debts of France at the death of King Louis XIV,
amounting to upwards of 1,977 iiiiHions of livres, and their interefl to
very near 90 millions per annum : inftead of which great lum (near
100 millions fterling), the king (fays this flatement) now owes fcarcely
340 millions.

N. B. Of the firfl: vafl debt the India company had paid off 600 mil-
lions by difcharging fo many bank-notes, which the king mud have
otherwife paid, or funk : and that bank was thereby entirely at an end
and fhut up. The reft, by different chicaneries between the regent and.
Law, were wiped off.

That general ftate farther acquaints the public, ' that fince the duke
' of Orleans's acceflion to the regency, the royal finances have been
' augmented above 83 millions of livres per annum. And yet,' (be-
lieve it who can), ' the people have within that time been eafed of
* taxes or imports to the amount of upwards of 52 millions per annum !'"
Be this as it may, he certainly got rid of fo much national debt, to the
ruin of thoufands of families, by the ways before mentioned. We ftiall
only add, concerning the vaft French India capital ftock, that it gradu-
ally dwindled in value till it fettled in their prefent Eaft-India company ;
which, by dint of application, &c. has fince made fo great a figure, as
well in India as in Europe, fo as greatly to interfere with the interefts •
of the other European nations trading to the Eaft-Indies ! And that the
regent's chief inftrument. Law, being now obliged to leave France, died
in obfcurity, without having acquired any thing very confiderable for
himfclf ; though he had it once in his power to have been the richeft
fubjed in Chriftendom !

We return now farther to confider the unfortunate fituation of the pro-
prietors of the Britifli national debt,fubfcribed into the South-fea company
in the year 1720, and of the purchafers of South-fta ftock by money-
fubfcriptions at high prices. Toward the clofe of that year, thefe began
clearly to perceive the fad ftate they were reduced to by their own cre-
dulity, as well as by other caufes already noted ; and that all the fchemes
propoied for raifing the ftock to its former high price were perfedly,
viiionary. Their main refource now was, by the alliftance of the legif-
lature, to obtain an equal or fair diftribution among them, of the un-
divided South-fea ftock, as far as that would go : yet even that was at-
tended with fundry difficulties, needlefs to be enlarged on at this dif-
tance of time. The redeemable creditors who had fubfcribed, and alfo
the money fubfcribers, were indeed in a fad way. Neverthelefs, to en--
large on all the reafonings of thofe, as alfo on thofe of the long-annuity
proprietors, would require more room than is confiftent with our gene-
ral fcope ; as the pieces publiftied on that occafion, which we have
bound up, confift of fundry confiderable volumes of feveral fizes. We

A, D, 1720, 109

fhall therefor content ourfelves with firfl exhibiting a brief ftate of the
whole South-fea capital flock, as it flood at Chriftmas 1720, viz.

Tlie old capital ftock before midfummer 1720 L 11,746,844 8 10
The flock of the irredeemable debts fubfcribed 12,069,349 2 6
The flock of the redeemable debts fubfcribed - 13,986,690 2 8

Total South-fea ftock at chriftmas 1720, (in
which however a fmall miftake of L400 was
afterward found, whereby its true amount
was L37, 802,483 : 14) - - L37,8o2,883 14 c

And next, we fhall, as briefly as pofftble, fet down the quantity of
ftock allowed at different times, to the feveral fpecies of new proprie-
tors of South-fea ftock, in confequence of the very badly executed
fcheme we are now treating of, viz.

I) To the redeemable proprietors, ftock was at firft allowed at 800
per cent, but afterward reduced to 400 : fo that Lioo redeemable debt
had in South-fea ftock L25, to which add the midfummer 10 per cent,
is- - ____-__. L27 10 o

2. The firft additional third, by a6l of parliament,

31ft July 1721 .-- - - - - 934

3. The fecond additional third, by general court, Sep-
tember I ft, 1 72 1 - - - — - - - 1245

L48 17
4. The addition of a fixteenth part, by general court,
1 2th April, 1723 - - - - '31

Total South-fea flock allowed forLioo redeemables

fubfcribed - - - - - - L511810

II) The four money-fubfcriptions, though at firft at dilTerent prices,
had at length ftock allowed them at 400 per cent, and had afterwards
the very fame feveral additions as the redeemable debts ; fo that for
every Lioo they had paid down they were in all allowed L51 18 10

Whereby it will appear, that thefe two defcriptions of proprietors
had much harder terms than any of the others.

III) The irredeemable debts fubfcribed were, in all, allowed viz.

Long annuities in the firft fubfcription had for every Lioo per an-
num, L700 South-fea ftock, and with the lo per cent dividend in ftock
for midfummer 1720, made L770 j and with two of the three addi—

no A. D. 1667.

tions made to the redeemables, as before exhibited, viz. the fecond ad-
ditional one third, and the additional one lixteenth, made their ftock
.amount to - - _____ L 1,090 16 8

And they had, at fubfcribing, in bonds and money - 575 o o

Total flock and money in the firft fubfcription Li,665 16 8

In the fecond fubfcription of thofe fame long annuities they were
at firfl allowed flock at 800 per cent, which was afterward reduced
to 400 per cent, and, with the midfummer 10 per cent, amounted
to--------- L880 o o

And the legiflature having direded this fecond fubfcrip-
tion to be made equal to the firft fubfcription, valuing
the ftock at 150 per cent, that addition in ftock amount-
ed to - - - - - _-_ 203 6 8

Li,o83 6 8
And the two above additions, as made to the firft fub-
fcription, in ftock, amounted to - - - - 45 178

Total ftock allowed for Lico per annum in the fe-
cond fubfcription ; but no bonds nor money were
given on this fecond fubfcription - £1,543 ^4 4

The L98 per annum annuities, called fourteen per cents, had in the
lu-ft fubfcription L700 ftock allowed them, which, with all the before-
mentioned additions, amounted to - - Li, 090 16 8

And in bonds and money - - - - 51100

Total ftock and money for L98 per annum, firft

fubfcription, «-_-__ Li,6oi 16 8

And their fecond fubfcription in ftock, with the fame additions, but
no bonds nor money - _ _ _ _ L 1,474 5 6

The firft fubfcription of the nine per cents had, in all, for every L90

per annum in ftock _-___- L545 8 4

And in bonds and money - - - - 217100

Total for L90 per annum, in the firft fubfcription L762 18 4

And their fecond fubfcription had L699 : 7 : 2 ftock, and L2, called
jodd money, in money. 4

A. D. 1720^ III

For the prize-tickets of lottery 17 10, Lioo per annum, firfl fubfcrip-

tion, had in all in South-fea ftock - - L623 6 8

And in bonds and money - - - - -2 00 00

Total in the firft fubfcription - - - L823 6 8

And their fecond fubfcription had in all L755 : 1 1 ftock only.

The blank tickets of lottery 1710 had for every L98 per
annum ___->_ L545 8 4

And in bonds and money _ _ _ _ . ^53 10 o

Tot.'\l ftock and money in the firft fubfcription - L898 18 4

And their fecond fubfcription had L827 16 o in ftock.

And in odd money - - 200

Total fecond fubfcription - L829 16 o-

Thus it plainly appeared, that all the irredeemable debts fubfcribed
were put upon a much better footing than the redeemable ones, and
the money fubfcribers, who certainly were very hardly ufed.

IV) The old capital ftock before midiummer 1720 had, beyond all
other fpecies of proprietors, the very beft terms granted to them, viz.
the 10 per cent dividend for midfummer 1720 : likewife the additional
third, (or L33 : 6 : 8 per cent) to the ftock, by the general court on ift
September 172 1 : alfo the additional one fixteenth part, (or L6 : 5 per
cent) on the I2.th April 1723: whereby Lioo of the old South-fea
proprietors ftock was increafed, at midfummer 1723, to L155 : 16 : 8.

And thus at length men were forced to fit down (though not con-
tented) with their refpedive lofles ; though a fecret committee of the
lioufe of commons in the beginning of this year made feveral large re-
ports againft the condud of the diredors, and indireftly againft others
in very high ftations, fome of whom were exprefsly included in the
laws made for mulcting thofe diredors, and for fequeftrating their
eftates, and thofe of fome of their principal fervants ; more efpecially
their treafurer, in whofe breaft many important I'ecrets were by the
crowd fuppofed to be lodged, particularly againft a noble lord then in
power, who nevcrthelcfs was well known to be hitherto no way inclined
to avarice. Men's lofles indeed, and the writings of the party fcribblers,
occafioned many people at that time to believe, that the fcheme itfelf
contained fecrets of very great importance ! Bribery, corruption, and
robbing of the public, were falhionable words at this time, and helped

112 A. D. 172Q.

to fill up p.'imphlets and newfpapers : and many (^f rhofc, who had very
lately molt obfcquioufly courted and fliamefully flattered the unhappy
diredors, were now the loudeft for the moft fevere puniOiments. It is
however but too true, that the directors, or rather the junto of mana-
gers, for making their fcheme go more eafdy down, made confiderable
largefl'cs, at the company's cofl, to many perlbns of intluence ; and that
in the execution of their whole fcheme they had much too great a lati-
tude allowed them. That the fictitious fale of flock, prior to pailing
the ad of parliament ; their lending out above eleven millions of the
company's money on flock and fublcriptions, without an adequate fe-
eurity ; their taking fo enormous a leap as from 400 to i ,000 per cent
in the price of tlieir flock for the third and fourth money-fubfcrip-
tions ; their making private additions to the money-fubfcriptions, for
the benefit of friends ; and the fuffering fuch friends to withdraw thofe
lubfcriptions on the fall of flock; their giving away large fums of the
company's money for the future refufal of flock at high prices, in or-
der to raife it to thofe prices ; their laying out great fums of the compa-
ny's money, for buying up flock for the fame end ; their making many
alterations, additions, and eraferaents, in fums and names on the faid
loans, &c. were all utterly unjuflifiable ! Yet, with refped to the bulk
of the miniftry and parliament, there is fome reafon to think, that their
liflening to the propolals of the South-fea diredors proceeded purely
from a defire of acquiring reputation by getting rid of part of our na-
tional burdens ; though (as already obferved) neither that nor any other
fcheme, inconfiflcnt with the ftrideft national faith, ought to be coun-
-tenanced. This was, we apprehend, the real flate of that whole affair,
notwithflanding the idle clamours of many who pretended to find out
miraculoufly occult myfleries therein. Avarice had at that time deep-
ly infedcd perfons of all ranks, whereby they contributed not a little to
favour the South-fea managers, and to forward their own fublequent
loiles. Several of the diredors themlelves were fo far innocent as to be
found poorer at the breaking up of the fcheme than when it began ; and
many of them had the befl of charaders till that infatuation : and the
inventory of all their eflates (exclufive of antecedent fettlements) did
not much exceed a million of money ; which among fo many perfons
was little more than L30,ooo each, on an average.

Many foreigners, then in our fimds, were confiderable lofers by the
South-fea fcheme, whereby a balance (though not avery reputable one)
was faid to be iii our favour, nationally ipeaking. The laudable canton
of Berne is however faid to have been a very confiderable gainer, in their
public capacity, by this fchene. The amount of all the value of the
contrads regiftered at the South-fea houle, purfuant to ad of parlia-
ment, was £9,917,862. On which there was L2,ooo,ooo and upwards

A. D. 1720. 1 13

paid clown, and the balance remaining due thereon was L7, 884, 137, be-
iides the many contrads never regiflercd ; and the many others made
■on account of the leflbr ftocks and bubbles, whole nominal amount was
then guefled by obferving people, when at their highell prices, to ex-
ceed 300 millions. And fuppofing all theincreafed South-fea capital of
L37,8o2,883 : 14 to have been negotiated at i,oco percent, the amount
would have been 380 millions more. If, nioreover, all the entire bank
and Eafl-India capitals had been negotiated at their then advanced
prices, that would have amounted to 28^- millions more. The whole
amounts to above 700 millions. Yet, as this lafl fuppofition is fcarcely
to be admitted, we fliall rather flick to our former luppofition of 500
millions being nearer to the nominal value of them all.

The unaccountable frenzy in flocks and projects of the year may by
fome be thought to have taken up too much room in this work : but
■we are perfuaded that others will approve of perpetuating, in fuch a
work, the remembrance of them, as a warning to after-ages !

We fliall fum up all relating to the deceitful arts of raifing Sonth-fea
flock by new and extravagant highfubfcriptions, by a fenfible, familiar,
and moft plain, fimile, written at this t; ne by that ingenious gentle-
man, Archibald Hutchefon, efquire, (long fince dead) whofe fair and
candid calculations on this fabjedl, and on our general national debts,
make up a moderate folio volume, viz.

' A having a Lioo flock in trade, though pretty much in debt, gives
it out to be worth L300, on account of many privileges and advan-
tages to which he is intitled. B, relying on A's great wifdom and in-
tegrity, fues to be admitted partner on thofe terms, and accordingly
brings L300 into the partnerfliip. The trade being afterwards given
out or difcovered to be very improving, C comes in at L500 ; and af-
terward D, at Li rco. And the capital is then completed to L2000.
If the partnerfliip had gone no farther than A and B, then A had got,
and B had loft, Lioo. If it had flopped at C, then A had got, and C
had lofl, L200 ; and B had been as he was before ; but D alfo coming
in, A gains L400 and B L200 ; and C neither gains nor lofes : but D
lofes L600. Indeed, if A could fliew that the laid capital was intrin-
fically worth L4400, there would be no harm done to D ; and B and
C would have been obliged to him. But if the- capital at tirfl was
worth but Lioo, and increafcd only by the fubfequent partnerfhips,
it mufl then be acknowleged, that B and C have been impofed on in
their turns, and that unfortunate thoughtlcfs D paid the piper.'
This fimile is too obvious to need explanation : A plainly reprefenting
the original South-ica capital, as B and C do the liril and fecond fub-
fcriplions for Hock, and D the third and fourth fubfcriptions. This
Vol. III. P

1 14 A. D. 1720.

came not out till theclofe of the year T720, when every one too late
faw the general deception : but we remember many who were then of
opinion, that, had it been publifhed before the two fliameful fubfcrip-
tions at each Licoo per cent had been refolved on, it might have pre-
vented fo wild a meafurc.

The infection of new projeds communicated itfelf in that fame year
of wonders into the cool and phlegmatic country of Holland, where fun-
dry new fubfcriptions for infurances of Ihips, merchandize, &c. were fet
on foot, not only in their greater cities, but even in fome inconfider-
able ones. Thofe idle fubfcriptions, however, were not carried to any
great and prejudicial height amongft fo wary a people, who foon return-
ed to their proper vocations.

We had in that fame year a fcemingly-judicious view of the iron ma—
nufadure of England, from a flate of it publifhed by Mr. William
Wood *, who was then a great iron-proprietor. He obferves very juftly,
' that the iron manufadlure is, next to the woollen manufadure, the
' mofl conftderable of all others in this nation. That we then ufed
' about 30,000 tons of iron per annum : of which (for want of a fuffi-
' cient fupply of cord-wood) we are forced to buy of our neighbours
' about 20,000 tons, with ready money; which, at Lio per ton, is

* L200,ooo per annum. That we have iron-ftone enough, and may be
' able to fupply ourfelves with cord-wood to make the greatefl: part of,
' if not all, the iron we watit, by planting and raifing copices on

* wafte and other lands of fmall value, and referving a certain quantity

* of acres to grow for timber-trees.' Yet, as all this was faid with a
view to introduce the account of his iron-partnerfliip, amongft the pro-
jeds or bubbles of that year, it muft be read with caution. Mr. Wood
had then a leafe of all the mines on the crown-lands of thirty-nine
counties, whofe furnaces were well fupplied with pit-coal ; fome of the
beft iron-works in the kingdom ; feveral forges for refining and drawing
iron out into bars ; alfoa flitting-millfor rolling, flitting, and preparing,
the iron for its feveral ufes in manufadure ; furnaces for making pig-
iron, pots, rails, and banifters, backs and hearths for chimnies, and all
other forts of caft-iron, both with charcoal and pit-coal.

It being found by experience, that filver plate, made according to the
old ftandard of eleven ounces and two penny-weight of fine filver,
(which was altered to eleven ounces ten penny-weight, by the ad
8 GuL III. c. 7) is more ferviceable and durable than that made by the
later ftandard, the old fterling ftandard of eleven ounces two penny-
weight of fine filver in a pound weight (troy) was reftored by ad of
parliament.

* This is the fame Wood, who afterwards undeitook the coinage of copper halfpence for Ireland. ^.

A. D. 1720. 115

Hereby alfo it was made felony to counterfeit the receipts for fub-
fcriptions, and alfo of the dividend warrants of the South-fea company,
or any endorfements thereon.

In the fame famous year 1 720, the Turkey company made a mofl rea-
fonable complaint to parliament, againft fome part of the Lnglifh trade
to Italy, as then managed by our Italian merchants : an adt was there-
for palTed for prohibiting the importation of raw-filk and mohair yarn
of the produd or manufadure of Afia from any ports or places in the
Straits or Levant feas, except from fuch ports or places as are within the
dominions of the grand fignior. [6 Geo. I. c. 14.] It feems our Italian
merchants at Leghorn frequently purchafed of the French thofe goods,
which they had brought from Turkey, in return for French woollen
goods fent to Turkey ; thereby encouraging the French woollen manu-
fadure, and difcouraging our own. In this application the Turkey com-
pany declared, that they then confifted of 200 members, all of whom
traded feparately for themfelves, and bought and fold without limita-
tion.

• We have an authentic view of the ftrengthof the royal navy of Great
Britain at this time, 1720, in Secretary Burchet's Naval hiftory, publifli-
cd this year, viz.

7 fliips of - 1 00 guns,
13 - - 90

16 - - 80

23
19

:

:

70
60

47

-

-

50

125

of the line of battle.

23

-

-

40

9

-

-

30

25

—

-

20

182 fhips, carrying 9,940 guns;
excluflve of thofe neceflary for others of lelfer dimenfions ; as fire-lhips,
bomb-veflels, ftore-fhips, floops, yachts, hoys, &c. which, he fays, amount-
ed to 50 more. We may fafely fubjoin, that fmce then our royal navy
is greatly increafed, as well in the bulk and conflrudion, as in their
number and ftrength.

The favourite projed of France, in refpecl to North- America, being
to join their colony of Canada to that of Louiliana, and alfo to obtain a
port in the Ocean ; they, for thofe ends, began very early after the treaty
of Utrecht to extend their limits on that continent ; and though the
15th article of that peace had abfolutely excluded them from molefting,
or encroaching on, the five Indian nations of the Iroquois, as being

P 2

1 16 A. D. 1720.

peculiarly fubjed to the Britifli crown ; yet they this year feized on
the mofl: important pafs of Niagara, and fortified the fame, whereby
they were able to command the lakes, and to form a plan for extending
iheir power to the Ohio river, and to carry their chain of forts and fet-
tlements thence down to the Mifhfippi river ; and this fort they held
till the year 1759. In the meantime, they had by many arts debauch-
ed thofe five Indian nations fo far, that they were brought to murder
our people fettled among them in great numbers.

In a treaty of peace, concluded this year between Denmark and
Sweden at Fredericklladt under the mediation of George I king of
Great Britain, it was flipulated, that, upon the crown of Denmark re-
linquifliing all former pretenfions on the crown of Sweden, the fhips of
Sweden, in pafling the Sound, or either of the two Belts, fliould thence-
forth pay to Denmark thefxme toll as is paid by Great Britain and the
United Netherlands ; Sweden thereby renouncing all exemption from
the faid toll. So that by this treaty, there was thenceforth to be no
longer any difference of nations in pafTmg into or returning from the
Baltic ; all paying a like toll for fhips and cargoes *.

1 72 1. — While Archangel was the only flaple port for the Ruffian naval
comm.erce, the foreign merchants ufually relided at Mofcow, and only tra-
velled thence in rhe fummer feafon to Archangel, where they had their
warehoufes and factors : this method continued till the year 1721, when
by order of the czar Peter the Great, the feat of commerce was tranf-
ferred from Archangel to his new emporium of Peterfburgh, (now
grown a very confiderable city) which obliged the foreign traders to re-
move their fadories to it.

According to a quarto pamphlet, (publifhed by the noted William
Wood 1721) entitled, the State of the copper and brafs manufadures
in Great Britain, about 30,000 pepole were then fuppofed to fubfifl by
thofe manufadures. He alfo remarks, that thofe metals were refined by
pit-coal alone. ' We have' (fays he) ' plenty of lapis calaminaris for
' making brafs. Copper ore is found in many counties of England,
' Wales, and Scotland : and this nation could fupply itfelf with copper
' and brafs, of its own produce, fufficient for all occafions, if fuch du-
' ties were laid on foreign copper and brafs as would difcourage their
* importation, and at the fame time encourage the fale of our own
' metal.'

After all the ftir, without doors by pamphlets and newfpapers, and
within doors by a fecret committee of parliament, all that could be
done for the South-fea company, was ifl, By an ad of parhament of

* The amount of goods imported into Eng- Charles Whitworth in his Stale of the trade of

land in the year 1 720 was L6,090,o83 ; and the Great Britain, from which I propofe to extraft

total of the exports, not including coin and bul- tlie totals of every tentli year to the conclufion ef

lion, was L6,9io,89<p ; as they are ftated by Sir the reign of George II. M.

A. D. 1721. 1 1 J

the 7th of King George, to reft rain their fub-governor, deputy-governor,
diredors, treafurers, and accountant *, from going out of the kino-dom,
and for difcovering their eftates. 2dly, By another ad of the fame
year, they were difabled from ever after, enjoying the faid offices, &c.
3dly, Another of the fame year was for raifing money on their eftates,
and on thofe ofMr.Aiflabie and Mr. Craggs fenior, towards making good
the lofles fuftained by their mifmanagement in the year 1720; out of
which they were however allowed certain fums for their maintenance,
4thly, By another ad of the fame year, for making feveral provifions to
reftore the public credit, which fuffers by the frauds and mifmana^^e-
ments of the late diredors of the South-fea company and others ; be-
fides what we have already noted, of remitting to that company all the
benefit the public was to have reaped by the company's privilege of
taking in the public debts, and the putting the redeemables and the four
money fubfcriptions on an equal footing, the borrowers on ftock and
fubfcriptions in that year were hereby to be releafed, on paying 10 per-
cent to the company ; from which 10 per cent they were afterward alfo
releafed. Hereby alfo all unperformed contrads for any kind of ftocks
and fublbriptions, made during the year 1720, were diredcd to be re-
giftered by a fixed time, and in the meantime all law fuits thereon were
to remain fufpended ; which gave immediate eafe to very many perfons
concerned therein. By this ad likewife, two millions of the company's
capital was to be funk from midfummer 1722, for the benefit of the
public. And the fecret committee, after a farther report, (of very little
ufe or confequence) broke off all farther inquiries.

On the ift of September, in this fame year, the additional L33 : 6 ; 8
per cent in ftock was made to the feveral proprietors already mentioned.

Peace was concluded at Madrid on the 13th of June 1721, between
Great Britain and Spain, whereby the peace of Utrecht was in general
confirmed, and the South-fea company were reftored to the exercife of
the afliento contrad for negroes, &c. and the full value of all that had
been feized was ftipulated to be refunded to them. The antient limits
of both nations in America were confirmed, and the freedom of the cod
fifhery at Newfoundland.

In confequence of the peace, the South-fea company in the fame
year fent out their great and rich annual ftiip to the Spanilh Weft-Indies,
i. e. to Porto Bello and Carthagena ; which, however, from various
caufes, did not anfwer the great hopes at firft conceived of that voyage.
The difficulties perpetually ftarted by the court of Madrid, the avarice
ol the company's own fervants, and of the Spanifli officers in America,
were much more the occafion of this voyage not proving advantageous,
than any want of prudent concert in planning or defigning it.

• This lall wa» afterwards left out of the bill. ^.

ii8 A. D. 1721..

A clefmiiive treaty of peace was alfo concluded this year between
Sweden and Rullia : whereby the former was obUged to contirm or
yield to Rullia (what had been before conquered) the very be ft jewel of
the Swedilh crown, viz. Livonia, together with Kfthonia, Ingria, Care-
lia, and the town of Wyburg, with the ides of Oefel, Dragoe, and
Moen. The czar, on the other fide, rcftorcd a part of Finland to the
king of Sweden, and alfo agreed to pay him two millions of rix-doUars,
and that the Swedes fhould be permitted annually to buy corn to the
amount of 50,00c rubles, at Riga, Revel, and Wyburg, free of cuftoms.
In point of commerce, alfo, the Swedes were to be treated as the moft
favoured nation.

This treaty was a fevere check to the commerce, and a very confider-
able diminution of the territory and power, of Sweden, which fhe has
never fince been able to regain.

This year an attempt was made in the parliament of Ireland to ered
a public bank in that kingdom : but it was rejeded (it was faid) purely
for want of a fufficient currency of cafh for circulating bank-notes
there ; and perhaps for fome other more fecret reafons.

The vife of printed Indian calicoes in Britain, both in apparel and
houfehold furniture, was at this time become fo univerfal, as to be a great
detriment and obftrudion to the woollen and filk manufadures of the
kingdom. This had occafioned fundry riots and tumults of the weavers
in London, &c. It was therefor found neceflliry to redrefs a grievance,
wherein fo many thoufand families were deeply interefted. An ad oi
parliament was therefor pafled, to preferve and encourage the woollen
andfilk manufadures, &c. which abfolutely prohibited the wear thereof,
under the penalty of L5 for each offence on the wearer, and of L20 on
the feller. [7 Geo. I, c. 7].

And by an ad for employing the manufadurers, and encotiraging
the confumption, of raw filk, and mohair yarn, buttons or button-holes
made of cloth or other ftuff, were abfolutely prohibited. [7 Geo. 1,
c. 12.]

The Oftenders ftlU perfifting to trade to theEaft-Indies, the Britilh par-
liament pafled an ad for further preventing his majefty's fubjeds from
trading to the Eaft-Indies under foreign commiffions, &c. prohibiting
the importation of tea from any part of Europe, over and above all for-
mer reftraints laid on Britifh fubjeds from reforting or trading to the
Eaft-Indies under foreign commiflions, with fundry other new additional
reftraints and penalties. [7 Geo. I, c. 20.] And by the Dutch placarts,
it was made death for any of their fubjeds to be concerned therein.

In an ad for raifing a fum not exceeding L50o,ooo, (charged on the
civil lift revenue) &c. there is a claufe for difcharging the two afliirance
companies, eftabUflied by charters in the year 1720, (viz. the Royal-ex-
change and the London afiTurance companies) from fo much of the

A. D. I 721. I ig

fum of L^oo.ooo, which each of them was obHged to pay to the king's
life, as now remained unpaid ; in confideration of the difficulties which
thofe two corporations laboured under.

According to the Brit'ijh Merchant [V. \i. p. 220, ed. 1721] the Bri-
tifh filk manufadure amounted to LyoOjOOO per annum in value more
than it was at the revolution ; we importing, till that period, annually
from France to the value of L500,ooo in wrought filks of all kinds.

He adds, what was alfo well known, that till then there was little elfe
made in England but brown paper ; whereas now there are two thirds
of all the white paper we ufe made at home.

The increafe of the French fiftiery on the banks of Newfoundland,
and in the neighbouring purts, was fo great about this time, that, as the
fame author [l'^. ii. p. 290] alleges, they employed yearly upwards of 400
fail of (hips therein, from St. Malo, Grandville, Rochelle, St. Martin's,
Bayonne, St. Jean de Luz, Sibour, &c. whereby they not only now
fupplied themfelves entirely with fiih, which they formerly had from
England, but likewife rivalled us much in the fifh trade to Spain and Italy,

According to Egede, a Danifh author, and zealous miilionary to Old
Greenland, the Greenland company of Bergen in Norway now fentout
a colony to refettle Old Greenland, after a large Norwegian colony had
been deftroyed, or otherwife loft, in that country fome hundreds of years
before. Mr. Egede, who went with this new colony, relates, that they
found there fome marks of old habitations and of antient tillage. He
thinks that the old Norwegian colony muft have been deftroyed by the
favage natives, or by an unuTual peftilence ; and that the country was
forgotten by the Danes and Norwegians till the year 161 9, when fome
fruitlcfs attempts were made from Copenhagen, to find out the country
where that old colony had been fettled.

After all, it is much to be doubted, whether there be commercial ma-
terials in that moft cold and barren country, fufficient to induce any
European nation to be at much expenfe in planting there, peltry and
fifli oil being probably its only product, and the country being very thin
of inhabitants, and thofe too very miferable ones. We accordingly
hear nothing farther of the fuccefs of that frefh attempt for colonizing
in it till the year 1736.

There were employed this year in the whale fifhcry to Greenland and
Davis's ftraits.

From fundry parts of Holland - 25 1 fliips.

From Hamburgh - - " 55

From Bremen - - - - 24

From the ports in the Bay of Bifcay - 20
From Bergen in Norway - - 5

♦ Total 355 fliips.

120 A. D. 1721.

This lilT;, which was pubhflied at London at this time, probably, hi
part, encouraged the new South-fea court of directors to propoie a
whale fifliery to their general courts, which however they did not final-
ly agree to till three years after.

The preamble of an act of parliament of the 8th year of King George I,
for giving farther encouragement for the importation of naval flores,
Sec. declares,

That, in confequence of former legal encouragements, it is found by
experience, that great quantities of good and merchantable pitch and tar
have been imported from the Britifti plantations in America, which
have been found ufeful for the fervice of his majefty's navy; and that
it is necelTary to give farther encouragement therein ; fo as the tar be
clean and merchantable, as herein farther directed, for making cordage.

Moreover, it being probable, that the owners of large tracts of land
in America and in Scotland, lying near the fea or on navigable rivers,
would he induced to fow the fame with hemp, if farther encouragement
were given for that purpofe : it was therefor enadted, that the pre-
mium of L6 per ton of hemp, fo raifed and imported, be farther con-
tinued for iixteen years, and be free of all cuftoms whatever.

And whereas great quantities of v/ood and timber, and of the goods
commonly called lumber, (of many feveral forts of wood therein enu-
merated) have ufually been imported into this kingdom from foreign
countries at exceffive prices, whereby foreigners have found opportuni-
ties to export the coin of the kingdom : and it is well known, that the
faid commodities, being of the growth and produdt of the Britifli plan-
tations in America, may be furnifhed from thence ; for encouragement
thereof it was enaded,that the faid timber goods be exported, duty-free,
from the plantations, for 91 years to come : excepting marts, yards,
and bowfprits, touching which, duties and premiums are afcertained by
former ads in that behalf.

The commiflioners of the navy muft have the pre-emption or refufal
of the hemp, for 20 days after landing, for the ufe of the navy-royal.

The laws already made for the prefervation of white pine trees in his
majefly's colonies in America, for mafting the royal navy, being found
infufhcient, it was now enacted, that no perfon fliould prefume to cut,
fell, or deftroy, any white pine tree in the American provinces, named
in former ads of parliament, (to which Nova-Scotia was now added),
without the kirg's licence firft obtained, under the feveral penalties for
the various fized trees herein fpecified.

In this year (according to Keyfler's Travels) the famous fine porce-
lain of Saxony was brought to perfedion, being the invention of one
JBotticher, a chymift, who died in the year 171 9. But he carried it no
farther than to the white fort, the art of making brown and blue por-

4

A. D. 1722. 12F

celain not being found out till this year. This able author adds, that
the invention of the Saxon porcelain was owing to alchymy.

In the fame year Captain Scroggs, from Churchill-river fort in
Hudfon's Bay, failed upon the difcovery of a north-wefl paffage from
that bay to China, 8cc. as far as latitude 64° 56', where, as he reported,
the land fell off to the fouthward of weft : fuch of his people, as went up to
the top of a mountain, reported, that they faw nothing to obftruft their
going farther. This was a lame account, (fays Mr Ellis's voyage, annis
1746 — 7) for why then did he not proceed* ?

Copper ore having been lately found in the province of New- York ;
it was now, by an ac1: [8 Geo. I, c. 18] to prevent the clandeftine run-
ning of goods, &c. made an enunierated commodity ; i. e. it was made
liable to the like rellraint of being firfl landed in fome port of Great
Britain, as fugar, tobacco, &c. are, before being re-exported. The antient
Peruvians had the ule of copper tools, before they were conquered by
the Spaniards ; but this was the firft difcovery of copper in any of the
Britilli colonies of America.

The vafl: increaie of buildings in the great weftern fuburbs of Lon-
don requiring a greater lupply of frefli water than the prefent works
could furnifli, an a6t of parliament, of the 8th year of King George T,
for better fupplying the city and liberties of Weftminfter and parts
adjacent with water, authorized the Cheliea water company, new-
ly ereded, to dig baions, refervoirs, &c. for bringing water from the
river Thames to a place near Cheliea, and to convey the fame (by an
ingenious engine) to another refervoir in Hyde-park, whence it is con-
veyed in pl]x's to fcveral ftrccts and houfes : and the crown was em-
])owered to incorporate the undertakers, as was accordingly done in this
lame year.

The filk manufadure of England being brought to great perfedion
in all its branches. In as to equal the finefl: fabrications of any foreign
nation, the Britllb legilkuure now judged it proper to enacT; new encou-
ragements to lo noble a manufadure, by an adl [3 Geo. 1, c. 15] for
encouraging the filk manufadures of this kingdom, and for promoting
its exportation to foreign parts, by granting the following bounties
thereon for three years to come, viz.

For ribands and ftufFs of lilk only, tor each pound avoirdupois Lo 3 o
Silks and ribands of filk mixed with gold or filver - 040

Silk ftocklngs, gloves, fringes, laces, ftitching or fewing filk 010
Stuffs of filk and grogram-yarn - - - -008

Silk flulTs nilxed with Incle or cotton - - - 010

Stuffs of filk and worf^ed - -- - -006

* Scroggs was not very anxious for difcovcring a paffiigc. Sie Fotjiir^s Voyages in the Nirlh^.
^.387 nf En^lijh Iranjljlion. M.

Vol. III. (^

122 A. D. 1722.

This encouragement was founded on the confideratlon of raw and
thrown (Ilk paying a confiderable duty on importation. And by a fub-
fequcnt flatute [9 Gro. I, c. 8] the mixed manufaclures were not to be
intitled to the bounties, unlefs at lead two third parts of the ends or
threads of the warp be either all filk, or mixed and twifted with filk.
Eoth thefe ftatutes have fince been farther prolonged.

By this well-judged ftatute for the encouragement of the Britifli ma-
nufactures in general, the feveral duties whatfoever, payable thereon at
exportation, were to ceafe and determine, (though they were (till regu-
larly to be entered at every cuflomhoufe), excepting fuch for which a
fpecial provifion is therein after made, viz. alum, lead, tin, tanned lea-
ther, copperas, coals, wool-cards, white woollen cloths, lapis calaminaris,
ikins of all forts, glue, coney-wool, hare's wool, hair of all forts, horfes,
and litharge of lead.

Moreover, for the further encouragement of Britifli manufadures, by
promoting the importation of drugs, &c. ufed in dying ; all fuch were
(upon being duely entered) to be duty-free (faltpetre always excepted) ;
but on re-exportation of thofe foreign dying fluffs, they were to pay the
feveral duties therein fpecified ; left their being fuffered to be exported
duty-free fhould prove a benefit to the manufactures of foreign nations.
Hereby alfo half the duty on beaver fkins (now with other furs made
an enumerated commodity) was to be drawn back on re-exportation :
And the duty on the pepper of our own Eafl-India company, for home
confumption, which was before in all 2/ per pound weight, was now
reduced to j\.d per pound weight.

By an ad: of parliament of this year, for paying off and cancelling
one million of exchequer bills, and giving eafe to the South-fea com-
pany, in refped to their obligation to circulate exchequer-bills, &c. and
for relief of the fufferers at Nevis and St. Chriflophers, &c. farther
time was allowed to the South-fea company for repaying to the public
the million of exchequer-bills formerly lent to them (and which was
accordingly repaid the year following), and alio fundry other regula-
tions were made concerning exchequer bills, not material to our fubjed.
Therein alfo there was an interefl: fixed, at the rate of 3 per cent yearly,
on the united principal and large arrear of interefl due to the fufferers
of Nevis and St Chrillophers by the French in Queen Anne's war.

By the authority of another ad of this year, to enable the South-fea
company to difpofe of the effeds in their hands, &c. they fold to the
bank of England four millions of the'r capital flock, attended with
5 per cent interefl, or a yearly interefl of L200,ooo; whereby the
whole South-fea capital flock was reduced to L3 3,802,483 : 14 *. Here-
upon the bank took in a fubfcription for fale of this new ingrafted flock
at 118 per cent, whereby, in their corporate capacity, they gained

* An error of L40C, as already noted, was difcovered in the fubfcriptions. /!.

A. D. 1722. I2J

1.610,169 : TO bank ftock : and the flock, thus fold at 18 per cent ad-
vance, amounting to L3, 389, 830 : 10, produced in money the exadt
fum due to the South-fea company, being L4,ooo,ooo. The whole bank '
capital due from the public hereby amounted to L9, 375, 027: 17 : 107,
of which capital the fum of L 1,600, 000 was intitled to 6 per cent in-
terefl till the year 1742 ; the reft, with all the remaining South-fea ca-
pital, was to be reduced to 4 per cent after midiummer 1727.

By an abftradl of the public debts, by Archibald Hutchefon Efq.
for the year 1722 (publiflied in 1723) it appears,

That the grofs amount of the poft-office annual re-
venue was - - - _ - _ L2oi,8o4 I 8

There was to be deduded for frank covers to
letters . _ - _ L33,397 12 3 J- 103,793 13 8

For the expenfe of management 70,396 i 5

The poft-office's net produce at michaelmas 1722 1^98,010 8 o

By an a6l of parliament of this year, to prevent the mifchiefs by
forging powers to transfer any ftocks, &c. it was made felony to forge,
or procure to be forged, any letter of attorney for transferring any
ftocks or ftiares of corporations eftabliftied by ad of parliament, or to
receive any dividend thereon, or to perfonate any real proprietor. This
law was occafioned by a fraudulent letter of attorney for transferring
feme South-fea ftock in the year 1720, though not difcovered till four-
teen months after. Whereupon the South-fea general court, after much
debate, refolved (upon a ballot of 1,457 '^'^^^^ againft 160) ' that every
' proprietor who has had, or ftiall have, ftock transferred to him in the
* company's transfer-books, be intitled to the fum fo transferred, upon
' his producing a receipt for the fame, witncfted by the clerk attending
' the transfer-books, provided there appears no fraud on the part ot the
' purchafer.'

In December 1722 the German emperor, Charles VI, firft granted
Ills charter for an Eaft-India company at Oftend, before only connived
at by him : whereupon a capital ot lix millions of florins was iublcrib-
ed, and fliips were now more openly fcnt out, which returned with car-
goes of Eaft-India merchandize, to the great lofs of the Englifli and
Dutch Eaft-India companies in the fales of their goods ; both which
nations now therefor loudly complained thereof. The Dutch more
elpecially and moft vehemently infilled, and plainly made it appear,
that the grant was directly repugnant to the treaty of Muniler, whereby
the king of Spain, then fovereign of the Netherlands, obliged himleif
and his I'ucceilbrs, as fuch, never to extend their navigation or com-
merce in India beyond the limits then agreed upon, vi/,. the Spa-
mards not to fail to India from Europe, and the Dutch only thicher by

3 (^2

124 A. D. 1722*

the Cape of Good Hope ; that therefor the Auflrian Netherlands, as
well as Arragon, Naples, Sicily, and other fubjects of the Spanifh crown,
were thereby barred from trading to India ; and that the emperor, as
fovereign of the ten Netherland provinces, is likewife bound hereby ;
fmce the maritime powers conquered thofe provinces for him, merely
On the footing of his right to the Spanifh monarchy, and he could hold
thofe provinces no othervvife than the kings of Spain held them. By
the 26th article alfo of the barrier treaty, this fame emperor ftipu-
lated, that every thing relating to commerce fhould remain as ftipulated
by the treaty of Munller. That, on the part of England, it was clear,
that by the 8th article of the treaty of Madrid, between England
and Spain in 1670, Spain ftipulated, that the king of Great Britain and
his fubjeds fhould enjoy every benefit granted to the Dutch by the
Munfter treaty ; and confequently hereby, as well as by the barrier
treaty, the Englifli company, as well as their fovereign, have an un-
doubted right to oppol'e this Oftend trade to India.

And the Britifli legiflature, in order to prevent his majefty's fubjedts
from fubfcribing, or being concerned in encouraging or promoting any
fubfcription, for an Eaft-India company in the Auftrian Netherlands,
and for better fecuring the lawful trade of his majefty's fubjedts to and
frona the Eaft-Indies, enaded, that every Britifh fubjed: who fhould
fubfcribe to the ftock of the Oftend company, fhould forfeit the fame,
and triple the value thereof; one third to the crown, and two thirds to
the Englifh Eaft-India company. Britifli fubjeds found in India, unlefs
lawfully authorized, or within our Eaft-India company's limits, are here-
by declared guilty of an high crime and mifdemeanor, and liable to fuch
corporal punifliment or imprifonment, and for fuch time, as the court
where they fhall be tried fhall think fit, &c. [9 Geo. I, c. 26.] Yetthefe
•warm arguments did not as yet efFedually prevail.

This year the king of Great Britain made a grant of the iflands of St.
Lucia and St. Vincent, in the Weft-Indies, to John duke of Montague ;
whereupon that public-fpirited nobleman fent over two governors for
thofe iflands, with fifty-one other ofhcers, and 425 fervants, with all
kinds of ftores, provifions, artillery, &c. in fix fhips, under convoy of a
king's fhip, very completely fitted and provided for fuch a new colony.
But they had no fooner begun to clear the ground for a fort in St. Lu-
cia, in December 1722, than they had notice from the governor of Mar-
tinico, that his exprefs orders i"rom his mafter, the French king, were to
diflodge them by force, unlefs they withdrew from the ifland in fifteen
days time ; for which purpofe 2000 men were landed from Martinico,
and 500 from Guadaloupe. And as the Englifh were by ficknefs and
defertion reduced to 70 men fit to bear arms, Governor Uring judged
it prudent, on due confultation, to abandon the iflands on the 14th of
January following ; it being alfo now ftipulated with the French com-

A. D. 1722. 125

mander, that the French forces {hould, in like manner, leave St. Lucia
in its former neutral flate, till there {liould be a final decifion made be-
tween the two crowns. Upon which one obvious remark is fufficient,
viz. that either certain previous ftipulations fhould have been made
between the two crowns for the duke's people to be permitted to fettle
on thofe ifles, or elfe a much greater force fliould have been fent to
proted: them. St. Lucia being fo near to Martinico, the French would
probably hazard even a war with Britain, rather than let us pofiefs and
improve it, fince thereby we fhould have been enabled farther to fecure
our Leeward illands ; feeing no confiderable armament could be made
at Martinico but what would be prefently known at St, Lucia.

This unfortunate expedition is faid to have cofl the duke no lefs a
fum than L4o,ooo, the greateft and mofl expcnfive undertaking at-
tempted by any one fubjed: in Chriftendom, on his own fingle bottom ;
the tradefmen being allowed from L25 to L30, and the officers from
L50 to L400 per annum, for a year and a half, befides the fliipping,
provifions, ammunition, artillery, military and naval flores, 8cc. all at
the duke's expenfe. It is certain that the iflands of St. Lucia, St. Vin-
cent, and Dominica, are, and always have been, included in the gover-
nor of Barbados's commillion ; the title whereof runs thus, viz. ' Cap-
' tain-general and governor of Barbados, and the reft of the Caribbee

* ifles to the windward of Guadaloupe.'

In November 1730, according to a work intitled, the Britifh empire
in America, we find the following inftrucftions from King George II to
Mr. Worfley, governor of Barbados, relating to St. Lucia, viz.

' Whereas the French for fome years have claimed a right to the

* ifland of St. Lucia, and do infift that the right to the iflands of St.

* Vincent and Dominica, under your government, is in the "Carrib-

* beans now inhabiting the fame, although we have an undoubted right
' to all the faid iflands, yet we have thought fit to agree with the French
' court, that, until our right fliall be determined, the faid iflands fliall
' be entirely evacuated by both nations. You are accordingly to figni-

* fy the fame to ilich of our fubjecls as fliall be found inhabiting any of

* our faid iflands, that they do forthwiih quit the fame, until the right

* fliall be determined as aforefaid. And you are to ufe your bcft en-
' deavour, that no (hips of our fubjecls, nor of any other nation, do fre-

* quent the laid iflands during the time aforefaid, excepting only for
' wood and water.'

In the very next month, viz. in December the fame year, 1730, (that
we may take in all at once what relates to this fubjedl) the French king's
inflruclions to Mr. de Champigny, his governor of Martinico, are in
lubltance, ' that the Engliih have for fome years pafl made pretenfions
' to the ifland of St. Lucia, which belongs to me, and to which I have
' an inconteftable right : the fame pretenfions they have laid 10 the

126 A. D. 1722.

' iflands of St. Vincent and Dominica, which belong to the Carib-

* beans, natives of the country, according to the treaty of the 31(1 of
' March 1660 ; and in the poffefiion whereof it is rriy intention to fup-
' port them : I have neverthelefs agreed with the court of England,
' that, \mtil thofe pretenfions fhall be determined, the laid iflands fliall
' be evacuated by both nations. And it is my pleafure that you make

* this known, &c.'

We have already given, at fundry times, fomewhat of the hiftory of
the ifland of St. Lucia, and lome account alfo of Dominica. That of St.
Vincent is fomething more obfcure. It lies to the fouthward of St.
Lucia. When Governor Uring fent his counfellor, Mr. Egerton, thi-
ther, to prepare its inhabitants tor fubmillion to the Britifli crown, he
found two forts of people there in great numbers, viz. the native Caribs,
who were the aborigines or primitive pofTellors thereof; and the ne-
groes, the defcendants of a cargo of flaves from Africa, who had been
fhipwrecked there about 70 years before ; and who, by the accellion of
other negroes, fugitives from the neighbouring European fettlements,
were increafed to about 6000 men, women, and children. • Their go-
vernment was republican, viz. by chiefs or leaders by eledtion. The
Indians, or native Caribs, he found to confifb of about 8000 perfons,
who inhabited fundry pretty villages, and feemed to live in plenty. They
feemed alfo to be a determined people for liberty and independence,
any farther than acknovvleging the proteftion of the French at Mar-
tinico, which the later gladly afforded them, to prevent, their putting
themfelves under the protedion of any other European nation.

This year the general court of the African company made a call
of L5 on every Lioo nominal flock, for vigoroufly carrying on their
trade : and the fame court mofl injudicioufly refolved, that a dividend
of 1 4- per cent per annum be made to the proprietors of their flock.

The interference of the Oflend Eafl-India company, and fundry other
difBculties, at this time obliged the Englifli Eaft-lndia company to re-
duce their half-yearly dividend froin 5 to 4 per cent.

1723 Though four millions of the South-fea capital ftock had been

ingrafted (as we have fliewn) into the capital ftock of the bank of England,
yetftillthat company's capital of L31, 802,483 : 14 was thought too large.
At general courts their numbers had already been, and might hereafter
be, tumultuous. The legiflature therefor judging that inconveniencies
were likely to arife from tlie great number of proprietors, determined
to divide the capital into two equal moieties : by an ad: (ot the 9th of
King George 1) ' for reviving and adding two millions to the faid
' capital flock, and for dividing their whole capital' (after fuch addition
made) ' into two equal moieties, &c.' The laid two millions were here-
by accordingly carried to each proprietor's account, making one fix-
leentb part, or L6 : 5 pec cent ; and the capital, thus again made '^'^

A. D. 1723. 127

L33,8o2,483 : 14 (in confideration of the proprietor's great lofles from the
bad execution of the fcheme) was alfo hereby intitled to all arrears of
intcrefl, from midfummer 1722 ; and the whole was, after midfummer
1723, to be divided into two equal moieties,

The one moiety being . _ _ Li6,90i,24i 17 o

To be converted into a joint ftock, to be called
South-fea annuities, bearing 5 per cent intereft till
midfummer 1727, when they fhould be reduced to
4 per cent, and be farther redeemable by parlia-
ment. The other moiety to remain a capital, or
joint trading flock in the company, attended with
the remaining yearly fund, redeemable likewife
after midfummer 1627, - - 16,901,241 17 o

The total of both, as above, being - L33, 802,483 14 o

Notwithftanding which divifion by this adl, yet the real amount of
each moiety was fettled as follows, viz.

South-fea annuities, - - - Li6,9or,24o i 8

South-fea ftock, _ _ _ _ 16,901,243 12 4

the difference of L3 : 10 : 8 arifmg from leaving the odd penny of every
proprietor's ftock with his moiety of the capital trading fiock.

The firfl; payment of a quarter's interefl on the joint flock of South-
fea annuities, being J~ per cent, was to be at michaelmas 1723 ; and
from thence there were to be half-yearly payments at lady-day and
michaelmas yearly ; as on the other moiety, to remain capital South-
fea ftock, the dividends were to remain as before, at midfummer and
chriftmas yearly.

This year the South-fea company fent out for La Vera Cruz, in Span-
ifli Mexico, their rich annual fhip, named the Royal Prince.

The abufes committed by the inhabitants of a pretended privileged
place, adjoining to the borough of Southwark, called Suffolk-place, or
the Mint, had been long complained of, and had become a very great
grievance. Such great numbers of debtors, flieltering themfelves therein
from the purfuit of their creditors, and audacioufly bidding open defiance
to the officers appointed to put the laws in execution, it became necel-
fary to put an end to fo fliameful an abufe, which was accordingly done,
by an a6l of parliament, [9 Geo. I, c. 28J whereby it was made felony to
obftrucl: the execution of any writ, rule, or order, of any court of law or
of equity, or of any efcape warrant, or warrants of juftices ; and the Ihe-
riff of Surrey was empowered to raife the pojfe comitatus, for t;iking by
force any debtor out of the Mint : and fundry other regulations are, in
the fame flatute, ordained for effedually preventing that or any other

128 A. D. 1723.

place from committing fucli open breaches of law and order for the fu-
ture. So that from this time forward there has none dared to fet on
foot any pretended privileged place or fancfluary anywhere in Great-
Britain or Ireland for flicltering debtors from the due courfe of law.

In this year Mr. 'S\'illiam Wood (whom we have elfewhcre mention-
ed as a great proprietor in iron and copper works) having obtained a
patent for coining copper halfpence and farthings for the uie of the
kingdom of Ireland, to the amount of Li 00,000 fterling, both houfes
of the parliament of that kingdom, in their add rcfles to the king, warm-
ly reprefented, that, under colour of the faid patent, great quantities of
halfpence of different imprellions, and of much lefs weight than is re-
quired by the patent, had been imported and attempted to be uttered in
that kingdom : and that even though the terms of the patent had been
ftridly complied with, there would have been a lofs to the nation of at
leaft 1 50 per cent by the faid coinage, and much greater, in the manner
the halfpence have been coined.

Mr. Wood alleged, in his own vindication, that by the patent of King
Charles II in 1680, and by that of King James II in 1684, a halfpenny
was to weigh 1 10 grains, whereas his halfpenny weighed 116} grains,
and was better copper than the faid halfpence ; but he is filent as to
the parliament's objection, of the quantity of copper in his halfpenny
being lefs than required by the patent. In fine, a keen oppofition
was raifed in Ireland, both within doors and without, and by pamphlets,
newfpapers, &c. againfl that new copper coin, partly becaufe the patent
was given to one who was not a native of Ireland, and becauie the coin
was altogether ftamped in England ; and partly alio, that fmce a great
profit was thereby to be made, that benefit fliould have accrued princi-
pally to the piiblic ; (which reafon, we confefs, feems to carry great
weight with it) and (we may add likewife) that great pains had been
taken by party-men in Ireland, to inflame the people there againft
receiving the new copper money. The king, therefor, in compliance
with the reprefentations of the parliament of Ireland, and the general
difpofitions and inclinations of the people of that kingdom, altered the
patent, that inflead of Li 00,000 in copper coin, Mr. Wood might be
permitted to fend to Ireland only L40,ooo in all, to be current only to
liich as pleafed voluntarily to accept of them ; though to Mr. Wood's
confiderable detriment. Yet if the reprefentations of Mr. Wood be true,
that the whole current cafli of Ireland does not exceed L400,ooo, and
that the cufi:oms, excife, hearth-money, and quit-rents, amount to
L500,ooo per annum, fo as that one fourth part more than all the cur-
rent cafli of that kingdom is annually paid into their exchequer, then,
furely , this addition of Li 00,000 would have been a benefit to trade. And
if Mr. Wood's coin was not to be received, they lliould ferioufly have fet:
about fubfiituting a competent quantity of other copper coin initsftead.

A. D. 1723. 129

N'otvvithftanding a rebellion which broke out in 1715, and a danger-
ous confpiracy againfl: the eftablidied conflitution, difcovcred at the
clofe of the preceding year 1722, yet fuch is the fpirit and genius of the
Britifli nation for commerce, that it was feen and obferved by all inqui-
litive people to be ftill conftandy flourifhing. Erafmus Philips Elquire,
an author of good credit, gives us an inftance thereof in his pamphlet,
intitled, the Stare of the nation in refpedl of her commerce, debts, and
money, {2ded. 1726] which acquaints us, that from the year 1701 to
1723 the amount of the Britifn cuftoms was fo confiderable, that the
net money paid into the exchequer, on an average for the faid twenty-
three years, was Li, 446,022 per annum; even exclufive of feizures :
(which account nearly coincides with that before exhibited in the year
I 71 5) and with feizures it amounted to Li ,467,593 net money per annum.

He alfo gives us the quantity of filver and gold coined in the tower
of London between the years 1701 and 1724, viz. in filver, only
1 75,464 pounds weight ; and in gold no lefs than 241 ,183 pounds weight;
which, valuing a pound weight of gold at L44 flerling, makes the gold
coined in England in twenty-three years time to amount in value to
Lio,6i2,o52 flerling. This vaft coinage of gold in thofe years was
owing to our putting too high a value on gold in proportion to filver,
whereby foreign nations were encouraged to import gold upon us in
exchange for our filver ; which inconvenience, as we have feen, was re-
medied by reducing guineas from 2iy6 to I'if hy the advice of Sir Ifaac
Newton.

After the confufion and fliunieful jumble of the French company of
the Indies, made by the authority of the duke cf Orleans, regent of
France during the minority of Louis XV, which confolidated company
was cftablifhcd upon the original capital of the Weftern company, and
25 millions of livrcs added thereto upon the union of the Eaft-India
company therewith ; it was now judged requifite, for relloring things to
fome order, that a revifion fliould be made of the adions poflefled by
the proprietors of this conlblidated company, for diftinguifliing (as
was fpecioujly alleged) between fuch as had acquired their property
fairly by purchafe, and fuch as had by flock-jobbing forced themfelves
into the company's books. The king therefor fixed the capital at 112
millions ot livrcs, the annual interefl: on Vv'hich was fixed (if any thing
can be called fixed in France but the power of the monarch) at 8
millions, to he paid out of the farm of tobacco, and the profits of the
furs from Canada. And the commerce of the Indies was afligned to
the company as a collateral fecurity for the prefent, to be emplovcd fin-
enlarging the funds and for difcharging the incumbrances thereon.
Yet, till many years after this time, the Eafl;-India trade ot France w.vs
managed in a very languid manner, they being obliged to pay off many
old debts, to rebuild their Ihips and factories, and to lay out above i s

Vol. III. R

130 A. D. 1724.

niillions for improving Louifiana, and for completing the fupcrb works
of Port rOrient. But Orry coming to be at the head of the French
finances in the year 1737, he lb cfFcdually llipportcd and improved the
Eall-lndia company, that their public fale at Port L'Orient in 1742
amounted to 24 millions oflivres, (or about one million flerling) which
greatly alarmed England and Holland, who did not at firfl know that
all this fine appearance was chiefly fupported by the crown, until the
war with England in the year i 744 obliged Orry to declare to the com-
pany, that they muft now ftand on their own legs. Notwithftunding all
which, and the ftoppage of their dividends at that time, they have fmce
vaflly improved their commerce and power in India, even almofl to
the prefcnt time.

1724 After much debate in feveral of the general courts of the

South-fea company concerning the utility of attempting a Greenland
trade or whale filhery, wherein it was plainly fliewn, that former Green-
land companies were io unfuccelsful as to run out their whole capital, and
that fome foreign nations have fundry advantages over our people in re-
fpedl to this flfliery, the company at length relblved to commence that
fifliery. It was certainly a well-intended and popular relblution, and
was agreeable to the powers granted by the tirft a6l of parhament, and
to the royal charter, for ereding the company, as well as to part of
the title given to it by the royal charter. In order to encourage the
company, an act of parliament, for encouraging the Greenland fifliery,
repealed the duty of threepence per pound weight on whale-fins; and
decreed that whale-fms, oil and blubber of whales, caught and imported
in Britifli fliips, (whereof the commander and at leaft one third of the
mariners to be Britiih fubjeds) fliould ablolutely be cuftom-tree for
,feven years from chriftmas 1724. [10 Geo. I, c. 16.]

And by another ad, the freedom from all cuftom whatever was ex-
tended to Davis's ftraits and the feas adjacent, and alio comprehended
therein feai-oil, feal-il<ins, or any other produce of feals, or other fifli or
creatures, caught in any of thofe feas, fuch as the large white bears,
fo cominonly found on the ice there, and fea-horfes, or morfes, alfo very
numerous in thofe feas. [i 2 Geo. I, c. 26.]

Yet, it being too late for the fifhery of the prefent year, they direded
twelve fine fliips, of 306 tons each, to be built in the river Thames, and
proper quantities of hemp from Riga, and ca(k-ftaves from Hamburgh,
to be got ready for the enfuing Ipring : the company alio hired the duke
of Bedford's great wet dock at Deptiord for the ule of their fliips and
flores, and for curing their oil and whale-fins.

This year alfo the South-fea company fent out their rich annual fhip
ibr Carthagcna and Portobello in the Spanifli Weft-Indies.

1725. — In the year 1725 the South-fea company commenced their
unfortunate whale fifliery. Their twelve fhips brought home twenty-

A. D. 1725.. 131

five whales and n half. * And, though this was fcarcely a faving voyage,
it was neverthelefs the very beft year of any of the eight in which they
carried on that fifliery. It muft be noted, that the nation having entire-
ly relinquifhed this trade for fo many years pafl, there was not an Eng-
lifliman to be found who knew any thing of the whale fifliery ; and the
company were obliged to have all their commanders, harponeers, boat-
fleerers, line-veerers, and blubber-cutters, from Fohrde in Holftein,
(fome few natives of Scotland excepted, who on this occafion left the
fervice of the Dutch) who had before this time been conflantly em-
ployed either by the Hamburghers, Bremers, or Dutch. Thofe Hol-
fleiners cofl the company this year L3056 : 18:3, although but 152 in
number ; not only becaufe they were all what are ufually called officers
in that fifliery, and coniequently had more wages and allowances than
the common lailors, but had alfo their charges born by the company,
both in coming every year from, and returning back to, Holflein to
their families, as was alfo their conflant pradice when employed by other
nations : whereas above double their number, viz. 353 Britilh fubjeds
employed on thofe twelve fhips, cofi: but L3151 : 15 : 5.

By an act for continuing the feveral annuities to the bank of England
until midfummer 1727, &c. the yearly fund on the principal fums of
Li ,775,027 : 17 : loi-, and of L2,ooo,ooo, due to that corporation, was
reduced from 5 to 4 per cent after midfummar 1727 : and all the funds
of the bank were put on an equal footing with thofe of the South-fea
company; excepting only the bank's original capital of Li, 600,000,
which flill remained at 6 per cent, [i i Geo. I, r. 9.]

This ad alfo made it felony to alter, forge, or counterfeit, bank notes,
or to erafc or alter any indorfement thereon ; or to tender in payment,
utter, vend, exchange, or barter, any fuch bank note, knowing the fame
to be altered, forged, erafed, or counterfeited, with intention to defraud
the bank, or any other perlbn or body politic.

About this time the French began to lupply the European markets
with great quantities of their fugars from Martlnico, Hilpaniola, &c.
formerly and almoft totally fupplied by us, (though in part they are flill
fupplied by the Portugueie Bralil fugars, and, of late, by the Dutch
from Surinam). And in a few years after, by their great application,
they gained from us the greateff part of that very protiiable branch of
commerce. The anonymous author of the Prefent ftate of the Britifli
and French fugar colonics, (printed in 1740,) makes the French fugars
exported to the European markets amount to lb vafl a quantity as
80,000 hogflicads yearly, and the indigo railed by the Frencli in their
Wefl-India colonies, in value to one million of" fterling money ; three

♦When two Ihips ftnke ihe fam« Tvhalc,it is,by the cuRom of the fifliery, divided between them, j^

R2

132 A. D. 1725.

fourths of which they fell to other nations. And they alfo export to
other European nations, in cacao, cotton, ginger, rum, (he might have
added, coffee, &c.) about L250,ooo yearly ; to all which may be added
the freight thereon ; the great number of perfons, both in Europe and
A'V.erica, as well as in their fliips, conftantly maintained thereby ; the
great confumption of the producl: and manufactures of France, both in
the Wefl-Indies, and on the African coafts for the purchafe of their
Haves ; and then we need not wonder, that even fo long ago as the year
1 70 1, the new French council of commerce, in a memorial, could fay,
that the navigation of France owed all its increafe and fplcndour to the
commerce of its fugar illands, and that it could not be kept up and en-
larged otherwile than by that commerce.

1726 Twelve more fliips being built by the South-fca company,

they fent out 24 fliips on thc-ir fecond voyage on the whale tilhery to
Greenland and Davis's ftraits. But they now fucceeded confiderably
worfe than in their firfl voyage, having brought home but fixteen whales
and an lialf

In Mr. Philips's State of the nation in refpedt to her commerce, debts
and money, he gives us a fummary view of the Englilh Eaft-India com-
pany's trade, and of its benefits to the public ; about which, however,
men are flill far from being generally agreed.

He fays, the company's fales have for many years paft exceeded
L2,2oo,oco yearly ; confiding of wrought and raw fiik, calicoes, falt-
petre, drugs, tea, coffee, cotton, and cotton-yarn, Carmenia wool, &c.

That Li, 000,000 thereof may probably be confumed at home *.

That the company's exports annually to India are to the value of
L500,ooo in bullion and manufaftures f.

To the million confumed at home he adds L4O0,ooo, to be deducted
for the drawback allowed at the cullom-houfe upon the Li, 200,000 re-
exported. And concludes.

That the remaining L8oo,ooo is, or fliould be, the annual gain to the
nation by the Eafl-India trade.

Now, to this balance of national gain ought certainly to have been
added the total of our manufactures exported to India. What he adds
is very true, that the company's trade maintains very many people at
home, as well as confiderable numbers of our people in India, who
brmg home much wealth to their native country. But what he fays
about our Eaft-lndia trade having brought down the price of other
European wares, which we ufed before we entered into it, feems of
little confideration in this ftate of the company. Moreover, fays he, if

* It is to be feared that this computation is rather under tlie truth. /f.

f It is ftrange to mix bidlion and maiiutadurcs together. The exportation of the later is univerfally
allowed to be profitable, while that of the former is generally fuppofed detrimental. Jl.

I

A. D. 1726. i^^

the Eaft-Indla merchandize re-exported pay for fuch European goods,
for which, without this trade, we muft have paid in cafli, it is in effect
the fame as if it brought in lb much cafli or bullion. As this trade
alfo furniflies us with what otherwife we muft neceflarily have bought of
the Dutch *, poflibly the nation's yearly profit by it may be near one
million fterling.

Laftly, in contemplation of the vaft exportation of filver from all
Europe to Eaft-lndia, there buried fmce 1602, fo as never to return,
computed to amoimt to 150 millions fterling; had that vaft fum re-
mained to this day in Europe, whereby our proportion of cafli would
have been triple to what it now is, the confeciuence would have been,
that commodities and labour would probably have rifen in a triple
proportion ; and, in effecl, we ftiould not have been richer in fuch a cafe
than we are at prefenr.

He has here forgotten the national benefit from a very great annual
fum paid for the cuftom of Eaft-lndia goods confumed at home, faid to
amount to above L300,ooo. And, that a confidcrable part of the mil-
lion of Eaft-lndia commodities, annually confumed or remaining at
home, is worked up in our great and very profitable* manufactures of
filk and cotton, and much of the drugs are alfo employed therein.

This year the king granted the Eaft-lndia company a new charter of
confirmation, with ample powers for them to ere<5t a corporation at Fort
St. George, by the name of the mayor and aldermen of Madrafpatan in
the Eaft-Indies ; another corporation at the fadlory and town of Bom-
bay, by the name of the mayor and aldermen of Bombay ; and a third
corporation within the faclory of Fort William in Bengal, by the name
of the mayor and aldermen of Calcutta at Fort William in Bengal ; with
perpetual fucceflion to each of the faid three corporations, and a common
feal ; to make bye laws, and to try caufes both civil and criminal, high-
treafon excepted.

Philips, fpeaking of the circulation of money, fuppofes, that France
is to England as eight is to three ; that their fpecie or money is perhaps
proportionable. Yet there is a greater fhew of money in England than in
France ; but if the circulation of France were equal to that of England,
France would appear of courfe fo much richer than England.

Poflibly (fays he) the real yearly rents of England
may be - - - - - L20,ooo,ooo

it being fuppofed that our lands are not taxed at half
their value.

The cuftoms of England produce annually about - 1,600,000

Which cuftoms, on an average of 30 per cent ati valorem,
make the value of our annual imports to be about - 5,300,000

• Meaning (\vc prcfumc) faltpctre, pepper, and drugs, yf.

134 A. D. 1726.

And our re-exportaiions may be about - - 1,500,000

The other duties and funds may be about - - 2,199,328

If there be eight millions of people in England, I believe
I fhall not exceed in fuppofing them to conlume in manu-
fadurcs about _____ 16,000,000

Now, although the interefl arifing from mortgaged lands
be included in the before-named rental, yet the mortgages
themfelvcs are often transferred, and may therefor be
deemed money in circulation : and thefe have been com-
puted at one fifteenth part of the whole value of the lands,
or about _ _ _ _ - 26,000,000

The national debt about - - - 53,000,000

The malt-tax about _ _ _ _ 600,000

So that the whole money-tranfadions of this nation feems
to be about _____ Li26,i99,328

This Mr. Philips fpeaks of as a ftupendous thought.

Now, though this computation may in general be thought liable to
fome exception, yet fome parts of it may hereafter flrike out new lights,
or at leafl ftart new thoughts, for jufter computations.

While Britain and the l^ates-general of the United Netherlands were
remonftrating at Vienna, and promulgating ads of parliament and pla-
carts againft the continuance of the Oftend company's trade to India,
that company's general court refolved this year to make a dividend of
1 2 per cent to their proprietors, and to maintain their fettlement at
Coblore on the coafl; of Coromandel, their fadories at Bengal, and their
trade to Canton in China. Neverthclefs, we fhall foon fee an end put
to that company. For, though neither gratitude for pad benefits, nor
regard for the cleareft and flrongefi: treaties, could prevail at Vienna, the
refolutions of the two powers, fo nearly interefi;ed in the fuppreffion of
that company by main force, became too flrong to be much longer re-
fifted.

The weftern fuburbs of London fo greatly increafing, wherein per-
fons of quality and diftindion ufually refide, the legiflature, by a claufe
in an ad for granting an aid to his majefi;y by laying a duty upon all
viduallers, &c. empowered the commiflioners for hackney coaches and
chairs to add one hundred hackney chairs to the former numbers, fo as
the whole exceed not 400 in number : each of which fliall continue to
pay \oJ per annum for their licences.

By an ad of parliament of the 12th of King George I, for better fe-
curing the monies and efFeds of thefuitors of the court of chancery, &c.
it was made felony without benefit of clergy, not only to forge or coun-
terfeit the name or hand of the accountaat-general of the court of

A. D. 1726. 13 j;

chancery, and of the regifter and clerk of the report-office, but Uke-
wife the name or hand of any of the cafliiers of the bank of England,
to any certificate, report, entry, indorlement, declaration of truft, note,
diredlion, authority, inftrument, or writing whatloever, for receiving or
obtaining money or effeds of fuitors in chancery : as alfo any bond or
obligation under the feals of the Eaft-India and South-fea companies, or
any indorfement thereon.

1727 — The South-fea company having built another new ihip for the
whale fifliery, they fent out their whole twenty-five fliips in the year 1727
on that fiihery ; wherein were employed 1 106 men, viz. 762 Britifli fub-
]e&s and 344 foreigners. This aUo proved an unfortunate voyage, two
of the fhips being loft, and the remaining twenty-three fliips brought
home but 2 2-1- whales.

The great river and bay of Delaware, and the feas adjoining, abound-
ing with fifh of various kinds, fit for foreign markets, whereby the trade
of Great Britain, as well as the inhabitants of the province of Pennfyl-
vania, would reap confiderable benefits, elpecially by enabling the later
to purchale more of the Britifh manufactures than at prelent they are
-able to do, an ad: of parliament now palTed, in the 13th year of King
George I, for importing fait from Europe into the province of Pennfyl-
vania in Britifli fliips, navigated as by the ad:s of navigation, for curing
their iilh, in like fort as is pradii'edin New-England and Newfoundland,
by virtue of an aft of the 15th of King Charles 11.

Nothing can more obvioufly demonftrate the amazing increafe of
England's commerce in lefs than two centuries paft, than the great in-
creafe of many of its commercial and manufacturing towns ; fucli, for
inftance, as the town and port of Liverpool in Lancalhire, which in our
days is become the greateit emporium of the Britifli empire, next after
London and Briftol : and, though it is allowed to be an antient corpo-
ration and borough, it was nevertheleis ib inconfidcrable in point of
population and magnitude, even in the laft generation, as not to be a
I'eparaie parifli within itfelf, till the year 1699, by an art of parliament
of the roth and iith of King William, when a new parilh-church was
ereded, there being only a chapel there till then. In the year 1715, it
was fo much increal'ed, that, by an att of the ill of King George I, a
fecond parHh and church was ereded in it. The author of the third
volume of the Tour through the whole ifland of Great Britain, publilh-
cd in 1727, obfervcs, that in his firfl: vilit to Liverpool in 1680, it was a
large handfome thriving town. "At his fecond vifit, ten years after, it
M'as become much bigger; and, as the inhabitants reported, twice as
large as it was twenty years before : but at his third vifit, in 1726, it
was more than double its bignefs at the lime of his fecond vifit in the
year 1690. And it is (Hll iucreafing in wealth, people, biifinels, and
buildine;';.

136 A. D. 1727.

This fame author, treating of Manchefter, in the fame county, ob-
ferves, that within a very few years part, here, as at Liverpool, and alfo
at Froome in Some rfct (hire, the town is extended in a furprifing man-
ner ; being ahiioft double to what it was a tew years ago : fothat, taking
in all its fuburbs, it now (1727) contains at leafl: 50,000 people. ' That
* the grand manufadure which has fo much raifed this town, is that of
' cotton in all its varieties, which, like all our other manufadhires, is
' very much increafed within thefe 30 or 40 years.' NevcrtheltTs, this
vafl place is but a mere village in point of government, as having no
officer higher than a conftable : whereby it may poflibly be the largefl
village in Chriftendom, according to our legal fenfe of that term.

The like increafe, and very near as fudden, has happened to the town
of Birmingham in Warwickfliire ; which, in point of government, is
as much a village as Manchefter. Its vaft increafe is entirely owing to
its iron and hard-ware manufacture of a great variety of forts, whereby
it is faid to employ upwards of 30,000 people.

In March this year, departed this life, the incomparably great and
excellent Sir Ifaac Newton, aged 85, prefident of the royal fociety, maf-
ter of his majefty's mint : probably the greateft philofopher, and un-
doubtedly the greateft mathematician, in Europe, whofe entire charac-
ter, however, we are far from pretending to draw. It ftiall only fuffice
us to fay, in one word, that he has not left his equal, in all probability,
on the face of the whole earth ; having, even by all the learned of fo-
reign nations, been allowed the pre-eminence, and to be the unri\'nlled
glory of the Britifh name and nation.

This year the general court of the South-fea company agreed to dif-
charge all the borrowers of money on their ftock and fubfcriptions in
the famous year 1720, who had not already repaid the fame, on condi-
tion of their paying back only 10 per cent of the money fo borrowed.

The general court of the royal African company niade feveral refo-
lutions for carrying on their trade, and preventing the feparate traders
from interfering with them : for reducing their then nominal capital
ftock, fo as every L800 be reduced to Lioo, and fo as their whole capi-
tal fliall not exceed L400,ooo, including therein a certain quantity of
additional ftock, to be created in their corporate cap.lcity, and to be fold
out to individuals, for enabling them to carry on their trade. But it all
came to nothing.

The iflandof Madagafcar lying within the Eaft-India company's limits
of trade, an a6l of parliament of this 13th year of King George I was
obtained, to enable the South-fea company, with the licence and con-
fent of the Eaft-India company, to take in negroes there, and to deliver
the fame at Buenos-Ayres : the South-fea com.pany giving fecurlty to
the Eaft-India company not to break bulk anywhere within the limits
of the later company, nor to fail to any place within their limits, except

A. D. 1727^ 13^

Madagafcar, under forfeiture of their {hips, furniture, and ladings, and
of double the value. This ad to continue for fix years only; and the
South-fea company was thereby limited to four fhips annually, and to
carry to Madagafcar nothing but the neceffiry provifions, &c. folely for
the purchafe of negroes. About this time, the Sourb-fea company adu-
ally employed upwards of 30 Ihips and floops, befide their great annual
fhip, in their negro trade to the Spanidi ports of America, and in mak-
ing returns for the fame.

By another flatute of this fame year and feflion, for enlarging the
time for hearing and determining claims by the truftees for railing itio-
ney on the eflates of the late directors of the South-fea company and
others, the net produce of thofe eftates is direded to be applied folely
for the benefit of the company.

In this year William Burnet Efquire, the worthy governor of New-
York, having duely confidered, that the main fupport of the French co-
lony of Canada was the fur and peltry trade with the Indians ; and that,
moreover, their towns of QLiebec and Montreal were chiefly fupplied
with European merchandize by our merchants of New-York, at a much
cheaper rate than they had them from France, he rightly inferred, that,
if the traders of New- York were totally debarred from carrying their
goods to Canada, they might thcmfelves diredly, or at firft hand, fup-
ply the Indian tribes near the lakes of Canada with Englifh merchan-
dize : for that end he obtained an ad of the alTembly of New-York, for
opening a mofl profitable trade diredly with thofe Indian nations, who
till now had dealt entirely with the French of Canada. For which
purpofe the New- York aflembly was at the expenfe, this very year, of
building and fortifying a trading place at Ofwego on the eafl: bank of
lake Ontario, where they continued to keep a garrifon (till they were
aflaultcd and driven out by the French from Canada in the year 1757,
that fort having been too (lightly built) and had upwards of 300 traders
there, M'ho conftantly met the Indians from Canada, arid from the great
lakes wcfl; and north from lake Ontario, and fouth from lake Erie. This
was a promifing ftep towards acquiring all the inland trade of North-
America, by eredling fortified truck-houfes on the farther lakes in, and
well of, Canada. But in fucceeding times the French in thofe parts
were, through our fiiameful fupinenefs, fufFered to make gradual in-
croachments on the boundaries of that and our other northern pro-
vinces of America, till it became very near too late to put a ftopto their
career.

By a flatute [13 Gca. f, c. 3] for redeeming fundry annuities trans-
ferable at the bank of England, and the annuities payable on (landing
orders, &c. all the redeemable annuities transferable at the bank, and
thofe aflignable at the exchequer, which were not fublcribcd into the

Vol. in. S

138 A. D. 1 727.

South-fea company in the year 1720, were now paid off by the finking
fund.

By another ftatute of this fefllon, for the regulation of the woollen
manufacture, &c. the juflices of the counties of Gloucefter, M^ilts, and
Somerfet, were empowered to appoint a certain number of infpedors in
each of thofe counties, with a falary of L30 each yearly ; who fliould,
on every week-day, have power to enter into and infped all mills, work-
houfes, and tenter-grounds, of clothiers, &.c. concerned in manufactur-
ing and milling mixed or medley woollen broad cloths, for meafuring,
and otherwife examining the goodnefs thereof; and to certify their fuf-
ficlency by a leaden feal with the infpeftor's name. This office is in-
ftead of the antient one of aulneger, and alfo of the fubfequent infpec-
tors, who, for want of fufficient checks, were become ufelefs. Thefe
infpedors were to lay their regifter books before every general quarter-
feflion for each county, with an account of all penalties and forfeitures
incurred by the makers of infufficient cloths.

By another ftatute of this feflion, for preventing frauds and abufes in
the dying trade, penalties are inflided on dyers of black bays, and other
woollen goods, without woad, indigo, or madder. And a penalty is al-
fo inflided on every perfon ufing logwood in the dying of blue in any
kind of woollen goods.

After all the buftle which the Auftrian Netherlands and the court
of Vienna had fo long made about their Oftend company's trade to the
Indies, the arguments urged by Britain and Holland were fo cogent, and
fo effedually powerful, that the emperornow found himfelf neceflitated,
firfl: to fufpend that company's charter for feven years, and afterwards to
revoke it entirely.

The king of Spain having now in vain laid fiege to Gibraltar, before
any formal declaration of war againft the crown of Great-Britain, he at
the fame time ordered a feizure of all the efFeds of the South-fea com-
pany in America, with the great fliip Prince Frederick and its cargo at
La Vera Cruz, to the amount of upwards of Li 20,000 flerling. And
this was the fecond time that the court of Madrid made fuch fudden
feizures ; whereby the precarioufnefs of this company's trade to the
Spanifli Wcfl-Indies did now but too plainly appear.

At midfummer this year the redudion of the interefl on the national
debt from 5 to 4 per cent took place ; whereby the famous finking fund
was increalcd to above one million per annum. Had thofe, whofe pro-
vince it properly was, kept pundually to the paying off at leaft one mil-
lion of the public debts annually, from this year 1727 to the year 1739,
when we declared war againft Spain, in how much eafier a fituation would
the nation then have been ? Inftead of which frugal meafure, that facred
fund has been, either diredly or indiredly, facrilegioufly and wantonly-
violated, to the inconceivable damage of the nation's commerce, which

A. t). 1727. 139

otherwife would have long fince been greatly eafed by the abolition of
many taxes, duties, and cuftoms, which are at prefent very heavy clogs
on our manufactures and foreign commerce, and enable our rivals to
xmderfell us at foreign markets, to our unfpeakable detriment. By the
necelTary operation of the finking fund of only one million yearly, it
was very plainly fhewn, by a judicious pamphlet, intitled, an Ellay on
the public debts of this kingdom, ' that, fuppofmg the national debt,
* then of 50 millions, and the finking fund of one million, to be both
' at 4 per cent intereft, the later increafing annually in like proportion
' as iuch a fum put out to compound intereft would do, the whole na-
' tional debt would have been difcharged by the year 1756.'

We fliall here only farther note, that upon this fecond reduction of
the intereft of our national debts, their market price advanced very con-
fiderably.

In this fame year an ad: of parliament pafled for encouraging and
promoting fiftieries, manufliclures, and other improvements, in that part
of Great Britain called Scotland ; whereby the crown was empowered
to appoint commiflioners for managing the application of the funds for
improving fiftieries and commerce there : and thofe commiflioners were
annually to lay before the king any alterations necelTary for improving
the fiftieries and manufidures of that country.

By a ftatute [i Geo. II, c. 8.] for granting an aid to his majefty by
fale of annuities to the bank of England, at 4 per cent, charged on the
duties on coals and culm, &c. the bank fund was increafed by 1.70,000
intereft on Li ,750,000 advanced on thofe duties, redeemable by parha-
ment. And the bank hereupon thought it prudent to declare a reduc-
tion of the yearly dividend on their capital ftock from 6 to 5^ per cent,
from lady-day 1728.

By this fame ftatute a million of the national debt was paid off" out of
the iinking-fund, viz. L5oo,ooo to the South-fea company, which was
to be paid oif by finking lb much of the undiftributed ftock forfeited
by the late diredors, 8cc. in the year 1720 ; which was to go to pay
the company's debts. Hereupon that company funk L2 50,000 from
the capital ftock, and the like fum from South-lea annuity ftock.

And Ljoo.ooo was in like manner paid to the bank of England,
being part of the two millions added to their capital by an adl of the
3d of King George I, whereby the total of their capital ftock was re-
duced to 1,4,875,027 : 17 : lo^.

1728. — By a preliminary convention between Great Britain and Spain,
figned at the Pardo near Madrid on the 6th of March 1728, it was agreed,
on the one hand, that his Britannic majefty Ihouid withdraw his fleets
from the coafls of Spain, and from the Spanilli Weft-hidies ; and that
the difputes concerning the contraband trade, anil other causes of com-
plaint, which the Spaniards mav have in relation to the fliip Prince Fre-

S2

140 A. D. 1728.

derick, and the refloration of prizes taken on each fide, Ihould be de-
cided at a future congrefs.

On the other hand, Spain agreed immediately to raife the blockade
of Gibraltar; to order the fliip Prince Frederick, with her cargo, to be
delivered to the South-fea company's agents at La Vera Cruz ; and to
reftore the commerce of that company with Spanifh America, agreeable
to the afliento contrad.

By a treaty of peace and commerce between the king of Great Bri-
tain and the emperor of Morocco, figned at Mequinez, it was now fli-
pulated,

I) That all Moors and Jews, fubjeds of Morocco, fliould be allowed
a free traffic for thirty days in the city of Gibraltar and at the ifland of
Minorca, though not to refide at either place ; but to depart with their
efFeds, without moleftation, to any part of the Morocco dominions.

II) On the other hand, the Britifh fubjedts in Barbary fhould not be
obliged to appear before the cadi or the juftices of the country, but
only before the governor of the place : and the Britifh conl'uls are to
take cognizance of, and adjuft, the differences they may have with the
natives of the country.

III) The menial fervants of Britifh fubjedts, though natives of the
country, either Moors or Jews, are exempted from taxes of all kinds.

IV) Britifh fubjeds, taken on board foreign fhips by the fubjeds of
Morocco, fhall immediately be fet at liberty, and fent to Gibraltar.

V) Provifions may be freely bought, and other neceiTaries, for his
Britannic majefty's fleets, or for his city of Gibraltar, in any port of the
emperor of Morocco, at the market prices, and be fhipped off without
paying cuflom.

Thefe concefhons from that barbarous people are extremely honour-
able to Britain ; but they will be no longer kept than we are mafters
at fea, and are in pofFeffion of the moll important fortrefs and port of
Gibraltar.

About this time the colonies of South and North Carolina were
grievoufly afllided with invafions from the Indians in their neighbour-
hood, whereby the people were unable, even with what afliftance they
could procure from neighbouring colonies, to withfland thofe favages.
And the proprietors being unwilling to take upon themfelves the ex-
penfe of this Indian war, the deputies of thofe colonies humbly befought
the king to take them under his protedion. Whereupon, the duke of
Beaufort, the lord Craven, Sir John Colleton, James Bertie, Dodington
Greville, Henry Bertie, John Cotton, and Jofeph Blakes, Efquires, Mary
Dawfon, and Elizabeth Moore, being the reprefentatives of the original
proprietors of feven eighth parts of thofe two provinces, either in their
own right, or in truft, declaring, by petition to his majefty, their will-
ingnefs to furrender their charters to the crown for a valuable con-

A. D. 1728. 141

^ideration, an a6t of parliament was thereupon pafled, in the 2d year of
King George II, for eftablifhing an agreement with feven of the pro-
prietors of CaroUna for the furrender of tlieir title and interefl: in that
province to his majefly. In confideration whereof the faid feven pro-
prietors were to be paid the fum of L 17,500, being L2500 for each
feventh part, and L5000 more for the arrears of quit-rents, &c. due
to them. Thus for fo fmall a fum as L22,500 were feven eighth parts
of thofe fine provinces made regal governments from the r ft of June
1729. And as Lord Carteret chofe to retain the other remaining eighth
part of Carolina in his own right, a claufe in the ad of parliament re-
ferves to him, his heirs, executors, adminiftrators, and afligns, all fuch
eftate, right, title, &c. to one undivided eighth part or (hare of the faid
provinces, and one eighth part of all arrears of quit-rents, &c. thereof.
Notwithftanding which, the government of the whole is hereby made
entirely regal, And in this regal ftate Carolina, under two feparate go-
vernors, councils, and aflemblies, has wonderfully flouriflied and in-
creafed in trade and commerce, and has extended its plantations farther
weflvTard. Proper fupplies and relief having been fent thither by the
crown, the neighbouring Indians were reduced to live in a peaceable
condition till very lately, when alfo they have again been reduced to
reafonable terms, after much bloodfhed.

The South-fea company this year fent out their twenty-three remain-
ing fliips for the whale filhery, and returned with only the blubber and
fins of eighteen whales ; which was undoubtedly a loiing voyage.

This year the Britifh houfe of commons prefented to the king a par-
ticular account of the national debts contraded. before chriftmas 171 6,
and how much thereof has been fince difcharged by the finking fimd,
though till now but in its infancy ; which debt fo difcharged amounted
to 1.2,698,416:9:71 fince chriftmas 1716. That by the feveral re-
ductions, from 6 to 5, and from 5 now to 4 per cent, on the greateft
part of the public debts, fo great favings of intereft have been made,
-that the finking fund may now be eftimated to be about Li, 200, 000
per annum ; and will be every year increafing from the farther favings
of the intereft of the remaining debts from time to time, as they fliall
be paid off. This increafe of the finking fund from L40o,ooo to about
Li ,200,000 (fince midfummer 1727) being in the hands of the go-
vernment, and applicable from time to time to the difcharge of the
principal, makes a gain and profit to the public, equal to the difcharge
of one third of the principal debt ; fo that the additional L8oo,ooo to
the finking fund, if valued at twenty-five years purchafe, at which rate
all annuities are now currently fold, makes a real profit to the public of
twenty millions. And if, notwithftanding the many difliiculties this
nation has laboured under, by an unnatural rebellion, and by the mimy
lieinous plots and confpiracies fince formed, for overiiirning the religion

142 A, D. 1728.

and liberties of our country, and notwithftanding the embroiled condi-
tion of the affairs of Europe, we have been able to diminifh the national
debt fo much already, what may we not hope for in regard to a fpeedy
and fenfible difcharge of it for the future ? Upon this reprefentation
we fhall only in brief remark, as many have before done, that, notwith-
ftanding all fuch difficulties, as are above enumerated, much more might
furely have been done for increaling the finking fund, by abfolutely
preferving it inviolable ; though it be allowed, that it would have been
attended witli many and great difficulties, confidering that a fecond re-
bellion, and tvvo very expenfive wars, have happened fince that repre-
fentation was made. What is pafl; needs not to be enlarged on : but
furely hereafter, efpecially in times of peace, a determined national fru-
gality ought zealoufly to be cultivated *; and it is earnelUy to be hoped
and wiflied, that, in order to increafe the finking fund, the public miglit
be relieved by a rational redudion of the falaries of many ufelefs offices
and employments in the revenue, &c. the fee-fimple whereof would
amount to a greater fum than perhaps many may apprehend, were a
iiridi inquiry made thereinto.

In a vindication of the ifland of Jamaica at this time, from certain
afperfions on the condu6l of the planters and of their affembly, and
pleading for fome favours from the legiflature of Great Britain, it was
computed, that the trade of that ifland employs 300 fail of fhips, and about
6000 feamen ; and that the very duties on the imports from thence
amount to near Li 00,000 per annum. That there are eight fine har-
bours in it, befide many coves and bays where fliips may fafely ride :
there are alfo 84 rivers v/hich difcharge into the fea, and feven times
as many lefl^er rivers and fprings which run into them. That its prin-
cipal produdlions, befides fugars, are, cotton, ginger, pimento, maho-
gany, logwood, and indigo. That very little of the four lafi: commodi-
ties are imported from the refl: of the Britifh plantations : fo that, but
for Jamaica, we fliould be obliged to purchafe them of the French,
Dutch, and other nations. That cotton is neceflliry to work up with
wool in many of our manufadures, &c. Ginger is chiefly exported,,
though great quantities are likewife ufed at home. Their pimento
leflens the confumption of fpices, which are only to be had of the Dutch
at their ov/n rates. That indigo, logwood, fuftic, &c. are ufed by
dyers, and are abfolutely neceflliry in many of our manufaiflures ; and
thai, before we had thofe commodities of our own, we paid five times the
prices for them we now do, and for fome of them more. That, before
our "Weft-India plantations were fettled, we paid the Portuguefe from
L4 to L5 per cwt for mufcovado fugars, now fold from 32/ to ^f;/, and

* Non intclligunt homines quantum veftigal fit parfimonia 1 Ckeronis Paradcxa 6.

People do not confider how great a revenue economy is !

A. D. 1728. 14^

above L5 per cwt. for ginger, now commonly fold at 22/5. That our
dyers wares were bought of the Spaniards, to whom we paid for logwood
from Li 00 to L130 per ton, which may now be had at L9 per ton;
and other goods ufed in dying, proportionubly. So that, by having
thofe plantations, we not only fave fo much as was formerly paid for
thofe commodities to foreigners, but we are alfo able to furnifh other
nations therewith; and our manufa6lurers, by having them at lefs prices
than they formerly had them, are enabled to fell their commodities
proportionably cheaper, which is undoubtedly a very great advantage
to the nation. [Boyer^s Tolitical Jlate of Great Britain, V. ^^, for Fe-
bruary 1728.]

This vindication, or furvey of the benefits of Jamaica and our
other Weft-India colonies to their mother-country, places them in fo
advantageous a light, and gives alfo fo clear, though fuccinc!^, a view of
our commerce with them, that it well merits a place in this work.

This year, the Danifh Eaft- India company, refiding at Copenhagen,
publiflied propofals for a new fubfcription to be taken at Altona near
Hamburgh, for enlarging their antient capital ftock.

I) ' The new fubfcribers to be equally entitled to all the benefits
' and privileges which the old members pollefs, in refpedl of the trade,

* fhipping, forts, fettlements, revenues, houfes, and other effedts what-
' ever.

II) ' The old capital, confifting of 250,000 rixdollars, divided into

* 250 fhares, each being of icoo rixdollars, to retain likewife equal
benefits with the new fubfcribers.

III) ' The company, after this union with the new fubfcribers, were,
' in their joint capacity, to pay off their entire debts, confifting of
' 160,000 rixdollars ; but the old proprietors were not to be entitled to
' any dividend till the year 1733.

IV) ' The adions, or fiiares, of the new fubfcribers to confift of
' 1,000 rixdollars each, and the half fliares to be 500 rixdollars: for

' each transfer to pay two rixdollars to the company, and half a one
' to the poor.

V) ' The company's creditors may take new actions thereof for the
' debts due to them.

VI) ' The king, by his odroy, declares, that the fiiares fhali not be

* liable to any feizure or flop, upon any account whatever *.

VII) ' The money arifmg by new lubfcriptions to be wholely em-
' ployed for fending out fliips to franquebar f, Bengal, and China.

VIII) ' The four additional or new directors may be all foreigners ;
' and ten fliares to be the qualification ftock of every diredor. Every

* fingle fliare fliall have one vote in the general courts ; and a proprie-

• The reader needs not be told, that Denmark is .in aVil'oiuIc nionai'cliy. A.
f Trantiucbar is their own fort on the Coromandcl coaft. A.

144 ^' ^' 1728.

' tor of 20 fliares (hall have 20 votes ; and none fhall have any more

* votes than 2C, although their fliares be ever fo many.

IX) ' If any two directors fliall be difTatisfied with the conduct of the
' other directors, they may fummon a general court to acquaint the
' company therewith.

X) ' The general courts have plenary power to do whatever they

* fhall judge convenient for the advantage of the company.

XI) ' The new fliares to be fubfcribed fliall not exceed 2250, i. e.

* in the whole ; and the new or additional fl:ock fliall not exceed
2,250,000 rixdollars.'

N. B. There were 25 other articles of lefler importance.

To thefe propofals the old company, for removing any objections
which might be made in refpecl to their circumftances, added, that
they had very valuable efFeds, fuch as, the town of Tranquebar, a very
important place, with 200 pieces of cannon, befides ammunition, and a
yearly income of 10,000 crowns, and alfo feveral duties and revenues,
increafing every year in proportion to the increafe of inhabitants. That
they alfo had the cafl;le of Danneburgh on the rich coaft of Coroman-
del, conveniently fituated for trade, and particularly for pearls and dia-
monds ; alfo Porto-novo, on the fame coafl ; two fhips, with their car-
goes, now at fea, bound to Tranquebar ; and fome other fliips and fac-
tories, &c. From all which particulars, a nearly exadl flate of the
Danifli Eafl:-India company's circumflances and commerce may be-
gathered ; not much, however, to their advantage.

There arrived at London, from foreign ports, between chrifl;mas
1727 and chrifl:mas 1728, 1839 Britifli fliips ; 21 3foreign fhips ; and
6837 coafl:ers ; being in all 8889 veflels. The number is confiderably in-
creafed in later years.

By an act of parliament, in the fecond year of King George 11, for
raifing the fum of Li, 250,000 by fale of annuities to the bank of
England, &c. the bank advanced that fum to the public at 4 per cent
intereft, charged on the furplufl^es of the fund of lottery 1714, redeem-
able from midfunimer 1730, by payments of not lefs than L5oo,ooo at
a time. Yet this low intereft obliged the bank to reduce their dividend
from 3 to 2 1 per cent at michaelmas 1730, for that half year*.

A ftatute was made this year for regulating the watermen on the
river Thames.

A new ad was this year made for the better prefervation of his
majefty's w-oods in America, and for the encouragement of the import-
ation of naval ftores from thence ; and to encourage the importation

* The account inferted by Mr. Allardycein the in September of the fame year. And in the two
appenlix to his Addrcjs to the proprietors of the following years (1731 and 1732) he alfo flates
hank, dates the rediiftlon of the bank's dividend the March dividend at^j.-c, and the September one
from nine tb Jh per cent per annum in March alj!ve and a half, per cent per annum ; at wliich
173c, and the iurther reduction lojive and a half later rate it continued till March 1747. M.

I

A. D. 1728. 145

of marts, yards, and bowfprlts, from Scotland ; which, after reciting a
former ftatute for this purpofe, enads, ' that from the 29th of Sep-
tember 1729, no perfon in the colonies of Nova-Scotia, New-Hamp-
ftiire, the province of Maine, Maflachiifet's-bay, Rhode-ifland, and Pro-
vidence-plantation, the Naraganfet-country, or King's-province, Con-
nedicut, New- York, New-Jerfey, or any other province in America, now
belonging, or that fliall hereafter belong, to the crown of Great Britain,
fhall prefume to cut, fell, or deftroy, any white pine trees, fit for mafting
the royal navy ; (except only fuch as are the property of private perfons)
notwith {landing the faid trees do or may grow within the limits of
any townfliip laid out, or to be laid out hereafter, without his ma-
jefty's royal licence firfl obtained. And whereas King William and
Queen Mary's charter, in the third year of their reign, granted to
the province of the Mafllichufet's-bay, referved to themfelves and
fuccefTors all trees of the diameter of 24 inches and upwards at 1 2
inches from the ground, growing in that province, on any ground
not before granted to any private perfons ; in order, therefor, to
make that refervation more effedual, it was now enaded, that no
perfon within the faid proviiice fliall fo cut or deftroy any fuch white
pine trees, on any land not granted to private perfons before the 7th
of Odober 1690 ; under the penalties of the ad of the 8th of George I.
And new and more moderate premiums are granted for the marts,
yards, bovvfprits, good tar, pitch, and turpentine, produced in, and im-
ported from, America : and fuch naval ftores imported ftiall repay
thofe premiums when re-exported. A premium is alfo enaded for
the importation of marts, yards, and bowfprits, from Scotland ;
where ' (as this ad fets forth) ' there are in fundry parts great rtore
of pine and fir trees :' but fo very difficult to bring down to fea-
ports, as has rendered that part of this ad, and of that of the 8th of
King George I, hitherto ineffedual *.

1729. — This year the king of Denmark gave the new DaniftiEart-In-
dia company a grant of an exclufive trade for forty years. His charter
gives the royal fandion to the regulations made by that company in
the preceding year, and promifes that their ftock rtiall be exempted
from duties, and alfo that the ftock belonging to foreigners, though
fubjeds of rtates with whom he may be at war, fliall not be feized on
any pretence whatever.

At length, in November 1729, was concluded the famous treaty of
Seville, between Great Britain, France, and Spain, for peace, union,
friendflup, and mutual defence, whereby they mutually guarantee
each other's dominions, and all the rights and privileges of their com-
merce, in all parts of the world: each potentate for this end to furnilli

• If they cannot be carried as mads, they may be canied as boards. Wherever men can walk,
they can carry boards. M.

Vol. III. T

146

A. D. 1729.

8000 foot and 4000 horfe ; or fhips of war, and tranfports, or elfe
money inftead of either.

Ill) The Britifh and French courts having alleged, that in the treaty
of Vienna, in the year 1275, there were divers claufes which in-
fringed the articles of feveral treaties of commerce, his catholic ma-
jefty declares, that he never meant to grant, by virtue of the faid treaty,
any privilege contrary to thofe treaties.

IV, V) All neceflary orders fhall be difpatched on both fides for the
execution of former treaties of commerce, both with the Englifh and
French nations.

VI, VII, VIII) Commiflaries fhall be appointed on all fides, in four
months time, to examine and decide what concerns the fhips and effeds
taken at fea, and the refpecHve allegations relating to abufes in com-
merce, as well in Europe as in America, who fliall finifli their commif-
fion within three years, or fooner if poflible.

IX, X, XI, XII, XIII) Thefe articles relate to the introduction of
Spanifh garrifons into Leghorn, Porto-Ferraio, and Placentia, to fecure
the eventual fucceffion of Don Carlos to Tufcany, Parma, and Placen-
tia ; all the contracling parties agreeing to guarantee his fucceflion.

XIV) The flates-general of the United provinces are invited to ac-
cede to this treaty ; as they foon after did in this fame month and
year.

By the two feparate articles of this treaty it was more exprefsly fli-
pulated, for the greater exadnefs, that the treaties of peace and com-
merce at Utrecht, between Great Britain and Spain, in which are com-
prifed the treaty of 1667 and of 1715, as alfo the afliento contradl of
17 1 3, and its farther explanation in 171 6, fhall from this day, even
during the examination by the commiflaries, remain in their force and
vigour ; for which end the catholic king fhall difpatch his cedulas to
his viceroys, &c. in America as well as in Europe, as fliall alfo his Bri-
tannic majefly to his governors, &c. for the releafe of all fliips and
merchandize ; and particularly the South-fea company's fliip Prince
Frederick and her cargo fhall be immediately reflored.

The flates-general of the United provinces were to furnifli only 4000
foot and 1000 horfe ; and the other allies were to guarantee the abol-
ition of tlie Oftcnd Eaftlndia company, &c. ; and the catholic king
engages, that entire fatisfaclion fliall be given to the Dutch for their
grievances, as well in the Weft-Indies as in Europe, and to re-eflablifh
their commerce, agreeable to former treaties ; and, laflly, to grant them
all the commercial privileges enjoyed by the nations moft favoured.

The South-fea company's 23 fhips this year went out on the whale
fifhery ; and, one of them being lof\, the other 22 fliips brought home
27 j whales ; which was ftill a lofmg trade ; the company's net lofs by
this lingle year's trade, befides wear and tear, being L6904 : 8 : 4.

A. D. 1729. 147

This year the Dutch Eaft-India company obtained of the flates-
general a prolongation of their exclufive trade to India for 2 1 years
beyond their prefent term : for which privilege they paid into the
treafury of the republic 3,600,000 gilders, (about L330,ooo fterling.)
Their power, pomp, and wealth, in India, and more efpecially in the
ifland of Java, at this time equalled thofe of fome confiderable mon-
archs.

In the province of Pennfylvania great improvements were conflantly
making in commerce, fhipping, and agriculture ; many fliips and floops
are built at Philadelphia, Newcaftle, &.c. which they moflly difpofe of
to our fugar colonies, and the reft they ufe in carrying their own pro-
dudl, confifling of cafk-flaves, lumber, pork, peas, flour, bifket, &c.
in exchange for fugar, rum, and Spanifli money. Great numbers of
German fettlers are annually adding to the population of this already-
populous province, as well as others from Britain and Ireland. The
following is a lift of people arrived there from Europe in this year.

Englifh and Wellh pafTengers and fervants, - - 267

Scottifh fervants - - - - - 43

Irifli pafFengers and fervants - - - - I,IS5

Palatine paffengers - _ _ _ 243

And, in Newcaftle government alone, there arrived this

year, of paflengers and fervants, moftly from Ireland, (by

reafon of rack-i-ents there, as it is faid) about - - 4,500

Total arrived in this year only - - - - 6,208

No marvel, then, that this province is in fo thriving a ftate; its conftitu-
tion being moreover, fo excellent, and the encouragement afforded to
new comers, by abfolute freedom, liberty of confcience, lenity of laws,
gentle taxes. &c. fuch as really to be a pattern for all other governments
on the continent.

As party rage ran very high at this time, the friends of the miniftry
found themfelves obliged to prove, by fads, what was before generally
known to be undoubtedly true, that Britain was then in a thriving
condition.

By the low intereft of money, thereby evidently demonftrating a
greater plenty of money than formerly.

This plenty of money has raifed the price of lands, from 20 and 21
years, to 25, 26, and 27 years purchale. An evident proof that there
are more perlons able and ready to purchafe land than formerly.

Another clear evidence of our increafed wealth in Britain, is, the
great funis of late expended in iaclofing and improving lands, and
in opening mines.

T 2

148 A. D. 1729.

Jewels, plate, and other rich moveables, are much plentier than for-
merly.

The value of our woollen goods exported in fix years, ending at
chriftmas 1727, exceeds the value of the fix preceding years, by
L475,ooo. And the like may be faid of the increafe of our exporta-
tions of coals, lead, tin, and lead-ore.

There is the like increafe of foreign goods exported, which in the
three laft years exceeded in value the three preceding years by
^535,000.

Laftly, there will be found an increafe in the tonnage of the fliipping
of England in the lafl fix years, beyond what it was in the preceding
fix years of 238,000 tons. All which, when taken together, are un-
doubted marks of increafing wealth, and of the general balance of trade
in our favour.

As for the only two objedions hereunto, the courfe of exchange be-
tween us and Holland running to our difadvantage, and our great
paper-credit ; the firft is to be accounted for by Amfterdam being the
center of exchanges to and from all parts of Europe, and particularly
between Britain and Holland, and thence between us and moft other
nations. Confeqaently the great fums of interefl in our public funds,
chiefly remitted by way of Amflerdam, and foreigners frequently fell-
ing out of our funds, as the intereft thereon becomes gradually lower.
The great importations of corn in years of fcarcity, from Dantzic, Ham-
burgh, and the Netherlands, which, in the fingle year 1728, amounted to
L8 00,000 paid for by the way of Holland. The balance we pay to
the northern countries for our mofl neceflary naval flores, &c. moftly
remitted by the way of Amfterdam. Theie and fuch reafons may well
account for the courfe of exchange running retrograde between us and
Holland ; which therefor cannot be a jiifi: or certain rule to determine
the balance of trade, or whether the wealth of Britain be increafing or
decreafing. Laflly, the increafe of paper-credit proves quite the con-
trary of what the objedors intend, fince it is not the caufe, but the
demonftrable effe6t and proof of national riches.

1730. — The Englifh Eafl-India company's term for the redemption of
their capital, and of their exclufive trade, being near its expiration, (viz.
on three year's notice from lady-day 1733) a powerful and fi^renuous
oppofitionto its renewal was now railed by certain merchants and gen-
tlemen, who, forefeeing that the conipany would apply to the legiflature
for a prolongation of their exclufive privileges, determined to be before-
hand with them ; and therefor, in February 1730 [N. S.] they prefent-
ed to the houfe of commons their petition and propofals, wherein they
offered to advance L3, 200, 000 to redeem the fund of the company, by

* five feveral payments, the lafl; to be at lady-day 1 733, to be allowed

• an intereft of 4 per cent till that term, and only 2 per cent after it j
' provided, 1.

A. D. 1730. 149

* I) That they might be incorporated, and in all refpedls vefled with

* all the exclufive privileges and trade of that company : yetfoas not to
' trade in one joint flock or in their corporate capacity; but that the trade
' fhould be free and open to all his majefly's fubjedls, who fliould pay
' one per cent of the value of their exports to India, in confideration of
' their taking out a licence from this propofed corporation. Provided
' alfo,

' II) That this trade be folely carried on from the port of London.
' And

* III) That the propofed company's term be thirty-one years, and to
' be redeemed on three years notice.

* IV) That, moreover, for enabling the propofed corporation to de-
' fray the expenfe efforts and fettlements in India, as well as the pre-

* fervation and enlargement of the trade, they may be empowered to
' levy a duty of 5 per cent on the grofs value of all the merchandize
' which fhall be imported from India.'

The benefits to the public by this propofal they fet forth, in brief,
to be,

' I) That by receiving but 2 per cent intereft, an annuity of Lpa.ooo
' would be added to the finking fund, which, at 25 years purchafe, was
' worth L2, 500, 000 to the public.

* II) That, as laying open the trade to Africa is agreed to be attend-
' ed with great national advantages, fo thus laying open the trade to
' Eaft-India (or reducing it into a kind of regulated company) will be
' attended with the following advantages, viz. it will necelTarily occafion
' a larger exportation of our own produdt and manufactures to India.

' III) It will employ a much greater number of fliips and feamen.
' IV) It will greatly lower the prices of all Eaft-India commodities
' confumed at home.

' V) It will enable us to fupply foreign markets, cheaper and in greater

* quantities, with Indian merchandize ; whereby fome new branches of
' traflfic may be gained and others preferved, more efpecially in Africa
' and America, and alfo in fome parts of Europe *.

* VI) It will neceiliu-ily advance the cuftoms and excife, and thereby
' lefien the national debt, &c.

* VIII) They allege,' (but give no particular reafon for fuch their al-
legation) ' that great advantages may accrue by employing our "fliip-
' ping in freights, from one part of India to another, more than the
' prefent company has ever been able to do.

' IX) It will prevent perfons, acquainted with the trade to India,
' from being under the neceflity, for want of employment here, of

* tlcrc the propofcrs fliould havt been more explicit. j4.

150 A. D. 1730.

* feeklng it in foreign nations, and even will bring home thofe who

* are already engaged that way.' *

Thefe were the plaufible and principal arguments made ufe of to the
legiflature ; and tliey were more abundantly amplified and improved in
printed pamphlets and newlpapers, which carried them, as isufually the
cafe, much beyond rational probability.

Their inducements for alluring fubfcribers to this fcheme, were,

I) Certain intereft from the public, of 4 per cent for the firll two
years, and 2 per cent afterwards.

II) The additional annual profit arifing from the propofed licences.

III) The 5 per cent on all goods imported would bring a confider-
able furplus over and above the expenfe of fupporting the forts and fac-
tories, fince (as they alleged) the prefent company's forts and fettlements
do, one with another, more than anfvver their own expenfe. And even
though the propofed company fliould be obliged to pay the prefent com-
pany a fum of money for their forts and fettlements ; f yet in a few
years there would a farther annual profit accrue, arifing from the duties.
For,

IV) Even fuppofing the trade, under this propofed company, fhould
not increafe, (as however they were confident it would) beyond the
amount of three millions yearly, at the public fales ; yet 5 per cent
thereon would yield Li 50,000 per annum, which makes L86,ooo
more than will complete the annuity or intereft of 4 per cent. Where-
for,

V) It may be concluded, that the annual dividend will not at any
time be lefs than 5 to 6 per cent to the fubfcribers ; fince, as the export-
ations and importations fiiall increafe, in like proportion will the divi-
dends neceflarily increafe.

Yet, notwithftanding all thefe plaufible reafonings without doors, and
all that their friends could urge within doors, the houfe of commons
rejefted their petition, becaufe, it was certainly, at lead, hazardous to
turn the Eafl-India trade into a new channel ; it was uncertain, whe-
ther the propofed fubfcription would readily fill in due time, or whether
their flattering expedations would anfwer, either with refpedl to the fub-
. fcribers, or to the nation ; or whether the cuftoms might not be dimi-
niflied inflead of being increafed ; or whether by the new method of a
regulated trade, the nation's general commerce to India might not in
fome degree be hurt and diminiflied ? For who can forefee all the advan-
tages which other European nations, trading to India, would be able to
gain over us by this alteration, or the hurt our trade might receive from
the Indian princes, &c. To quit therefor a prefent certainty for a fu-

* This refers to thofe, who were engaged in the Oftend and Swedifh Eaft-India companies. A,
f Could the prdpofers make any doubt, whether they were to pay the former company for their
4)ropeity ? A.

A. D. 1730. 151

ture (though plaufible) uncertainty, was not judged fafe nor prudent.
The oppofition, however, drew from the prefent company very con-
fiderable advantages to the pubUc, by occafioning them to give up
one per cent of the intereft payable on their capital of L3, 200, 000, and
moreover to pay for the benetit of the public £,200,000 for the fervice
of the current year, over and above the abatement of their intereft from
5 to 4 per cent, or from Li6o,ooo to Li 28,000 pes annum, whereby
L32,ooo per annum would be immediately added to the finking fund,
which the company neverthelefs were legally entitled to for fix years
longer. While the bill was depending in parliament, abundance of ano-
nymous letters and eflays were publiflied in pamphlets and newfpapers,
againft exclufive companies in general, and more efpecially againft this
company's exclufive trade, in particular : all the arguments which had
been advanced for above 1 00 years paft, (of which we have largely treat-
ed in this work) againft monopoHes in this and other mercantile com-
panies, being on this occafion republiftied, with fome few new improve-
ments. ' They were for having the government to take the fupport of
the forts, factories, embafties, &c. in India, into their own hands, out
of the large cuftoms on the India trade, which ihould thenceforth re-
main free and open to all Britifh fubjeds. For' (fay they) ' the more
free and open that trade is, the more profitable it will be to the na-
tion. And though it may be true, that laying the Eaft-India trade
open, would leflen the profit of individuals in that trade, by their
ftriving to outdo 'and underfell one another; yet the gain to the na-
tion would' (in their opinion) ' be vaftly greater, as the emulous pri-
vate adventurers, by thrufting themfelves into new ports and coun-
tries, in Arabia, Perfia, India, China, &c. would undoubtedly occafion
the exportation of much more of our manufadiures and produdt than
the company can do. And on the other hand, a joint-ftock company
can never trade fo frugally and advantageoufly, either for themfelves.
or for the nation, being in fad; but one buyer and one feller ; who,
moreover, manage their trade with a pride and e.xpenfe more becoming,
the ftate of kings than of merchants ; and their govcrni/rs and agents
in India live like princes *. They alfo exped to be followed by the
markets, and therefor do not ftir from their warehoufes. Whereas,,
on the contrary, private traders would follow the markets, would pufli
into every creek and corner, and would narrowly look into the con-
duct of their agents in India. That the abolition of the prefent com-
pany would, moreover, deftroy the pernicious practice of ftock-jobl^ing,
k) fital to perfons and families. That when almoft all the mariiime
nations oi Europe are now running into this trade, which will doubtlels
diminifti our own commerce thither, it feems themoft cffedual means

• And fo they would clouhtlefs do under a regulated ioiii|iar,y, or if tlicv vcie under the king's,
immediate aulhoiity, being at fo great a ditlancc from Europe. >•/,

152 A. D. 1730.

• for driving them out of this trade to lay it open to all our people.'
Thefe, and many other arguments, (fome of which were at leaft incon-
clufive, if not fallacious) were keenly urged, both within and without
doors, and were fupported by many eminent merchants. Laftly, for far-
ther corroborating the oppofition to the bill for prolonging the Eaft-India
company's privileges, three feveral petitions were prefented to the houfe
of commons; the firfl from the merchants, traders, &c. of London, in
behalf of themfelves and all other his majefty's fubjecSls ; the fecond
from thofe ofBriftol; and the third from thofe of Liverpool: all to
the fame efFedl, viz, againfl confirming the exclufive trade to India to
the prefent company alone : and, for obliging that company to grant li-
cences to the refl of his majefty's fubjeds to trade thither, under proper
terms and conditions : alfo praying to be heard by their counfel at the
bar of the houfe, againfl paffing the bill : which petitions were all re-
jeded.

On the other hand, it is but juftice to the prefent Eaft-India com-
pany, to exhibit the principal points urged by them in their own be-
half, viz.

At prefent it feems to be agreed on all fides, that the Eaft-India trade
is a beneficial one to this nation, and confequently is neceflary to be
preferved. But the main queftion is, which is the beft method to pre-
ferve it to us, viz. whether by a company vefted with exclufive privileges
and regulations, fuch as the legiflature fliall from time time to dired;
or, whether the trade (hall be left quite open to every adventurer, who
fliall pay for a licence from this company ?

It is but too probable, that the prefent great oppofition to the com-
pany proceeds, in a great meafure, from the great gains which they
make : for their enemies are forced to go back almoft forty years to
fearch out former mifmanagements ; having nothing to allege againft
their prefent condud.

The company at prefent employ a vaft ftock in trade, their fales
amounting to about three millions yearly. And the cuftoms accruing
to the public are prodigioufly great, and anfwer the appropriations made
of them by parliament better than moft other duties ; they bringing in
net money, clear of all drawbacks and debentures, three hundred thou-
fand pounds yearly. Would it then be prudent in the legiflature to let
thofe cuftoms fall without a certainty of at leaft as much in the room
of them ?

The forts and fadories at prefent coft the company L300,ooo yearly ;
and doubtlefs the government could not maintain them for fo little.
Thofe forts and other buildings are unqueftionably the property of the
company, who adually purchafed them of the old company, and are of
very great value. Who, then, fliall fet an equitable price on them ?
What certainty have the government, when they are in their hands, that

A. D. I730. 153

the propofed open trade will be always fufficient to maintain fo va ft an
expenfe of cuftoms and forts as L6oo,ooo yearly ? For, as every man is,
by the propofed fcheme, left at liberty, (and will doubtlefs make ufe of
it) to trade or not to trade thither, as it may fuit his intereft, it may
happen, that one year there may go fifty fliips for India, and another
year perhaps not five. And thefe being all feparate traders, the govern-
ment can have no certainty nor fecurity from them, nor indeed from any
other but an incorporated body, who have a great deal to lofe, and who
are able to bear the ill fortune of fome particular years trading, without
prefently laying it afide.

By the competition of the feparate traders in India, for the fake of
difpatch, the prices of goods there would be raifed fo high, as at length
not to be worth buying. And, for the like reafon, at home they would
fo underfell each other, till the goods would not be worth felling; which
was the cafe for the fmall time that the two companies (the old and the
new ones) and the feparate traders contended againft each other ; where-
by they all did very much hurt to the trade.

An united company will always be more diligent to watch the en-
croachments and attempts of other European nations in India than fe-
parate traders will or can be, whofe views naturally are contracted with-
in the narrow circle of their own private intereft alone.

Though the company have a claim to a perpetuity in the trade by
the ad 10 Ann. c. 28, yet fome doubts having arifen refpeding the cer-
tainty of their right, becaufe that ad: only repeals the provifos in for-
mer ads, which direded that the privileges of trade ftiould ceafe when
the fund ftiould be redeemed, but does not explicitly enad a perpetuity
of this trade to the company, in the fame terms as the ad of that fame
felTion exprefsly does in favour of the South-fea company ; and the com-
pany, being unwilling that their title to the trade (however ftrong)
fliould prove the occafion of difputes hereafter, they are therefor content
to take up with a temporary certainty in lieu thereof, and moreover, to
give the public almoft L400,ooo for the fame, by giving L200,ooo in
money, and farther confenting that their annuity of 5 per cent, which
is not redeemable till the year 1736, be now reduced to 4 per cent ;
whereby they lofe an annuity of L32,ooo for fix years to come, valued
£192,000*.

Some other lefs important arguments were advanced on both fides ;
l)ut as there is in reality nothing new which can be hereafter advanced
on this truely important lubjed, on either fide, now and formerly lo
fully explained, we iTiall hereafter fpare ourfelves the needlefs trouble of
enlarging thereon, in any future controverfy concerning the Eaft-India

• Tlie value of this concclTion is greater tliaii is here ftated by fix years intereft on the firft defalca-
tion of 1.32,000, five years on the fecond, and io lmi of the otlicrs. M.

Vol. III. U

154 A. D. 1730.

commerce; after ailuring the reader, that the author of this work has
lludied impartiahty in tliis, as in other parts, of the work, as much as
poflible. To concUide, the legiflature palled the bill in the company's fa-
vour, intitled, an Acft for reducing the annuity or fund of the united
Eaft-Indla company, and for afcertaining their right of trade to the
Eafl-Indies, and the continuance of their corporation for that purpofe,
upon the terms therein mentioned ; whereby, after a full recital of for-
mer ftatuies and charters, the company agrees, and it is enaded, that
their prefent yearly fund of Li6o,ooo be redticcd to Li 28,000, (or
from 5 to 4 per cent) from michaelmas 1730 ; in confideration where-
of, and of L200,ooo, to be paid by them for the public fervice of this
prefent year, 1 730, all their exclufive privileges of trade to the Eaft-Indies
are continued and prolonged from lady-day 1736, to lady-day 1766, and
three years notice then to be given ; in all^ including the faid three
vears notice, to lady-day 1769, being 33 years; when, on repayment
of their entire capital of L3, 200,000, their exclufive privileges of trade
fhall ceafe and determine. Yet, neverthelefs, the company fhall conti-
nue as a corporation forever, to enjoy the Eaft-India trade in common
with all other fubjeds. There was in this aft one fmgle claufe only, of
any importance, which had not been in any former ftatute relating to
this company, and arofe from a doubt malicioufly and unaccountably
Parted by the company's enemies, viz. whether the three years notice
fhould be fully expired before they lofe their exclufive privileges. That
claufe therefore enadled, ' that upon the expiration of the faid three
* years, and re-payment, &c. as above, their exclufive right fhall ceafe.'

The company, moreover, at any time, on one year's notice after lady-
day 1736, might be paid off their whole capital, by any payments not
lefs than L5oo,ooo at a time : and fo on, from time to time, on fuch
yearly notices by parliament. The company were hereby likewife de-
barred from poiTefling in Great Britain, lands, tenements, &c. exceed-
ing L 10,000 yearly rent. Laflly, two general provifos were added,
for faving the privileges, 8cc. of the South-fea and Levant compa-
nies. In confequence of the redudion of their fund, the company re-
duced their dividend from eight to /even per cent per annum at chrift-
mas 1732.

The royal African company declining more and more, fo as not to
be able to fupport their forts and fadories on the coaft of Africa, and
the trade being thereby laid open, fo as to endanger them, the parlia-
ment this year granted Li 0,000 for that purpofe, by an adl for raifing
L55o,ooo by exchequer-bills, 8cc. The fum of Li 0,000 was granted
annually till the year 1744, when, by reafonof the war with France and
Spain, L20,ooo were granted for that end. In each of the two following
years Li 0,000 were granted for the fimie purpofe, but nothing was
granted for the year 1747.

A. D. 1730. 155

The foutli-fea company's remaining 22 Greenland fliips brought home
12 whales this year ; and their net lofs by this year's filherywas L8921
5y9, belide wear and tear.

The French Eafl-India company's trade by this time was become fo
confiderable, that, inftead of one fhip from India once in two years,
there arrived four fliips from thence in this year.

Yet fo much fuperior was the Enghfh Eaft-India company's trade,
that, in thefpring of this fame year, there failed no fewer than 17 fhips
from India.

In the Britifli American provinces of Pennfylvania, Virginia, and
Maryland, there were about this time found mines of iron-flone, which
they foon after learned to fmelt down into pigs and fows, and then to
draw them out by flatting mills into bars. They have alfo found lead ;
and they had before found copper in New- York.

The South-fea company's great Ihip the Prince Frederick, which had
been long detained at La Vera Cruz, by the differences between Great
Britain and Spain, arrived this year in the Thames with 400,000 dol-
lars, or Spanifli pieces of eight, in fpecie, 190,000 lib. of cochineal*,
47,000 lib. weight of indigo, and 167 tons of logwood, befides what
came in private trade ; fuppofed altogether to be worth L35o,ooo fter-
ling.

We may here, for once at lead, prefent our readers with a lift of the
chief exportations and importations for the iingle month of May, in the
year 1730, from London only, viz.

Exported Woollen cloths, long, fliort, and Spanifli, 5357 pieces

Bays, Colchefter, &c. - - 6990

Stuffs, druggets, 8cc. - - 24,484

Perpets and ferges, - - 4108

Dozens and kerfies, - - 1 879

Hats, _ _ - 2028 dozens

Hofe, - - . 9368 dozen pairs

Flannel and cotton, - - 53,o53 yards

frife, 7858 yards — gartering, 774 grofs — leather, 2290 cwt. — block tin,
1036 cwt — wrought pewter, 4997 cwt lead, 184 fodder, each of 19

* Two pliyficians, to whom tlic author of tliis Indies. Its juice is of a rich crimfon colour, which

work, llicwcd tlic cochineal in the company's vaults, may be ufcd willi a pen or a pencil for writing or

were perfcflly fatlsfied, that the infeft, which pro- drawing ; but it fades in a few days. However,

duces it, is the fame with our Biitilh lady-bird ; Mr. Long [in his //y7. o/" T"""""'"! ^- 'i', /• 73l]

and that its fuperior excellence was acqiu'rcd pure- fays, that Mr. Riz, a gcntlcm.-\n of Kingllon, pro-

ly by the infect feeding on the fine red juice or duced from it a dye-llulT fuperior to the cochineal

fap of the Mexico Ihrub called the prickly pear, of Mexico. If that can be effeifled on a confider-

agreeable to what had been aflerted by divers au- able fcale, the prickly pear (now a nuifance, or at

thors. A. bell a bad fort of fence) may become one of the

Tlic prickly pear is a plant which grows fpon- moll profitable of the tropical plants. M.
taueoudy and luxuriantly ev^.ly where in the Well-

U2

156 A. D. 1730,

cwt. — ditto lead per cwt. 2746 cvvt. — ditto in fhot, 847 cwt. — alum,

1275 cwt — copperas, 4033 cwt tobacco, 866,163 lib — calicoes,

76,847 pieces — ^old watches, 47 — filver watches, 113 — wrought plate,
972 ounces. (Befides S3g,3S3 ounces of foreign filvcr, and 36,294
ounces of foreign gold.)

Imported m the port of London. — Wine in cafks (chiefly pipes or
butts) 4299cafks — ditto from Leghorn, 459 chefts — wine Rhenifh, loi 9
aums, each of 40 gallons — brandy from Dunkirk alone, belides brandy
from Holland, 24,687 gallons — rum from the Britilh American colo-
nies, 6327 gallons — fugar from ditto, 1421 hogflieads — rice from Caro-
lina only, 3025 hogfheads — Spanifh wool, in bags, 1 144 bags — indigo,
chiefly from Spain and our own colonies, 57,784 lib — hemp, from the
Eafl: country, 1 160 cwt. — thrown filk from Italy, 31,21 8 lib. — raw filk,

3441 lib coffee from Turkey only, 1781 cwt — oil from Gallipoli

only, 390 tons — Holland cloth, or fine linen from Holland, 66,286 ells
— ditto from Hamburgh and Bremen, 1,232,209 ells — Irifh linen,
179,114 yards — linen-yarn from Hamburgh, 73,450 lib. — coffee from
Mocha, 5000 bales.

The whale fifhery on the coafl: of New-England was profperous this
year ; and the rice raifed in Caroliiia (now a very thriving colony) ap-
pears to have increafed ; as by a claufe in an adt of parliament in the
preceding feflion [3 Geo. II, c. 29] for granting liberty to carry rice,
&:c. they were permitted to fliip it to any place in Europe fouth of Cape
Finifterre, without firft being landed in England, or being made an
enumerated commodity *, whereby the coafts of Spain and Portugal in
the Ocean, and of Spain and France in the Mediterranean, befides Italy
and the gulf of Venice, and all the Spanifli and Portuguefe ifles, are
open to them. Provided, however, that it be all carried in Britifh
fhips, navigated as by the ads of navigation, and no other commodity
be lb carried but rice only.

The fame privilege was extended to the rice of Georgia, by an a<5l
[8 Geo. II, c. 19.] And, in confequence of thefe judicious indulgences,
the Britifh plantation rice has fupplanted thofe of Verona and Egypt,
wherever they have come in competition.

On the 29th of May the king of France eflablifhed the following re-
gulations for his royal council of commerce.

' That it be compofed of the duke of Orleans, the cardinal deFleury,
' &.C. and meet every 15 days, or oftener, as the king fhall diredf.

' The keeper of the feals, the fecretaries of flate for foreign affairs, and
' for the marine, and the comptroller-general of the finances, fhall make

* Rice was tlicught incapable of bearing the expenfe of being landed in a Britifti port, and then re-
fliipped for a forcigu market. A.

A. D. 1730. ^ 157

' reports in each of the principal matters relating to their refpective de-

* partments.

' All their arrets and orders fhall be figned by the chancellor and the
' other great officers.

* Reports fliall be made to the king of any branch of commerce, either
' inland or foreign, that may require his confideration and proteclion ;
' together with the prefent ftate of any manufacture, in order to perfedl

• the fame.'

The fuburbs of London ftill farther increafing on every fide, two
other new parifhes were in this year eredied, viz. one called St. George
in Bloomfbury, near the market, of that name; and the other in the
hamlet of Limehoufe, and called St. Anne at Limehoufe. Another
new parilh, named St. Paul's, was this fame year erected in the town of
Deptford, near, and almoll joining to, the fuburbs of London, the great
increafe of that town, by means of the dock, dock-yard, ftorehoufes, &c.
of the navy, occafioning fo great anacceflionof workmen, trades-people,
&c. that the old parifh-church was too fmall to contain the inhabitants
of fo large a town.

The great benefit of light-houfes to navigation is allowed by uU men;
and many fuch are in Great Britain of long fianding. This year, a
ftatute was made, for confirming a patent granted by her late majefty
Queen Anne, to William Trench Efq. deceafed, for ere6ling a light-
houfe upon the ifland or rock called Skerries, (near Holyhead, at theifle
of Anglefea, &c.) whereby the duties granted for maintaining it are
made perpetual, it being a very great benefit to all fliips and velTels na-
vigating the Irifli or St. George's channel.

The czarina of Ruilia refumed the monopoly of tar, which had been
a confiderable branch of the revenue of Peter the Great. It was ufu-
ally fliipped at Archangel, to the amount of about 40,000 lafis (of ip
barrels each) annually, being moftly taken off by the Dutch and Ham-
burghers : and this trade fiill brought many foreign fhips to Archangel,
after it was eclipfed by the new city of Peterfburgh, and though confi-
derable quantities of tar are fhipped at that city, and alfo,fince thecon-
quefl of Livonia, at Riga, Revel, and Narva.

Ten Dutch Eafi-India fhips arriving at one time this year in Holland,
it may be worth the noting how much fpice of all kinds they brought:
home, viz. of

Brown pepper, - . - 3,145-392"]

White pepper, - _ _ 3,904 |

Nutmegs, _ _ _ 94,918 }> pound weight.

Mace, _ _ _ _ 65,604

Cinnamon, - _ _ 640,000 J

Befide 20,000 lb. weight of long pepper, 4623 ib of cubebs or pepper
duft, and 6500 lb. of cardamums from Ceylon ;uid Java.

158 A. D. 1730.

The other prmcipal parts of the cargo of thofe ten {hips were,
■ 1,580,115 lb. weight of powdor-fugar — 1,450,000 lb. of faltpetre —
90,000 lb. of tin from Siam — 559,250 lb. of Sapanand Caliatour wood.
— 6500 lb. of indigo — 550 lb. of mother of pearl — 130,000 lb. of cow-
ries— 306,000 lb. of coffee from Java, Ceylon, and Mocha — 36,000 lb.
of cotton-yarn from Tutucorin and Java — 600 pieces of painted filk
fluffs — and 98,850 pieces of various denominations of calicoes.

This cargo will (hew the principal articles of the Dutch importations
from India : but there came no fliips at this time from China ; and no
tea nor lacquered ware was imported, nor were there any cloves.

Great uneafinefs was expreffed at this time on account of the court of
Spain delaying to fend the cedula or licence for the South-fea company's
great fliip the Royal-Caroline, now loaded with a very rich cargo for
the fiir of Porto-Bello, the Spanilli galleons being already failed from
Cadiz, left the fair {hould be over before our fliip fhould arrive there.
That port and fair being appointed for the merchants of Chili, Peru,
and all the weftern parts of South-America, to fupply themfelves with
the merchandize of Europe, when the galleons arrive, couriers are dif-
patched to Panama, Lima, Cufco, St. Jago, and other parts, with no-
tice of the time for holding the fair, to which the merchants refort in
caravans with their treafure. It is thought, that the South-fea company
cleared, altogether, about Lyo.ooo by this voyage of the Royal-Caroline,
almoft the only profperous voyage they ever made.

Great complaints were at this time made againft the fupercargoes and
factors of the voyage in the South-fea fhip the Prince Frederick, juft re-
turned from the Spanifh Weft-Indies, on account of malverfations in
bottomree, clandeftine trade, &.c. needlefs now to be farther enlarged
on, ftnce the commerce of that company will probably never be reviv-
ed.

This year four of our Englifti China fhlps arrived with 1,707,000 lb.
weight of tea; the duty on which, at 4/ per pound, amounted to
L34i,ooo fterling. Suppofing that one third of this tea was fairly ex-
ported by certificate, the duty of which is drawn back by debenture,
then the net duty of the remainder was L227,6oo ; an immenfefum to
be paid to the public for one fingle commodity. Moreover, only three
of the company's fliips from Coaft and Bay this fame year brought
home 371 ,000 pieces of the many and various kinds of calicoes and In-
dian filks, all to be re-exported. Alfo 73,000 great pounds of raw filk

— 682,000 lb. weight offaltpetre 93,0001b. of pepper — 192,000 lb. of

redwood — 22co of cotton-yarn — 16,800 lb. of fhellack — and 9000 lb.
of ftickhck.

We have already, upon feveral occafions, treated of the various mi-
grations of the great ftioles of herrings in the feas of Europe ; which at
laft, fome centuries ago, fixed on the coafts of the Britifti iflands. Yet,

A. D. 1730. 159

as what has once been may hereafter be again, we ought not, therefor,
ro be greatly furprifed if thofe deUcious fifh fhould again remove to
fome other coaft. What at prefent has given occafion for this remark
is, the account given in the fummer of this year by the herring-fifhers,
which, it feems, much furprifed them, viz. that (holes of herrings had
come fouthward near two months before their ufual time ; particularly,
in the fea between England and Ireland, great quantities were taken in
July, off the frith of Clyde, and off Londonderry, as far fouth as the
bays of DubUn and Wexford *. Had this humour of thofe fifli con-
tinued or increafed in fucceeding years, it might poiTibly have diminifla-
ed their numbers at Lewis and Shetland, which have been their ftations
for fo many ages, and to which great numbers of Scottlfli and Dutch
fifhermen refort for that fifhery. Such an alteration in fo great a branch
of commerce would, doubtlefs, have occafioned a confiderable change in
the commercial flaie of feveral countries of Europe. But nothing extra-
ordinary of that kind has iince happened.

The Turkey company are faid to have fliipped 10,000 pieces of broad
cloth in four fliips, in Auguft, for the Levant ; which demonftrates the
very great importanceof that company's commerce to the nation.

In Odober this year we find the following remarkable importations
of goods from the Englifli American colonies, which being entirely
new, and moftly unexpected, produdions in thofe colonies, though
not very confiderable in themfelves, are well worth remarking, as a
great increafe of niofi; part thereof has fince fortunately happened, viz.

Two tons of iron from St. Chriftophcrs, found in that part of the ifland
which formerly was poirefled by the French f.

Fifty hundred weight of hemp, raifed in New-England and Caro*'
lina.

Seventy-two bag^ pf wool, from, and produced in, the iflandsof Ja-
maica, St. Chriftophers, &c. J.

Forty tons of iron ; 30 hundred weight of copper ore ; 156 quintals
of bees-wax ; 3 hundred weight of hemp ; 3 hundred weight of raw filk;
all produced in the province of Virginia.

Tiie Hudfon's-bay company this year imported 11,040 coat and parch-
ment beaver-fkins ; 4404 ditto of cubs ; 3330-damagcd and flage parch-
ment; 990 ditto cubs; 1648 martins, and 3130 damaged ditto; 380

* Very oppofile opinions have been lield upon pliers by any account of that ifland. I tliink it

the curious fubjcdt of ihc migration of the heriiiij;. mull have been pitvluufly imported to it. M.
The nader, who wiOics to examine tlitm, may } Qjiirt-, if not cotton, ufiially called cotton

f onlult Dotld's Efay upon tit /jrrrin^, p. ^4. — An- wool : If it was real wool, it muft have been taken

i'.tif(.ni Account vj'thf llchriJei [IVifterniJlands), pp. from northern llieep carried to thofe illands, or il

y/^ft, 449 — KnoKt Viciu oj'thr Jinlijk empire, p. 1 7 I mull have bi-cn imported from fume other country ;

— /fmericiin Philofophical iranfatliom, V. ii,/). 236. for, it is well known, that in all tropical countries

A/. (hctp lofc their wool, .nnd become as fmooih a?

I I do not find iron a produAion of St. ChriHo- Lorfek-, fouii after thcu arrival. M,

i6o A. D. 1730.

otter- fkins ; 890 cat-fkins ; 260 fox-flcins ; 540 woolverins ; 410 black
bear-fkins ; igo wolvcs-fkins ; and 30 wood-fliocks. By this trade we
now lave much money, which we formerly fent to RulTia, for thefe ufe-
ful peltry, now entirely purchafed with our own coarfe woollen and other
manufactures and produd.

We fhall clofe this year with a quotation from Travels through a great
part of Europe, in this fame year, by Keyflar, (an author of credit and
efleem) in favour of our modern Englifh filk fabrications, viz. ' In Italy

* itfelf, the filks of Englifh manufadture are mofl efteemed, and bear a
' greater price than thole of Italy : fo that, at Naples, when atradefman
' would highly recommend his lilk flockings, &c. he protefts they are

* right Englifli *.'

1731. — As the condition, importance, and value, of all the Britifh,
and fome of the foreign, colonies in America were fet in a much clearer
light than poflibly ever before, in a judicious trad, intitled the Im-
portance of the Britifli plantations in America to this kingdom, &c.
confidered, \^\iJ^ pp. ^vo, London 1731] we think a fhort abftradt of it,
with fome few remarks, will be ufeful.

If the ifland of Tobago juftly belongs to this kingdom, (as he is in-
formed it does) it is furprifing it hath not been fettled by us ; fince,
though not quite fo large as Barbados, it is fuperior to it for good roads,
convenient rivers, and richnefs of foil.

St. Lucia feems to be quite loft to us. For fmce the French expell-
ed Captain Uring in the year 1725, they are become more numerous
there than before.

St. Vincent and Dominica are likewife poflefTed by the French ; whofe
intercourfe with the Indians of both iflands, (who generally fpeak
French, and who are taught by them to deipife all other nations) and
their quiet pofFefTi on of them, give the people of Martinico and Guada-
loupe the pleafing profped: of feeing all of them fettled and fortified by
them. Thefe two illes are fcarcely inferior to Barbados in extent and
fertility ; and, in conveniency of roads and harbours, far fuperior.
They both lie between Granada and Martinico, the former of which is
one of the oldefl: fettlements the French have in that part, producing a
vaft quantity of fugar, cotton, and cacao.

Dominica lies next to Martinico, and between that and Guadaloupe,
Grandeterre, Marigalante, and Defeada ; all fine and large iflands be-
longing to the French, whofe increafe in thofe iflands, within a few
years pall, is prodigious. So that we may reafonably reckon, that they
are not fewer in number of people than all the Englifli Leeward iflands,
with Barbados included.

* The total value of the imports of Eng'aa-1 in the year 1 730, ^'as L7, 780,0 (j, and of the exports
(not including gold and bullion) £8,548,9^2. \_H^h'WMorti}' s S.un.] M.

3

A. D. 1731' i6i

The Englifli Leeward iflands *, are Antigua, Nevis, St. Chriftophers,
and Montferrat. Thefe four, together with Barbuda, Anguilla,Tortola,
and Spanifhtown, all fettled on by the Englifli, may be modeflly confi-
dered altogether, as at leaft equal in confequence to us with Barbados, and
are capable of vaft improvements, which Barbados is not, but is rather
declining and wearing out.

Euftatia is poffefled by the Dutch, and is about three leagues from
St. Chriflophers ; and, though very inconfiderable in extent and pro-
duce, yet it drives a great fmuggling trade with our iflands by their
fliips from Africa underfelling our own people with their negroes. Saba,
a little to the leeward, is alfo poflefl^ed by the Dutch, but is very incon-
fiderable.

A' little more northward lie St. Martin and St. Bartholomew ; both
inconfiderable iflands, and both partly inhabited by French, and partly
by Dutch.

Santa Croce has been twice pofl"efl*ed by the Englifli, who have as of-
ten been beat out by the French. It is not much lefs than Barbados,
and inferior to none in point of healthfulnefs, fertility, good roads, and
bays. Yet at prefent it is not fettled.

Northward lies the ifland of St. Thomas, pofl^efl^ed by the Danes; re-
markable only for its harbour, which is a free port, and for fmuggling.

Due wefl: from St. Thomas lies St. John de Porto Rico, inhabited by
very few Spaniards, chiefly a lawlefs fort of people. This ifland, though
inferior to none in point of fertility, has neverthelefs been much negled-
ed by Spain.

Hifpaniola is divided between the French and Spaniards. The for-
mer greatly thriving and multiplying, the Spaniards dayly decreafing,
many of their fine old houfes and plantations being left defolate ; info-
much, that the French are reckoned to be double the number of the
Spaniards in that large ifland, including the flaves of both, and to be al-
ready pofl'efl"ed of the greatefl: part of it. The few Spaniards remaining
there look upon the whole ifland as gone, upon the firfl rupture between
the two crowns. The almoft amazing improvements of the French
here, fince the reign of our King William, {hew what. great things may
be done by able minifters, even under an arbitrary prince. This ifland
alone is of more value than all our pofleflions in thofe parts, has excel-
lent harbours, bays, and rivers ; and, if we except Cubaf, far exceeds all
the refl: of the Wefl-India iflands.

• So called with rcfpcft to Barbados, wliich is called Il'iiul-u.'iinl i/lamls by us, as well as tlie

to the eaflward, or to tvind'ward, of all the Weft- French, they biiiig in truth to windward of all the

India iflands. yl. rell, except Barbados. M.

Tliia appellation of LtttvarJ i/l<iri<ls, which f The Abbe Raynal's tables flicw the produce

might be proper, when Barbados was the only of the French poition of Hifpaniola to be above

Englilh colony in the Well-Indies, is now bccom- eighteen times the value of the produce of Cub.i.

iiig obfoletf, and they are now more generally M.

Vol. III. X

162 A. D. 1 73 1.

Thprty leagues wefc of Hifpanioln lies our ifland ot" Jamaica in lent^th
150, in breadth 50, miles; of the importance of which, we may partly
jadi^e from the quantity of its produce annually fhipjjed off for us, viz.
in lugar alone, 10,000 tons. In cotton, indigo, ginger, pimento, rum,
lime-juice, cacao, mahogany, &c, 2000 tons more. Thus, not lefs than
12,000 tons of our own fliipping are conlhmtly employed in that fervice
only ; over and above what is employed between Jamaica and the
northern continental colonics. Great are the advantages accruing to
Britain from the trade between Jamaica and the Spaniards of Mexico,
&c. the rife whereof fprung from the treaty of 1670, (called the
American treaty,) whereby peace was firfl fettled between the two na-
tions in America ; and till the commencement of Queen Anne's war
that trade was carried on with little interruption, to the value of near
1.300,000 yearly, in various European merchandize, negroes, provifions,
&c. for all which our people were paid in good pieces of eight.

Jamaica, however, afterwards regained much of that clandefline
trade ; by which, and by their privateers, and the money fpcnt by the
fliips of War Rationed in thofe feas, they became rich and populous, till
after the South-fea company's afliento fadors fettled there; when again
much of their illicit trade was loft *.

Much of that clandefline trade removed to the Dutch ifle of Curaqoa,
from thence grown up to be \'ery confiderable in commerce and fhip-
ping, though of itfelf a mere barren ipot, with only a commodious har-
bour, and an happy fituation in refpecSt to the Spanifli Weft-Indies. It
is fupplied with provifions from the two neighbouring Dutch ifles of
Aruba and Bonaire ; and, though yielding nothing of itfelf, is yet a mar-
ket for all things, there having been fometimes feen in its harbour 60
or 70 fail of fhips together.

Cnba is to the Spaniards the mofl important by its fituation of any
ifland they have in all America. It is about 700 miles in length, and
I 20 miles in breadth in fome parts. It has an excellent foil, intinite
numbers of cattle, and fine tobacco ; great quantities of aromatic drugs
and dye-ftuffs. It has alfo fine bays and havens. What renders it fo
particularly beneficial to Spain, is its fafe and well-fortified harbour and
port called ITavanna, being the rendezvous of all the Spanifh fleets and
{hipping bound to Europe from any part of the coafts of New-Spain,
&c. to the weftward or leeward of the Caracca's. Yet the Spaniards have
been far from cultivating this fine ifland fo well as might have been
done.

Of the Bahama ifiands, though very numerous, and producing many
things ufeful and neceflliry, and all claimed by the crown of Great
Britain, only four are inhabited by Englilh people, viz. Providence, the

• I: was faid, with too much truth, that it was carried on by the others. A.

A. D. 173 1. 163

principal one ; Eleutheiiu, Harbour-iflancI, and Green-turtle-key. Yet
for extent and goodnefs of foil, Abaco isihebeft, though not yet fettled.
And, to fay the truth, were it not for preventing pirates from fetthng
there *, none of thefe ifles would be worth keeping a governor, forts,
and garrifons in them, confidering how many finer-fituated colonies we
have flill to improve.

What our author fays of Carolina by no means comes up to what
we have elfewhere noted from very good authority ; to which therefor
we refer.

Virginia and Maryland are mofl valuable acquifitions to Britain, as
well for their great ftaple commodity, tobacco, as for pitch, tar, furs,
deer fkins, walnut-tree planks, iron in pigs, and medicinal drugs. Both
together fend annually to Great Britain 60,000 hogfheads of tobacco,
weighing, one with another, 600 pound weight, which, at 2^d per pound,
comes to L375,ooo. And he thinks, the Ihipping employed to bring
home their tobacco muft be at lead 24,000 tons ; which, at Lio per
ton, is L24o,ooo, the value of the fliipping ; the greateft part thereof
by far being Englifh-built, continually and conftantly fitted and re-
paired in England. The freight, at Li : 10 per hogfhead (the loweft),
is Lpo.ooo ; and the petty charges and commillion, on each hogdiead
not lefs than Li, or L6o,ooo ; which, making together Li 50,000, we
undoubtedly receive from thofe two provinces upon tobacco only. The
net proceeds of the tobacco may be L225,ooo, on which there may be
about 5 per cent commiflion and petty charges, being Li 1,250. There
is alfo imported in the tobacco fliips from thofe two provinces, lumber f,
to the value of Li 5,000, two thirds whereof is clear giiin, it not colling
L4000 in that country, firfl: coft in goods ; and, as it is the mafter's
privilege, there is no freight paid for it. Skins and furs about L6000
value ; L4000 of which is adlual gain to England. So the whole gain
to England amounts to about L 180,000 annually: and moreover, the
whole produce of thefe two provinces is paid for in goods.

Thofe two provinces moreover produce excellent flax ; alfo wool,
equal to our befl; Engliih wool ; of both which they have manufactures:
and what they do not manufacture themfelves, they exchange with the
Pennfylvanians for rum, fugar, melafles, fait, &c. This author had
feen two very promifmg iron works, one in Virginia, the other in
Maryland ; both of them clofe to water carriage, as well as to the woods.
So that, if they have not leave to import their iron duty-free, they muft
manufacture it for themfelves, which will in time leflen the exportation
ot our iron wares.

• He mijjlit have added, olhcr European natlont, feveral of whom would fettle tl\erc, if not prevcnlij
by our hipeiior naval power, y/.

f Boards and timber for building, cyprcfs woml, (hinglcs, ftavcs, lieading and hoops for cafVs, mj(lf«
and other fpars, and (hip timber, pafs in America under tlie gcncial name o( /umlfr. A.

' X 2

164 A. D. 1731-

The trade of thcfc two provinces to all other parts than Great Britain
is inconfiderable : not employing above loco tons of ftiipping to the
fugar iflands, and in all other trades on their own proper account. Yet
a great number of vcfTels refort to both provinces, of and from our
other continental colonies.

That Pennfylvania, which has not any peculiar ftaple (like Carolina,
Virginia, and Maryland) and was begun to be planted fo late as 1680,
fhould at prcfcnt have more white inhabitants in it than all Virginia,
Maryland, and both the Carolinas, is extremely remarkable: and,
though the youngefl colony on the continent *, they have by far the
fined capital city of all Britifh America, and the fecond in magnitude.
The caufes ufually afligned for this vart increafe of white people there,
in fo fhort a time, are, ift. Their kind treatment of the Indians their
neighbours, whereby the province is abfolutely fafe from their attempts.
Some indeed have gone fo far as to allert, that they are the only Britifli
colony that have treated the poor native Indians with humanity : for
that no other Britifli province admits of the evidence of an Indian
againft a white man : nor are the complaints of Indians againft white
men duely regarded in other colonies, whereby thofe poor people en-
dure the mofl; cruel treatment from the very worfl: of our own people,
without hope of redrefs : and all the Indian wars in our colonies were
occafioned by fuch means. 2dly, The excellency of the laws; whereby
propertv is effedlually fccured to all the inhabitants. 3dly, The un-
limited toleration for all manner of religious perfuafions, without per-
mitting any claims to ecclefiaftical power to take place. All men who
are proteflants are indifferently eligible to the magiftracy and legif-
lature, let their private opinions be what they will, without any religious
tefl.

The produd of Pennfylvania for exportation is, wheat, flour, bifcuit,
barrelled beef and pork, bacon, hams, butter, cheefe, cyder, apples,
foap, myrtle-wax candles, ffarch, hair-powder, tanned leather, bees*-
wax, tallow candles, flrong beer, lint-feed oil, ftrong waters, deer fkins,.
and other peltry ; hemp, which they have encouraged by an additional
bounty of 1-7^/ per pound weight, over and above what is allowed by
adl of parliament ; fome little tobacco, lumber, and drugs of various forts,
as fafl'afras, calamus aromaticus, fnake-root. Laflly, the Pennfylva-
nians build about 2000 tons of fliipping yearly for fale, over and above
what they employ in their own trade, which may be about 6oco tons
more. They fend great quantities of corn to Portugal and Spain, fre-
quently fejling the ihip as well as cargo ; and the produce of both is
fent thence to England, where it is always laid out in goods, and fent
home to Pennfylvania. They receive from 4000 to 6coo piftoles from
the Dutch ifland of Cura9oa alone for provifions and h(j[uors. And.

* Giorgia was not then fettled. ^.

A. D. 1 73 1. 165

they trade to Surinam in the like manner, and to the French part of Hif-
paniola, as alfo to the other French fugar iflands, whence they bring
back melafles, and alfo feme money. From Jamaica they fometimes
return with all money and no goods, becaufe the rum and melaffes are
fo dear there. And all the money they can get from all parts, as alfo
fugar, rice, tar, pitch, &c. is brought to England to pay for the manu-
factures, &c. they carry home from us ; which have not for many years
pafl been lefs than Li 50,000 per annum. They trade to our provinces
of New-England, Virginia, Maryland, and Carolina, and to all the iflands
in the Weft- Indies, except the Spanifli ones, as alio to the Canaries,
Madeira, and the Azores ; likewife to Newfoundland, for fiih, which
they carry to Spain, Portugal, and up the Mediterranean, and remit the
money to England, which, one way or other, may amount to L6o,oco
yearly ; but, without their trade to the French and Dutch colonies in
the Weft-Indies, they could not remit fo much to England : neither
could they carry on their trade with the Indians, if they did not take
off the rum and melafles, as well as the fugars of thofe colonies, in part
of payment of the cargoes they carry thither.

New-York and the two Jerfeys have the lame commodities as Penn-
fylvania has for exportation, except they do not build fo many fliips.
New-York alfo has lately found in her bowels the richeft copper mine
that perhaps was ever heard of; great quantities of which have been
lately brought to England. This, and the iron mines of Virginia,
Maryland, and Pennfylvania, might be brought to fupply Great Britain
and Ireland with all we want of thofe metals ; which, too, would be
paid for with our own manufac1;ures, inftead of paying L :;oo,ooo of
our cafli for thofe metals to Sweden, &c. New-York, it is true, fends
fewer fliips to Englan-d than fome other colonies do, but thofe they do
fend are richer, as dealing more in furs and fl-iins with the Indians ; and
they are at leaft of equal advantage to us with Pennfylvania, both as to
the money they fend us, and the manulaclures they take of us. I he
city of New-York is a moft delightful place, and has near as many in-
habitants as Philadelphia has; iuid its country is one of the plealanieft
in the univcrfe.

The foil of New-England is not unlike that of Great Britain. It has
at Icaft 1 20,000 white inhabitants *, employing about 40000 tons of
fliipping in then- foreign and coafting trades, and above 60c fail ot fliips,
floops, Sec. about one half of which fliipping trades to Europe. I'heir
fiflierics have been reckoned annually to produce 230,000 quintals of*
dried fifli, which, being fcnt to Portugal, Spain, and up the Mediterra-
nean, yield 12/ per quintal, being 138,000 fterling. And as their filt,
runi, and uiel.ifles, as alfo their pro\ilions and utenfi's, are pu, dialed
for the reiufe fifli, which is not fit for the European market, and for the

• He means here only Maffacliufets-bay. A, 4.

1 66 A. D. 1 73 1.

oil made from the fifli, the whole fum may be faid to be gained out of
the fea. By this fifhery, and their other commerce, they are faid to
employ at leaft 6000 feamen : and adding to the above fum the freight
and commiflion, all earned by our own people, and reckoned at one
third more, the whole will be Li72,5oo, all remitted to Great Britain.
There is, moreover, their whale fifhery, employing about 1300 tons of
Shipping. To Europe, alfo, and to the Weft-Indies, they fend great
quantities of lumber of all forts, and of provifions, the fame as men-
tioned under the head of Pennfylvania, the produce whereof is likewife
remitted to England. They alfo trade to the bay of Honduras for log-
wood. And as they build fliipping very cheap, they can afford to fell
their lumber, &c. to our fugar colonies at a lower rate than any other
people can. Many of thofe New-England fhips are loaded from the
fugar iflands diredly for England. From New-England, alfo, we have
the largert mafts in the world for our navy. From thence, alfo, as from
our other continental colonies.^ we receive all the gold and filver that
they can fpare, none of which ever returns to them : for we give them
in exchange all manner of wearing apparel, woollen, brafs, iron, and
linen manufadures, Eaft-India goods, &c. in all, to the value of
L40o,ooo yearly.

Newfoundland, though very thinly inhabited by us, is neverthelefs
of vaft benefit to us: we make, one year with another, about 200,000
quintals of fifh there; which, at 12/ per quintal, comes to Li 20,000
fterling ; which may be reckoned all clear gain to this kingdom, the
oil of the firti paying for fait, &c. As this gain is obtained by the mere
labour of our people, and as the fifhery is of great ufe in breeding able
feamen, the natural ftrength of this kingdom ; as, moreover, we have
from Newfoundland great quantities of peltry, i. e. the furs and fkins
of deer, fox, otter, feal, minx, and bear, with fome beaver, we ought
therefor greatly to prize Newfoundland.

The Hudfon's-bay trade employs generally three fhips from London,
carrying thither coarfe dufHe cloth or blanketing, powder and fhot,
fpirits, &c. and bringing home vaft quantities of peltry of many kinds,
bed-feathers, whale-fins, &c. And as that fmall company makes a di-
\'idend of 8, or formerly 10, percent on their capital of about Li 00,000,
befides the employment they give to our people in fitting out and load-
ing thofe fhips, it may truely be faid to be an advantageous commerce,
proportioned to its bulk.

The Bermuda iflands were formerly efteemed extremely fertile : but
they feem now to be wearing out apace. In Queen Anne's war, they
are faid to have had above 100 brigantines and floops, though now not
above half that number. They take of us whatever neceffaries they
have occafion for, and pay us in money, which they get by trading

A. D. 1 73 1' 1(^7

among the ingar iiles, 8cc. and ulfo with chip hats for women, and
whatever eUe they can procure.

Thus we have, in brief, a politico-commercial, and, in part, a natural,
furvey of all our colonies, excepting Nova-Scotia, at that time, in effedl,
no colony at all ; being moft unaccountably neglected till ot late years :
and, though written thirty years ago, fmce which time many alterations
and improvements have happened in all or moft of thofe colonies, of
which we have elfewhere taken notice; yet the main foundation of their
refpeclive trades and produttions being always the fame, and manv
points relating thereto being treated fo diftindly and methodically, as to
give much light thereinto, more efpecially to i'uch as are not pradlical
merchants, we thought it well merited the room it has taken up. The
author's conclufion is, * that Great Britain gains one million fterling by
' her American colonies, exclufive of what we gain by any trades for
* negroes, or for dry goods, with the Spaniards in the Weft- Indies ; and
' that, by our colonies alone, we maintain and employ at lead 18,000
' feamen and fifhermen.' Neverthelefs, we have, in feveral other parts
of this work, made it plainly appear, that even this author's account of
the benefits we receive from our American plantations is far from
comprehending all the advantages we receive from thence.

This year the parliament (by adi: 4 Geo. II, c. 5) paid out of the
fmking fund one million of the South-fea annuity ftock from michael-
mas 1 731, which the proprietors divided among themfelves, at the rate
of 6 1 per cent.

That company now fcnt out their remaining 22 fliips on the whale
fifhery, one of which was loft, and the remaining 21 brought home 14.
whales, which was far from being a faving voyage. At tlie company's
dock there had at this time been invented a new fort of gun for Ihoot-
ing with gunpowder the harpoons into the bodies of whales, at a
greater diitance than they could be thrown by hand ; and the fliips
were accordingly provided with fome of them, which were ufed both
in this and the next year's hihery, with fome Ihccefs. They were
chicfty ufeful in calm weather, though fcurcely pradicable in blowing
wcatlier, which moftly prevails in the Greenland feas. And though
the foreign harpooners could not eaiily be brought to ufe them, as
being out of their ufual method, yet in a iTiip fitted out by Mr. Elias
Bird and partners, two years later, out of the three whales brought
home, two were faid to be killed by that new-invented gun.

A company was now fet on foot in Sweden for trading from Gotten-
burg to the E;ill-Indies, by authority of the king of Sweden's grant to
Henry Koning, a rich and intelligent merchant, with fuch others as
ftiould join him, exclulive of all others, for fifteen years, to all parts
irom beyond the Cape of Good Hope to Japan : but they were not to
trade at any place, within thofc limits, belonging to any other European

i6S A. D. 173 I.

nation or ftate, without their permiflion ; and they were to pay to the
crown an hundred dahlers per laft for every fhip employed by them,
and two dahlers more per lafl for port duties. Above a million of rix-
dollars were preiently lubfcribed, by Swedes and foreigners, into the
flock of this new company, which may be faid to have partly fprung
out of the ruins of theOftend company; and many, or moft, of its fub-
fcribers and managers were for a long time foreigners and chiefly Bri-
tifh fubjedls ; the native Swedes being at firft unacquainted with that
trade : but by a fubfequent treaty or agreement, concluded between
the SwediOi court and our Englilh Eaft-India company, there were no
Britifh fubjecls, after a certain fixed term, to be employed in the fervicc
of the Swedifli company.

The company have had their grant renewed, and continue annually
to fend one or two fliips to China : but as there is not confumption
enough in Sweden for their cargoes, both this company and that of
Denmark are faid to be very hurtful to our own and the Dutch Eaft-
India trade, by running in upon our widely-extended coafts, tea, china-
ware, filks, &c. and alfo by fupplying foreign parts with fuch Eaft-India
goods as we formerly fent thither.

A law having been made in the 7th and 8th of King William III,
prohibiting the landing of any goods in Ireland, of the growth or pro-
duel of the EngliOi American plantations, unlefs they were firft landed
in England, and paid the duties there : and that law being conftrued
to extend to all kinds of American merchandize, as well unenumerated
as enumerated, it was now explained fo for in favour of Ireland, ' that
* all goods from America, not enumerated, might in like fort be landed
' in Ireland, in Britifti ftiips navigated agreeable to the navigation ads.'
[4. Geo. II, c. 15.] This was doing no more than putting Ireland on a
par with foreign countries in refped to fuch unenumerated goods. The
enumerated commodities at this time were fugar, tobacco, cotton-wool,
indigo, ginger, dying-woods, melaftes, rice, furs, copper-ore, pitch, tar,
turpentine, mafts, yards, and bowiprits, imported from, and the growth
and product of, the Britifti American plantations ; all which muft firft
be landed in Great Britain, except the rice of Carolina, which may be
carried to any place fouth of Cape Finifterre.

In the fame year an ad of parliament ordained, that all pleadings in
courts of juftice in England, and in the court of exchequer in Scotland,
ihould be in the Englifti language. The preamble declares, ' that
' many and great mifchiefs frequently happen to the fubjeds of this
' kingdom from the proceedings in courts of juftice being in an un-
' known language ; thofe who are fummoned and impleaded having
* no knowlege or underftanding of what is alleged for or againft
' them in the pleadings of their lawyers and attorneys, who alfo ufe a
' charader not legible to any but perfons pradifing the law. AH

A. D. 1731. 169

' pleadings therefor and writings muft henceforth be in the Englifli
' language (excepting in the court of admiralty) and not in Latin or
' French, and all deeds and other writings in a common legible hand
' and without abbreviations.' [4 Geo. Ill, c. 26.] Strange, that this
was not enacted long before.

The fecond penny, paid for penny-pofl letters and parcels, when
carried beyond London, Weftminfter, and Southwark, and their re-
fpedive fuburbs, and as far as within ten miles thereof, and not pafling
by the general poft, and from thence tranfmitted by the penny-pofl,
which had before been voluntarily paid by the perfons receiving them,
was now legally confirmed ; becaufe in many cafes the letter-carriers are
obliged to travel on horfeback to places at a confiderable diftance from
London. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 2,3>-^

This fame year the Danifh or Norwegian colony, which was fent to
replant Old Greenland in the year 172 1, returned home, the climate
being found fo cold, and the country fo barren, that even Norwegians
could not live in it. Yet it feems the clergyman, who went out with
this colony, having converted about 600 of the native favages to the
chriflian religion, generoufly determined to remain with thofe poor
people for the benefit of their fouls. Rara avis in terris.

At this time the ilates-general of the United Netherlands had a dif-
pute with the court of Denmark, about renewing the tarif, which fome
years ago expired, for regulating the toll to be paid by Dutch fhips
pafling through the Sound. There is a proverb in Holland, that the
keys of the Sound are at Amfiierdam. Yet thofe keys (i. e. a ftrong
fquadron of fliips of war to be fent annually to keep that paffage open)
being very coflly as well as hazardous, it was amicably made up on the
fame terms as before, and as we and other nations pay. It feems evi-
dently the true interefi: of the court of Denmark to adl with great
moderation towards the mercantile fhipping of the feveral nations of
Europe pafling this Sound ; feeing that any new and extravagant
demands might unite fo many powerful opponents as would be able
to call in quefiion the very foundation on which that toll has flood,
though for fo many ages paft.

The king of Portugal this year gave permiflion for one fliip to make
only one voyage to Surat and the coaft of Coromandel, and back to
Portugal, exclufive of all others ; for which end a company was efla-
bliflied, whofe capital was limited to 600,000 cruftdoes : and the fub-
fcribers were, fome time after the return of the fliip, to be paid back
their principal and their dividend of the profits.

Hereupon the Britifli conful at Lifl)on gave warning to all Britilh
lubjeds living in Portugal to avoid Ix-ing anv wav concerned in this

Vol. III. ' ' Y

1-70 A. D. 1731.

voyage ; us, by an acl of parliament of the gih year of King George I
(particularly aimed at the Oftend Eafl-India trade) fuch Britifli fubjeds
as fhould be concerned in foreign companies trading to the Eafl: -Indies
fhould forfeit all their flock therein, and triple the value ; and any of
our king's fubjeds going to, or being found in, the Eaft-Indies (other
than thofe of our Eaft-India company) were thereby declared guilty
of an high crime and mifdemeanor, &c. as has been fhewn under the
year 1723. And his warning had the defired effecl.

During this year there were re-exported from the port of London
alone, in only two of the enumerated commodities imported from the
Britifti American colonies, 15,787,155 lb. weight avoirdupois of to-
bacco ; and 58,446 cwt. (of ii2 pounds to the cwt.) or 6,54^,952 lb,
weight of fugar ; which equally ferves to demonftrate the va ft benefit
oi our plantations to their mother country, and the vaft foreign com-
merce of the city of London, the whole exports thereof in this one
year confifting of no fewer than 105 articles, or different fpecies, of
merchandize; many of which were very confiderable ones, — as in the
woollen manufadure alone, 894 fuits of apparel ; 22 16 pair of blankets;
3847 dozen of caps ; 10,437 dozen of caftors and felts ; cloths long
and fhort 4822 ; coverlids 385 ; flannel 48436 yards ; garments
1577 ; haberdafliery 827 cwt. ; hofe 7773 dozen; kerfies and dozens
2319; perpets 1995 ; plains 9640 goads; rugs 713; ftuffs and bays
38,915 pieces; befides vaft quantities of wheat, beans, peas, and oats;
bacon, bifcuit, cheefe, flour; Eaft-India goods in vaft quantities; iron,
copper, and brafs, ware, lead, and tin, tinned plates ; linen, threads, and
tapes, fail-cloth, &c.

And of London's imports there were 85 different fpecies of merchan-
dize, confifting of many forts of drugs, fpices, cotton, deer-lkins, ivory,
indigo, gums, goats-fkins, iron, many kinds of dying-woods and oils,
naval ftores, rice, rum, turpentine, wine, wool, 8cc.

This year was concluded the famous treaty of Vienna, between the em-
peror Charles VI, the king of Great Britain, and the ftates-general of
the United Netherlands, for a mutual guarantee of each others do-
minions ; and in a moft eipecial manner,

' I) For guaranteeing with all their forces the order of fuccefllon,
' which the emperor had eftabliflied by a folemn ad in the year 17 13,
' and again confirmed in 1724, in favour of primogeniture for all his

* heirs of both fexes, fo as that the eldeft of either fex fhall fucceed to
' all the hereditary dominions of the houfe of Auftria indivifibly for-

* ever,' commonly called the pragmatic fandion.

II) For the Spanifli infant Don Carlos eventually to fucceed to the
duchies of Tufcany, Parma, and Placentia. France afterwards agreed
to this pragmatic fandion.

A. D. 1731. 171

Til) The emperor, by the 5th article of this treaty, engaged to caufe all
commerce and navigation to the Eafl-Indies to ceafe immediately and
forever in the Auftrian Netherlands, and in all the other countries
which were formerly under the dominion of Spain, in the time of King
Charles II *, in fuch manner that neither the Oftend company, nor any
other fhall at any time contravene this treaty. Excepting that the
Oflend company may fend for once only, two fliips to the Eaft-Indies^
which fhall return to Oflend, and there fell their cargoes.

IV) But, by a feparate article, the guarantees before-fpecified of each
others dominions, in the ifl article of this treaty, are not to be extend-
ed to any diflurbance which the Turks may hereafter give to the domi-
nions of the houfe of Auftria. This laft was a very proper exception
in the two maritime powers to make ; fince othervvife they might have
involved themfelves in war with the Ottoman porte, which would
throw their Turkey trade entirely into France, which has already con-
fiderably enlarged her trade to the Levant. [Co/kdlion of treaties,
V. iv, ed. 1733.]

The French, finding us not obje6l to their fort at Niagara in the Iro-
quois country, now ereded another at Crown-point, in the center of
that country, and within the undoubted limits of New-York colony ;
and this fort, as well as another erected by them in the fame country,
named Ticonderoga, they held till both were taken by us in the year

1759-

The merchants trading to the Britifli fugar colonies, and the planters,
reprefentcd to the houfe of commons, that the Britifli continental colo-
nies carried on a trade with the fugar colonics of the French and Dutch,
from whence they were fupplied with fugar, rum, melafles, &c. inftead
of thofe of our own fugar colonies, as well as with foreign European goods
and manufadtures, contrary to the tenor or intention of the laws in be-
ing, and of the treaty with France in the year 1686 ; and they alleged,
that, as this new trade (firfl complained of in the year 171 5) increafed,
and enriched the colonies of other nations, fo it was injurious to the
trade of this kingdom, and greatly impoverifhed the Britifli fugar colo-
nies ; and therefor they prayed for relief therein. Thereupon a com-
mittee was appointed, upon whofe report a bill was brought in, and
palfed the houfe of commons, for the better fecuring and encouraging
the trade of his majefty's iugar colonics. It was indeed dropped in the
lioufe of peers : yet, as being a fubjed of the grcatefl coniequence to
our American commerce and colonies, we fliall exhibit an abftraci of
that bill as it was fent up to the houfe of peers, viz.

Section I) No fugar, rum, or melafles, of the plantations of foreign

• This claufe alfo rcfpcfts his dominions in luly .nnd Sicily. j1.

\ 2

172 A. D, 1731.

nations, lliall be imported into Britain or Ireland, or any of the king's
dominions in America, under forfeiture of lading, (hip, and furniture.

II) Aiders, aflifters, and receivers, in landing any fuch foreign fu-
gars, &c. to forfeit triple the value thereof.

III) The onus prohandi, or proof that the fugar, &c. fo feized, was the
•produd of the Britifh plantations, fhall lye on the proprietor of fuch

goods.

IV) Mafters of fhips, taking in, at fea, or in any creek, harbour, or
other place, any fuch foreign fugar, &c. in order to be landed in Great
Britain or Britifli America, fhall forfeit L200.

V, VI) The mafter of every fhip loading fugars, &c. at the Britifli
fugar colonies, bound to any other part of the king's dominions, fhall,
before he fails, deliver to the coUedor of the port a true account of his
lading, and take of him a certificate thereof, with the merchant's name
who fhipped them, and of him to whom configned ; and, when arrived
at his intended port, fhall take an oath and fign a true manifefl of his
lading.

Vil, VIII) And whereas great numbers of horfes, and great quanti-
ties of lumber have been exported from our continental colonies to the
foreign fugar colonies, whereby they are enabled more eafily to carry
on their fugar plantations ; none fuch (hall be tranfported hereafter to
thofe foreign colonies : and when any fuch goods are to be fhipped from
the continental colonies, the mafler fhall give a bond for L500, that they
fhall not be carried to any foreign fugar colony, &o.

IX, X) Governors, cuftom-houfe officers, &c. conniving at any fraudu-
lent importation of foreign fugars, &c. to forfeit L300.

XI) Nothing in this aft fhall extend to reftrain the ufual importation
of fugars from the dominions of Portugal.

Let us next, as briefly as poffible, hear the allegations on both fides
for and againft this bill.

In fupport of the bill, it was urged, both within doors and In fundry
pamphlets and newfpapers, that the northern colonifts had fupplied the
FrenchandDutch fugar colonies with fhipping.provifions, horfes, and lum-
ber, ever fince the peace of Utrecht, and that trade not only made thofe
necelTary commodities cheaper to them than they could have them any
where elfe, but alfo obliged the importers to take in payment great quan-
tities of French and Dutch fugars, rum, and melalfes, to the infinite de-
triment of the Britifli fugar colonies ; and, what is flill more grievous
and detrimental to the public, that Intercourfe affords our northern co-
lonies an opportunity of being fupplied with French European mer-
chandize which are prohibited by law.

The quantity of fugar now made in America being greater than Eu-
rope can confume, it is of confequence to us not to give foreigners a pre

A. D. 1731. 173

ference for the vent of their own produce, in any part of his majefly's
dominions.

The French having power (by the above treaty) to feize on our fhips
trading to their colonies, it is manifeft that it muft either be for their
advantage, or elfe from neceflity, that they fuffer it.

For the encouragement of our northern colonies to perfift in that
trade, they have the rum and melafTes from thofe foreign colonies, with-
out the high duties paid for them when imported into Britain. Melafles
was formerly of little or no value to the French planter, (becaufe lum
was detrimental to France as interfering with the confumption of their
brandy) until the French found they could fell it to our colonifts, in re-
turn for timber, horfes, oxen, and provifions, fo needful for them ;
whereby alfo they faved fo much money in fpecie ; and even the money,
which our northern colonics receive at our own fugar iflands in pay-
ment for their lumber, provifions, horfes, &c. is now carried to the
French fugar iflands for the purchafe of their melafles and rum, near
one half of the goods carried from North-America to our own fugar
iflands, being now paid for in money, and not by barter, as formerly ;
whereby the French are enabled to increafe their fettlements, and alfo
their negro trade.

This intercourfe, moreover, enhances the price of negroes to our own
lugar colonies, as well as of provifions, lumber, &c. being a great dil-
couragement to them, and more efpecially to Jamaica and St. Chrillo-
phers, where there are large quantities of land for new fettlements.

There are ptrfons fl:ill living, who very well remember, that there
were great quantities of provifions and other requifites for planting, fent
trom England to our fugar colonies, becaufe at that time our northern
colonies were not able fully to fupply them: whereas now the chief be-
nefit, which tlu; northern colonies yield to their mother country, is
their being able to fupply our fugarcolonies with thofe neceflaries much
cheaper ihan they could have them ellewhere : and our northern colo-
nies fliould be reftrided to that way of trading to our Wefl:-India ifles,
together with their fifheries, and raifing naval fiores, flax, hemp, indigo,
&.C. allowing them, however, any other commerce to foreign countries,
not detrimental to their mother country.

Whereas it is alleged by the northern colonifls, that, if they were re-
fl:rained trotn fupplying the French fugar ifles, they might be fupplicd
wit!i lumber, from their own continental fettlements at Mobile, Fenla-
cola, md Fort Louis, in the bay of Apalachy, whereby they would be
cncoi'iugcd to improve and peoj^lc thofe colonies, and that of Miflifippi,
whence fome fliips have already begun to carry lumber to the French fu-
gar iflands ; and with lumber, provifions, &c. from Canada. This the
lugar-ifland advocates abfolutely denied, faying, moreover, that thofe
J'rench continental colonies could not take off their rum and mclalTcs

174 A-^- ^737'

in return ; and that Canada is a barren country, and its river only na-
vigable in the fummer months.

Whereas formerly we fupplied even France, as well as Holland, Ger-
many, Italy, &c. with fugars ; it is chiefly by the above means that we
are now almofi; folely confined to the home confumption of Great Bri-
tain ; being in a great meafure excluded from Ire-land, (by clandeftinc
importations) and from our own American colonies, who, inflead of car-
rying their produd to our fugar colonies, as formerly, now carry the
fame to our rivals, in exchange for their rum and melaflxis.

With refped to Barbados, in particular, they are at a great expenfe
in their fortifications and their militia, without any charge to the crown ;
befide the 4^ per cent in fpecie, which they pay to the crown on all their
exports, amounting to about L 10,000 yearly. Moreover, Barbados
employs conftantly 1000 of our own feamen, and 10,000 tons of our
{hipping: and the kingdom gains annually from this fmall ifland L95,ooo
flerling. Whereas the French and Dutch pay much lower duties than
Britifh fubjeds do, both at home and in their plantations.

Of late the Dutch have extended their colonies at Surinam, Efekebe,
and Barbicies, (places on the continent, in the province of Guiana) mak-
ing much greater quantities of fugar, rum, and melafl^es, than formerly ;
a great part of which they fell to our northern colonifts in return for
horfes, provifions, and lumber.

Laftly, it was aflJerted, that the produce of our fugar iflands may be
eftimated and valued at Li, 500,000 per annum, which is fo much addi-
tional wealth to Great Britain : and that the adtual and direcfl annual
gain arifing, one way or other, to Great Britain, from our fugar colo-
nies, can be no lefs than i ,200,000 per annum ; arifing from the vafl:
quantities of Britifl^ manufadures confumed by them, from the like ma-
nufactures and produd fent to the coafl of Guinea for the purchafe of
negroes for the iflands, from the accumulated freight of the ftiipping
employed in thofe two branches, the gain on the fugars re-exported, the
cuftoms, the commilfion, the vidualling and refitting of the fliips, &c.
It was alfo alleged, that four fifths of all the gains of a fugar plantation
center in Great Britain, and the other fifth formerly centered in the
northern colonies folely, but now one half of that fifth is taken away
in cafli, and carried to the French plantations, to buy their fugar, rum,
and melalfes.

On the other hand, the following arguments were urged in behalf of
■the Britifti northern colonies, viz. New-England, Rhode-ifland, New-
York, Pennfylvania, and the Jerfeys.

As all the fugar, rum, and melafles, of our fugar ifles are taken off at
high prices by Great Britain and the northern colonies, it would be very
impolitic to obftrud the later from taking melafl^es, and even rum, from
the French iflands, for the fupply of their Indian trade, and much more

A. D. 1731. 175

of their fifheries ; feeing our own fugar colonies are unable to fup-
p]y the great quantity of melaffes which thofe two trades demand ; more
efpecially as from the French iflands they receive in payment filver and
cacao, as well as melalTes, (but feldom fugar or rum) which filver comes
ultimately to Great Britain to pay for the balance of trade : and the
northern colonies diftill the melafles into rum for the above purpofes.

By this trade the northern colonies are enabled to make fuch confi-
derable remittances to England in ready money, as they could procure
nowhere elfe but by their traffic with the foreign colonies, as well as by
indigo, cacao, fugar, and rum, both from Britifh and foreign colonies ;
for enabling them to pay for the great quantities of our manufadlures
which they yearly take of us.

If the northern colonies were not permitted to fupply the French
iflands with lumber, they could have them, though fomewhat dearer,
from their own colonies in the bay of Apalachy ; and our horfes would
be of little or no ufc, if not bought up by the French, who, befides, could
have them (as alfo mules) from the coafts of New-Spain and New-
Andalulia, and from the Dutch ifland of Cura^oa.

The Britifh fugar ifles employ no fliips but for their own fugars and
fome few other commodities, and what afliflance they atford to the ne-
gro trade : whereas, for every fhip which they ufe, the northern colo-
nies employ ten at lead, and not only ufe great quantities of Britifli
goods themfelves, but moreover fupply the Indian nations behind them
with vail quantities thereof, whereby they afford employment to a
much greater number of hands in Great Britain than the fugar iflands
can do.

The late great improvements in the Dutch and French fugar colonies
are owing to their induftry and frugality on one hand, and, on the
other, to the notorious luxury and extravagance of the people in our fu-
gar ifles, who, inftead of endeavouring to regain their former trade bv
lowering their prices, would now gain it by force, by the help of an ad
of parliament compelling all the fubjet^s of Great Britain, both at home
and in America, to take off their merchandize on their own terms, for
the fupport of the luxury and extravagance for which they have been fo
long famous. The high prices of their fugars have been the means
of lofmg their former European markets ; and if they are to be
railed dill higher, th<^y will lofe all that is yet left ; fo that in the
end the fiibjecls of Great Britain alone muft; fupport thofe people in
luxury and indolence. Barbados was formerly wont to trade with the
French and Dutch, and, by taking off their fugars, prevented their
feeking for other markets, whereby the Barbadians gained the fugar
trade almofl; entirely into their own hands : but they loft it again in the
year 171 5 by laying a duty on foreign fugars, &.c. too high to be fup-
portcd. I

176

A. D. 1731.

The confumption of rum in New-England is fo great, that an author
on this fubjed aflerts, that there have been 20,000 hogfheads of French
melafles manufndured into rum at Bofton in one year : and as every
gallon of melall'es will make a gallon of rum, this will amount to
1,260,000 gallons of rum in one year : fo vafl: is the demand for that
liquor by their fifhery, and by the Indian trade. If then, the trade
from New-England to the French iflands was to be prohibited, how
much would our American fifhery and the Indian trade fuffer for want
of rum, feeing that all the rum from our own fugar colonies is now en-
tirely taken off by Great Britain and her colonies ? And if our north-
em colonies fhould buy up all the melafles and rum which our fugar
iflands can make, then, not only the duty on rum imported into Bri*-
tain and Ireland would be funk, which now produces a large fum, but
the French would bring their rum to the European markets, and would
probably run it in upon us. About 40 years ago (i. e. about the
year 1 690) the melafles were entirely wafted in Jamaica, where they
produced fine fugars long before they made any rum, which they
at length learned to make from the Barbadians, and now make it bet-
ter than their teachers. At firft our northern colonies took off all that
they made ; but when they came to excell in the goodnefs of it, fo that
they found it would anfwer better to fend it to England, they raifed the
price fo high, that now very little of it is taken from Jamaica by our
northern colonies. In fine, if the northern colonies and Great Britain
now aftually take off all the fugar, rum, and melaffes, which our fugar
iflands can pofllbly produce ; and our northern colonies moreover take
off fuch vafl quantities of rum and melaffes from the French of Marti-
nico, and likewife get a great deal from Surinam, Guadaloupe, Granada,
Cape Francois, Cayenne, &c. fliould all but our omti fugar, rum, and
melaffes, be abfolutly prohibited, many great inconveniences would fol-
low; for I ft, we fliould lofe the employment of feveral thoufandtons of
fhipping, in the trade between the northern colonies and thofe foreign fu-
gar colonies: 2dly, the northern colonies could not poflibly be fupplied
with near the quantity of rum and melafles which they need for carrying
on their moft profitable trades: 3dly, this would put a moft dangerous mo-
nopoly into the hands of our own fugar-planters, fo that the Indian and
fifhery trades of our colonies could not afford to pay the rates which
would be demanded, even fuppofing our iflanders could make fufficient
quantities of thofe goods for both the American and Britifh confump-
tion : 4thly, it would greatly increafe the French ffiipping and naviga-
tion, not only in bringing lumber, horfes, &c. to their own fugar
iflands, but in carrying thence to Europe all their rum and melaffes,
where no doubt they would find markets for them, as they already do
for their fugars, by underfelling us in Holland, and at Hamburgh, Cadiz^
&c.: 5thly, and if the complaint of the Barbadians be true, that their lands

A. D. I73I. 177

nrefot^'orn out, that it requires the labour of three negroes to produce as
much fugar as could formerly be railed by the labour of one, they need
but remove to Jamaica, where they may have excellent frefh land enough ;
and as the value of fuch new land is a trifle, when compared to the va-
lue of the flock required for a fugar plantation, which is the main ar-
ticle for eftablifliing fuch a plantation, they have that entire to carry
along with them to Jamaica ; and the charge and trouble of their re-
moving thither would be amply compenfated by the abundant product
of thole new lands, and which confequently would enable them to un-
derfell the French and Dutch plantations, the only feeming means left
for recovering the trade of the re-exportation of our fugars : 6thly,
from the foreign fugar colonies our northern colonifts bring back con-
flderable quantities of gold and fllver, along with their fugar, rum, and
melafles, whereby they are enabled to make payments for the vaft quan-
tities of producl and manufactures, which they take of their mother
country, and which, without this trade fo much complained of, thev
could not poflibly do. Laflly, to prohibit the northern colonifts from
purchafmg of the foreign colonies their fugar, rum, and melafles, or
even to lay high duties on them, would utterly deflroy a commerce, with-
out which they cannot poflibly carry on their fiflieries, their trade for
peltry with the Indians, or their navigation. Neither could they difpofe
of the product of their lands and labour, a great part of the profits
whereof centers in Great Britain, in payment of the manufadures, &c.
they have from thence. Upon the whole, the fecret and real view of
the fugar iflands is to gain the abfolute monopoly of fugar and rum
(with refpedt to the fubjec'ls of Great Britain) to thcmfelves ; that fo
they may have it in their pov.-er to exad: what prices they iTiall pleafe
from the buyers.

Notwithflandingall thcfe plaufible allegations on both fides, in a mat-
ter of great importance to our commercial interefts, there was nothing
legally decided till the year 1733. And indeed, where fuch material al-
terations are required to be made in a long-eftablilhed, or even conniv-
ed, courfe of any important branch of commerce, great and ferious de-
liberation, and mature obfervation and confideration, feem abfolutely
requifite in a nation, whole principal fupport depends fo much on com-
merce and plantations.

1732 — Byaflatuteof ihe5thycarofKingGeorgeII,[r. 1 7] one million
of money was paid off the Souch-fea company's capital flock, out of the
finking fund, from midfiuTimer 1732 ; but the company having a large
bond debt, (occafioned by the miimanagemenls in the year 1720) their
general court, inftead of dividing the money to the proprietors, agreed
to pay off one million of bonds therewith, wherebv fo much of their
capital flock was annihilated, being 6^ per cent, which was accordingly
written off from each proprietor's accoiuit.

Vol. lir. /

178

A. D. 1732,

The manuflicture ot hats being long fince brouglit to perfection in
England, and great quantities thereof annually exported to foreign parts,
and particularly to the Britifli American plantations, till of late years,
that great quantities of hats have been made in the northern planta-
tions, and from thence exported to foreign markets, which were here-
tofore fupplied therewith from Great Britain, for remedy thereof it was
enaded, that no hats or felts whatever (hould be exported from any of
the plantations to foreign parts, nor be loaden on any horfe, cart, or
other carriage, with that intent, under forfeiture thereof, and of L500
for every fuch offence, and aiders or abettors therein forfeit L40, and
^uftom-houfe officers, permitting entries of fuch hats to be made,
forfeit their office and L500. None are permitted to make hats in the
colonies, but fuch as have ferved an apprenticefliip thereto of feven
years ; and no mafter to have at any time above two apprentices, nor
employ any negro in that manufadure. [5 Geo. II, c. 22.] The con-
veniences, in point of cheapnefs, which the Americans have beyond
their mother country, by the plenty of beaver, hare, ccney-wool, and
many other furs, gave them fuch advantages, that had they not been
thus reftrained, they would foon have fupplied all the world with hats.
And as our people are continually increaiing in thofe plantations, we
can fcarcely too often inculcate the opinion of knowing and inteUigent
men, that nothing will be able to prevent thofe people from manufac-
tures interfering with ours, but their being conftantly employed in raif-
ing naval flores, and other rough materials for our own manufadtures,
fuch as filk, flax, hemp, iron, &c. *

Confiderable quantities of coffee being by this time produced in, and
imported from, Jamaica into Britain, the legiflature, for its encourage-
ment in our Britifli plantations, reduced the inland duty thereof coming
from thence, (but of none other) from 2/ to iy5 per lb. weight. [5 Geo.
II, c. 24.] It feems that the French at Martinco, Hifpaniola, and at the
Iflc de Bourbon near Madagafcar, had fomewhat the ftart of us in this
new produdion, as had alfo the Dutch at Surinam ; yet none fuch as yet
comes up to the coffee of Arabia, from whence all the reft of the world
originally had theirs. But m length of time, our people, as well as thofe
of other nations, may bring it to perfedion, whereby our colonies will
be the better enabled to takeoff more of our product and manufactures,
while we fhall fave a great deal of the price we now pay for the coffee
of the Eaft.

The South-fea company again ventured to fend out their remaining 2 1
fliips on the whale fiflicry. It was the laft attempt they made for recover-
ing to Great Britain that valuable branch of trade, as finding themfelves

* What did ihofe knowing and intelligent men propofe that the Americans fhould do, when theii
increafcd populatiiin (hould produce mere filk, flax, hemp, iron, &c. than could be fold as rough raa.
urials ? M. z

A. D. 1732. 179

to be very great lofers thereby. Thofe {hips brought home 24^ whales ;
which Hkewife proved a very lofing voyage.

And now that company, having ventured fully as far as (and many
thought farther than) in prudence they ought to have done in the whale
fifhery, in confideration of their having, for eight years together, been
confiderable lofers, thought it high time to lay it afide entirely. Where-
for they fold off all their fliips, flores, and utenfils : and upon finally
ftating the accounts of this fifliery, it appeared,

That their total difburfements on account of the Greenland whale
fifhery in the eight years, amounted to - L262,i72 9 6

And the total amount of the fale of their oil and
whale-fins, as alfo of the fale of all their fliips, llores,
and utenfils, was but - _ . 84,390 6 6

So the net lofs fuflained by this Greenland filhery,
in principal money alone, (without reckoning the in-
terefl: on the money advanced in each of the eight
years) was - - - Ll 77,782 3 0

It has been ufually computed, that, if a Greenland fhip brought home
but three whales, it would be a reafonably-gainful voyage : but mofl:
unfortunately for the South-fca company, they had not, in all the eight
years fifhery, brought home at the rate of one entire whale per Ihip,
taking one year with another. It has, moreover, been a maxim among
the whale-fifliing adventurers, that one good fifliing year in feven, ufu-
ally makes up the lofles of fix preceding bad years. But it was very
unhappy that all thofe eight years happened to be bad, not only to the
company, but to mofl of the adventurers of other nations. It mufl,
however, be allowed by all, that this company, by fufiaining fo great a
lofs in endeavouring to promote fo national a benefit, has greatly merit-
ed the favour of the public ; and, moreover, that, if this fifiiery could
have been brought to be profitable to the company, it would moft cer-
tainly have been a gainful one to the nation, as will plainly appear in
the following refpeds, viz.

By faving great fums of money fent annually beyond fea for the pur-
chafe of oil and whalebone, which we abfokuely cannot be without.

By building and employing fo great a number of rtout fiiips as probably
this company would have employed, (perhaps fo tar as 100) had fuc-
cefs attended their fifliery.

By the great number of good feamen, of whom this filhery is allow-
ed to be an excellent nurfery ; the company adually employing annu-
ally 950 to 1 100, befides thofe employed at the dock in lail-making and
in the rope-yard, cooperage, 8cc.

Z 2

i8o A. D. 1732.

By ihc number of iliip-builclcrs, coopers, ropc-makcrs, lail-niakeis,
and labourers ; and alio the employment given to butchers, bakers,
brewers, diflillcrs, painters, fmiths, turners, flop-lcllers, fliip-chandlers,
and all the other numerous trades depending on the outlit of dipping.

Laftly, by the benefit accruing" to the landed intereft from the great
fjuantlty of provifions of various kinds, confumed by the meii in thofc
ihips, as well as to the public revenue by the excife and cuftoms paid
for liquors and many other things ufed in this trade.

Now, if from laying afide this one fmall branch of trade, fo many
perfons were difmilled to the wide world, to fhift for themfelves and
families ; and fo many trades and occupations were to fuffer a conlider-
able diminution of their former annual emoluments ; (as by the print
of Hercules's foot, they framed a judgement of his whole bulk and Ma-
ture) we are, in fome meafure enabled, on the one hand, to frame an
idea of the vafl profit arifing to this nation from its prefent general and
total foreign commerce: as, on the other hand, we may form a clear
judgement of the inexpreflible mifery, depopulation, and defolation,
which a general decay of commerce would bring upon this now happy
nation. It may not therefor be amifs, on this occafion, to exhibit the
whole quantity of the provifions of all kinds expended by the South-fea
company in their eight years whale -fiihery, as a farther (though but
fmall) teftimony of the benefits accruing to the public by our naviga-
tion and commerce, viz. beef and pork 1380 hundred weight 2 quar-
ters 15 pounds: beer 466 tons i barrel 22 gallons: ftockfifh 10 tons
9 cwt. 37 quarters: brandy 1 758-^ gallons ; butter 448 firkins ; cheefe
240 cwt. 3 quarters 2 lb. ; peas and oatmeal 1 157^ bufhels ; bread and
■flour 1044 cwt. 2 quarters 141b.; grout or grots no hoglheads. All
which provifions cofl the company no lefs a fum than L43,768 : 2 ; 3.

The Dutch Eaft-India company refolved to make a dividend of 25
per cent to their proprietors for this year, to be paid in May 1733.
This fhews the great profits, as well as the prudent management, of that
company, who (it is faid) never yet divided at any one time the entire
profits they made by their vaft commerce, but always referved what we
call a neft-egg, for accidents. While, on the other hand, the Dutch
Weft-India company, who at firfi:, and for fome time, made vafl; profits
by their commerce, took a quite contrary courfe, by making large and
extravagant dividends, which raifed the nominal, but deprefied the real
and intrinfic, value of their fi:ock. So that when their firft difficulty
rame upon them from the Portuguefe, in the middle of the laft century,
xhey had not means fufficient to prevent their being driven out of
■Brafil, to their inexpreflible lofs. And the like happened to that com-
pany a few years after, when they were driven out of New-York and
Mew-Jerfey, and hundreds of funilies v/ho had ventured their all in that

A. D. 1 732. 181

company were undone. A leflbn for all fuch trading companies to ufe
the greateft caution in their dividends.

In this lame year Pope Clement XII ereded his city of Ancona, on
the Adriatic flaore, into a free port for all nations, beftovving on fucli
perfons and families as lliould fettle there, fundry coniiderable exemp-
tions from taxes and burdens, and from duties, &c. on fuch foreign
fhips as Ihould refort to that port for commerce. This has fmce had
fome coniiderable efted, that city and port being now more frequented
than formerly

The profperity of the kingdom of Ireland being very much for the
intereft and glory of Great Britain, the wealth, ftrength, and populouf-
nefs, thereof undoubtedly contributing to our own ; we fhall here ob-
ferve, that an ingenious anonymous piece was publiflied this year, in
vindication of that country from the clamours raifed about the clandef-
tine trade of running wool and woollen goods from Ireland to foreign
parts, with the befl remedy for the fame, (in a Letter to a member of parlia-
ment.)

In general the author undertakes to Hiew, that, though the quantity
of wool and woollen yarn lent from Ireland to England be lefs at pre-
fent than formerly, and is dayly decreafing, yet it is not occafioned by a
greater quantity thereof being run beyond fea, but from other caules ;
which he introduces by fhewing the total quantities of wool and yarn
imported into England in different periods, from 1687 downward; and
that, in proportion to the gradual decreafe of that importation, Ireland
generally has increafed in people ; becaufe, meeting with other employ-
ment, firlT: by tillage, and fmce by their linen manufactures, they have
bred much fewer fheep, having turned much of their fheep-walks into
tillage, and the pafture fit for black cattle and horfes.

He obfervcs, that in the year 1672 the people of Ireland were com-
puted to amount to 1,100,000, and in 1684 they were 1,200,000 : that
loon after King Williani's rcdudion of Ireland they did not exceed
1 ,040,000, (occafioned doubtlefs by fo many of their papifls going be-
yond fea to France, Spain, &c.) But that in the year 1725 they were
rifcn again to at leafl: 1,670,000 peo])le. That the dcvallation in 1641,
and the encouragement given to papills towards the end of King Charles
II's reign, difcouraged proteflants from fettling there ; and thofe there
already being indolent, by rcafon of the cheapnefs of land and provi-
lions, the bulk of their lands (the people being few) was employed in
grazing cattle and Ihcep, which occafioned a great increafe of the ex-
[)ortation of wool to England : that the great increafe of people there
about the year 1725, by the increafe of their linen and other manufac-
tures, having brouglit thither much more wealth, more tillage was
wanted, and the flieep-walks were much leflened. Thus he thinks it
evident, that the decreafe of the importation of wool and yarn to Eng-

i82 A. D. 1732.

land docs not proceed from a greater, or indeed fo great, a quantity
thereof being at this time run beyond fea, but merely from the later
caufes, and alfo from the increafe of dairies, and from the confumptiou
of more flieep and wool, to feed and clothe their people.

It was therefor a very wife meafure in England to encourage the
linen and hempen manufadures of Ireland, as the only eft'edual way to
employ their poor, and prevent the increafe of their wool, as may be
feen by the few flieep that are now in the linen counties, compared to
former times, more particularly iii the province of Ulfter, wherein the
linen manufadlure is univerfally fpread, they not having fheep enow to
fupply their markets with food, nor the people with clothing. In mod
part alfo of the other three provinces of Ireland, the fheep-walks arc
conftantly decrcafmg, and tillage, dairy, and feeding of black cattle and
horfes, increafmg along with the linen manufadure, fpreading fail into
moft counties. And, though it is not denied, that fmall quantities of
wool, and its manufadures, are flill clandeflinely exported, yet it does
not go out in fuch quantity as has been imagined from the decreafe of
the export of wool and yarn to England. Our brethren of England
may therefor fee, (fays this ingenious Irifhman) that, if prudent mea-
fures be taken, Ireland in a little time will have no more wool, nor
woollen manufadure, than is neceflary for its own confumption.

Thus, continues he, even the greateft part of the wool of Ireland is
now neceffary to employ the clothiers in Dublin, who fupply moft parts
of that kingdom with woollen goods. It is alfo certain, that moft of
the woollen and bay yarn fpun in the weft of Ireland, as well as a great
quantity from Dublin, is exported to England.

We {hall only add hereunto, that, as the quantity of all kinds ofUnen
imported into the port of London alone, in only the year 1731, was
very near 14 millions of ells, from Holland, Germany, and the Eaft
country, the greateft part of which is again exported to our plantations
in America and our fadories in Africa, &c. and as the poor of Scot-
land and Ireland generally live nearly as cheap as the poor in thofe
foreign countries, it is to be hoped, that all manner of encouragement
will be given (as indeed has in a great meafure already been done) for
their manufaduring the fame, inftead of foreign nations ; but moft
efpecially inftead of the people of Ruflla, Poland, and Pruflia, to whom
we pay a great annual balance in money for their linen, naval ftores,

&c.

The number of fliips belonging to the port of London, according to
Mr. Maitland's account for the year 1732, which, in his Survey of Lon-
don, he fays was taken from the general regifter at the cuftom-houfe,
was 1417 veflels from 15 to 750 tons, containing 178,557 tons, and
navigated by 21,797 men : of which ftiips there were 130 from 300 to

A. D. 1732. 183-

500 tons, and 83 from 200 to 300 tons ; all the reft were under 200 tons,
excepting the South-fea company's great ftiip of 750 tons.

The cargoes of ten Dutch Eaft-Tndia ftiips which arrived this year
from Batavia, may be worth recording in this work, viz. 10,700 pieces of
filk ftuffs, and 81,985 lb. weight of Bengal raw filk ; 86,515 pieces of
calicoes; 1,419,427 lb. of black, white, and long, pepper ; 653,552 lb.
tea ; 389,940 lb. nutmegs ; 1 36,906 lb. mace ; 1 28,000 lb. of cinnamon ;
924,341 lb. fugar, powdered and candied; 80,000 pots candied nut-
megs; 6850 lb. of cardamums ; 1,872,375 lb. Java coffee; 52001b.
cubebs ; 592,028 lb. faltpetre ; 11,700 lb. benzoin; 1015 lb. borax;
200 lb. aguil-wood; 285,069 lb. Caliatour-wood ; 125,4191b. cowries;
72,843 lb. cotton-yarn ; 17,100 lb, gumlack ; 1500 pieces of walking
canes; 11,222 lb. indigo; 21,487 lb. curcuma; 1810 lb. mother-of-
pearl; 1445 lb. China-root; 556,215 lb. Sapan-wood ; 64 lb. powder
of pearl ; 23,600 lb. Malacca tin; and 67,141 lb. Siam tin; (befides a
rough diamond, 2 diamond rings, and 2 gold boxes).

This year a number of gentlemen of diftindion and worth fet on foot
one of the moft difmterefted, charitable, and benificent, defigns that was
ever undertaken. Hitherto all our American colonies were profelfedly
planted for the immediate benefit of the undertakers : but this was
lolely for a national and charitable purpofe, without any other benefit
to the undertakers than what refults from the pleafi.ire of doing good.
Moft of them were members of parliament, who having lately had occa-
lion to obferve the mlfery of the prifoners, confined in our gaols for
debt, were thence moved with compaflion for the relief of fuch unfor-
tunate objects, who, were they fettled in fome new colony in our plant-
ations, might, inftead of a burden and difgrace, prove a great benefit
to the nation ; and that moreover many perfeciued proteftants from be-
yond fea miglit take the benefit of luch a colony for letting up their reft
there, with the free enjoyment of their civil and religious liberties.
There was a great part of the charter-limits of South-Carolina, next to
Florida, ftill unplanted, which it was highly the intereft of Great Bri-
tain to occupy, and plant as foon as poffible, left either the Spaniards
from Florida, or the French behind it, from the Millifippi, ihould feize
on and plant what they fo found unoccupied ; more efpecially as the
later people greatly lament their not having a footing on any part of
the eaftexn ftiores of North- America, fo as to communicate more eafily
with their fugar-iflands, their voyages to and from their Miililippi colony
being by no means fo convenient for carrying provifions, lumber, &.c.
M-hich therefor they were ftill obliged to take from our Britilli conti-
nental colonies. This vacancy then was judged ablolutely requifite to
be filled up as foon as polfible.

Thefe reafons were fi.ifticiLntly cogent for gentlcnicn of fo public-
fpirited a charadcr and difpofiiiou to make the attempt. But firft they:

1 84

A. D. 1732.

were to be authorized by his majefly's perpetual charter, which they
obtained on the 9th of June this year ; empowering 2 1 gentlemen by
name, and fuch others as they fliould from time to time eled into their
body, to be truflees for eftablilhing the colony, therein named Georgia
in America, bounded between the mofl: northern flrcam of the river
Savannah, and the mofl fouthern ftream of the river Alatamaha, ftretch-
ing above 100 miles along the fea-coaft, and extending weflward from
the heads of the fliid rivers in dired lines to the South fea, with the
iflands within 20 leagues of the fea-coaft. The truftees were empower-
ed to receive and manage the contributions of all perfons and corpora-
tions inclined to give money for tranfporting people to, and fettling
them in, the faid country. This corporation was made capable in law
to hold and purchafe lands, &c. in Great Britain, to the value of Liooo
yearly, and in America to an unlimited value, for the faid charitable
purpofe. Their common-council to confift of 1 5 perfons, with power
to make them up 24, as they afterwards did. They were to pay annu-
ally to the crown 4/ for every 100 acres of land granted to the planters,
the quit- rent to begin to be paid 10 years after the refpedive dates of
fuch grants. Georgia to remain forever an independent province ;
fave only that its militia fhall be commanded by the governor of South-
Carolina : but the government of the colony in other refpeds to be in
the truflees for 21 years, at the expiration of which it was to be vefled
in the crown. Liberty of confcience and freedom of worfliip allowed
to all its inhabitants, papifls alone excepted. Lands to be granted to
any perfon, not exceeding 500 acres, on fuch terms as to the common-
council {hould feem proper. No truftee to hold lands nor office in
Georgia. The grants of lands to be regiftered here in the office of the
auditor of the plantations. With refped to the progrefs made by thofe
truftees, it may be truely faid, that they took all poflible pains for exe-
cuting the tru'ft : they ereded two good towns. Savannah and Frederica,
at the north and fouth extremities of the province, befides feveral vil-
lages and fmall forts, and one more confiderable one among the Indians,
called Augufta, with a fmall garrifon for the protedion of the Indian
trade, 240 miles weft from the fea, up the river Savannah. They made
a common nurfery-garden of white mulberry trees, for the produdion
of filk. They procured foreign vine-drefTers to improve the native
vines, which in great abundance run up the talleft trees, and bear fmall
grapes ; and they have alfo fent thither many forts of vines from Eu-
rope; as alfo fome Piedmontefes, /killed in the winding of filk, and
tending the filk-worms. For feveral years alfo they and other lords
and gentlemen, by fubfcription, maintained a travelling profeflbr of
botany for colleding the moft pretious plants and feeds in various
American climates, to be tranfplanted to Georgia. Yet, by having
feveral idle drones, drunkards, and downright rogues, the prosperity of

3

A. D. 1732. 185

this colony was at firfl much retarded, as it was alfo by frequent alarms
from the Spaniards ; and, it muft be confefled, in part alfo, by an ill-
judged, though well-meant, Utopian fchenie for limiting the tenure of
lands, and for the excluiion of negro flaves, both which miftakes have
fince been reftified, By the planting of Georgia, Carolina has felt the
benefit of being able to run out (as they term it) much land, which, till
that new frontier barrier was eflablifhed, they had no inclination to do,
whereby thofe lands have been raifed to five times their former value
about Port-royal, and toward the river Savannah. Georgia, therefor,
cannot fiil to be of great fervice to us on many accounts. The Britifh
navv may, in its bays and harbours, in cafe of a war, fafely lie in wait
for the Spanifh galleons, or for the French from Miflilippi, in going to
Europe through the dangerous gulf of Florida, while the neighbouring
Spanifh port of St. Augufline is almoft choaked up with land. The
truftees of Georgia eredcd a fort in the nation of the Upper Creeks,
almoft 400 miles from the fea, and not above 40 miles from the neareil
French fort in Millifippi, whereby all that trad of country is kept pof-
feflion of for us.

Georgia produces a great variety of excellent plants and drugs ;
orange trees in fome parts of it : great plenty of horfes and black cattle
are already raifed ; and the Saltlhurgcrs of Ebenezer long fince raifed
more corn than they confunicd. There is plenty of wild fowl, and alio
fifli on its coafts. And llnce it has fallen under the government of the
crown, it gradually increafes in people and improvements more and
more.

The court of Spain was this year put upon a projecft for creding an
Eaft-India company, to trade to the Philippine illes diredly from Cadiz,
by the Cape of Good Hope. And though it concerned all the other
European nations trading to India, yet it more efpecially concerned the
Dutch, to oppofe it, as it is diredly contrary to the huer part of the 5th
article of the treaty of Munfter, in the year 1648, between Spain and
them ; and as the fame article was lately fuccefsfully made ufe of againft
the Oftend company of the Spanifli or Auftrian Netherlands, it may be
yet more llrongly oppoled to the eredion of this new company, viz.
' it is ftipulated and agreed, that the Spaniards fliall confine their navi-
' gation in the Eall-Indies in fuch manner as it is at prefent potTeifed
' by them, without having it in tlieir power to extend tlie fame any
' farther : as, aHo, the inhabitants of the Netherlands fiiall abflain
' from frequenting thole jilaces which belong to the Callilians in the
' Eaft-lndies.' Now the Eaft-India trade, as then poflefled by Spain,
was pracflifed folely from New-Spain to ilie Philippines, and back to
the pore of Acapulco ; but no Kaft-lndia trade at all from Spain by the
way of the Cape of Good Hope ; wherefor the Dutch at this time moft

Vol. 111. A a

i86 A. D. 1732.

juftly and zealoufly, and in the end efFedually, oppofed fo palpable a
contravention of that treaty.

Purfuant to an order of the Britifli houfe of commons, direded to the
lords commiflioners of trade and plantations in the later end of the
laft, or the beginning of this year, relating to the difpute flill fubfifting
between the fugar colonies, and the northern continental colonies of
America, that board reported, with refped to laws made, manufac-
tures fet up, or trade carried on, there, detrimental to the trade, naviga-
tion, or manufadures, of Great Britain, as follows, viz.

With refped to the laws, it is premifed, ' that many of the Britifh
' colonies in America are immediately under the government of the
' crown, namely, Nova-Scotia, New-Hampfliire, the Jerfeys, New-York,
' Virginia, the two Carolinas, Bermudas, the Bahama iflands, Jamaica,

* Barbados, and the Leeward iflands. Others are vefted in proprietors,
' as Pennfylvania, Maryland ; and not long fince the Bahamas, and the

* two Carolinas alfo.

' There are likewife three charter governments. The chief of thefe

* is Maflachufets-bay, called New England, the conftitution whereof is

* of a mixed nature, where the power feems to be divided between the
' king and the people, but in which the people have much the greater
' fliare ; for here the people do not only choofe the affembly, as in other
' colonies, but the aflembly choofes the council alfo, and the governor
' depends on the affembly for his annual fupport, which has too fre-
' quently laid the governors of this province under temptations of giv-
' ing up the prerogative of the crown, and the interefl: of Great Britain.
' The two remaining provinces, Connedicut and Rhode-ifland, are
' charter governments alfo, or rather corporations, where almoft the
' whole power of the crown is delegated to the people ; for they choofe
' their aflembly, their council, and their governor, likewife annually,
' and hold little or no correl'pondence with our office.

' It is not furpriling that governments, conflituted like thefe laft
'\ mentioned, fhould be guilty of many irregularities in point of trade,
' as well as in other reipeds.

' All thefe colonies, however, by their feveral conftitutions, have the
' power of making laws for their better government and fupport, pro-
' vided they be not repugnant to the laws of Great Britain, nor detri-
' mental to their mother country.

' And thefe laws, when they have regularly pafl^ed the council and
' aflembly of any province, and received the governor's aflent, become
' valid in that province, repealable, however, by his majefty in council,

* upon jufl; complaint, and do not acquire a perpetual force, unlefs con-
' Armed by his majefly in council.

' But there are fome exceptions to this rule in the proprietary and
' charter governments ; for in the province of Pennfylvania they §ire

A. D. 1732. 1S7

only obliged to deliver a tranfcript of their laws to the privy council
wkhin Jive jears after they are pafled ; and if his majefly does not think
fit to repeal them mjix vionths from the time fuch tranfcript is fo de-
livered, it is not in the power of the crown to repeal them afterwards.
' In the Maflachufets-bay alfo, if their laws are not repealed within
three years after they have been prefented to his majefly, for his ap-
probation or difallowance, they are not repealable by the crown after
that time.

* The provinces of Maryland, Connedicut, and Rhode-ifland, not
being under any obligation by their refpedive conftitutions, to return
authentic copies of their laws to the crown for approbation or difal-
lowance, or to give any account of their proceedings, we are very little
informed what is doing in any of thefe governments.

' All the governors of the colonies, who ad under the king's appoint-
ment, ought, within a reafonable time, to tranfmit home authentic
copies of the feveral adls by them pafled, to go through a proper ex-
amination.

* The following complaints have, however, been lately made to this
board againft fome plantation-laws, viz.

* In MalTachufets-bay an ad was made to encourage the manufidure
of paper, which law interferes with the profit made by the Britifh
merchant on foreign paper fent thither, being almofi: the only fort of
paper fent thither.

' In New- York there is a duty of L2, (or five ounces of filver) laid
on all negroes imported from Africa, and of L4 on all negroes import-
ed from any other place.

* In New-England, New- York, Connedicut, Rhode-ifland, Pennfyl-
vania, and in the county of Somerfet, in Maryland, they have fallen
into the manufadure of woollen cloth and linen cloth, for the ufe of
their own families only.

' For the produd of thofe colonies being chiefly cattle and grain, the
efiates of the inhubilants depended wholely on farming, which could
hot be managed without a certain quantity of iheep ; and their wool
would be entirely loft, were not their fervants employed during win-
ter in manufadurinu: it for the ufe of their families.

' Flax and hemp being likewife eafily rnifed, the inhabitants manu-
fidured thcni into a coarfe fort of cloth, bags, traces, and halters, for
their horfes, which they found did more fervice than thofe they had
from any part of Europe. However, the high price of labour in ge-
neral in America rendered it impradicable for people there to ma-
nufadure tlieir linen cloth at lels than 20 per cent more than the rate
in England, or woollen cloth at lefs than 50 per cent dearer than that
which is exported from hence for file. It were to be wiflied, that
fome expedient might be fallen upon to divert their thoughts from
, A a 2

iB8 A. D. 1732.

undertakings of this nature ; fo much the rather, becaufc thofe ma-
nufadures, in proccfs of time, may be carried on in a greater degree,
unlefs an early ftop be put to their progrefs, by employing them in
naval flores. Wherefor we take leave to renew our repeated propo-
fals, that reafonable encouragement be given to the fame. More-
over, we find that certain trades carried on, and manufadurcs fet up
there, are detrimental to the trade, navigation, and manufaftures of
Great Britain. For the (late of thole plantations varying almolt every
year, more or lefs, in their trade and manufa6lures, as well as in other
particulars, we thought it necefiaay for his majedy's fervice, and for
the difcharge of our truft, from time to time, to fend certain general
' queries to the feveral governors in America, that we might be the
' more exadly informed of the condition of the plantations, among

* which there were feveral that related to their trade and manufactures,
' to which we received the following returns, viz.

' The governor of Nevv-Hampfliire, in his anfwer, faid, that there
' were no fettled manufactures in that province, and that their trade
' principally confifted in lumber and fifli.

' The governor of Maffuchufets-bay informed us, that in fome parts
' of this province the inhabitants worked up their wool and flax into

* an ordinary coarfe cloth for their own ufe, but did not export any.
' That the greateft part of the woollen and linen clothing, worn in this
' province, was imported from Great Britain, and fometimes from Ire-
' land ; but, confidering the exceilive price of labour in New- England,
' the merchants could afford what was imported cheaper than what was
' made in that country. That thore were alfo a few hat-makers in the
' maritime towns ; and that the greater part of the leather ufed in that

* country was manufactured among themfelves ; that there had been
' for many years fome iron works in that province, which had afforded
' the people iron for fome of their neceflary occafions ; but that the
' iron imported from Great Britain was efteemed much the beft, and
' wholely ufed by the (hipping. And that the iron works of that pro-
' vince were not able to fupply the twentieth part of what was neceflary
' for the ufe of the country.

' They had no manufactures in the province of New-York, that de-
' ferved mentioning : their trade confifted chiefly in furs, whalebone,
' oil, pitch, tar, and provifions.

' No mannfuCtures in New-Jerfey, that deferve mentioning : their
' trade being chiefly in provifions fhipped from New- York and Penn-
' fylvania.

' The chief trade of Pennfylvania lay in the exportation of provifions
' and lumber ; no manufactures being eftabliflied, and their clothing
' and utenfils for their houfes being all imported from Great Britain.

' By further advices from New-Hampfliire, the woollen manufacture

A. D. 1732. 189

appears to have decreafcd, the common lands on which the flieep ufed
to feed, being now appropriated, and the people almoft wholely clothed
with woollen from Great Britain. The manufacture of flax into linen,
fome coarler, fome finer, dayly increafed by the great reiort of people
from Ireland thither, who are well fkilled in that bufiinefs. And the
chief trade of this province continued, as for many years paft, in the
exportation of naval llore", lumber, and fifli.

' By later accounts from Madlichufets-bay in New-England, the af-
fembly have voted a bounty of 30/ for every piece of duck or canvas
made in the province. Some other manufactures are carried on there,
as brown Hollands for women's wear, which leflens the importation
of calicoes, and fome other forts of Eaft -India goods. They alfo make
fome fmall quantities of cloth, made of linen and cotton, for ordinary
fliirting and flaeeting. By a paper-mill fet up three years ago, they
make to the value of L200 fterling yearly. There are alfo feveral
forges for making bar iron, and fome furnaces for cafl; iron, or hollow
ware, and one flitting mill, and a manufadure of nails.

* The governor writes concerning the woollen manufacfture, that
the country people, who ufed formerly to make mofl; of their cloth-
ing out of their own wool, do not now make a third part of what they
wear, but arc moflly clothed with Britifli manufadtures. The fame
governor, (Belcher) by fome of his letters of an older date, in anfwer
to our annual queries, writes, that there are fome few copper mines
in this province, but fo far diflant from water-carriage, and the ore fo
poor, that it is not worth the digging. The furveyor-general of his
majefly's woods writes, that they have in New-England fix furnaces
and nineteen forges for making iron ; and that in this province
many fliips are built for the French and Spaniards, in return for rum,
melafles, wines, and filks, which they truck there by connivance.
Great cjuantities of hats are made in New-England, of which the com-
pany of Jiatters of London have likewife lately complained to us.
That great quantities of thofe hats are exported to Spain, Portugal,
and our Weft-India ifl:mds. They alfo make all forts of iron work
for fliipping. There are feveral (UU-houfcs and fugar-bakcrs eftablifli-
ed in New-England.

' By later advices from New-York, there arc no mtmufadures there
that can alYed thofe of Great Britain. There is yearly imported into
New-York a very large quantity of the woollen manufachircs of this
kingdom, for their clothing, which they would be rendered incap-
able to pay for, and would be reduced to the neceflity of making for
themlelves, if they were prohibited from receiving from the foreign
lugar colonies, the money, rum, fugar, mclalles, cacao, indigo, cotton-
wool, &.C. which they at prefent take in return for provifions, horfes,
and lumber, the produce of that province, and of New-jerfey^ of

3

90 A. D. 1732.

which, he affirms, the Britifli fugar colonies do not take off above one
half. But the company of hatters of London have fince informed us,
that hats are manufactured in great quantities in this province.
' By the laft letters from the deputy-governor of Pennfylvania, he does
not know of any trade carried on in that province, that can be injuri-
ous to this kingdom. They do not export any woollen or linen ma-
nufadures ; all that they make, which are of a coarfer fort, being for
their own ufe. We are farther informed, that in this province are
built many brigantines and fmall Hoops, which they fell to the Weft-
Indies.

* The governor of Rhode-ifland informs us, in anfwer to our queries,
that there are iron mines there ; but not a fourth part iron enough to
ferve their own ufe. But he takes no notice of any fort of manufac-
ture fet up there.

' No return from the governor of Connedlicut. But we find by fome
accounts, that the produce of this colony is timber, boards, all forts
of Englilh grain, hemp, flax, flieep, black cattle, fwine, horfes, goats,
and tobacco. That they export horfes and lumber to the Weft-Indies,
and receive in return, fugar, fait, melafles, and rum. We likewife
find that their manufactures are very inconfiderable ; the people there
being generally employed in tillage ; fome few in tanning, fhoemak-
ing, and other handicrafts ; others in building, and joiner's, tailor's,
and fmith's, work, without which they could not fubfift.'
No report is made concerning Carolina, the Bahama nor the Bermu-
da ifles : and as for Newfoundland it is fcarcely to be called a plantation,
and Hudfon's-bay not at all.

* By the laft returns which we have had from the fugar iflands, we

* do not find that they have any other manufactures eftabliftied, befides

* thofe of fugar, melalTes, rum, and indigo, of their own produce.
' Thefe, with cotton, aloes, pimento, and fome other produdions of
' lefs note, are their whole dependence, which are commodities noway

* interfering with the manufactures of this kingdom. In the year 1724,

* Mr. Worfley, then governor of BarLridos informed us, that of cotton

* they made hammocks, a few ftockings, and nets for horfes.

' From the foregoing ftate, it is obfervable, that there are more trades

* carried on, and manufad:ures fet up, in the provinces on the continent

* of America to the northward of Virginia, prejudicial to the trade and
' manufadures of Great Britain, particularly in New-England, than in

* any other of the Britifh colonies ; which is not to be wondered at :
' for their foil, climate, and produce, being pretty near the fame with
' ours, they have no ftaple commodities of their own growth to ex-
' change for our manufadures ; which puts them under greater necef-

* fity, as well as under greater temptation, of providing for themfelves at
' home ; to which may be added, in the charter governments, the little

A. D. 1732. igi

* dependence they have upon the mother counfry, and confequently
' the fmall reftraints they are under in any matters detrimental to her
' interefts.

' And therefor, we would humbly beg leave to report and fubmit

* to the wifdom of this honourable houfe, the fubftance of what we
' formerly propofed in our report on the filk, linen, and woollen, manu-
' fadures herein before recited ; namely, whether it might not be ex-

* pedient to give thofe colonies proper encouragements for turning their

* induftry to fuch manufadures and produds as might be of fervice to
' Great Britain, and more particularly to the produdion of all kinds of
' naval ftores.' (Signed) ' Paul Dockminique, &c *. Whitehall, Feb-
' ruary 15, 1 731-2.'

From the foregoing report, the great ufefulnefs of the inftitution of
the board of trade and plantations may evidently be feen j notwith-
flanding it too plainly appears alfo, that in anfwer to their annual que-
ries fent to our plantations, the governors of the northern colonies, as
in the inflances above of New-York and Pennfylvania, may frequently
impofe on that board, in favour of their refpedive governments; which,,
it is humbly apprehended, might be eafily and efFedually prevented by
our Britifli legiflature.

We fhall only fay flirther, that defedive as the above report to par-
liament is, it is undoubtedly to be preferred to the accounts publiflied by
any private perfons, and infinitely more fo to fuch as are publilhed by
anonymous authors, who, for the mofl part, write for mere private in-
terefl;, and ofttimes to mifguide the unwary.

By this report alfo, the different conftitutions and interefls of our
American colonies are clearly explained by undoubted authority ; though
we cannot but hope and wiih, that the time will come, when all our
American colonies may be fixed on one uniform regal and legal plan,
however infuperable the difficulties of fuch a plan may feem to many,
who perhaps have not duely confidered, what a Britifli king united to
a Britifli parliament can efted for removing all the obflacles refulting
from the proprietary, charter, and mixed, conflitutions of feveral of
thofe colonies; more efpecially as the removal of Ibme of thofe difHcuI-
ties has been already effeded in our own times.

^^733 — England, and more particularly the city of London, being now
become a great mart for diamonds, and other prctious Hones and jewels,
(according to the preamble to an ad of parliament, for the free import-
ation and exportation of diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, and all
other jewels and pretious flones) from whence mofl foreign countries
are lupplied, and great numbers of rough diamonds are fent from abroad
to be cut and poliflied here, which is a great advantange to this nation ;

• Tlicrc arc fcTcral arliclcs deficient in this abllraft by Mr. Anilcrfon, wlio has liad an impcrfeft copy
uS the report : but, in the prcftnt ftatc of Amrricn, they arc not fo intcrcftmg as \>hen he wrote. M.

192 A. D. 1733.

and there is great reafon to believe, if the importation thereof Was en-
couraged and made eafy, the faid trade would increafe ; it was therefor
cnaded, that diamonds, &c. might hereafter be imported, as before
they might have been exported, free of all duty, in any fliip or veflel
whatfoever ; with this only provifo, that this exemption fliall not make
void the duty granted to his majefty for the ufe of the Eaft-Tndia com-
pany, on thofe imported from places within their limits. [6 Geo. II, c. 7.]
The warm difpute between the Britifli American fugar colonies, and
the Britifh northern colonies, begun in the year 1731 , concerning the
trade of the later with the French, Dutch, and Danifli, fugar colonies,
of whom they took off in exchange, for their proviiions, horfes, lumber,
&c. confiderable quantities of fugar, rum, and melaffes, was now final-
ly terminated, by a prudent temperament of an ad of parliament [6 Geo.
II, c. 13] for the better fecuring and encouraging the trade of his ma-
jefty's fugar colonies in America, the preamble to which fets forth,
' that whereas the welfare and profperity of your majefly's fugar colo-
' nies in America are of the greateft confequence and importance to the
' trade, navigation, and ftrength, of this kingdom ; and whereas the
'"planters of the faid fugar colonies have of late years fallen under fuch
' great difcouragements, that they are unable to improve or carry on
' the fugar trade upon an equal footing with the foreign fugar colonies,

* without fome advantage and relief be given to them from Great Bri-

* tain : be it therefor enabled, I) that the feveral after-mentioned rates
' and duties be granted, viz. upon all rum of the foreign fugar colonies,

* which fhall be imported into any of the Britifh plantations in Ameri-

* ca, ninepence flerling for every gallon. Sixpence for every gallon of

* melaffes, and five fhillings on every hundred weight of fugars and

* paneles ; to be paid down in ready money by the importers before
' their landing the fame *.'

II) That no fugars, paneles, fyrups, or melaffes, nor any rum or fpl-
rits of America, except of the growth of his majefty's lugar colonies,
fliall be imported into Ireland, but fuch only as fhall be laden and fhip-
ped in Great Britain in fhips navigated according to the navigation

* The northern colonlds confidered thfsaft as a ' lifli colonies. The mercliants, unwilling to quit

cruel grievance, and little better than a total anni- « a trade, which was in a great mcafure the foiind-

hilation of their commerce ; their trade with Bri- • ation of their whole circle of commerce, have

tain being, as they aiTerted, fupported folcly by the ' gone into many illicit methods to cover them in

money received in the foreign illands. If we may ' llill carrying it on ; while the cuftom-houf^ ofE-

trull to the tellimony of an Ameiican writer, this ' ccrs have made a very lucrative job of (hutting

iift ' hath never in any degree incrcafed the royal ' their eyes, or at leaft of opening them no farther

« revenue, or brought any other real advantage to ' than their own private interell required'. {_Effay

« the mothei country. Neither halh it been at all on the trade of the twrlhern coloniei, printed at Ph't-

' more beneficial to the Britifli fugar colonies, at ladelph'ia, reprinted at London, I 764, p. 20.] He

* whofe inftance it was procured. But although might have added, that fome of the revenue offi-
' no faliitary confequences have anywhere follow- cers in the higher departments were believed to be
' cd tliis aft, yet many and grf.mifchiefs and dif- deeply concerned iii the fmuggling trade, which
' advantages, as well as corrupt and fcandalous this acl produced. M'

' pradices, have followed from it in all the Eng-

A. D. 1733. 193

laws, under forfeiture of fhip and cargo : with fundry penalties on per-
fons aiding in any clandeftine importation ; on perions obftruding
cuftom-houfe officers ; on cuftom-houfe officers conniving ; on fhip-maf-
ters fuffering fuch clandeiline importation. Moreover, on all fugars
and paneles imported into Great Britain, on which the duty has been
paid, if exported within one year after, all the duty fhall be repaid ;
and alfo two fhillings per hundred-weight on all refined fugars exported
from Great Britain, over and above the former allowances on exporta-
tion. Provifo, that nothing in this act fhall be conftrued to extend to
reftrain the importation of fugars of the growth or produce of the do-
minions of Spain or Portugal, from places from whence fuch fugars
might lawfully before have been imported. [6 Geo. II, c. 13.]

By an ad of parliament, [6 Geo. II, c. 25] another million out of the
finking fund, was paid off the joint flock of South-fea annuities ; where-
by L6 : 7 : 6 per cent was paid to each proprietor, and written off from
each refpedtive account from the 29th of September 1733: the total
joint flock of Souih-fea annuities being Li 5,651,099: 17 : ^.

The king having, by proclamation, prohibited the circulation of the
worn-out gold coins of twenty-five fhillings, and twenty-three fliillings,
commonly called broad pieces, and the halves and quarters thereof; he
alfo, for the eafe of his people, direded the receivers of taxes, and alfo
the officers of his mint, to receive them at L4 : i per ounce troy, during
one whole year to come : and that fuch of them as fhould be lo brought
to the mint fhould be coined into the current gold coins of the king-
dom. And it being apprehended, that the advantage of fo good an al-
lowance as L4 : I per ounce might tempt evil-minded perfons to coun-
terfeit them, another flatute made it high treafon to counterfeit any of
the gold coins, commonly called broad pieces, or knowingly to utter
fuch counterfeit old coins ; and L40 reward was allowed to fuch as
fliould difcover the counterfeiters thereof. [6 Geo. II, c. 26.]

The royal African company of England was flill in a very bad con-
dition. For though the parhament had, every year fince 1730, grant-
ed them Lio,oco for the fupport of their forts and fidories on the
African coaft, yet conflantly continuing to be lofcrs by their trade for
negroes to America, as they had been for many years paft, they at
length refolved to confine themfelves to the purchafc of llaves on that
coiilt, and felling them again to private traders to America, (to all
whom the trade to Africa had been laid open by parliament, on grauc-
ing the annual L 10,000) and to employ their fervants in carrying on a
trade far up into the inland countries of Africa, for gold, elephants'
teeth, bees-wax, drugs, dying woods, &.c. Yet even that more con-
traded trade would not anlvver, fo as to make any dividend on lo fmall
a capital flock as about L20o,ooo. So far from it, that they were not
able to get clear of their debts and other incumbrances, even though

Vol. III. B b

194 A. D. 1733.

they had greatly reduced the falaries and allowances of their officers
and fervants both at home and abroad, and had pradifcd fundry other
means of frugality. But it feems that their fervants in Africa had
fliamefully impofed on their court of afliflants, who at this time laid all
thefe matters before their general court of proprietors ; and that, as they
had then nine (hips of their own, they propofed, for increafing their
affortments of goods at their feveral fadories, and for driving on a large
inland trade with the vaft countries behind their forts and fadories, to
create bonds under the common feal, to the value of L2o,ooo, bearing
4 per cent interefl, which their general court agreed to. Yet, notwith-
ftanding this, and that their court of afliflants were gentlemen of cha-
rader and credt, their uffitirs went continually retrograde, the private
traders having always the advantage of them, as indeed will ever be
the cafe in all branches of commerce, wherein trade is freely laid open
to all.

A propofal being this year made by the court of Spain, to allow the
South-lea company 2 per cent on the returns of the flota and galleons,
as an equivalent for their annual (hip, during the remainder of the com-
pany's term, that matter was debated in their general courts, but the
coiifideration thereof was poftponed. Yet we (Viall here briefly flate
what was then faid in favour of that propofal, viz.

It was admitted by all fides, that the afTiento contradl for fupplying
Spanifh America with negroes, was not only a greatly lofing trade to
this company, but was well known to have been io to all former affien-
tills.

The annual fhip was therefor granted by Spain in compenfation for
that lofs ; which, however, (excepting the very laft voyage, which re-
turned from Porto-bello in the year 1731) had iikewiie proved a lofmg
trade.

The bad fuccefs of this trade has been ufually attributed to two prin-
cipal caufes, viz. to the frequent feizures made by Spain on the com-
pany's effeds in America, which was likely ever to be the cafe, while
the company had factors and confiderable efFeds in the bpanifh Weft-
Indies, being an opportunity afforded to Spain to infult us, even on
very infignificant occafions : and to the milmanagement of the com-
pany's fadors and agents in America, who got large edates in a very
few years, and fome of them even in little more than one year, while
the company continued to be fuch great lolcrs. There were moreover
frequent o(. cafions taken by the court of Spain to obftrudl the going
out, and alfo the return of the annual fhip, in due feaion, on account
of her menfuration at home, or on fome other frivolous pretext in
America, in order thereby to give their flotas and flotillas the advan-
tage.

It was therefor argued, by fuch as were for the company quitting the

A. D. 1733. 195

trade entirely, and accepting an equivalent, that the not fending fuch a
fhip direclly to the Spanifh Weft-Indies will not in the leaft diminifli
the confumption of Britifli commodities in that part of the world, as
the fame forts, and, as they alleged, greater quantities, of Englifli goods
will be fent thither (as before this affiento trade was granted) by the
way of Cadiz, and from thence by their flotas and galleons to the Weft-
Indies, or elfe fmuggled to the Spanilh Weft-Indies by the way of Ja-
maica and the Leeward iflands.

The returns, on which the propofed 2 per cent to the company was
to arife, by the flota and galleons, and on the Spanifli regifter Ihips, re-
turning from thofe parts, to which the company have a right to fend
their annual fliip, were computed to amount to at leaft 15 millions of
pieces of eight ; and 2 per cent thereon would be 300,000 dollars, or
pieces of eight, or about Lyo.ooo fterling.

On the other fide of the queftion, it was admitted, that the com-
pany's adventure by their annual fliip amounted to about L20o,ooo
fterling ; upon which there might be an advance of 75 per cent, or in
all - - _ - £350,000 o o

From which dedudl.
The coft, _ _ _ L20o,ooo o o

Seamen's wages and ftores, - 25,000 o o

Maintenance of fervants, and prefents

abroad, - - 10,000 o o

Commifllon and privilege to fupercar-

goes, &c. - - 20,000 o o

Intei'eft on L20o,ooo for two years, 16,000 o o

Extraordinary charges of management

at home on this account, - 5,000 o o

Total coft, 276,000 o o

Eftimated profit upon the annual ftiip, £74,000 o o

This calculation is made exclufive of infurance, and of the ri(k of
bad debts ; and alfo on the fuppofition of an uninterrupted cnioyment
of the trade, without any feizures or detentions of the ihips. ^Nothing,
however, was determined concerning this trade, which remained iu
fufpenfe till it was entirely given up by treaty.

Though the preceding michaelmas grofs fale of the Eaft-India com-
pany's merchandize, including L7o,ooo brought home in gold for the
general account, amounted to above £1,300,000, yet the company hav-
ing fo lately advanced L2oo,ooo to the public for the prolongation of
their privileges, and at the fame time fuftered an abatement of i per
cent from the intereft of their whole capital of L3, 200, 000, the court
of diredors, on mature confideration, propofed to reduce their dividend
from eight to fix per cent. Neverthelefs, fuch was the unaccountable
4 Bb 2

ig6 A. D. 1733.

humour of the majority of a general court, that, though their directors
acquainted them that they perfifted in their former opinion that not
above three per cent could be prudently divided for the current half
year, the ballot determined it by above two to one, for three and a
half, even though they were then llkewife told, that the fecrecy proper
to be obferved by great trading focieties can very feldom, if ever, ad-
mit of particular calculations to be laid before fuch popular aflemblies
as general courts ; and though they well knew, that the diredors were
at leaft as much interefted as moft other proprietors in keeping up the
dividends on their flock *,

It is by no means foreign to our fubjed to obferve, that a new and
mod hopeful corporation was now ereded for promoting Englifh pro-
teftant working fchools in Ireland. The author of this work having at
this time been fomewhat ufeful in correfponding with Dr. Maule, then
bifliop of Dromore, for promoting the charter thereof, received of that
bifliop the following well vouched account of the number of people,
both proteftants and papifts, in all Ireland, viz. that, by the bifliop's
books and other authentic vouchers, there were at leaft two millions of
people in all Ireland, of which there were very near 600,000 proteftants,
and fomewhat above 1,400,000 papifts. About the fame time there
came out a printed lift of the numbers of both religions in every county
in Ireland, but, for brevity's fake, we ftiall content ourfelves with the
four great divifions, called provinces, of Ireland, viz.

In Ulfter, proteftant families, 62,620 popifli families 38,459

— Leinfter, _ - _ 25,238 _ _ _ 92,424

— Munfter, - - - 13,337 - - - 106,407

— Connaught, _ - - 4,299 - - - 44>i 33

Total, proteftant families, 105,494 popifli families 281 ,423

which, at five to each family in the country, and ten for Dublin, and
feven for Cork, makes in all 2,015,229 fouls, very nearly correfpond-
ing with Biftiop Maule's account.

The printed account makes the proteftant families in Dublin to
be - - - " - .- - - ^'823

popifti ones to be - 4,119

12,942
Which, at 10 to each family, makes the people of Dublin amount
to - - - - - 129,420

Proteftant families in the city of Cork, 2,569

Popifli families, - - - 5,398

Total, - 7*967

Which, at feven to each family, makes 55,769 fouls in Cork.

* The dividend was reduced from c/j/j.' to /even per cent in iht year 1732 ; (fee above, p. 154.)
fo the proprietors only continued the divideud : and it continued the fiime till midfummer 1743. M.

A. D. 1733. . 197

The king of Denmark's zeal for the profperity of his fubjeds com-
merce, and more efpecially for that of his Eaft-India company, prompt-
ed him this year to ere6l an infurance company at Copenhagen, in or-
der to avoid fending to Amfterdam for infurances on their fliips and
merchandize ; the king himfelf firfl: fubfcribing a confiderable fum in-
to tliis new company, which was followed by the fubfcriptions of the
courtiers, merchants, and others.

The proprietors of the South-fea company's capital flock being un-
eafy on account of their lofles by their alllento and Greenland trades,
their general court petitioned the parliament to enable them to divide
their prefent capital flock of Li4,65i,i03 : 8 : i, into three fourth parts
new South-fea annuity flock, and one fourth part to be the capital or
trading corporation flock. It was therefor enabled, that the capital
flock be divided, after midfummer 1733, into three fourths annuity
flock, at four per cent, to be called the new joint flock of South-fea an-
nuities, amounting, by the computation of this adl, to Lio,988,327 :
iifo}; and the remainder, being L3,662,784: 8 : 6 *, to be the fole
capital, or trading flock, of the company, in its corporate capacity ; the
faid new joint flock of South-fea annuities to be quite exempted from
all concern with the company's debts, bonds, trade, &c. and to be an
entire, unincumbered, annuity flock, redeemable by parliament, as by
former flatutes ; the annuity to be payable at chriftmas and midfum-
mer yearly. [6 Geo. II, c. 28.]

' Whereas the mafter, wardens, and afhftants, of the corporation of
' the trinity-houfe of Deptford-flrond, in the county of Kent, have,
' by grants from the crown, the laflage and ballaflage, and the fole

* right of fupplying all fhips and vellels with ballafl, that fail, pafs, and
' repafs, in the river of Thames between London bridge and the main
' fea, at the rates and prices accuftomed ; and are alfo entitled to, and

* have a right to, dig, raife, and take up, the gravel, fand, and foil, of
' the river Thames, for ballafling fuch fliips and veflels as aforelaid :

* and whereas the faid mafler, wardens, and afTiftants, have for feveral
' years lafl pafl conflantly employed 60 ballafl-lighters and 120 men,
' to dig and raife ballafl from the fhelves and fand-banks of the river,

* and to carry and convey fuch ballafl to (liips and veffels having occa-
' fion for the fame ; and thereby the channel of the river hath been

* confiderably deepened, and feveral obflrucflions to the navigation

* therein removed,' therefor an acl of the Britilh parliament [6 Geo. II,
c. 29] fettles the prices to be hereafter paid to that corporation for bal-
lafl, and to their ballaftmen ; alfo the burden of ballafl-lighters, &c. in
fundry rcfpeds too tedious and necdlcfs to be herein fpecitied ; the

• This fum exceeds the real fourlh part of tlic wliole, by the fradlional parts or odd pence, when
writing off ihc three fourths from each proprietor's account, being added to tlic rcmainijig fourth
I»rt. ^. .

A. D. 1733.

above preamble bein;^ fufficient to explain to the reader the nature, &c.
of this part of the bufinefs of the ballaft-office of the trinity-houfe
corporation.

The rice, exported from Carolina to Spain and Portugal, was now be-
come fo cheap in thofe two countries as to put almoft an entire flop to
the importation of that commodity from Venice and other parts of
Italy ; which gives room to hope that Carolina may foon engrofs all the
trade of Europe for that fine grain. Befides rice, there were exported
from Charlellown in South-Carolina, only within three months of this
year, 6073 barrels of pitch, 1985 barrels of tar, and 424 barrels of tur-
pentine. And in the whole year, 36,584 barrels of rice, 2802 barrels
of pitch, 848 ditto of turpentine, 60 tons of lignum-vitse, 20 tons of
brafiletto wood*, 27 tons of fallafras, 8 chefts of fkins ; befide lumber,
pork, beef, peas, and Indian corn. This colony is continually increaf-
ing by the encouragement they give to new comers, both Britifli and
foreigners.

It was at this time computed, that within the compafs of one year
paft no lefs than 800,000 quarters of corn had been exported from
Great Britain to France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy ; for which was paid
by thofe nations (including the freight of our own fhips) at leafl; one
million fterling : being all clear profit to the kingdom. How much
therefor is the landed interefi; concerned in this particular refpedl (as
well as in all others) in the advancement of Britain's foreign com-
merce ?

Immediately before the South-fea company had finally determined to
lay afide their Greenland whale-fifliery, the diredors had applied to go-
vernment for a bounty on the fifhery ; and though it could not then be
entirely brought about, yet, in the following year 1733, a bounty was
granted by an aft of parliament, for the farther encouragement of the
whale-fifhery, carried on by his majefiy's Britifh fubjedts, of acyper ton
on all fliips fitted out in Great Britain, of 200 tons and upwards, for
the whale-fifliery, and navigated according to law. [6 Geo. II, c. 2,2,1^
Of this new bounty two fliips, fent out this year by private adventurers,
enjoyed the benefit, though not very much to the emolument of thofe
adventurers.

Sundry reafons have been afllgned for Britifh fubjedls not hitherto
fticceeding in this fifliery, and for the greater fuccefs of the Dutch
therein, viz.

I) In general, the greater frugality of the Dutch, whereby (notwith
ftanding this our new bounty) they are enabled to underfell us in their
oil and whalebone.

II) From the manner in which the Dutch carry on this and

* The lignum-vitx and brafilctto mufl have been imported into Carolina from the Weft- Indies. M,

A. D. 1733. ^99

their other fifherles : for the fhip-bviilder, the cooper, the fail-maker,
the rope-maker, the baker, brewer, diftiller, and other tradefmen, em-
ployed in fitting out their fhips, generally go each a fliare in the voy-
age : fo that fliould it prove a fortunate fifliing feafon, they are fure to
be doubly gainers ; and even if it fhould prove a bad fifhery, they
probably lofe but little more than they had gained by fupplying the
outfet of fuch year in their refpedUve branches ; whereby they are bet-
ter enabled to go on in that trade than mere merchants can do without
thefe advantages*. De Witt, in his Intereft of Holland, [r. xvi] fays, ' it

• is worthy of obfervation, that the Dutch Greenland company made
' formerly little profit by it, becaufe of the great charge of fetting
' out their fliips : whereas now, that they equip their fhips at the cheap-

* eft rate, follow their fifhery diligently, and manage all carefully, the
' train-oil and whale-fins are employed for fo many ufes in feveral
' countries, and they can fell them with fuch conveniency, that there
' are now fifteen fhips for one that formerly failed from Holland on
' that fifhery.'

III) By the re-exportation of a great part of the produce of fuch fifh-
ery, they are farther enabled to make up the lofs of any bad year's fifh-
ery : vi'hereas we have never as yet carried on a whale-fifhery confider-
able enough to enable us to export any quantity of oil and whale-fins,
nor indeed enough to fupply ourfelves at home. And we may add,

IV) The antient fianding reafon of the greater lownefs of the inte-
reft of money in Holland till very lately.

There lies now before the author an account of the Dutch whale-fifh-
ing for 46 years, ending in 172 1. In that fpace they employed 5886
fhips f ,and caught 32,907 whales ; each of which, one with another, be-
ing ufually valued at L500, makes the value of the whole amount to
above fixteen millions fterling, gained out of the fea, moftly by the la-
bour of the people ; the wear and tear of the fliipping, the cafks and
the provifions, excepted ; which laft three articles are alio a vaft benefit
to the public, by the excife, &c. paid thereon, as well as to numberlefs
individuals employed in providing them.

At the end of this fame year the South-fea company's great annual
fhip, the Royal Caroline, arrived from Vera Cruz, after being long de-
tained there, being the laft annual fhip which th:it company is ever like
to fee from the Spanifli Weft-Indies ; her cargo conlifted of filver, in
dollars or pieces of eight, cochineal, and indigo: yet, becaule of the
violent detention, this was faid to be a lofing voyage to the company.

• The fame economy Is praftifcd in fitting out 14//; July 1785, /. 9; and 1800, //. I 19, 125.

the fifliing vifTcls at Yainioulli and Billingfgatc ; M.

thebutclici, tlic baker, rope-maker, fail-makci, gro- f Mr. Andcrfon mull here be undcrftood to

cer.coopcr, mall-makir, iwiiie-f|jinncr, bhick-liiiuh, mean fo many dtpartiirts or voyages; 0015886

and the mailer, being joint partners with the fac- feparatc vcli'cls. Tlie annual average amount i«

tor or folcfman. \_Rrfoilt on the Briii/h JiJJ.frics, 128 vcfftls ncireft. M.

200 A. D. 1734.

1734 Purfuant to an order of the houfe of peers, in the year 1734,

we have the reprefentation of the lords commifrioners of trade and plant-
ations, exhibiting an exadl and curious ftate of the trade, people, and
llrength, of our iflands in the Weft-Indies, viz.

' Jamaica, though having 19 parifhes, has but 7644 white people on
' it; though its militia confifts of 3000 men, horfe and foot, difperfed

* all over the inhabited part of the ifland. They have fix forts ; and of

* late have had no fewer than eight independent companies of the king's

* forces, each confifting of 100 men.'

The diminution of the white people of Jamaica is owing to the great
decay of their private or illicit trade to the Spanifh main, which drew
thither many white people, who generally foon acquired great wealth,
and returned therewith to their mother country, fo that the Spanilh
money they got in Jamaica at length centered in England. From Ja-
maica our people privately carried all forts of our manufadures, &c. to
New Spain, which, it is well known, can only be legally carried thither
by the flota and flotilla from Old Spain : they alio carried thither great
numbers of negroes.

' Our exports to Jamaica, at a medium of four years, from chriftmas
' 1728 to chriftmas 1732, were to the value of Li47,675 : 2:3!, and
' our imports were L539,499 : 18 : 3^. Annual excefs of our imports
' from Jamaica is L39 1,8 24 : 15 : Hi.

' Barbados has 18,295 white people ; its militia confifts of one troop
' and two regiments of horfe, and of feven regiments of foot, in all

* 4812 men. In this ifland there are no fewer than 21 forts and 26 bat-
' teries, mounted with 463 cannon.'

All our fugar ifles together are thought to produce annually 85,000
hogfheads of fugar, each hogftiead containing 1 200 cwt. or in all
1 ,020,000 cwt. ; of which Great Britain is thought to confume annually
70,000 hogfheads, or 94,080,030 pounds of fugar ; which, for ten mil-
lions of people, if fo many there be in Britain, comes to g^ lbs of fugar
to each perfon, or if but eight millions of people, then about i ly lbs of
fugar to each perfon ; and as there are undoubtedly about two millions
and upwards of people in Ireland, we may omit them in this computa-
tion, as there may probably be near that number in all the Britifli do-
minions who ufe little or no fugar at all.

It is computed, that 300 fail of fhips go annually from Great Britain
to the fugar iflands, befide thofc which go thither from our continental
colonies ; and that about 4,500 feamen are employed in navigating
them : and that there is annually exported thither to the value of
L240,ooo in Britifh manufactures.

' In all the Britifli Leeward iflands, viz. St. Chriflophers, Antigua,

* Nevis, and Montferrat, with all their dependencies, Barbuda, An-

A. D. 1734. 201

' guiila, Spanilhtown, Tortola, and the refi: of the Virgin idands, there
' are 10,262 white people ; and their miUtia confifls of 3284 men *.

' The illands called the Bahamas are the next in thofe feas of im-
' portance to Great Britain ; where Providence is the only ifland as yec
' of any confideration to us, or that is peopled in any degree. And
' here they have 500 white people, out of whom they have formed fi\

* companies of militia, befide one independant company in his majefty's
' pay. On this ifland they have two forts.

' In Bermudas there were a few years fince 5000 white people, of
' whom there are 1000 white men, befide officers, for their militia.

* They have one fort and fix batteries.'

Nothing is faid in the report of that board of Newfoundland, which,
indeed, is properly no colony, it having fcarcely any foil capable of
cultivation ; and the forts and people there are folely for the proted:ion
and accommodation of the fliips of our important cod fiihery on the
adjoining fhoals, called the banks of Newfoundland, and alfo in its bays
and harbours. Thofe garrifons are alfo requifite for preventing anv
other European nation from getting pofleilion of the ifland, which
would render our fifliery there very precarious on a rupture with fuch
nation, as it would alfo our communication with our northern colonies.
Newfoundland, therefor, on thefe accounts, is of very great importance
to us.

A committee of the proprietors of South-fea flock having infpe(fted
the flate of the company's commerce to the Spanifh Weft-Indies, it ap-
peared, that the entire balance of that trade from the beginning, or of
their ten years American or aiFicnto trade, amounted to no more than
L32,26o : 1 8 profit to the company. This was, by the proprietors of
the flock, thought, and indeed was, a very inconfiderable profit, being
but L3226 for each year of that trade. This it was which made the
flockholders very earnefl to accept the equivalent formerly propofed by
the court of Spain : but thofe proprietors or flockholders confidered
only their own private advantage by that fuppofed equivalent. For as
the king and his miniflers muft have been confulted, before fuch equi-
valent could be accepted by the company, there was a more important
and extenfive confideration to be duely weighed, viz. whether, by the
very profitable illicit trade carried on by the company's fupercargocs,

•■ In ilic year i 736 the ftrengtli of ihe Biilifh Leeward Iflands was as follows.

Ill Anlij^iia - 1500 men, two forts, and fevcn hntteries.

St. Clirllloplicrs '34-0 men, three forts, and fix hatterics.

Montfenat - 360 nun, one fort, and one battery.

Nevis - - 300 men, one tort, and one battery.

Angnilla - 80 men.

Spanilhtown - 72 men.

'iortola - - 120 men.

3772 while men in all the Btiti(h Leeward illands, A.

Vol. III. C c

202 A. D. 17^4.

fadors, captains, aiid other fcrvants, employed by them in the SpaniHi
Weft-Indies, and alfo under their wings from Jamaica, &c. the nation
was not a greater gainer, upon the whole, than they could be by the
propofed ecjnivalcnt, and carrying back the trade to the channel of
Cadiz, where, without doubt, our merchants had alio a great intcreft in n
it. We muft, however, now again leave this difpute for future con-
fideration in its proper place.

In order to prevent frauds in ftock-jobbing, by bargains for ftocks
bought or fold for a future time, by pcrfons, on one hand, not poflefll-d
of fuch ftock, and, on the other, by many not being in circumftances
or ability to pay for fuch ftock ; fov puis, alfo, and refufals of ftocks*,
&c. whereby many unwary perlons and their innocent families have
been undone ; it was now enacted, that all contrads and agreements
whatloever, upon which any premium ftiall be paid for liberty to put
upon, or to deliver, receive, accept, or refufe, any public or joint ftock,
or other public fecurities whatfoever, or any part or fliare therein ; and
alfo all wagers, and contrads in the nature of wagers, or of puts and re-
fufals, relating to the prefent or future price of any fuch ftocks, ftiall
be null and void to all intents and purpofes whatfoever. And all pre-
miums received upon fuch bargains fliall be reftored and repaid to the
perfons who fliall have fo paid them, and may be recovered by an adion
commenced within fix months, with double cofts ; the firft receivers of
fuch premium to be obliged to anfwer upon oath. A penalty of L500
is hereby laid on all perlons making fuch time-bargains or contrads,
puts, and refufals ; and all brokers, agents, and fcriveners-, tranfading or
writing any fuch contrad, ftiall likewife forfeit the fuin of L500, moiety
to the king, moiety to the fuer for the fame. And for preventing the
evil pradice of compounding or making up difterences for bargains on
ftock fo fold, no money fliall be voluntarily given or received on that
account, or for not performing any fuch contrad ; but every fuch con-
trad fliall be fpecifically performed ; and the ftock or fecurity thereby
agreed to be ailigned and transferred, ftiall be adually fo done, and the
whole money fhall be paid for the fame, under the forfeiture of Lioo
for every fuch compounding, &c. as aforefaid. Stock fold, and not
paid for at the time prefixed, may be lawfully fold again to any other
perfons, and the buyer fliall make good any damage luftained. Stock
bought, and not transferred at the due time by the ieller, the buyer
may purchafe other ftock, and recover his damage. And whereas it is
a frequent and milchievous pradice, that perfons fell flocks of which
they are not poflefled, it was enaded, that, for all contrads and agree-
ments hereafter to be made, either for felling or buying fuch ftocks,
whereof the perfon contrading fliall not be polTefled at the time of fuch
bargain, there ftiall be L500 penalty; as alio Lioo penalty on the

* Thcfe tcrtrs have been already explained under the year 1C9J. yi.

A, D. 1734. 203

broker or agent for procuring fuch bargain, who fl)aU hereafter keep a
book or rcgiller, to be called the broker's book, wherein all fuch bar-
gains fliall be regirtered ; and by his neglecting fo to do, he fliall incur
the penalty of L50. Nothing herein, however, fliall atfecl contrads for
any flocks made with the privity of the accountant-general of the court
of chancery, nor prevent any perfon from lending inoney on any pub-
lic joint flock, or other public fecurities, on the redelivering thereof on
repayment of the money lent, [7 Geo. II, c. 8]. Notwithflanding this
flrid law, we have reafon to believe, that, even to our own time, there
are many fuch illegal bargains flill carried on, to the undoing of many.

By a ftatute [2 Geo. II, c. 22] it was made felony to fleal bonds, notes,
or other fecurities, for payment of money ; and it was now farther
enaded, that perfons convicted of forging, altering, or counterfeiting,
the acceptance of any bill of exchange, or the number or principal funi
of any accountable receipt for any note, bill, or other fecurity, for
payment of money, or delivery of goods, fhould fuffer death as felons.
[7 Geo. II, c. 22].

On the 28th of March 1734, a general court of the South-fea com-
pany, upon the repeated reprefentation of Sir Thomas Geraldino, the
Spanifli agent at London for the affairs of the affiento trade of that
company, concerning the bad management of their fadors, unani-
moully agreed to empower their court of directors to ])refent an humble
addrefs to his majefty, defiring his royal confent to difpofe of the trade-
and tonnage of the company's annual fliip.

In Boyer's Political flate of Great Britain, for the month of Septem-
ber this year, we find the following view of all the coinage of gold and
filver in the tower of London, fmce the accefhon of George II to the
throne, viz.

In gold, 43,940 pounds weight, which, at I44 : 10 per pound, makes
in tale Li ,955,330. And in filver, only 8742 pounds weight, which,
at L3 : 2 ])er pound weight, makes in tale L27,ioo : 4. 'A very fmall
' fum,' lays our author, ' in proportion to that coined in gold ; and feems
' to be an evident proof that the current value of the two metals is not
' juffly proportioned in this kingdom, nor is indeed in any other part
' of Europe, as appears by the great profit that is to be got by carrying
filver to the Eall-Imlies and felling it for gold.' With this author's
leave, what he remarks concerning carrying filver to India, would hap-
]K'n though the proportion between gold and filver, in all parts of
Europe, were ever fo juflly afcertained ; filver there being a mere com-
modity, or merchandize, and highly prized as fuch.

Great coniplaints came over from Nova-Scotia at this time, and par-
ticularly from the Britifli fettlement at Canfo, a place of great conl'e-
tjuence to our filhing trade in tliofc parts, that though the late king had
fent thither four companies of foldicrs, yet there had been no money laid

C c 2

204 ^* ^* ^734*

out in fortifying that place : that they were particularly apprehenfive of
the encroachments of the French in their neighbourhood, who always
are efpecially careful of their own fortifications ; and that, by our fliame-
ful neeled of Nova-Scotia, our fiflicrv there was almofi; dwindled to no-
thing. Our minifters, however, feemed quite to dilVcgard, or rather
to be quite ignorant of, the vaft importance of that province.

The Dutch Eaft-Tndia company had this year 22 fliips from India,
whofe cargoes were lo vaft as well to merit a place in this commercial
hiftory, viz. fpiceries, 6,31 1 ,027 lbs ; fugar, 2,406,428 lbs ; faltpetre,
1,807,210 lbs; coffee, 3,997,759 lbs ; dying and other drugs, 91,949
cherts, 1 ,549,463 lbs ; tea, 515,970 chefts, and 369,577 lbs ; filk, raw,
62,015 'bs ; filk ftuffs, 21,205 pieces; calicoes, 209,748 pieces ; indigo,
14,483 lbs ; tin, 354,000 lbs ; copper, 462,500 lbs ; candied ginger,
50,486 lbs ; China-ware, 525,223 pieces ; yarn, 92,441 lbs ; candied nut-
megs, 8000 pfl^; cubebs, 10,000 lbs; curcuma of Java, 16,250 lbs;
mother-of-pearl, 800 lbs ; pearls, 10 lbs; cowries, 255,357 lbs ; rough
diamonds, 2 plf; rings, 3 pfT; canes, 1500 pfT; and wool, 277 lbs.
Such alterations may happen to this commerce in future times, as may
poflibly make this account hereafter feem incredible.

The trade to the coaft of Guinea has feldom or never been carried on
by exclufive companies, in any part of Europe, to national advantage ;
private traders, under proper regulations, feeming moft proper for pre-
ferving and extending that, as well as moft other branches, of foreign
commerce. Of this the ftates-general of the United Netherlands were
To fenfible, that they now laid their trade to a diftrid: of 60 leagues of
the weft coaft of Africa open to all their fubjeds, which had till now
been confined to their Weft-hidia company ; and was fo to remain for
twenty years to come, though under certain regulations mentioned in
their placart.

The number of fliips arriving, during the year 1734, at Amfterdam,
was 1 721, viz. from Archangel, ^3; Peterfljurgh, 22; Riga, 70;
Narva, 1B7; Wiburg, 20; Koningftierg, ^6; Dantzick, 62; Stock-
holm, 26 ; Norway, 163 ; Greenland, 77 ; Davis's ftraits, 69 ; London,
51 ; Sunderland, 62 ; Bourdeaux, 88 ; Rouen, ;^^ ; Eayonne, 18;
Nantes, 22 ; Rochelle, 12 ; Cadiz, ^^ ; Bilboa, 20 ; Leghorn, 45 ; Lif-
bon, 32 ; Surinam, 29 ; and from Eaft-India, 14. Here is a miftake of
almoft 400 ftiips too few, in fpecifying the particulars, in Boyer's Poli-
tical ftate for the month of February 1735, probably to be lupplied by
their own coafters. Imperfed: as this lift is, from it, however, we may
learn the immenfe commerce of Amilerdam with the northern crowns,
and yet moft of it is driven by means of the fifti caught on the Britifli
coafts. Hereafter, fuch an account as this may be uleful for compar-
ing the annual increafe or decreafe of the general commerce of the

A. D. 1734, 205

feven United Provinces, and principally that of the famous city of
Amfterdam.

The number of fhips that entered the port of Cadiz in all the year
1734, were, 596 Englifh, 228 French, 147 Dutch, 13 Svvedifli, 14
Danifli, 2 Portuguefe, 2 Gcnoefe, i Lubecker, and i Hamburgher :
in all, 1004 fliips.

Tn the fame year, 1734, there arrived at Cadiz the treafure and efFeds
of the flota, viz. 1 1,011,749 dollars in fpecie for the commerce, and
1,464,582 for the king: in all, 12,476,331, or about 3^ millions fter-
ling ; belides almoft five millions ot dollars by the AfTogues fliips, and
befidcs the vafi: quantities of cochineal, indigo, fugar, chocolate, tobacco,
fnufF, hides, cacao, copper, drugs, and dying fluffs. The preceding ob-
fervation, relating to the trade of Amflerdam in this fame year, may
hereafter be of equal ufe in the cafe of the annual Ihipping and trade of
Cadiz and Spanifh America.

1735. — The lands in the north riding of the county of York being
generally freehold, whereby they could be fo fecretly transferred from one
perfon to another, or encumbered, that fuch perfons as were ill-difpofed
had it in their power to commit frauds, and frequently did fo ; by
means whereof, feveral perfons, who, through many years induflry, had
been enabled to purchafe lands, or to lend money thereon, had been
undone, by prior and fecret conveyances and fraudulent encumbrances ;
it was therefor enadfed, that a memorial of all deeds and conveyances
fhould be exhibited by michaelmas 1736, and alio of all wills, devices,
judgments, ftatutes, and recognizances (other than fuch entered into in
the name of his majefty and his fuccefl'ors) whereby any honours, lands.
Sac. might be any way affeded in law and equity, fhould be regiftered,
or a memorial thereof, in fuch manner as was by law di reded in the
year 1704 for the well riding, in i 708 for the eafl; riding, of this county,
and in 1709 for the county of Middlefex, otherwifc they fhould be ad-
judged fraudulent, [8 Geo. II, c. 6]. How much is it to be wifhed,
that every part of England and Wales were put upon the like regula-
tion ; and how eafily might it be cffeded, would gentlemen heartily let
about it.

Tiie French had of late fo greatly improved their Eafl-India com-
merce, that they fent out fourteen fliips in the preceding year, whereof
twelve arrived in Augufl 1734; and they were enabled to put up to iale
at their Port L'Orient, the following Eafl- India merchandize, viz. coffee,
tea, drugs, &c. 5,334,712 lbs; calicoes, fluffs, &c. 387,820 pieces; 4284
packets of canes ; 500 ditto of malack ; 71 handkerchiefs of Colimba-
zar for iumples ; 39 painted handkerchiefs for famples; 5000 fans;
2124 flieets of paper painted; 28,000 counters and tilhes, (for card-
playing) mother-of-pearl ; 1992 cabarets of varmfli; $$ chells of China-
ware, and 189 rolls ditto.

2o6

A. D. 17

735-

In this caralogue it may be feen, that the company were but new and
raw in Ibme part uf their Eaft-India commerce, notwithflanding the
very lavge quantity of goods now imported.

We iTiould here alfo remark, that, in the preceding year (1734) "a
very rich fleet arrived at Lilbon from Eahia in Brazil, and another- from
Rio de Janeiro, which brought home, for the king and the merchants,
in treafure, 15^ miUions of crufados in gold, 220 arobas of gold duft
and ingots, 437 arobas of bars of gold, 48 arobas of wrought gold,
8871 marks of lilver, 42,803 pieces of eight, 3 millions ^6 odaves
and 5 quintals of diamonds ; beiides 1 1 ,000 rolls of tobacco, 1 1 3,000
hides, 1 000 chefts of fugar, and many other particulars.

Great quantities of diamonds having lately been brought over from
the new diamond mines in Brazil, the king of Portugal, in order to
prevent their fmking in value by reafon of the quantity imported, re-
ferved to himfelf all diamonds found in thofe mines of above twenty
carats, on certain conditions.

By the bill of births and mortality of the city of Vienna, for the
preceding year 1734, there were chriftened 5620, and buried 5380:
which lafl number multiplied by 30 gives 161,400 fouls in that city;
and if by ^^, then it will give 177,540 fouls therein.

In this year, i 735, there was pubhfhed an abftradt of a new treaty of
navigation and commerce between Great Britain and Ruflia, viz.

' I) Where navigation and commerce are permitted to any other na-
tion, they fhall be perfedly free in Europe to the eftates of both the
contracting parties, who may fend all forts of merchandize, the im-
portation whereof is not prohibited, and may there likewife buy all
forts of merchandize, and export them out of the fiid eftates.
' II) The fubjeds of Ruflia fliall pay the fame duties of exportation
as the Englifli, particularly on the effeds exported from Ruflia. And
the Ruflian merchants fliall enjoy the flmic liberties and privileges of
commerce in Great Britain as do the Britifli merchants of the Rulfia
company.

' III) In cafe Britifli fubjeds fliall make contrads with the chancery,
or the college of commerce of Ruflia, for the delivery of merchan-
dize, the laid merchandize fliall be received in the time fpecified, up-
on a declaration they fliall make of their being ready.
' IV) The fubjeds of Great Britain may carry to Ruflia all forts of
merchandize, and may tranfport them thence by land into Perfia, on
paying a duty of 3 per cent, :md may likewife bring back from Per-
lia, through Ruflia, all forts of merchandize, on again paying the
fame duty, without being obliged to open their bales: but, if the
officers of the cufloms have reafon to fufped that the jufl; value there-
of hath not been declared, they may fl:op the goods for their infpec-
tion, and, in the meantime, be paid according to the vakte declared.

' A. D. 1735. 207

' V) The fubjeds of both nations may load their fliip:? with any

* kind of merchandize, paying the fame cuftom as other nations do :

* and, in cafe of fraud in paying the duties, their goods fhall be for-
' feited ; but without any other punifliment.

* VI) If any more warlike {lores fhall be found on board any Bri-
' tifh fliip than fhall be neceffary for the ufe of the fhip or paflenger'^,
' it fhall be lawful to feize the fame ; but neither fhip nor effetfls fliall
' be liable to be detained.

* VII) In cafe of fhipwreck, all manner of afliflance fhall be given,
' without offering the leaft violence to the Ihip's company or effeds.

' VIII) The fubjedls on both fides may build houfes, and difpofe of

* them, without being liable to furnifh quarters for foldiers. And pafl-

* ports Hiall be granted to thofe who fhall think fit to retire, within two
' months after they notify their intention of going away.

' IX) The Britiih merchants in Rufha fhall not be obliged to fhow

* their books to any one whatfoever, except it be to prove fomething

* in difpute. And, for the greater eafe and encouragement of the
' Britifh commerce, it is agreed, that for the future the Englifh manu-

* fadures fliall pay no greater duty on importation than is fpecified.

* This treaty is to be in force for fifteen years from the date hereof,
' the 2d of December 1734.'

The rents of the eflates, forfeited by the attainder of the earl of
Derwentwater, were appropriated by parliament for completing the
eredlion of Greenwich hofpital, and afterwards for the better mainten-
ance of the teamen therein, who are worn out, or have become de-
crepit in the fervice of their country. All feamen in the merchants
fervice, who happen to be maimed, not only (as in a former acl) in
fighting againfi; pirates, but alio in fighting again fl any enemy whatfo-
ever of his majefty, are admitted into, and provided for, in the hofpi-
tal, in like manner as any feamen maimed, wounded, or difabled in
the king's adual fervice. [8 Geo. II, c. 29]. This is truely a noble ap-
plication of thofe eflates, very much to the nation's honour, and to the
encouragement and comfort of our poor worn-out mariners *.

We have the following curious piece of intelligence from the anony-
mous author of an ingenious pamphlet publiOied in Ireland, entitled
the Qiierift. He affirms for certain, ' that the fingle port of Cork ex-
' ported this year 107,161 barrels of beef, 7379 barrels of pork, 13,461
' cafks and 85,727 (irkins of butter. A prodigious quantity of provi-
' fions truely ; while half the people of Ireland are llarving for want

* of manufactures and tillage, paffurage employing fo much fewer people
' than any other national employment.' This is a pregnant inlhmce
of the great trade of the city of Cork, which has long been famous

• This good law \ras further explained and amenJcd by a (lalutc, 1 1 Ci-a. LI, c. j-'. ^-

2o8 A. D. 1735.

for that particular branch of commerce. Since this author wrote, the
linen and cambric manufactures of Ireland are very much increaled in
the province of Ulfter, where the linen manufadure began, and are
fafl fpreading over a great part of the other three provinces.

From Paris we received the following account of the chriflenings,
marriages, and burials (ufually fliled the bills of mortality), of that
great city, for the years 1733 and 1734, viz.

Chriftened. Married. Buritd.

1733 - I7'825 - - 4132 - - I7>4c6

1734 - ^9^^35 ' - 4130 - - ^5, ^^2

32,528

1736 In the year 1736, upon Mr. Egede's return from his million

in Greenland, he obtained a million-college to be eftabliflied at Copen-
hagen (according to Dr. Bufching's New geography) for fending mif-
fionaries thither to convert the natives. And the trade from Denmark
to Greenland, according to him, is at prefent carried on by a company
at Copenhagen, who fend thither three or four fhips annually. Dr.
Bufching's Geography (publillied in Englilh in 1762) likewife acquaints
us of three or four chriftian millions then fettled there, and of four
Danifh colonies now exifling there ; and alfo of a Moravian colony and
congregation, now (1761) growTi fo conllderable as to equal all the four
Danifh ones.

The pope having, as already related, made the port of Ancona on
the Adriatic Ihore a free port, the republic of Venice, by way of pre-
caution, and, after much deliberation, agreed to make their capital
city of Venice likewife a free port, to the great joy of their merchants.
By their new regulation, no cargo of merchandize was to pay any more
than one ducat at entrance, and half a ducat upon exportation, where-
by the merchants were thenceforth to be exempted from all that flavilh
attendance and dependance upon commilTioners and cuftom-houfe offi-
cers, and the charges necefTarily attending the fame, which lb much
embarrafled the commerce of this flate, and of the merchants of other
nations trading thither.

The parliament palled an ad [9 Geo. II, c. 29] for building a bridge
over the river Thames, from New-palace-yard (or the Wool-llaple) in
the city of Weftminfler to the oppofite fhore in the county of Surrey.
This noble flrudure, hitherto the mofl beautiful and uniform flone
bridge in all Europe, its vaft magnitude confidered, by the parliament's
bounty in granting feveral lotteries, and at different times feveral fums
of money for it, was at length completed, much to the honour of the
nation, the conveniency of inland commerce, and the accommodation
of all ranks of people. The feveral flatutes made concerning it like-
wile provided for the removal of many old and decayed houfes, and

A. D. 1736. 209

the eredion of the three noble and fpacious new ftreets named Bridge
flreet, Parliament flreet, and George flreet, befides adorning the Pa-
lace-yards, &c. greatly to the embellifliment of the city of Weftminfter,
which, inflead of its former dirty and narrow ftreets, now lifts up its
head with grandeur and majefty on every fide.

The long dii'pute between the king of Denmark and the free impe-
rial city and republic of Hamburgh was at length adjufted this year,
and, as ufual, to the difadvantage of the weakeft, on the terms follow-
ing, viz. I ft, That the Hamburghers fliall pay his Danifh majefty, once
for all, half a million of Danifli crowns *. 2dly, That they ftiall in a
year's time aboliih their bank current ; whereupon the money of Den-
mark ftiall be on the fame footing with that of Hamburgh. 3dly, That
the merchants and artificers dwelling in the quarter or ward of .Schawm-
berg at Hamburgh, and who are fubjedts of his Danifti majefty, ftiall
not be fubjed to the jurifdidlion of the city of Hamburgh, and ftiall
not pay the fame poll-taxes as the other inhabitants of that city do ;
neither ftiall Danifti military officers of rank, living at Hamburgh, be
lubject to its jurifdiclion, nor the office of the royal pofts eftabliftied
there. 4tlily, That the commerce of Hamburgh v/ith the Danifti do-
minions fliall be reftored, and put upon its former footing : the king of
Denmark, at the fame time, caufing all the ftiips and effeds of the
Hamburghers, which he had feized, to be releafed. 5thly, Juftice ftiall
be done to the creditors of banki'upts of Hamburgh taking refuge at
Altena, or other parts of Denmark. 6thly, The rights of the Ham-
burghers, concerning veflels that may chance to be wrecked on the
Danifli coafts, fliall receive no prejudice.

Mr. Drake, in his Hiftory and antiquities of York (publiftied in
1736), has fupplied us with the following notices of that city.

I ft, There are 4.2 gentlemen's coaches, 22 hackney coaches, and the
like number of hackney chairs, in full employment in the city.

2dly, A medium of feven years births and burials, from 1728 to
1735, is 398 births and 495 burials per annum. And, as York is deem-
ed a healthful place, we ftiall fuppole that only i in ^3 ^^ ^^^ inhabit-
ants die annually ; fo that the number of fouls in the city and fuburbs
of York may be eftimated at 16,335.

^dly, York, within its gates, is two miles and almoft three quarters
in circuit, as furveyed in the year 1664. And, in his notes, he adds,
that the city of London is very little bigger within its walls, being but
barely three miles in circumference; yet the later probably contains
fix times as many inhabitants as York does, owing to the many more
void fpaces in York than in London.

It was at this time computed that the Portuguefe in Brazil produced

* How often Lave fucli once for alli been repeated ? j4.

Vol. III. D d

■r

2IO A. D. 1736.

67,600 cliefls of fugar, each of 12 liundrecl-weighi ; in all, 8rr,20O
hundred-weight of that commodity. Tlie Portuguefe ftill fupplv Spain,
fundry parts of tlie Mediterranean coafl, Holland, and Hamburgh, with
a confiderable quantity of fugar, as they formerly did England and
France, till they laid 10 per cent additional impofl on their fugars, and
till the two later nations had well cultivated their own fiigar colonies.

The Dutch are faid to produce ufually between 30,000 and 40,000
hogfheads of fugar annually at the colony of Surinam ; and they are of
late improving their plantations of Barbecics and Ifequebe, adjoining
to Surinam on the continent of South-America. The Dutch alfo fre-
quently import fugars from Eaft- India, and fome alfo from their own
ifles of Euflatia and Curacoa.

By an ait of parliament [9 Geo. II, c. 34] for enabling his majefty to
borrow any fum of money not exceeding L6oo,ooo, to be charged on
the finking fund, &c. one million was paid off on the new joint ftock
of South-fea annuities, from chriftmas 1 "j^G ; which amounted to L9 :
2/" per cent, written off from each proprietor's account, exclufive of
fractions.

In the fame feffion an a(5l pafled to reflrain the difpofition of lands,
whereby the fame become vmalienable. The preanible to this new
mortmain law fets forth, that ' whereas gifti, or alienations of lands,
^-*~tenements,or hereditaments, in mortmain, are prohibited or reftrained
by magna charta, and by divers other wholefome laws, as prejudicial
to, and againfl the common utility ; neverthekTs, this public mifchicf
has of late greatly increafed, by many large and improvident aliena-
tions or difpofitions made by languilhing or dying perfons,or by other
perfons, to ufes called cliaritable, to take place after their deaths, to
the diflierifon of their lawful heirs : for remedy whereof, be it enaci>
ed, that no manors, lands, tenements, rents, advowfons, or other he-
reditaments, corporeal or incorporeal whatfoever, nor any fum or
fums of money, goods, chattels, Itocks in the public tunds, fecurities
for money, or any other perfonal eftate whatloever, to be laid out or
difpofed of in the purchafe of any laiids, tenements, or hereditaments,
fttajll be given, granted, aliened, limited, releaied, transferred, aflign-
ed, or appointed, or any way conveyed, or fettled to, or upon, any per-
fon or perfons, bodies politic or corporate, or otherwilc, tor any cftatc
or intereft whatfoever, or any ways charged or encumbered by any
perfon or perfons whatfoever, in trufl:, or for the benefit of, any cha-
ritable ufes whatfoever ; unlefs fuch gif:, conveyance, appointment, or
fettlement, of any fuch lands, tenements, perfonal eflate, money, &c.
(other than flocks in the public funds), be made by deed, indented,
fealed, and delivered, in the prefence of two or more creditable wit-
nefies, twelve calendar months at leafl before the death of fuch donor
or granter (including the days of the execution and death), and be

A. D. 1736. 211

inrolled in his majefly's high court of chancery, within fix calendar
months next after the execution thereof, and unlefs fuch (locks be
transferred in the public books ufually kept for the transfer of flocks,
fix kalendar months at leaft before the death of fuch donor or granter;
and unlefs the fame be made to take effecl in poffefTion for the charit-
able ufe intended immediately from the making thereof, and be with-
out any power of revocation, refervation, truft, condition, limitation,
claufe, or agreement, whatfoever, for the benefit of the donor or
granter, or of any claiming under him. Provided, that the faid li-
mitations fliall extend to purchafes or transfers made hereafter for va-
luable confiderations. And all fuch gifts, grants, conveyances, &c.
made after midfummer 1736, otherwife than herein direded, fhall be
abfolutely void. Provided, that nothing in this ad fliall be conflrued
to extend to make void difpofitions of lands, tenements, or heredita-
ments, or of perfonal eftate, to be laid out in the purchafe of fuch
lands, &c. which fhall be made in any other form than by this ad di-
reded, to, or in trufl for, either of the two Englifli univerfities, and
their refpedive colleges or houfes of learning, or for the colleges of
Eton, Winchefler, or Weflminfter, for the better fupport and main-
tenance of the fcholars only upon the foundation of the lafl-named
three colleges. Provided, neverthelefs, that no fuch college, or houfe
of learning, which doth, or fliall, hold fo many advowfons of eccle-
fiaftical benefits as are, or Ihall be, equal in number to half the num-
ber of their fellows (or where there are no fellows, to half the num-
ber of their fludents upon the foundation) fhall, from midfummer
I 736, be capable of purchafing, taking, or otherwife holding, any
other advowfons, by any means whatever ; fuch advowfons as are an-
nexed to the headdiips of colleges not being computed in the number
hereby limited. This ad Ihall not extend to Scotland.' [9 Geo. II,

C' 36-]

Several focieties petitioned to be excepted out of this bill, particu-
larly the corporation for the fons of the clergy, that for Queen Anne's
bounty, the grey-coat hofpital in Wellminfler, and the trufiees for the
charity-fchools of London, Wefiminfler, and Southvvark. But they
were rejeded.

Notwithllanding the very ill fuccefs of the late whale filTiery of the
South-fea company for eight years together, yet this year one Ihip, be-
longing to private adventurers, brought home to London no fewer than
feven whales ; aixi 130 Dutch iliips were faid to have caught this fame
year Coo whales. So precarious is whalc-filhing in the frozen and ter-
rible leas of Spitlhergen, &c.

Advices were received this year from Carolina, that the French of
Millifippi were making war, jointly with their own Indians, on a nation
ot Indians, called Ciuckalluvi, dependent on Carolina. Their plan was

D d 2

2 12 A. D. 1736.

nowleen to be to hem in all our fettlements on the eall coafts of North-
America by forts, all along the river Mifllfippi, as far up as Canada, and
thereby to exclude the Engliili from any couimerce with the numerous
nations of Indians weft of our colonies ; of which plan Dr. D'Avenant
gave public warning fo early as the year 1698 : yet even now the fcales
did not fall from our eyes. It feems the French had got together 2500
white men on Mobile river, on which they built a fort with an intent
to invade Carolina ; but the advice of peace between the French and
us obliged them to dilTemble that defign, and our Chickafaws proved
too hard in the end for their Indian allies.

For two years paft the general courts of the South-fea company had
fruitlefs debates concerning an equivalent propofed by G^raldino, the
Spanifh agent with that company, in lieu of their annual fhip, which
feemed calculated to amufe the company, and to delay the Spanifh ce-
dula, or permiflion, for lending out their annual fhip, without any fe-
rious intention to give the company due fatisfadion. On the 1 1 th of
Auguft 1736 the general court took that matter again into confider-
ation, after much had been printed in newfpapers, by way of letters,
for and againft the equivalent, and alfo for the company's farming their
introdudion of negroes into particular parts of the Spanifh Weft-In-
dies, viz. to Vera Cruz, Campeachy, Guatimala, &c. and the fevejral de-
mands made by Geraldino before a cedula could be granted : but it be-
ing obferved in this general court, that the court of diredors were bet-
ter acquainted with the fecret fprings of thofe points, it was finally re-
folved, ' that the feveral matters relating to difpatching an annual fhip,
' to the payment demanded by the king of Spain of a quarter of the
' profits made by the fhip Royal-Caroline, and the value of the dollars
' payable for the negro duties, be referred to the court of diredors, to
' do therein as they fhould think moft for the intereft of the company.*

This year an account was laid before the houfe of commons of the
corn exported from England between chriftraas 1734 and chriftmas
1735, with the bounty paid thereon, viz,

57,520 quarters of barley, bounty L7190 ; 219,781 quarters of malt,
bounty L26,434 ; 1920 quarters of oat-meal, bounty L240 ; 1329
quarters of rye, bounty L232 ; 153,343 quarters of wheat, bounty
1138,335 ; total quarters, 433,893 ; total bounties, L72,433.

A fleet of 27 fail arrived this year at Lifbon from Pernambuco in
Brazil, the cargo whereof was,

In money, 1,300,000 crufados for the merchants; 200,000 crufados
for the king.

4 odtaves of diamonds.

6294 chefts of fugar, and 700 fmall chefts ditto.

8600 rolls of tobacco.

84,000 half hides, and 13,000 whole hides, in the hair..

A. D. 1736. 213

11,000 hundred-weight of Brazil wood.

450 hundred-weight of violetta wood.

1737. — The French at this time were eagerly pufhing into an an uni-
verfal commerce, as the furer, though flower, way of coming at theij:
old darling fcheme of univerfal dominion, viz.

In Africa they monopolized the gum trade at the river Senegal ; they
liad alfo encroached on the Englifli fettlement at the river Gambia, and
had largely increafed their flave-trade on that coalt for the encourage-
ment of their Weft-India fugar iflands : where

They had at this time gained fo much ground on ours as to be the
great exporters of fugar, and alfo of indigo, cotton, and ginger, to many
parts of Europe. They had alfo gained a confiderable fettlement on
the coafl of Guiana, near Surinam in South-America, encroaching
both on the Dutch and Spaniards there. On the continent of North-
America, they now afliduoufly purfued old Louis's plan ot forming a
chain of forts and fettlements from the mouth of the great river Mifli-
iippi up to their province of Canada, thereby to cut oft our continental
fettlements from any commerce with the vaft Indian countries weft-
ward, and in time to get pofl^flion of them all. For that end they had
ftrongly fortified the ifland of Cape-Breton, at the entrance of the great
river St. Laurence, ferving as well to command that entrance as to pro-
tect a very great cod fifliery, which they have of late fo vaftly increafed
in the neighbouring feas.

From Quebec, their capital of Canada, they had opened and fortified
a communication with the lakes lying behind, and properly as much
belonging to our province of New- York as any other part of that pro-
vince can be faid to be ; and had alfo taken polleflion of the fertile lands
round thofe lakes, much of which they had already cleared, and in part
cultivated, where they had plentiful crops of wheat ; and had alfo tound
lead mines, which farther enabled them to improve their trade with the
neighbouring Indians ; and (by already endeavouring to remove fuch
Indian nations from the neighbourhood of the river MilTifippi as might
endanger its navigation) defigning to carry their \\hcat, Sec. down that
vaft ftream to New-Orleans, their Miflifippi capital, from thence to fup-
ply their fugar colonies therewith, poflibly cheaper than our northern
plantations can at prelent do. They had alio planted tobacco in that
country, and had begun to faw timber for lumber, with a like view to
a trade from thence with their fugar iflands. Weftward they were laid
to have already extended their communication as far as the Spanifli pro-
vince ot New-Mexico, cafting, no doubt, a longing eye on the rich liiver
mines there. Eaftward from the Miflifippi, they had by this time fettled
fo tar up the river Albanus as to have forts on it within twenty days
march of Charkftown, our capital of South-Carolina. Of all which vaft
improvements and encroachments on the territories of other nations.

214 A. D. 1737.

and more efpecially of our own, authentic accounts were laid l)efore
our government and our board of trade ; yet no effedual regard was
fhewn thereto : neither did the court of Spain feem more to regard
their encroachments In the MlfTifippI country, and on their province of
Florida, nor even their more dangerous one towards New-Mexico. In
the Eafl-India commerce alfo France had by this time greatly Increaf-
ed, even beyond belief, without being duely regarded by fuch who might
In the beginning have ruined it and moft of the above encroachments,
had vigorous meafures been In due time taken.

All thefe particulars we have here judged fit to be laid together be-
fore our readers at one fummary view, in order the better to illuftrate
and explain what may hereafter fall in our way In refpedl to France's
all-grafping defigns for unlverfal commerce as well as dominion. In
treating of thefe, and fundry other points, It will be ImpofTible to avoid
obfcurlty, without a brief repetition of fome things previoufly handled
in other parts of our work : and though, by our late amazing fuccefs
agalnfl the French colonies In America, matters are fince greatly changed,
yet the fteps taken by that nation are well worth tracing as mementos
for futurity.

There was at this time much fald in pamphlets and newfpapers in
favour of the importation of iron and hemp from the Britlfh American
colonies, as being two aitlcles of the firfl Importance for our navy and
mercantile fliipping, as well as for numberlefs other fervices ; and peti-
tions were prelented to parliament for this end by the merchants.

1 ft, It was computed that England imported annually about 20,000
tons of foreign Iron, whereof 15,000 tons were from Sweden, which
cofl about Li 50,000, moflly paid by us In money, as are moil of the
other 5000 tons brought from Ruflia ; and that our exports of wrought
iron are from 3000 to 3500 tons per annum.

2dlv, That the Iron of the Britlfli colonies is as good as any foreign
iron whatever, and, with proper encouragement, might be imported in
quantities fufficlent to fupply all the Iron we get from thofe two na-
tions, on whom we are at prefent dependent for that commodity, with-
out their taking fufficlent of our producl: and manufadures in return ;
whereas our own colonies would be entirely paid by our manufadures,
the demand for which would thereby be much Increafed, and thereby
about Li 80.000 per annum would be clearly faved to the nation in the
balance of our trade. It was, moreover, computed that England makes
annually at home about i8,oco tons of bar-iron, the quantity of which,
it was faid, we could not Increafe, by reafon of our woods being fo far
exhaufted as to have greatly enhanced the price of cord-wood ufed in
the refining of iron-ftone ; and were we to import more pig-Iron from
America, and make lefs of It at home, we fhould ba able, with the fame

A. D. 1737. 215

quantity of wood we now confiime, to make much more bar-iron at
home.

3dly, That nothing is more hkcly to prevent our American colonies
from "falUng into fuch manufaftures as mull; interfere with our own ma-
nufadures of iron, &c. than giving them encouragements to raife fuch
rough materials as pig, fow, and bar, iron, hemp, &c. as it is well known
of what great advantage to this kingdom the bounties on the importa-
tion of pitch and tar from thence have been fince the year 1703.

4ihly, That, for this end, a duty fliould be laid in our colonies on all
iron imported there from Europe ; and that, had the like been done in
regard to prohibiting the importation of hemp from Europe into our
colonies, the bounty now fubfifling on American hemp would have, by
this time, proved more effectual for fupplying us from thence with all
the hemp we want.

On the other hand, the great and natural oppofers to the merchants
petitions were the proprietors of the Englilh iron works, and thofe of
the woodlands of England ; but where particular interefl alone is fo
llrongly concerned againft fo vihble a national benefit, that oppofition
feemed then not to be much regarded by iinpartial men, at leafl with-
out doors. Tn fine, the promoters of this fcheme, for encouraging the
importation of iron from our American colonies, propofed, that an ad-
ditional duty fliould be laid on all foreign bar-iron imported, except-
ing only fuch as fliall be imported from our American colonies ; and
10 repeal the prefent foreign duty on all bar-iron which may be here-
after imported from our plantations: yet fo many jarring interefls pre-
vented the legiflature from doing any thing at this time therein.

In November 1737 the Jamaica merchants petitioned the king for
protcdion' againft the great and violent interruptions and feizures com-
mitted by Spanifli fliips in the American feas, under the plaufible pre-
tences of guarding llK-ir ov.n coafls, by not only ftopping and fearch-
ing, but alfo, for many years part, forcibly and arbitrarily feizing, their
fliips on the high feas, inhumanly treating the Britifli commanders and
fallors, and condemning our Ihips and cargoes as pri/.es, in manifcft vio-
lation of Iblcmn trc-ities biiwten Great Britain and Spain, whereby the
trade to his m:vjefty's plantations in America is rendered extremely pre-
carious ; humbly praying, therefor, fpeedy and ample fatisfadion for
thofe lodes ; and that no Britifli veliel be detained or fearched on the
high feas by any nation, imder any pretence whatfotver .; and that the
trade to America may be rendered fafe for the future. The king pro-
miled theni redrefs, upon their making good their allegations to the
j)riyy council, which ihey afterward jilainly did. And here wc mult
obferve, that whereas, by the treaty of 1670 with Spain our fliips are
not to refort, nor trade to, the coafts of New Spain and its adjoining
Spanifli provinces, unlefs driven thither by ftrefs of weather, their fail-

2i6 A. D. 1737.

ing near to thofe fhoies renders them liable to be fufpected of carrying
on a contraband trade with thole American ])roviiiccs of Spain, the
trade to which is abfolutely and moft ftridly confined to Spaniards folely.
And there is fcarcely any doubt that our floops, &c. from Jamaica,
and fomc other Britifli colonies, fometimes run the hazard for the fake
of gain, and therefor ought to fubmit to the confequences. So, on the
other hand, it is notorious, that the Spanifli guarda-coflas (or guard
fliips) frequently exceeded their commiflions, by fearching, plundering,
and often fei/ing, Britilh {hips failing on the American leas, even though
not fo near their fliores as to give any fuipicion of clandeftine trade, and
though not loaded with the produce of the Spanifli-American provinces ;
but only perhaps having a few Spanifli pieces of eight, or a fmall par-
cel of logwood, or other Spanifh- American merchandize, found in fiich
fhips, the firfl; being the only coin in our ifland of Jamaica, and the two
lad the produce of that illand. In fhort, thefe mutual Qpmplaints in a
few years brought on the war between Great Britain and Spain ; and
although the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in the year 1748, feemed to ter-
minate that affair, yet it was but barely to feem to do it ; and a new
and more diftindl or explicit treaty feems flill to be wanting, if intend-
ed by either party, for that point, and alfo for our logwood trade in the
bay of Campeachy. To thefe complaints of our merchants an anfwer
was indeed given in Jtme 1738 by the court of Spain, wherein mod of
the grievances and violences were promifed to be redreffed ; and the
refl were referred to the inquiry of the Spanifh governors in America,
who were very incompetent judges thereof, as being parties to many
of thofe violences, and many of them privately partners in the guarda-
coftas. And thus it remained, till repeated injuries obliged his Britan-
nic majefty to declare war againfl Spain, after having in vain tried by
an amicable convention, in the year 1739, to preferve peace.

There were chriftened in London in the year 1737, 16,760 fouls;
buried 27,823. Increaled in the burials this year 242.

I yog. — One million of the capital flock of the bank of England was paid
off, being a moiety, and farther part, of the two millions capital, created
by an ad of the third year of King George 1. So that the capital flock of
the bank of England was hereby reduced to L3, 875,027 : 17 : 10,
L5 00,000, other part of the faid two millions having been paid off by
an adl of the firfl year of King George II, for granting an aid to his
majefly, by fale of annuities to the bank, &c.

Sir William Keith, (in his Hiftoty of Virginia, p. 1 74, publiJJjed in 1738)
gives the following account of the revenue of that colony, as it then
flood, and is eflabliflied by adls of their aflemblies, viz.

' The annual receipt of quit-rents, at a/llerling per 100 acres, being
<■ the revenue of the crowTi, paid into the receipt of the king's pri-
4

A. D. 1738. 217

vate exchequer, is an increafing fund, amounting at prefent to
about - - _ _ - - L35C0

' Two {hillings fterling per hogfhead on tobacco exported (at
a medium of 32, coo hogflieads) per annum, - - 3200

' Out of which (alfo increafing) tax, is paid the governor's fa-
lary of L2000 per annum.

' One fliilling fterling per ton on 10,000 tons of fliipping
yearly, _ _ _ - 500

' The eftablifhed fees for marriage licences, probates of wills,
and entering and clearing fhips (together with other legal per-
quifites belonging to the governor refiding there) is, per an-
num, _ - - - 5oo

L7800

It is more than probable that, fince that time, all thefe articles are
confiderably increafed.

There were imported into the port of London, on the 23d of Octo-
ber 1738, 151,219 yards of linen, manufactured in Scotland, and alfo
3000 fpindles of linen yarn. Such large entries of the linen manufac-
ture, both from Scotland and Ireland, of late, every year increafing,
merit the higheft encouragement, as they do not only ulefully employ
our own people, and better enable them to pay taxes, excife, &c. and
to confume more of the produft of the country, but which is of very
great importance in the general balance of our commerce, as their li-
nen manufactures fiiall gradually increafe, the importation of foreign
linen mufl: neceflarily decreafe in a fimilar proportion.

By the London bill of mortality for the year 1738, there were chrif-
tened 16,060; buried 25,825. Decreafed in the burials this year
1998.

It is not fo eafy as fome have pretended to account for the large
mortality bills of London, in this, and fome preceding years, compared
with much later years, while no extraordinary ficknefs happened, and
while, at the fame time, great additions were confiantly making to the
buildings in its fuburbs. The beft realbns ufually given for the late de-
creafe of its mortality bills, are, ift, the many hofpitals fince eredted
for fick perfons, whereby, and by the fmall-pox hoi'pitals, many lives
are, probably, preferved, which, without them, would have been loll ;
adly, many private dwelling-houfes, in many parts within the city of
London, are, from the very vifible increafe of our commerce, pulled
down and turned into warehoufes for merchandize, whereby the num-
ber of houleholders is feulibly decreafed within the lord mayor's jurif-
diction ; but this, we doubt, will fcarcely be admitted as any good rea-
fon for the general decreafe of the burials, unlefs it appeared that ihofe
houleholders had removed from within the hmits of the general bills of

Vor.. 111. Ec

2i8 A. D. 1738.

mortality ; 3dly, the latewurs in Germany and America have undoubt-
edly carried a'.vay fonie thoufands of our lower people, vagrants, &c. ;
ladly, it is much to be fufpedled, as elfewhere noted, that the company
of parifli-clerks of London, either have not fufficient powers by law, or
elfe do not exert thofe powers, for enabling them to be more exadt in
their weekly bills.

1739. — We have already briefly related the barbarous and illegal cap-
tures of our Britifh merchant fhips on the high feas of America by the
Spanifli guarda-coftas, or vefl'els pretending to be fuch. Thofe grievances
were loudly complained of by our merchants, and thehoufe of commons
addrefTed the king for obtaining due fatisfadion of the court of Spain.
Moreover, the Britiili houfe of peers came to the following refolution,
viz. that the Spaniards fearching our fliips on the open feas, under pre-
tence of their carrying contraband or prohibited goods, is a violation
of the treaties fubfifting between the two crowns. Hereupon, the
flrongcfi: remonftrances being made to the Spanifh court, the king
acquainted his parliament, that he had concluded a preliminary conven-
tion with Spain, ftipulating, in fubftance,

' I ft. That immediately after the figning thereof, two plenipoten-
tiaries on each fide fhould meet at Madrid, finally to regulate the ref-
pedive pretenfions of the two crowns.

' 2dly, Until the limits of Florida and Carolina can be adjufted,
things fhall remain there in their prefent fituation.

* ^dly. His catholic majefty fliall caufe to be paid to his Britannic
majefty L95,ooo fterling, as a balance admitted to be due to the
crown and fubjeds of Great Britain, after dedudion made of the de-
mands of the crown and fubjeds of Spain, to the end that the above-
mentioned fum, together with the amount of what has been acknow-
leged on the part of Great Britain to be due to Spain on her de-
mands, may be employed by his Britannic majefty for the fatisfadion
and payment of the demands of his fubjeds upon the crown of Spain.
But this reciprocal difcharge fhall not relate nor extend to the differ-
ences fubfifting between the crown of Spain and the South-fea com-
pany, nor to any particular or private contrads between either of the
two crowns, or their minifters, with the fubjeds of the other, or be-
tween the fubjeds of the one crown with thofe of the other.

' 4thly, If it fhall happen that, inconfequence of orders difpatched
by the court of Spain, any part of the value of certain fhips taken
from the Englifh, and included in the forefaid L95,ooo, be already
paid, the fame fhall be deduded thereout.

' I ft: feparate article. The faid L95,ooo fhall be paid by his catholic
majefty at London, within four months after the ratification of this
convention.

* 2d feparate article. The 3d article fliali not extend to fhips taken

A. D.I

739. 219

* fince the loth of December 1737; in which cafes juflice fliall be
' done according to the treaties, as if this convention had not been
' made. It being however underftood, that this relates only to the in-
' demnification and fitisfadion to be made for the effects feized, or

* prizes taken ; but that the decifion of the cafes which may happen,

* in order to remove all pretext for difpute, is to be referred to the ple-
' nipotentiaries to be determined according to the treaties.'

This is the fubflance of a convention, which made fo much noifc, and
gave fo much dilgull; in England. What gave the greateft difgufl: of
all, was the king of Spain's following declaration and proteft, which he
infifted on as a preliminary condition of his ratifying the above conven-
tion, viz. that he referves to himfelf, in its full force, the right of being
able to fufpend the afliento for negroes, and of difpatching the neceflary
orders for the execution thereof, in cafe the South-fea company do not
fubjedl themfelves to pay, within a (hort term, the fum of L68,ooo fler-
ling, which they acknowleged to be due on the duty for negroes, ac-
cording to the regulation of 52^ per dollar, and on the profits of the
fhip Royal Carohne ; and farther declares, that imder the validity and
force of this protefl, the figning of the faid convention may be pro-
ceeded on, and in no other manner.

The injuflice of this previous demand on the company was fo appar-
ent, that the general court on the ifl: of March refolved not to pay the
fame, without the king of Spain's coming to a jufl; account with them
for all the feizures and captures of their fliips and merchandize, which
he had by former agreements engaged to refund to them, viz.

I) On our rupture with Spain in the year 171 8 the king of Spain
feized on all the company's etfedts in every part of his dominions, amount-
ing to about one milHon of dollars, or nearly, in flerling money, to
L225,ooo ; whilfl the company's factories were kept up at La Vera
Cruz, Panama, Porto-Bello, Carthagena, and Buenos-Ayres ; and two
agents at Madrid ; all which was a very great expenfe. This fum the
king of Spain engaged to make good to the company by the treaty of
the year 1721.

II) The king of Spain having in 1727 befieged Gibraltar, he again
feized on every thing belonging to the South-lea company, amounting
to about half a million of dollars, or Li 22,000.

Yet in the treaty of that fame year he promifed not only to reftore
this lad feizure, but alfo the preceding one of the year 171 8 ; though
all that was ever received was but a mere trifle, compared to their whole
lofs. Now, thofe confifcations were the more unjull, as being cxprefsly
contrary to the alliento contract ; wherein it is flipulated, that whatever
differences may arife between the two crowns, the company ihall be al-
ways allowed eighteen months for the removal of their eft'ecls. The
company has alio farther demands on the king of Spain : for inftance,
4 E e 2

220 A. D. IJ^[)'

ift, their juft claim on him, for one fourth part of all their lofles fuflain-
ed in trade ; as by the afliento contrad he was to be a quarter-part
fharer in their profits.

2dlv, The king of Spain ought to make good the lofs the South-fca
company has fuflained by his frequent retufal ol: their annual flhp, as
well as by the number of fuch annual (hips fliort of what they fliould
have been allowed by the afliento contrad.

3dlv, The company has yet farther demands to make, whenever a
treaty fhall be fet on foot : but, in the meantime, thefe confiderations
are more than fufficient to juftify their proceedings, and to demonfirate
that the court of Spain was never difpofed in earnefl; to do juflice to
our injured people. For the king of Spain did not only fuffer the four
months to elapfe, within which time he was to pay the L95,ooo, on
the pretext of the South-fea company's failure of paying his demand of
L68,ooo ; but, inftead of fulfilling the convention, he feized the fliips
and goods of his majefty's fubjeds wherever they could be found, in his
dominions or clfewhere ; and alfo ordered all the Britifli fubjeds in •
his dominions to depart in a fliorter time than allowed by treaties.
Whereupon Gcraldino, his envoy extraordinary, and Terry, his agent
at London for the afliento contrad, were obliged to leave the kingdom.
And his Britannic majefty on the 23d of Odober 1739 declared war
againfl; Spain, for maintaining the honour of his crown and kingdom,
and for obtaining redrefs to his much injured merchants and traders,
who from all parts of the kingdom made earnefl petitions for relief. It
was indeed high time for our government to take this flep, (though
with more than feeming reludance) for the violences and inlolence of
the Spaniards in America were become abfolutely intolerable, princi-
pally owing to our own fhamefuUy pufillanimous temporizing at any
rate, rather than refolutely doing ourfelves juflice by force of arms ;
they more than ever perfifl;ing in fearching and feizing Britifli fliips, and
putting their commanders into irons and prifons, their detaining the
South-lea company's {hips, and locking up of that company's warehoufes
at Porto-Bello, Carthagena, Havanna, &c.

It was thought, that taking off the duties upon woollen or bay yarn,
imported from Ireland, might be a ' means to prevent the exportation of
' wool, and of woollen manufadurcs, from Ireland to foreign parts, and
' alfo be of ufe to the manufadurers of Great Britain ;' and parliament
therefor enaded, that ' from the ifliof May 1740, the fame fliould be no

* longer payable ; excepting only the duties upon worfl.ed-yarn of two or
' more threads, twifl:ed or thrown, or on cruel, imported from Ireland.

* And whereas, notwithftanding the feveral laws for preventing the ex-

* portation of wool unmanufadured from Britain and Ireland to foreign

* parts, fuch exportation was notorioufly continued ; for farther preven-

* tion thereof; it was enaded, that all wool, woollen or bay yarn, woolfels,.

A. D. 1739. 221

* fliortlings, mortlings, woolflocks, worfled-yarn, cloth, ferge, bays,

* kerfies, fays, frifes, druggets, cloth-ferges, fhalloons, fluffs, and other
' draperies, or fluffs mixed with wool or woolflocks ; which fhall from
' time to time be exported from Ireland into the ports of this kingdom
' hereafter mentioned, fliall be fliipped off and entered at the ports of
' Dublin, Waterford, Youghal, Kingfale, Cork, Drogheda, New-Rofs,
' Nevvry, Wexford, Wicklow, Sligo, Limerick, Galway, and Dundalk,

* and from no other part of Ireland whatever. Nor to any other ports
' of Britain but to Biddiford, Barnftaple, Minehead, Bridgewater, Brif-

* tol, Milford-haven, Chefter, and Liverpool; and in veffels only of the

* built of Great Britain or Ireland, and duely regiftered upon oath.'
With fundry other claufes for preventing frauds, needlcfs here to be
particularized. [12 Geo. II, c. 21.]

Upon this fubjedl, the author of Confiderations now laid before the
Britifli parliament, relating to the running of wool, tlunks it highly
probable, ' that more than 1,500,000 people are employed in our Britifh
' woollen manufacture ; and if thefe earn, one with another, fixpence per

* day for 313 working days in the year, it will amount to Li 1,737,500.'
Which is rightly computed, and deraonftrates the immenfe benefit of
this manufacture.

The French having gradually gained the afcendant over us in fupply-
ing the European market with fugars, by being permitted to carry
them directly from their own fugar iflands to foreign parts, without be-
ing firfl landed in France, liberty was therefor granted to carry fugars
of the growth, produce, or manufadure, of any Britidi fugar colonies
in America, from the faid colonies diredly to foreign parts fouthward of
Cape Finiflerre, in fliips built in Great Britain, and navigated accord-
ing to law; the major part of the proprietors of which fliips fliall, upon
oath, be refiding in Great Britain, and the refidue in the Britifli fugar
iflands, and not elfewhere, and cleared out from Great Britain, or the
Britifli fugar iflands, on certain conditions therein fpecified. [12 Geo. II,
c. 30.] The French had the flart of us in this prudent regulation, by
at leafl: twelve years, as appears by their edids of the years 1726 and
1727.

In confequence of a flatute for laying a duly on the tonnage of all
fliips belonging or trading to or troni tlie port of I^ivcrpool, for making
a dock, piers, &c. for that port, we have feen a printed lift of all the
fhips belonging to that famous maritime port and town, taken on tli£
firflofMay 1739: whereby it ajipcarcd, that their number from 30
tons and upwards, was 211 fliips and vcilels, amongfl which that year
there were i of 400 tons ; i of 350 ; 1 of 300 ; i of 250 ; 2 of 240 ;
2 of 200 ; 2 of 190 ; 4 of 180; 7 of 160 ; 15 of 150 ; 10 of 140 ; 5
of 130 ; 13 of 120 ; 6 of 1 10 ; and 16 of 100 tons each : the rell fron\

222 A. D. 1739.

90 tons downward. And though the printing of the number of their
fhips be fince laid afide, we are well alTured that the number of fiiipping
of that port is fince very confiderably increafed.

During the year 1738, there arrived at the port of Amfterdam 18 13
{hips of all forts. Boyer's Political ftate for the month of January 1739,
(N. S.) from whom that number of fhips is taken, remarks, ' that the
' Amflerdamers conjedure, that London has double their number of
' fhips frequenting their port.'

In the fame year Roterdam had about 500 fhips entered inwards.

At London in this year 1739 there were chriflened 16,181 : buried
25,432 ; decreafed in the burials in this year 393.

There were exported in the year 1739 from South-Carolina, 71,484
barrels of rice ; 8095 barrels of pitch ; ;^^ ditto of turpentine ; 2734
ditto of tar; 559 hogfheads of deer-fkins, ii96 1oofe fkins unpacked;
Indian corn and peas 20,165 bufhels ; pine and cyprefs timber and
planks 209,190 feet; cedar boards 3200 feet; fliingles 42,600 pieces ;
ca(k-fl:aves 56,821; tanned leather 1535 hides; rofin 45 barrels;
fafliifras 4^ tons; beef and pork 539 barrels; potatoes 790 bufhels.
Cleared outward 238 fliips and vellels.

1740. — In the year 1740 there was eredted in Sweden aboard for
the encouragement of trade and manufactures, which has proved very
advantas;eous to that nation.

For the better fupply of feamen to ferve in Britifh fliips of war, and
alfo onboard merchant fliips and privateers, and for the better carrying
on the prefent war againft Spain, or any future war, an act was pafled,
' whereby, during the prefent war, merchant fhips may be navigated
' by any number of foreign feamen, not exceeding three fourths of the

* fhip's company. And for the better encouragement of foreign fea-

* men to ferve onboard Britifli fhips, either of war, merchant fliips, or
' privateers, during this war, fuch foreign feamen fo fer^'ing for two years,
' fhall afterward be deemed in all refpeds natural-born fubjeds; provided,

* fuch foreigner fhall not thereby be enabled to be of the privy-council,
' or to be a member of either houfe of parliament, or to take any oflice
' of truft, civil or military, or to have any grant of lands, &c. from the

* crown to himfelf, or to any other perfon in trufi: for him : and the
' king, his heirs, and fucceffors, are hereby empowered in any future
' war, by proclamation, during fuch war, and no longer, to permit the

* like number of foreign feamen to ferve in merchant fliips or priva-

* teers, as well as in fliips of war.' [13 Gt;o. II, c. 3.] This prudent
law was followed by another very wife one, in fundry refpeds refem-
bling it, for naturalizing fuch foreign proteftants, and others therein
mentioned, as are fettled, or fliall fettle, in any of his majefty's colonies
in America, the preamble whereof fets forth, that whereas the increafe

A. D. 1740. , 223

*1

of people is a means of advancing the wealth and flrength of any nation
or country : and whereas many foreigners and ftrangers, from the lenity
of our government, the purity of our religion, the benefit of our laws,
the advantages of our trade, and the fecurity of our property, might be
induced to conie and fettle in fome of hismajefty's colonies in America,
if they were made partakers of the advantages and privileges which the
natural-born fubjedls of this realm enjoy. It was now therefor enacted,
that from the firfl day of June 1740, all perfons born out of the liegiance
of his majefly, who fhall have refided, or fiiall hereafter refide, for the
fpace of feven years or more, in any of his colonies in America, and
fliall not have been abfent from thence above two months at any one
time, and fhall take the ufual oaths of fidelity ; or if quakers, lliall fub-
icribe the declaration of fidelity, (or if Jews, with the omilTion of fome
chriflian expreilions) and fliall alfo fubfcribe the profeilion of their
chriftian belief, (Jews excepted) as directed by a ftatute of the ifl; of
William and Mary, ( intitled, an a(ft for exempting their majeflies pra-
teflant fubjecls from the penalties of certain laws) before any judge of
the colony they fhall refide in, and fliall have received the facrament of
the Lord's fupper, in fome proteflant or reformed congregation in
Great Britain, or in the faid colonies, (quakers and Jews excepted) with-
in three months of his or her fo qualifying, and producing a certificate
thereof, figncd by the minifter of the faid congregation, attefted by two
witnefles : a certificate of all which, under the refped;ive colony's feal,
fhall be a fufficient proof of his or her being thereby become a natural-
born fubjedl of Great Britain, to all intents and purpofes whatfocvcr.
And the fecretary of each colony fhall annually tranfmit to the board
of trade and plantations, lifls of the laid perfons fo naturalized, to be
regiflered in their office : provifo, that fuch perfons fliall not there-
by be enabled to be a privy-counlellor, 8cc. as in other naturalization
flatutes. [13 Geo. II, c. 7.] The more immediate objecl of this fta-
tute was in favour of fome thoufands of profftants, perlecuted and op-
prefled in Germany, and clfcwhere, and alfo in favour of proteftants
from Switzerland, &.c. all of whom were before, and about this time,
fettled in the different provinces of the Britilh continental colonies of
America, chiefly on the back parts thereof weftward.

By a fhitute for the increafe of mariners and teamen to navigate mer-
chant fliips, and other trading fhips and veilels, it was enaded, ' ill,
' that all feamen of the age of fifty-five years or upwards, and all fuch
' as have not attained the full age of eighteen years, and alfo all forcign-
' ers ferving in any Britifli merchant fhips or privateers, fliall he ex-
' empted from being impreffed into his majefly 's fervice. 2dly, Per-

* fons of any age, ufing the fea, fhall alfo be exempted from being

* iraprefled for the firrt two years of their being at fea ; as fliall like-

224 A. D. 1740.

' wife all fea-apprentices for the firfl three years of their apprentice-
* fhip.' [13 Geo. II, c. 17.]

It was about this time, or perhaps fomewhat earlier, that the manu-
fadure of tin-plates, or more properly of thin plates of iron tinned
over, (which foreigners term white-iron) was brought to fuch perfedion
in England, after having been long loft or negledled, that now very
little of it was imported from foreign parts : our own being now made
of a finer glofs or fkin than that made beyond fea, the later being ham-
mered, and ours being drawn under a rolling-mill. This improvement
is a confiderable benefit to the nation in the general annual balance of
trade ; there being a very great quantity of this article confumed in
Britain, Ireland, and the plantations, for a great variety of ufes. And
though the duty on foreign tinned-plates is thereby funk, yet the em-
ployment given to our own manufadturers, and the money kept at home
which was formerly paid for this commodity from Hamburgh, greatly
over-balances the lofs of the cuftoms thereon. It was indeed long jull-
ly wondered at, that England, which had the beft tin in Europe, and iu
the greateft quantity, and had iron enough for the purpofe, fhould have
fo long continued to pay fuch great fimis to foreign nations for what we
might long fince have made of our own.

The bounty of 20/" per ton on fhips employed in the whale fifhery
was continued to the 25th of December 1750 ; and an additional bounty
of iq/'per ton was granted on whale-fifhing fliips to continue during
the war with Spain only : during which time alfo it was enaded, that
no harpooneer, line-manager, boat-fteerer, or feaman, in that fifliery
fliould be imprefied from the faid fervice. [13 Geo. II, c. 28.] This
ftatute Ihews the fenfe the legiflature had of the benefits accruing to the
public by the whale fifhery.

The Turks now began to eftablifli regular pofts for the carriage of
letters throughout their dominions, after the manner of Chriftendom,
which they hoped would be very advantageous to their commerce, and
iikewife to the fultan's revenue, greatly impaired by the late wars with
the emperor and with Ruffia.

It appeared by the information of perfons of worth concerned in
the two Britifh tobacco colonies of Virginia and Maryland, that about
200 Britifh fhips were annually and conftantly employed in that trade,
viz. about 80 or 90 fail for Virginia, and about iTO to 120 for Mary-
land: that the Ihips trading thither from the out-ports of Great Britain
were generally of a lefTer burden than were thofe from the port of
London: and that of about 30,000 hogflieads of tobacco, annually im-
ported from thofe two colonies into Great Britain, 18,000 were brought
home in the London fliips. Alfo that this computation was exclufive
of the veiTels employed by thofe two colonies in their trade with our
other Britifh colonies in America and the Weft-Indies.

A. D. 1740. 225

The anonymous author of a pamphlet, intitled the Prefent ftate of
the revenues and forces of France and Spain, compared with thofe of
Great Britain, (8vo, 1740) afferts, that in France there were not then
more than 600 iail of merchant fliips at the moft, of all fizes. And
that, reckoning 25 failors to each, one with another, all the feamen of
France did not exceed 30,000, including 11, coo feamen clalTed by the
king, who have leave to ferve onboard the merchant ftiips till wanted
for the king's fervice. And that, in cafe of a naval war with Britain,
France will be obliged to augment her marine to what it was in their
former war with England, viz. to 120 fhips of war and 40 galleys.
What this plaufible and fpirited writer computes might then poffibly
be true ; but we have fnice had recent experience, that both their
merchant fliips and failors were conCderably more in number than he
then computed them to be.

This year the king, by letters-patent, eredled civil and criminal courts
of juftice at his town and port of Gibraltar. How far this regulation
has been put in pradice fmce this time, or, if at all, how far it may,
in time, influence greater numbers of Britifh fubjeds to fettle there,
we fliall not venture to guefs : but, if that ftiould come to be the cafe,
the rents of houfes would gradually increafe, and therewith fines upon
entry, acknowlegements for landing goods, as at Leghorn and other
free ports, anchorage in the bay, leales ot groiuid, fome moderate taxes
on liquors and provifions confumed there, and fuch other benefits which
might naturally be expeded from a civil government being efiablilhed
under the mild laws and privileges of a Britifli conftitution, which might
pofTibly, altogether, produce fuch a local revenue as might in time eafe
the public of more than L6o,ooo per annum, which that moft ufeful
and important fort and port cofis the Britilh nation. Why our expec-
tations in thefe refpecls have not been fully aniVvered hitherto, lies pro-
perly before a higher tribunal thiin we fliall name, whofe intereft is fo
nearly concerned therein, and whofe power as well as inclinations, when
proper informations ihall be laid before them, can undoubtedly rectify
whatever fliall be found to have hitherto been amils.

This year the king of Great Britain, who is alio fovereign of the
town of Staden in the duchy of Bremen, was gracioufly pleafed en-
tirely to remit to all Britifli and Irilh fliips the antient toll payable at
Staden by the ftiips of all nations in failing up the river Elbe : for
which bounty he received an humble addreis of thanks from the Bri-
tifli company of merchants-adventurers tradhig to Hamburgh.

The king of Great Britain having been addrefied in the preceding
year by his parliament, for regulating the currency of the paper money
of 'his American continental colonies, we fliall here exhibit the value
thereof as follows, vig.

Voj.. IIL F f

226 A. D. 1740.

New-England, (i. e. principally the Maffachufet's-bay) Connedicut,
Rhode-ifland, and New-Hamplhire, L525 currency*. For L 100
fterling money.

New-York. - - 160

The Jerfeys - - 160

Pennfylvania - - 170

Maryland - - - 200

North-Carolina - - 1400

South-Carolina - - 800

In the month of Augufl 1740, the fale of the French Eafl -India com-
pany's merchandize at Port L'Orient amounted to twenty-two millions
of livres, or about one million fterling ; which fufficiently demonftrates
the vaft increafe of that company's commerce toEaft-India, in the fpace
of a few years paft.

During this year there arrived at Amfterdam 1645 fhips, being 168
fewer than in the year 1738.

At that city, in the fame year, there died 10,056 perfons ; being
above 2500 more than in the preceding year.

At Paris, in 1739 Chriftened 19,781 — Buried 2r,989
1740 18,632— 25,285

47,273 in both years.
Average of burials, 23,636^ in one year. *
The king fent out Commodore George Anfon f, an experifenced
commander, with one fhip of 60 guns, two of 50 guns, one of 40, and
one of 20 guns, a floop and two vi(5luallei-s, to diftrefs Spain as much as
poflible in the South fea. It is true, this expedition was rather a mat-
ter of war than of commercial hiftory ; yet, as it has fome relation to

* III a letter (on this occafion) from a merchant ' lance of debt againll them : and their trading

at Boflon in New-England to a friend in Eng- ' circiimftances continuing to decline, (as ours

land, concerning tlie diflcrent values of paper cur- ' have) their filver would be brought to 2'j/per

icncy ill the Britifli pUintations, we have an ex- ' ounce (as ours is) and the current money of

plaiiation thereof, viz. ' uj on the continuance of a ' Great Britain be at the rate of 2jf per ounce,

' favourable turn in the trading circnmflances of ' whatever the lawful money might be. This is

' the province (of Ntw-England) the government ' evident from the fuccefs of Queen Anne's pro-

' niiglit ftop at any rate which fiivcr (hould fall to, ' clamation, in the 3d year of her reign, and the

' and make that rate the fixed filver pound, and ' a£l of parliament fubfequent upon it, defigned

' make it a lawful tender ; and the common con- ' to fix the plantation pound to 2 ounces 16

' fent or acceptance of the people would com- ' penny- weights 16 grains of filver, of the fine-

' plcte the fcheme of filver money. And thus the ' nefs of common pieces of eight at 6/1 cf per

• fterling pound is fixed, in England, to 3 ounces ' ounce ; which moil certainly was well iiitcnd-

t 17 penny-weight and 10 grains of filver of a, ' ed, but fcr the afoiefaid realons could not take

' certain fincnefs, or filver at 5^2 per ounce. But, ' cffcCl : and there is but one plantation that I

' if that kingdom were under our unhappy cir- ' know of, viz. Barbados, where common fiivcr is

' cumllanccs, as not having a fuffieiency in value ' received by weight, agreeable thereto : Virginia

' of filvtr and all other exports, to difcharge the ♦ not fo high, and all the others got beyond that

' whole demand in return for their' (i. e. Geat ' llandard, in very different degrees.' yf.

Britain's) ' imports, it would then be next to a f Afterwards created Lord Anfon, and wor-

' miracle if filver did not rife to above 5/2 per thily placed at tlsc head t.f the admiralty board.

' ounce in the markets, in proportion to the ba- .<f.

A. D. 1740. 227

commerce, and as it likewife fhews Spain's feeblenefs in the South fea
when at war with us, it feems needful, though very briefly, to relate its
fiiccefs. He failed from Portfmouth in September 1 740, and in May 1 74 1
he got round Terra del Fuego into the South fea, after much peril and lofs
by florms. In September 1741, he took a rich Spanifh prize ; and, coaft-
ing along Chili, in November the fame year, he took another Spanifli
prize, laden with cloth and iron. Sailing to the coafl:of Peru, he took,
plundered, and burnt, the town of Payta, in the fame month. Thence
he failed to the coaft of Mexico, and oppofjte to the harbour of Acapul-
co, he learned that the Manilla fliip was not to fail during that feafon ;
wherefor, in May 1742, he fleered weflward for the coafi: of China,
where he arrived in November ; and he remained in the road of Macao
till April 1743, when he failed for the Philippine ifles ; where, in June,
he took a very rich Acapulco fliip, bound for Manilla, with the trcafure
of which he failed homeward, reaching the Cape of Good Hope in
March t 744 ; and on the 14th of June he anchored at Spithead with
only the Centurion, his 60 gun fliip, all the refl being lofl, or left as un-
able to proceed. This is the laft, Britifli circumnavigation of the globe,
much to the glory of the n:ition, and to the greatly-merited emolument
of the noble commander of it *.

There were exported this year from South-Carolina 91,1 10 barrels of
rice, 10,263 barrels of pitch, 2374 barrels of tar, 562 barrels of tur-
pentine, 432 hogflieads of deer-llcins, befides cherts and loofe ones, &c. f

1 741. — In the year 1741 the induftrious and ingenious Mr. John Smart,
of the city clerk's office in London, publiflied an accurate account of the
number of houfes in every precin*!;!: of the twenty-five wards within the
bars or limits of the lord mayor of London's jurifdid;ion, (the twenty-
fixth ward, named Bridge-ward without, not having any houfes reckon-
ed therein) whereby he makes the whole number of houfes therein to
amount but to 21,649. -^^^ though in his dedication to the common
council, he defires them to correcl the errors m his account, (which, fays
he, like a modeft man, I fear are many) yet, as he was known to be an
accurate perfon, and that no one has animadverted on, nor contraditfled
his account, wc may take it for granted that it is a true one. How in-
accurate then mufl the writers of the former part of the preceding cen-
tury have been in magnifying the number of ibuls within the jurifdic-
tion beyond all rational probaliility ? More elpecially when it is confi-
dered, that, after the great conflagration in 1666, very many void Ipaces
were built up, as well as the ground of fpacious houfes and gardens of

• Britain can boaft of m.iny circumnavigations -f The total value of the imports of England in

fince that one, and much mure to the glory of the th: ye.ir 1740 was L6,703,778, and of the ex-

uation ; inasmuch as the purluils of fcicncc arc ports (not iiichuling coin and bullion) 1^8,197,788

more honourai)lc than thdfc of depredation, thoiigli [li^hilivonh's i'td'c] M.

perhaps not fo mucii to the cnioUimcnt of the
commanders. M.

4

Ff 2

228 A. D. 1741-

mofl of our nobility and gentry, See. who formerly refided within thofc
limits, which have fince been built up into narrow flrects, alleys, and
courts ; whereby the number of houfes mufl, upon the whole, have been
confiderably increafed fince that fatal period ; even though we admit,
that, for the fake of ornament, feveral ftreets fince then have been
made wider and more uniform than they were before. The late great
increafe indeed of merchants and wholefale dealers in our own time in
the city, has obliged them to pull down numbers of houfes in different
parts of it, to ered large warehoufes with cellars, which farther leflens
the number of houfes.

The immenfe increafe of the linen manufadlure of the kingdom of Ire-
land at this time is almofl aftonifliing, were there not fo many undoubt-
ed living teftimonies of it ; enough indeed to alarm all the foreign linen
countries, and to give folid pleafure to all truely intelligent Britons ; as
whatever adds to the wealth and fiirength of the kingdom of Ireland is
a real acceflion of fo much of both to the Britifh empire. In a letter
from Ireland, we were told, that, at the acceflion of King William III,
Ireland did not export to the value of L6000 in linen ; whereas, fays
the letter-writer, they now (1741) export annually an hundred times
as much in value, or L6oo,ooo.

This great improvement was foretold long before by Sir William
Temple, in his Mifcellanies, [2d edition, 168 1.] ' No women,' fays that
great man, ' are apter to fpin linen thread well than the Irifh ; who,
' labouring little in any kind with their hands, have their fingers more
' fupple and foft than other women of the poor condition amongfl us.
' And this may certainly be advanced and improved into a great manu-
' fadture of linen, fo as to bear down the trade both of France and Hol-
' land, and draw much of the money which goes from England to thofe
' parts upon this occafion into the hands of his majefty's fubjeds of
' Ireland, without crofling any interefi; of trade in England : for, be-
' fides what has been faid of flax and fpinning, the foil and climate are
' proper for whitening, both by the frequent brooks, and alfo winds
' in that country.'

By the Engliih Ruflla compaiiy's charter, of the firfl; and fecond of
Philip and Mary, which was confirmed by a flatute of the eighth year of
Queen EUzabeth, they have the fole privilege of trading from London
to the dominions of Rullia, and likewife to the countries of Armenia,
Media, Hyrcania, and Perfia, on the Cafpian fea. An attempt was ac-
cordingly made by that company for trading into Perfia by the great
river Volga and the Cafpian fea in the year i 558, as related under that
year : but that project was foon dropped, as being then thought too ha-
zardous ; and it remained in fufpenfe ever fince, till now, when an a6l
of parliament was obtained by that company, for ~ opening a trade to
mid from Perfia through Ruflia j in which aclaufe was inferted, where-

A. D. 1741. 229

by the act of navigation of the 12th of King Charles IT, which enjoins,
that no merchandize fhall be imported into England or Ireland but
from the place of their growth, production, or manufadure, or from
thofe parts where they could only be had, or were ufually or adlually
vont to be firft fhipped for tranfportation, was fo far difpenfed with.
And as raw filk and other Perfian commodities had not been ufually
brought to England through Ruflia, it was hereby enaded, that they
might neverthelefs be fo imported through Ruflia in Britifh fliips, legal-
ly navigated, fuch raw filk, &c. being purchafed by barter with Britifli
manufactures or product exported to Ruflia, upon paying the like cuf-
toms as the Levant company now pays for the fame brought from the
Levant. [14 Geo. II, c. ■^(i.'\ This new fcheme was for fome time fuc-
cefsfully pradifed ; and confiderable quantities of raw filk and other
Perfian merchandize were imported in this way, as appears by a fup-
plemental ftatute of the 23d of the fame king, for permitting raw filk
of the growth or produce of Perfia, purchafed in Ruflia, to be imported
into this kingdom from any port or place belonging to the empire of
Ruifia : by which laft ilatutc it was cnaded, ' that, from chriftmas 1750,

* all freemen of the Ruflia company, and they only, may import into
' this kingdom from Ruflia, in Britifln-built Ihips, navigated according
' to law, raw filk of the growth of Perfia, purchafed by barter with
' woollen, or other manufaclures, &.c from Great Britain to Ruflia,

* though the fame be not carried from thence into Perfia, or with the
' produce arifing from the fale of fuch commodities, and not otherwife,
' attefted upon oath, under the fame cuftoms and regulations, &c. as
•* the Turkey company are fubjed; to for raw filk from Perfia.' Till the
wars and deiblations rendered that trade quite impradicable (as it re-
mains to the prefent time) it was faid to be a profitable branch of bufi-
fiefs to the Ruffia merchants.

At this time projeds and fchemes were publiflied in the Britifli con-
tinental colonies of America, for fupplying a want, or fuppofed want,
of a medium in trade, by letting up a bank on land lecurity. The flock
was to be raifed by public fubfcripiions, whereof luiall fums were from
time to time to be paid in by the fubfcribers, and to be managed by
diredors, treafurers, and other officers ; and dividends were to be
niade : and the fubf ribcrs were to promife to receive the bills which
they fliould iifue as lawful money in all payments, trade, and bufinefs ;
and after the expiration of twenty years, to pay the pofleflbr the value
thereof in manufadures. And as fundry other fchemes, focieties, part-
ncrfliips, or companies, liave been propofed, and may be fet on foot in
America, contrary to the true intent and meaning of a ftatute [6 Geo.
/, c. 17] for better fecuring certain powers and privileges intended to
be granted by his majefly's two charters, for afliirance of fliips and
merchandize at fea, 8cc. and 'tox reflraining feveral extravagant and

230 A. D. 1741-

unwarrantable pradices therein mentioned and defcribed, and for pre-
venting the Hke for the future ; whereby, * the prefuming to act as a
corporate body, or to make transfers or alignments of (hares, with-
out legal authority, or the pretending to adl under any charter, for-
merly granted from the crown for any particular or fpecial purpofes
therein exprefled, by perfons endeavouring to make ufe of fuch char-
ter for any fuch other purpole not thereby intended, and all ading
under any fuch obfolete charter herein defcribed, fhould be deemed
to be public nuifances, and to be triable accordingly, as by the fta-
tute of the 1 6th year of King Richard II. And whereas doubts have
arifen whether that ad does extend to his majefty's dominions in
America,' it was now enaded, (r4th of King George II, for reftrain-
ing and preventing feveral unwarrantable fchemes and undertakings in
his majefty's colonies and plantations in America) ' that the faid ad of
' the 6th of King George I, and every part thereof, fliall extend to Bri-
' tifh America, and the contraveners fhall be liable to the like fines,
' punifhments, &c. to be tried in the king's courts in America.' This
was a prudently-intended law : for, as our colonies grow greater and
more populous, projeds might get into their heads, which would prove
very detrimental to the induftry and parfimony neceflary to fuch co-
lonies.

As the remote weft and north-weft parts of the coafts of Great Bri-
tain and Ireland, and the ifles thereunto belonging, were found to be
inaccurately laid down in the fea-charts, a ftatute pafl^ed [14 Geo. II, c.
39] for furveying the chief ports and headlands on the coafts of Great
Britain and Ireland, and the iflands and plantations thereto belong-
ing, in order to the more exad determination of the longitude and la-
titude thereof. The ad recites the ftatute of the 12th of Queen Anne,
for providing a public reward for fuch perfons as ftiall difcover the lon-
gitude at fea, which direds the commiflioners of the na^y to fet apart
L2000 for making experiments towards finding out the faid longitude ;
and the commillioners for difcovering the longitude are empowered to
apply fuch part of the faid L2000 as has not already been laid out in
experiments for making fuch furvey, and determining the longitude
and latitude of the faid chief ports and headlands. It is even ftill to
be apprehended, that fome parts on the Britifti fhores, and more efpe-
cially the weftern coafts of Britain and Ireland, require a more accurate
furvey ; but more than the whole fum herein named would be required
to execute that neceflary point to effedual purpofe.

There were married in the year 1741 at Amfterdam 2666 couples
of perfons, and buried 9864 perfons.

There arrived chis year at Amfterdam 1 8 1 3 ftiips, as by the Dutch
newfpapers, viz.

A. D. 1 741. 231

Ships.

There came from Sweden - - - 25
Ruflia, and other parts of the Baltic fea 405

Greenland and Davis's ftraits - 150

France _ > - ^^6

Spain - - - III

Portugal - - - 80

Italy - - - - 23

The Levant - - - 10

Barbary - - - 5

Eall-India - - - 15

The Weft-Indies " " 99

1259

As England, Scotland, Ireland, and Flanders, are not named, the reft
muft have come from thence, as being near neighbours, and may very
well be fuppofed to have amounted to 554 yeffels of all kinds. It is
needlefs here to remark, how vaft a commerce muft be carried on by
this mighty city, and confequently what immenfe riches its inhabitants
muft be poflefled of.

1742. — After twenty years filence concerning the much wiftied for,
and frequently attempted, north-weft paflage, an ingenious and know-
ing gentleman of Ireland, Arthur Dobbes Efquire, (fmce governor of
Nortli-Carolina) earneftly applied to the admiralty board to make a
new attempt for finding that fuppofed paftcige, at the government's ex-
penfe ; urging the great probability of finding it, by lundry very plau-
fible arguments. The king and his minifters being unwilling to dif-
courage a propofal, which, if fuccefsful, muft be attended with great
advantages to the nation, gave diredhons to the admiralty board (where
Sir Charles "Wager, an experienced navigator, at this time prefided) to
fend out two of the king's ftiips on that difcovery, under the direction
of Captain Chriftopher Middleton, who had been twenty years a com-
mander in the Hudfon's-bay company's fervice.

His inftru<ftions * from the board of admiralty, on a fuppofition of
finding a pafllige, were in fubftance as follows :

In places where you meet with inhabitants, make purchafes, with
their confent, and take pofleflion of convenient fituations in tlie coun-
try, in the name of his majefty of Great Britain : but where there are
no inhabitants, you muft take poftelTion, by letting up proper infcrip-
tions, as firft difcoverers and pofieilors. If in your pafiage you meet
with any ftiips trading to the wefteru countries eaftward of japan, or
any Japanese fliips, and you apprehend any danger from them, either

* The iii(lrii(5lions .ire printed in Captain MidJleton's defence of his own conduifV, publiflicd in tb.*
V av r743. ^-

232 A. D. 1742.

from their force or number, you are to proceed no farther on the dif-
covery, but immediately to return ; that (hips of fufficient force may
be fent out next feafon to begin a trade or make a fettlement, without
any apprehenfion of difturbance from any powerful nations on that fide,
left any accident fhould prevent your return, and difcourage any farther
attempts to be made for the future. If you fhould arrive at California,
without any apprehenfion of danger, and choofe to winter in 42 de-
grees, (where Caxton is faid to have found a civilized nation, and a good
harbour) or elfe more foutherly ; then endeavour to meet Captain An-
fon in the month of December, before the arrival of the Manilla or
Acapulco fiiip at Cape St. Lucas, the fouthern cape of California, and
leave a copy of your journal with him, left any accident fliould happen
to you upon your return, and fo the difcovery be loft, and that it
might prevent fhips being fent out to your relief in cafe of fliipwreck.

Charles Wager,

Given under our hands, the 20th of May 1741. Thomas Frankland,

Glenorchy.

He failed in 1741 on the difcovery, and wintered in Hudfon's bay
at one of the company's forts at Churchill river ; and in the fummer
of 1742 he failed again as far north as 66y degrees, and fearched into
an inlet or river, weftward, which he named Wager river, &c. and be-
ing now fully confirmed that no fuch paftkge was to be found,, he re-
turned home that fame year with the king's fliips.

This produced a great deal of altercation in print between him and
Mr. Dobbes, who was fo eagerly bent on that difcovery : Captain Mid-
dleton infifting on the above inlet's being merely a river, and Mr.
Dobbes infifting it was the pafl^Iige wiftied for, though he was never in
thofe feas, wherein the captain had greatly the advantage of him. Mr.
Dobbes accufed the later of favouring the Hudlbn's-bay company, who,
as he alleged, had no fort of inclination to forward this difcovery, as
believing it would be the means of laying their trade open, to which
they certainly have no legal exclufive right by ad: of parliament, but
merely by King Charles Il's charter. He alfo alleged, that this com-
pany fell their goods to the favages in that bay at 2000 per cent profit :
he is therefor for diflx)lving the company, and for laying the trade open
to all the king's fubjeds. He accufes him (whom, however, he admits
to be a capable peribn) as well as the company, of knowing and con-
cealing the pafilige ; and infifts, that there are many marks of fuch a
paflage ; as, particularly, the faltnefs of the water, the ftrength of tides
and currents up Wager ftrait or river, and black whales being found in
it, and in the opening called the Welcome, near it. Yet Captain Mid-
dleton endeavours to account for this, by fuppofing fome under-ground
pafiagc for the fea out of Baffin's bay, or Davis's ftraits, &c. And here
we muft leave this dark fubjed for the prefent.

A. D. 1742. 233

The old or original capital of the bank of England of Li,6oo,oco
being at an interefl of 6 per cent till the ift of Auguft 1743, when
alio that company's exclufive privileges expire, and the natural intereft
of money being at this time very low, the government availing itlelf
thereof, made this year a contracfl with the bank, and had it confirmed
by parliament, that the bank flaould advance Li ,600,000 more with-
out any additional interefl whatever, (i. e. by agreeing that both fums,
amounting to L3, 200, 000, fhould bear an intereft of only 3 per cent) ;
in confideration of which fervice to the public, the bank, by this fla-
tute, had their privileges of banking, exclufive ot any partnerOiip be-
yond fix perfons, till one year's notice, and repayment of principal and
arrears, after the ifl: of Auguft 1764. Ey this ad, perfons forging,
counterfeiting, or altering any bank note, bill of exchange, dividend
warrant, or any bond or obligation under that company's feal, or any
indoriement thereon, or knowingly uttering the fame, ftiall fuffer death
without benefit of clergy. Moreover, the company's fervants breaking
their trufl to the company fhall fuffer death as felons without benefit of
clergy. It was alfo enaded, that when, at a court of diredors of the
bank, neither the governor nor deputy-governor fliall attend in two
hours after the time appointed for bufmefs, then any thirteen or more
of the diredors may choofe a chairman for the time, for the difpatch
of bufincfs ; which court fliall be as valid as if either the governor or
deputy-governor had duely attended. Hereby the bank was authorized
to take in fubfcriptions for advancing the faid Li, 600, 000 *. [15 Geo,

The parliament taking into their confideration, that the linen ma-
nufadures of Great Britain and Ireland were of late years greatly im-
proved, whereby the prices, as well of foreign as of home fabric, were
confiderably reduced, in order to extend thofe advantages as much as
pofilble, laid an additional duty on foreign cambrics imported of 1/5 for
every half piece, and 2/10 for every whole piece; out of which addi-
tional duty there was allowed a bounty of id' for every yard of Britilh
and Irifh linen, worth from 6d to 1 2d per yard in value, and one half-
penny per yard for linen under the value of 6d per yard, exported. [15,
16 Geo. II, c. 29.]

It has, for very many years paft, been judged of the utmoft confe-
quence, that the trade and navir;ation to and from the Britilli American
plantations fiiould be entirely confined and fecured folelv to Britifii,
Irilh, and American, fubjcdis : for which end it was, by a llatutc of the
7th and 8th of King William 111, and the 5th of Queen Anne, and
now confirmed by an ad of parliament [15, 16 Geo. II, f. 31] for far-
ther regulating the plantation-trade, &c. enaded, that all fiiips trading

• The capital (lock of th; b.i: k was now Lg.Soo^coOi yielding to tiic proprietors a dividend of
fiv.' and a half per cmt. M.

Vol. III. G g

234 A. D. 1742.

from Britain and Ireland, and alfo all tlie fliips of our American plan-
tations, fliould be regiftered as Britifh, IrilTi, or plantation, built, or elfe
prize-lhips made free: and a certificate of fuch regifter was to be always
ready in the mailer's hands : many frauds had neverthelefs been dif-
covered in this refped:, certificates of luch regifters having been fre-
quently fold to foreigners, whofe fhips, under colour thereof, have been
admitted to trade to and from the Britifli plantations, contrary to thofe
former laws. For prevention whereof, the mafier of every iliip arriv-
ing in America mufl now take an oath of all the qualifications necei-
fary for afcertaining fuch IKip to be a qualified one for trading thither,
and to be abfolutely and folely the property of his majefly's Britifh,
Irifh, or American, fubjecls.

Some Rullian adventurers from Tartary having now, as well as in
fome former years, difcovered the coafl:s of America, of which they
actually had fight, and particularly of California, had, it feems, failed
I2| de'2;rees north of that country, where no voyager had been before.
From thofe difcoveries of the Ruffians, it may be concluded (fays Dr.
Bufching, in the firfl volume of his very valuable Geography of Europe,
p. 524, Englifh tranflation), that Afia and America, about the 66th
degree of norih latitude, are feparated from each other only by a very
narrow channel.

At the city of Dublin in this year 1742 there were chrifiened 1 357
children; buried 2 :;2o perfons. This lafl number, multiplied by '^'^,
gives the probable number of fouls in Dublm to be 76,560, provided
the numerous papi'ls of that city, and all the proteflant diffenters due-
ly regifler their burials, which is at leafl doubtful.

At Amtlerdam there arrived this year 1591 fhips.

1743 Though the controverfy from the prefs between Mr. Dobbes

and Captain Middleton, concerning the pafTage through Hudlon's bay
wertward to China, &c. and the nature of the Hudlon's-bay company's
trade M'ith the favages of that bay, be too prolix to be totally tranfcrib-
cd into this work, yet there were lundry branches thereof thereby
brought to light, which are well worth recording.

The captain in his farther vindication, printed in 1743, obferves,
' that, until a little above twenty years before, the voyage to Hudfon's
' bay was fe'dom made without wintering there.' This fhews that
the company has thereby made a confiderable improvement therein,
and a confidera 4e faving mufl needs be made by not wintering at their
forts on U) inh ifpitable a fhore.

Mr. Dobbes has taken the pains to give the public the entire fale of
all that company's returns in the year 1743, viz.

26,750 beaver fkins, fold for - - L9780 4 o

12,370 marten's fkins _ _ - 4242 7 o

2360 damaged ditto - - 442 10 o

A. D.I 743- ^35

590 otter's fkins
850 cats

260 damaged ditto
320 foxes
600 woolverines
170 ditto, damaged
320 black bears
1580 wolves
270 ditto, damaged, and flags
40 woodlli.ock fkins
10 mink fkms
5 racoon ikins
120 fquirrel fkins

L4I3

0

0

765

0

0

52

0

0

200

0

0

205

0

0

27

12

0

368

0

0

1580

0

0

123

15

0

22

6

0

I

10

0

0

i5

0

2

0

0

46,615 of all forts, fold for - - Li 8,226 o o

He adds the following articles, but without their prices, viz. 130 elk
fkins, 440 deer fkins, 3170 pound weight of bed-feathers, aiid 220 lb.
in a tick, 140 caftorum, 470 whale fins, 23 cafks of whale oil, and 8
lb. of wefaguipaka.

And in their March fale 40,125 beaver, worth Li 4,670 o o

Unvalued goods, about - - 400 o o

Total amount of their fales in the year 1743 L33,296 o o

Upon this ftatc of this little company's fales, we may obferve, that if
their capital flock be but about Li 00,000, and that thereon they had
not for many years divided more than 10 per cent on that capital an-
nually, and if this year's fale be any rule to determine for other years,
it will follow that the company's annual expenie for fliipping, forts,
garrifons, I'alaries, and home charges, may be about L20,ooo. So that,
though Mr, Dobbes has fpared no pains to be maftcr of this lubjed:,
yet, after all, confidering the rilTcs the company conilantly runs, their
gains are little to be envied. Captain Middleton tells us, that the com-
pany has in all i 20 perfons, ofhcers, lokliers, and lervants, in their tour
forts in Hudfon's bay ; which forts are abfolutely requifite for their
people employed in preparing cargoes during winter, againfl: the arrival
of their fliips, as well as to protetl them from the attempts of the la-
vages and of wild bealls. So that, if the company fliould be dillblved,
as Mr. Dobbes propofes, and the trade laid open, thole forts mull be
kept up by a rate, or tax, on the private traders ; and undoubtedly the
company mufl, in fuch a cafe, have a reafonable compenlation for
them : and as the company, through the means of the forts, by their
long experience of the trade, and by fome fort of correipondence with

Gg2

236 A. D. 1743.

the favages, have raifed, and for many years carried on, a commerce
very beneficial to the nation, they might reafonably hope for a farther
compenfation on tliat account Ukewife. All things therefor being due-
ly weighed, it may fcem doubtful, whether it would be more eligible to
dillolvc the company, in expectation (as Mr. Dobbes believes) of ex-
tending the trade much farther when laid open, or to fuffer this branch
of our commerce to go on in its prefent channel ; unlefs the fo-much-
defired pafllige weftward to the Afiatic world could be found pradicable;
in which cafe, indeed, there may be found good reafons for taking
thofe forts into national management, and for ere<5ling others in that
fuppofed pafllige : Mr. Dobbes, Captain Middleton, and others alfo, later
than them, have defcribed fundry very plaufible fymptoms of a com-
munication with the fea of Japan. Yet, on the other hand, even fup-
pofmg that communication to be certain, it may happen to be imprac-
ticable for (hipping, either through its frozen fituation (like Weygatz
flraits), or from its being blocked up by rocks and fmall iflands ; or,
laftly, it may be found too hazardous and impracticable to guard and
keep it to ourfclves alone, for reafons obvious enough. Should our na-
tion be the difcoverers of fuch a practicable paflage weflward, it would
doubtlefs open fundry new and very unufual fcenes, and commercial op-
portunities, and would give us great advantages over other nations, not
only in {hortening the voyage to Japan and China, and even to India,
properly fo called, and to the adjacent ifles ; but likewife in opening a
commerce to us with the whole weft fide of North-America, without
rivals, where mines of the richer metals are known to abound near and
at New-Mexico, California, &c. More fine-fpun fpeculations of this
kind would rather amufe than inform, and therefor we fhall leave them,
and come again to more practicable matter.

Mr. Dobbes has given us a catalogue of Britifli man u failures, &c.
which the Hudfon's-bay company exchanges with the Indians. He fays
that one heaver'' s Jkin is the flandard medium of circulation, and is the
eftablifhed price of each of the following articles, viz.
A pound weight of brafs kettles, 2 combs,
1 y lb. of gunpowder, 2 yards of gartering,

5 lb. of lead (hot, I pair of breeches,

6 lb. of Brazil tobacco, 1 piftol, or
I yard of bayfe, 2 hatchets.

The other fkins and goods of the favages are, doubtlefs, valued alfo
by this ftandard of a beaver-fkin, though he has not fhewn the propor-
tions thereof.

Other goods ufually carried thither are, glafs-beads, black-lead, fugar,
thread, vermilion, brandy, broad cloth, blankets, duffles, flannel, awl-
blades, buttons, fifh-hooks, fire-fteels, files, guns, flints, yarn, mittins,
handkerchiefs, hats, hawks-bells, knives, ice-chizels, looking-glafles,

A. D. 1743. 237

needles, net-lines, rings for the fingers, runlets, fword-blades, fpoons>
fhirts, flioes, ftockings, faflies, worded, thimbles, tobacco-boxes, tongs,
trunks, twine, &c. Which fhews, in fome meafure, that Mr. Dobbes's
o])inion may be right, that the extenfion of this trade farther into the
vafl inland countries, fouthward and fouth-eafl from the bay, might
prove a national advantage. Yet, whether thofe countries be lo fertile
and fo well inhabited as he alleges, is at leaf! doubtful.

There was exported by the Hudfon's-bay company in the year 1737
to the value of - _ _ _ _ - L4124 18 2

In the year 1738 ______ 3879 17 11

Thus this difpute between Mr. Dobbes and Captain Middleton has
brought to light more particulars for illuftrating this trade, than either
the company would, probably, have readily done, or the public could
have otherwife expeded.

Mr. Dobbes has moreover given us alfo a catalogue of the peltry im-
ported from Canada, or New-France, into the port of Rochel, for the
year 1743, viz.

127,080 beaver fkins, 1220 fine cats,

16,512 bears, 1267 wolves,

110,000 racoons, 92 wolverines,

30,325 martens, 10,280 grey foxes and cats,

12,428 otters and fifhers, 451 red foxes ;

1700 minks,
in all 31 1,355 (kins, worth about Li 20,000 fterling, according to the
above valuation of the Hudfon's-bay peltry.

Both Mr. Dobbes and Captain Middleton- admit, that there is a good
copper-mine on the wefl: fide of Hudfon's bay, not far from the coafi:,
which might, probably, be brought to good account, were a fort built
near it. It is on that weft fide, where the company's chief forts and
trade are lefs in danger of being annoyed by the French forts north of
Canada, and which were much too near ours on the fouth fide of Hud-
fon's bay, fuch as our beft and ftrongeft fort, named the Prince of
Wales's fort, from whence in 1742 the company got 20,000 beaver's
/kins; that on Churchill river; York-fort on Nelibn's river, antiently
called on our maps Port-Nelfon ; another on New-Severn river ; one on
Albany river ; and one on Moofe river, at the very fouthern extremity
ot the bay ; where they keep themfelves clofe, both fummer and winter
for the moft part, having no country plantations, and with only a
kitchen garden under the walls of their forts, wherein they raife a few
herbs and greens. Whereas, fays Mr. Dobbes, would the company
fettle and build forts higher up from the fea, on the weft and fouth fides
of the bay, where the frofls and cold arc not near lo intenfe, and where
they will find a rich country, well wooded, with all manner of plants,
herbs, &c. with plenty of grafs, rivers, and lakes ; or rather, were the.

238 A. D.I 743-

trade laid open, and thofe tine inland countries upon Rupert's, Moofe,
Albany, and X'elibn, rivers, fettled by our people, we might regain the
whole trade from the French, and fupply the natives with woollen and
iron wares, &c. wliich, he fays, the company do not do ; but, inflead
thereof, by their exorbitant rates, do enable the French from Canada to
underfeil them. He adds, with refpedlto this company, that eight or nine
private merchants engrofs nine tenth parts of the company's capital flock,
whereby they arc perpetual diredors. Mr. Dobbes, for the greater cor-
roboration of his opinion of the probability of a paffage out of Hudfon's
bay into the South feas, gives us an abflract of the voyage of De Fonte,
the vice-admiral of Peru, from Lima northward, on the weft fide of
North-America, as far as the Tartarian feas in 77 degrees of north lati-
tude, in the year 1640, by order of the king of Spain, who had advice
of frefh attempts in 1639 ^^^ ^ north-weft paflage by certain naviga-
tors from New-England ; and that the Spanifti admiral had found in
thofe feas a lliip from Bofton in New-England, commanded by one
Capi.ain Shaply, who was told by that admiral, that his inftrudions were,
to make prize of any people feeking a north-weft paflage into the South
fea ; but that, neverthelefs, he would look upon them as merchants trad-
ing with the natives for beavers, &c. and fo difmifled him generoufly.
Which account Mr. Dobbes thinks has all the appearance of being
authentic, though it is plain there are fundry very improbable circum-
ftances in it; particularly that admiral's aflerting, at the conclufion of his
journal, that he found there was no pafTage into that fea by what is
called the north-weft paffage, after he had related his finding the New-
England fliip in the Tartarian fea ; which circumftance, however, Mr.
Dobbes b.as laboured to clear up. He thinks, that fhip might have
pafltd into the Tartarian fea through fome of the openings near Whale-
cove, in trading for furs, and might have been afterwards loft, or elfe
furprifed by the Ei'quimaux favages, upon her return home, feeing no
account of this voyage was ever tranfmitted from Bofton ; and that,
upon Sir Charles Wager's making inquiry, whether any of the name of
Shaply had lived at that time in Bofton, it did appear from certain writ-
ings, that fome of that name had then lived at Bofton ; which, fays Mr.
Dobbes, adds to the weight of De Fonte's account, and confirms its be-
ing an authentic journal *.

The fuburbs of London ftill increafing on every fide, and particularly
towards the hamlet of Bethnal green, which at this time was increafed
to about i8oo houfes, and computed to have more than 15,000 inha-
bitants, v.'hich is above eight perfons to each houfe (by reafon they are
nioftiy manufacturers, and the meaner fort of working people, many

* 11 furli a voyage liaJ been undertaken from other fabricated Spanifh navigator) are now uni-

Eolton, the n-.emor\- of it could Ti.jt have been iit- vcrfally allowed to be mere fables. The Spaniards

ttvrly !o.1 in that place in the courfe of a century, have no accounts of any fuch difcoverers. M.

But the difcoveiies of Fuentc, and L/c Fuca (an- j

A. D. 1743. 239

lodgers often crowding into one houfe) an a6l of parliament was pafTed
[16 Geo. 11, c. 28 J to make that hamlet a feparate and dillincl parifh from
that of St. Dunflan's, Stepney ; and for erecting a parifli-church there-
in, fince known by the name of St. Matthew Bethnal-green.

There were buried during the year 1743, at Dublin 2,193 perfons,
Chriftencd - - - - - - -1,517

The number of burials multiplied by 30 gives 65,790

if by 231 is more 6. 579

By this rule, the perfons in Dublin were - 72,369

"We are obliged to wirti we could depend on thofe mortality bills.

1744 The EnglifhEafl-Indiacompany,inconfideiationof an enlarge-
ment for 14 years longer of their prefent exclufive trade and privileges,
agreed to advance one million of money for the public exigency, for the
year r 744, at 3 per cent intereft. Which was according! ly confirmed by an
ad: of parliament [17 Geo. II., c. 17] for granting to his majefty the fur-
plus or remainder of the duties on fpirituous liquors, granted, &c. to
commence from michaelmas 1744 ; the company being for this end
enabled to borrow money on their commou-feal by creating a million
of new bonds, at 3 per cent interelt. So that the entire debt thence-
forth due by the public to this company was L4, 200,000, hereby de-
clared to be redeemable upon one year's notice after lady-day 1745,
by payments of not lefs than L5co,coo at any one time. Yet, not-
withftanding luch redemption, this company fliall continue to enjoy
their exclufive commerce to Eafl-India for the term granted by former
laws ; and. in confideration of this loan to the public, they Hiall have
an addition of fourteen years to their jn-efent exclufive term, which will
therefor extend to three years notice to be given hy parliament after
lady-day 17HC; and at the expiration of the faid three years, and re-
payment of the above 1-4,20 \ooo, and all arrears of interefi:, then their
title to an exclufive trade fliall ceafe and determine. Yet, after the faid.
determination, the company fliall continue to have a common right
with other fu'-'jects in and to the trade to India.

Thus the prefent condition of the Eail-lndia company is as fol-
lows,

Due to them in their cor]M)rate capacity L3,200 000 at 4 per cent,
being Li 2*^ occ' p<^r annum ; and Li, 000,000 at 3 per cent, being
L30,ooo per annum.

in our war with Spain ve happened, about two years and an half
before this time, to leize on the illand of Rattan near the bay of Hon-
duras, belon'ing to that k'n,"dom ; and now the RritiOi parliament
maJc an cft'iinue and provifion for ihi expcnic of a garrilon, toriillca-
tions, (lores, &c. for it \ it bein^ thought extremely well fituated for a.

^4^ A. D. 1 744.

trade between Jamaica and the Spanifli main. Yet, foon after, on a
general peace, it was again reftored to Spain.

The French having, as formerly noted, confiderably gained upon
England in their trade to the Levant, not only by the fhortnefs of the
voyage thither from Marfeilles, but alfo by judicioufly ftudying the ma-
nufaduring of fuch kinds of flight, though fine-looking, woollen cloths,
as may befl: fuit their climate, which they can afford to fell at a cheaper
rate than tliat of our more fubflantial, and really finer, drapery ; befides
their fupplying the Turks, alfo cheaper than we can, with great quan-
tities of fugar, indigo, &c. it was at this time much canvafTed, in con-
verfation, pamphlets, and newfpapers, whether the (hortsft way for
England to regain the afcendant in that very important branch of com-
merce would not be to lay the Turkey trade entirely open to all
Britifh fubjeds. This went fo far with many, that a bill was brought
into parliament for enlarging and regulating the trade to the Levant
feas ; hoping, that, by the niunber of traders in an open trade, they
fhould be able to underfell the French, and recover the ground which
they had gradually loft. But our Turkey or Levant company, being
heard at the bar of the houfe, gave thereby, and by their printed cafe,
fuch convincing reafons againfl; the bill, that it was at length dropped.
The company readily admitted that their trade was much decayed ; but
they alleged in fubftance the following genuine reafons for that declen-
fion, viz.

That, during the moft flourifhing periods of their trade, it was prin-
cipally carried on with a coarfe kind of cloth, made entirely of Englifh
wool, in which no other nation could vie with them. But the French,
after the treaty of the Pyrenees, enjoying a long courfe of profperity,
turned their views very much to foreign commerce, and particularly to
that of the Levant, v.-hich the great Colbert pufhed forward at a vaft
public expenfe; till at length the cloth manufadure of Languedoc, made
of two thirds Spanifh wool and one third of the wool of that province,
could be afforded at as low a price in Turkey as the Englifh could af-
ford to fell a coarfer cloth, made all of their own wool, not worth above
Oi/ per lb. That this fuperiority of the material, and alio that of the
finer fpinning, made a more fliowy cloth, which, though flighter,
found its vent in a warmer climate. Thar, moreover, the French
make cloths of all Spanifh wool for the Turkey markets, which
they fell cheaper than ours ; though ours be more fubftantial. And
though there are Englifli cloths made of a mixture of Enghfh and
Spanifh wool, yet the French cloth of that fort happens to be much
cheaper. Thiit the French, by this acquired advantage of Spanifh wool,
have got the better of the natural one which we long enjoyed ; and that
our clothiers are not able to make fuch a cloth to fuit the Turks, fo
cheap as the French can and do aflbrd theirs before-mentioned. That,

4

A. D. 1744. 241

moreover, the French have increafed their trade to Turkey by carrying
thither indigo and coffee in great quantities, which we have not, as alfo
fugar, which they fell much cheaper than we can do. The wars of the
great Peter, czar of Ruflia, againfl Perfia having obflructed the bring-
ing of Sherbaff filk from the province of Ghilaun through Turkey,
the Englilh before that period ufually bought at Aleppo and Smyrna at
lead 1000 bales, one year with another, worth about Lioo each bale,
and chiefly in barter for our cloth ; a great part whereof the filk
merchants carried back into Perfia, fo that Uttle or no filk comes now
that way ; and indeed it is now permitted to be brought through Rullia,
as is alfo rhubarb, once a good article of return, but now become a mo-
nopoly in the hands of that court. And that, though that province has
been refiiored to Perfia, yet the wars that have fince been in thofe pro-
vinces have fo interrupted the commerce, that it is now much diverted
into the other channel through Rulfia. That there is a decreafe, of one
half at leaft;, in the confumption of fundry drugs, as well as in galls,
goats-wool, and mohair-yarn, occafioned by the change of fafhions.
That the great increafe of Italian and Spaniih raw filk alfo leflens the
vent for Turkey raw filk ; although thofe filks are bought with ready
money ; whereas the Turkey raw filk is taken in return for the Britifli
manufadures fold there. That the company, confiding in the royal
charters and privileges, have conftantly carried on a very confiderable
commerce to Turkey, whither they annually export large quantities of
woollen and other manufadures, &.c. and bring back great quantities
of raw filk, mohair-yarn, &c. for the ufe of our home manufactures;
and are at a very great expenfe in fupporting the charge of an ambailli-
dor at Confiantinoplc, and of coniuls in other parts ol" Turkey; as alfo
in obtaining and renewing the needflil capitulations with the Ottoman
Porte, and in making confiderable fettlements at Confiantinople, Aleppo,
Smyrna, &c. and that they apprehend this bill will deprive them of
thofe privileges, fo dearly purchafed, if it does not likewiie occafion the
total lofs of the trade.

It feems the Jews w^ere very active in promoting this bill, which af-
forded the company and their friends within doors an occalion to ex-
plain to the parliament and people, how probable it was, that they would,
by being admitted, as was by many intended, into this trade, when laid
open, engrofs the entire Levant trade, in conjundion with their own
l^eople in Turkey, wlio are the agents for the great men there, and the
general brokers for merchants ; and who, by combination amongfi ihem-
felves, very much govern the fale of merchandize. For which, and
other reafons, it was judged fit to drop the bill, i'his brief account will
let thofe who were before ignorant of the nature of this trade, in a great
meafure into at leaft a general idea of it, which, indeed, is as much as

Vol. III. H h

242 A. D. 1744.

pcrfons, unacquainted vvitli the pracflice of that particular branch of com-
merce, can rcalonably defirc to know.

We fliall clofe this year, 1744, with a fummary view of the flate of
the flock and funds of the bank of England, viz.

The original capital doubled, and reduced to 3 per cent
intercfi:, is-------- L3, 200,000

For cancelling exchequer bills (3//0 Geo. I) at 4 per
cent - - _______ 500,000

Purchafcd in 1722, of the South-fea company, at 4 per
cent _________ 4,000,000

Annuities charged on the furplus of the funds of lottery
17 14, at 4 per cent - - _ _ _ _ 1,250,000

Annuities at 4 per cent, charged on the duty on coals
nnce lady-day 1710 - - _ _ _ _ 1,750,000

Total bank capital - Li 0,700,000
Befides the feveral 3 per cent lottery annuities transferable at the
bank, i. e. of the year i73r, being L8oo,ooo ; of the year 1742, be-
ing alfo L8oo,ooo ; of the year 1743, being Li, 800,000 ; and the like
fum of the year 1744, or L 1,8 00, coo ; all which four lad fums arc
quite feparate and dillinct from what is known by the name of the ca-
pital ftock of the bank, the faid four fums being entitled to their re-
fpedive annuities alone, without any other profit whatever ; whereas
the capital flock of Li 0,700,000 was entitled to all the benefits of that
company's banking, in the largeft fenfe of that word. We are here,
however, to note, that though the principal fum of Lro, 700,000 was
adually due from- the public to the bank, yet the transferable capital
in the bank books, as divided among all their proprietors, was really but
L9, 800, 000 bank flock ; there being the fum of Lgoo,ooo undivided
capital remaining in that company's corporate capacity ; by the intereft
whereof, and their profits by banking (i. e. by all the advantages the
bank can make, either by circulating the government's exchequer bills,
and by other dealings with the public ; by what they make by difcount-
ing merchants bills of exchange ; by dealing in foreign bullion ; and,
laftly, by employing fo much of the cafh of their circulating notes as is
not judged abfolutely requifite to remain in bank, for anfwering all the
demands of thofe notes, that prudent and mofl ufeful corporation was
enabled to make at this time an annual dividend of 5^ per cent on their
transferable capital of L9, 800,000.

Now the annual intereft paid to them from the public
on L3,2oo,coo, at 3 per cent, is - . - - - L96,ooo

And on L7, 500, 000, at 4 per cent, is - - - 300,000

Total of the bank's interefl from the piiblic - L396>odo

A. D. 1744. 243

But, as the bank has for feveral years pafl divided 5^ per
cent yearly to the proprietors of the faid L9, 800, 000,
being -- -- - -- - - L539,ooo

By deduding the faid yearly interefl: received from the
public, being ________ 396,000

There remain, as the annual profits of the faid L900,ooo,
their undivided capital, and all their other various profits
by banking, as aforefaid, amounting together to - 143,000

Now, if the interefl; paid by the government for the
LgoOjOOO undivided capital, at 4 per cent, be deducted,
being - - _______ 36,000

Then the clear annual profits of the bank, by their mo-
ney concerns with the public, and by all their other cer-
tainly-known banking concerns, will be - - - 107,000

DeducT: thereout (luppofe) for houfe-expenfe of all kinds,
iis falaries, &c. ________ iy,ooo

And there will remain then of the known annual profit
by mere banking - - - - - - - 90,000

Laftly, fome might poflibly be fo much farther inquifitive as to form
conjectures, for they can be no other, concerning the proportion which
the quantum of ready cafli, always neceffary to be referved in this^ or
any other, public or private bank for the circulation of all their cafh
notes and credit of accounts in a bank, bears, or fhould bear, to the
total amount of thofe cafh notes and credit ; and which is the ultimate
article in all banking bufinei's, and probably alfo the mod confiderablc
one, moreeipecially with refped to our London private bankers, though,
at the Tame time, an extremely calual and uncertain one : neverthelefs,
as this kill point may be properly termed the fair and reaionable myf-
tery or fecret of all banking, we can fee no benefit which can arife by
any fuch minute inquiries to the generality of men ; neither do we ap-
prehend them proper to be inquired into at all, without there Ihould
arife any reaionable fuipicion oi fraud. For it has been a political ob-
fervation of long rtanding, that even the reputation of great and power-
ful monarchies and flates often fubfifis more by common fame or
<ipinif)n than by real (Ircngth or ability (' 7//.-'^/j- Jama quam 17') ; fo it
ni ly more fl:ridly and properly be aj^plicable to a bank and bankers ;
of which we had a moll pregnant inilance a few years ago at break-
ing up and dividing the profits of an eminent partnerfliip of a private
bank in the city of London, which for niany years had cleared or di-
vided feveral thoufand ]>ounds yearly for the partncrlhip ; when, upon
apprailing all the real flock of that partnerfliip before the highefl judge

H h 2

244 A' D. 1745.

of Great Britain, it appeared, even to that great man's amazement, that
the whole did not amount to above three or four hundred pounds, en-
tirely confifting of fliop implements, and certain houfliold furniture, &c.

Perhaps this obfervation may, in fome refpeds, be extended to moft
of the great commercial, as well as banking, focieties of the world ;
whofe internal condition, circumftances, and profits, it is by no means
proper too narrowly to pry into, lb long as they, to all appearances, are
prosperous and punduai in all their affairs ; though, like a private
merchant, their circumflances may not be alike profperous at all times.

1745. — Having read in Ker of Kerfland's Memoirs, that the city of
Hamburgh had no fewer than 5000 (hips and boats belonging to it, and
that loofe way of defcribing its naval commerce not giving me fufficient
fatisfadhon, 1 applied in the year 1745 to a Hamburgh broker or agent,
then refiding .it London, concerning the truth thereof; who freely ac-
knowleged, that, if all the boats on the river Elbe belonging to Ham-
burgh, and the vaft number of vefTels which that opulent city conftantly
employed in carrying merchandize up and down that large river, to and
from the countries of Mecklenburg, Pomerania, Saxony, Brandenburg,
Bohemia, Silefia, &c. were to be taken into the account, he knew not
whether there might not be fo many of all kinds ; but that the number
of real fhips trading on the Ocean and belonging to Hamburgh was not
above 300 ; whereof 150 were from 200 to upwards of 500 tons bur-
den, 27 of which fliips were then adually lying in the river Thames : and
that the remaining ijowere what areufually called fmall craft, or coaflers,
trading principally to Holland. Befides thofe, they had three fhips of
war for the protedion of their commerce from the Barbary rovers,
which they keep conftantly in their pay, viz. two of 40 to 50 guns
each, and the third a fmalier frigate. This account, fcemingly a pro-
bable one, gives an high idea of the extenfive commerce and numerous
fhipping of that city.

The difcovery of a north-weft pafTage to the feas of Japan and China,
continuing to be much the fubjetSt of converfation, an ad: of parliament
palfed [18 Ceo. II, c. 17] whereby it was enaded, that if any Ihip of his
majefty's fubjeds fliall find out, and fail through, any paflage by fea be-
tween Hudlon's-bay and the weftern and Ibuthern ocean of America,
the owner, or his alTigns, ftiall receive a reward of L2o,ooo. The com-
miflioners for determining this difcovery are therein named, being the
great officers of llate, and of the treafury, admirals, &c. Provided,
however, that nothing in this ad {hall anyways extend to the prejudice
of any part of the eftute, rights, or privileges, belonging to the governor
and company of adventurers of England trading into Hudfon's bay.

To prevent the frauds committed in counterfeiting the ftamps put
on Britifli and Irilh linen, in order to receive the bounty allowed on
their exportation, a llatute palled this fame year [c. 24] for effedually

A. D. 1745. 245

preventing the exportation of foreign linens, under the denomination of
JSritjfh or Irifh linens.

And by the next ftatute [c. 25] it was enaded, that whereas the linen
maniifaftures of Britain and Ireland are of late years greatly improved
and increafed, whereby the price of linens, as well of foreign as of home
fabric, hath been confiderably reduced, a farther bounty on their ex-
portation was hereby enabled, of one halfpenny per yard on linen of
the value of s,d and not exceeding i 2J per yard ; and of three halfpence
per yard on linen from above i 2d to 1/6 per yard ; with fundry other
regulations for preventing frauds, &c. This flatute, it is hoped, will in
time produce great and good confequences for the increafe of our own,,
and the difcouraging of foreign, linens, for which fuch great fums are
and have fo long been paid, to fupply the Britilh, African, and Ameri-
can, trades, and all our other exportations of linens ; whereby our own
l^eople will be employed, and the money kept at home, fo long paid to
Germany, Pruffia, and Ruflia for the fame.

As the next ftatute [c. 26] for repealing the inland duty of ^^ per
pound weight upon all tea fold in Great Britain, and for granting to his
majefty certain other inland duties in lieu thereof, &c. relates only to
the alterations thereby made in the manner of colledung the duty on
that commodity, we fliall take no farther notice of it, than merely to
remark, that it was provided, that if at any time the Britilh Eafl-India
company fhall negle6t to keep the London market fupplied with a fuf-
ficient quantity of tea at reafonable prices, to anfwer the confumption
thereof in Great Britain, the board of treafury may grant licences to
any other perfon or perfons, bodies politic or corporate, to import teas
into Great Britain from any part of Europe, fubjed to the like duties,
reflridions, and limitations, &c. as arc prefcribed with relpecft to tea to
be imported by the Eaft-India company from any part of Europe, &c.

It being evidently for the advantage of Great Britain, and particu-
larly for the farther promoting of her own linen manufadtures and thofe
ot Ireland, that the wearing of foreign cambrics and Erench lawns
Ihould not be permitted, a ilatuie [18 Geo. 11, c. 56J for prohibiting
the wearing and importation of cambrics and French lawns, enaded,
that it fliall not be lawful for any perfon in Great Britain to wear any
cambric or French lawn, under the penalty of L5, and the like pe-
nalty on the fellers thereof, &c. If this law was I'erioully intended to
be executed, as its title and preamble feem to import, there is rcalbn
to apprehend it has not fully anlwered the intention ; neither, perhaps,
has a fubfequent fiiort ad [21 Geo. 11, c. 26] for explaining, amending,
and enforcing, the fimc, by farther extending the penalties to the
venders, and alio to the milliners making up fuch cambrics.

Great Britain being at war with France, the province of Ncw-Eng>
land alone, a (lifted by the king's fliips of war, was now able to raife a

246 A. D. 1745.

fufficient land-force to take the ifland of Cape-Breton, which was for-
merly yielded to France by the treaty of Utrecht. Thofe forces con-
(ifled of 4070 men, exclufive of commiflion-officers, viz.

from Maflachufet's bay _ - _ 3250 men.

New-Hampfhire - - _ _ ■504

Connedicut • - - - - 516

4070
befides the armed floops and failors belonging to thofe three colonies
and to that of Rhode-ifland. The importance of Cape-Breton is now
well underftood (fays Sir William Pepperell, commander of thofe forces,
in his journal of its fiege), or rather of the iflands of Madame and Cape-
Breton, which are fo contiguous, that they are by mofl: people fuppofed
to be but one ifland, by the name of Cape-Breton. It extends from
the gut of Canfo or Canceflb, the eaftcrn boundary of Nova-Scotia, eafl:-
north-eaft about 34 leagues, and helps to form the gulf of St. Laurence ;
which gulf is full of commodious bays, havens, iflands, rivers ; and at all
feafons of the year has great plenty of cod-fifli, and at particular feafons
of the year has herrings, mackerel, &c. for bait : but the ice in winter
renders its navigation unfafe, if not altogether impracticable, at leaft to
make fifliing voyages ; though in the iummer feafon there have been
yearly fiflieries carried on at Gafpay, at the entrance of Canada river,
and in the little harbours from thence to Bayverte, at the iflands of St.
John and Magdalene, at and through the gut of Canfo, and thence along
the fliore (to many other places therein named), and from Gafpay round
the north fide of the gulf at the feveral convenient ports on the main,
quite to the ftraits of Belleifle, and, by an allowance to the French in
the treaty of Utrecht, (which they have made the mofl: of) in all the
harbours at the northward of Newfoundland that were unemployed by
the Englifli. And though, comparatively fpeaking, there was but a
fmall number of their fliips that liflied at Cape-Breton itfelf, yet the fi-
tuation of that ifle is fuch, that they could all of them at pleafure re-
pair thither on any emergency or danger, efpecially thofe that fiflied in
the gulf, on the main, or thofe at the north-weft of Newfoundland, who
were all within one or two days fail at moft ; and alfo thofe fliips that
laded with mud-flfli on the banks : fo that this ifland of Cape-Breton
was the key and protection of their whole fifliery ; and for that end it
was fortified and garrifoned, and valued by France equal to any other
of its colonies ; though the harbour of Louifljourg is not an extraordi-
nary good one, and the ifland produces nothing either for food or rai-
ment : fo that the fituation and conveniencv of this place (being as it
were the center of the whole fifliery, and a cover and command to the
whole gulf) was the greateft inducement to France to fortify it. What
other ufes it might ferve for, as a port to the Eaft and Weft India fliips,

A. D. 1 745. 247

and to thofe bound to Canada, on occafion to refort to for wood and
water; to clean or to repair, &c. not being fo much in their view as fe-
curing and upholding the fifliery. Their conviction of the growing pro-
fits of the fidiery there, and the hopes of one time or other monopoliz-
ing it, made them take fuch indefatigable and indired means the lafl
war (i. e. of Queen Anne) to procure a neutrality, fo far as related to
the fifliery, which they obtained by dint of money; and on the peace,
in order to fecure it to them for the future, fluck at no terras to obtain
this ifland, which they had no fooner effeded, than they immediately
fettled it with a new colony of fifliermen only. And a fifliery flourifhed
here fo fafl:, that they could, and did, afford to underfell us at foreign
markets. And for the protection of the trade fo to do, they had annual
fliips of war fent them from France to vifit and fupply them, with or-
ders to protect and defend not only their fea-coafts, but their veflels on
the banks of Newfoundland, &c. ; and alfo to make and keep their pre-
tenfions good to the feveral banks, either within or without their line ;
and to make themfelves a privilege as it were of fifhing almofl: where
they pleafed, by force of cufiom, in which they gradually 'incrCafed ; fo
tlKit in the year 1732 two of their men of war vvere ordered on that
fiation, to cruife on the banks, to examine into the ftate of the fifliery,
and to give them any necefiary affiflance and protection ; and to go
from thence to Canada, and fo back to the fifliery again, and thence to
convoy thofe fliips that had made their voyages, and were ready to de-
part for Europe. The marquis de la Maifon Forte, (continues Sir Wil-
liam Pepperell) in his journal, thus remarks, Louifliourg is a good port
and a fafe harbour. More than 100 veflels from France arrive there
every year to fifli, and make fifli (i. e. to cure them) of the cod which
they catch in fmall craft of the country, and are after put into larger
vefll'ls, where they fait them and dry them, from the beginning of June
till October, when they all get ready to depart each for his afllgned
port. This ifland produces fome grain ; but though there are more
than four thoufand inhabitants, they find their account much better in
fifliing than in liunKindry, and confequently the land lies wafie ; they
procuring all neccflarics in exchange lor their fifli.

Our author proceeds to illuflraie the magnitude and profits of the
fifliery of the French in thofe leas, viz.

From the gut of Canfi) down along the fliore to Louilhourg, and
from thence to the north-eafi part of Cape-Breton, there were annual-
ly employed at leafl 500 fliallops, each of which required at fea and on
fliore at leaft five men ; in all - - 2500 men.

Sixty brigs, fchooners, and floops, with each 15
men, - - - - - 900 men.

Total men employed, 3400 men.

248

A. D. 1745.

Eiich of the faid 500 fliallops catches 300 quintals
of fifli in the fummer feafon ; in all

And each of the brigs, fchooners, and floops, catches
600 quintals _ _ - -

150,000 quintals.
36,000

Total fifli annually -made at Cape-Breton, i86,coo quintals.
Now, to carry this fifli to Europe there muft be
employed 93 fliips, of the burden of 2000 quintals
each, and each fliip has 20 failors ; in all - i860 men.

Total men employed in the fifliery of Cape-Breton, 5260
At Gafpay, Qj_iadre, and other harbours, mentioned in the following
eftimate, there are fix fliips yearly, which, as they come out from
France, manned to catch their own cargoes in fliallops (which they
haul up, and leave in the country every winter till they return in the
next fpring) may, one with another, be allowed fixty hands. And it
has always been allowed from St. Maloes and Granville that they have
at leaft three hundred fail of thofe fliips in this fifliery, that fifli at Petit-
nord, Fichance, Belleifle, and the gulf, which (all being computed as
above, and allowing thofe fliips that fo come out to make their own
voyages, to carry each three thoufand quintals) will be as follows, viz.

At Cape-Breton,

— Gafpay,

— Qiiadre,

— Porte en Bafque,

— Les Foils ifles,

— St. Maloes, &c.

Total, 414 24,520 i,r49,ooa

Tliere go alfo fliips from St. Jean de Luz, Bayonne, Nantes, and Havre
de Grace ; and befides all thefe, there have been conftantly from the
rivers Sindie, Olune, Poiteux, Havre, &c. 150 fliips at leaft (the French
fay 200 fail) employed in the mud-fifliery, (or mort-veft, as they call it)
from 16 to 24 men each, which carry home from 22,000 to 30,000
fifli each. So, on the moft moderate computation, 150 fail of fliips,
with 20 men each, is 3000 men ; and by tale, 3,900,000 fiflies in all.

In regard to the value of this branch of trade, it is neceflliry to ob-
ferve, that it alfo produces a large quantity of train-oil, viz. a hogfliead
of 60 gallons of oil out of every hundred quintals of fifli, and this out
of the whole quantity will produce 11,490 hogflieads of oil. And al-
lowing that 4000 fifli in number are equal to 100 quintals when cured,
then the 3,900,000 mud-fifli, by the fame rule, will yield 975 hogflieads
of oil ; which makes in all 12,465 hogflieads of oil.
4

Ships.

Men.

Quintals.

93

-

- -

5260 -

-

- 186,000

6

-

- -

360 -

-

18,000

6

-

- -

360 -

-

18,000

6

-

- -

360 -

-

18,000

3

-

- -

180 -

-

9000

300

—

- -

r 8,000 -

—

- 900,000

A. D.I 745- 249

Now, let the 1,149,000 quintals of fifh be valued only at iq/'fterling
per quintal (the prime coft ufually at Newfoundland), and then it is
worth _____ L574,5oo o o

And to this allow 3/ flerling per quintal for freight
in Englifh bottoms to market, - - 172,350 o o

And then the fifh alone is worth - 746,850 o o

And let the 12,465 hogflieads (or 3116^ tons) of oil
be valued at L18 flerling per ton, - - 56,092 10 o

As to the mud-fifh, they are generally fold in France
at 1000 livres for 1000 fifh ; and then, at iii flerling
per livre, their value is - - - 178,750 o o

And thus it appears that one year's fifhery of the
French is worth _ _ _ _ L98 1,692 10 o

Which great branch of trade in a manner depends entirely on their
pofleilion of the ifland of Cape-Breton, as it is impoffible to carry it on
without fome convenient harbour of ftrength.

In addition to this, in regard to the woollen manufadure, every man
employed in this fifhery confuming in his back and bed clothes the va-
lue of 30/" flerling thereiniyearly, is L4i,25o flerling. Add alfo thereto
the canvas, cordage, hooks, lines, twine, nets, lead, nails, fpikcs, edge-
tools, graplins, anchors, &c. which 564 fhips ani^ fhallops muft expend
at fea and on fhore ; and allow all thefe to be Britifh, and that Britain
could keep it all to herfelf, and the value will be found of greater con-
fcquence than any other trade dependent on our plantations, not even
excepting the tobacco trade : firft, in regard to raifing feamen for the
navy ; fecondly, in the confumption of Britifli manufadures and pro-
dud ; an^l, thirdly, and above all, in a certain annual remittance of the
balance of this trade from Spain, Portugal, Italy, and other parts *. So
that, all things duely confidered, this acquifition of Cape-Breton is of it-
felf, and alone, a fufficient compenfation for the war. Moreover, by this
conquefl, France has not any one lea-port for the relief of their trading
fliips, either from the Eafl or from the Well Indies, open to them any-
where in North-America to the northward of the river Mifllfippi ; for
Canada is not to be looked upon as an open port to the fea, it being
impradicable to go thither for flielter, as being 60 or 70 leagues within
land through the gulf to the mouth of the river, and then a great way
farther up the river. And even as to Canada itl'elf, the river is now lb
much under our command, as well as the gulf, that all trade, and even
communication there, may be very cafily flopped by our lliips from

• To all thcfc oiir author might have added the great number of people of various trades employc>)
in building and fitting out liic vclftls, and the advantage accruing to liie landed intereft from tlic am-
fumption of their provifions. ^l.

Vol. III. I i

250 A. D. 1745.

Cape-Breton ; inlomuch that, without force of arms, in a very few years
that colony would fall, and the whole trade of turs carried on with the
Indians there come into Englifli hands. And a happier confequence
flill is, that hereby the French in Canada may not only be kept from
fupplying the Indians, but alfo from encouraging them to annoy our
frontiers ; fo that thofe Indians mufl become dependent on us. By this
acquifition, likewife, we have fecured to the nation the garrifon of An-
napolis-Royal, and the colony of Nova-Scotia ; which country being a
very rich and fertile foil, and its coafts and rivers abounding with fifh,
and fettled with French catholics, that nation has much regretted the
lofs of, and wanted to recover. Our holding Cape-Breton will alfo keep
thofe French inhabitants of Nova-Scotia in ftrid allegiance to his ma-
jefly, or elle oblige them to quit their polTeffions, which are all farms
brought to perfediion, and fit for any fervice immediately. Had we not
taken Cape-Breton this year, and the French had taken Annapolis, the
confequence then would have been, that all the inhabitants of Nova-
Scotia would have declared for France immediately, and the colony
would have been at once the French king's; whereby all the Cape-fable
and St. John's Indians, who alFifled France laft year at the fiege of An-
napolis, together with thofe of Canada, would have been let loofe upon
our frontiers.

This account of the vaft value of Cape-Breton, written by one living
in its neighbourhood, and who was knighted for the fuccefsful part he
acted in reducing it to his Britannic majefty's obedience, is in the main
jufdy to be depended on, as not being the vague and romantic report
of an unfiiilful writer, but the faithful narration of one who was every
way equal to the tafk *.

1-746 To balance the great lofs of the French in Cape-Breton, they

next year took fromo ur EngUlh taft-India company their mofl import-
ant fort and town of Fort St. George, on the Co;omandel coart, with
the adjacent black town of Madras, being the capital of all our com-
pany's places in Eaft-India ; wherein they found no fmall quantity of
merchandize and treaiure : they alfo took one of that company's cap-
ital fliips.

• Notwitlidanding Mr. Anderfon's encomium long. An infinitely more effeftual, as well as moic

on Sir WilL'am Pepperell's flattering account of honourable, means of relief, was adminiftered by a

his own conquell, it is now known that it ought meeting of merchants, bankers, and traders, on the

to be read with at leall fome grains of allowance. 26th day of that month. Thofe gentlemen drew

The richntfs of the foil of Nova-Scotia has been up a paper, wlicrein they declared their refolution

often cried up, but it has never yet been very pro- to fupport the credit of the bank by receiving

duftive. M. their notes in all payments, and ufing their utmod

In confequence of the alarm raifed in the me- endeavours to pay them away to all perfons receiv-

tropolis by the progrefs of the pretender's fon, ing payments from them. Tlie refolution was foon

there was a great rua upon the bank in the month figned by above eleven liundrcd perfons, and had

of September. The directors endeavoured to make the happy effect of quieting apprehenfion, reftor-

their ca(h hold out as long as pofllble by making ing contidence, and putting an ioimediate end to

their pa\menls in filvcr, and cin'efly in iixpences; the run upon the baiik. M..
an expedient which could not have availed them

A. D. 1746. 251

On the 5th of July 1746 the king's charter pafled for ereding the
Britifh linen company at Edinburgh ; whereby a number of peers and
eminent gentlemen and merchants were incorporated, with a capital of
Li 00,000 fterling, which may be farther increafed from time to time,
as their affairs Ihall require, to any limited fum, by his majeily's fign-
manual. Their ordinary affairs to be conduded by a governor, deputy-
governor, and five directors. Their firfl governor was Archibald duke
of Argyle, the great promoter of this charter. One of the main inten-
tions of this company was to fupply the Britifh merchants trading to
Africa, and to the American plantations, with fuch kinds of linen cloth
as they hitherto were obliged to purchafe from foreign nations ; where-
by it is to be hoped that much money will befaved to the nation, which
till now has been carried abroad for thofe goods : a moft worthy and
truely public-fpirited defign, which there is good ground to hope will in
due time fully anfwer expedation.

The bank agreed to deliver up to the treafury L986,8oo in exche-
quer bills ; in lieu of which they were to have an annuity of 4 per cent
for that fum, out of the fund for licencing fpiritous liquors : and the
bank were hereby empowered to add the laid £986,800 to their capital
flock, taking in fubfcriptions for that end. [19 Geo. II, c. 6.]

Thus, at michaelmas 1746, the whole debt due to the bank from the
public, was - - - Li 1,686,800

But the bank now hold thereof, in their corporate capa-
city, the undivided fum of - - 906,800

which being deduded, there remained of transferable

capital, divided amongH: all the proprietors, only - L 10,780,000

It being too common for commanders of fhips, lying in rivers, ports,
&c. to throw out their ballall on the fhore below the fuU-fea mark, to
tlie great detriment and filling up of thole ports, rivers, 6cc. a law was
paffed [19 Geo. II, c. 22] prohibiting the throwing out of any filth, rub-
bifli, gravel, &c. except on the land where the tide never flows, under the
penalty of at Icafl fifty fliillings, and not exceeding five pounds for every
offence. And fliips or vcfTels funk or flranded in any pc>rt or river,
muftbe forthwith weighed up and removed by order of the magiflrates.
This ad extended only to that part of Great Britain called England.

The manufadurc of fail-cloth had been long improving in Great Bri-
tain, and had been encouraged by fundry ads of parUament ; particu-
larly by thofe of the 9th and 13th of King George II, whereby all fo-
reign-made fail-cloth imported, ufually entered by the name of Holland's
duck, or vitry canvas, fit for fliips' fails, and for which duties are pay-
able, fliould be llamped as fuch on its importation, to prevent its p::fl-
ing for Britifli-made fail-cloth ; and if found unflamped, to be forfeited ;
and the importer of it to forfeit L50, all which was now confirmed;
^ I i 2

252 ' A. D. 1746.

and by the fame ad [19 Geo. II, c. 27] every veflel built in Great Bri-
tain, and in his majefty's plantations in America, muft, at her firfl lad-
ing, be furniflied with one full and complete fct of new fails, made of
fail-cloth manufactured in Great Britain, under the penalty of L50 on
the mafter of the fliip or veflel. And every ful-maker in Britain or
the plantations, fhall, on every new fail, affix, in words at length a
ftamp of eight inches diameter, whereon his name and place of abode
fhall plainly appear, under the penalty of Lio. All which particular
ciaufes were hereby to continue in force for feven years longer.

It being found by experience, that the cuftom in England of making
affurances, interefl or no intereft, or without farther proof of intereft
than the policy, has been productive of many pernicious pradices ;
v.hereby great numbers of fliips with their cargoes have either been
fraudulently loft and deftroyed, or taken by the enemy in time of war ;
and that fuc^-i affurances have encouraged the exportation of wool, and
the carrying on of many other prohibited trades, it was therefor now
enaded, that no affurance fhould be ' made on any ihips belonging to
his majefly, or any of his fubjeds, or on any goods onboard any fuch
fhip, intereft or no intereft, nor without farther proof of intereft than
the policy, nor by any way of gaming or wagering, or without benefit
of falvage to the aflurer : and that every fuch affurance fliall be null
and void. Yet, ift, aflurance on private fhips of war may be made
for the owners thereof, intereft or no interefl : 2dly, any goods, mer-
chandize, or efteds, from any ports or places in Europe or America
in the polfefllon of the crowns of Spain or Portugal may be affured
in fuch manner as if this ad had not been made : 3dly, it fhall not
be lawful to make re-affurance, unlefs the infurer fhall be iniblvent,
become a bankrupt, or fliall die ; in either of which cafes, re-aflurance
may be made ; 4thly, all fums to be lent on bottomry, or at refpon-
dentia, upon any Britifh fhip bound to Eafl-India, fhall be lent only
on the fliip, or on the merchandize onboard fuch fliip, and fliall be fo
expreffed in the bond ; and benefit of falvage fliall be allowed to the
lender, who alone fliall have a right to make affurance on the money
fo lent : and none Ihall recover more than the value of his interefl on
the fhip or on its merchandize, exclufive of the money fo borrowed :
and if it appears, that the value of his fhare in the fhip or merchan-
dize does not amount to the full funi fo borrowed, fuch borrower
fliall be refponfible to the lender for fo much of the money borrowed
as he hath not laid out on the fhip or merchandize, with lawful inters
efl, together with the affurance and charges, in the proportion the
money not laid out fhall bear to the whole money lent, notwithftand-
ing the fhip and merchandize may be totally loft : 5thly, in all adions
the plaintiff fhall declare within fifteen days, what fums he has affur-
ed : 6thly, perfons fued on policies of affurance are to bring the mo-

A. D. 1746. 253

■" ney into court ; and the plaintiff not accepting it with cofls, to be
• taxed, in full diicharge •, and fhall afterwards proceed to trial in fuch
' adion, and the jury fliall not alTefs greater damages to pay cofls than
' the money fo brought into court ; fuch pklintiff, in every fuch cafe,
' fliall pay to fuch defendant, in every fuch adion, cofls to be taxed.'
[19 Geo. II, c. 37.]

In confequence of an ad; of parliament of the preceding year 1745,
for granting a reward of L20,ooo to the difcoverers of a north-weft paf-
fage through Hudfon's bay to the feas of Japan and China, as already
related, a fubfcription for Li 0,000 was now fet on foot, divided into
100 fliares of Lioo each, for fitting out two fhips in fearch of that paf-
fage. Thofe fliips wintered at Port-Nelfon in Hudfon's bay, and in the
year following (1747) they made feveral attempts for a jiaffage weft-
ward, but were obliged to return home the fame year, quite difhearten-
ed and unfuccefsful ; as has alfo been another attempt fince made from
Philadelphia. Yet as this fuppofed paffiige was brought under the con-
fideration of parliament in the year 1749, we fhall fufpend any farther
obfervations thereon till we come to that year.

The following fuccind furvey is taken from voyages, and other mo-
dern accounts, publiflied about this time, being a catalogue of all the
forts, fettlements, and fadories, of the feveral European nations trading
to, and in the way to, Eaft-India, from the ifle of St. Helena quite to
Japan ; and which may give the reader a good general idea of Europe's
correfpondence with Eaft-India, viz.

Pofleffed by Great Britain,

The ifle of St. Helena, fituated in the i6ih degree of fouth latitude,
about 1 200 miles weft of the African coaft, and 1 800 miles eaft of South-
America, being almoft an entire rock, with a thin covering of vegeta-
tive earth, about 20 miles in circumference, with only one paflage up
to it, well fortified. It contains about 200 families, who have fufficient
]iroduce to fupply our Eaft-India fliips in their way from India, (and
ihole of other nations we are in peace with) with frefli provifions, fruits,
and vegetables : but it is difficult for fhips going to India to find it, be-
caufe of the winds.

Balfora, or Baflora, at the upper end of the Perfian gulf, at the con-
fluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here is a Britifli, and alfo a
Dutch, fadory. Hither come many fliips from feveral nations of Eu-
rope and Afia, it being a place of great commerce. This place is alfo-
commodious to the Englilh and Dutch for conveying their letters
home over land by way of Aleppo.

Gomroon, alfo in the Perllan gulf, has both an Englifli and Dutch
fadory, and iubordinatc inland ones at Ifpahan ; there being a confi-
derable trade carried on betwixt this place and India.

To Mocha in Arabia, near the mouth of the Red fea, the Britifli and.

254 A. D. 1746.

Dutch companies refort for its coffee, hitherto the beft m the world ;
but they have no fettled fadories there.

1747. — Tn Cambaya (a province of India) the Englifli company have a
prefident and council at Surat, who hare, or lately had, the fupreme direc-
tion of the commerce on all the weft: coaft; of Malabar. Its fubordinate
fadories are at Agra, Amadabat, Labor, &c. but not always confined to
fuch places. At Anjengo the company built a fort in the year 1695'.

The ifland, town, aiid port, of Bombay on the Malabar coaft is a
fovereignty of our company's ; of which enough has been faid elfe-
where. And on the fame coaft there are factories at Calicut, Telichery,
Dabul, and Carwar, which laft is famous for the beft pepper in India ;
for which reafon our company has a fort there, as well as a fadory ;
but pepper grows in general all over India, and therefor cannot be
monopolized.

On the Coromandel coaft, Britain has Fort St. George, having only
an open road, and the adjoining black town of Madras. It is but a
week's journey from the diamond mines of Golconda, held of the mo-
gul. To the governor and council of this place all the fadories eaft-
ward, or beyond the Malabar coaft, are fubordinate ; as.

Fort St. David, and the lefler ones of Vizagapatan, Ganjam, &c. on
that coaft.

In the kingdom and bay of Bengal, the Englifti company have Fort
William at Calcutta, Ballalore, Cofimbazar, Dacca, Patana, and fome
other fubordinate fadories ; though their later fuccefsful conflids with
the French, in thofe parts, have fince made confiderable alterations in
this part of India.

In the great ifland of Sumatra, our company have a fort and fadory
at Bencoolen ; alio Fort-Marlborough, near it, and fome other fubor-
dinate fadories.

In the ifland of Borneo the Englifli have a fadory at Benjar.
By the Dutch Eaft-India company are held the following, viz.
The extenfive and conftantly-improving colony of the moft famous
fouthern point of Africa, called the Cape of Good Hope, in full fove-
reignty, with all its forts ; where the fliips of all nations in amity with
the ftates-general of the united Netherlands have liberty to ftop and
refrefli : under it is the ifland of Mauritius, eaftward ot Madagafcar.
A fadory at BaflTora, before mentioned.
A fadory at Surat, under which are many fubordinate ones.
On the weft coaft of Malabar, the Dutch company have Rajapore,
Barcelor, Cananor, Panane, Cranganor, Cochin (taken from the Por-
tugucfe in the year 1662, after being poflefl^ed by them 150 years, and
fo fortified as to be deemed impregnable : it is their principal fettle-
ment on this coaft) Porcha, Carnapole, Coulan, Tegnapatan, Calecutt,
&c. all taken from Portugal.

A. D. 1747. 255

The entire coaft, ports, and forts, of the ifland of Ceylon, in full and
abfolute property, and the abfolute engroflment of the befl cmnamon in
the world.

In the ifland of Manaar, they have Teutecorln and Manapaar.

On the coaft of Coromandel, they have Negapatan, Porto-Novo, Sad-
rafpatan, Cabelon, Palicat, famous for cotton cloths, (their chief fort
and fadlory of that coall, and of Pegu; it was retaken by the Dutch
company in 1719 from the Portuguefe, who had held it ever fince the
year 1613, when they drove out the Dutch with great flaughter) Cale-
tour, Malulipatan, Binlipatan, &c.

In Bengal, Huguely, (the chief fadory) Balafore, Cofimbazar, Mal-
da, Barnagal, Chinchura. Patana, Dacca. &c.

In the peninfula of Malacca, the ilrong fort and territory of that
name.

In the ifland of Sumatra, the Dutch company have fadories at
Acheen, Padang, Palimbam, Priaman, Bancalis, Siaque, &c.

In Java, they have the great and flirong city of Baravia, the ca-
pital and dernier refort of all their Eaft-India forts, fettlements, and
fadlories J with a far-extended territory adjoining: alfo, in the fame
ifl^md they have fadories at Bantam, Cheraban, Tagal, Japara, Rombang,
Sorobay, &c.

In the kingdom of Siam, factories at Siam, its capital, and at Ligore.

And at Aracan, in the kingdom of that name.

In the ifland of Celebes, they have Macaflar, its capital.

In the iflands of Borneo, Solor, Buro, Poleroon, Noro, Ceram, Am-
bay, &c. the Dutch company have forts or factories ; and in the fpice-
iflands of Amboyna, Ternate, Banda, Timor, &c. they are abfolute fo-
vereigns, puflxelTing folely and exclufively all the cloves, nutmegs, and
mace ; fpices nowhere eUe to be found upon earth, that is as yet cer-
tainly known.

In Perfia, Gomroon, and under it Tfpalian and Balibra.

Thofe of ihe French Eaft-India company in India, were,

A factory at Surat.

On the coaft of Coromandel, the ftrong fort and very populous town
of Pondicherry, with Ibme fubordinate ones. Piece-goods, diamonds,
and rice, being the (hiple merchandize, not only here, but on all this
coaft. It has. however, no harbour, being only an opt-n road like Fort
St. George, w!iere they load and unload their merchandize by boats.

In bengal, they have Balafore and Charnagar, &c.

The French ifland of Bourbon (^formerly called M;ifcareen) to the
eaftward of the great ifland of Madagalcar, fervcs principally for a
rcfrelhing place for rheir Kaft-India fliips ; they have alfo, n. ire lately,
railed cpiantities of coffee therein, and made i'undry other good im-
provements.

256 A. D. 1747.

The Portuguefe, as already noted, were once lords-paramount of all
the trade of Europe to Eaft-India, from whom the Dutch gradually
plucked off the bcft feathers of their wings. What they have rtill left
is but inconfiderable, compared with what they have loft, or with thofe
of England and Holland, though they ftill retain a great found.

On the north-eaft coaft of Africa, beyond the Cape of Good Hope,
they have Qiiiloa, Mombaza, Melinda, Mozambique, Magadoxa, &.c.
ports very ufeful in their voyages to and from India, originally fettled
by them for that end. They alfo get confiderable quantities of gold and
drugs from thence.

In Cambaya, they ftill retain the ftrong forts of Diu and Daman,
often in vain befieged by great armies of the Moguls.

On the Malabar coaft, Baftliim near the ifland of Salfet, Choul, and
Bandara : Goa, on the fame coaft, is the capital of all their Eaft-India
fettlements, now inconfiderable for its commerce, and much decayed
from its antient fplendour. Alfo the iflands of Elephant, Carranjaa,
Anjediva ; alfo Annanor, Cavarda, Mangalor, and Moor's-Fort.

On the Coromandel coaft, they have St. Thomas, or Meliapour.

And, laftly, they have ftill Macao, an iftand in the mouth of Canton
river in China, but tributary to, and abfolutely at the mercy of, the
Chinefe.

The Danes have long pofleflx;d the port and fort of Tranquebar, on
the Coromandel coaft, and the fubordinate one of Danefljurg.

The Swedes have as yet no eftablifhed factories in India, though they
generally fend one or two ftiips yearly thither. Neither have they at
prefent any fettlements anywhere out of their own kingdom, but in
Germany.

Spain pofl'efl'es the beft forts of the Philippine iflands, as Manilla, the
capital town and port of the large ifland of that name, otherwife called
Lucon ; to which port of Manilla the Spaniards, from Acapulco in
Mexico, generally fend two great fhips yearly. But Spain can carry on
no trade at all diredly from Europe to Eaft-India, being bound by
treaty with Portugal, not to fail thither by the Cape of Good Hope, as
well as by the general treaty of Weftphalia in the year 1648.

The Dutch Eaft-India company are the only Europeans who have
any trade to the empire of Japan, from their great emporium of Ba-
tavia ; but they are not permitted to have any fort or fa61;ory at Japan.

Neither are any of the European nations, who trade to China, per-
mitted to have fadories there. The Englifla company had formerly
fettlements on the coafts of Cochin-China and Tonquin, but now they
only trade thither occafionally. It is not the defign of our work to re-
late all the fquabbles which the fevcral European nations have had with
each other in India, or with the feveral nations of the Eaft (that being

A. D. 1747, 257.

largely done by voyagers long fince) but merely to point out the general
extent of their commerce in that remote part of the world.

After the rebellion of the years 1745 and 1746, the legiflature at
length wifely determined to ena<5l, what fliould undoubtedly have been
made an eflential preliminary of the confolidating union of the two
kingdoms of England and Scotland, concluded 40 years before, where-
by, and not till now, the true and folid liberty of the people of Scot-
land was ellabliflied, not only in thole parts of that country called the
Highlands, where clanfhip, or an abjcd fubmiflion of the bulk of the
people to the fovereign will of their chieftains, had prevailed from the
earliefl times, but even, though in a lefler degree, in fundry parts of the
low country of Scotland ; that is to fay, it was now legally determined
to put all the people of Scotland upon the fame equitable and rational
footing of liberty and property with their fellow-lubjeds of England,
by an ad of parliament, for taking away and abolifhing the heritable
jurifdidions in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, and for mak-
ing iatisfadion to the proprietors thereof; and for reftoring fuch jurif-
didions to the crown ; and for making more efFedual provifion for the
adminiflration of juftice throughout that part of the united kingdom,
by the king's courts and judges there, Sec. The preamble fets forth,
that for remedying the inconveniences that havearifen, and mayarifc,
from the multiplicity and exteiit of heritable jurifdidions in that part
of Great Britain called Scotland ; for making fatisfadion to the pro-
prietors thereof; for reftoring to the crown the powers of jurifdiclion
originally and properly belonging thereto, according to the conflitu-
tion ; and for extending the influence, benefit, and protedion, of the
king's laws and courts of juftice to all his majefty's fubjeds in Scot-
land ; and for rendering the union more complete ; itwasenaded, ift,
that all heritable jurildidion of jufticiary, and all regalities and heri-
table baillieries, and all heritable conftabularies, other than the oflfice
of high conftable of Scotland, and all ftewartrics, being parts only of
lliires or counties ; and all flieritFships, and deputy-flieriffships of dif-
trids, being parts only of ihircs or counties in Scotland, polfelfed or
claimed by any fubjcd ; and all jurifdidions, powers, authorities, and
privileges, thereunto appurtenant, annexed, or dependent thereupon,
fhall be hereby, from lady-day 1748, abrogated, taken away, and to-
tally dilli)lvcd and extinguilhed.

' Provided, that all lands annexed to the faid heritable baillieries,
ftewartries, and conftabularies, and the rents and duties, confifting in
money, vidual, cattle, or other goods, fliall remain, and belong to,
them, and their heirs and fucceirors, and continue to be enjuyed by,
and paid to, them, notwithftanding the extindion of the laid oihces.
' 2dly, That all the before-named jurifdidions, powers, &c. belong-
ing to fuch offices, Ihall thenceforth be vcfted in, and exercifed by,
Vol III. K k

258 A. D. 1747. •

the court of feflion and court of jiifticiary at Edinburgh, tlie judges
in tlie feveral circuits, and the courts of the feveral Iheriffs and ftewarts
of fliires or counties in Scotland, refpedlively ; and that the feveral
towns, villages, dillricls, and bounds, which were fubjecl to fuch heri-
table offices and jurifdiclions hereby diflblved, and the inhabitants
thereof, fhall thenceforth be folely fubjed to the jurifdidion and au-
thority of the before -named courts, and to fuch other of the king's
courts refpedively, as the faid inhabitants would have been fubjecft to,
in cafe fuch hereditary jurifdiclions and offices had never exifted.
' 3dly, That from thenceforth, all fuch heritable jurifdidions in
Scotland, not hereby before extinguiflied, granted to, or poflefled by,
any fubjecl, either heritably or for life, fliall be hereby refumed,
and annexed to the crown ; and that the fheriffs and flewarts fliall
from thenceforth be nominated and appointed by his majefty, his
heirs, and fuccellbrs.

' Provided, that no fheriffship or ftewartry in Scotland fliall at any
time hereafter be granted to any perfon whatfoever, either heritably
or for life, or for any certain term exceeding one year ; and, that no
jufliciary, regality, conflabulary, or bailliery, nor any judicature, au-
thority, &c. of the like nature fliall, at any time hereafter, be ereded
or granted in Scotland.

' 4thly, Rcafonable pecuniary compenfation fliall be allowed to the
poffefTors of all fuch heritable jurifdidions hereby abrogated, and to
every clerk thereof; and claims thereof fliall be duely entered and ex-
amined for this end, and be laid before the parliament.
' Provided alio, that no baron, or heritor, or proprietor of lands in
Scotland, fliall henceforth, in criminal cafes, exercife any jurifdidion
whatfoever, other than aflaults and fmaller crimes, for w'hich the pu-
nilhnient fliall only be a fine not exceeding 20/flerling ; or by fetting
in the flocks, for at nioft three hours in the day-time, or elfe by im-
prifonment not exceeding one month. And, in civil caufes, fuch ba-
ron, or his baillie, fliall hold no plea, nor judge in any caufe exceed-
ing 40/flerling, other than for recovering from the vaffals or tenants
of his lands and heritages, their rents, or the dues of their mills. Pri-
fons fhall have windows or grates, open to infpedion from without, fo
as the prifoner may be vifited and converfed with ; and none to be
imprifoned but by warrant, exprefling the caufe of imprifonment.
' Provided, however, that the jurifdidion of f%irs and markets, of
coal-works, falt-works, and mines, be, as formerly, referved to their
heritors ; but without a power of inferring the lofs of life or demem-
bration. Provided alfo, that nothing in this ad fliall extend to prcju-
dife the jurifdidion vefted by law in any royal borough in Scotland,
or, in cumulative cafes, to burghs of regality and barony.' The reft
f this long ad relates to poindings, or feizures, to the regulations and

A. D. 1747. 259

qualifications of flieriffs and their deputies, circuit courts, and appeals
therefrom in certain civil caufes, and to fines, &c. [20 Geo. II, c. 43.]

This excellent ftatute may, not unfitly, be termed a new ma^na char-
ta to the free people of Scotland, who, from this time (though per-
haps not merely or folely in dired confequence thereof, but alfo from
other concurring caufes) have undoubtedly moll vifibly increafed in
conmierce, manufactures, wealth, and general induftry, to a degree faid
to be almolt amazing, to fuch as, afi:er fome year's abfence, have lately
vifited that part of the united kingdom : fo great is the influence of li-
berty in fivour of induftry and commerce.

It having been found by experience that the tenure of lands in Scot-
land by ward-holding, and the confequences of the fame, being the
cafualties of ward-marriage and recognition, had been much more bur-
denfome and prejudicial to the vaflals by that tenure than beneficial to
the fuperiors, it was abolilTied by the 5cth ftatute of the fame i'eflion,
for taking away the tenure of ward-holding in Scotland, 8cc. which en-
acted, ' that the fame be converted into blanch-holding and feu-hold-
ings, &c. to be farther regulated, with refped to the recompenfe, hv
the court of fefilon in Scotland,' &c. This ad feems to have been all
that was wanting for completing the freedom of vaflals in Scotland *.

The European fliips at China this year were 8 Englifli, 6 Dutch, 4
Swedifli.and 2 Danilh ; in all 20. France being at war with Great Bri-
tain, there were no French fliips there this year.

The planters in the Knglilli fugar colonies, in the infancy of thofe
plantations, had cultivated confiderable quantities of indigo, as being
always a great merchantable commodity, whereby their mother-coun-
try was then well fupplied therewith. Some authors have related, that,
in the ifland of Jamaica, indigo was produced in fuch abundance, efpe-
cially in the parifli of Vere, that 300 coaches have been feen at that
parifli-church on Sundays. But a tax of ^yf^ pc pound weight being
laid by the legiflature on indigo, the planters of Jamaica dropped the
cultivation thereof entirely ; and though the parliament atterwards re-
pealed that duty, yet a manufadture once loft is not ealily regained,
more efptcially in a country fo expenlive as Jamaica is. Yet what that
people were not able or willing to eftec\, has at length been broi:ght to
bear by the iiiduftrious planters of Carolma, greatly to their honour,
and, we hope, to their future great benefit. In fucceeding times the
other Weft-India iflands found that the fugar-cane was beyond all other
things the moft gainful ; and therefor they alfo gradually dropped iho
cultivation of indigo. Neverthelefs, the French iflands in the nei;-h-
bourhood of ours, inftead of following that example, went on with an-

* This ytar the dividend of the bank of England wmj reduced from^iv and a halj'xojive per ecnt
per annum. [ Auount infertcJ in the appenaiK to Allardyu's Addrejt to the pr-.p: etort oj the bant.] M.

■> Kk.2

26o A. D. 1747.

nually increafing their quantity of indigo ; infomuch that (excepting
what comes from Eafl-Inclia, and fome which Spain imports from her
American colonics) France, till about this time, fupplied the greateft
part of Europe with it from their Weft-India iflands ; and Britain and
Ireland have been reckoned to pay to France about L200,ooo annually
for indigo. This would probably have been the cafe ftill, had not the
people of Carolina made this year a fuccefsful attempt to propagate in-
digo in that province. The planters had by this time carried the pro-
duction of rice to fuch a height, that, even in time of peace, its quan-
tity had overftocked thofe parts of Europe to which they were wont to
fend it, fo that they got but little by it ; the cafe was ftill worfe when
the war with France broke out in 1743, by reafon of the high freight
and infurances. This put them upon trying to employ their negroes
on fundry new manufactures of linen, woollen, &c. which they were
before accuftomed to take from Great Britain ; of which their mother-
country would foon have become jealous, and which, moreover, did not
much turn out to their own particular advantage. Upon this occafion
it was very fortunate for them, that the true indigo plant happened to
be difcovered growing fponcaneoufly almoft everywhere there ; where-
upon eflays began to be made a year or two preceding this year, 1 747 ;
and the indigo anfwered expedation fo far, that in this fame year about
200,000 pounds weight of it was ftiipped for England, and fold very
well, though not at firft quite fo well cured as the French indigo. This
fuccefs produced a petition to parliament from the Carolina merchants
in April 1748 for a fmall bounty on the importation of indigo from
Carolina, whereby the planters might be encouraged to proceed fo far, as
not only to fupply Great Britain and Ireland, but likewife foreign mar-
kets, with fo ufeful a commodity; while, at the fame time, petitions were
encouraged from merchants, clothiers, and dyers, from all parts of Eng-
land, in favour of this new produdion, fince brought to perfedion ; and
that as indigo is a commodity, without which a good blue colour can-
not be dyed, a bounty might be allowed on its importation in fomewhat
near the terms of the Carolina merchants' petition. Thereupon an ad
pafled [21 Geo. II, c. 30] for allowing dd per pound weight on ail indi-
go raifed in any of the Britifli American colonies, and imported into
Great Britain diredly from the place of its growth ; which has fince
then had a very good and fuccefsful effed.

1748. — In the beginning of 1748 an attempt was made in parlia-
ment, and a bill brought into the houfe of commons, for the revival of
the ftatute [7 Anue, c. 5] in behalf of a general naturalization : but it
was thrown out by a great majority. The fubftance of the reafons for
rejeding it was, that we had poor proteftants of our own, -even more
than we could well provide for ; and as a moderate expenfe would en-

A. D. 1748. 26r

able any foreign proteftants, who fhall have brought any fubftance with
them fufficient, to obtain an ad of parliament for that end, fuch only
were worth our while to be received and fettled with us. This was
again brought into parliament in April 1751, but was then alfo rejed-
ed. On the other hand, let us, on this occafion, fee what Lord Molef-
worth, a very able nobleman, has faid on that fubject, (in the preface to
his Englj/b tratijlation of Ilottomaii's Franco-Gallia, p. 23, ed. 1721.)

' What ftiould hinder us from an ad of general naturalization ? efpe-
cially when we confider that no private ads of that kind are refufed.
But the cxpenfe is fo great that few attempt to procure them, and the
benefit which the public receives thereby is therefor fo inconfider-
able. Experience has fliewn us the folly and falfity of thofe plaufiblc
infinuations, that fuch a naturalization would take the bread out of
Engliflimen's mouths. We are convinced that the greater number of
workmen of one trade there is in any town, the more does that town
thrive ; and the greater will be the demand for the manufadure, the
vent to foreign parts, and the quicker circulation of the coin. The
confumption of the produce, both of land and induflry, increafes vifi-
bly in towns full of people ; nay, the more fl)all every induftrious
perfon thrive in fuch a place ; though indeed drones and idlers will
not find their account, who would fain fupport their fuperfluous ex-
penles at their neighbours' coft, who make one or two days labour
provide for four days extravagance. And this is the common calami-
ty of mofl of our corporation-towns, whofe inhabitants do all they
can to difcourage plenty, induflry, and population ; and will not ad-
mit of Grangers but upon too hard terms, through thq. falfe notion
that they themfelves, their children, and apprentices, have the only
right to fquander their town's revenue, and to get, at their own rates,
all that is to be gotten within their precinds. And therefor fuch
towns are, at befi, at a ftand, very few in a thriving condition, and
thefe are wliere their bye laws are leaf! rcfi^ricUve ; but mod through-
out England fall to vifible decay, whilft new villages, not incorporat-
ed, or towns more liberal of their privileges, grow up in their Head,
till in procefs of time the firfi: fort will become almofi as delolate as
Old Sarum in Wiltfhire, and will as well defervc to lofe their r;glit of
fending reprefentatives to parliament. For certainly a wafie 01 a de-
iert has no right to be reprefented, nor by our original conllitution
was ever intended fo to be.'

His lordfhip had inunediately before find, ' that it is a truth which-
few will make a doubt of, that we are not one third pari peopled,
though better fo in proportion than any other part of Europe, Hol-
land excepted; and that our itock of men decreafes dayly, through
our wars, plantations, and fea-voyages.' +

262 A. D. 1748.

This year the populace in Holland compelled their rulers to abolifli
the old excife-duty, amounting to ten millions of gilders for that fii.gle
prjvince ; whereby we have learned, in fome degree at leaft, the pro-
porti >n of the wealth which the ievc nil other places of that mod popu-
lous province bear to its miglity metropolis, viz.

Gilders.
Amflerdam paid annually - - 3,802,720

Roterdam (about one fourth part of Amfterftam) 997>950
Harlem (above one tilth) - - 801,200

Leyden (above one fifth) - - 783,130

Dort (almofl one feventh) - - 511,960

Gou la (almoft one eighth) - - 459,500

Alkmacr _ - » 267,100

Br'el - - - 232,290

Delft, Schiedam, and the Hague, - 1,492,860

Hoorn _ _ - 153,240

Gornichem _ - - 141,760

Enchuyfen . _ - 105,060

Monickendam. _ _ - 68.420

Purnierend . _ _ 61.260

Medenblick » . - 45,460

The iflands on the coaft of Holland - 42,740

Edam - _ - - 33.35°

Total, 10,000,000

While the new fubfidy of five per cent on imported commodities was
in debate, the fugar-planters and Weft-India merchants, greatly alarm-
ed thereat, publifhed fundry eflays, tending to fhew the ruin, or at leaft
the great detriment, which that duty (which however took place) would
bring on the fugar colonies. From thofe eflays, as well as from the
cuftom-houfe accounts, then laid before the parliament, we may gather
the true ftate of the Eritifti fu. ar trade compared with that of PVance,
taking the year 1742 for the rule ; probably, becaufe we were in that
year at peace with France, though at war with Spain, viz.

Sugars produced in the French Weft-India iflands in 1742, viz.

Cwt.
In Martinico, Guadaloupe, and the other lefl'er iflands 622.500
In Hil'panioLi (or St. Domingo) - - 848,000

Total, 1,470500

Being about the quantity of 122,500 hogflieads of 12 hundredweight
each.

A, D. 1748. 26--

J

Sugars produced in the Brkifli Wefl-India iflcs in 1742.

Hogflieads.
Imported into Great Britain - 60,950

Shipped from our iflands to the northern

colonies, and to foreign markets - 5,000

Total hogfheads 65,950 or 791,400 cwt.

Of which 60,950 hogfheads there are
exported from Great Britain to Ire-
land, and to all foreign markets - 5,236

Confumed in Great Britain - 55,714

Hogfheads (at about L25 per hogfhead) 60,950 or about 731,400 cwt.
Total produced in that year more by the French than

by the Englifli - - - 679,100 cwt.

This fadly fhewed the almoft incredible improvements, which France
had made in her liigar iflands in about forty years, whereby they were
at this time enabled to underfell us in moft places of Europe. Though,
we trufl, the time is fince at length come, or at hand, that we ihall re-
gain our former great exportation of fugars and other Wefl-India com-
modities to foreign parts.

Thole elTuys however admit, that in times of profound peace, both
with France and Spain, our lugar iflands may produce 75.000 hoglheads
of ill gar annually, 12 hundred-weight each hogfliead. Of which 70,000
may be annually imported into Great Britain; which, at L15 per hogf-
head, comes to - - - Li ,050,000

And 5000 hogflieads fent dlredly from thofe iflands to
North- America and to foreign markets, at Lio each ; with
50,000 hogflieads of rum and melafles, at L6 on an average
per hoglhead _ _ _ 350,000

Total value in fterling money, Li, 400, 000
The tendency of thefe reafonings was to demonflrate, that the high
price of our fugars was not owing to our planters extravagant profits,
but merely to the fmal! quantities produced in ibme years. They alio
admitted, that fince France has fo vaflly improved her colonics, there
is more fi.igar made in all America (including the Spanifli, Portuguefe,
Dutch, and Danifh colonies) in fbnie favourable years, than all Europe
can confume ; which was particularly the reafon of the low price of
fugars between the years 1728 and 1735- Now, fiy thefe efliiys, if the
value of the coflfce, pimento, logwood, and mahogany, from Jamaica,
and of the ginger, cotton, and drugs, from that and other Britifli iligar
iflands, be added to the foregoing account, the importations from thofe
iflands may probably amount to Li, 500,000 yearly.

264 A. D. 1748.

There were alio, while the bill for that duty was depending in par-
liament, fundry accounts publifhed by the tobacco merchants for pre-
venting that commodity being included therein. And it appeared up-
on a medium of three years, (1744 — 46) in the cuftom-houfe books,
that there was imported into England alone (omitting the odd hundred
thoufands) forty millions of pounds weight of tobacco from our Ame-
rican plantations. And by the like medium there was exported thirty-
three millions : fo that England annually confumed feven millions of
pounds weight of tobacco.

And if England alone were to pay the duty of 4^^ per pound on the
faid forty millions of pounds, it would amount in flerling money
to - - - - L79i,666 13 4

But as thirty-three millions of pounds are annually
exported, and the whoie duty thereof drawn back, the
duty is to be dedudled _ _ _ 653,125 o o

So the net duty of the feven millions confumed in
England is - - - - 138,541 ^3

Now, valuing the thirty-three millions of pounds of
tobacco at 6^' per pound weight, that will be 825,000 o o

And if Scotland may be allowed to export annually
feven millions of pounds, that, at 6fl'per pound, like-
wife comes to - - - 175,000 o o

There will then be annually exported from Great
Britain forty millions of pounds, which, at 6d per
pound, conies to - - - 1,000,000 o o

This fum may be deemed to be all clear gain to the nation, over and
above this trade giving employment to about 25,000 tons of Britifli
Ihipping. Some of the printed accounts publifhed on this particular
occafion, for influencing the legiflature in favour of our tobacco colo-
nies, (and wJiich therefor are to be read with fome caution, like all
others publifhed for fuch particular ends) make our annual importation
of tobacco into Great Britain to be, one year with another, about 80,000
hogflieads, weighing 900 pound weight each, or 72 millions of pounds.
And they generally fuppofed one fourth part thereof, or 18 millions, to
be confumed at home; and that the remaining 54 millions were an-
nually re-exported for foreign confumption.

Others ftated our total annual importation of tobacco at but 62,000
hogflieads, or 55,800,000 pounds ; and that England alone confumes
12,000 hogflieads thereof, which, if all paid the duty of 4|^ per lb.
would yield L21 3,750 to the crown. But, as confiderable quantities are
fmuggled inwards for ho me -confumption, the whole duty may not be

A. D. 1748. 265

above Li 50,000, and according to others of thofe papers, but Li 30,000.
Whereas, fay they, if the whole for home-confumption paid the duty,
it would yield much more : which fhews the great lofs to the revenue,
only in this one fmgle article, by fmuggling.

In April this year application was made to parliament by the ex-
piring royal African company, for committing the management of their
forts and factories, for the prefervation whereof the commons did not
feem inclined to truft that company any more with money, to a new
company, with a fuitable joint flock : which company they propofed
Ihould have ' the licencing and regulating the whole bufinefs of pawn-
' brokers, for preventing their buying or lending money on ftolen
* goods, and for reducing their exorbitant rates of 50, 40, and 30, per
' cent per annum, for intereft or premium, to 20 per cent at fartheft.'
Which Icheme was to lay the foundation of their propofed joint flock.

At the fame time the creditors of the royal African company peti-
tioned the houfe of commons for having their claim paid out of the
fuppofed value of that company's forts on that coafl, now valued at
Li 50,000, and propofed to be paid by the new company to the old
one. This plaufible project had two different views, viz. hereby the
old company would be enabled to pay all their debts, the greateft part
whereof was due to themfelves (i. e. to the directors and their friends)
and would, over and above, have probably a dividend to make on their
then merely nominal capital, on its diilblution.

2dly, That the propofed new company fliould fpring up out of the
ruins of the old one and their creditors, with a few others of their
friends, and would, doubtlefs, have made a good intereft on the money
they fliould advance for the above parpofes, out of the fcheme for the
regulation of pawn-brokers. In fupport of this plaufible fcheme, the
old company and their creditors infifted, that Li 50,000 was a very mo-
derate valuation of their forts on the African fhores ; not only confider-
ing their very great ufefulnefs againfl the treachery and infults of the
natives, but likewife for defence againft the frequent encroachments of
other European competitors with large joint flocks. That fo far is the
objection fo often made from being juft, viz. that if all our forts in
Africa were to be demoliflied, excepting Cape-Coaft-Cafllc, and James-
Fort in the river Gambia, thofe two forts, together with two or three
fliips of war always cruifing thereabout, would be fufficient to protect
the trade of the whole coalt ; that there is actually need of more forts
than we now have, particularly at Anamaboe and Sierra Leone, and
alio higher up on the river Gambia, where the French are ftriving to
fupplant us. It is admitted, that fliips of war, jointly with all the forts,
are needful ; but, without our forts, that would by no means anfwer
our purpofe on fo uncivilizeil a coait ; where, for that reafon, a joint-
Itock company is much better calculated for protecfling the commerce

Vol. III. ■ LI

266 "A. D. 1748.

than any number of private perfons can be. Alio, that thofe forts arc
very ufcful for our negro trade, without which our American planta-
tions could not be fupported, more efpecially as the bell negroes are
purchafcd on thole coafts where the company's forts and feitlements are :
from which coafls alfo we import gold, ivory, bees'-wax, beaver, and
many other valuable commodities, in exchange for Britifli manufidures
and our own Eafl-India merchandize. Laftly, without fuch forts and
fettlements, it would be not only extremely difficult to protect, and, in
cafes of dillrefs, to relieve, our fliips trading on that coall, but alio to
fecure the inland trade thereof. Notwithftanding all which, at lead fpe-
cious, propofals, the African company's papers remained on the table
to the end of that feflion of parliament : lb difficult did our legiflators
find it at this time effectually to fettle that trade.

All parties' being weary of war, a peace was concluded at Aix-la'
Chapelle, whereby all that had been conquered by France in the Auf-
trian and Dutch Netherlands was reftored to their refpediive fovereigns.
Moreover, between Great Britain and France it was ftipulated mu-
tually to reftore whatever forts or territories had during this war been
taken on either fide : whereby Fort St. George in India was reftored to
our Eaft-India company ; as, on the other hand, the ifland of Cape-
Breton, and its town and fortrefs of Louilhurg, were reftored to France.

Spain indeed acceded to the general peace, but without any particu-
lar ftipulations in point of commerce with Great Britain. What re-
lated to the South-fca company's commerce, on one hand, and the de-
predations of the Spanifh guarda-coftas, on the other, being referred to
the difagreeable and tedious way of negociating,by Sir Benjamin Keene,
at Madrid. In the meantime, it was plain, that the court of Spain
never intended to permit another annual South-fea fliip to trade to their
Weft-Indies, there being but about tour years to run of the term of
that contrail, (viz. forty years from 17 13 to 1753) the feveral interrup-
tions of the trade being deducted or allowed for. And while this fuf-
penfion continued, many things pafted in converfarion, and fundry ef-
fays were publifhed for and againft that manner of trading, In favour
of it, it was faid, that the great annual fliip ufually conveyed about
L25o,ooo value in manufactures from hence to the Spanifli Weft-Indies,
for the company's account ; and that in each of thofe great fliips there
went about 1^50,000 more in private trade : upon which trade, it was
alleged, a profit of near cent per cent was made : that therefor the gain
to the nation was greater this way than in the old channel of our trade
by the way of Cadiz, even though the Jamaica fmuggling trade were
included therein : and that, though the South-fea company might not
be fo great gainers, yet their factors, agents, &c. brought home great
fortunes, frequently in a very fliort fpace of time ; and our annual fliip's

A. D. 1748. 267

cargoes kept the French, Dutch, &c. from fupplying the Spanifli Weft-
Indies, to our great emolument.

On the other hand, it was afTerted, and very generally beUeved, that
the South-fea annual fhip had occafioned a vaft decreafe of our annual
exports to Spain, fome faid even fo much as to one half of former ex-
ports ; whilft, at the (■.inie time, our imports from Spain have been gradu-
ally increafmg : that the fuperiority of our arms forced the afhento
contradl on Spain againft their inclinations, and on that fcore the Spa-
nifh court and traders have difcouraged our manuflidures formerly fent
to Cadiz, and encouraged thofe of France, Flanders, and Holland : that
of the cargoes of our annual lliip itfelf, a great deal confifted of the
merchandize of foreign nations, and particularly of thole of France
and Holland, for afTortments for the Spanifli markets in America : that
the afliento contract: had enhanced the price of negroes for our own
colonies : that our fupplying the Spaiiifh Weft-Indies fo regularly with
negroes had encouraged them to raife greater quantities of fugar and
tobacco, to the detriment of our own : that the Spanifli court having
always effects of the South-fea company's in their American ports, had
it conftantly in their power to make feizures of thofe effecls on various,
and often unjuft, pretences. Thus, in the year 171 8 the company's
lofs hereby was computed at about L225,ooo fterling ; and in 1727, at
about half as much more ; befides the feizure bv the war now conclud-
ed, and not yet juftly computed ; and the many other violences of the
Spanifli American governors and agents. Finally, as the company had
undoubtedly, upon the whole, been lofers by their trade, and as they
had only four years more of their afliento term remaining, which Spain
was determined not to renew, at leaft on any promifing terms ; for
tliefe reafons it was concluded by the Britifli court, to inftrucT: the mi-
nifter at Madrid to obtain the beft equivalent that could be procured
lor the remaining fliort term of the company's afliento contract: the
refult of which Ihall be fliewn in its place.

By a ftatute of the 21ft year of King George II, the fund of the or-
phans of the city of London was farther prolonged and fecured, by
continuing the 6d per chaldron, or ton, on coals and culm, which was to
exjure at michaelmas 1750 by the 5th and 6th of William and Mary,
for thirty-five years longer, for the following purpofes, viz. ift, for
raifmg L3000 yearly to the mercers company, for payment of their an-
nuities and debts ; and, 2dly, the refidue thereof for making part of
the orphans fund, for the benefit of which alio all the city manors,
lands, &c. fliall ftand charged with the yearly fum of L2000, over and
above the L8000 applied by former laws. And, as the fund for raifing
the 4 per cent intereft on the orphans capital ftock has produced a very
l:u-ge lurplus, including L2 1,735: 17:9 due at midrumnier 1748, to
make good the yearly fum of L2000, which bv 11 former ad ought to

1. 1 2

268 A. D. 1748.

have been raifed on the perfonal eftates of the citizens, this furplus fhall
be appUed to pay off the principal fum of the orphans debt. No or-
plian under age fliall be paid oft', fo long as there (hall be others not
orphans, or not under age, to be paid off. The chamberlain of Lon-
don fhall yearly, at mlchaelmas, lay before both houfes of parliament
an account of the furplus arifen on the faid fund, what has been paid
off" the principal, and what fhall remain thereof unpaid off.

By a fcheme, publiflied in 1755, for building a new bridge over the
Thames from Blackfriars, the above furplus, on an average of five years
to midfummer 1755, amounted to L4444 per annum, upon which the
propofer was for raifing annuities for lives, which with L20,ooo more
to be raifed by voluntary fubfcription, he fays, would raife a fum fuf-
ficient to build fuch a bridge. He alfo fays, that the whole orphans
debt amounted at midfummer 1755 to L687,234 : 6 : 10.

1749 We have feen that feveral flatutes have been made at dif-
ferent times to encourage the fubjedls of Great Britain to carry on and
improve the whale fifhery : and as the enlargement thereof would be
of very gi'eat advantage to our trade and navigation, an adl of parlia-
ment paffed, whereby the feveral ads of parliament in favour of that
fifhery were now farther continued : and, over and above the allowance
of 2q/perton enaded by the 6th, and continued by the 13th, of King
George IT, a farther bounty or allowance was hereby granted of 20/'
more per ton. Moreover, for the encouragement of the Britifli co-
lonies in America in this fifliery, and to promote the building of large
fhlps there, It was hereby farther enaded, that every fhip built or fitted
out in any of thofe colonies, being 200 tons and upwards, and not more
than two years old from the firfl building thereof, fetting out from any
port of the Britifh American dominions on the whale filhery, manned
and navigated according to the navigation ads, and properly fitted and
furnifhed for that fifhery, fhall likewlfe be entitled to the faid joint
bounty of 40/" per ton, on her arrival from the whale fifliery in fome
port of Great Britain, on certain farther conditions therein flipulated.
Foreign proteflants who fhall ferve three years onboard Britifli whale-
fifhery Ihips, and fhall take the ufual qualification oaths, fliall be deem-
ed natural-born fubjeds of Great Britain to all intents and purpofes, as
far as other foreign proteflants can fo be ; provided they fliall have re-
ceived the facrament of the Lord's fupper in fome Britifli proteflant or
reformed congregation, within three months before taking the flate-
oatlis, and fliall produce certificates thereof figned by the minifter and
two other witnefles. Yet fuch naturalized foreigner fhall lofe his natu-
ralization upon his being more than twelve months out of Great Bri-
tain or Ireland, or his majefly's plantations in America. [22 Geo. II,

c. 45-].

While Sir Benjamin Keene, the Britifli minifter, was treating with the

A. D. 1749. 269

court of Madrid upon the commercial difference between the two na-
tions, our London merchants who traded to Cadiz handed about a ma-
nufcript paper, tending to prove, that the trade by the South-fea com-
pany's annual fliip directly to the SpaniOi Weft-Indies was not fo bene-
ficial to the Britilh nation in general, as the former method offending
goods diret^tly to Cadiz, and thence with the regifter-fhips to the Spanifli
Weft-Indies.

That paper fuppofcs the whole outfet, ftiip and all, of
a fhip of 600 tons, with her cargo, from Cadiz to La Vera Dollars.
Cruz, to amount to - - - 346,903

And the net returns from La Vera Cruz, deduding com-
miflion, indultos, &c. to be - - 7i7.i34-t

Dedud the outfet - - • 346,903

And there remains the profit - 370.2317

Being near 107 per cent. But, if inlurances be dedueT:ed for thofe who
would not run the rifk of the fea, and which in time of peace would
not exceed 12 per cent, then the remaining profit would be 95 per cent.
But the chief advantage in this affair is fuppofed to arife from having
both the fliip and the king's licence one's own. For, fays this author,
befides the confiderable freights which fuch Ihips make, tliere are very-
great profits made by the privileged goods embarked thereon.

Next, we have the particular afTortments of fuch a cargo, with the
feveral countries they arc had from, viz.

Purchai'ed chiefly at Cadiz, though not all Spaniih mer-
chandize, iron, wrought and unwrought, fteel, wax, (which
muft be whitened at Cadiz) Genoa paper, Brabant linen,
Dutch knives, wines, brandy, and fundry ordinary ftowage- Dollars,
goods, amounting in all to - - 46,300

Britifli manufactures, viz. long-ells of various colours,
fays, fhalloons, hair and vvorfted camblets, bays, Spaniih
cloths, worfted ftockings, hats, and hardware ; in all - 115,500

From Flanders, 'ftamins, coarfe lays, buratos, laniparillas,
Brabant linen bleached, and Tournay ditto unbleached 15,800

From France ; Britannias broad and narrow, Rouen
Hncn bleached, Dowlas, Morlai.v linen, cambrics and lawns,
amounting to - - - 49,350

From Germany ; Silcfia and Hamburgh linens, lawns,
and fundry other forts of linen, thread, calimancoes, &c. 22,200

From Spain, viz. Genoa women's ftockings, .Sp.milh double
talVety of various colours, and Spaniih vehxis 21,000

Total amount of the cargo in dollai-s - 270,150

270 A. D. 1749!^

In this aflbrtment of goods for tlie Spanifli Wefl-Indics the Bri-
tifli manufactures make up one third of the whole, which mufl go by
the way of Cadiz, in cafe the afllento of the South-fea company be
laid afide ; and by its being fo laid afide, the value of all Englifh goods
fent from Cadiz to the Spanifli Wefl-Indies, will be increafed to at leafi;
three millions of dollars (or above L675,ooo flerling) yearly : and fup-
pofing, in time of peace, nine millions value in goods to be annually
fent from Cadiz to the Spanifli Weft- Indies, exclufive of Britifli nianu-
faclures, few of which (according to this author) were fent that way
whilft the afTicnto was in exercife, and thereto be added the faid three
millions in value of Britifh manufactures, then the difpatches yearly
from Cadiz to the Spanifh Weft-Indies will be twelve millions of dol-
lars. Now, continues this author, allowing that the Britifli merchants
fliould (as eafily they may) be one third concerned in the faid trade,
which, on a moderate computation, renders at leafl 50 per cent profit, or
two millions of dollars more gained to our nation ; this he thinks
(from his own premifes, which however feem confiderably exaggerated)
will be found to exceed any advantage that has, or ever can, proceed
from the afliento, by which it is notorious that the South-fea company
have loft very confiderably. He therefor concludes, that the commercial
intereft of Great Britain will be much benefited by the extinction of
the afliento : and, with refped: to our political intereft, while the
afliento fubfifts, it will prove a continual bone of contention between
two nations, whole mutual interefts are, more than any other two na-
tions in Europe, to be clofely united.

The government of Great Britain began now ferioufly to confider the
great importance of the country and ports of Nova-Scotia, which Cap-
tain Thomas Coram, in the year 1735. by a judicious memorial and
petition to the privy-council, had reprefented to be in a moft naked
and imfettled condition, whereby the French had full leifure to make
the mofl fhameful and barefaced encroachments on that province. It
was now at length begun to be confidered as the very key of North-
America. Upon the conclufion of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, there-
for, they fent out a large colony to a place having a fine harbour, where
they fettled and built a town, which they named Halifax, from the
title of the noble lord who then preflded fo worthily at the board of
trade and plantations. The excellence of this province was now at
length viewed in three different and advantageous lights, viz. ifl, for
its happy fituation, as capable of always annoying and intercepting our
enemies, and as a barrier for New-England ; 2dly, for the great fifliery
of its adjacent feas ; and, 3dly, for its infinite quantities of timber
for the ufe of the royal navy, befides fundry new productions which
may probably be hereafter raifed therein.

Upon an allegation in certain pamphlets, &c. touching a north-weft

A. D. 1749. 271

paflage to the fea of Japan, that the Huclfon's-bay company had not
hitherto encouraged any attempts for finding fuch a paflage, and that a
more extenfive and beneficial trade might be carried on to the countries
about Hudfon's bay if the trade were hud quite open ; the houle of
commons appointed a committee to inquire into thofe allegations, while
petitions from Briftol, Liverpool, &c. were fent up, for laying that
trade open. Neverthelefs, upon a full inquiry and examination of wit-
nefiTes who had lived at Hudfon's bay, their report gave very little rea-
fon to hope for any great increafe of commerce there, the country be-
ing very inhofpitable on the fea-coafis ; yet it appeared that the inland
countries to the fouth and weft of that bay abound with fine woods,
wild-fowl, wild beafts, river-fifli, &c. and that corn and pulie would
grow thereon, wefe plantations made. That, however, confidering the
company's capital, &c. it did not appear, that they had not, in the main,
done as well as could be expected for promoting the commerce there :
that moreover it feemcd very doubtful, whether, if the trade were laid
quite open, it might not be gradually loft from us to the French of Ca-
nada. Neither did tlie committee's report give any great hope of a fafe
pallage likely to be difcovered inany pradicable latitude. One Mr. Rob-
fon, indeed, who had been furveyor to the company, and who feemed
now a difgufted evidence againft them, tells us, that the company's four
fmall factories contained only 130 fervants, and two fmall houfes with
only eight men in each : that their annual exports were about L4C00
in value ; having, in time of peace, three fliips each of [50 to 200 tons
burden, with two or three fmall floops ftationed in the bay : that there
are inconteftable evidences of rich copper and lead mines, yet the com-
pany give no encouragement for working them, nor for their iervants
going into the inland countries : that the probability of a paflage is far-
ther ftrengthened from the late dilcovery of bays, inlets, and broken
lands, the weftern ends of which are not yet difcovered, there having
been no rivers as yet obferved on the north-weft coaft : that the true
rcafon of the company not acting for the general benefit of the nation
is, becaufe they have had no legal (i. e. parliamentary) right to their
exclufive trade fince th.c year 1698, at which time the acl of parliament
expired, which confirmed their charter for feven years. If therefor,
fays Mr. Robfon, at this period, the leaft evidence had been fuifered to
tranfpire, that the climate is very habitalile, the foil rich and fruitful,
fit for corn and cattle, rich in mines, and the filherics capable of great
improvement, and that the trade may even be extended by means of a
naval paflage, or at leaft by a fliort land paflage, to the Weftern ocean,
had proper experiments been made thereof at that time; die legiflature
would have taken the right into their own hands, and would have fet-
tled the country, and laid the trade open for the benefit of Britain :
die company therefor have contented themfelvcs with dividing among

272 A. D. 1749.

only about 1 00 perfons a large profit upon a fmall capital ; and have not
only endeavoured to keep the true ftate of the trade and country an
mipenetrable fecret, but have alfo induflrioufly propagated the word
imprellions of them. He therefor propofed, that for preventing thofe
vaft territories from filling into the hands of the French of Canada,
the legillature fhould purchafe the company's right to fuch lands as they
have a legal title to, and lay the trade open, fettle the rivers and ad-
joining coafl with European proteftants, and civilize the natives.

We have handled this fubjed fo often and fo fully, as to have quite
exhaufled it; and we fliall therefor leave it to the judgment of the pub-
lic, after obferving, that the company's opponents have, at different
times, advanced fundry things in favour of the probability of a paflage,
and alfo in behalf of the goodnefs of the lands and climate, which feem
too much exaggerated ; and in this uncertain flate the fubje6l may pof-
fibly remain to the end of time.

An ad of parliament, for reducing the feveral annuities then bearing
4 per cent to the feveral rates of intereft therein mentioned, laid the
foundation of an addition to the fmking fund, which in a fiiort time
amounted to near L6oo,ooo a-year, faved from the intereft of the fol-
lowing capitals, viz.

The principal fum payable at the exchequer, of L 312,000 o o
Capital bank ftock, _ _ _ 8,486,800 o o

Certain annuities transferable at the bank, - 18,402,472 o 10
Capital ftock of the Eaft-India company, 3,200,000 o o

Capital South-fea ftock, and old and new South-
fea annuity ftock, _ _ _ 27,302,203 5 6y

Total, -_ L57,703,475 6 4^

And it being the united opinion of the king and parliament, that no-
thing can fo effedually contribute to make trade iiourifti, as leflening
the public debts and incumbrances, confiftent with juftice and public
faith ; ir was therefor enaded, that all the proprietors of the public
debts incurred before michaelmas 1749, who ftaould, on or before the
28th of February 1749-50, confent to accept an intereft of 3 per cent
per annum, to commence from the 25th of December 1757, ftiould, in
lieu of their prefent intereft, receive 4 per cent per annum, until the
25th of December 1750, and from thence L3 : roper cent until the
25th of December 1757 ; and no part of the i'ame (except what is due
to the Eaft-India company) fhould be liable to be redeemed until the
faid 25th of December 1757.

This is what was called the firft fubfcription, becaufe (as we fliall fee)
all the proprietors of the above debts did not come into this propofed
fubfcription within the time limited by this act, although the major
part of them did.

A. D. 1749. 273

And though the fecond fubfcription to that reduction was not enact-
ed till the fpring of the year 1750, yet, for connedion's fake, we (hall
here give the fubflance of an adt of this fame feflion, for giving further
time to fuch of the proprietors of the annuities to fubfcribe the fame
upon the terms therein mentioned, and for redeeming (i. e. paying off
the principal fums of) fuch of the faid annuities as fliall not be fo fub-
fcribed : and for empowering the Eaft-India company to raife certain
fums by transferable annuities.

It recites, that great part of thofe annuities had been fubfcribed on
the terms of the former ftatute : it was therefor hereby enacted, that
the ftock of fuch proprietors as have not fo fublcribed, and who fhould,
on or before the 30th of May 1750, accept an intereft of 3 per cent, to
commence from the 25th of December 1755, fliould not be redeemable
till the 25th of December 1755 ; and fuch as fliould not fubfcribe on
or before that day, fliould be paid off. Thus the fecond fubfcribers had
a reduction of their intereft from 3 j to 3 per cent, two years fooner
than thofe of the firft fubfcription ; and fuch as determined not to fub-
fcribe at all, who however were not very many, were paid off their prin-
cipal fums out of the finking fund. Laftly, the Eaft-India company
were empowered, by confent of the commiftioners of the treafury (if
they fubfcribed their L3, 200, 000 ftock, and their one million annuities,
by the 30th of May 1750) to borrow any fums, not exceeding
L4, 200,000, by fale of annuities, viz. L3, 200,000 after the feveral
rates of intereft in the terms of this fecond fubfcription, and one mil-
lion more at the rate of 3 jier cent per annum ; with which the Eaft-
India company accordingly complied.

For promoting the filk manutacturc of Great Britain, the duties on
raw lilk, imported from China by the Eaft-India company, were now
reduced by act of parliament to the fame duty payable on raw lilk
from Italy.

Parliament now enacted, that, as it would greatly tend to the iii-
creafe and improvement of the filk manufaclui-es of this kingdom to
encourage the growth of raw filk in his majefty's dominions in America,
properly certified to be really raw lilk of the faid growth and culture,
the fame might be imported duty free into the port of London, in fliips
navigated and manned as by the navagation ads. And as its culture
has fince vifibly, though very gradually, incrcafed there, and more par-
ticularly in Carolina and Georgia, it feems now probable, that in a rea-
fonable fpacc of time thofe two provinces may hereafter have the new
honour of being denominated filk colonies, if they will fteadily proceed
in the culture of tliat profitable article.

From Koninglberg, the capital of the kingdom of Prullia, by the
common news of the 4th of January 1749-50, we learned, that the com-
merce of that port had been more confiderable during the year 1749

Vol. III. M m

2-^ A. D. 1749-

thxn in mj of the preceding ones, viz. that 671 fliips had airrr- ' " rre
fimm tbe K(»th, England, and HoUand, ^th all kinds of mer^ e,

and a great quantirr of wines, Inandies, &c. tcovn. France, Spam, the
Rfaine, and the MofeDe : on tbe other hand, 682 ihips had, within the
^metear, iailed from thence, laden with com, hemp, hides, boards,
mafb, &c.

Tlie eminent antbor of a pamphlet, entitled. Farther coniiderations
upon a redodioa c£ the land-tax, [fi. 34] gives a remarkable account of
the iocreaib of the tcHmage of the Britiih navy, in three dine rent
periods, tiz.

fci the year 1 71 5 it was - - 167,596 tons.

In the year 1727 it was - - I7~,S62

And in 1749 it was increafcd to - 22^,21^

An aA of parliaiuent (of this fame year) for enlarging and maintain-
ing the haifaonr of Ramlgate, Sec. gave great hopes that our mercantile
flopping would find a mncii iaier retreat, in cafe of florms. Sec. than
anT tb^ hare hitfaeno enjoyed on the coafls of Kent and SofTex. Its
preamble iets tarxh, * diat fiieqnent lolles c^ the lives and properties of

* bis tD2ge&j'i {lib^GSs happen in tbe Downs for want of a harbour be-
' tveen tbe nordi and footh Fordands ; the greateft part of the fhips

* employed in tbe trade of this natiiHi being imder a neceiEty, at going

* out upon, as well as in returning from, their voyages, to p>ais through

* tbe Downs, and frequently by contrary winds being detained there a

* long time, during which they (efpecially the outward4x)nnd fhips) are
' e^x>ied to viokzu: ftorms, and dangerous gales of wimi, without hav-
' ing any fu£cient harbour to lie in or retreat into, or from whence

* tbey can receive any affiflance : and as a harbour may be made at

* Kamfgare, convenient for the recq>tion of dips of 300 tons burden,
> and from whence larger ihips in diftreis in the Downs may be fap-
' plied with ]h1ocs, anchors, cables, and other afliflance and neceilaries ;
' and by the iinaller flaps takii^ flieiterin this harbour, the larger fhips
' may take tbe anchorage which at prefent is occupied l^ the iinaller,
' and by that means their anchors wiU be fixed in more holding ground,
' and the ihips not be fo e^>oied to the Ocean.' A great number, there-
for, of honoorable and eminent perfcms are hereby appointed truflees
£ar improving the harbour of Ramfgate, and a duty of fi^ience p>er ton
on all mercantile ffaipping was hereby laid for this end ; and two very
fine piers have been run onta good way into the &a, at the prodigious ex-
penie erf near Lfc.coo flerling, vhidi, however, in the opinion of
many, fuppoied to be competent judges, has not hitherto anfwered ex-
pedaticm ; yet as the vail fcheme of this new harbour is not yet com-
pkted, it iieems but reafonaUe for us to fuipend, till then, our abfolute
^<;terminatioii hereof

Dr. BnJching, in his New geography of RoiBa, gives us the amount

A. D. 1749. 275

of the value of the exports of Petcrfburgh to all the world in the year
1749, being 3,184,322 rubles; and of tlie imports 2,942,242; where-
by Rullia, or rather Peterfburgh, had a balance in its favour of 242,080
only; but with refpecl to Great Britain alone, it flood thus, viz.

Exports thither from PeterlTjurgh, - 2,245,573 rubles.

Imports from Great Britain, - 1,012,209

Balance againfl: Great Britain, and in favour

ofRuflia, was - - 1,233,264

Or, at 4/2 llerling per ruble, L256,950 : 16 .• 8 flerUng.

Hereby, if that author was rightly inforrned, it appears, that Ruflia's
commerce with Britain was not only more gainful to the former than
all the reft of Europe, but that Rullia was this year a lofer by all the
reft of Europe, of no lei's than 991,284 rubles, being the difference be-
tween what they gained from Britain alone and the 242,080 gained
from all Europe, Britain included. We hereby learn, how much it is
Ruflia's intereft to cultivate the frienddiip of Great Britain ; and we
may add, how much it is the intereft of the later to leften the balance
as loon as poflible, as well as that with the other northern countries ; of
which we wifti we had an equally diftind and adequate accoimt.

1750.— At the opening of the fellion of the Britifli parliament at the
clofe of the year 1749, the king in his fpeech having recommended to
their confideration the improvement of the filhery, the houfe of commons
thereupon appointed a committee to inquire into the ftate, and to con-
fider of means for in:iproving the fiihery of herring, cod, &c. And a
meeting being held in the city, of many eminent gentlemen and mer-
chants, in the beginning of the year 1750 (new ftile), it was propofed
to form a joint ftock of L500,ooo, provided the Icgiflature would grant
an encouragement of 4 per cent per annum on that capital, when em-
ployed in the following manner, viz.

I) Upon the payment of L300,ooo thereof into the bank of England,
the intereft thereon fliould commence, but fliould not be payable until
Li 00,000 thereof ihould be actually employed in the liflicry.

II) Upon the payment of the remaining L200,ooo into the bank, the
intereft thereon fliould commence in like mannei", but fliould not be
payable until another Li 00,000 fliould be farther employed in the fifli-
ery. On this occafion, fundry pamphlets and newfpapers attempted to
demonftrate the pradicability of Great Britain gaining from the Dutch
the bulk of the white-herring fifliery. Hereupon an ad of parliament
jxifled in the fame fellion for the encouragement of the white herring
iilhery ; the preamble whereof lets forth, that the carrying on and im-
provement thereof are of great importance to thefe kingdoms, tending
to great advantage to our trade and navigation, and for employing, and
providing for, great numbers of induftrious poor; provided the lame

M m 2

i'j6

A. D. 1750.

be carried oti with a fufficient flock, under proper regulations; and
reafonable encouragement be given to fuch peri'ons as are willing to car-
ry on the faid fifhcries. For the encouragement therefor of fuch per-
fons, and for the better regulation of the trade, and for preventing
frauds and impofitions in the management thereof, it was enacted, tliat
the king by letters patent, may incorporate a number of gentlemen,
herein named, and all others who fliall be entitled to any ftiarc in the
capital lum of L5oo,ooo, to be one body politic and corporate, by the
name of the Society of the free Britifli fifhery, for the term of 21 years ;
during which time they are every three years to elect a governor, pre-
lldent, vice-prefident, council, and other officers, who may make bye
laws for the management of the trade; may direcl: what feals or marks
Ihall be put on the barrels or calks of their fiili, for the counterfeiting
whereof a penalty ot L500 fliall be incurred for each ofience. This
corporation may make calls on their members ; the firftand lecond pay-
ments to be each 10 per cent of their fubfcriptions, and the fubfequent
payments to be by the diredion of a general court of the fociety. In
failure of anfwering fuch calls, the fociety may difpofe, after thirty days
previous notice in the London gazette, of fo much of the ftock of fuch
defaulter as fliall produce the fum fo called in. Three per cent per an-
num, upon every Lioo actually employed in the faid fifliery, lliall be
paid to the proprietors of the faid flock for fourteen years to come, by
the receiver-general of the cufloms, half yearly. The fociety fliall em-
jiloy Li 00,000 at leaft, within eighteen months after the date of fuch
fubfcription ; and accounts of the monies which fhall be fo employed
fliall be annually laid before the parliament. And if lofs fhall arife by
any year's adventure, and there fliould be gain by fucceeding years, the
gain fliall be employed to make good the veil'els and fifliing flock to the
full value of the faid original fum of Li 00,000 before any dividend fliall
be made. A bounty of thirty lliillings per ton fhall be annually paid out
of the cuftoms, for fourteen years to come, to the owners of all decked
veflels from twenty to eighty tons burden, which fliall be built after the
commencement of this acl, for the ufe of, and fitted out and employed
in, the faid fillieries, whether by this fociety, or any other perfons ; fuch
veiTel to be a decked bufs or veiTel, built in Great Britain, and to pro-
ceed thereon from lome port of Great Britain, manned and navigated
as the law direds ; and with a fufficient quantity of filliing nets and
ftores. Certificates to be produced before the colledor and comptroller
of the refpedlive Britifli ports, that it is their firm purpofe to proceed
therein, either to BrafTa found in Shetland, and be at the rendezvous of
the fifhery there on or before the nth of June, and that they will not
fhoot or wet their nets before the 13th* of the fame month, and fhall
continue fifhing among the flioles of herring, as they move fouthward,

* By the alteration of the ftilc, the 34th is now the day for beginning to fiioot their nets, M.

A. D. 1750. 277

to the I ft of October ; or they fhall proceed to Campbeltown in Argyle-
fliire, and be at the rendezvous of the fiiheries there on or before the
I ft of September, and continue fifliinp, to the 31ft of December, unlefs
they fhall fooner have completed their loading of fifli ; they fhall keep
a journal of their proceedings; of the quantity of filli they difpatch
away to foreign rnarkets in their tenders before they come into port,
and of the particular quantity they fliall bring into port with them,
each vefiel to carry out twelve Winchefter bufliels of fait for every laft
of fifh file is capable of holding, to be barrelled up in new barrels ; fhall
have two fleets of tanned nets for every vcffel of 70 tons. Every vcflel
of 20 tons fliall have fix men, and for vellels of greater burden, one man
more for eVery five tons. This adf fliall not exclude any of the king's
fubjeifts, though not of this fociety, from fifliing for white herrings,
cod, Sec. in the fame manner they might have done before this acf.
Any numlier of perfons who fliall fubfcnbe Li 0,000 or more into the
fociety, and fhall carry on the fifhery under their own management, and
on their own account of profit and lofs, conformably to the diredfions
of this acT: (except their being obliged to ufe the marks of the fociety)
and from the port named by them, if they fubfcribe under the name
of the filhing chamber of fuch city, town, or port refpedively, and fliall
fend their account of monies expended in the faid fiflieries, attefled by
three of the committee appointed for managing the matters of the faid
chamber, and be alfo figned by their accountant, making oath of its
being a true account, which account fhall be tranfmitted to the fociety
in London, whofe accountant fhall enter the fame as a fum expended in
the faid fiflieries by the fociety, in the account which he fliall deliver in
to the commilhoners of the cuftoms, as aforeiaid, the laid chamber
fhall receive 3 per cent, as the fociety do for other monies employed by
them, after deducting the neceffary charges arifing from the receipt of
the fame. Such chambers as fliall fifli on their own account fliall not
have any profit or lofs arifing from the trade of the fociety.

Purfuant to this ftatute, his majefty's charter of incorporation was
granted, being dated on tlie i ith of October 1750. And,

Though the fuccefs of this mofl public-l'pirited undertaking has not
hitherto fully anfwered the expectation of the worthy promoters of it,
in favour of whofe generous zeal too much can hardly be laid, yet it is
to be hoped, and greatly to be wiflied, that by firther trials they may at
length fucceed. It is indeed extremely difficult to beat another nation
out of a trade they have fo long profpered in, even with the above great
encouragement from the public, and more efpecially fo frugal a people
as the Dutch, who can content themfelves with fmaller gains than other
nations, and carry on the fifliery every one on his own private bottom.*

* It lias with grcut trutli been remarked by a propofij lo carry all before tliem by the weight of
very jiiiiicioiis gentleman, that all tlie companies tlieir capital, have mifcairiid I'hey rc.idtitJ the
who have fet on foot fifhtrics on a great Icale, aiiJ ncccdary apparalut dear by a fuddeii demand be-

-78

A. D. 1750.

We fliall therefor fufpend any farther remarks, and only join in the uni-
verfal wifh of all true Britons for its fuccefs. By a ftatute of the 30th
of the fame king (1757) inftcad of thirty fliillings per ton, the bounty
is increafed to fifty fliillings per ton on all the fhips built and employ-
ed by this fiihery company, with certain regulations relating to their
nets, &c.

The many difficulties flarted by the court of Spain agalnft carrying
on the South-fea company's affiento trade, the opprefllons oftheSpanifh
officers and governors in the Weft-Indies, the frauds too obvioufly com-
mitted on the other hand by that company's agents in thofe parts, in
fpite of all their regulations and reftridions, and the complaints of the
Eritilh merchants trading to Cadiz, feemed now all to concur, at both
courts, for putting a final period to a trade which, without any fub-
ftantial benefit to Great Britain, had given infuperable umbrage to the
court of Madrid, fo that both courts were the more eafily brought into
the treaty of Madrid, concluded on the 5tli of Oftober (N. S.) 1750, viz.
the ambafllidors of both kings, at the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in i 748,
having then agreed to regulate, at a proper time and place, the equiva-
lent which Spain fliould give in confideration of the non-enjoyment of
the remaining years of the affiento of negroes, and of the annual fhip
granted to Great Britain, their Britannic and Catholic majefties have
now agreed on the following articles, viz.

I) His Britannic majefty yields to his Catholic majefty his right to the
enjoyment of the affiento of negroes, and of the annual ffiip, during the
four years ftipulated by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

II) His Britannic majefty, in confideration of a compenfation of
Li 00,000 fterling, which his Catholic majefty promifes to pay, either at
Madrid or London, to the company, within three months at lateft,
yields to his Catholic majefty all that may be due to that company for
balance of accounts, or arifing in any manner whatfoever from the af-
fiento : fo that the faid compenfation fliall be efteemed as a full and en
tire fatisfadion on the part of his Catholic majefty, and ffiall extingniffi,
from this prefent time, for the future and forever, all right, pretenfion,
or demand, which might be formed in confequence of the aftiento, or
annual fiiip, directly or indirectly, on the part of his Britannic majefty,
or on that of the company.

yo'nd the quantity in the market : tliey immediate- dual augmentation of the fifherles. \^Tien to the

ly employed more people than could poftibly be above drawbacks upon the profperity of a fifhery

found duely qualified; and tliey caught more tilh upon a great fcale, we add the wafte and want of

than they could find fale for, either in the country, economy in the tranfattions of great focieties, and

or abroad in competition with the better-cured her- add to all thefe the innumerable hardfhips of

ring*, and ellablilhed markets, of the Dutch. He the fait laws, we need not wonder, that all the pa-

obl^rves, that all the filherles, that have ever prof- triotic efforts of great focieties have been hurtful

pered, have gradually arifcn from fmall beginnings, to themfelves, and barren of heuefit to the coun-

the number of people bred to them, and the in- try. M.
creafe of the markets, keeping pace with the gra- *

A. D. 1750. 279

III) The Catholic king yields to his Britannic majefty all his pretcn-
fions or demands in coniequence of the fliid afliento and annual fhip, as
well with regard to the articles already liquidated as to thofe which may
be either eafy or difficult to liquidate ; fo that no mention can ever be
made of them hereafter on either fide.

IV) His Catholic majefty confents, that the Brrtifli fubjeds fhall not
be bound to pay higher or other duties, or upon other evaluations for
goods which they (hall carry into, or out of, the different ports of his Ca-
tholic majefty, than thofe paid on the fame goods in the time of King
Charles II of Spain, fettled by the cedulas and ordinances of that king
or his prcdecelTors. And though the favour or allowance called pie del
fardo be not founded upon any royal ordinance, neverthelefs, his Ca-
tholic majefty declares, that it (hall be obferved now, and for the future,
as an inviolable law : and all the above-mentioned duties fhall be exadf-
ed and levied, now and for the future, with the fime advantages and
favours to the faid fubjeds.

V) His Catholic majefty allows the fubjeds of Britain to take and
gather fait in the ifland of Tortudos (in the Weft-Indies) without any
hinderance whatfoever ; as they did in the time of King Charles II.

VI) He alfo confents that they fhall not pay anywhere higher or other
duties than thofe which his own fubjeds pay in the fame place.

VII) His Catholic majefty grants, that they fliall enjoy all the rights,
privileges, franchifes, exemptions, and immunities whatfoever, which
they enjoyed before the laft war, by virtue of cedulas or royal ordinan-
ces, and by the articles of the treaty of peace and commerce made
at Madrid in the year 1667 ; and they fhall be treated in Spain in the
fame manner as the molt favoured nation ; and confcquently no nation
fliall pay lefs duties upon wool and other merchandizes which they fhall
bring into, or carry out of, Spain, by land *, than the faid fubjects
fliall pay upon the lame merchandizes, which they fliall bring in, or
carry out, by fea. And all the rights, privileges, franchifes, exemptions,
and immunities, which fliall be granted or permitted to any nation
whatever, fhall alio be grunted and permitted to the faid fubjeds : and
his Britannic majefty confents that the fame be granted and permitted
to the fubjeds of Spain ni liis Britannic majefty's kingdoms.

VIII) His Catholic majefty promiles to ulc all poflible endeavours, on
his part, to abolifli all innovations for the future, which may have been
introduced into commerce. And his Britannic majefty likewile pro-
miles to ufe all poflible endeavours to abolilh all innovations, and to
forbear them for ilie future.

IX) Their Britannic and Catholic majcfties confirm, by the prcient
treaty, the laft treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and all the other treaties there-
in confirmed, in all their articles and claules ; excepting thofe which
have been derogated from by the prefent treaty : as likewile the treaty

* This claufc more cfpccially rcfpccls the French nation. A»

28o A. D. 1750.

of commerce concluded at Utrecht in the year 1713; thole articles ex-
cepted which are contrary to the prefent treaty, which fliall be abolifli-
ed and of no force; and, namely, the three articles of the laid treaty,
commonly called explanatory.

X) All the reciprocal differences, rights, demands, and pretenfions,
which may have fubfifted between the two crowns of Great Britain and
Spain, in which no other nation whatever has any part, interell, or
right of intervention, being thus accommodated and extinguiflied by
this particular treaty; the two mod ferene kings engage themfelves
mutually to the punctual execution of this treaty of reciprocal compen-
fation.

This is truely a moft definitive treaty, in the flridefl fenfe, as it relates
purely to diiferenccs between Great Britain and Spain, without any re-
lation to, or connedion with, any other nation : and accordingly it has
hitherto, till very lately, been well obferved on both fides ; and hereby
a period was abfolutely put to all foreign commerce whatever of the
South-fea company.

This year an a6t of parliament was pafled to encourage the importa-
tion of pig and bar iron from his majefty's colonies in America, and to
prevent the eredion of any mill, or other engine, for flitting or rolling
iron, or any plating forge to work with a tilt hammer, or any furnace
for making fi:eel, in any of the faid colonies. The title of this flatute
fufficiently Ihews how jealoufly our legiflature prevented our greatly-in-
creafing northern colonies from going far into manufactures interfering
with thole of their mother-country. Neverthelefs, as our continental
colonies are increafing faft in people, furely fome latitude mtifl:, and will
hereafter, be allowed in that refpect, as the proportionable increafe of
our people there will undoubtedly occafion a like or greater increafe
of our general commerce thither.

By a ilatute of the 30th of King George 11, this ad of the 23d of this
king, for importing bar iron from America into the port of London,
was extended to all the ports of Great Britain ; and fome claufes in the
firfl; ad, of lefs importance, were repealed.

This year an ad of parliament pafled for extending and improving
the trade to Africa, lis preamble jufl:ly remarks, that the trade to and
from Africa being very advantageous to Great Britain, and neceflary
for fupplying the plantations and colonies with a iufficient number of
negroes at reafonable rates, ought, for that reafon, to be free and open
to all his majefly's fubjeds ; it was therefor enaded that it fliall be
lawful for all the king's fubjeds to trade to and from any place in
Africa, between the port of Sallee in South-Barbary, and the Cape of
Good Hope, without any refi:raint whatfoever, except as herein after
exprefled, viz.

I) All his majefl:y's fubjeds, who flaall trade to and from Africa, be-

A. D. 1750. 281

tween Cape Blanco and the Cape of Good Hope, fhall forever hereaf-
ter be deemed a body corporate and politic, by the name of the Com-
pany of merchants trading to Africa, with perpetual fucceflion and a
common feal, and may fue and be fued, &c. as other corporations.

II) All the Britifli forts, fettlements, and factories, on the coaft of
Africa, from Cape Blanco to the Cape of Good Hope, and all coafls,
iflands, rivers, regions, &c. within the faid limits, which are now claim-
ed, or pofFelled, by the royal African company of England, or which
may hereafter be in the pofleiTion of the company hereby eftablifhed,
fliall, troni the pafTing of an act for diveding the Alrican company of
their charter, forts, and all their other property on the coafl of Africa.
be abfolutely veiled in the new company eftablidied by this a6l, and
their fucceffors, to the intent that the faid forts, &c. Ihall be employed
only for the protedion, encouragement, and defence, of the trade.

III) Yet this new company (hall not trade to or from Africa, in their
corporate capacity, neither fhall they have any joint, or transferable
flock, nor Ih.all rhey borrow money on their common feal.

IV) The direction of the affairs of this new company fhall be by a
committee of nine perfons, to be chofen annually ; to meet as often as
fliall be neceffary, in fome place within the city of London, the majority
of whom being affembled, Ihall have full power to make orders for go-
verning and improving the forts, flxdories, &c. : fo as no orders nor re-
gulations of theirs fliall lay any rellraint whatfoever on the trade or
traders, contrary to the intent of this ad.

V) Such as intend to trade to Africa, and who fliall, on or before
the 30th of June 1750, pay 40/" each to the chamberlain of London for
their freedom of this company, are empowered to meet at Gildhall,
and choofe three perfons ; and they wdio fliall pay 4(D/"into the hands of
the clerk of the merchants hall of Eriflol, to choofe three perfons ; and
the like at Liverpool, for choofmg three perfons : and the nine perfons
fo chofen fliall be the firft annual committee.

VI) In all future eledtions the committee fliall be nominated on the
3d of July yearly, in manner following, viz. three fhall be nominated
by the freemen of the company admitted in London, and three at Brif-
tol, and three at Liverpool. And the freemen of this company, in each
of the faid three places, may choofe other committee-men in the place
of fuch as fliall die or be removed, or w^lio fliall reftife to act. And if
they, or any of the three places, negiecft to choofe fuch, then the re-
mainder, though lefs in number than nine, may ad as the committee,
till next year's eleClion. In cafe of an ecjuality of voices at any election,
the lord-mayor of London, and the mayors ot Brillol and Liverpool,
refpedively, Ihall determine which of fuch perfons fliall be the com-
mittee-men. From and after the 30th of June 1750 any other of his
majeftv's fubjects, who fliall trade to or from Africa, llrall be admitted

Vol. III. N n

282 A. D. 1750.

freemen of the faid company, at London, Briftol, or Liverpool, upon
payment of 40/", as aforefaid, but fhall not vote at the eledion of com-
mittee-men until one y&ir after their admiflion. The faid freedom
money of 4o/"fliall be accounted for to the annual committee. No per-
fon fhall be a committee-man above three years fucceflively. The
committee may inveft the money in their hands, in the purchafe of
goods and flores for Africa, there to be applied for the fole ufe, pre-
fervation, &c. ot their forts and fettlements, and for the wages, falaries,
&c. of their officers, &c. employed there ; but the committee fliall not
export from Africa any negroes, or other goods, in return ; nor fliall
in any other manner carry on a trade to or from Africa ; and an
account ot the committee's receipts and payments {hall be kept»
and lie open at their office in London, to be perufed gratis by any
member of the company. The commiflioners for trade and plantations
may remove any of the committee-men, or the officers and fervants of
this company, upon mifbehaviour. And the committee fhall render an
account of their tranfadions to the board of trade and plantations an-
nually, or oftener, if required. The committee, out of the monies they
fhall receive, may deducft, annually, L800 for defraying, in the firfl
place, the falaries of their clerks, &c. at the laid three places, and all
other charges of management ; and the refidue of that fum fhall be di-
vided among themfelves, as a compenfation for their trouble. The
committee's accounts fhall be annually examined, upon oath, by the
curfitor-baron of the exchequer, and they fliall lay a copy of fuch ac-
counts, &c. before the parliament in every feflion, as alio before the
general meetings of their own members, held in London, Briftol, and
Liverpool.

VII) The forts, warehoufes, &c. of this company, fhall, at all times,
be free to all his majefty's fubjeds, to be ufed as warehoufes for depo-
fiting gunpowder, gold, elephants' teeth, wax, gums, and drugs, and no
other goods ; and fhall alfo be free and open, in cafe of neceflity or
danger, to all his majefVy's fubjeds, for the fafety of their perfons and
effeds. Three mafters of the court of chancery, whereof the account-
ant-general of that court to be one, fhall be commiflioners for examin-
ing and allowing the claims of the creditors of the royal African com-
pany, after which that company fhall be divefted of their charter, and
be difiblved.

Thus this very confiderable branch of the Britifh commerce again
aflumed a new appearance, after having pafFed, as we have fhewn,
through leveral different conftitutions, and various conditions. What
has by this ad been eftablidied, remains flill in being, and with general
approbation, though there are not wanting feme who ftill think that lb
important a trade ought to be under a finder government, and even in
a joint-flock corporation, as in former times ; of which opinion, time.

A. D. 1751. 283

and the experience of the traders to that extended coaft, will determine
the validity *.

1751. — In the year 1751 Dr. William Douglas, of Boflon in New-
England, publiflied there his Summary, hiftorical and political, of the
lirfl planting of the Britifli continent colonies of America ; in which he
gives a very juft and concife view of the entire country, ufually known
by the general name of New-England, as at prefent divided into four
feparate governments, viz. the firft and principal one, known by the
name of the province of the Mallachufets-bay, of which Boflon is the
capital city, contains 200,000 white inhabitants : the government of
which province is in the crown, but the property is in the reprefenta-
tives of the people. The fecond province is Connedicut, containing
100,000 white people. Thirdly, Rhode-ifland, containing 30,000 white
people ; in both which later provinces the government and property
are in the reprefentatives of the people. Fourthly, New-Hampfhire, in
which both government and property are in the crown, contains 24,000
white inhabitants. The total white people in all New-England then
was 354,000. Dr. Douglas had lived many years in that country,
and is allowed, by all we have converfed with from thence, to have
given a true account of the number of people of New-England at that
period.

We have, in its place, fhewn, that the Danes had antiently a colony
in the country, by them properly called Groneland, i. e. Greenland,
and by others, Old Greenland, lying north-weft of Norway, being a
largely extended country, fituated north of Davis's ftraits, in a very in-
holpitable climate, and, for aught we yet know, may be properly a part
of North- America. That inhoipitable country, however, we find, by
an ediift of Frederic V king of Denmark, dated at Copenhagen the
26th March 1751, is again replanted by Denmark. The edid: exprefs-
ly prohibiting all perfons, as well natives as foreigners, from reforting
to the colonies eflablifhcd by us, (fays that king) in our country of
Greenland, which we have granted to a general and privileged company
exclufively, we being hereditary lord of that country, upon pain of
feizure and confifcation, againft all fuch as fliall trade thither in preju-
dice of the faid company's right. The limits fliall extend 15 miles on
both fides of each colony, including therein all the places lying between
the Weftern ifles, and the bay called in the maps Blackbirds-bay.
This fettlement is chiefly intended for the whale and leal flfhery, and
for peltry. Of its progrefs we may poffibly learn more hereufttr.

The South-fea company having propofed to the government to ac-
cept an intereft of 4 per cent on their capital flock of L3, 662, 784 : 8 : 6 till
chriftmas 1757, and then to ftand reduced to L3 per cent per annum.

•

The tot.U value of the imports of England in tlic year 1750, was L7, 772,039, 3:;d cf llic ex-
ports (not including gold and bullion) L 12,699,081, \_IVhit-Morlh'i Slalf."] M.

N n 2

284 A. D. 1 75 1.

provided, that the manner of the receipt from the exchequer, and the
charges of management upon the prefent old and new South- fea annui-
ties, and on their faid capital flock, be "ontinued as they now are : an
ad of parliament, in confequence thereof, pafled in the 24th year of
King George II, for reducing the fame accordingly upon thofe terms,
and for preventing frauds committed by the officers and fervants of the
faid company, viz.

I) After chriftmas 1757 their capital ftock fliall be reduced to 3 pey
cent, until redemption thereof, in full difcharge of all demands of the
company on the king of Spain, on account of the afliento, or annual
fhip, or on any account whatfoever, over and above the fum of Li 00,000,
paid purfuant to treaty.

II) The company fhall continue to receive from the exchequer, out
of the funds appropriated for that purpofe, what monies fhall, from
time to time, become due for the intereft thereof and charges of ma-
nagement, upon fuch part of the old and new South-fea annuities as
are not redeemed, and on their capital flock ; and all the rights and
exemptions, with regard to the redemption of their capitals, fliall be
confirmed in the fime manner as they now ftand.

III) If any officer or fervant of the company, enrrufted with any
note, bill, dividend warrant, bond, deed, or fecurity, money, or other
efFeds, belonging to the company, or to other perfons, depofited with
the company, or with him, as an officer or fervant of the company, fliall
fecrete, embezzle, or run away with the fame, and be convicted thereof
in due form of law, he fhall be deemed guilty of felony, and fuffer death
as a felon, without benefit of clergy.

Thus, for the prevention of future difputes between Great Britain
and Spain, this company was debarred from all future claims on the
court of Spain (though certainly very confiderable and equitable ones),
purfuant to the treaty of Madrid, whereby our king agreed to accept of
Li 00,000 for the company, in full compenfation for all their confider-
able lofles. So that between their very great lofTes luftained by their
ill-fated afliento contrad, and by the mofi: national undertaking of their
whale fifhery, that company may truely and impartially be faid to me-
rit not only the compaflion, but even the particular regard, of the pub-
He.

By a flatute of the 24th year of King George II, for enabhng his
majefty to raife the feveral fums of money therein mentioned, by ex-
chequer bills, &c. the treafury was empowered to iflue L2, 276, 893 : 11 ; 7,
being the total principal fum remaining payable upon the unfubfcribed
old and new South-fea annuities, after deduding L48,i29 : 17 : 4, by
this ad direded to be lubfcribed into the faid annuities, towards re-
deeming them. Any part of which fum might be replaced by fuch asr
were truflees for certain purpofes, as far^s fuch monies would go at the

A. D. 1751- 285

current market price, either in the faid annuities, or in other purchafes,
public or private. And whereas feveral perfons, not being timely ap-
prized of the notice given for fubfcribing in their feveral annuities, be-
ing in the king's colonies in America, and other foreign i)arts, &.c. the
fums which, on the 28th of February 1749, fliould be intitled to the
benefit of thofe fubfcriptions, amounting to Li2,2io:2: i in new
South- fea annuities, and Li3,443:]4:3 in old South-fea annuities,
they fhall be intitled to the vote of the houfe of commons of 21 ft March
1749, as amply as if they had feverally accepted the faid terms on or
before the 30th of May 1750.

On Wednefday, the 22d of May 1751, the ever-famous act of the
Britifh legillature, of the 24th year of King George II, received the
royal aflent, for regulating the commencement of the year, and for cor-
recfling the calendar now in ufe, i. e. for abolifhing the old ftile, and for
eftablifhing the new ftile, already in ufe in moft parts of Chriftendom.

Its preamble fets forth, that the legal fupputation of the year in Eng-
land, which begins on the 25th of March, hath been attended with di-
vers inconveniencies *, as it differs from other nations, and from the
legal method of computation in Scotland, and the common ufage
throughout the whole kingdom ; and that thereby frequent miftakes
in the dates of deeds and other writings are occasioned, and difputes
arife therefrom. And that the Julian calendar, now in ufe throughout
the Britifli dominions, hath been diicovered to be erroneous, by means
whereof the vernal equinox, which at the time of the council of Nice
in the year 325, happened on or about the 21ft of March, now hap-
pens on the 9th or 10th of the fame month : and as the error is ftill in-
creafing, and, if not remedied, will in time occafion the feveral equi-
noxes and folftices to fall at very different times in the civil year from
what they formerly did, which may tend to midead perfons ignorant of
luch alteration ; and as a method of correding the calendar, fo as that-
the equinoxes and folftices may tor the future fall on the iamc nominal
days on which they happened at the time of the faid general council,
hath been received and eftabliflied, and is now generally praClifed by
almoft all other nations of Europe f ; and as it will be of general con-

* It is ftrange tliat this was not rcftificJ long lian year, being 44 minutes and 20 fcconda iii

ago. A. every 4 years, and 3 days i hour 53 minutes

f Tlie mean tropical folar year, or that mean and 20 kcondi in every 4C0 Julian years, or yean

fpace of time wherein the fun or earth, departing of our old ilile ; and made I I days difference be-

from any point of the ecliptic, returns to the fame tween us and tlie greatell part of Europe, clpeci-

point again, confiiU, according to the learned Dr. ally all of tlie Roman catlu>lic perfnafion, and moft

Hallcy's tables, of 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes of the protellar.t dates alfc. The Julian ycar»or

and 55 fcconds ; which being lefs by 1 1 minutes old ftile continued to be ufed all over Europe, un-

and 5 feconds than the mean Julian year or old til Pope Gregory XIII, by tlie help of the bell

ftile, confifting of 365 days and 6 hours, made an aftronomers, in the year 1582, difcovered the in-

crror in our old ftile, hitherto followed by Great convenicncies of the Julian computation, wliercyb--

Britain, of ll minuttg and 5 feconds in each Ju- it appeared, that in 129 years and 337 [ days,,i'.

286 A. D. 1 75 1.

venience to merchants and other perfons correfponding with other na-
tions and countries, and will tend to prevent miftakes and difputes con-
cerning the dates of letters and accounts, if the like correction be re-
ceived and eftabliflied in his majefty's dominions ; it was therefor enabl-
ed, that throughout all his majefty's dominions the old fupputation
fhould not be ufed after the laft day of December 1751, and that the
firft of January following fhould be accounted the firft day of the year
1752, and fo on in every year after : and after the faid firft of January
1752 the days of the months ftiould go on and be reckoned in the fame
order, and the feaft of eafter, and other moveable feafts depending
thereon, fhould be afcertained according to the fame method they now
are till the 2d of September 17J2 inclufive, and the next day fliould be
accounted the 14th of September, omitting, for that time only, the eleven
intermediate nominal days ; and the following days fhould be num-
bered forward in numerical order from the faid 14th of September, as
now ufed in the prefent calendar : and all acfls and writings, executed
upon or after the laid firft of January 1752, fhould bear date according
to the new method of fupputation ; and the two fixed terms of St. Hi-
lary and St. Michael in England, and the courts of great feflions in the
counties Palatine and in Wales, and the courts of general quarter fef-
fions, and general feflions of the peace, and all other courts and meet-
ings and aifemblies of any bodies politic or corporate, for the eledion
of officers or members, or for officers entering upon the execution of
their reipective offices, or for any other purpofe, which by law or uf-
age, &c. are to be held on any fixed day of any month, or on any day
depending on the beginning, or any certain day of any month, except
courts ufually holden with fairs or marts, fhould, after the faid 2d of
September, be held on the fame nominal days and times whereon they
are now to be holden, but computed according to the new method of
numbering, that is, eleven days fooner than the refpeftive days where-
on the fame are now kept.

The years iSoo, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300, or any other hundredth
year, except every fourth hundredth, whereof the year 2000 fhall be

made an error cf one whole day, and in ^.co Ju- ccrn, in a mercantile fcnfc, was to reduce our (lile
lian years an error of 3 days, 1 hour, 53 minutes, to uniformity with the rell of Europe ; the differ-
and 20 feconds, as above ; and that fincc the coun- ence of 1 1 days frequently occafioning errors and
cil of Nice in the year 325 the old ilile had made miftakes in bufinefs. Moreover, nothing certainly
an enor of upwards of 9 days, which in the year could be more inconvenient (not to lay abfurd)
1 7c I was computed to be 1 1 days, i. c. fo much than to begin our legal year on the 25th of March,
was our error at the commencement of the i8th whereby a whole year was frequently millaken in
centiir}" ; wlitrcby our old (lile made the vernal our hiftorics through inadvertency ; the year there-
equinox happen il days fooner than by the new- for was now to commence on the ifl of January
flile it really does ; fo that our loth of March with all the reft of Chriftcndom, and cfpecially
ought to be reckoned (as it will now be) the 21ft with Scotland ; though that counti^y, in other re-
of that month. Pope Gregory's main Intention fpccls, had, like England, till now kept to the old
in that alteration was to regulate the true time of ftile. j1.
tekbrating the fcaft of eafter ; but our grand con- 4

A. D. 1-75 1. 2^7

the firfl, Ihall be deemed common years, confifting of 365 days ; and
the years 2000, 2400, 2800, and every other fourth hundredth year
from the year 2000 inchifive, and all other years which by the prefent
fupputation are efteemed to be bifiextile, or leap-years, fliall for the fu-
ture be efleemed to be bifiextile, or leap-years, confiiling of 366 days,
as is now ufed with refpect to every fourth year.

The feaft of carter, and the moveable feafts thereon depending, fhall
be no longer obfcrved according to the method of fupputation now
ufed, or the table prefixed to the book of common prayer ; and the
faid table, and alfo the column of golden numbers, as they are now
prefixed to the refpedive days of the month in the calendar, fhall be
left out in all future editions of the laid book ; and the new calendar,
tables, and rules, annexed to the act, are to be prefixed in the flead
thereof: and from and after the faid 2d of September, the fixed feafts,
holidays, and fafts, of the church of England, and alfo the feveral fo-
lemn days of thankigiving and of fafting and humiliation, enjoined to
be obferved by parliament, fhall be oblerved on the refpective nominal
days marked for the celebration of the fame in the new calendar, that
is to fay, on the refpeciive nominal days ; and the feaft of eafter, and
other moveable feafts thereon depending, fhall be celebrated according
10 the faid annexed calendar ; and the two moveable terms of eafter
and trinity, and all courts, meetings, and affcmblies, of any bodies po-
litic or corporate, and all markets, fairs, and marts, and courts, there-
unto belonging, which by any law, ftatute, charter, or ufage, are to be
held and kept at any moveable time depending upon eafter, or other
moveable feaft, fhall, after the faid 2d of September, be held and kept
on the fame days and times whereon the fame fliall happen, according
to the falling of eafter by the new calendar.

The meetings of the court of feffion, and terms fixed for the court of
exchequer in Scotland, the April meeting of the confervators of the
great level of the fens, and the holding and keeping of markets, fairs,
and marts, for the fale of goods or cattle, or for hiring of fervants, or
for other puri^ofcs, which are fixed to certain nominal days of the
month, or dei)ending on the beginning, or any certain day, of any
month, and all courts kept with I'uch fairs or marcs, fliall, after the faid
2d of September, be kept upon the fame natural days upon which the
fame would have been held if this ad had not been made, i. e. eleven
days later than the fame would happen according to the nominal days
of the new fupputation of time, by which the commencement of each
month, and the nominal days thereof, are brought forward eleven days.

But this acl fliall not accelerate or anticipate the days or times for the
opening, inclofing, or fluitting, up of grounds, common of pallure, or
the days and limes on which a temporary and diftind pn^perty and.
right in any fuch lands or grounds is to. commence ; but ihcy fliall bt

288 A. D. 1751.

refpectively opened, and inclofed, or lliut up, aiid fliall commence on
the lame natural days and times after the faid 2d of September as be-
fore the making of this ad, that is, eleven days later than the fame
would happen according to the new fupputalion of time.

Neither fhall this adl accelerate or anticipate the times of payment of
rents, annuities, or other monies, which fliall become payable in confe-
quence of any cuftom, ufage, leafe, deed, writing, or other contract or
agreement, now fubfifting, or which (hall be entered into before the
faid 14th of September, or which fliall become payable by virtue of
any ad: of parliament ; nor accelerate the payment, or increafe the in-
terefl, of any money which fliall become payable as aforefaid, or the
time ot the delivery of any goods or other things whatfoever, or the
commencement or determination of any leafes or demifes of lands, &c.
or other contrads or agreements, annuity, or rent, or of any grant fur a
term of years. Sec, or the time of attaining the age of 21 years, or any
other age recjuifite by law, ufage, or writing, for doing any ad, or for
any other purpofe, by any perfons now born, or who fhall be born, be-
fore the faid 14th of September ; or the time of the determination of
any apprenticefliip or other fervice by indenture, or by articles under
feal, or by reafon of any fimple contrad or hiring : but all thefe fliall
commence, ceafe, and determine, at and upon the fame natural days
and times on which they would have happened if this ad had not been
made.

By a fubfequent law (of the 25th of George II) to amend this ad, it
was enaded, ift, that from the 2d of September 1752 the refpedive
times for opening, ufing, or inclofing, grounds for common paflure,
and the payment of rents, &c. fliall, if fuch times are depending on any
of the moveable feafts, take place according to the new calendar : 2dly,
the annual admiflion and fwearing of the lord-mayor of London at
Guildhall hereafter fliall be on the 8th of November, and the folemnity
of fu earing him at the court «f exchequer at Weftrainfler on the 9th
of the fame month of November yearly.

It were farther to be wifhed, that, when the legiflature were upon a
fubjed fo ufeful to commerce and chronology, they had turned their
thoughts to the prefent method of dating ads of parliament from the
years of the reigning king, without mentioning the year of our Lord
Chrift, as in the laws of many other nations ; whereby much uncer-
tainty and frequent miftakes happen in compuiing a number of years
between a certain year of one king's reign to a certain year of another
king's reign, or to the prefent time. This is frequently complained
of, though not yet remedied : yet this may eafily be remedied in fu-
ture, by fuperadding the year of our Lord Chrifl to the year of the
reigning king. 4

A. D. 175 1. 289

The flourifhing and much-improved condition of the kingdom of
Ireland in this year is fo fully exprefled in the earl of Orrery's Letters
on the life and writings of Dean Swift, publifhed in this year, that we
fhall tranfcribe it, from letter xvi, p. 127. ' The prefent flate of Ireland
' is in general as flourifhing as poflible. Agriculture is caltivated, arts
' and fciences are encouraged ; and in the fpace of eighteen years no
* kingdom can be more improved. Ireland, in relation to England,
' may be compared to a younger fifler lately come of age, after having
' fuffered all the miferies of an injured minor, fuch as lawfuits, en-
' croachments upon her property, violation of her rights, deftruftion of
' her tenants, and every evil that can be named. At length, time, and
' her own noble fpirit of induftry, have entirely relieved her ; and,
' fome little heartburnings excepted, fhe enjoys the quiet poflefTion of a
' very ample fortune, fubjed:, by way of acknowlegement, to certain
' quit-rents payable to the elder branch of her houfe : and let me add,
' by experience, that, take her all in all, (he cannot have a greater for-
' tune than flie deferves.'

The great and progrefTive improvement of the linen manufadure in
Scotland is well worth recording. Between the year 1727, (when an
ad of parliament pafTed for that end, whereby 21 truflees were ap-
pointed, under the great feal, for fuperintending the fame), and this
year 1751, the following quantities of linen were flamped for fale.

Yards of linen. Value.

In five years, 1728 — 1732 - 17,441,161 - L662,938

five years, 1733—1737 - 23,734,136 - 897,254

five years, 1738 — 1742 - 23,366,863 - 949, 22[

five years, 1743 — 1747 - 28,227,086 - 1,155,281

And four years, 1748 — 1751 - 30,172,300 - 1,344,814

N. E. The Britifh linen company, ereded in the year 1746, has been
greatly inftrumental in the advancement of that manufadurc in Scot-
land, by advancing ready money to the poorer manufacturers for their
goods : whereby they are enabled to go on with much more fpirit. The
board of truftees likewiie beflow annual premiums for the bcft manu-
fadures ; whereby a fpirit of induftry increaics, more than ever, all
over Scotland *.

1752. — The African or Guinea trade having been laid more open in a
regulated company, by a fiatute of the 23d of King George II, before
recited, it became neceflary to make a compeniation to the old royal

• Amfttrdain, which ufcd to he the general indigo, now (liipped for Amftordam at Bourdcaux

waichoult for all the merchandize of Europe, and Nantes, were only in the proportion of one to

was now in a Rreat meafure deprived of that ad- three of the fame floods lhii)ped for Hamburgli ;

vantage : and the commerce of Hamburgh, by a whereas Amilerdam ufed formerly to take off

direcfl intcrcourfe with I'Vance, Spain, Portugal, thrice as much as Hamburgh from thofc ports,

and Italy, was rifnig fail upon the decline of the [Lcllrf fur la j.ttoiific dt commerct, ^. 25 1. yimjl.

Dutch trade. As a proof of this change, it is I771-J M-
obferved, that the quantities of fugar, colfec, aud 4

Vol. III. O o

290 A. D. 1752,

African company, for their charter, lands, forts, Haves, ftores, and other
efFe(fts, &c. An acft, therefor, was now pafled, for the appUcation of a fum
of money, therein mentioned, for thofe purpofes, and for vefting thofe
lands, forts, &.c. in the new company of merchants trading to Africa;
for which ends commiflioners had before been appointed to examine
the claims laid before paliament by the late company. And it was
now enaded, that the late royal African company fhould, after the
10th of April 1752, be abfolutely diverted of their charter, &c. and of
all their lands, forts, &c. beginning at the port of Sallee, and extend-
ing thence fouthward to the Cape of Good Hope, together with all
their cannon, canoe-men, flaves, rights, and evidences, &c. The new
company, with the confent of the board of trade and plantations, are
empowered to arm and train military forces at their forts, and to
punifh offences, fo as not to extend to life or limb ; and to eredl courts
of judicature for mercantile and maritime bargains, &C. and the fum of
1-112,142 : 3 : 6 was ordered out of the fupplies of tlais fellion, for
the compenfation due to the old company.

For the better civilizing and improving the Highlands of Scotland,
and preventing diforders there for the future, an adt of paliament of
this lame ieffion pafled for annexing certain forfeited eftates in Scot-
land (by the rebellions of the years 1745 and 1746), to the crown
unalienably, and for making fatisfaftion to the lawful creditors there-
upon ; and to eflablifh a method of managing the fame, enacled, that
all the lands, lordfhips, baronies, &c. of Simon, late Lord Lovat, &c.
fhall, from the 25th of December 1752, be annexed to the crown
unalienable forever, faving the rights and claims thereon duely en-
tered in the court of feflion. The clear income of the faid lands
to be applied to the purpofes of civilizing the inhabitants upon the
faid eflates, and other parts of the Highlands and ifles of Scotland,
promoting amongfl; them the proteflant religion, good government,
induftry, and manufidures, and the principles of loyalty and duty to
his majefty, &c. and to no other ufe or purpofe whatfoever. The king
may appoint commilTioners and truftees for managing the laid eftates,
and for applying the produce for thofe ends and purpofes, without having
any penfioa or reward for the fame. They may grant leafes thereof
for 21 or 41 years, whereon the leflees fhall covenant to lay out on the
premifl^es, in buildings and other improvements, in the firft feven years,
a fum not lefs than five years rent ; referving upon every leafe not
lefs than three fourths of the real annual value of the premifles. All
fuch lefTees fhall take the ufual oaths to the government. No leafe of
lands or tenements, other than mines or fifliings, fhall be ot greater
annual rent than L20 at the moft. The commilhoners, with the
approbation of the treafury, may appoint fadors on the laid eftates, to
whom 5 per cent of the rentaliball be allowed. The commiflioners are
to appoint a furvev of the eftates to be made, with proper plans of their

A. D. 1752. 291

extent and qualities, and what improvements may be made thereon '
and an abflrad of their proceeding is to be annually reported to the
treafury, copies whereof to be laid before the parliament every feflion.
The king may divide large parifhes (entirely his own), and grant
proper provifions to the minifters of fuch new pariflies, out of the
prefent maintenance for the minifler of the old parifh, and the remain-
der out of the rents of the faid eftates, fo as the ftipend fhall not exceed
L50 per annum, in money or value, to any one minifler. The king
may erect fchools on the faid eflates, or in other parts of the Highlands
or iflands of Scotland, for intruding young perfons in reading and
writing the Englifh language, and in the feveral branches of agri-
culture and manufadures, and may eredt houfes fo*- their reception, and
for carrying on fuch manufactures by them, and for accommodating
their mafters ; and may apply fuch parts of the produce of the faid
eflates as fliall be neceflary for erecting fuch fchools, providing falaries
for the teachers, for clothing and maintaining fuch young perfons, and
for fupplying the fchools with utenfils and materials for agriculture and
manufadures ; and for the raifing of flax, &c. as his majefly fliall dired.
And the king may empower the commiflloners to allot portions of land
for the ufe of fuch fchools, or to apply fuch part of the clear rent of the
lands as he Ihall direct, in the purchafe of portions of land to be allotted for
fuch fchools. His majefty may empower the commiflloners to grant out
in property, portions of ground, not exceeding ten acres to one perfon,
to perfons well affeded, who fliall take the oaths to the government,
and oblige themfelves to ered: dwelling houfes, &c, and gardens there-
upon ; fuch grounds to be held feu of his majefl;y, for payment of a
yearly feu duty equal to fuch a proportion of the rent as Ihall corre-
spond to the ground feued out, &c. The king may, out of the rents
of the eflates aforcfaid, ered prifons on fuch parts of the forefaid lands,
or other parts of the Highlands, as he fliall think fit, and the fame fliall
be deemed lawful prifons ; and he may m^e allowance for the main-
tenance of indigent prilbners, &c.

Of this very good law pofl:erity will reap the principal benefit ; be-
ginnings being already made in feveral parts of the Highlands for
working-fchools, to wliich the raofl; lauda'le fociety in Scotland for
propagating chriflian knowledge in the Highlands, &c. have lent a
helping hand by ereding feveral fchools out of their own income, for
the inilruction of the children : new villages are alio begun : manufac-
tures, as well as agriculture, are fet on foot, where none were known
before : fo that it is highly probable, that, in half a century more, the
moll uncultivated parts of that country will wear a vt:ry dift'ercnt afpedl.

' For feveral years pafl,' fays Dr, Bufching, in his New geography,
' between 4 and 50C0 fliips have failed annually through the Sound :
' but in 1752 above 6000 fliips (a number unheard of before), palled
' through ihofe llraits. In general that toll is on an equal footing with

Oo 2

292 A. D. 1752.

' refpedl: to all nations, excepting the Hamburghers, who muft pay

' more than others : the Englifh, Dutch, Swedifli, and French, fliips are

' not fearched, when provided with proper pafles, according to treaties,

' and pay down only i per cent for fuch goods as are not fpecified in

* the tarif ; but all other nations pay i^ per cent, and muft fubmit to
' be fearched. With regard to the Hanfe towns on the Baltic, there is
' a great variety in the toll they pay, for alraoft every one of thofe

* towns is treated with in particular.'

This year the king of Naples (afterwards king of Spain), eftablifhed
a commercial company at Meflina ; principally intended for ereding
manufa<flures of filk, fluffs, and camblets ; the company, for ten years
to come, to be exempted from all kinds of duties : and, for their far-
ther encouragement, he has limited the exportation of raw filk to half
the wonted quantity. Thus almoft every corner of Europe, in our age^
ftrives to gain fome part of the commercial advantages, which they
clearly obferve to contribute fo much to the enrichment and exaltation
of nations.

We, the fame year, learned from Spain, that they are there flriving for
the increafe of commerce and manufactures : that of late they have in the
kingdom of Valencia 2000 looms for filk and woollen; 1000 in Gra-
nada ; 500 in Catalonia ; and that, throughout all Spain, they reckon
in all 10,000 fuch looms, for filk, gold, and filver tiffue, middling and
coarfe woollen cloths, bays, ferges, camblets, &c. ' And' (fays Don
Geronymo de Uftariz, a judicious Spanifh author) ' they are projecting
' no fewer than 60,000 new looms, whereby, not only to fupply them-
' felves and their Indies, but to export to other European nations ; and
' to ereCt I know not how many other new manufacftures : of all which

* it will be right to fufpend our belief till experience clears it up.'

1-753. — By a fupplemental act of the Britifh parliament, of the 26th
of George II, to explain, amend, and render moreeffedual, an ad of the
23d year of George II, entitled, an Ad for the encouragement of the
Britifh white-herring fifhery, and for regulating the faid fifhery accord-
ing to the calendar now in ufe, &c.

I) It was now enaded, that the commencement and duration of the
filheries, as direded by the former ad, fliall hereafter be conformable
to the calendar now in ufe.

II) The fociety fhall not be intitled to the bounty of thirty fhillings
per ton for fuch veffels as fhall return into port at the end of the fifhery
with a lefs number of hands than they are required (by the firft ad)
to have onboard at the rendezvous, unlefs it fhall appear that fuch
number hath been reduced by death, ficknefs, or defertion, without any
fraud or collufion, on the part of the fociety : and the veffels are al-
lowed, between the intervals of the Shetland and Yarmouth fifheries, to
put into any port of Great Britain or Ireland, for the purpofe of chang-

A. D. 1753. 293

ing their nets, and preparing for the Yarmouth fifhery ; of which fifhery
the fleet of nets may be of any depth not under five tathoms.

Ill) That the quantity of fuch white herrings as fhall hereafter be
fent by the fociety or their agents to foreign markets, immediately from
fea, without being firfl brought into port, fhall be afcertained by the
oath of the fociety's iuperintendant of the fifliery. And whereas the
place appointed by the firfl adl for the rendezvous of the veffels on the
firfl of September is, in many cafes, found inconvenient, it is now
enaded, that their vefTels which fhall rendezvous at Kirkwall in the
Orkney iflands, on or before the i 2th of September ; and fhall con-
tinue to be employed in fifliing among the fholes of herrings, as they
move, to the i ith of January (unlefs their loading (hall be fooner com-
pleted) fhall, in cafe all the other regulations and conditions in the a6t
be complied with, be intitled to the bounties granted therein, as if
they had rendezvoufed at Campbeltown at the time required by that
aft. No fifhing vefTel employed in the white-herring fifhery fhall be
obliged to carry to the later fifhing more than one fleet of nets.

An act of parliament [26 Geo. //] for permitting the exportation of
wool, and woollen or bay yarn, from any port of Ireland to any port in
Great Britain, fets forth in its preamble, that the permilfion of export-
ing wool, and woollen or bay yarn, only from certain ports in Ireland
to certain ports in England, is not of fo great and extenfive an advant-
age to the trade of this kingdom as it would be, if all the ports in
Great Britain and Ireland were opened for that purpole. It was there-
for enaded, that, from the 5th of June 1753, any wool, or woollen or
bay yarn, wool-fcls, fliortlings, mortlings, wool-flocks, and vvorfted yarn,
may be exported from any port in Ireland to any port in Great Britain.
Provided, that cxportations and importations be under the lame reflric-
tions and regulations, and in the fame manner in all reipeds as wool or
woollen yarn are now by law permitted to be exported from Dublin,
and other therein-named ports of Ireland, to BulJeford, and other
therein-named ports of England, or any of them.

In the fame year an a6l of parliament reduced the court of directors
of the South-fea company, from three governors and thirty directors to
three governors and twenty-one diredors, at the fucceeding general
eledtion : and ordained, that no more than fifteen of the diredors, who
were eleded at the laft preceding general elecf ion Ihoukl be cholen again
into that office at the following eledion. This prudent frugality pro-
ceeded from the confideration of their afliento trade being annihilated.

The French having gained a great fuperiority in the Turkey trade,
a petition was prefented to parliament for laying open our Turkey
trade entirely. On the other fide, the Turkey comj-any rcprefented,
that an open trade to Turkey would but farther decreafe the Britifh
trade thither. Tliat the more favourable fituation of the port of Mar-

294 ' A. D. 1753.

leilles.and other conc\irring circumftances not eafily to be rurmounted,
had gradually given the French their prefent fuperiority. The parlia-
ment therefor pafled an ad: of this fame year, for enlarging and regu-
lating the trade into the Levant feas ; the fubftance of which fets forth
the patent of King James I, ftill in force at this time, dated 14th De-
cember 1605, (as we have recited in its proper place) and alfo that of
King Charles II. ' And whereas the company's trade into the Levant
' feas has fince much decreafed ; the taking of lefler fines for being
' made free of this company ; and the not reftraining the freedom
' thereof to mere merchants, and to fuch perfons as, refiding within
' twenty miles of London, are free of the faid city ; and the fccuring
' to all perfons free of the company the liberty of exporting all forts of

* goods and merchandize (not forbidden by law) to any place within
' the limits of their charter, from what parts of Great Britain, at what

* times, in what quantity, and on board what legal fhips, they fliall re-

* fpedively think proper : and alfo of importing, in the like manner,
' from any place within the limits of the faid letters patent, raw filk or

* any other lawful merchandize purchafed within the faid limits ; are

* the mod probable means of recovering and extending the trade for
' the benefit of the nation. It was therefor enacted,

I) That after the 24th of June 1754, inftead of the former re-
ftraints in the charters of L25, to be paid for the freedom by perfons
under twenty-fix years of age, and L50 by all above that age, the re-
ftridion of the freedom of the company to freemen of London, to mere
merchants, &c. every fubjed of Great Britain, defiringadmiflioninto the
Turkey company, fhall be admitted within thirty days after fuch re-
queft, and fliall enjoy all the liberties, privileges, &c. granted by the
faid letters patent, paying for fuch admiflion, to the life of the company,
L20, and no more.

II) From the 24th of June 1754 all perfons, free of the company,
may, feparately orjointly, export any goods or merchandize (not prohi-
bited by law to be exported) from any place in Great Britain, to any
place wiihin the limits of the charter, in Britifh or plantation-built
fhips, (navigated according to law) at any time, and to any perfons
whomloever being free of the faid company, or to the fons or appren-
tices of freemen, (fuch freemen, fons, or apprentices of freemen, being
his majefly's chriflian fubjeds) fo long as they fliall remain under and
fubmit to the protedion and diredion of the Britifh ambaffador and
confuls refpedivtly, for the time being : and may alfo import, in like
manner, raw filk, or other conimodities purchafed within the limits of
the faid Utters patent (not prohibited by law to be imported) upon pay-
ing the king's duties and cuf^oms, and fuch impofitions as fhall be af-
feiled upon all merchandizes, &c. fo exported or imported, or upon
f^'■'>s laden therewith, for defraying the neceffary expcnfcs of the com-
pany. 4

A. D. 1753. ' 295

III) The exportation of gold and filver, either in foreign coin or bul-
lion, (hall be fubjedl to the bye laws of the company.

IV) The govenior, or deputy-governor and company, are empowered,
at a general-court, to make fuch rules, ordinances, or bye laws, for the
good government of the company, as the majority of the members pre-
fent {hall think ncceflary : but they fhall not be valid, unlefs confirmed
at a fubfequent general court, to be held at leaft one month after the
former. And if feven or more of the freemen fhall think thcmfclves
aggrieved by any rule, &c. made, or to be made, they may appeal
againfi: the fame, to the commiflioners for trade and plantations, who
are required, with all convenient fpeed, to hear fuch appeal, and to
approve or difapprove of fuch law, &c. in fuch manner as fhall ap-
pear to them to be fit and reafonable : but fuch rule, ordinance, or bye
law, fliall be in force till the appeal fhall be heard, and difapproved
thereby.

V) If any appeal fliall be brought againfi: any future rule, ordinance,
or bye law, to be made, it ftiall be brought within twelve months after
fuch rule, &c, fhall be made aild confirmed: and if any appeal fliall be
brought againfi any law, &c. of the company now in force, it (hall be
brought within twelve months after the 24th of June 1754. And the
appellants fhall at the fame time give notice in writing of fuch appeal,
to the governor, deputy-governor, or fecretary, of the company.

Thus the trade from Great Britain to the Levant is hereby as much
laid open as feems confiftent with the nature of that trade, all things
being duely and impartially confidered.

Yet, after all, it is very difficult to recover a long-declining trade ;
efpecially confidering the fhortnefs of the voyage from Marfeilles to the
Levant, and their needing but one wind all the way, as well as the
cheapnefs of freight, and perhaps Ibme other advantages which the
French may have gained from us in this trade. Time alone will decide,
whether theie new regulations, or what other means, can or will be
effedual for regaining tliat afcendant we once had above all other
chriftian nations in the trade to Turkey.

By an ad of parliament, for encouraging and improving the manu-
facflure of linen in the Highlands of Scotland, it was enaded, that as
the manufadure of coarfe linens hath been increafed and improved in
Great Britain and Ireland, and as fome progreis has been made in the
manufadure of hnen in the Highlands of Scotland, under the diredions
of the conimiflioners and truftees for improving fifiieries and manu-
factures in Scotland ; and as the encouragement of the manufadure of
coarle linens in thole parts of the Highlands, wherein the manufadure
of linens either hath not been already efiabliftn.d, or not advanced to
any confiderable degree of perfedion, will be a farther uicans of im-

296 A. D. 1753.

proving and civilizing the Highlands, and the fuccefs of any proviliou
for that purpofc will tend to the general good of the whole united
kingdom, and alfo of Ireland : it is now enacted,

I) That, from the expiration of the term for which bounties, by the
herein-recited ads, are granted on the exportation of Britifli and Irifli
coarfe linens, the annual fum of L3000 fhall be paid for nine years to
the cafhier of the commiflioners and truftees for improving the fiflieries
and manufactures in Scotland, and fhall be applied by them for en-
couraging and improving themanufadture of linens in the Highlands only.

II) No part of the faid fum fliall be applied for any other ufe than
for inftruding and exciting the inhabitants of that part of Scotland
to raife, prepare, and fpin, flax and hemp to be ufed in the manu-
fadture of coarfe linens, and to weave yam, there fpun, into fuch
linen ; and for providing the inhabitants with fit materials and uten-
iils for thofe purpofes ; and for diftributing rewards and prizes to the
growers, preparers, fpinners, weavers, and other manufaclurers, in
refped either to the quantity or excellence of the flax or hemp fo raifed
and prepared, and of the yarn fo fpun, wove, or otherwife manu-
factured ; and for fuch other like ufes as the commiflioners fhall think
proper, for promoting the true intent of this ad. The faid annual fum
fhall be paid in like manner as the annual fum of L2000, and the
furplufage of the duty on malt made in Scotland, by the 13th of Geo. I,
for encouraging and promoting fiflieries and other manufactories and
improvements in that part of Great Britain called Scotland, or as by
letters-patent under the great feal in Scotland, are direded to be paid.

This year an ad of parliament pafled, for the purchafe of the
mufeum or colledion of Sir Hans Sloane, and of the Harleian coUedion
of manufcripts : and for providing one general repofitory for the better
reception and more convenient ufe of the faid colledions; and of the
famous Cottonian library, and of the additions made and to be made
thereto. Now, though this flatute has no immediate connedion with
commercial hiftory, yet its confequences are like to prove fo noble, fo
much to the honour of the nation, and fo much tending to draw
foreigners from all the polite parts of Chriftendom to London, for
viewing fo incomparable a colledion of rich, fcarce, and matchlefs,
curiofities, of nature and art, that we could not pafs it over in filence;
more efpecially as, in its more remote confequences, it is likely to
prove hereafter very beneficial to commerce.

The preamble fets forth, ' that Sir Hans Sloane baronet, deceafed,
' having through the courfe of many years, with great labour and
' expenfe, gathered together whatever could be procured either in our
• own or foreign countries that was rare and curious, by a codicil
' bearing date 20th July 1749, — (after having exprelFed his defire, that

A. D. 1753. 297

' his faid colledion, iii all its branches, might, if poflible, be preferved

* together whole and entire, in his manor-houfe at Chelfea) did devife
' to certain truflees his i'aid mufeum ; confifling of all his library,
' drawings, manufcripts, prints, medals, and coins anticnt and modern,
' antiquities, feals, cameos, intaglios, pretious (tones, agates, jafpers,

* veflels of agate and jafper, chryftals, mathematical inftruments, draw-

* ings, and pictiu'es ; and all other things in his faid collecT:ion, more
' particularly defcribed and numbered, with fhort hiftories or accounts
' of them, in catalogues by him made, containing thirty-eight volumes

* in folio and eight in quarto ; to have and to hold to them, and their
' fucceflbrs and afligns forever, for fuch purpofes, and with fuch powers,

* and under Ihch reftridions, as in the faid codicil are exprelTed ; willing
' and defiring, that the faid truftees fhould make their humble appli-

* cation to his majefty, or to the parliament, after his deceafe, to pay
' the fum of L20,ooo to his executors, in confideration of his faid
' mufeum ; and alfo to obtain fuch fufficient powers, for veiling in the
' faid truflees the faid mufeum in all its branches : and alfo to obtain

* a fufficient fund or provifion for maintaining and taking care of his
' faid collection and premifes. And as the mufeum is of much greater
' intrinfic value than the fum of L20,ooo, and as all arts and fciences
' have a connedlion with each other, and difcoveries in natural phi-
' lofophy and other branches of fpeculative know lege (for the ad-
' vancement and improvement whereof the laid colledion was intended)
' do and may, in many inftances, give help and fuccefs to ufeful expe-
' riments and inventions, it i-s enaded,

' I) That L2o,ooo be paid to the executors of Sir Hans Sloane for the
faid mufeum.

' II) And whereas by an ad of the 12th and i3thof King William III,
' for better fettling and preferving the library kept in the iioufeatWeft-
' minller, called Cotton-houle, in the name of the family of the
' Cottons, for the benefit of the public ; reciting, that Sir Robert
' Cotton, late of Conington in the county of Huntingdon, baronet,

* did, at his own great charge, and by the afllftance of the mod; learned

* antiquaries of his time, colled and purchafe the moil: ufeful manu-
' fcripts, written books, papers, parchments, records, and other memo-
' rials, in moft languages ; of great ufe and fervice for the knowlege

' and prefervalion of our conftitution in church and ftate : and farther"

' recitmg, that the faid library had been preferved with the uimoll

* care by Sir Thomas Cotton, ion of the faid Sir Robert, and by Sir
' John Cotton, (then living) grandfon of the faid Sir Robert ; and had
' been very much augmented by them, and lodged in a very proper
' place in the faid Sir Robert's anticnt manlion-houfe at Weftniinfter,

* for public ufe and advantage. — III) That the truftees thereby ap-
' pointed Ihall have the faid Cotton-houlc and gardens, &c. and alio the

Vol.. III. P p

298 A. D. 1753.

faid librai'X- vefted in them and their fuccenbrs forever, for the pur-
pofes therein mentioned, upon truft, to infpect, confult, and take
care of the faid library ; and fhall appoint a perfon well read in
antiquities and records to have the immediate care thereof. IV)
and an ac^ of the 5th of Qiieen Anne, for the better fecuring her
majefly's purchafe of the faid Cotton-houfe, recites, that the queen
might render fo great a treafure of books and manufcripts ufeful to
her own fubjecls and to all learned foreigners, (he had purchafed the
faid Cotton-houfe and garden, for L4500 of Sir John Cotton ; and
that a convenient room fhould be built, wherein the faid library
fhould be lodged, and fhould be called by the name of Cottonian-
library ; to be managed by the truftees therein mentioned, for the
ufe of the public forever : which library, however, (for want of a
proper repofitory) did, in the year 1731, futfer by a fire, which con-
fumed the houfe wherein the fame was then placed ; and what re-
mains of the fiid library llill continues in the fame inconvenient
room to which (upon occafion of that fire) it was removed. And
farther recites, that Arthur Edwards Efquire, being defirous to pre-
ferve for the public ufe the faid library, did, by will dated in 1738,
devife L7000 (after the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Milles) to ered, in a
proper fituation, fuch a houfe as might be moft likely to preferve the
laid library from future accidents. But, if, before that bequeft
fhould take place, fuch a building fhall be erected, then the faid fum
fhall be employed in purchafing fuch manufcripts, books of antiqui-
ties, antient coins, medals, and other curiofities, as might be worthy
to increafe and enlarge the faid library. He did alfo thereby give to
the faid truftees all his books, in cafes, and alio his pictures; which-
have been placed, according to his defire, in the faid library.

' V) And whereas the right honourable the countefs dowager of
Oxford and Mortimer, and the mofl noble the duchefs of Portland,
her only daughter, have expreffed their approbation of a propofal for
the purchafe of the valuable colledion of manufcripts colledled by
the late earl of Oxford, and by his father, in confideration of
Li 0,000, on condition that the fame fliall be kept together in a proper
repofitory, as an addition to the Cottonian library, and to be called
by the nam.e of the Harleian colledion of manufcripts : it is now
enadlcd, that L 10,000 fhall be paid for them to the faid countefs's
truftees. The faid colledtion of manufcripts to be placed and con-
tinued in the fame repofitory in which the Cottonian library is
hereafter to be placed. The archbifliop of Canterbury, the lord
chancellor (or lord keeper), the lord treafurer (or firft commiffioner
of the treafury), the lord prefident of the council, the lord privy-feal,
the lord high-admiral (or firft commiflioner of the admiralty), the
lord fteward and lord chamberlain of his majefty's houfehold, the-

A. D, 1753. 299

bifhop of London, each of the principal fecretaries of ftate, being a
being a peer or lord of parliament, the fpeaker of the houle of com-
mons, each of the principal fecretaries of llate, not being a peer or
lord of parliament, the chancellor of the exchequer, the lord chief
juftice of the king's bench, the mafter of the rolls, the lord chief
juftice of the common pleas, his majefty's attorney general and folici-
tor general, the prefident of the royal fociety, the prefidcnt of the
royal college of phyficians ; together with Charles lord Cadogan, and
Hans Stanley Efquire; with Samuel Boroughs and Thomas Hart
Efquires (two of the prefent truflees of the Cottonian library); toge-
ther alfo with the moft noble William duke of Portland, and the
right honourable Edward earl of Oxford and Mortimer ; fliall be
truftees for putting this ad: into execution : and they, or the major
part of them, in a general meeting affembled (whereof the arch-
bifliop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor, or lord keeper, and the
fpeaker of the houfe of commons, (hall be three) fhall nominate
fifteen other perfons to be aflbciates to them, and who fliall continue
truftees for life ; and on the death of any fuch truftee, the reft ftiall,
in like manner, eled another in his place, and fo toties quoties.
' VI) One general repofitory ftiall be provided in fuch convenient
place within the cities of London or Weftminfter, or their fuburbs,
as the truftees fliall diredt, for the reception of Sloane's mufeum, the
Cottonian library (and the additions to be made thereto by virtue
of the will of the faid Arthur Edwards Efquire) ; and alfo of the Har-
leian manufcripts; and of fuch other additions to the Cottonian library
as ftiall be made; and of fuch other coUedions and libraries, as, with
the approbation of the truftees for this ad, ftiall be admitted into the
f lid general repofitory. And the mufeum of Sir Hans Sloane, in all
its branches, fhall therein be kept together and entire, with proper
marks of diftindion. Alio the Harleian coUedion of manufcrijjts
Ihall be kept together in the general repofitory, as an addition to the
Cottonian library.

' VII) The truflees fliall be one body politic and corporate, and fliall
have fucceflion forever, by the name of the truftees of the Bntifli
mufeum; with a common feal ; and may fue and be fued, make bye
laws, &c. with power to purchafe and enjoy, for the purpofes of this
ad, as well goods and chatties, as lands, tenements, and heredita-
ments, not exceeding L500 yearly. They may at a general meeting,
from time to time, make ftatutes and rules for the cuftody, prelerva-
tion, and infpedion, of the before-named feveral collcdions; may
appoint the filnrics of ofticers, and may dilplace fuch at pleafure.
And the archbifliop of Canterbury, chancellor, and fpcuker, or any
two of them, ftiall recommend to his majefty two fit perfons, for the
king to name one of them to be principal librarian. And tiie reft or

Fp 2

300 A. D.I 753-

' the officers and fervants fliall be appointed by thofe three, or any two
' of them; who arc hereby empowered, in cafe of the ficknefs or other
' neceflary abfence of thofe officers, to appoint deputies to fupply their
' places.

' Vni) Free accefs to the faid general repofitory fliall be given by

* the truftees to all fludious and curious perfons, at fuch times, in fucli
' manner, and under fuch regulations, for infpecting and confulting
' the fame, as by the truflees, at a general meeting, fliall be limited

* for that purpofe.

' IX) A lottery for L300,ooo in tickets of L3 each, is hereby ap-
' pointed for the purpofes aforefaid ; and twice 50,000 tickets, at L3

* each, were to be ifllied for that end ; the firfl; 50,000 tickets to deter-
' mine the fate of the fecond 50,000 tickets:"* And the profits arifing
from that lottery were to pay the fum of L2o,ooo to Sir Hans Sloane's
executors, and Lio.ooo to the countefs of Oxford; the expenfe of pur-
chafing a general repofitory for receiving the mufeum from Sir Hans's
manor-houfe at Cheliea, receiving the manufcripts of the late earl of
Oxford, and removing the Cottonian library ; and alfo for falaries to
officers and fervants, and the necefl^ary furniture of the general repofi-
tory, and fuch cabinets, book-cafes, and other neceflaries and embel-
lifliments as the condition of the feveral colledions fliall require.

We fliall only farther add, that fince this adl was pafled, the truftees
have purchafed and fitted up the elegant palace of the late duke of
Montague, for the i^eception of the different colledions ; an houfe
worthy to be the general repofitory of the richeft and nobleft colledion
In the univerfe ; — a colledion fo rich, fo vaft, and fo amazing, as literally
to require days inflead of hours, for the mere perufal of it.

An act of parliament paflt;d this feflion to render more effedlual an
ad of the I 2th year of Queen Anne, for providing a public reward for
fuch perfon or perfons as fliall difcover the longitude at fea, and to
enlarge the number of commiflioners for putting in execution the faid
ad. This ftatute (after reciting the former ad) now enads, that
whereas a competent number of the commiflioners for the longitude
have heard and received feveral propofals, at different times, for that
difcovery, and were fo far fatisfied of the probabilities of fuch difcove-
ries, that they thought it proper to make experiments thereof, and
certified the fame to the commiflioners of the navy, with the name of
Mr. John Harrifon, author of the faid propofals, who thereupon received

* In this lottery only L200,coo were paid in fliillings each for the eftablifhment of the British
prizes to the adventurers, and L 100,000 (deduct- museum, one of the noblcd inftitutions in the
ing only the expenfe of the lottery) remained to kingdom, the advantages of which are immediately
this general repofitor)- : fo difadvanlageous a lot- or mediately enjoyed by every perfon in the who!*
tcry having never before been countenanced by world who has a talle for literature or natural phi-
authority. A. lofophy. Where has Li 00,000 of Britifli money.

Bv this lottery the holders of 100,000 tickets ever been better employed .' AA
coUedlively and voluntarily contributed twenty

A. D. 1753. 301

Li 250, as part of L2000, allotted by the former ad; which the com-
millioners thought neceflary for making the faid experiments. And
whereas a like competent number of commiilioners for the longitude
did appoint Mr. William Whiflon to furvey and determine the longi-
tude and latitude of the chief ports and headlands on the coafls of
Great Britain and Ireland, and the iflands and plantations thereunto
belonging, for which purpoie L500 more (part of the faid L2000)
was applied ; fo that the commiflioners have now only L250 remaining
of the faid L2000. And as, from the experiments already made,
there is great reafon to expecft, that by continuing to encourage inge-
nious perfons to make farther improvements, fuch difcoveries may at
length be produced as will effectually anfwer the end, and thereby con-
tribute very much to the advantage of the trade and honour of this
kingdom ; it is therefor hereby enacted, that any five of the faid
commiflioners fliall have full power to hear and receive propofals for
difcovering the longitude ; and where they fliall be fo far fatisfied of
the probability of any fuch propofal or dilcovery, as to think it proper
to make experiment thereof, they fliall certify the fame, together with
the names of the authors, to the commiflioners of the navy, who fliall
thereupon make out bills for fuch fums (not exceeding L2000, over
and above the faid L250) as the commiflioners for the longitude fliall
think neceflary lor making fuch experiments. The governor of Green-
wich hofpital, the judge of the admiralty court, the fecretaries of the
treafury, the fecretary of the admiralty board, and the comptroller of
the navy, fliall be joint commiflioners with thofe appointed by the acT:
of the 1 2th of Queen Anne, for difcovering the longitude.

By an ad of the yth of King James II, and another of the r3th of
King George II, all fuch as were to be naturalized were firft to receive
the facrament of the Lord's fupper, and to take the legal oaths to the
king ; whereby many perfons of conflderable iul;flance, profefling the
Jewifli religion, are prevented from being fo naturahzed. It was now
tlierefor enaded, ' that Jews may, upon application, be naturalized
' by parliament, without receiving the facrament, provided thev, and
' all others hereafter to be naturalized, fliall be abiolutely llibjcd to
' the difabilities exprefled in an ad of the ift of king George I, (re-
' cited in its place) ; and alfo who fhall have previoufly inhabited for
' three years in his majefly's dominions, without being ablent above
' three months at any one time. Laflly, hereafter, all Jews are hereby
' difabled from purchaflng or inheriting any advowion, or light of
' patronage, or prefentaiion, or other right to any beneHce, prebend,
* or other ecclefiartical living or promotion, fchool, liofpital, or dona-
' tive.' As no ill ul'e could be made of this new privilege to tliC Jews,
and as it might have drawn many perfons of great fubflance to fcule
with their wealth among us, and might confequently farther promote

302 A. D. 1753.

the national connmerce, many could not then fee that it fhoukl reafon-
ably have given any jiift offence to moderate and rational chriflians.
Neverthelefs, this acft was repealed in the following fefllon of parlia-
ment ; for which repeal the reafons ufTigned were, that occafion had
been taken from it to raife difcontents, and to difquiet the minds of
many 'of his majefty's fubjects : wherefor it was now repealed to all
intents and purpofes.

The following account of the trade of South-Carolina, tranfmitted
this year, is well worth recording, viz.

Exports and imports of Charleftown from the 1 2th of November
1752 to the 12th of July 1753.

~ Imported.

Rum, 921 hogflieads, 30 tierces,
93 barrels.

Sugar, 113 hogflieads, 5 tierces,
160 barrels, 65 baflcets.

Indian corn, 63,315 bufliels.

Negroes, 511.

Flour, 3425 barrels.

Salt, 9463 bufliels.

Madeira wine, 230 hogflieads,
44 barrels.
They export from Carolina quantities of fine oranges and lemons,*
of various kinds, to the more northern plantations on the continent;
and this would be a great branch of their trade, if thofe fruits could
keep crofs the Ocean to Great Britain ; but it feems (after frequent
trials) they cannot generally effecl it. There are fundry kinds of
drugs produced in, and exported trom Carolina, though not mentioned
or particularized in this fummary account ; which, however, may be
fufHcient to give a tolerable idea of the increafing trade of that fine
province.

A paragraph from the Dublin newfpapers, in November in this
year 1753, obferves, that by a late accurate furvey and computation,
there have been found no fewer than 4000 new houfes erected (i. e. on
new foundations) in that city and fuburbs fince the year 171 1, mofl:ly
to the fbuth and wefl: of the town. In England (adds that news writer)
Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchefter, Leeds, and Birmingham, have in-
creafed more in proportion, in the faid forty-two years. He might
have added Brillol, alfo greatly increafed, as aUb Glafgow, and other
places. This increafe, however, of Dublin, is indeed very great ; and
if, as it is generally remarked, there are eight perfons, one with an-

* No oranges or lemon" are now exported from after it as the year 1757 theie were 754,218

Carolina, which on the contrary receives thofe pounds of that article (hipped from Charles*

fruits from the Well-India iflands. There is no town. M.
mention of indigo in this account ; but fo foon

Exported.

Rice, - -

31,418 barrels.

Pitch, - -

13,814

Tar, - -

6,221

Turpentine,

3,808

Beef, - -

263

Pork, - -

- 234

Deer fl^ins.

203 hogflieads

Lumber, -

591,412 feet.

Shingles, -

581,020 pieces.

Caflc-ftaves,

78,932

A- D. 1753. 303

other, in every houfe in Dublin, then this increafe amounts to 32,000
perfons in forty-two years time.

The increafe of Manchefter, Sheffield, Birmingham, Froom, Leeds,
Briftol,Liverpool,Glafgow,&c. has proceeded principally from ourgeneral
increafe in manufadures and foreign commerce ; Dublin partly by that,
and alfo by the great refort to it, as being the feat of government, and
by the increafe of luxury in an enormous degree. The other places, by
their woollen, linen, andiron, &c. manufactures; and from the vafl
increafe of the foreign trade and navigation of Briftol, Liverpool, Hull,
Glafgow, &c.

In the compafs of this fame year 1753, there entered the port ot
Marfeilles i264fhips.

And into the port of Cadiz about 1 100 fhips.*

1754 — The year 1754 gave birth to one of the noblefl defigns for
the improvement of the general commerce of Great Britain which
could poflibly have been devifed, viz. the voluntary fociety for the en-
couragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce ; its fole objedl be-
ing purely and mofl difinterefledly the improvement of ingenious and
commercial arts, for exciting emulation and induflry, by honorary and
pecuniary rewards. It was fet on foot by means of the late Lord Folk-
flone. Lord Romney, the late reverend and excellent Dr. Stephen Hales,
and a few other private gentlemen : and as there were already two fo-
cieties of a limilar kind in Scotland and Ireland, this fociety confined
its premiums folely to that part of Great Britain called England, and
to our own colonies, plantations, and fettlements, in America, Africa,
and Afia. This noble fociety immediately began to advertife premiums
for the encouragement of young people of both fexes in the arts of
drawing and defigning ; for the encouragement alfo of our planters in
America in raifing all the rich and pretious productions of Spanifh and
Portuguefe America, as well as of Afia and Africa. Its utility fudden-
ly began to be fo well perceived, that many noblemen and eminent
gentlemen, merchants, traders, &c. became members and fubfcribers
to it, to the number of confiderably above 1000 perfons. Their pre-
fent conllitution confifts of one prefident, eight vice-prefidents, a fecre-
tary, and a regifler, annually eled;ed. Every jierlon dcfiring to be a
member, mull be propofed by fome member at one meeting, who muft
give in his name, &c. figned by himfelf, and muft be balloted for at a
fucceeding nieeting ; and if two thirds of the laid meeting be for ad-
mitting him, he fliall be deemed a perpetual member, on payment of
twenty guineas, or elfe a fubfcribing member, on payment of any year

• In April 1753 tlif dividend of llic bank of which thrjr cotilinutd till Oftobcr 1764. [y^ifouut

Engbnd was reduced (rom Jivf lo four ami a half infcrled in the appendix to jlllardyce't jidibeft to the

per cent, per (innum ; the lowed rate at which the proprietors of the luiii. 2 M.
dividends of the bank have ever been, and at 3

<»

04 A. D. 1754.

ly fum not lefs tlian two guineas : yet all noblemen, and alio feme gen-
tlemen, fubl'cribe five guineas each, and others four, or three guineas
yearly. They have now no fingle trcafurer, all their money being
lodged at the bank of England, to be drawn out as wanted. All quef-
tions are determined either by holding up of hands, or by ballot, if in-
fixed on. They generoufly invite all mankind to propofe fubjecls for
their encouragement, and when approved of by a committee, and con-
firmed by a general meeting, the matters propofed, with their premiums,
are annually publilhed in newfpapers, 6ic. and all poflible partiality
in the diftribution of premiums is carefully obviated, by concealing the
claimants names, and appointing committees for the ftrift examination
of their merits, and occafionally confulting the mofl; fkilful artifis. Their
meetings are well attended, a laudable zeal being by all exerted for the
improvement of the fine arts, as well as of manufidtures and commerce.
From fuch truely noble and difinterefted intentions, and fuch an exten-
five plan for the advancement of the wealth, power, and glory, of their
country, what may not reafonably be hoped for. May they increafe
more and more, both in the number of their members, and in their
revenue ; in which all lovers of their country will furely cordially join
their ardent wifhes.

A mercantile author, under the year 1754, juftly enough remarks
the uncertainty of exadlly computing the number of the trading fliip-
ping of England : but when he conjectures they may be about 2000
{hips in foreign trade, amounting in tonnage to about 170,000 tons,
And about the like number of coafi:ing velTels, which may

contain in tonnage about - - 1 50,000

Total tonnage, by his account, - 320,000
he is furely fliort of the mark in both refpecfls, more efpecially in the
coafting tonnage, confidering the great number of colliers iTiips, large
and fmall.

When I was at Briflol in the year i 743, I took fome pains in inquir-
ing at their cuftom-houfe concerning their foreign and coafting trades,
and the general anfvver was, that Briflol had upwards of 400 fliips,
greater and lefler, employed in foreign trade, including their trade to
Ireland ; but the number of coafters they could not afcertain, but only
faid, that they were undoubtedly very many. Since that time, it is
faid, that Liverpool has gained ground, in fome trades, of Brillol, and
may probably have about 300 fhips in foreign trade, befide their coaft-
ers. Now, if the number of fliips trading beyond i'ea, from all the .
other ports of Great Britain, or even of England alone, were exactly
knov. n, the whole may very probably amount to confiderably, perliaps
one ':^alf more than 2000 fhips trading beyond fea, more efpecially if
the account given of London's fhipping, which iVIaitland, in his Survey

4

A. D. 1754. 305

of London, fays was taken from the general regifter at the cuftom-
houfe for the year 1732, and therefor an authentic one, be genuine.
Moreover, as he thinks, London poflerfes one fourth part of the foreign
trade of the whole nation, becaufe fhe pays three twelfths of all the
cuftoms ; then, if, as by his account of London's fhipping, they amount-
ed to 1417 fliips, navigated by 21,797 feamen ; and that in the year
1728, there arrived in the port of London from all parts beyond fea
1839 ^'"i'^ifh (hips, 213 foreign (hips, and 6837 coaflers, which lad muft
generally imply they were Britifh, furely the firfl computation muft be
far fliort of the tonnage, foreign and coafting, of the whole kingdom,
which fome conjed;ure to amount to at leaft 500,000 tons. The num-
ber, however, of London's fhipping, has very confiderably increafed
fince the year 1732.

The bold and long-proje6led fcheme of France, for hemming in our
American colonies between theirs and the Ocean, by erecling a chain
of forts all along the weft fide of our colonies as far as the bay of
Mexico, began now to ftievv itfelf more openly, though in a time of
profound peace. Immediately after the laft peace of Aix-la-Chapelle
they had inftruded their Indians and Canadians to diftrefs and plunder
our Indian traders in the country about the great and far-extended river
Ohio, though properly fubjeft to the Britifta crown, as being a conqueft
of the five Iroquois nations, allowed by France in the treaty of Utrecht
to be under the Britifti dominion.

It was reafon enough for their purpofe, that the pofteflion of the
river Ohio feemed to them abfolutely requifite for their great purpofe
of connec1:ing Canada with Louifiana, or the Miflifippi country. For
that end they now deftroyed our fort in that country, after defeating
Colonel Wafhington, whereupon they eredled another in its ftead, wliich
they named Fort Du Quefne.

We had in the lame year, 1754., in the public news from France, an
extraordinary inftance of the great increafe of their Eaft-India com-
merce from Port L'Orient, the ftation of their Eall-India ftiipping, and
of all their warchoufcs and m;:gazines, viz. that the fale of the cargoes
of fifteen French Eaft-India ftiips then amounted to about thirty-fix
millions of livres, or about one million and an half fterling money.
And upon this occafion it was remarked, that from the year 1664,
when this comixniy was frft eftabliflicd, to the year 1725, the courfe of
exchange between France and the other ftatcs ot Europe was generally
to the difadvantage of France, becaufe thole countries fupplied her with
naore merchandize than they took oft' from her : but that, ever lince
the year 1726, when the French Plaft-India coiiipany, by their great
importations from India, began to counterbalance the Enghdi and
Dutch in that trade, the courfe of exchange has been generally in favour
of France.

Vol. Jll. Q^q

3o6 A. D. 1755.

1755. — By an act of the 28th of King George II, for furiher explain-
ing, amending, &c. an act of the 23d of that king, for the encouragement
of the Britifli white-herring fifliery, it was enacted, that the feveral al-
lowances of three per cent, on all the principal money employed by
the corporation of the free Britifli fifliery, and alfo the bounty of ^of
per ton on their fliipping, be farther continued for three years from
the expiration of the former term, with fome other lelTcr privileges
now enadled, fuch as liberty to let to hire any of their bulfes to others,
fo as they may be employed in the fiflieries only, with fome other be-
nefits relating to the tonnage bounty, and to their fifliing at other Na-
tions than thofe directed by former ads, &c.

In this fame year, by an adl [28 Geo. IF] for continuing, explaining,,
and amending, the feveral ads made for the further encouragement of
the whale fifliery, &c. it is, inter alia, enacted,

' I) That every fliip employed in that fifliery fliall have onboard an
'.apprentice, indentured for three years at lead, for every fifty tons
' burthen, who fliall be accounted as one of the number of men who
' by law ought to be onboard fuch fliip.

' II) That no fliip employed in the fifliery, above the burthen of 400
' tons, {hall be entitled to a larger bounty than a fliip of 400 tons would
' be entitled to.

' III) Ships under 2Co tons btu'then fliall hereafter be intitled to the
' bounty of 40/ per ton, as well as thofe of 200 tons and upwards, are
' intitled to it by former flatutes.'

On tlie firft of Noveniber, this year, the dreadful earthquake began,
by which the great and mercantile city of Lifbon was almofl: utterly
overturned and deftroyed by repeated fliocks for feveral fucceeding days :
whereupon the king and parliament of Great Britain, to teftify their
great compaflion for the fufferers, and in general their great regard for
the king of Portugal and his fubjeds, fpeedily feiit thither Lioo,ooo
flerling, for the relief of the difl:rcfled furviving inhabitants of Lifbon,
in money and provifions.

During the courfe of the year 175 J we were advifed from Port
L'Orient, that no fewer than twenty-five French Eaft:-India company's
fhips had fiiiled thence for India and China, which fliews the vaft in-
creafe of the French Eafl:-Indian commerce in a few years.

The Englifli Eafl:-India company's difputes with the French company
in India, which had brought on the lofs of Fort St. George, our prin-
cipal fettlemcnt there (though afterward refl:ored by the treaty of Aix-
la-Chapelle) having occafioned a large debt on that company in India,
their neceflary payments alfo of many fubfidies to the nabobs and other
great officers in India, for keeping them in their interefl:, together with
the mihtary force they were at this time obUged to keep up in India,
altogether induced the company about the end of the year 1755 to re-

A. D.I 755- 2>oy

duce their dividend from eight to fix per cent per annum, to take place
at midfummer 1756, though twenty-one of their (hips arrived fufe from
India in the courfe of this year with cargoes valued above two miUions
llerhng.

1756. — On Tuefday the i8th of May 1756, war was declared by the
king of Great Britain againfl France.

On the agrh of June. Fort St. Philip, the only defenfible place in the
ifland of Minorca, furrendered to the French.

This year feveral good laws were pafled for fupporting the war againfl
France, and for the encouragement and regulation of the Britifh com-
merce and navigation in general, viz.

The 5ch public ad, to enable foreigners to ferve as military officers
in America.

The iith, for fupplying mariners onboard fhips of war and mer-
chant fliips.

The 15th, for granting bounties on Britifh and Irifh linens exported.

The 23d, for encouraging the fifheries in Scotland.

The 26th, for fecuring and encouraging the trade of the fugar colo-
nies in America.

The 33d, for regulating the wages of workmen in the -woollen ma-
nufacture.

The 34th, for the encouragement of feamen, and the more fpeedy
manning of the royal navy.

All which, though of a public nature, are not fo important as to be
even barely abridged in fo general a work as ours.

1757. — By an authentic account of the amount of the linen cloth,
flamped for falc in Scotland from the ifi: of November 1756 to the ift
of November 1757, it amounts to 9,764,408^ yards, valued at L40i,5i i -.g
flerling : and in the year 1757, the manufidlure had been increafed
1,217,255- yards, valued at L33,789 : 18 more than in the preceding
year.

This was a very fcarce year all over Europe for wheat and fundry
other provifions, whereby the poor of Great Britain fufFered not a little
in their dayly fuftenance, and pcrfons of middling circumdances were
put to a confidcrable additional expenfc, in conre([uence of which the
following ftatutes were enadled, viz.

An ad to prohibit, for a time to be limited, the exportation of corn,
malt, meal, flour, bread, bilcuit, and (larch.

An ad to difcontinue, for a limited time, the duties upon corn and
flour imported, 8tc.

Ai> ad to prohibit the exportation of corn, grain, meal, malt, flour,
beef, pork, bacon, &c. from America, unlefs to Great Britain or Ire-
land, and to permit the importation thereof into Great Britain and Ire-
land in neutral fliips, &c.

an -

3o8 A. D. 1757.

An acl to continue the hift-named aft, for difcontinuing the duties
upon corn and flour imported, &c.

AUb an adt for continuing an acl of this fame feflion, to prohibit,
for a Umited time, the making of low wines and fpirits from wheat,
barley, malt, &c. or from any meal or flour.

1-7:58. — By a flatutc of the next feflion of parliament, the above fta-
tutes for remedying the dearth of corn and other provifions, are farther
prolonged to the 24th of December 1758.

And by another fl;atute of the fame year, the importation of falted
beef, pork, and butter, into Great Britain from Ireland, at the time of
fo great a dearth of all kinds of provifions, was permitted for fix months
from midfummer 1758, free from the payment of allfubfidies, cufl:oms,
&c. excepting 173 per cwt. for fuch beef and pork imported, and 4^/ per
cwt. on falted butter ; (altered next feflion to 374 per barrel fur falted
beef, pork, or butter ; and 1/3 per cwt. for dried beef tongues, or dried
hogs meat) in order to be adequate to the duty payable for fuch quan-
tity of fait as is requifite in curing and faking thereof, [31 Geo. 11,
c. 28.]

In the fame feflion was pafl^ed an ad for the due making of bread ;
and to regulate the price and aflize thereof; and to punifli perfons who
fliall adulterate meal, flour, or bread. This act was principally occafion-
ed by accoxmts dayly publiflied of certain bakers mixing lime, alum,
and other unwholefome ingredients, in that time of fcarcity, in their
bread. The legiflature therefor took that matter into their ferious con-
fideration, and took this opportunity likewife of examining an aft of
the 51 ft of King Henry III, intitled, JJfiza panis et cerevifict, (i. e. the af-
fize of bread and ale) and another aft of the 8th year of Queen Anne,
to regulate the price and aflize of bread ; whereby fo much of the for-
mer aft as related to the aflize of bread was repealed. The aft of Queen
Anne, with feveral alterations and amendments made thereto by fome
fubfequent afts, was continued till the 24th of June 1757, and to the
end of the then next feflion of parliament. This prefent ftatute, therefor,
reduced into one aft all the feveral laws in force, relating to the due mak-
ing, and to the prices and aflize, of bread, all preceding ftatutesbeingthere-
by repealed : and new tables for the aflize and prices of the various kinds
of bread were therein promulgated, as alfo what relates to the prices ot the
three forts of wheat, wheaten, and houlehold flour, of rye and rye-meal ;
of barley and barley-meal ; of oats and oat-meal ; of white peas and
white pea-flour or meal ; and of beans and bean-flour. Sundry claufes
were alfo added, for preventing frauds in the prices of corn, flour, and
meal ; and for punifliing bakers who mix different forts of flour or meal
in their bread, or put into their bread any unwholfome ingredients.
[31 Geo. II, c. 29.]

The harbour of Dover flill wanting additional improvements, which,
it is too much to be apprehended, it will ever want, notwithftanding

A. D. 1758. 309

lundry former flatutes for that end, and particularly that of the nth
and 1 2th of King William III, whereby feveral duties were laid on coals
and on fhips and veflels, for raifing a fum, not exceeding L30,i 00 ; that of
the 2d of Queen Anne, and the 2d and 4th of King George I, &c.) and
the triiflees for Dover harbour having borrowed L3000 more on the
duties in thofe afts fpecified, which is not as yet repaid ; and as it would
tend greatly to the prefervation of his majefty's fhips of war, and to the
protedion and encouragement of trade, that the laid harbour fliould be
effedually repaired ; but the money arifing by the rates and duties
granted for that end not being fufficient, it was therefor now enaded, that
after the expiration of the former term, one moiety of the former rates
and duties fhould be continued for the term of 21 years longer, appli-
cable to the fupport of Dover harbour, and for difcharging the debt of
L3000, &c. It is much to be wifhed, though little to be expeded, that
this harbour, fo happy in point of fituation, may at length anfwer the
great expenfe beftowed on it.

Sundry other ufeful ftatutes were made in the fame feffion of parlia-
ment ; as.

For the benefit and encouragement of Teamen employed in the royal
navy, and for eflabliQiing a regular method for the punctual, frequent,
and certain, payment of their wages, and tor enabling them more eafily
and readily to remit the fame for the fupport of their wives and fami-
lies; and for preventing frauds and abufes attending fuch payments.
[31 Geo. II, c. 10.]

An acl for applying a fum of money towards carrying on the works
for fortifying and fecuring the harbour of Milford in the county of
Pembroke. The preamble thereof fets forth, that this harbour is more
conveniently fituated for fitting out fleets, and flationing cruifers, than
any other harbour in this kingdom ; and from the many great local ad-
vantages attending it, would, if properly fortified and fecured, greatly
tend to facilitate the naval operations of this kingdom, hitherto too fre-
quently retarded, and fometimes entirely frufirated, from the want of
fuch a port of equipment. Lio,oco was therefor to be ifl'ued for mak-
ing a beginning to the work, and for purchafing neceflary lands, &c.
for that end; much to the credit of our own age, aticr having fo long
and often talked of it in this and the preceding century. It is allowed
to be the very beil haven in Great Britain ; fince, according to thofe
who have furvcyed it, 1000 fail of ihips may I'afely ride in it at a con-
venient dilhuice from each other ; ii lui^ thirteen roads, fixtcen creeks,
and five bays, all known by their refpedive names; its fituation js moll
happy, by bfing without the channel, which gives it fuch an advantage
over Portfmoucli and Plymouth, as will overbalance any e.vpenle which
its fortifying, &c. may occafion, more efpecially in time ol any war
with the more fouthern nations of Europe. [31 Geo. II, c. 37.]

310 A. D. 1758.

An acl for vefting certain mefluages, lands, tenements, and heredita-
ments, for better fecuring his majefty's docks, fliips, and ftores, at Portf-
mouth, Chatham, and Plymouth, and for fortifying the town of Portf-
mouth, and the citadel of Plymouth, in truftees, for certain ufes ; and
for other purpofes therein mentioned. [31 Geo, IF, c. 38.]

By a flatute of the year following, compenfation was to be made to the
proprietors of fuch lands as were purchafed for the purpofes of this aft.

About this time, an ingenious piece was publiflied at Paris, intitled,
Les interets dc la France mal entcndus (the true intereft of France not
rightly underllood), principally defigned for promoting the hufbandry
and agriculture of that kingdom, alleged, very truely by the author, to
have been too much neglefted, both in the reign of the prefent French
king, and alio by his predeceflbr Louis XIV, for the fake of manufac-
tures and of military glory, while the French remained dejiendent on
England for their very bread or corn : he fuppofes, for argument's fake,
the value of the riches of France to be one thoufand millions of livres,
which would produce 50 millions of livres yearly intereft, which being
divided among feventeen millions of people, it would fupply 59 fols (or
two livres nineteen fols) towards the lubiiftence of each individual per-
fon. He alio fuppofes the w'hole expenfe of every one of the faid feven-
teen millions of people, on an average, to be 160 livres yearly, w'hich,
at lo^d fterling per livre, is, in Englifli money, L7 *. Upon this fuppo-
fition, France, for fupplying her full fubfiftence, fliould receive from its
agriculture the yearly value of 2720 millions of livres, unlefs fupplied
by art and induftry. Of the feventeen millions of people, he fuppofes
twelve millions to refide in cities and great towns, while the country
w^ants people to till the ground. That this defeft is, in part, owing to
Cardinal Richheu's fyftem in vmiting the fupreme authority in one
fmgle point, the king: whereas, before, France was divided into many
fovereignties, under particular lords, which kept the people at a greater
diftance from each other. But now men crowd to court, from whence
flow all favours. Another caule is the unequal diftribution of lands ;
for were all the lands of France equally divided, there would be nine
acres and an half for each perfon.

This efl^ay is rather a curious and fanciful piece of fpeculation, than
a fcheme entirely reducible to practice ; yet fundry ul'eful inferences
may be drawn, by ftatefmen, &c. from fuch politico-arithmetical eflays.

This year, by the diligent and provident application of his Britannic
majefty and his minifters ; the good fortune of the nation, in its Ame-
rican provinces, began to be coni'picuous againft France :

By reducing the town and fort of Louifbourg, with the ifles of Cape-
Breton and St. John ; whereby we were once more put in pofleflion of

* Whether he borrowed tin's coiii{,ut;'tion from our EngKfh po'iticnl writers, cr not, it exadly cor.
refponds with them In tliis rcfpeft. yi.

A. D. 1758. 311

the key to the trade, navigation, and fifliery, of North-America. And
without that key conllantly remaining in our hands, or at leaft its not
ren.aining in the pofleflion of any other power, and mofl: efpecially of
France, neither our continental colonies, nor our Newfoundland and
New-England fifheries, can ever long remain fafe and profperous.

And to add to our good fortune, the forces in the province of New-
York razed the French fortrefs of Frontenac on lake Ontario, as alfo
Fort du Qiiefne on the river Ohio, which the French had taken from us
two years before, which later fort has been rebuilt by us, by the new
name of Pittfhurg. Both thefe fortreffes were perfidioufly built by the
French, through our own fupinenels, on the territory of our province of
New- York, and in time of peace.

Laflly, to crown the glory and felicity of this year, and jufi: at the
very clofe of it, a fquadron of our navy, with fome land forces on board,
reduced the ifland of Goree, lying near the mouth of the river Senegal ;
we having fome months before alfo taken from France their forts in
that river, to which Goree was deemed a protedion and fecurity. By
thefe two lafl conquefts we have acquired a new and very confiderable
branch of commerce in polleirnig the entire trade for gum fenega, or
fenegal, before folely enjoyed by the French on that river and coaft, a
drug extremely ufeful and neceflliry in our filk manufadures, &c. there
are alfo lundry other ufeful drugs to be had there, as well as gold dufl ;
and probably alfo this conquefl; will prove an addition to our Have
trade.

Frovifions ftill continuing dear, an acl pafied in the 32dyear of King
George II, for continuing for a farther time the prohibition of the ex-
portation of corn, malt, meal, flour, bread, bifcuit, and ftarch ; and alfo
to continue the prohibition of diftilling low wines and fpirits from wheat,
barley, malt, or any other grain, meal, or flour, as alfo from bran.

Yet, by a fubi'equent act of the fame fellion of parliament, by rea-
fon of a better crop of corn^ &c. the prohibition of the exportation of
corn, &c. and of the payment of any bounty on exportation thereof,
were to ceafe after lady-day 1759.

By another ilatute of that Icllion, the free importation of all forts of
live cattle from Ireland to Great Britain was permitted for the fpace of
five years, from the ift of May 1759, exempted from the payment of
all fubfidics, cufloms, &c.

And by the very next flatute it was enacfted, thitt the duties payable
upon tallow imported from Ireland fnould be difcontinued, from the
ill of May 1759 for tlie fpace of five years; its preamble importing,
that it may tend to the cafe of the public :uid advantage of the revenue,
by reducing the high price, antl eucouraging the confumption, of
candles in this kinc;dom.

By :in acl [32 Geo, 11] for applying a fum of money granted iu

312 A. D. 1758.

this feflion of parliament towards can-ying on the works for fortify-
ing and fecuring the harl^our of Milford in Pembrokeflnre, a fecond
fum of Li 0,000 was grunted for farther carrying on the fame.

The ads of the iStli and 21 ft years of King George IT, for prohibit-
ing the wearing and importation of cambrics and French lawns, not
having proved effectual for preventing the fraudulent importation there-
of; it was now enaded, that, from the id ofAuguft 1759, none fuch
fliould be imported, unlefs packed in bales, cafes, or boxes, covered
with fack-cloth or canvas, containing each one hundred whole pieces ;
othcrwife to be forteited. Cambrics or French lawns fliould be im-
ported for exportation only, to be lodged in the king's warehoufes, and
not to be delivered out but under the like fecm'ity and reftridtions as
prohibited Eaft-lndia goods. And no cuftoms or duties whatever (hould
be paid or fecured thereon, other than half the old fubfidy, which is to
remain by law, after the goods are exported again, &c.

The importation of woollen broad cloth, of the manufadture of
France, into any ports of the Levant feas on behalf of Britifh fubjedts,
being not only a manifcfl: difcouragement and prejudice to the woollen
manufadures of Great Britain, but alfo a means of affording relief to
the enemy, an acl was palled for preventing their importation into
the ports of the Levant fea on behalf of Britifli fubjeds ; and for more
effedually preventing the illegal importation of raw lilk and mohair-
yarn into this kingdom.

' I) No fuch woollen goods of French manufadure fhall be fo import-

* ed within the limits of the charter of the Englifh Turkey or Levant

* company, on account of any Eritifh fubjed.

' II) Nor fhall any woollen broad cloth, or other Britifli woollen

* goods, be imported to any place withm the limits of the Turkey com-

* pany's charter, except diredly from this kingdom, on account of any

* Britifli fubjed, unlefs the importer fliall produce a certificate to the
' Britifli ambaflador, or the conlul, vice-conful, or other proper officer
' appointed by the Levant or Turkey company, at the port where
' fuch goods fhall be imported, upon oath from the exporter or fhipper

* at the lafl: place of exportation, that the fame were brought or receiv-

* ed from Great Britain. In which certificate fliall be the name of the
' fliip and of the mafler, as well as the time when imported ; alfo the
' bill of lading from Great Britain, otherwife to be deemed French,
' and to be accordingly confifcaied.

' Hi) All Britifli merchants in Turkey fhall, before exporting any

* goods from thence, make oath before the Britifh ambaflador, or con-

* ful, &c. that the fame were not purchafed with the produce of French

* woollen goods ; and the importer thereof into Great Britain fhall there
' alfo make the like oath.'

This att was occafioned by difcoveries very lately made of Britifh

3

A. D.I 759- 3^3

fubjccts fraudulently fliipping from Leghorn quantities of French wool-
len cloths for Turkey under the denomination of Engliili, to the great
detriment of the Britilh woollen manufadures.

By the fame aft alfo provifion was made againft another fraudulent
practice, viz. whereas the woollen manufadures of France are of late
years fent to Turkey in great quantities; and the French, in return
thereof, bring back raw filk and other commodities to Marfeilles and.
other ports, which have afterward been carried thence into Italy, from
whence they were afterward fhipped for Great Britain in Englifli fhips,
greatly to the difcouragement of the Britiili woollen manufadures and
to the advancement of thole of France ; meafures were therefor hereby
laid down for preventing both thefe abufes. But this aft was to con-
tinue in force during the war with France, and no longer.

There being an unufual fcarcity of gold and filver at this time in
England, partly occafioned by much money being carried out of the
nation on account of our expenfive wars in Germany and America, &c.
and partly by the large demand for the current fervice of the year 1759 ;
the bank of England, for the better accommodation of the public in
their receipts and ))ayments, in April 1759 iflbed cafii-notes for L15
and for Lio, which have proved very convenient for payments. Pof-
fibly, that bank, without any great inconveniency to themfelves, and
with coniiderable conveniency to the public, (more efpecially in the
country, now that the forging or altering them is rendered fo difficult,
if not quite impoffible) might ifllie notes as low as L5 ; but lower than
that fum would probably be attended with real inconveniences, in a
country of fo extenfive an inland commerce : though, as we have elfe-
where obferv'ed, notes of the two incorporated Edinburgh banks, even
fo low as twenty (liillings fterling, are circulated all over that country,
and prove extremely ufekil in fairs, and country places.

In the month of May the fertile French Welt-India ifland of Gua-
daloupe, after having held out ever fmce February againft a Britifh fea
and land force, furrendercd to our troops by capitulation. It is by fome
comput(;d to produce no lefs than 40,000 hogflieads of lugar, one year
with another ; but this is fmce known to be exaggerated.

In that fame month the foreign newfpapers acquainted the public,
that the king of Denmark, having ordered an account to be taken of
the number of men, women, and children, throughout all his dominions
ot Denmark, Norway, Holrtein, the ilkmds in the Baltic, and tlie ct)un-
ties of Oldenburgh and Delmenhorft in \V'e(l[)halia ; tlKy amounted
lo 2,444,000 fouls. It does not thereby appear, that his Danilh ma-
jefly's iubjects in Iceland are included in this cenlus ; though, conlidcr-
ing the barrennefs of that iiland and the cold climate, they can be
but few in number.

We had public advices this year from Charleftown in South-Carolina,
Vol.. III. ' R r

314 A. D. 1759.

of a ver>' liopeful prolpecl: of the progrefs and increafe of the prodiidion
of raw filk there, and in the adjoining province of Georgia, viz. in the
year 1757, 1052 pound weight of raw-iilk balls were received at the
filature in Georgia : and the next year produced no lefs than 7040
pound weight thereof. And in this year there has been received at
Savannah, the capital of Georgia, confiderably above 10,000 pound
weight of raw filk, though the feafon has not been favourable. This
great increafe of that rich, new, and valuable produdiiort in thofe pro-
vinces is owing to tiie increafed number of hands in raifing the fame*.
We cannot more emphatically defcribe the triumphs or glories of the
Britifli monarchy during this year, than by tranfcribing part of the con-
gratulatory addrefs of the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons, of the
city of London, prelented to his majefty on the 20th of October 1759,
viz. they humbly befeech his majefty to accept of their mofl humble,
but warmeft, congratulations, upon the rapid and uninterrupted feries
of viclories and fuccefles, which, under the divine blelling, have attend-
ed his arms both by Tea and land, within the compafs of this diftinguifli-
ed and ever-memorable year. ' The redudlion of Fort Dii Quefne on
' the Ohio ; of the ifland of Goree in Africa ; andof Guadaloupe, with
its dependencies, in the Wefl-Indies : the repulfe and defeat of the
whole French army, by a handful of infantry, in the plains of Min-
den ; the taking of Niagara, Ticonderoga, and Crown-point ; the
naval viclory off Cape-Lagos ; the advantages gained over the French
nation in the Eafh-Indies ; and, above all, the conqueft of Quebec,
the capital of the French empire in North- America, in a manner fo
glorious to your majefly's arms, againfl every advantage of fituation
and fuperior numbers, are fuch events as will forever render your
majefty's aufpicious reign the favourite lera in the hiflory of Great
Britain : mcalures of fuch national concern, fo invariably purfued,
and acquifitions of fo much confequence to the power and trade of
Great Britain, are the noblert proofs of your majefty's paternal affec-
tion and regard for the true intereft oi your kingdoms, and reflect
honour upon thofe whom your majefty lias been pleafed to admit in-
to your councils, or to intruft with the condu(5l of your fleets and
armies ; thefe will ever command the lives and fortunes of a free and
grateful people, in defence of your majefty's facred perfon and royal
family, againft the attempts of all your enemies,' &c.
In the fpring of the year 1758 the houfe of commons had appointed
a committe to confider of reducing the weights, as alfo the meallires of
length and of capacity, to a perfect exactnels and uniformity throughout

* As tlie quantities of filk prodnced in Georgia, were eltlier totally erioneous, or that the ivritcr

ever in later years, are known from the governor's miftook the weight of ihe cocoons, (.ippannt!}'

reports to be much fmaller, than what are here ilat- what lie calls raw-filk balls and raw filk) for ibc.

•td,. there is reafon to conclude, that thefe advices weight of nicrcliantablf raw filk., HI,

A. D. 1759. 315

the kingdom of Great Britain. On the 2d of June, in the fame year,
that committee made a report of their progrefs ; and in the following
fefllon, on the ift of December 1758, a freHi committee was appointed
for the fame purpofe, who took very great pains in enquiring into the
original ftandards of weights and mealures, and into the moft etfedual
means for afcertaining and enforcing uniform and certain ftandards
thereof, as appears by their report of the i ith and 12th of April 1759 ;
which report was approved of by the houfe, and was printed and pub-
lifhed by their order. Yet, it is much to be regretted, that hitherto no-
thing farther has been done therein, confidering how requifite, and even
necelfary, fuch a regulation has been long thought to be, by all perlbns
who obierve the uncertainty and confufion in buying and felling all
meafurable commodities, as corn, wool, &c. and the frauds committed,
more efpecially among the lower people in the retail way of bufmefs.
It is, therefor, to be hoped, that the legiflature, in peaceable times, will
find leafure to re-confider this aftair, which, though doubtlefs attended
with difficulty, will, when effeclually regulated, redound very much to
the credit of the legiflature, and to the benefit of the public.

Since our lafl account of the increafe of the linen manufadure in
Scotland in the year 1757, we have the following moft promifing ac-
counts of the quantity thereof made and ftamped for lale, viz.

Yards. Value.

1758 - io,62.|.,435 L424,i4i : 10: 7

1759 - 10,830,707 451,390:17:3

Thus, from the yeai* 1728, the quantity has been gradually increaf-
ing from three millions of yards, to almoft eleven millions.

We had the following account of the Dutch whale fifliery in the year
1759, viz. that I 33 fliij^s brought home the produce of 435 whales : which
may be deemed a good year for that filliery ; being fomewhat above 3 1
whales for each fhip.

But the Hamburghers were not fo fortunate, who in 16 fliips brought
home but i 8 ', whales.

Ships arriving at, and departing from, the ports following, in the
courfe of the year 1759, viz.

At Cadiz 602 fliips, viz. 114 Englifli ; 155 Dutch; 195 Spanifli ; 19
French ; 23 Portuguefe ; 17 Swcdifli ; 24 Danifli ; 13 Gcnoefe ; 16
Imperial; 2 Venetian; 7 Neapolitan; 13 Ragulan, and 7 INhiltefe.
This much f nailer number than ufual (efpecially of Englifli) is owing
to the jbrefent war.

At Dantzick, 626 fliips arrived.

At Koningflierg (the capital of Pruflia) 820 fliips arrived, and 758
III i led.

At Riga 671 fliips arrived, and 669 failed.

R r 2

3i6 A. D. 1759.

From the Dutch newfpapers we learned, that during the year 1759,
there pafl'ed through the Sound, into the Baltic fea, 3289 Ihips of dif-
ferent nations ; and 3568 fhips repafled the fame. Now, as by far the
mofl; of the 21 17 Hiips, faid to be arrived at the above-named three
cities in the Baltic, mufl have been part of thofe 3289 Ihips, the re-
maining 1172 lliips muft have been moftly bound for Copenhagen, Lu-
beck, Stetin, Stockholm, and Peterfburgh, and probably moft of them
to Peterfburgh. the other ports in the Baltic, (as Roflock, Wifmar, Re-
vel, Narva, &c.) being much lefs conliderable in commerce. This,
though but a fhort, and, in fome fenfe, but a conjectural view of the
navigation and trade to the Baltic, may, however, in fome degree, en-
able us to form an adequate idea of it.

At Venice, in the year 1759, there arrived 1781 fhips and veflels, of
various kinds and fizes.

And, in the courfe of that year, there were born in the city of Ve-
nice 5172 children, and there died 6852 perfons, which number being
multiplied by 30, the ufual computation of perfons, of whom one dies
annually in great and populous cities, will give 205,560 for the number
of fouls remaining alive in Venice.

1760. — A cenfus of the people living in Rome at eafler in this year
was taken, whereby it appeared, that they amounted to 155,184 inhabit-
ants, viz.

Secular priefts, - - 2827

Monks, _ _ _ 3847

Nuns, - - - 1910

Students, - - 7065

Poor in alms-houfes, - - 1470

Negroes, - - - ' 7

Perfons not profeffing the catholic religion, - 52

11,178
The remaining inhabitants, being laity, 144,006

Total, - 155,184 perfons.

^\'Tiich computation nearly agrees with Keyfler's.

By a farther account, there were born in Rome, between eafler 1759
and eafler 1760, 5318 children ; and there died there 7181 perfons :
which lafl: number multiplied by 30 gives the whole number of its in-
habitants, viz. 215,430 perfons.

Yet, on account of above 11,000 perfons grown up profefling celi-
bacy, if the number dying yearly be multiplied by 22 it will come
nearer the truth, or 157,982, befides thofe of the Jewifh nation.

But thislaft calculation comprehended not only the 81 panfhes within

A. D. 1760. 517

the walls of that city, but likewife a circular diftrict of five or fix miles
without the city ; where there are vineyards, fcattered houlcs, &c.

A judicious pamphlet appeared in print in the month of April this
year, entitled, the Interefl of Great Britain confidered, with regard to
her colonies, &c. tending to fliew the abfolute expediency of retaining
the entire country of Canada, as the only foUd faiety and fecurity of
our continental colonies. Without prefuming to anticipate what our
governors fhall determine therein in a future treaty, we fhall here only
tranfcribe from this very able author his account of the trade of our
northern colonies, compared with that of our Weft-India iflands, taken
from the following authentic accounts, laid before the board of trade
and plantations, viz.

From 1744 to 1748, inclufive, exported

To the northe

rn colonies from

To the

W

eft-India iflands,

from

Britain,

Britain,

1744 -

L640,ooo

-

L796,ooo

1745 -

534,000 -

-

503,000

1746 -

754,000 -

-

472,000

1747 -

726,000

-

856,000

1748 -

830,000

"

734,000

Total

1,484,000

From 1754 to 1758, viz.

1754
^755
i75<5

1757
i7=;8

1,246,000
1,177,000
1,428,000
1,727,000
1,832,000

Total L7, 4 1 0,000

3,361,000
Difference 123,000

685,000
694,000
733,000
776,000
877,000

3'7^>5.ooo
Difference L3, 645, 000

in hivour of our nonhcrn colonies.

The odd fums under Lioco are omitted, as too minute in this ac-
count.

Ihis author obferves, that the trade to our continental colonies in

America is not only greater than that to our Weft-India colonies, but

is alio annually increaling with the increafe of their people, and even

in a greater proportion, as the people increafe in wealth, and in their

ability of fpending. as well as in numbers. But he adds, what to us

ajipears at leaft lomewhat improbable, that the number of our people

in the northern colonies have been obiervcd to double in about 25 years,

exclufive of the acceffion of ftrangers ; for which he alfo appeals to the

accounts fent over to the board of trade.

3

3i8 A. D. 1760.

The vaft anraial increale of our exports to the continental colonies in
the laft: five years may probably be in part owing to the money remit-
ted from hence in thofe years for the exprnfe of our war againft the
French in Canada, as well as to the great increafe of thofe colonies.

He alleges, that our exports to the fingle province of Pennfylvania,
have, in the lart twenty-eight years, increafed nearly in the proportion
of 1 7 to I .

\\'ith refpecl to the trite objecHon, that the growth of our continent-
al colonies may render them dangerous, in reipec^ of the difficultv of
retaining them in due fubjecHon to the Britilli empire ; he (and we
conceive every other judicious peribn) thinks it fcarcely merits an an-
fwer, as we have fourteen feparate governments there ; having not only
different governors, and different conllitutions, but likewii'e different in-
terefts, and in fome of them different religious perfuafions : and their
jealoufy of each other is already fo great, that however neceflary an
union of the colonies has long been thought by them all, for their com-
mon defence and lecurity againft their common enemies, yet they have
never been able to effect it, nor even to agree in applying to their mo-
ther-country for the eftablilhing of fuch an union.

Too much can fcarcely be laid in praife of the vaft improvements
made in our fifter kingdom of Ireland, in refpec^ to commerce and
manufachires, fince the acceflion of his majefty King George II to the
throne of thefe kingdoms. An eflay on the antient and modern ftate
of Ireland, publilhed (at Dublin and London) in this year 1760, briefly
defcribes the lame vviih juftice and propriety, (p. 49, 50) viz. ' in this
' reign, and not before, our linen manufacture, in many refpecls one of
' the moft profitable branches of our national commerce, has received
' all the encouragement from royal bounty, and parliamentary fanclion,

• that could be reafonably hoped for.

' Perfons of the higheft rank, dignity, and fortune, were appointed
' trufteirs for the propagation, eiicouragemerft, and diftafion of this be.
' neficial trade throughout the relpecltve provinces.

' The linen-hall was erected in Dublin, under as juil and nice regu-

• lations as any commercial houfe in Europe.

' The north of Ireland becan to wear an afpecT: entirely new ; and
■ from being (through want of induftry, bulinefs, and tillage) the almoft
' exhaufted nurfery of our American plantations, foon became a popu-
' lous fcene of improvement, traffic, wealth, and plenty ; and is at this

• day a well planted diftrict, confiderable for numbers of weil-affetted,

• uieful, and induilnous lubitcls.'

* W"e nowhere (abftracled from our own country) meet with fuch a

• fet of pious patriots (in the ever-honourable Dublin fociety) from
' their private funds adL>raing their country in general, in every degree
■■ and branch of induftry and improvement ; and infpired with fcnti-

A. D. 1760. 319

* menfs truely public and focial, munificently rewarding their country-
' men, of vvhatloever denomination, without fiivour or diftintlion, for
' meliorating their proper eftates or farms ; for excelling in any pro-
' diidion of nature or art ; for any difcovery or invention ufeful to
' mankind.' This Ibciety, which, for feme years before, was merely
a voluntary one, was incorporated in the year 1750*.

Page 6oth, ' The trade of Ireland, however in former times miferably
retrained and limited, hath in this happy reign received confiderable
enlargements ; fuch as, the opening of feveral wool-ports : the bounty
on Irifh linens, now our ftaple commodity, imported into Great Bri-
tain, and the immunity lately granted of importing thitlier beef, but-
ter, tallow, candles, pork, hides, live cattle, &.c. a privilege that, in its
confequences, muft prove of fignal advantage to both nations ; to this
efpecially, as we (hall hereby be enabled, upon any occafional emer-
gency, to fupply our protecting friends, and proportionably flint the
hands of our enemies, who (by the profufion of wines and fpiritous
liquors, annually exported from France to Ireland, in exchange for
our beef, butter, &.c. to pafs over the glut of teas and fpirits, &c.
fmuggled thence by the weflern runners) have conftantly the balance
on their fide : our exports, with thofe already mentioned, confirt in a
few cheefes, falmon, and kelp ; but as our linens are, without quefiion,
become the vital fpring of Irilh commerce, it is matter of great con-
cern, and equal furpriie, that the other provinces do not more uni-
verfally and effeclually follow the lucrative example of the north, fince
it is evident that nothing but equal induftrvcan be wanting to render
them equally flourilTiing ; yet the over-growth of graziers and flock-
mafters, is the ftrongeft indication that can be of national wafte and
decay in refpedt of inhabitants. Would not a foreigner ftart, even at
our humanity, as well as at our want of national wifdoni and econo-
my, on feeing the beft arable grounds in the kingdom, in immenfe
tracis, wantonly enjoyed by the cattle of a few petulant individuals,
and at the fame jundure our liighways and ftreets crowded with (holes
of mendicant fellow-creatures, reduced, through want of proper fufte-
nance, to the utmoft diflrefs. Would not a Frenchman give a (hrag
extraordinary, at finding in every little inn^ Bourdeaux claret, and
Nantz brandy, though, in all likelihood, not a morlel cf Irilli bread.
It is much to be hoped, that when the Ipirit of tillage (hall become
more general, we may have a iufficient plenty of malt liquors ot our
own native produce. Gardening is of late years lb valtly improved
amongft us, that we now have many curious plants, fruits, and (lowers,
never heard of in former times. Vet many intelligent pertbns ot-
all ranks complain much of the want of fome eltiblilliment in the

• Oiir auttior fecms to ha;c forgotten the fplendid, numerous, a>id increaCng. foviety of the fime.
nature, .cflabli/hci ia London ia the year 1754, and alfo another at Edinburgh. ^1,

320 A. D. 1760.

' way of a national bank, to fecure popular credit and the kingdom
' from the various alarming fhocks it is i"o frequently incident to, on ac-
* count of the failure of particular or private banks.'

From Ireland we have farther received the following difagreeable ac-
counts, from a judicious private hand, viz.

Since the year 1757 the exportation of their linens has been gradu-
ally leflening, and the following is its ftate for two years part, viz.
Linens of all forts exported for one year, ended at lady-day 1759,

14,093,431 yards, which valued, at a medium, at 161^/
per yard, comes to - 1.939,562 i 4
Ditto in 1760, 13,375,456^ yards, valued at ditto

per yard, - 891,697 i 8

717,9741 yards, decreafed. Va-
lued at ditto, - L47,864 19 8

Poflibly the annual increafe of the linen manufadure of Scotland
may partly, if not entirely, account for this decreafe in Ireland.

The quantity of Irifh linens fo exported is exclufive of what is con-
fumed within that kingdom. And the quantity of linen yarn annually
exported to Great Britain is nearly equal in value to the yarn that is
wove into the exported linens.

The fupplies, granted by the parliament of Great Britain for the fer-
vice of the year 1760. amounted to the vaft fum of Li 5,503,564 : 15 : 9^.

In the former part of this year (1760) the Dutch Eaft-India company
divided 15 per cent among their proprietors, for the preceding year's
dividend. And as that company's capital flock ufually fold at from 397
per cent to 410, we will iuppofe 400 per cent to be the mean price, for
the fake of a round number, then the purchafers at this time made 3I
per cent of their money, which, confidering the flucftuating ftate ot fuch,
trading focieties, proceeding from various lolTes, &c. is far from an al-
luring dividend.

In this fame year we were informed, that the Dutch Weft-India com-
pany divided 2^ per cent for one year paft, their long decayed ftock
ufually felling at from 32 to 33 per cent. Thefe dividends being dnely
confidered, we are not to think it ftrange that the monied people of
Holland are fo deeply concerned in the Britiih national funds, even
though at the low intereft of 3 per cent, as the intereft is fo certainly
and pundually paid, without any rifk or expenfe, except the fluctuation
of the market prices of the funds, and the commiflion to their agents
here *.

The high prices of fpiritous liquors manufactured in Great Britain,
wifely occafioned by fome late ftatutes, having greatly leflened the con-

• Accurdlnj^ to ail nccount of ttic prices during nine rr.nnths of this year, which I have received
from HoUanJ, Eaft-India ftock was fium 382 to 413 ; and Weft-India ftock from zyi, to 33^. ^.

A. D. 1760. 321

fumption thereof, among the commonalty, and thereby contributed very
much to their health, fobriety, and induftry ; for the prevention of the
return of former mifchiefs, an adl of parhament paned in this 33d year
of King George II, for preventing the exceflive ufe of fpiritous Uquors,
by laying additional duties thereon ; and for encouraging the exporta-
tion of Britifti-made fpirits, 8cc. which law has further contributed to
the fame falutary end.

Sundry other good laws were made in this feflion of parliament, for
the eafe of commerce, and conveniency and fafety of the people ; fuch
as that for extending the time limited for the importation of faked beef,
pork, and butter, from Ireland ; for removing the gunpowder magazine
from Greenwich, where it was fo dangerous, to Purfleet, a place of
greater fafety ; enlarging and improving the fortifications and docks of
Portfmouth, Chatham, and Plymouth ; for preventing frauds relating
to the cuftoms, and granting liberty to export rice from Carolina, di-
recflly to any part of Europe fouth of Cape Finiilerre, in (hips navigated
according to law ; and that for widening certain llreets, lanes, 8cc. in
the city of London, and for opening certain new ftreets, and clearing
away fundry nuifances therein, for the conveniency of carriages and
paflengers, infomuch that this city already begins to wear a new and
more elegant face, by its old and narrow gates being removed, new and
airy openings made, and many more intended ; whereby, it is to be
hoped, the moll wealthy citizens will no longer have reafon to remove
into the weftern fuburbs, for free and frefh air, but will end their days
with comfort and fatisfaclion, in the places where Providence had blefled
their induftry with plentiful fortunes.

This year the kingeftablifheda corporation at Fort-Ivlarlborough, near
Bencoolen in the ifland of Sumatra in the Eaft-Indies, by the name of
the mayor and aldermen of Fort-Marlborough. But the place was fur-
prifed by the French in the fame year.

On the 8th of September 1760 the town of Montreal, together with
the reft of Canada, was furrendered by the French governor, Vaudrcuille,
to General Amherft, commander in chief of the Britifti forces.

From this acquifition, how vaft an addition of territory has accrued
to the Britifti empire in America, how much greater fafety and fecurity
have our antient colonies hereby obtained, by removing from behind
them fo enterprifing, reftlers,and Ihamelclsly perfidious, a nation ^ and,
uhich is of much more importance to us, hereby aUo we become pof-
fefled of the whole of the fur and peltry trade of that continent, in ex-
change for our coarfe woollen and other manuhiclures, iron tools of
many kinds, kitchen and houfchold furniture, with other copper and
brafs utenfils, lead Ihot, gunpowder, firelocks, fvvords, &.c. but wc wifli
we could not add rum, in great quantities, fo greatly debauching the
morals, &.c. of the Indians. How great an increafe ot our national

Vol. III. S f

222 A. D. 1760.

commerce, then, muft this acquifition be, even in our days ? and how
much more will it probably be in future ages, when our Indian traders,
and wood-rangers, will undoubtedly difcover many new nations to traf-
fic with, very far back in that vafl: country, until they at length, and
it is to be hoped very foon, fliall open a way to the ocean of Japan and
China ? a difcovery which, in the womb of Providence, may, and pro-
bably will, be attended with great, and perhaps very furprifing, altera-
tions in the courfe of commerce; a difcovery too, which will infallibly
enable us to determine the fo long controverted, and fo frequently in
vain attempted, point of a north-weft paffage by fca to the eaftern parts
of Afia, and the extreme weftern parts of America, by a fhorter and
fafer courfe than from Hudfon's bay, without any future attempts from
fo miferable a fhore, where it is at prefent fo unlikely ever to be found.
And well worth any reafonable expenfe it will be found to be, to fet
about fuch a weftern journey, with Indian guides, as foon as poflible.

The north end of Sweden, known by the name of Lapmark, adjoin-
ing to Lapland, has very lately been fo much improved and civilized,
that in the diet of Sweden, at the clofe of this year 1760, the fpeaker
of the houfe of peafants, or farmers, tells their king, in expreflion of
their gratitude for his goodnefs, and care of that northern part of his
dominions, ' that thofe parts which have hitherto remained wild, un-
' cultivated, and moftly uninhabited, wear at prefent a quite different
' face, being now covered with dwellings, and their lands cultivated ;
' and, for the firft time, fays he, fmce the creation of the world, this
' new people appear in the diet with us, by their reprefentatives. How
' would it rejoice our hearts to fee our dear country extend its bounds
' more and more, by the draining of morafles, and other lands covered
' with water, and by the peopling of defarts.'

The linen manufadure of Scotland continues to increafe rapidly, as
appears by the returns of linen ftamped for fale, beiides which a very
large quantity is made by families for their own ufe.

Yards.

In the year 1759 there were ftamped 10,830,707.
1760, - - 11,747,728.

Increafed in the year 1760, - 917,021.

The following is a brief Iketch of the prefent ftate of the moft popu-
lous cities and towns of the kingdom, befides London, the various im-
provements of which have been more particularly noted in the progrefs
of our work.

Briftol is univerfally allowed to be the largeft city in Great Britain,
next after London. The anonymous author of England's gazetteer,
publifhed in 175 1, makes it to contain 13,000 houfes, and 95,000 fouls.

When the author of this work was there in the year 1758, he peram-
bulated it for two days, and from a near examination of the number of

Value

L45t,390

17

3

523^-^53

10

4

71,762

13

I

A. D. 1760. 323

houfes on new foundations, and even of entire new ftreets, ereded fince
the year 1751, he imagined he couldnothefitate in concluding it to con-
tain about 100,000 fouls, or to be about the magnitude of that part of
London, which is contained within the antient walls. It is confefTed,
that London, within that limited compafs, appears to be more populous,
or to have more people appearing abroad in the ftreets ; but that we
apprehend to be occafioned chiefly by its communication with its vaft-
ly-extended fuburbs, its immenfe commerce and (hipping, the greater
refort of foreigners, and the near refidence of the court, nobility, gen-
tr}, and lawyers ; whereas, in the ftreets of Briftol, which are more re-
mote from the harbour and fliipping, the inhabitants are moftly either
private families, living on their means, or elfe manufadlurers and work-
men of many various kinds, employed moftly within doors. We have
met with I'ome Irifli gentlemen who will needs have the city of Dublin
to be larger than Briftol, for which they allege the like reafon, as above-
mentioned, for London within the walls ; and to which, we conceive,
it may be anfwered, that Dublin, being the refidence of the chief go-
vernors, of all the public officers, of the guards, the nobility and gen-
try with their numerous retinues, and of the courts of juftice, as well
as of the parliaments, thefe may occafion a greater appearance of people
in its ftreets, without her being really larger than Briftol.

Edinburgh, being the ufual refidence of the courts of juftice of Scot-
land, of the police, the boards of cuftoms and e.xcife, of lawyers attending
on pleas, befides merchants, manufadurers, &c. and of a learned and
well-frequented univeriity ; with all its fuburbs, and its port of Leith,
may fairly be allowed to contain at leaft 6o,oco inhabitants.

Norwich is by many thought to contain upwards of 7500 houfes,
many of which are crowded with inmates of manufaduring people ; if
therefor eight people be allowed on an average to each houfe, it may
contain 60,000 fouls. Or if, according to others, there be only 7000
houfes, and that feven perfons to each houle be fufficient, then 49,000
may be nearly the number of its inhabitants. But we conjecture the
firft computation is neareft to the truth. We may here, by way of co-
rollary, remark, that Norwich has, for many ages, and more elpecially
for two centuries paft, been very eminent for the nobleft manutadure
of the fineft ftuffs in the world, of various kinds, with which it not only
fupplies our own people in immenfe cjuantities, but likewiie moft fo-
reign nations, and alfo our American colonies, whereby the manufic-
turers accumulate much wealth.

IVIanchefter in Lancafliire, merely as a town, though without being
fo much as a corporation, is probably next in number of inhabitants,
and abounds i'o much with great variety of excellent manufachires of
cottons, tickens, &.c. as to employ many thoufands of journeymen-
weavers, befide other workmen, women, and children, conftantiv em-

S f z

3^4 A. D. 1760.

ployed, both for the foreign and home demand of thofe goods : info-
much that Manchefter is fwelled to the bulk of a great city, being fup-
pofed to contain from 40 to 45,000 people.

Liverpool, in the fame county, in point of a vaftly-cxtended foreign
commerce and mercantile fhipping, is long fince become undoubtedly
the greateft and moft opulent fea-port in the kingdom, next to London
and Briftol, employing about 300 fail -of fhips moflly in the Guinea
and American trades, and is now faid to be thrice as large and populous
as it was at the acceflion of William and Mary to the crown. In fliort,
this profperous town extends its commerce to all parts not occupied by
exclufive companies, and is thought to contain at this time from 30 to
35,000 inhabitants.

Birmingham, in Warwickfliire, though ftill alfo, like Manchefter, an
unincorporated town, has, through the general increafe of our national
commerce, gradually grown up, more efpecially of later years, to the
magnitude of a confiderable city, by means of its vaft, numerous, and
mofl ingenious, manufadures of iron, fleel, and brafs, or hard-ware, in
an almoft-endlefs variety, fuch as enamelled and polifhed fleel fnufF-
boxes, keys, locks, hinges, buckles, buttons, &c. not only for fupply-
ing ourfelves and our own foreign plantations, but almod all the reft
of the world therewith. This very bufy place is reckoned to contain
at leaft 30,000 inhabitants.

In much the fame fort of employment has the populous town of Shef-
field been more or lefs famous for above four centuries paft, partly by
means of the iron ftone in its vicinity, but of late much more by the
general increafe of the nation's foreign commerce. It has been pecu-
liarly famous for the manufadure of knives and other cutlery-ware, as
far back as the poet Chaucer's time, (in the reign of King Edward III)
their knives being by that poet, as ftill by the common people farther
north, called whittles. There are above 600 mafter-cutlers there, who
are a corporation, by the name of the cutlers of Hallamilaire, of which
diftricl in Yorkfhire, Sheffield is the principal town. It is reputed to be
two miles in length and one in breadth, and to employ about 40,000
perfons in the iron manufadures, though not all living within the town.
They have likewife a confiderable trade in this town for corn and alum ;
and are more particularly noted for making the beft files and other iron
tools for various handicrafts. Yet fo little curious are its inhabitants in
fpeculative refearches, that we have not been able to learn with any
precifion the probable number of the inhabitants of fo populous a
town, as diftinguiftied from the reft of Hallamfliire, though, from fun-
dry circumftances, they may very probably be confiderably above
20,000.

Newcaftle upon Tine has been eminent for feveral centuries paft for
its almoft inexhauftible ftaple of pit-coal, called at London fea-coal, be-

A. D. 1760. 325

caufe carried thither only by fea. It fupplies not only London and
many other parts of the kingdom with that moft ncceflary fuel, but
likewife fundry foreign countries, moftly in its own ftrong and numer-
ous fhipping, the loading of which, from the pits to the fhips at Shields,
employs five or fix thoufand men called keelmen : here is alib a great
manufacture of glafs bottles, and another of hard-ware or wrought iron
of many forts. It is alio noted for its grind-ftones, of which great
quantities are exported beyond fea. But, beyond all other national be-
nefits, the coal-trade of this town is peculiarly and eminently ufeful
on any emergency, for its great number of thorough-bred mariners for
manning the navy. It has long been a very populous place, and, in-
cluding its fuburbs of Gatefhead and North and South Shields, may
probably contain near 40,000 inhabitants.

Glafgow is a beautiful and increafing city of Scotland, abounding
in many profitable manufaiTtures, more efpecially of the linen kind,
in great variety and beauty. It has alfo a great number of good fhip-
ping trading (from its port called Port-GIafgow, and from Greenock),
as well to our Weft-India fugar ifles, as alfo to our continental co-
lonies, more efpecially to our two tobacco provinces : whereby it is
now faid to be arrived to the magnitude of 26 to 27,000 inhabitants,
who are generally reckoned eminent for indufiry and a prudent eco-
nomy.

Thefe, with London, we apprehend to be all the cities and towns of
Great Britain, which contain upward of 20,000 inhabitants within their
refpedtive liberties, boundaries, and precinfts. Yet there are many
other cities and towns of England which nearly approach to that num-
ber.

From our correfpondent in Ireland, we have the following account
of the prefent flate of the principal cities in that ifland.

Dublin, in the year 1760, contained 13,461 houics, which number,
allowing 7 perfons to each houfe (which is probably very near the truth)
gives 94,227 people *.

Cork contained 8268, and, by the fame computation, 57,876 inha-
bitants. It has long been famous for a vaft exportation of falted beef,
pork, and butter, chiefly to our own fugar colonies. Cheefe and hides
are alfo exported from Cork.

Limerick, on the great river Shannon, conveniently fituated for the
weftern trades, contained 3640 houfes and 25,480 inhabitants.

• All ihe mortality-bills of Dublin, which we number) gives but 66,CCO. But there is rcafon to
have fccn, come fhort of 2CCO perfons yearly, believe that the mortality-bills of Dublin, and of
vhich number multiplied even by 33 (the lifalthiell other places alfo, arc very dcfcdivc. A.

5 26 A. D. 1760.

o

Waterford, a confiderable trading port on the eafl fide of Ireland,
contained 3284 houfes and 22,988 inhabitants*.

♦ The auihoT of the New geography 0/ Ire/and Dublin to be 19,352; Cork 8726; Limerick
[Dublin 1752) dates the number of houfes in 3959; and Waterfoord 2637. A.

As the subsequent part of Air. Anderson's ' Historical and chronological work,' ivhich
is carried foncard to the year 1762, contains very little commercial information,
it was thought proper to conclude it here, and to begin my own continuation with
the commencement of the reign of his present Majesty. M.

ANNALS

OF

COMMERCE.

A. D. 1760.

O"E0RGE the Second, king of Great Britain, died on the 25th day of
Odober 1760, and was fucceeded by his grandfon, George prince of
Wales.

In the reign of George II the agriculture, manufactures, and com-
raerce, of Britain were greatly improved. The roads throughout the
kingdom were put in a much better condition than they had ever been
in before, and the navigation of feveral rivers * was improved, where-
by various parts of the country were enabled to have a regular and
convenient mutual intercourfe ; and internal trade, an objed Hill more
important than foreign trade, was greatly facilitated. Thefe great im-
provements appear to have been in no degree checked, but rather to
have been in a ftate of progrellive advancement, during the extenfive
war which raged in the laft years of George II f.

Accounts were received of an alarming infurreclion of the negro
Haves in the pariflies of St. Mary's, St. kllizabeth's, and St. Thomas in
the eaft, in Jamaica. Many white people were killed, many planta-
tions laid delblate by the infurgents, vaft numbers of the unhappy ne-
groes were deftroyed, and that opulent and tlourilhing colony was in
imminent danger of total rnin, before the exertions of the military and
the militia, with the allillance of the fleet, were able to quell this de-
fperate attempt of the wretched flaves to recover their hbcrty.

• Tlie vaft benefits flowing from llie creation f The advancing profperity of tlie kingdom in

(If I may be allowed the cxprcfTion) of new li- this reljrn has been clcnily and forcibly iUuftrated

vers, or artificial caiiah, were only beginning to by Mr. Chalmers, in his I'Jlimalc of the comp.i:;i-

bc underftood as yet in IJritain. livfjirength of Great Britain^ cd. 1794.

Vol. III. T t

^^o A. D. 1760.

To prevent the dreadful alarm, which the news of the infurreaion
mil ft have excited at home, General Bailing, lieutenant-governor of Ja-
maica, prudently withheld all communication of the commencement
of it from being fent to Britain, till he was enabled alio to announce
that the danger was over *.

The governors of the Britifli forts on the coafl of Africa, belonging
to the African company, fent home heavy complaints of the Dutch
governor of Elmina, for forcibly monopolizing the trade with the Por-
tuguefe vcflds upon the coaft to the wellward of the river Volta, which
the Dutch affirmed they had a right to do by treaty with the Portuguefe.
In fubfequent letters the fame governors complained of conftant en-
deavours and arts praclifed by the Dutch to flir up the natives againft
the Britifli interefl.

Great efforts had been made, and great funis had been expended, to
coUedt fettlers from various parts of Europe and America to cultivate
the province of Nova Scotia. But government feemed now to be
weary of the great demands for the fupport of that unproductive co-
lony, and refolved to be more fparing in their grants for the future.
The expenfe of the civil eftablifliment for the province in the year
1759, was /?i 1,568: 2 ; for this year, ;Ci 1,785 : 6:io; and the efli-
mute for the eniuing year (1761) was made up at ^^9,095 : 12 : 9, with
perhaps an allowance of ;,(^iooo for contingencies.

A mofl pernicious illegal trade had been for fome time carried on
between the Britifh colonies in North America and the French fettle-
ments in the Weft-Indies, and on the rivers Mobile and Miffifippi, un-
der the fan (ft ion of flags of truce, whereby the French were fupplied
with the provifions and lumber of North America, fo indifpenfably ne-
celFary for carrying on their plantations, and moreover with large fums
in money in payment of their produce and of the manufactures of
France, the balance of the trade being greatly in favour of the French.

Such practices being in open contempt of the authority of Great Bri-
tain, Mr. Secretary Pitt (afterwards earl of Chatham) had written (23d
Auguft) to the feveral governors of North America, directing them to
ufe their utmoft efforts to detect and punifla all perfons concerned in fo
iniquitous a traffic f.

The vaft advantages of inland water-carriage began to be confidered
in England in the reigns of Charles 1 and Charles II J, and feveral
improvements upon the navigation in the natural beds of rivers were
attempted during the reigns of thefe two princes. In the fucceeding

* 111 November 1760 he wrote, that it was al- vent inicit trade, being deeply engaged in this

mod fiipprctTed ; and in the beginning of January fcandalous commerce.

1761 he wrote, that the difturbanccs were entirely :f In the year 1675, an author, who takes only

at an end. the name of R. S. pubhfhed Avona, or a vwiv

\ I was credibly informed of at leail one in- of making riven in this kingdom navigable.
ftance of a man, whofe official duty it was to pre-

A. D. 1760. 331

reigns, though they were not entirely loft fight of, they were not much
attended to, till the reign of George IT. In the year 1755 the com-
mercial and enterprifing inhabitants of Liverpool began to turn their
attention to this moft important object:. For the benefit of an eafier
conveyance of coals from the pits at St. Helen's near Prefcot, they ob-
tained an a(5l of parliament for rendering navigable Sankey brook, which
runs near St. Helen's, and falls into the Merfea belov,' Warrington :
But when they came to examine the ground more attentively, they
found it would be better to make an entire new canal with proper
locks, which would be exempted from the inconveniencies of land-
floods, &c. ; and it was accordingly executed on that more judicious
plan, the brook being only ufed to feed the canal, which is twelve miles
long, with a fall of ninety feet ; and it is, if I miftake not, the firft canal
with locks that ever was conftrucled in Great Britain. In the fame
year, they employed two furveyors to examine the ground for a pro-
pofedjundion of the Merfea with the Trent on the oppofite fide of
the country ; a grand idea, which however was not carried into execu-
tion till feveral years after, as will be obferved in proper time.

But the liift important work of this nature in Great Britain was
planned and happily accomplifhed by the duke of Bridgewater, who
may truely be faid to have the real honour, if not of introducing inland
navigation, at leaft of rendering it an object of univerfal attention, which
lias been attended with the happy effecl of diffufing that moft capital
fpccics of improvement throughout the whole kingdom. The duke had
a large mountain of coal upoa his eftate at Worfley in LancalTiire, which
the great expenfc of carriage to a market rendered an ufelefs potrellion
to him. He therefor conceived the idea of procuring a cheap convey-
ance by water to the large and populous manufacturing town of Man-
chefter , for which purpofe he obtained two acts of parliament in the
years 1758 and 1759*. While he was concerting his plan, he per-
ceived, encouraged, and availed hlmlelf of, the wonderful talents of the
uneducated, but heaven-taught engineer, Brindley ; by whole ingenuity,
with the abundant iupplv of materials from his own land<, and a vaft
expenditure of money for labour, he completed a navigable canal ot
twenty-nine miles in length, with about four feet and a half of depth of
water, without any locks ; the inequalitiesof the ground, and the inter-
vention of rivers and public roads, being furmounted by ftupendous
mounds of earth ; by a tunnel cut through a Inll fifty teet under the
furfice, and in fome places hewed out of the folid rock ; by aquedud
bridges over the public roads ; and by, what even profellional men then

All aA had been oboiiicd in the year 1736, nalcly for t!ic prcfcnt aj^c, iiot'ii.15 \vai ever done

t"i)i iL.iki.ij; Wurllcy bruok n.ivi^tfble to its juuc- in it, a:iJ room wm llurtby l.Tt Jcr t'lc d. ke of

lion uiili the Irncll by the old nutliud of <lam- lJiiLlj<.'.va:er's i^raiid undertaking,
icnii^ up tlic water to make Itvcls. Ijut, furtu-

Tt 2

^^2 A. D. 1760.

pronounced impolliblc, an aquediid: bridge over ilie navigable river
Irwell, at the height of thirty-eight feet above its furface, which pre-
fented to the wondering fpedators the new and furprifing fight of vef-
fels failing aloft in the air, high above other vcflels failing below in the
river. As the duke's operations were carried forward with great fpirit
during the whole of this year, the public were gratified with the light
of the firfl boat palling along his magnificent aquedud on the I7tli of
July 1761 ; and the fcofFers, who, in derifion of this noble eflbrt of
Erindlcy's bold, but unerring, genius, had called it a cajlle in the air, felt
themfelves afliamed. The whole work of the canal was executed in a
flile of folidity and grandeur, which might induce an inattentive fpec-
tator to fuppofe that it was made for oftentation ; but a careful infpec-
tion will fliew, that every part is not only proper but necefTary ; that
economy has been happily combined with magnificence ; and that the
vaft expenfe of perhaps the greatefl: work that ever was undertaken and
executed in any part of the world at the charge of one individual, is
fmall, when compared to the extenfive utility of it.

The duke, im.mediately after the completion of this canal, extended
the length and the benefits of his navigation as far as Liverpool ; and
goods are now carried on his canals between that town and Manchefler
at 6/"a tun inftead of 12/", the charge of the former navigation on the
Merfea and the Irwell, or 40/", the price of the land carriage : and,,
while his fpirited and patriotic enterprife is rewarded by a vail revenue
arifing from his water-carriage, and his formerly ufelefs coal-mine, the
lurroLinding country is benefited at Icafl: a pound for every fliilling paid
to the duke.

Thus the fpirited commercial county of Lancafter appears to have
had the glory of producing the firft canal made in the kingdom in mo-
dern times, and upon the modern improved principles ; of firil con-
ceiving the magnificent defign of a navigable communication between
the eafl and weft fides of England through the heart of the country;
and of exhibiting the firft fpecimen of a canal executed on a grand
fcale. Such is the animating influence of vigorous commerce and raa-
nufaclures.

The duke of Bridgewater's canal immediately attra([^ed the attention
of the public in an extraordinary degree ; and the advantages of inland
navigation condu(5ted upon improved principles, and alio the fuppofed
difadvantages of it, were the fubjeds of general difcuflion.

The enemies of the new mode of conveyance objeded, that the fa-
cility of canal navigation would greatly diminilh the numbers of the
nfeful and noble breed of draught horfes.-r^A curious objedion, truely,
to the abridgement of an expenfe, A part of thofe horles will be em-
ployed in drawing the veflels on the canals. A part of them may be
employed in drawing ploughs on grounds hitherto kept in grafs for the

A. D. 1760. ^^^

ufe of the redundant number of them, or on grounds hitherto ufelefs
for want of manure, in order to raife corn, &c. to increafe the breed
of men, whole numbers in ail countries are exadly in proportion to
the means of fubfillence : and men, induflrious men, not horfes, con-
flitute the true riches and ftrength of a well-regulated nation.

It has alfo been objeded, that the increafe of inland navigation muft,
by its fuperior cheapnefs, eafe, and certainty, diminifh our coafting
trade, and confecjuently weaken the navy, the natural and conftitutional

bulwark of Great Britain This objeftion is fomewhat like the former

one : it is regretting the enjoyment of an advantage ; and the apprehen-
fion is apparently unfounded : for, as all rhe various branches of com-
merce mutually depend on, and fupport one another, the extenfion of
the inland commerce will not diminifli, but greatly enlarge, the number
of iTiips and feamen, elpecially the later by the acceflion of vaft num-
bers of young men, trained up in the management of fails and oars, in
parts of the country where no fail nor oar was ever feen before the in-
trodudion of canals. And experience has adlually confirmed this rea-
foning, not only in the general increafe of fhipping, and confequently
of feamen *, but by the certain knowlege, that the interior part of the
country has begun to rival the coafi; as a nurfery of feamen both for the
merchant fliips and fliips of war.

Another objedion is, that vaft fums of money have been funk in.

making canals But this is a very frivolous cavil. If an eftate is pro-

dudive, the owner will never objed to its being too great. And this
kind of property has never failed of being advantageous to the public,
even in thoi'e inflanccs where it has not been profitable to the proprie-
tors. But granting the worft, that the canal is ufelefs to the public,
and confequently a dead lofs to the proprietors, there is ftill no national
lofs : the money is only transferred from the pockets of the numerous
lubfcribers, who are generally in circumilances to bear the lols of the
lums fubfcribed, into the hands of induftrious mechanics and labourers,
who immediately return it into the general circulation. None of it is
either hoarded or fent out of the country. Many turnpike roads coft
more by the mile than fomc canals do : and :is one horle can draw as-
great a weight of goods upon a canal, as thirty can draw upon a road,
the fuperior ferviceablenefs and profit of the canal are obvious.

There is yet another objection to canals, which, though rather too ri-
diculous to merit notice, has been repeatedly urged, that tliey deftroy
great quantities of land, which might be better employed in raifing

• III the year 1760, juft before the duke of burthen was 1,379,329 inns (regular moafuic-

Bridgcvvalcr's lirll c.inal was finiOitd, the fiilps inent), wliicli mull h.m- lequircd coiifiderably

cleared out of the ports of F-iighnd were rate<i to more than d'luble the number of failors; and there

carry 471,241 tuns. In the year 1790, when al- can be no doubt that the inland navigation ha;

moll all England was iiitcrfcclcd by canah, their, contributeil its projxjitiun to the great increafe.

334 A. D. 1760.

corn *. But the line of a canal occupies but a very Imall fpace of
ground ; and, inftcad of diminifliing, it greatly increafes, the quantity
of corn land, by conveying manure to render barren land productive.
The quantity of corn for the ufe of mankind is moreover increafed (as
already obftrved) by rendering fewer horfes neceflary in the carrying
bufinefs.

It has alfo been faid, that the natural navigation of the rivers has

been neglected in partiality to thefe newfangled artificial canals But,

where the navigation of a river is free of obftructions, it cannot be fup-
pofed, that people are fo fond of throv/ing away their money, as to
niake fuperfluous canals. And it ought to be remembered, that im-
provements upon the natural channels of rivers are frequently deflroyed
by heavy land floods, as was the cafe with the rivers Calder, Irwell,
Stour, &c. which can do no injury to canals, as they admit no more
water in their channels than what is proper and ferviceable.

But the advantages of navigable canals, beiides ihofe already men-
tioned in the anfwers to the objedions, are great and obvious. They
give frefh -life to eflablillied manufactures, and they encourage the eflab-
iifhment of new ones, by the cafe of tranfporting the materials of manu-
fadure and provifions ; and thence we fee new villages ftart up upon the
borders of canals in places formerly condemned to fterility and folitude.
They invigorate, and in many inftances create, internal trade, which,
for its extent and value, is an objed of ftill more importance than fo-
reign commerce, aiid is exempted from the many hardihips and dangers
of a maritime life, and changes of climate. And they greatly promote
foreign trade, and confequently enrich the merchants of the ports where
they, or the navigable rivers they are connected with, terminate, by fa-
cilitating the exportation of produce from, and the introduction of fo-
reign merchandize inco, the interior parts of the country, which are
thus placed nearly on a level with the maritime parts ; or, in other
words, the interior parts become coafts, and enjoy the accommodations
offliipping. The price of provifions is nearly equalized through the
whole country ; the blefiings of Providence are more uniformly difl:ri-
buted ; and the monopolift is difappointed in his fchemes of iniquity
and opprellion by the eafe wherewith provifions are tranfported from a
confiderable diftance. The advantages to agriculture, which provides
a great part of the materials, and almoft the vi'hole of the fubfiftence,
required in carrying on manufactures and commerce, are pre-eminently
great. Manure, marl, lime, and all other bulky articles, which could
not pollibly bear the great expenfe of cartage, and alto corn and other
produce, can be carried at a very light expenfe on canals ; whereby
poor lands are enriched, and barren lands are brought into cultivation,

* I remember feeing an efHiy publiTaed only five cr fix years ago, tlie aiitlior of wliich very ferioufly
advifed filling iiji all the canals, ar.d fowing corn upon the ground.

A. D. 1760. 2^5,

to the great emolument of the farmer and landholder, and the general
advantage of the comnumity in an augmented fupply of the necelTaries
of life and materials of manufadures. Coals, (the importance of which
to a manufadaring country, few people, not actually concerned in ma-
nufi^dures, are capable of duely appretiating), (tone, lime, iron-ore, and
minerals in general, as well as many other articles of great bulk in pro-
portion to their value, which had hitherto lain ufelefs to their proprie-
tors by realbn of the expenfe, and in many cafes impoffibility, of car-
riage, are called into life, and rendered a fund of wealth by the vicinity
of a canal, which thus gives birth to a trade, whereby, in return, it is
maintained. The cheap, certain, and pleaiant, conveyance of travelers
by the trackfkuyts in Holland has been admired by all, who have been
in that country : and it muft be owing to the univerfal defire in this
country of flving over the ground with the greatefi: pofliblc rapidity,
that a mode of traveling, fo exceedingly eafy to the purfe and the per-
fon, is fo little ufed here. Neither ought we entirely to forget among
the advantages of canals the pleafure afforded to the eye and the mind
by a beautiful moving landfcape of boats, men, horfes, &c. bufied in
procuring I'ubfiftence to themfelves, and in diftufing opulence and con-
venience through the country. And, in a word, we have now the ex-
perience of about forty years to eftablini as a certain truth, what was
long ago faid by Dodor Adam Smith, that great mafler of political eco-
nomy, that navigable canals are among the grcatejl of all improvements *.

This year a variation was introduced in the mode of river navigation
by Mr. Bridge of Tewkfbury in Gloucefter-fliire. Where a ftream had
many mills upon it, he availed himfclf of the mill-ponds and water-
courfes, as parts of a canal already completed. Having adapted to his
boats a fufficienc number of frames, each carrying one tun of goods,
and having drawn a navigable cut from the ftream below the mill-dam
dole to the under fide of it, he hoifted up his frames with their con-
tents from the boat below, by a crane, and placed them in another boat

* Tliough I am not often guilty of tranfcribing • The traveller with pleafiiig wonder fees
poetry, yet I tliink the followiinr lines, written by ' The white fail gleaminp thto' the dufky trees,
llie ingenious poetefs, Mifs Aikin (now Mrs. ' And views the altcr'd landfcape with furprifc,
Barbauld), fo ilcganlly dcfcriptive of the advan- ' And doubts the magic fctncs wliich round hira
tages and beauties of inland navigation, that they ' rife.

deferve to be laid before the reader. • Now, like a flock of fwans, above his head

• Their woven wings the \_Jniling\ vefTeb fpread.

' Here fnioolh canals acrofa th' extended plain ' Now meeting llreams in artful curients glide,

« Stretch their long aims to join the dillant main: ' Wiiile each unmingl'd pours a feparate tide ;

' The fonsof toil witli many a weary llrokc • Now through the liidden veins of earth they-
' Scoop the hard bofom of the folid rock ; ' flow,

' Rclilllefs thro' the lliffoppofrng clay ' And vifit fulph'rous mines and caves below :

* With Heady patience work their gradual way ; ' Tiie ductile llreams obey the guiding hand,
' Compel the genius of th' unwilling floi)d ' And lucial plenty circks round the l.md.'

' Thro' the brown horrors of the aged wood ; This piclure, drawn on the banks of the Mcrfea, 13

' Crofs the lone wafte the filvcr urn they pour, conicd fiom the duke of liridgewater's canals, and

' And cheer the barren heuth or fuUen moor. it is Brindley's ' guiding hand' which the ductOc

4 llreams i>bev.

<!

36 . A. D. 1760.

of exactly the fame dimenfions, lying in the mill-pond above, thus by a
fucceflion of boats avoiding the neceflity of locks. This fcheme was,
however, difapproved of by the advocates for the navigation by locks;
and it totally failed afterwards, and almoft ruined thofc concerned in it.

The improvement and embellilhment of the principal feats of com-
nierce furnilh llrong proofs of advancing national profpcrity. There-
for the capital improvements of London, and of the other great trad-
ing towns in the Britifli dominions, will be briefly noticed in this
work * : and among thefc the new bridge over the Thames at Black-
friars may claim a pre-eminence in point of accommodation and orna-
ment. The foundation ftone of this elegant ftru<5lure was laid by Sir
Thomas Chitty, lord mayor of London (Odober 31^.); and under it
were placed feveral gold, filver, and copper, coins of the late king (in
whofe reign it was planned) and a filver medal, which the architedl,
Mr. Robert Mylne, had obtained in the year 1758, as a prize due to
his archite<ft:ural abilities, in Rome. As a teflimony of their refped for
the great merit of" the prime minifler, the citizens gave it the name
of Pitt's bridge : but that name has never come into general ufe, and it
is univerfally known by the name oi Blackfriar's bridge.

At the fame time a very great number of flreets in almofl every part
of the city were widened, by the total removal of fonie houfes, and re-
building others.

The progrefs of the linen manufadure in Scotland may be judged of
from the following Ilatement of the number of yards and value of the
linen ftamped for fale in the following years.

1740

4,609,672 yards,

^^188,777 16

5

1745

5.53^.925

224,252 8

0

1750

7-572,540

361,736 12

5

1755

8,122,472

345>349 14

6

1760

11,747,728

523,153 10

4

in V

alue.

A very large quantity of linen of the finer qualities, which is made
in mofi; families for private ufe, is not ftamped. hi ieveral fhires the
quantity of it is probably not lefs than equal to the half of what is made
for fale, and ftamped.

But all this linen, made in the whole kingdom of Scotland, is confi-
<IerablY inferior in value to the ivoollen cloth manufadured in the weft
riding of York-fliire only.

Some manufadures of a more advantageous nature were now begin-
ning to arife in Scotland, efpecially in the towns and villages within the
influence of the fpiritcd and commercial city of Glafgow, among which
Paifley was the fooneft diftinguiftied for the induftry and ingenuity of its
jnanufadurers. Bengals (imitations of ftriped muflins) handkerchefs,

• As only capital or cfTcntidl improvements will be noticed, the reader will not be troubled with the
petty detail of ever)- ?.&. for paving or lighting a ftreet, removing an olTcnfive houfc, or the like.

A. D. 1760. ^^7

lawns, and threads, had been made in Paifley for a confiderable time be-
fore the year 1759, when filk gauzes were firft made there. As foon
as they appeared in London, fome gentlemen there refolved to avail
themfelves of the low rate of wages in Paifley, and to fet up a manufac-
ture of filk gauzes upon a large fcale. The ftagnation, occafioned by
the general mourning for the late king, was of fcrvice to their under-
taking, as the weavers of light fabrics were all thrown idle, and glad to
get employment ; and thenceforth filk gauzes became the principal ar-
ticle of the place : they fupplied the London and foreign markets, and
gained fo decided a preference to thofe of Spitalfields, that the manu-
fadure was foon after in a manner rellgned to Paifley ; and there it has
paved the way to the fl;ill more important manufadures of muflin and
other articles of cotton. Thus the elegancies of drefs, which in former
ages were only to be obtained by prodigious labour and expenfe from
India and China, were now iupplicd from countries, which long con-
tinued ignorant of every employment, but thofe of hunting, war, and
fuperfl:ition *.

The firll law enadled in the reign of King George III was ' An
' adl for the fupport of his Majefly's houfehold and the honour and
' dignity of the crown of Great Britain,' whereby the revenue of the
civil lirt, which had hitherto been uncertain, was now fixed at /^8oo,ooo
a-year ; out of which the annuities to''the king's mother, his uncle,
and aunt, were to be paid during their lives. The revenues of Corn-
wall, and fome other branches of hereditary revenue, were alfo re-
ferved to the king over and above the flated fum of /^8oo,ooo [i Geo.

in, c. I ].

The ad \'^2> ^^°- ^A c. 5] for the importation of faked beef, pork, and
butter, from Ireland, being found beneficial, it was continued till the
24th of December 1761. [i Geo. Ill, c. 4.]

From the commencement of the eighteenth century the trade of
Ireland advanced with an almofli-regularly progreflive augmentation,
the furefl; and mofl: pleafing mark of real and durable commercial prof-
pcrity, as appears from the following accounts of its trade with all coim-
tries, collecled from the Irifli cuflom-houfe books, and arranged in de-
cennial averages, for which we are indebted to the laudable indufl;ry of
Lord Sheffield, who has publiflied it in his Ohfervations on the manufac^
tares, trade, atid prej'ent Jlate of Ireland.

Average imports of Ireland. Average exports of Ireland.

From 1700 to 1710 £s'^3'^^Sl ^7 2 £SS3^023 16 o

1710 to 1720 852,905 7 II 1,126,670 6 n

* Paifley owes its origin as a town to a famous abbay founded in the year 1 16+ by Walter, ftewart,
or (lew iird, ot Scotland, ancelU'r of the royal family.

Vol. III. U u

338

A. D. 1760.

Average imports of Ireland.

Average exports of Ireland.

From 1720 to 1730
1730 to 1740
1740 to 1750
1750 to 1760

^856,936 6 8
885,044 8 2

I'.I 23.373 I 8
1,594,164 7 I

£i,ojc),^og 3 2
1,190,253 3 4
1,485,110 18 3
2,002,354 5 10

As a proof how much the
trade with Britain exceeds
that with all other countries,
dedudt from the laft averages
the average imports from,
and exports to, Great Britain
from 1750 to 1760 - 1,015,306 2 10 1,274,569 7 o

and the trade of Ireland with
all the reft of the world du-
ring thefe ten years appears
to have averaged only - 578,858 4 3 and 727,784 18 10

' Although the balance of trade is in favour of Ireland with moll
' countries, it is conftantly againft her with Norway, Denmark, Swe-
' den, and the Eaft country. It is often fo in the trade with France, the
' import of claret exceeding the export of beef and pork to that coun-
' try ; and fometimes the balance is againft her with Holland and Flan-
' ders.' Upon the whole, it may be affirmed, that the trade of Ireland
fince the beginning of the eighteenth century has ' increafed more in
' proportion than the trade of England, and, perhaps, if it could be af-

* certained, we Ihould find, that the external trade of Ireland is, in pro-
' portion to her capital, greater than that of England ; but Ireland is

* far behind as to internal trade, and until there is aTi improvement in
' that refped, fhe cannot expedl to fee her people fully employed, or in

* pofreflion of any general affluence.' [Lo;y/ Sheffield's Objervations on
the trade of Ireland, p.p. 269, 273, third ed.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from.
Chriftmas 1759 to Chriftmas 1760 was as follows.

A. D. 1760.

339

Countries, &c.

Africa . - -
Canaries . - -
Denmark and Norway
East Country
East-India
Flanders

France . - -
Germany
Greenland
Holland

Ireland - . -
IVlann . . -

Italy

Madeira . - -
Poland

Pnissia - . -
Portugal . - -
Russia - . -

Spain - . -

Straits . - -

Sweden - - -
Turkey . . -
Venice . . -
Guernsey &c.
America in general
Hudson's bay
Newfoundland
Cape-Breton
Quebec ...
Nova Scotia
New-F^ngland
New-York
Pennsyhania
Virginia and Maryland
Carolina . - .
Georgia . - -
Antigua - - -
Barbados . - -
Bermuda ...
Guadaloiipe - - -
Jamaica - - .
Montserrat - . -
Nevis . . -

New-Providence -
St. Croix
St. Christophers
Tortola ...
British and Irish linens
exported on bounty to
various countries
Pi ize goods

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and cxp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain

Imported into

1 Exported Iroiu

T

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

i£39,410 14

0

345,546 0

1

135

17 Hi

3,131 0

5

58,859 4

4

58,745 10

10

23,845 8

4^

108,627 3

0

36,357

14 2

205,464 16

5

190,217 0

11

1,785,679 11

1

1,161,670 6

0

31,228 3

0

379,093 11

9

37 5

9

209,946 9

7

341,871

13 4

668,076 11

4

14,318 6

7

1,544,016 15

5

37,182

17 5

10,824 3

0

27 11

7

412,397 3

]

95.i76 12

f)}

1,784,442 U

2

207,583

2 lot

904,180 14

8

127,439 9
86 8

71
0

1,050,401 0

10

96,051
890

10 7i

17 4t

506,100 15

7

1,014 6

9J

210,096 10

2

4,648

11 6

3,386 14

10

9,105 10
3,887 17

3i

31,605 11

9

256
1,314

8 li
12 10

299,088 4

8

8,446 9

Gi

1,291,560 11

10

3,158

10 6\

474,680 2

9

61,824 8

H

38,710 0

1

1,050

13 9

460,042 13

9

2,923 16

H

1,048,222 18

1

10,024

16" 7t

61,850 1

4

399,819 I

9

193,340 2

5

25,280 6

H

13,657 13

0

5,119 7 4

58,916 12

6

55,730 0

10

41,138 2

6

6,105 5

1 1

62,173 16

9

1,739 13
175,704 5

2i

7

73,549 0

1)

18
340,540

6 3
4 Oi

6,142 12

5

4,959 15

10

26,360 2

4

56,643 1

6

5 8

3

11,048 14

5

2,154 18

5

51,629 18

5

701 7

4

52,767 2

2

37,802 13

1

599,647 14

8

21,J25 0

0

480,106 3

1

22,754 15

3

707,998 12

0

5C»-»,451 4

11

605,882 19

5

162,769 6

7

218,131 "7

8

12,198 14

10

159,162 19

0

191,117 13

2

223,716 12

11

269,449 6

2

70 12

7

16,115 14

8

424,366 18

4

118,569 5

10

1,034,283 3

8

585,771 13

2

75,936 12

4

23,143 13

4

45,750 11

0

20,390 9

8

1,730 0

7

1,657 3

/

292,470 19

2

149,142 4

10

30,351 19

0

397 18
188,159 •'■'

7
0

465,602 IS

5

340,336 3

5

9,S,i2,802 11

1

14,<i9-l,970 9

2

850,792 19

3

850,792 19

3i

1 ,080,205 4

8

1 ,086,205

4 8

10,68:1,595 10 1

I "i,~Sl i;,-. T!

in

UU2

340

A. D. 1760.

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain from
and to foreign countries *, including repeated voyages,

Britllh

Foreign |

Total j

Vcllcls.
.S.568
6,204.

Tuns.
258,028
555,900

Vcllcls.

r,o88
999

Tuns.

130,778

99,181

Vcllch.

4.656

7.203

Tuns.

388,806

655,081

Inward
Outward

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England - 6,105 velTels, of the reputed burthenf of 433,922 tuns,
and of Scotland 976 52,818

Total - 7,081 486,740

The net amount, paid into the exchequer, of the cuftoms arifmg
from merchandize imported and exported in the courfe of the year,
including the Weft-India duty of four and a half per cent, was

;Ci. 969.933: 17- 9-

There were coined in that part of the year, which was after the ac-

ceflion of King George III, 2,382 pounds of gold, value in money

/^l 1 1 ,298 : 1 9 ; and no filver.

The above ftatement of the imports and exports exhibits the amount
of the foreign trade of Great Britain, as it appears in the cuftom-houfe
books, without taking into the account that of Ireland or the colonies,
except as to their intercourfe with Great Britain ; though their trade
with other countries was very confiderable, and was, indeed, the prin-
cipal fund which enabled moft of the continental colonies to pay the
large balances they owed every year to the mother country.

There is no poflibility of obtaining any ftatement of the home trade,
which is carried on by means of coafting and inland navigation and
land carriage, and is, with good reafon, believed to- be a vaft deal
greater in value than the whole of the foreign trade J, the people of Great
Britain being the hcjl cij/lomers to the maTiiifaBiirers and traders of Great Britain.

The fums in the cuftom-houfe books are made up from a valuation
fettled in the year 1697, when the office of infpedor-general of imports
and exports was newly inftituted, which has been adhered to ever fince.

* In the cuftom-houfe accounts Ireland, Mann,
Guernfty, Jerfey, &c. arc reckoBcd among the fo-
reign countries.

\ The following Kota-lene is added by Mr.
Dalley, affiilant regiller-general of rtiipping, to an
account of veffels belonging to the ports of Great
Britain in this, and fome other years, laid before
the houfe of commons.

' The above is the beft account that can be pre-

• pared, according to the modes then in ufe of af-

• certaining the tunnage of veffels, which was fel-
' dom done by aftual admeafurement ; and the ac-
♦^count contained only fuch veffels »9 either enter-

* td, or cleared, at their refpecflive ports once in the
' courfe of each year; confcquentlythofc which were
' abfent from their ports during the wliole year are
' not included.' The real tunnage may in general
be reckoned full fifty per cent above the reputed.

J It has been calculated, though I know not
upon what groimds, or whether it is at all calcul-
able, that the home confumption of this country is
twoanJ-thlny times as much as the exports to fo-
reign countries. Ncverthelefs, the foreign trade is
generally the only ftandard referred to in fpecula-
tion or argument upon the goniniercial profperity
Of diftrcfs of the countrj-.

A. D. 1760. 441

notwithftanding the flucluation of prices, and the prodigious improve-
ments upon moft articles of Britifli manufacture, Hill fhipped under the
fame denominations which marked tlie inferior productions of the fe-
venteenth century *. As the accounts thus compiled muft convey a
very inadequate idea of the modern value of moll articles, they confe-
quently afford but an inaccurate ftandard for comparing the value of
one article with that of another ; but, with refpect to the comparifon of
the trade of one year with that of another, they certainly afford a
ftandard more correct, becaufe invariable, than any account, following
the frequent fluduations of prices, could poflibly do. Therefor, all
things confidered, the cuftom-houfe accounts, though they may have
been fometimes under-entered in the amount of goods charged with
duties, and probably often exaggerated in the amount of thofe that pay
none, undoubtedly contain the beft evidence that the nature of the cafe
admits of. But much caution is neceffary, and many circumflances muft
be duely confidered, before a judgement can be formed from them of the
advantages or difadvantages of any branch of the national commerce.

It has been cuftomary to confider our trade with thole countries,
from which we import a greater value than we export to them, as un-
profitable ; and that with thofe, to which our exports exceed the value
of our imports, as profitable. But fuch a rule is hable to a great num-
ber of exceptions The apparent balance muft be frequently erroneous

from the inaccuracy of the valuation. For example ; the Irifli linens
are all rated in the cuftom-houfe entries in England at 81^ a yard on an
average, whereas 1/4 a yard, the average price affumed in the Irifh cuf-
tom-houfc books, is rather under the value. As linens generally con-
ftitute above a half of the value of the imports from Ireland to England
and Scotland, the error in the value of that one article turns the balance
of trade with Ireland againft Great Britain : [Set Lo/J Sbcffiehrs Odjiy-
vatioiis on the 7riamifa6lures, \sc. of Ireland, p. 276, tljird ed. 1785] and
the valuations in many other branches of our commerce are not a whit

more accurate Money brought into Great Britain is not fubjccl: to

entry, and therefor does not appear in the cullom-houfe books, any

more than bills of exchange Money carried out fwells the amount of

export entries f, and coniequently enlarges the fuppoied general profit;

* A pretty accuiatc ftaiidard fur cftimaling llic merchandize exported, under tlic title of Foreign

proportion bctwcm the real, and the cullonihou(c, gold and bullion (being ^^884, 102 : 1 1 : 3 tor tlie

valuation of any cargo, or any year's exportation, year lyf'o) which, being foreign, mull have been

of which tlic particulars arc known, is furniflied previoufly imported, though the cullom-houfe

by the declarations now made in compliance with takes no cognizance of the impoitation. In ex-

thc convoy aA, which took place in the year trading the accounts for the years 1 760 — 1764 I

179^. A good fpecimcn of thofe proportions, have omitted this article, which, as it llands in the

drawn up by Mr. Irving, the infpedor-general, exports, appears to I'well the favourttblt balance ;

will be given with the tranfaftions of that year. whereas it is in fad the nectffaiy payment of an

f Till the year 1765 the gold and filver carried unfavourable balance. In time of peace, the bul-

abroad were CQlcrcU iii Ui< cuiluiu-huufc bovki j.% lioP; which i; exported; goes moAly to Chiua.

342 A. D. 1760.

though, according to the dodrine that gold and filver are the only
ftandard of wealth, fuch exportation is fo much clear lofs to the nation.

Great quantities of goods, fubject to high duties, totally prohibited,

or fhipped for exportation upon bounties or drawbacks, are clandeftine-
ly imported. Such importations, though not appearing in the general
account, there is reafon to believe, have confiderable influence on the
exchange with forae neighbouring countries *. And fuch of thofe
fmu2:gled goods as have been entered for exportation, perhaps over and
over again, thus make great additions to the fallacious eflimate of the
profitable balance, without ever being in reality exported at all for fo-
reign confumption — All goods, exported for the ule of our armies
abroad, are part of the national expenditure ; and can no more confli-
tute a real part of the profitable balance, apparently fuelled by their
exportation, than the goods taken from his flock, by a manufadurer or
fhop-keeper for his own ufe, can be ftated as enlarging his profitable
fales. — Cargoes entered outward, which are lofi: at fea, or taken by the
enemy, fwell the amount of exports, and confequently of fuppofed pro-
fit ; whereas in fadl they are a dead lofs to the nation (and, in cafe of
capture, tend to enrich the enemy, by whom they are in reality export-
ed) while the want of the homeward cargo, which fhould have been
imported in return, and which to the individual fufferer is not only a
real lofs, but a heavy difappointment and derangement of his plans of
trade, tends to enlarge the fuppofed balance of trade in our favour.
And the lofs or capture of homeward-bound fliips in the fame manner,
by diminifiiing the amount of entered imports, fallacioufly adds to the
apparent favourable balance.

On the other hand, there are branches of trade, which would be
ruinous, if the imports did not exceed the exports, or, in other words,
if the balance were not unfavourable, according to this flandard of efti-

mation Such is the trade with all our Weft-India fettlements, which

have been formed and fupported by Britifh capitals, and in a great mea-
fure owned by proprietors refiding in Great Britain. Therefor the out-
ward cargoes f are to be confidered as the flock employed in the cul-
ture of the plantations ; and the homeward cargoes are in fad: the pro-

* For example, can we fiippofe that England iaids. In the year 1758 the value of the bounty

this year bought goods from France only to the linens fhipped from England to all the colonies

amount of j^3 7 in return for goods to the amount was ;^2CO,657 : 16 : 3, btfides thofe fent from

of /,"209,946, or that Scotland took not one arti- Scotland. In 1761 it was only /"141, 895 : 6 : o ;

cle in return for tobacco, &c. amounting to and in 1762 it funk (apparently in confcquence

/"34i,87i, feeing that the commerce in tobacco of the war with Spain) to j^28,26o : 13 : i ; and

was tolerated on both fides. the vigilance of our own cruifers and revenue ofR-

\ While the linens exported on the bounty cers prevented the revival of the lucrative clandef-

were made a feparate article in the account of ex- tine trade with the Spaniards on the return of

ports, thefe outward cargoes were lower than the peace. After the year 1764 the bounty linens

truth by the whole amount of thofe linens fent to were more properly entered along with the other

the Weft-India iflands, in which a very large pro- qoods in the exports of each particular country,
portion of them was confumed, or fold to the Spaa-

A. D. 1760. 343

ceeds of that culture, the excefs of which is not a lofs to the nation,
but the real amount of the net profits coming into the pockets of the
proprietors, and giving a very comfortable demonftration how much
the amount of the produft is more than the prime coft. In other words,
the outward cargoes are the feed, and the inward cargoes are the harvejl.
Neither is the balance, ftated as due to the iflands, remitted to them to
increafe their flock of circulating money. A part of it is paid, as inte-
reft or difcharge of debts, to capitalifts at home, to whom many of the
plantations are deeply mortgaged. Another part (and, 1 hope, the
largefl) refls with the proprietors, of whom a very confiderable number
are merchants refiding in Great Britain, and many of the others alfo
refide in England, living on the balance of their plantation produce,
which, if not entirely exhaufted in their expenditure, is laid out in pur-
chafes at home, or in improving the Weft-India plantations, and thus
in either way adding to, and by no means deducting from, the national
opulence.

The fame reafoning will alfo hold good with the trade to Hudfon's
bay, and feveral others, wherein the excefs of the imports is the real
profit, and a continuation of favourahle balances would in a few years
ruin the trade. In fome branches of bufinefs the goods exported are
merely the charges of trade, as is the cafe in all fiflieries : for example,
if a large fum appeared as the amount of goods carried to Greenland,
and none at all brought from it, it is evident, that the apparent y^Tw/r-
able balance is a dead hfs, and that the adventurers, befides the goods
fliipped, and entered as exported, lofe alfo the wages and provifions of
the feamen, and the wear and tear of their fliips ; whereas in luch trades
the excefs of the imports above the exports (or, if any body pleafes to
call it fo, the mifavourable balance) fhews the amount of the national
gain.

There is another kind of deceptive inference to be drawn from the
cuftom-houfe entries, if not duely guarded againft. It is necellary to
advert, that the exports to fome countries conftitute the prime coft of
cargoes to be Ihipped off from them to a third country. Thus the wines
of Madeira are fent to the Britilh fettlemcnts in the Eaft and Weft In-
dies, and, even if intended for Britain, are often carried by the circuitous
route of thofe diftant regions, before they are brought home. The bulk
of the cargoes from Africa confifts of the miferable natives, who are
fold in the Weft-Indies ; and the proceeds arc generally remitted to
Great Britain in bills of exchange, which do not appear at all in the
cuftom-houfe books. And in like manner moft of the cargoes, carried
from Newfoundland and the adjacent countries, conliftoffilh, which
never come to Great Britain, but are fold in Spain, Portugal, and other
Roman catholic countries, and their proceeds alfo brought liome in
bills of exchange. ■•

344 A. D. 1760.

Were we to eftimate the profperity of a country merely from the
balance of trade in the cuftom-houfe books, Scotland mud be pronounc-
ed to be in a ruinous ftate ever fince the American war, the imports
from foreign countries being generally more than the exports to them ;
as will appear by the accounts to be found in the fubfequent part of
this work. But the truth is, that fmce that event the people of Scot-
land have paid more attention than formerly to manufactures, which
(by land carriage and coafting navigation, neither of which appear in
the cuftom-hovile books) are carried to every part of Great Britain, and
enter to a much greater amount into the exports of London than into
thofe of Glafgow : and that, upon the whole, the trade of Scotland is
now more flourifliing than ever.

From what has been faid it will appear, that all arguments, calcula-
tions, or arrangements, founded upon the fuppofed balance of trade,
are very fallacious ; and that thofe founded upon the balance with any
particular country are generally much more fallacious than thofe de-
duced from the general balance of the whole foreign trade of the
nation *.

1761, January 15'" — In India Colonel Coote took the famous city of
■Pondicherry, fituated about fixty miles fouth from Madras on the Coro-
mandel coafi:, and now almofl the only fettlement in that quarter of the
world remaining in the hands of the French : and, as whatever wealth
remained to them after the redudion of their other pofls, was now amaff-
ed in that place, it rivalled, perhaps furpalTed, the opulence and commer-
cial fplendour of Madras. This conquefl may be faid to have put an end
to the power of the French in India, of which Major Rennell fays, that
' it was a bright meteor, that dazzled at firft, but which foon burnt itfelf
' out, and left their Eaft-India company in utter darknefs.'

Mr. Law, a nephew of the famous author of the MifTifippi fcheme
in France, having got together a body of about 200 French foldiers,
perfuaded the great mogul to attack Bengal, which was under the pro-
tedtion of the Britifli forces. The mogul's vaft army was completely
routed by Major Carnack, and the monarch himfelf, together with his
triend Law, made prifoner ; and this fplendid victory was gained on
the fame day that Pondicherry fur rendered.

New taxes being neceffary to fupport the expenfe of the war, an ad-
ditional excife duty of 3y-j- was laid on every barrel of beer or ale worth
above 6/", to be brewed for fale in England after the 24th day of Ja-

* Though I am confcious that thefe matters may be ufeful to feme, who have not had occafion

are much better underflood by many of my read- to turn their thoughts upon fuch fubjecls.
ers than by myfelf, I have thought it would not f In confequence of this advance, the pubh'c-

be improper to fubjoin luch remarks to the firil ans, after encountering fome oppofition, got the

ilatement of the cuftom-houfe accounts, as they price of porter raifed from threepence to three-

2 pence lialfpenny a quart.

A. D. 1 76 1.

345

nuary, and of twenty-four fifty-feventh parts of 3/ in Scotland, agree-
able to the feventh article of the union.

The duties to be raifed by this new excife were appropriated to pay
the interefl: of twelve millions now borrowed as follows.

For ;(^i 1,400,000 the fubfcribers were to receive for every £100 an
annuity or annual interefl of - - - £^ o o

And alfo an annuity terminable in 99 years of , - 126

Both to be computed from 5th January 1761, and to be payable at the
bank in equal half-yearly dividends on the 5th of January and 5th of
July in every year.

The fubfcribers to the remaining ^{"600,000 were entitled to ;,(^6o,ooo
lottery tickets at ;;^i o each. In this lottery there were 1 1 ,945 prizes
from /^i 0,000 (of which there were two) down to /^2o ; and the blanks
were entitled to £6. But the holders of the tickets, inflead of being
paid in money, as in the prefent times, were put in pollellion of fo
much three-per-cent flock, as fortune appointed for them, to be computed
from 5th January 1762 ; fo that a prize of /^i 0,000 entitled the for-
tunate adventurer to an income of ^^300 a year, and a blank (valued at
;^6) to one of 3/7 a year : and the value of them was whatever fuch
income would fell for, according to the fludluating price of the funds.
[i Geo. ///, c. 7.]

In every loan adl there is a fecftion, in virtue of which the bank is
to continue a corporation, till all the annuities therein provided fhall be
paid off. But that long term does not extend to the privilege of exclu-'
Jive banking, or iflliing paper money.

Mr. John Wood of Wedntfbury in Stafford-fhire obtained a grant for
a new invention of making malleable iron out of pig iron *.

Canada being now a BritiHi province, the lords of trade and planta-
tions addrefled the king, that the trade of that country might be put
under the fame regulations with that of the other colonies, except luch
cafes as might be otherways particularly provided for in the capitula-
tion. After the conquefl of this vafl province, large orders for furs
were forwarded to this country from Handers, and even from Rullia,

* Mr. Eton mentions a difcoveiy, by an Ara- deavouring to dilcovei the proccfsof his art. [.Sur-

l)ian at Conllantinople, of the art of calling iron vey of Ttirlcy, p. 227.] Such, for want of the in-

ID fiicli a manner, that, when it caine out of the tcrell neceffary to procure encouragement, has been

mould, it was peifeCtly malleable : and he obfcrvcs, the fate of many a valuable difcovcry in other coun-

with fome indignation at the wretched Hate of trio as well as in Turkey.

knowledge and government in Tuikey, that this Mr. Reaumur, fo well known for his improvc-

ait, which might have been of the greatcft im- meut of the theimomcter, in the year 1772 pub-

poitance to focicty, miA •which tuoiild have injurid lilhed an tlTay on the art of rendering call iron

the inventor a ffihniliJ fortune in Chrijlendom, Ian- ductile and fit to' be forged : and a maiiufadlory

guidied for want of encouragement, and periflied of it was fet up in France, but afterwards given

with the inventor, who died poor and unknown, up ; whence wc may infer, that tl.e projcft, if et -

Some men of fcience (Germans and Italians) after fcctual, was unprofitable,
lus death pu7.zled thcmfclvcs, but in vain, in en-

Vol m. X X

346 A. D. 1761.

which, though a country of furs, does not produce a fufficient quantity
for the fupply of the inhabitants.

Ireland has of late made a rapid progrefs in national improvements ;
and the grand improvement of internal navigation by artificial canals
has not been neglected. A canal, connecting the interior part of the
country with Newry, had been begun about two years before, and was
now open for the reception of gabbards * and lighters.

The a(fl: of parliament, [6 Geo. 11^ c. 13.] for fecuring and encouraging
the trade of the fugar colonics, being nearly expired, it was continued
till the 29th of September 1763, and thence to the end of the then next
fellion of parliament f. [i Geo. Ill, c. 9.]

The ad, permitting for a limited time the importation of tallow from
Ireland duty-free, was extended to hogs-lard and greafe. [r Geo. III., c.
10.] It was hoped, that the extravagant price of candles, which prelTed
fo hard on the poor, would thereby be fomewhat reduced : and therefor
this law, fo extended, has been renewed from time to time.

That the importers of gold and filver might not be difcouraged by
any deficiency of the revenue, appropriated for the fupport of the mints
of England and Scotland, the treafury was empowered to defray the
neceflary cxpenfes attending them for feven years, reckoning from the
I ft of March 1761, fo as they, with the coinage duties, do not exceed
;(?! 5,000 a year, [i Geo. Ill, c. 16.]

Befides the twelve millions lately voted, the parliament found it ne-
cefiary to provide feveral large fums by exchequer bills, and by bor-
rowing from the bank and from the finking fund, for the urgent ex-
penfes of the war.

The particulars of the public expenditure of this year, which are any
way conneded with commercial eftablifliments, including colonization,
were the following.

For the fupport of Nova Scotia, - - £^°,S9S ^2 9

For the civil eftablifliment of Georgia, - - 4>o57 10 o

Of which fum^^'iooo was appropriated for pur-
chafing from the cultivators the cocoons of the
filk-worms : and for the further encouragement
of that branch of induftry, Mr. Ottolengi, an Ita-
lian, was appointed, with a proper falary, to in-
ftrud the colonifls in the management of filk-
worms and filk.
Allowed as a compenfation to the provinces of
North-America -for their expenfes in levying
troops to oppofe the French forces, - 200,000 o o

* Gabbards are fmall vefTcls of a flat conftruftion, fit for coaftiiig and river navigation,
f This fupplemei>tal continuation being, I believe, in all the aSs which refer to limited peiiods, it
will not be necefFai)- to repeat it every time fuch ads are mentioned. 4

A. D. 1761. 347

Allowed to the Eaft-India company towards the ex-

penfe of their military eftablilliment, - 20,000 o o

To the city of London towards repairing and widen-
ing the paflage over London bridge, - 15,000 o o

For fupporting the Britifh forts in Africa, - 13,000 o o

To which may be added.

For the foundling hofpital *, - £4^,ic)'j 10 o

[i Geo. Ill, cc. 18, 19, 2C.]

An act was palled for enlarging and improving the harbour of White-
haven in Cumberland.

The king having recommended ic to parliament to render the con-
dition of the judges more independent, their appointments and fala-
ries were fixed for life, unlefs they fliould render themfelves liable to
be removed by an addrefs of both houles of parliament. [i Geo. Ill,
c. 23.]

A new machine for catching fifh, faid to be very fimple in conflruc-
tion, and very effectual in execution, was exhibited at Richmond on the
Thames. This one, being on a fmall fcale, was worked by a child : but
the large ones were propofed by the inventor to require only two men,
even in the mod tempeftuous weather ; and it was added, that the ufe
of them was entirely exempted from the very great hazard to which
the lives of the filhermen are expofed in boats.

The ifkind of Dominica (one of thole called neutral ifliinds) in the
Weft-Indies was taken from the French by Commodore Sir James Dou-
glas, and General Lord RoUo, commander of the land forces, with a
reinforcement furniflied from Guadaloupe under the command of Co-
lonel Melville, lieutenant-governor of that ifland. Dominica has llnce
become a very valuable Bntifli colony, as will appear in due time.

The governor of Barbados was commillioned to be alfo governor of
Dominica, St. Vincent's, Tobago, and the reft of the iftands to wind-
ward (eartward) of Guadaloupe.

The ifland called Belleifle on the coaft of France furrendered to the
Britifli arms. But this capture, which was merely an operation of the
war, had little or no influence upon commerce.

The Dutch this feafon employed 152 vefl'els in their herring fifliery
on the coafts of Shetland and Scotland, and 122 in their filhery on the
coaft of Iceland.

While the Dutch were thus working their gold mine f upon the
Scottifli fliores, the Scots had only 17 vefl'els, meafuring 745 tons, and
carrying 174 men, employed on this important national object: and

• A film almoll as large was granted tlic next f So the Dutch call their herring fifhcry, which
year, and fiich grants have been ol'tcii repeated, as is entirely carried on upon our coail'-'.
alfo the grants for Nova-Scotia, &c. which ars
annual.

XX2

348 A. D. 1761.

this year's was the greatefl outfit for the fifhery fince the attempt to re-
vive it by bounties *.

In a treaty of peace and commerce concluded with the emperor of
Morocco in July 1760, and ratified 5th Augufi; 1761, it was fiipulated,

Article 2, 6) That all Englifli fhips arriving in any port of the em-
pire of Morocco, and finding their cargoes unfaleable there, fhould be
at liberty to carry them to any other port of the empire, and pay duty
only once, fire-arms, fwords, and other implements of war, and mate-
rials for building fhips, being free of all duty ; and that fliips bound to
other parts of the world, calling at any of the ports of Morocco, ftiould
pay no duty ; and fliips belonging to either party, driven into the ports
of either country by ftrefs of weather, fhould be protedted, and enjoy
perfedl liberty.

3, 4, 17) Ships of both parties fliould have liberty to navigate the
feas without any fearch or hindrance on fhewing their paflports.

7, 8) The king fhould be at liberty to eflablifli a conful, or confuls,
in the dominions of the emperor, who fhould refide in what ports or
places he, or they, fhould think proper ; they, and all the Britifh mer-
chants, with their fl\milies and fervants, enjoying perfed liberty, reli-
gious, civil, and commercial. And the fubjeds of Morocco fhould en-
joy equal liberty in Britain.

12) Subjeds of Morocco carrying cargoes from Britain fhould have
the advantage of a Britifli convoy to Gibraltar, and thence to their own
port on the coafl of Morocco.

15) All fubjeds of the king, whether Britifli or German, found on-
board the fhips of any other nation, with whom the emperor of Mo-
rocco is at war, are to be delivered free of ranlbm to the Britifh conful,
or the principal Britifh merchant at the port they are carried into. The
people of Morocco, found onboard any vefTel taken by Britifli fhips of
.war, are to be treated in the fame favourable manner.

24) The payment of 225,000 pefbs duros [hard dollars] was to be
confidered as entire fatisfadtion for all redemptions, differences, difficul-
ties, &c.

The people of England now beginning to underfland the great ad-
vantages of inland navigation, the duke of Bridgewater's example was
followed on the oppofite fide of the country in a canal extending
from Lynn to Northampton, the navigation of which commenced
with the paflage of 38 barges loaded with coals, Sec. on the 7th of
Auguft.

It is faid, that the Dutch annually receive from this country the
enormous fum of /!!i 00,000 for the fingle article of turbot, and alfo
large fums for other fpecies of fifli. The Norwegians alfo carry off
large fums for lobfters and crabs. It was therefor a patriotic undertak-

* A chronological (latcment of thi Scottidi fifherv \v!U be after A-arJs Infsrted. a

A. D. 1 761.' 349

ing in the fociety for the encouragement of arts and commerce to ad-
vance ;^2000 upon a plan fuggefted by Mr. TuU (the fon of the founder
of the horfe-hoeing fyflem of hufbandry) for fupplying London with
fifli brought from the coaft by land-carriage, which was put under the
management of Captain J. Blake.

Upon invitation from Sir Samuel Fludyer, the firft new lord mayor
of London after the king's marriage, the king, queen, and royal family,
the court, and the foreign amballadors, were entertained at the inflalla-
tion dinner at Gild-hall ; on which occafion one of the foreign mini-
fters was fo ftruck with the fuperb difplay of the magnificence and opu-
lence of the city, that he faid, fuch an entertainment was only fit to be
given by one fovereign to another.

A method of preferving the bottoms of fliips from the worm, and
from the adhefion of weeds, had been fome years before this time fub-
mitted to the fociety for the cncovu'agement of arts and manufadlures ;
and fome experiments, made in various climates, with wood prepared
according to the diredions of the inventor, were found fatisfacftory ; fo
that this new method was fuppofed to be of infinite fervice to all kinds
of fhipping.

But this method was foon fuperfeded by another, and apparently a
Jnore effectual, prefervative, compofed of thin flieets or plates of fmooth
copper, which no worm or animal of any kind will touch, and no ve-
getable will adhere to, which are great obje6ls in point of fwift failing.
It likeways keeps the fliip tighter than any other flieathing, and is infi-
nitely preferable to the old flieaching of lead, which was clumfy and in-
tolerably heavy ; whereas the copper is neat and much lighter than the
thinneft flieathing of boards, and laflis almoft as long as the fliip can be
kept afloat. The firfl: trial was made on the Alarm, one of the king's
fliips, at Woolwich ; and it foon came into general ufe, not only in the
navy, but alio in the merchants' fervice.

A manufidure of cambric, in imitation of the French fabric, was
eflabliflied at Winchelfea, which was expec1:cd to be of great national
advantage, by faving the great funis fent to France for that article.

Among the patriotic grants of the Irilh parliament for the general
improvement of the country, the following are felecT:ed, as more imme-
diately connedted with commerce and manufacftures.

To the trufl^ees for the linen manufacture for two years *' /^8,coo

To encourage a cambric manufacTiure at DundaFk - 1.375

To the corporations of feveral inland navigations - 13,500

The great canal from Dublin to the Sliannon - 10,000

Making the Shannon navigable from Limerik to Kilaloc 8,coo

* Bv the jiijicioiis managcnu'iU of llic triillccj the linen mamifaflHic of Irvlaud was lliis year iii-
crtafcJ ninvanii iif /,'??,' oo, and w:u Ri'.l incrcufin^.

^^o A. D. 1761.

For a new key and other improvements at Limcrik - 4,500

Improving the navigation of the Barrow and the Boyne 4,000

Building piers at Dunleary and Balbriggan - - 4,500

Improving Cork harbour by clearing the channel - 4,000

Finilhing the harbour of Wicklow - - 1.850

To finifh a dock at Dublin - - - 1 ,gco

To lengthen the wall of the ballaft-office - - 5, 000
And to the Dublin fociety for the improvement of hufbaiid-

ry and other ufeful arts _ _ _ 12,000

Thefe grants, when added to thofe voted for churches, fchools, hofpi-
tals, mills, &c. are, confidering all things, wonderfully liberal : and there
is this great bleiling that attends fuch expenditure of public money,
that, if the object fliould even not be accompliflied, yet the money is
employed in diffusing induflry and comfort among a vaft number of
workmen, who are thereby enabled to maintain their families, and to
raife up a healthy and induftrious race of future workmen to fupport
and enrich the flate. And as fuch public works, confidered and plan-
ned by the national wifdom, and executed under the fuperintendence
of men of the firft profeflional abilities, fcarcely ever mifcarry, they are
in every fenfe the furefl: means to enrich a country. The fame, or fi-
milar, grants were repeated, as often as they were needful, by the par-
liament of Ireland.

For the convenience of change, gold pieces of the value of 5/3, called
quarter guineas, were coined ; but being very fmall, they were found
trifling and inconvenient, and the circulation of them was difcontinued
in a few years.

The following is a llatement of the number of cattle, &c. killed in
the city of London during the year 1761.
711,121 flieep and lambs,
78,254 bulls, oxen, and cows,
104,760 calves.

The following flatement of the royal navy of Great Britain in the
year 1761, may be ufeful in order to compare it with fubfequent
ones.

2 {hips of the ifl rate,
carrying

146,932 hogs for pork,
41,000 hogs for bacon,
52,600 fucking pigs.

II

60

43

71
40

68

g -

90 to

no guns

2d rate,

84

90

3d rate.

64-

80

4th rate,

48-

60

5th rate

26

44

6th rate,

16

24

floops,

8

14

1 2 bomb veiTels j
10 fire fhips ;

4 flore fliips ;

39 hired armed veflels ;
7 royal yachts ;

5 fmall yachts ;

Total, 372 velTels of all kinds.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chrillraas 1760 to Chriftmas 1761 was as follows.

A. D. lyGr,

351

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmaric and Norway

East Country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Iceland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Prussia

Portiigal

Russia

Spain

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

Venire

Guernsey, &c.

Belle-isle

America in general

Hudson's bay

Ne\il(mndlaiid

Cape-Rreton

Quebec

Nova-Scotia

New- England

New- York

Pennsylvania

Virginia and Maryland

Carolina

Georgia

Antigua

Rarlwdos

Hernuida

Guadaloupe

Jamaica

Montserrat

Nevis

Ncw-Providcnce

Si. Croix

St. Christophers

St. Thomas

Tortola

Monte Cliristi

St. Eustathius

British and Irish linens

exported on bounty to

\arious countries
Prize goods

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. ol' Scotland

Total, Great Britain -

Imported into

Exported from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

^12,201 3

2

^£325,307 1 11

^'1,700 6 4

482 17

10

64,543 5 1

78,377 6

11

5£25,280 3 2

1 1 1 ,227 0 1

44,013 11 0

133,536 7

0

202,254 16 1

340,987 11

4

845,797 0 4

30,546 11

5

425,130 19 4

480 8

2

74,242 5 7

102,951 14 2

704,-44 13

5

12,002 8 1

2,249,279 2 9

82,719 4 2

7.972 17

10

34 11 10

437,127 7

7

86,981 19 3

2,245,695 12 4

436,470 1 4

853,804 8

0

101,992 10 11
12 10 0
59 6 0

1,476,114 14 3

166,282 .6 4

21 15 0

1 ,878 6 0

70"l,9lO 18

7

199,461 6 9

4,173 15 0

0,714 15

9

13,850 17 6
3,831 11 1

46,931 10 9

1,826 11 2
3,097 17 3

241,056 1

9

8,211 19 I

1,204,071 15 1

2,100 13 7

705,427 17

9

77,658 4 0

47 .-^79 17 10

238 10 0

433,917 4

9

4,837 18 11

1,253,737 17 11

10,597 18 5

103,028 16

5

389,577 5 2

270,968 7

7

27,781 14 7

23,128 4 8

2,998 0 5

] 63,300 19

6

54,282 14 2

15,229 12

5

26,367 6 7

85,090 2

8

0,469 1^ 8

54,433 IS 1

124 10 0

821 4

0

379,002 9 3

54,570 12 8

304,527 10 2

1 1 ,294 3

2

5,858 10 10

25,282 7

8

57,90^ 2 10

10 0

0

14,015 lO

1

226,292 9 5

80 14

0

59,408 17 3

40,225 11

11

334,225 13 7

48,048 0

2

289,570 5 1

39,170 0

0

204,067 2 3

455,083 0

2

545,350 14 0

253,002 17

11

254,587 11 0

5,764 11

9

24,279 19 9

280,869 lO

1

108,244 4 8

253, 90() U)

1

215,479 10 3

1 ,206 0

.3

14,207 2 2

482,179 2

2

131,942 19 11

932,197 5

8

111,616 12 3

79,982 0

4

21,072 2 9

67,538 12

3

12,134 14 4

«,727 7

0

199 10

0

254 11 5

294,850 14

5

134,009 11 11

5 0

0

4 1,286 2

n

993 4 2

8,314 11

5

2,533 4 5
5,603 6 0

154,550 18 0

248,702 5

1

195,164 14 1

9,541,901 14

4

14,6-3.191 0 10

!

74,^,639 15

0

749,639 15 0

1,165.722 1 2

1,165,723 1 2

in,'_>o.>.54i 0

4

l6.03S.nl3 2 0

35^

A. D. 1761.

There were entered this year from and to foreign countries in the-
various ports of Great Britain :

Inward
Outward

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 6119 veflels of the reputed burthen of
and of Scotland 956 _ _ _

Britilh.

Foreif(n.

'lotal.

Veffcls.
4164
58X8

Tuns.

527'557
466,096

VelTels.
1848
1079

Tuns.
180,102
119.308

VeiTtls.
6012
6897

'J'uns.

707*659
585,404

405,795 tuns.
51.523

Total 7075 - - - 457.316

The net amount of cufloms, including the Weft-India four-and-a-half-
per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year, was,
from the cuftom-houfe in London, - /^i, 858, 151 18 il

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh, - 8,000 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain, ^{"1 ,866,151 18 11

And there were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
11,790 pounds of gold, value - - ^550.^87 15 o

and I o pounds of filver, - - - 3100

;^55o,9i8 15 o

1762, January 4''' — War was proclaimed againft Spain.

January 2 2"* — A treaty was entered into with the bey of Tunis ; but
though called a treaty of commerce, it contains nothing worth men-
tioning in a commercial point of view.

A loan was opened for twelve millions by open fubfcription at the
bank. For every ^^i 00 the fubfcribers were entitled to an annuity,
which was to continue at £4. for 19 years, and afterwards to be reduced
to jT^' ^^^ ^1^0 ^^ ^ terminable annuity of ,^1 for 98 years. [2 Geo.
Ill, c. 10.]

The trade carried on by the French with the Weft- Indies, though
crippled by the capture of feveral of their iflands, was ftill confiderable
and productive : and therefor the Britifti miniftry confidered their re-
maining iflands as the points wherein they were moft vulnerable, and
by the polleflion of which a peace might moft fpeedily be effeded.
Martinique, the chief of the French windward iflands, was according-
ly attacked by a confiderable force under the command of General
Monkton and Admiral Rodney ; and by a final capitulation (for there
were two previous partial ones) the whole ifland was furrendered to the
Britifli commanders (February 13th).

The conqueft of this important ifland naturally drew after it. the fub-

A. D. 1762.

35i

mifllon of the remainder. Grenada and its dependencies, and St. Lucia
and St. Vincent's, long the rubjecT;s of fierce contefis between France
and England, following the fame example, France had not now a fmgle
pofleflion in any of the iflands to windward of Puerto- rico. All were
lubjed to Great Britain. And though thefe iflands are only fpecks on
the furface of the ocean, yet being vigoroufly cultivated, exporting the
whole of their produce, and importing nine tenths of all the articles
neceflary for their fubfiflence and for carrying on their cultivation, the
trade of each fingle ifland with the mother-country is equal, or even
fuperior, to that of fome kingdoms *.

The number of houfes in Boflon, in New England, was found on a
furvey to be 2757. If we allow five inhabitants to every houfe, the
number of inhabitants will be 13,785.

It may certainly be confidered as a proof of the profperity of the people
of Ireland, as well as of their fatisfadion with the condudl of the earl of
Halifax, their lord-lieutenant, that they addrefled him with a propolal of
augmenting the falary of himlelf and his I'ucceflbrs to /^ 16,000 a-year.

The lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia having conciliated the friend-
fhip of the neighbouring Indians, who had been converted to the re-
ligion and interefts of the French, an ad of the legiflature of the pro-
vince was pafled to guard againfl the interruption of the harmony, by
fraudulent praclices in thofe who trade with the Indians, and to oblige
all fuch to take out licences, and give fecurity for their compliance with
the regulations of the ad. 7'his ad moreover eftabliflied a tariff of re-
gulated prices, which were fixed as the ftandard of the trading inter-
courfe between the white people and the Indians.

A pound of the beft fpring beaver was valued at ^f, and eftabliflied as
the fixed flandard, by which all other goods were to be valued as follows.

i;^ lb. of fall beaver

I otter-fkin

3 fable, or martin fkins

6 minks-fkins

lomuik-rats or mufquafh fkins

5 lb, of deer-fkin

10 ermine-fkins

I large good bear-flcin

I red fox-lkin

I black fox-llvin

I filver fox-lkin,

I large moofe-fkin

U-,

0

C

>

4J

-Q

>

f— t

ri

^-1

0

^

^ 2

bO

.— t

.S

a

"Ih

Z3

•■Br'

OJ

If

lb.

T

2

2^

It

I large cat-lkin (loup fervie) 2 lb.
Seal-fkins, according to fize,

from 8(7 to 3/4
6 lb. of feathers - i

I large blanket - 2

Rum, per gallon - |

Molafles, per gallon - |
;^o lb. flour - i

14 lb. pork - t

Stroud, per yard - i|

and all other merchandize in pro-
portion to theie rales.

• In tin's fame year (1762) tlio produce of Martinique imported into Great Biitain cxcicJcd tliat
i)f any otlier of oiu' ifl.mds, Jamaica atui Giiadaloupe (dio lately a ricucli ilKind) only excepted ; and
the returns of its commerce were more cxtenfive than thofe of our trade with Dcnmack and Norvray.
witli Sweden, ot with Spain.

Vol, III.

Y V

354 A. D. 1762.

From a flatiftical llirvey of Nova Scotia, taken at this time, the po
pulation and cultivation were as follows.

In Halifax 25CO people, Lunenburg 1400, Horton 900, Cornwallis
600, Liverpool 504, eleven other towns, or townlliips, from 60 to 350,
1840 — Total 7744-

There were 14,640 acres of cleared upland in grafs, and 86,coo acres
of fiilt marfh in fome degree of cultivation.

For the encouragement of the fidieries ot Nova Scotia, parliament
permitted fait to be carried to that province from any part of Europe
in Britifh veflels, as by the ad, 15 Cha. II, was allowed to Newfound-
land and New England. [2 Geo. Ill, c. 24, pcijfed 2d Jane.']

According to the report of Mr. Jones, who was fent by the governor
of Jamaica to the Mufquito fiiore, to acl in place of the deceafed fupcr-
intendent, ' from the year 175910 1762, the Mufquito fhore was in-
' habited by 203 white people (the detachment of 30 ioldiers included)
' witli 189 free meflees and mulattoes, about 3000 Mufquito Indians,
' and 914 negro flaves, in all 4306 fouls, befides the friendly Indians
' on the back part of the country. The imports of Britifli commodi-
' ties, on an average amounting to /Ti 8,500 a-year, and the exports to
' /J30,792, employed 11 50 tuns of Ihipping and 115 feamen.'

The commodities furnifhed by the native Indians are mahogany, far-
faparilla, filk-grufs, honey, bees'-wax, deer and leopard fkins, hammocks
made of cotton and filk-grafs, cotton cloths called cavallys for covering
beds and tables, which they make large and fine, ot various colours,
witli llripes and figures. They alfo furnifh great quantities of turtle-
ftiell.

Mr. Jones obferves, that the imports and exports of the bay of Hon-
duras are much larger than thofe of the Mufquito fhore.

Parliament pafled a new ad for providing a reward for the difcovery
of the longitude at fea, whereby a fum not exceeding ^Taooo was ap-
pointed to be paid by the commiflioners of the longitude to any per-
fon whofe propofU they fhould think deferving of a trial. [2 Geo. Ill^
c. 18.J

The many improvements of the inflrumcnts ufed for taking the al-
titude of the fun, have made it perfectly eafy for navigators to afcer-
tain their latitude very exadly, every day that the fun is vifible. But
for the longitude they were obliged to depend upon the accuracy of
the courfe fleered, and the menfuration of the Ihip's velocity by an in-
flrument called the log, which are both liable to much uncertainty —
from the indeterminate allowance for currents and lee way, wliich mufb
depend on the judgment, or conjedure, of the navigator — from an er-
roneous conftrudion of the compafs — from erroneous meaiurement of
the log-line — erroneous quantity of fand in the half-minute glafs — inex-
perience of the perfon heaving the log — fwell of the fea — variation of

A. D. 1762. ^^^

the fhip's rate of going between the flated times of heaving the log, &c.
Hence a method of afceitaining the longitude, with the fame degree of
accuracy which is attainable in the latitude, has for ages been the
grand defideratum in navigation: and fince the year 1714, when the
parliament offered a reward of _^20,ooo for the bell method of afcer-
taining the longitude at fea, many fchemes have been devifed, but all
to little or no purpofe, as going generally upon wrong principles, till
that heaven-taught artift, Mr. John Harrifon, arofe.

It is evident, that as the globe revolves round its axis in twenty-four
hours, every one ot the 360 degrees of longitude mufl: be equal to four
minutes of time ; and coni'cquently, that if a (liip has failed from any
given point, where the fun was in the zenith, (or in his meridional al-
titudej and next day, when the fun is in the zenith, it is found by a
watch, which goes perfedly true, that it is four minutes after twelve,
the fhip has made one degree of difference of longitude to the weft-
ward ; or, if the watch wants four minutes of twelve, one degree of
eaft longitude ; and To in proportion for any greater or lefs difference.
Hence nothing more is required to make us fure of the longitude than
a watch perfedly true. But watches, like all other productions of hu-
man art, are liable to error, and are, moreover, in a confiderable de-
gree affedled by the changes of the atmofphere. To the correction of
thefe defeds Mr. Harrifon devoted the adiduous ftudies of a long life ;
and he produced, what is probably, in principle, the neareft approach
that ever will be made by human ingenuity to the great objed of the
wifhes of navigators and philofophers, a chronometer or time-keeper,
which, in tvvo voyages made by his fon to the Weft-Indies, under the
diredion of the commiftioners of the longitude, was found to determine
the longitude at fea with an accuracy beyond the niceft exadnefs re-
quired by the ad of parliament, as appeared by certificates from the
captain and officers of the Ihip, which was appointed to attend him on
the trial, and alfo from the governor of Jamaica.

The board of longitude thereupon paid Mr. Harrifon ^ic^oo. And,
that we may conned the whole of this bufinefs together, parliament
next year ordered ^,'5000 to be paid to him, on condition that he fliould
lay open to the public the principles upon which his time-keeper was
conftruded : and they promifed to pay him the remainder of the
/^20,ooo, if on farther trials in the courfe of four years it ftiould ftill
be found to afcerlain the longitude within the required limits of exad-
nefs ; during which time no other artift ftiould be permitted to compete
with him in the fame line of difcovery. \^/lcl 3 Geo. Ill, c. 14, fxiffed
317? ALircb 1763.] At diffi-rent times thereafter Mr. Harrifon obtained
payment of the remainder of the ^^20,000.

Time-keepers have ever fmce been made upon Mr. Harrifon's prin-

Y y 2

35^ A. D. 1762.

ciples with great fuccefs, and alfo with improvements, by feveral watch-
makers. The general ufe of them onboard the navy, the Eaft-India
fliips, and many private merchant fliips, has been produclive of this
important advantage to navigation, that a very great number of the
prefent race of navigators are much better acquainted with the prin-
ciples upon which the fcience of navigation is founded, than their pre-
deceflbrs generally were, many of whom knew nothing further than
merely how to ufe the inftruments, apply the rules, and extract num-
bers from the tables, which men of fcience had conflruded for their
ufe, without ever beftowing a thought to inquire, why thole inftrti-
ments, rules, and tables, were fo conftruded. To the ufe of time-
keepers in the hands of men of fcience we are alfo indebted for the
great improvements lately made in the know lege of currents in the
ocean, whereof we may exped loon to pollels accurate charts defcrib-
ing their courfe and velocity as correftly as the foundings and fet of.
the tide are marked in the prefent charts of harbours and bays. Thus
does Harrifon's invention conflitute a new and a fplendid sera in the
hiflory of navigation.

The board of longitude alfo gave a premium of X^5oo to Dodor Ir-
win for his invention of a marine chair, v/hich enables the navigator to
obferve the heavenly bodies during a ftorm with as much fleadinefs and
certainty, as if he flood on firni ground.

In order to prevent the damages and thefts committed xtpon the
{hipping in the river Thames by people carrying on a petty trade upon
the river in boats, commonly called bum-boats, all fuch traders were
ordered to be regiflered, and fubjeded to regulations. The crime of
cutting or damaging cables, cordages, buoys, &c. belonging to vefTels,
was made punifhable by tranfportation for feven years : and perfons
convided of buying goods ftolen upon the river were fubjecled to pu-
nifhment by tranfportation for fourteen years *. [2 Geo. Ill, c. 28.]

Rye in SufTex, one of the antient port-towns, diflinguiflied by the
name and privileges of the Cinque ports, had been ruined by the re-
cefs of the fea, and afterwards in the fixteenth century in a great mea-
fure reflored by two irruptions of the fame element, which has fo often
made great revolutions in the flate of the ports on that coafl. Thele
advantages were improved by a cut capable of carrying vellels of above
300 tons as high as Winchelfea, which was now completed.

It is very agreeable to be able to record, that the fuccefs of the Bri-
tifh herring filhery on the coafl; of Shetland this year exceeded that of
the Dutch, and that the Britifh yaggers reached the firft markets at

* Mr. Colquhoun, in his very ufeful Treatife on the commerce of the river Thames, J>. 48, obfcrvts,
that fourteen years elapfed after this adl was pafTed, before anv one of its provifions was carried into
tffcft. ' I

A. D. 1^62.

/'

357

Hamburgh and Bremen, though the number of Dutch veflels, as ufual,
greatly exceeded ours.

The whale fifhing this year had very little fuccefs.

From London y fliips got 7 fize-

able fifh and 1 1 very fmallones.

From Hull 2 (liips - o fifh.

Newcaftle 4 - i

Liverpool 2-1

Exeter i - o

1 1 very fmall.

Englifli fhips 16

9 fifh.

ships.

From Leith - - i

Borrowfioimnefs 2

Anf^ruther(i fhip lofl) 2
Dundee (2 very fmall) 2
Dunbar - 3

Aberdeen - i

14

sizeable

fish.

4

o

o
o

I
5

Scottifh fhips
And 154 Dutch fhips got only 43 fifh.

The Havanna, a place formed by nature and by art for a moll fpa-
cious, fecure, and, I might almoft add, impregnable, harbour, the moft
important fettlement belonging to the Spaniards in the weftern he-
milphere, and the general center of all their commerce in that quarter
of the world, was attacked by a formidable force under the command
of Lord Albemarle and Admiral Pococke ; and after a gallant and ob-
flinate defence of ten weeks, was furrendered, and with it a confider-
able diflrid of Cuba, the largefi ifland of the Weft-Indies, on the i4tli
of Auguft. By the capitulation, all the private property was fecured to
the inhabitants. But above twenty capital fliips of war, moft of them
of the line, and all the money and merchandize belonging to the king
of Spain, eflimated at near three millions fterling, fell into the hands
of the conquerors. One coniequence of this important conqueft was,
that a very confiderable trade w.u? immediately opened with it, as will
appear in the ftatement of the imports and exports, for the fhort time
it continued in our hands : but the principal value of it was, that, as
the lols of it ftruck at the very vitals of the commerce and revenue ot
Spain, it was very inftrumental in reftoring the blelfmgs of peace.

Though the mere depredations of war do not properly belong to tlia
hiftory of commerce, yet a brief notice inay be admitted ot the cap-
Lure of the Hermione, a Spanifli rcgifter fiiip, loaded with bullion and
rich merchandize, which afterwards fold for confiderably above halt a
million fterling, by two floops of war, as having contributed, with the
treafure brought from the Havanna, to increafe the circulating money
of the nation *.

* Of tlu' pri/c-moiiey, tht ailmiial anj two cnp- wlio coulJ taiie care of their niooi y ; and foine

tains had cich about ^65,000, the toinniiffioncd of the petty officers, by rctiriiij; to their native

officer* about /^ 1 3, 000, the warrant officers about places, and cntcrii)g into the herring; fifliery, bc-

jC433>> ''"•" pt'^'-y officers about yriS04, and the c.inie men of coul'tqucnce, and cliict magillratci

private men ab'>ut Ca^S f'lch. All were enriched «>f the towns.

358 A. D. 1762.

It is fcarcely worih while to obferve, that the French took ponefliou
of Newfoundland in June, and were driven from it in September this
year. The temporary fuccefs gave no advantage to the French, though
confiderablc damage was thereby done to our fifliermcn.

The Portuguefe, who in the fifteenth century were the firfl maritime
power in the world, had now declined fo much from their anrient pre-
eminence, that about half a dozen fhips of the line, and a few frigates
compofed their whole navy, when they were attacked by the united
powers of France and Spain, in order to compell them to withdraw
from their connedion with Great Britain : and to that ifland, which in
the days of their fplendour fcarcely poflefled a iliip of war, the Portu-
guefe now looked up for protection, and the prefervation of their na-
tional independence. After they recovered from the confternation of
the firfl attack, the natural ftrength of the country, which, under the
management of the great Viriathus, baffled the power of Rome, when
in the zenith of her military glory, was judicioufly taken advantage of
to retard the progrefs of the invaders ; and two furpriles of the Spanifh
armies by General Burgoyne completed the deliverance of Portugal ;
after which a fcafonable fall of heavy rains put a flop to further hofli-
lities, till they were more happily terminated by the conclufion of a
general peace.

In the meantime an expedition, againfl the mofi: important pofleflion
of Spain in the eaflern world, was undertaken at Madras under the
command ot General Draper and Admiral Cornifh, who with a fmall
force made an attack upon Manilla, the capital of fourteen valuable
and important iflands in the Indian ocean, fubjeft to the crown of
Spain, and the entrepot of a very limited, but very rich and lucrative,
commerce with America, the Indian iflands, China, Japan, &c. which,
with all its dependencies, furrendered on the fame day that the Britifli
forces completed the expulfion of the Spaniards f-'om Portugal. The
conquerors permitted the inhabitants to preferve their property, and
even their owm government, on condition of paying a ranfom of a mil-
lion of flerling money. The ranfom, however, has never been paid ;
and they would have reaped nothing but barren laurels from their
vidlory, if two frigates detached from the fquadron had not taken a
galleon, which had I'ome time before failed from Manilla for Acapulco
with a cargo valued at aboiit half a million flerling.

Thus in the courfe of a few fliort months were the Spaniards be-
reaved of their mofl: capital pofl'eflioa in the Wefl-Indies, and of all
their dommions in the Eafl-Indies, upon which the whole fyifem of
their commerce and revenue in the two hemilpheres depended ; their
vafl; unweildy empire lay bleeding at every vein ; and, for fomc time at
leaft, they might defifl from their empty boafl, that the fun never fets
in their dominions. 4

A. D. 1 762. 3^c)

The immediate reftoration of Manilla and the iflands dependent on
it, in confcquence of the peace, prevented the conqueft of them from
having any effedl upon the Britifli commerce. Neither could it have
any influence upon the treaty of peace, which was concluded before
the news of it reached Europe.

Notwithllanding the flattering accounts given by Dodlor Bufching of
the great improvements in trade and manufactures eflfedled in the Pruf-
fian dominions by the French, Swifs, and German, refugees, we may
venture to fay, that trade was held in contempt, and conlequently very
far from being in a flourifliing condition, where a reprelentative of tiie
fovereign could iffue the following proclamation.

. Proclamation by the Prujfian governor of Freyherg.

' Whereas I have been informed, that fome of the inhabitants of
' Freybcrg, and particularly certain merchants, have taken it into their
' heads to forge, and publifli for true, reports to the difadvantage of
' the arms of Pruflia, I declare by thefe prefents, that the firfi: who
' fhall dare to utter one fentence, either to the difadvantage, or the
' advantage, of the Pruflian arms, fhall be taken up, and puniihed as

* It is an indecency not to be fuffered for burghers to prefume to
' talk of flate aflfairs, in which fuch pititul creatures can do neither
' good nor harm. But I fhall certainly take rigorous methods to make
' an example in terrorem. Every burgher who favours the dekrtion
' of any of my men, fhall be treated as a deferter himielf. The ma-
' gifl:rates mufl: take care to curb the burghers more vigilantly than
' they have hitherto done, olhcrways 1 fliall make them accountable
' for all the malevolent reports which niaj be publiflicd, as it is their
' dutv to watch over the condu(ft of the merchants as well as the other
' citizens. It belongs not to fuch as they are to interfere in the affairs
' of war or peace, and much lefs in the good or bad fucccfs of the bel-
' ligerent powers.'

We have not, I believe, ai:iy fpecimen of the contempt of trade among
the antient Roman ])lunderers, that comes quite up to the fpirit of this
capital producVion of modern defpotic infolence. What would we think
of a Britdh officer, who iliould prefume to fpeak or write in fuch a
manner ?

The i)reliminaries of peace were figned at Fontainbleau on the 3d of
November, and the ratification was exchanged at Vcrlailles on the 22d,
fo that the war may be laid to be now at an end. It was llipulaied,
that all prizes taken fix weeks after the ratification, beyond the Chan-
nel, in the Britifli feas, in the North fea, in the Mediterranean, ami the
Atlantic ocean, as far as the Canary iflands, fliould be rellored on both

360 A. D. 1762.

fides ; as lliould alio all veU'els taken three months after it beyond the
Canaries as far as the Equinodial line, and all thofe taken fix months
after it in any part of the world beyond the Equinodial line.

Soon after the publication of this happy intelligence, a free inter-
courfe with France by the packet was permitted.

Hithero the figns, and the gutters for conveying the rain water from
the roofs of the houfes, had projeded in a mofl: unfeemly and incom-
modious manner into the ftreets of London. But a law was now made
for the removal of thefe nuifances, and for affixing the names of the
ftreets on every corner, with a penalty of 40/" on every one who fliould
efface any fuch name. [3 Geo. Ill, c. 23] It is a pity, that this excel-
lent regulation of civic police is not more ftridly enforced. Perhaps it
is not aflerting too much to fay, that the convenience and eafe pro-
ceeding from the names on the corners of the ftreets, and the numbers
on the doors of houfes, conftitute one of the moft eO'ential differences
between a great city inhabited by a well regulated and poliflied people,
and a great mafs of buildings poflefled by a people only emerging from
a ftate of barbarifm.

The following particulars of the public expenditure of this year de-
ferve our attention, as being conneded with the interefts of com-
merce.

For the civil eftablifiiment of Nova Scotia, - ;C5684 i 10

For the civil eftabliftiment of Georgia, - 4^57 10 o

(Of which Li 000 to be given in bounties for the
cultivation of filk, as before.)
Compenfation to North- American provinces for their
expenfes in levying troops to oppofe the French, - "^^ ?,'^,Z'^'}> 6 8

Allowed to the Eaft-India company, towards the ex-
penfe of their military eftabliftiment, - - 20,000 o o

To the city of London for improving the bridge, - 15,000 o o
For maintaining the Britifti forts on the coaft of
Africa, - - _ _ - _ - 13,000 o o

To the Britifli mufeum, _ _ _ 2000 o o

(This grant, with fometimes a different fum, is re-
peated every year.)
For a bridge over the Tweed at Coldftream, - 4000 o o

The following is a retrofpect of the export trade of the old Eaft-India
company, extradled from accounts made up at various times by their
own accountant.

A. D. 1762.

361

In the

year

ending

2gth September

1699
1700
1701

~

8'ships II

10

u

British manufac-
tures, &c. *

^40,074 11
60,028 7
75.527 19

Foreign bullion f
and goods.

^'28tJ,720 8
280,042 15
438,610 4

Total.

^327,394 19
340,071 2
514,138 3

And the following retrofped fliews the exports of the prefent com-
pany; and is in like manner compiled from the returns of their acount-
ants.

Average of 10 years, ending 2C)th
teniber - . .

of 9 years ending in

of 8 years ending in

of 7 years ending in

of 3 years ending in

of 3 years ending in
1 year ending September

British manufac-

Bullion.

Total.

tures, stores, &c.

e£'y9i4io 12 10

3^518,103 11

0

a£'6l7,513 3 10

105,699 16 5

510,131 17

0

615,831 13 5

157,944 4 7

476,852 2

9

634,796 7 4

188,176 16 2

548,711 19

2

730,888 15 4

1G5,757 3 2

605,376 18

0

771,134 1 2

340,917 19 11

815,514 7

7

1,156,432 7 6

226,131 1 3

620,378 16

8

846,509 17 U

314,947 4 11

795,007 18

11

1,109,955 3 10

285,070 13 10

456,252 13

3

741,323 7 1

327,332 7 6

172,604 8

0

499,936 15 6

334,416 6 6

142,922 8

0

477,338 14 6

Sep-^
1724/
1733
1741

1748
1751
1755
1756
1757
1758

1759
1760

It was obferved by Mr. James, the fecretary of the Eafl-India com-
pany, that in the four years ending with 29th September 1762 the
quantity of bullion, exported by the company, fell fliort of what was
exported in the four years ending with the 29th September 1758,
£,2,io6,j^o : 8 : I, while the amount of woollen manufactures exported,
exceeded that of the preceding four years by ^^386,625 : 2 : 11, and
that there was alfo a great increafe in the laft four years of the quantity
of copper (hipped, the excefs of that article, which is a new branch of
the Eaft-India trade, being £108,521 : 10 : 2.

* The cudoms and other charges are iiichidcd in the coR of the goods.

f Tile bullion confilled chiefly of Spaiiilh dollars, rated at ^f llcrling ; the goods confilled of foreign
ftationary ware, wine, medicines, &c.

X Part of the exports of 1699 were for the ufe of an cmbalTy, for which the company alfo (hipped
onboard his Majclly's (hip Harwich goods and money to the amount of jCs>55'J : 14 : 11.

II The (lu'ps were configncd as follows :

1699
1700
1701

-a

!

1

11

11

M

i

c

si

1=

1^

-a

3 g

H «
3

d
0
c

c

6
0

1

1

1

3

1

0

0

0

0

I

0

1

I

1

•)

0

'2

0

0

1

*^

0

3

-

0

■_)

0

1

3

1

0

1

1

Vol. III.

Z z

362

A. D. 1762.

The Increafe of the woollen manufactures and the copper he afcribes
to the interruption of the French trade in India during the war, as well
as to the conftant endeavours of the company, to fend out as large pro-
portions of the manufactures and produce of Great Britain as polTible,
in preference to gold and l^uUion.

He further accounts for the decreafe of bullion in the laft four years,
partly by the great fums paid to the company by the country princes
in purfuance of treaties, but chiefly by the larger fums paid into the
company's treafuries by individuals, who had acquired fortunes, which
they wifhed to remit home by bills of exchange on the company in
England.

In the year 1761 the HudCon's-bay company, induced by the general
opinion, that the opening, called Chefterfield inlet, afforded a confider-
able profpect of a pafTage into the Pacific ocean, difpatched a floop un-
der the command of Captain Chriflopher to explore it. On his return
he reported, that he had navigated the inlet for more than 150 miles in
a wefterly direction, till he found the water perfectly frefh, but that he
had not explored the head of it.

In order to put an end to every doubt, he was again fent, in com-
pany with Mr. Norton, this year, with orders to trace it to its fource, if
practicable. They found that the frefh-water river was the outlet of a
lake, which was 24 miles long, and 6 or 7 broad, and that a river flow-
ed into the lake fromi the wefl, which they alfo explored in boats, till
their further progrcfs was prevented by fills. So it was afcertained that
no paflage was to be found in that direction *.

A proof of the increafe of inhabitants, and of the commercial profper-
ity of London may be drawn from the quantity of coals imported
which amounted this year to 570,774 chaldrons ; almofl double the
f^uantity of the annual importation in the early part of this century.

The following account of the exports of South-Carolina may be ufe-
ful for comparing the progreflive profperity of that province.

Rice
Indigo

Pitch
Tar -
Turpentine
Rofin

Oranges (befides
loofeonesini76i)

barrels
pounds
barrels

161

000

From November 1 760
to September l^til.

100,000

399o66
6,376

4,808

144

From 23d December l/Gl.
to 1st September 1/63.

62,288
249,000

3."o
1,119

751
19

4

Tlie account of ihefe two voyages, wliich have efcaped the rcfearches of Forfter, the autlior of
the H'ljior^' of'voya'ies and iFifovenes in the North, is extraded from Goldfon's Cbfervatlons on the pi]ffagc.
bttitieai the /iilaniic and Pacific oceans..

A.D. 1762.

3^3

Pork and beef (almoft all
pork) - barrels

Bacon -

Hams - - ■

Fifli - -

Indian corn and peas (moft-

ly corn) buftiels

Oats - -

Deer fkins in hogflieads, in
caiks, in bundles, and
loofe - - _
Tanned leather - fides
Bees-wax - pounds
Myrtle-wax candles boxes
Staves - - pieces

Hoops -

Shingles -

422 h.33i b. 300I
5,869
6,721

Timber, boards, &c. feet
Laths - pieces
Reeds - ■ ■
Handfpikes -

Furs inhogfheads,

barrels,

and bundles

-

Pink-root

cafk

Potatoes

bufhels

Soap

boxes

Tallow

barrels

Butter

kegs

Tobacco - h

oofflieads

From November 1 "(50
to September 1701.

,149
13

11,125

236,850

29,600

522,167

466,186

331 h. 12 c. 215 b.
2,693

6 calks

157,880

14000

674,750

103,293

3,500

400

360

I h. 2 bar. j bund,
I
20
100

32

80

The following articles were exported from Georgia from 5th January
1762 to 5th January 1763.

From 23d December, l/Oi
to 1st September 1/62.

2,296

1,648 lb.

5
41

27,174
388

1043 U

Rice in barrels and half barrels

Rough rice (i. c. with the hulk on) bufhels

Indigo - - - - pounds

Tar _____ barrels

Pork - _ - -

Beef _-.__-

Indian corn _ _ _ bulhcls
Deer Ikins in hogfheads and bundles

Beaver Ikins _ _ _ _ bundles

Tanned leather - _ _ lidcs

Z

7440b. ii9h.b.
776

9,633
246
292

38

1250

96 h. 832 b.

1,602
z 2

3^4

Staves and heading

Hoops

Shingles

Pine timber

Handfpikes

Bars

A. D. 1762.

pieces

feet
pieces

359,002

10,500
688,045

417.449
1,050
2,033

It is to be obferved, that in thefe colonies the manufadure of lum-
ber, comprehending timber, ftaves, fhingles, &c. and alfo pitch, tar,
and oiher commodities procured from trees, the natural growth of the
foil, was merely a part of the procefs of clearing the ground; and the
comparifon of the exports of South-Carolina for only thefe two years
fhews, that a confiderable quantity of ground was cleared in 1762,
which was in a flate of nature in 1761 in that province.

The oranges exported from Carolina are of a kind called bitter-fweet,
very different from the fweet kind, which we call China oranges. The
later kind are carried to Carolina from the Weft-India iflands.

Georgia was yet in its infancy ; and the whole goods imported from
it to Great Britain this year, were not equal in value to the quantity of
cotton, a new and moll valuable article of its produce, which ibmetimes
comes now (1799) in one confignment to a fmgle merchant in the city
connected with that country.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriflmas 1761 to Chriftmas 1762 was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark and Norway

East Country

East-India

Flanders ^

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland -

Ireland

Iceland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Prussia

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Imported into

Exported from 1

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

.^'30,540 16

3

^273,127 18

7

1,912 19

0

370 0

9

70,474 16

1

£■2.5,911

0

10

142,052 9

6

.^16,860

8 3

105,373 8

10

298,776 6

2

972,838 11

/

1,067,353 13

0

25,252 1

1]

360,462 6

10

3,120

17 11

12 2

/

171,535 18

10

160,754

8 4

51(5,489 9

6

9,621

7

2

2,435,106 5

3

90,057

0 2

4,217 11

b

17 3

1

493,944 14

2

84,887

4

1

2,107,957 16

11

321,060

19 7

889,3 0"8 6

10

115,358

10

1

1,528,696 6

10

153,462

14 i

12

14

4

21

2 6

2

0

0

1,866

15 9

508,051 14

5

509,517 13

10

3,577

10 0

3,729 19

7

43,232 6

5

216

5 0

11,412

2

]

2,115

6 4

3,460

12

6

359,127 14

8

6,274

1

1

908,729 2

9

165

5 G

627,451 19

1

51,163

11

0

61,509 19

8

326

2 6

131,279 7

1

472

6

7

139,580 19

5

1,354

18 9

11,876 17

10

58,964 12

9

-

201,160 3

0

22,315

16

9

17,507 13

7

5,068

14 2

71,761 9

9

63,738 19

5

9,916 0

8

32,246 18

5

A. D. 1762.

3^5

, Imported into

Exported from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

£ 127,682 1

2

^£"2,924 8 4

^44,481 11 11

.^25 5

0

;i5 3

0

21,625 7 9

326,347 17 11

169,962 9

9

i2,iig 14

5

4,122 2 9

23,43(5 8

11

35,387 13 1

32,079 9

6

148,478 4 2

1,144 b

5

25,071 2 4

41,733 17

6

247,385 18 3

58,882 6

5

288,016 16 10

33,091 2

2

206,199 18 8

415,769 10

9

417,599 15 6

181,695 10

3

194,170 14 1

6,522 17

7

23,761 8 10

4S,76l 16 7

68,149 2

8

249,367 0

9

125,323 9 0

254,860 17

6

213,177 4 5

988 15

0

7,786 7 0

26,560 16

9

119 6 1

513,244 g

9

1 70,226 9 1
116,777 9 11

852,777 14

0

460,631 16 0

288,425 8

8

166,196 2 5

57,122 6

0

23,895 9 11

42,095 3

8

9,066 6 3

. 1.902 7

3

4,-164 4

10

6,254 6 9

246,360 16

0

102,627 2 10
525 16 5

33,265 3

6

2,052 0 1

20,487 8

0

29,331 19 9

302,619 10

0

235,364 8 9

8,870,234 14

3

13,545,171 1 0

708,925 9

4

708,925 9 4

998,105 5 9

998,165 5

p

9,579,160 3

7

1-1,543,336 6 9

Countries, kc.
Guernsey, &:c.
Belle-isle

America in general
Hudson's bay
Newfoundland
Quebec - . -
Nova Scotia
New-England
New- York
Pennsylvania
Virginia and Marj'land
Carolina ...
Georgia - -
West-Indies in general
Antigua

Barbados - - -
Bermuda - -
Grenada - - -

Guadaloupe
Havanna

Jamaica - - .
Martinique
Montserrat

Nevis ...
New-Providence
St. Croix
St. Christophers
St. Thomas
Tortola
Monte Christi
British and Irish linens

exported on bounty to

various countries
Prize goods

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain, -

There belonged this year to all the ports

of England 5915 veflels of the reputed burthen of 402,740 tuns,

and of Scotland 964 - - - 53>046

Total

6S79

455,7^6

The net amount of the cufloms, Including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half per cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was from the cuftom-houfe in London, - ^^1,854,217 o 8

4.200 o o

and from the cuftoin-houfe in Edinburgh

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain /^i, 858,41 7 o 8

366 A. D. 1762.

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
II .850 pounds of gold, value - - X^553, 691 5 o

and 1,020 pounds of filver - - - 3,162 o o

/^556,853 5 o
1763 — The definitive treaty of peace was concluded at Paris on the
10th of February ; and it was proclaimed with the ufual folemnities at
London on the 22d of March, and in all other parts of the Britifh do-
minions as foon as the proclamation arrived at them.
By this treaty

Article IV) France ceded to Great Britain Nova-Scotia (or Acadia)
with all its dependencies, Canada with all its dependencies, Cape Breton,
and all the iflands in the gulf of St. Laurence ; the French inhabitants
having their option to remain and become Britifh fubjeds, with liberty
to enjoy their own religion, ' as far as the laws of Great Britain per-
* mit,' or to fell their eftates to Britifh fubjeds, fettle their affairs, and
depart with their moveable property within eighteen months, to be
computed from the ratification of the treaty.

V) The French had liberty to fifli and to dry their fifli on a part of
the coafl of Newfoundland, as fpecified in the 13th article of the treaty
of Utrecht, and to fifli in the Gulf of St. Laurence at the diflance of at
leafl three leagues from all the coafts and iflands belonging to Great
Britain, and in the fea adjacent to Cape Breton, which ifland they were
not to approach within fifteen leagues ; the fifhery on the coall of Nova-
Scotia and other places not adjacent to the Gulf of St. Laurence rC'^
mainina; as fettled in former treaties.

VI) The iflands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, (near Newfoundland)
Avere ceded to the French for a flielter to their fifliermen, with an ex-
prefs engagement, however, that no fortifications fhould be ereded, nor
any military force be flationed on them, except a guard of fifty men,
merely for the police.

VII) la order to prevent all difputes concerning boundaries, a line,
drawn through the middle of the river Miflifippi, from its fource down to
the branch, or mouth, of it called the Iberville, and through the middle of
that branch and the lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to the fea, was de-
clared to be the fixed and irrevocable limit, the port of Mobile with all
the country on the eaft fide belonging to Great Britain, and New Or*
leans with its ifland and the countrv on the v/efl fide belonajing to
France ; the navigation of the Miflifippi being perfedly free to both na-
tions from its fource to the fea, notvvithftanding that both its banks
near its mouth are in the territory referved to France.

VIII) The iflands of Guadaloupe, Marie-galante, Defirade, and Mar-
tinique, in the Weft-Indies, and Belle-ifle near the coaft of France were
j-eftorcd to France, the Britifh fubjeds fettled in them Imving eighteen

A. D. 1763. 367

months allowed them to wind up their aftairs and fell or remove their
property ; for which purpofe Britifh veflels, not exceeding a limited
number and tunnage, were permitted to make one voyage each to thofe
iflands under certain flipulated regulations.

IX) The iflands of Grenada and the Grenadines were ceded to Great
Britain, with the fame flipulations in favour of the inhabitants refpedt-
ing their religion and property, that were provided for thofe of Canada
by the fourth article. Of the neutral iflands, St. Vincent, Dominica,
and Tobago, were ceded in full right to Great Britain, and St. Lucia to
France.

X) On the coafl: of Africa Goree was reftored to France : and the
river Senegal wdth all its rights and dependencies, together with the
forts and factories of St. Louis, Podor, and Galam, were ceded to Great
Britain.

XI) In the Fad Indies Great Britain reftored to the French the fac-
tories they pofleflxid at the beginning of the year 1749 in Coromandel,
Orixa, Malabar, and Bengal, they renouncing all pretenfions to any
places in Coromandel and Orixa acquired fince 1749, and reftoring all
places taken from Great Britain in the prefent war, and efpecially Na-.
tall and Tapanoully (or Bencoolen) in the ifland of Sumatra, and en-
gaging to eftabliOi no forts or garrifons in Bengal.

XII) France reftored the ifland of Minorca to Great Britain.

XVII) The king of Great Britain engaged to deftroy the fortifica-
tions erected in the Bay of Honduras and other Spanifli territories in
America; the king of Spain engaging that the fubjeds of Great Bri-
tain fliould not be molefted in cutting or fliipping logwood.

XVIII) Spain, having no conquefts to reftore, yet defirous of appear-
ing to concede fomething, gave up a claim, fiiid to be made by the
people of Guipufcoa, to a right of fiOiing in the neighbourhood of New-
foundland *.

XIX) Great Britain reftored to Spain the Havanna with the annexed
large diftrict of the ifland of Cuba, the Britifli fettlers having eighteen
months allowed to prepare for their departure on the fame terms agreed
on for the evacuation of the iflands ceded to France by the eighth
article.

XX) Spain ceded to Great Britain Florida, comprehending all the
country between the river Mifllfippi and the Britifli province of Georgia,
except the town and ifland of New Orleans belonging to France, the in-
habitants being allowed to remain and enjoy their religion, or retire in
eighteen months, as ftipulated for the French Canadians by the fourth
article.

The other articles of the treaty relate to arrangements on the conti-

• Such a claim had been mentioned in ilic treaty of tlie year 1713, wlicn it was allowed 10 lie over
unexplained.

3

368 A. D. 1763.

nent of Europe, the decifion of difputes refpeding prize fliips, the time
fixed for executing the feveral cellions of territory, &c.

The peace, though it was differently received by the different parties,
who, in all free governments, take oppofite fides upon every queftion of
great importance, muft be allowed to have been very advantageous to
Great Britain, in fo far as it completely accompliflied the object, for
which the war was profeffedly undertaken, the perfect fecurity of the
Britifli colonies in North America from the encroachments of the
French ; who, as well as the Spaniards, were now far removed from
their neighbourhood, and from any power, or opportunity, of giving
them the fmallefi; uneafinefs on the fubje6l of difputable frontiers.
Though many iflands taken from the enemy in the Weft-Indies were
reftored, yet Great Britain retained at the peace a number of newly-ac-
quired iflands ; perhaps more than the population and capital of the
mother country were capable to people and cultivate immediately with-
out fome inconvenience. The arrangements in Afia were very favour-
able to our Eafl-India company. And in Africa we obtained the ex-
clufive trade in gum fenegal, an article of great ufe in many manufac-
tures : nor was the increafed demand, which the fettlement of the new
tropical territories would occafion for negro flaves, negledled by the ad-
vocates for the terms of the peace, in enumerating the advantages re-
fulting from it.

Befides, it ought to be remembered, that, though Great Britain was
enabled by a progreflive increafe of commerce, even during the heavieft
preflure of hollilities, to carry on the war at an expenfe, which, not
very many years before, it would have been fuppofed utterly impoflible
to fupport, and in a triumphant manner, which to a nation of mere
warriors, fuch as the antient Romans, might have been even lucrative,
yet neither the fupplles of men nor money could hold out forever.
A peace was therefor neceffary, that the flrength and refources of the
nation might be allowed to recruit, independent of the interefts of hu-
manity, and, I may add, of commerce, which required that the world
fliould repole from the toils of war, and the horrors of llaughter and de-
vaflation.

The lieutenatits of the navy made a propofition to the lords of the
admiralty for keeping in employment two hundred and fifty of the
frigates and armed fhips, to be commanded and manned by 1500 offi-
cers of the navy and 17,500 feamen, to be paid by the government,
and to be fent upon the whale fifliery at Greenland and Davis's ftraits.
Eftimating by the profits made by the Dutch in that fifliery, they cal-
culated the profit to the nation at/^ioo,ooo yearly, befidesthe advantage
of keeping up a nurfery of feamen, and having fo many hands actually in
the fervice of government ready upon any emergency, without difl:refs-
ing the merchant fervice. The project, however, was not approved of;

4

A. D. 1763. 369

and it may be doubted, whether the additional number of whales caught
could be in proportion to fo great an additional number of fhips going
in quefl; of them, or, if they fhould be caught, whether there would be
confumption for the oil, &c. The arithmetical rule of three is not in
all cafes infallible.

The cmprefs of Ruflla publhhed an edict inviting foreigners of all
nations and religions, except Jews, to fettle in any part of her empire,
with perfe6t liberty of confciencc, and even a permi/Tion to be govern-
ed by laws framed by themfclves. She moreover promifed theAi mo-
ney and materials for building, and for carrying on trades, with an
exemption from taxes for a certain number of years. Such encourage-
jTient to induftrious flrangers, if perfevered in, would foon civilize and
enrich that vafi: empire.

Though petty afts of piracy are frequently committed, there are few
inftances, in the prefent improved flate of maritime power, of any vef-
fels cruifing as profefled pirates to make war upon all nations indifcri-
minately. About this time, however, fome fuch, mavmed with gangs
of ruffians of all nations, made their appearance in the Wefb-Indies ;
but they were foon iuppreifed. This pirating was a dreg of the war.

Some confiderable improvements were made in the methods of ex-
tradling water from mines, coal-pits, &c. One was by a large cylinder
of iron meafuring 74 inches in the bore, made at thefoundery at Coal-
brook dale in Shropflnre, which enables the fire-engine to deliver 307
hundred-weight of water at every ftroke. Another was by a new en-
gine working with horizontal wind fails, capable of raifing to the height
of thirty feet from eight to twenty hogflieads of water, according to the
force of the wind, at every ftroke. About the fame time a faw-mill
was invented, which could work either by wind or water, for which the
fociety for the encoraragement of arts and commerce gave a premium
of an hundred guineas to Mr. Stansfield of Binglcy.

March 24 " — The law for the regulation of the price of bread by the
magiftrates was extended to Scotland. [3 Geo. Ill, c. 6.]

The outftanding debts of the navy, the vidualling and tranfport bills,
and ordnance debentures, amounting to ^^3,670,739 : 2 : 8 were funded,
with an annual interefl: of four per cent, payable at the bank, to be
reckoned from the 25th of March 1763. [3 Geo. Ill, c. 9.I

There were other unfcttled claims upon the public for the cxpenfes
of the war, for the latisfadtion of which other fupplies were neceflliry.
Therefor, befides drawing /^2, 000,000 from the linking fund, and illu-
ing /^i,8oo,ooo in exchequer bills, it was refolved to raile money by a
loan and two lotteries. The loan was for /?2, 8 00,000 bearing intercft
at four per cent from 5th April 1763, the fubfcribcrs moreover receiv-
ing, as a douceur, a lottery ticket at the price of /^lo for every £100
fubfcribed. The lotteries were for /"sSO.ooo each, both to be drawn

Vol. III. " :: A

370 A. D. 1763.

in the year 1763, the prizes in which (being nearly the fame us in the
laft lottery) were to be flock bearing four per cent interefl, and the
blanks were to be rated at £^ ; that is to fay, they were entitled to an
annual income of four fliillings each.

March 31'^ — In order to provide for the interefl: of the new funded
debts, an additional duty of £% per tun was laid on B'rench wine and
vinegar, and £4. per tun on all other wine and vinegar, payable upon
importation; n\i'o £2 per tun on foreign cyder and perry imported, and
four {fillings per hogfhead on cyder and perry made in Great Britain.
[3 Geo. Ill, c. 12.]

As foon as the propofal for laying a duty of excife upon cyder and
perry was publicly known, an outcry was raifed againll it, which was
more violent, and more general, than any fimilar explofion of dif-
content fmce the year 1733, when a great minifler was on the point of
falling a facrillce to an excife fcheme. The tax was reprobated as
partial and oppreffivc, laying the burthens of the whole nation upon
that part of the country where thole liquors were ufcd, and grofsly
violating the liberty of the people, by fubjcding their houfes to the
vifitation and fearch of revenue officers. The clamour, though vehe-
mently fupportcd by the city of London, however, died away, and the
tax took place. It mufl be acknowleged, that the drinkers of cyder
and perry ought to contribute to the national expenditure, as well as
the drinkers of malt liquor; and if they had hitherto been indulged or
overlooked, that was no good reafon for a continuance of the exemp-
tion. After all, the duty was lighter than that on malt liquor ; private
perfons, upon paying a compofition according to the number of their
families, were exempted from the vifitation of the excife officers ; and
occupiers of houfes rated not above forty fliillings a year to the land tax,
or making not above four hogflieads in the year, were entirely exempted
from paying any duty : fo that it was upon the whole probably as un-
exceptionable as any excife duty can poflibly be.

As an inflance of the opulence and liberality of the Eafl, we may
briefly notice the will of Omichund, an eminent black m.erchant at
Calcutta, wherein legacies were bequeathed to charitable inftitutions in
many different parts of the world, and among the reft confiderably
above ^^5000 to the Magdalen and Foundling hofpitals of London,
which money was actually remitted by his executor.

The encouragement for indigo produced in the Britifli plantations,
was continued till the 25th of March 1770, and thence to the end of
the next feflion of parliament ; but the bounty was now reduced to four
pence a pound, to commence from the expiration ot the time limited
for the former bounty.

So much were the Venetians now reduced from their antient domi-
nion in the Mediterranean fea, that they paid down 50,000 ducats, and

A. D. 1763. 371

moreover agreed to pay 5000 more every year, to the Algerines, for
permitting only fifteen Venetian ihips to trade freely in the Mediter-
ranean. Thefe fifteen fliips mull carry on a very great, and a very
lucrative trade, to enable them to pay fo heavy a tribute *.

The Genoefe, the antient rivals of the Venetians in commerce and
maritime power, were alfo fo much funk from their former condition,
that they were not able to keep the ifland, (or, as they affected to call
it, their kingdom) of Corfica in fubjedion, the confequence of which
was, that they made over their title in the fovereignty of it to France.
The event, which is foreign to the plan of this work, is fufficiently
known.

The lords of trade and plantations, in their report to the king upon
the advantages to be derived from the territories vefted in Great Britain
by the peace, obferved, that hitherto the Britifh fifliermen had been
excluded from the fifliery of the River St. Laurence, and of the coafts
and iflands of the Gulf of St. Laurence, by the treaty of Utrecht, which
gave the French the fole right to that mofl valuable fifhery called by
them the * peche fedentaire' (fedentary filliery) : but that, fince thefe
coafts had fallen into our hands by the redudion of Quebec, the cap-
ture of whales, fea-co\xs, feals, &c. was already carried on by Britilh
fubjeds to a greater extent than it ever was by the French ; and the
extenfive trade <vith the Efkimeaux Indians for oil and furs, hitherto
enjoyed by the French, mufl now fall into our hands by the annexation
of Labrador to the government of Newfoundland. The iflands of St.
Pierre and Miquelon, referved to France by the treaty, being deftitute
of wood and water, and incapable of raifing provifions, could never en-
able the French to carry on a profpcrous fiflicry ; but they might be the
feat of a mofl pernicious contraband trade, if not watched with the ut-
moft vigilance. The fur trade, if we except that of the Hudfon's-bay
company, and fome fkin trade in the p^rovinccs of New-York and Caro-
lina, had hitherto been almoft engroiled by the French, who, contrary
to the flipulations of the treaty of Utrecht, took pofleilion of all the
great lakes communicating with the River St. Laurence, whereby all in-
tercourfe between the Indian tribes and the Bricilh provinces was cut off.
By the total ceflion of North America the whole of this trade mult now
be free to :he fubjcds of Great Britain, who being relieved from the in-
terruptions of the French and the French Indians, would undoubtedly
carry the trade to an extent hitherto unknown, whereby a demand mull
be created for valt (piantitics of Britilh manufactures to be exchanged

" From Chandler's Travels I find, that in the ftationary among the Venetians, who about fioo

MoJitenaneau the Venetian vclfc^s are generally years ago were the grcatell maritime power in

remarked and ridiculed lor their flow falling ; and Europe, while other nations, whi- ihcn had Icarcc-

of coiirfe they mnft fall a facrifice to cverv hoililo ly any Ihipping, have been continually improving

vcflcl of fulticient force, that can get fi^^ht of iu it.
tham. Surely nautical fcicncc mull have remained

3A 2

372 A. D. 1763.

with the Indians for their furs and ilcins *. Another great advantage, to
be derived from thofe territories, is the prodigious llores of wood in the
northern regions fit for mafts to the royal navy, and for boards, flaves,
&c. fo neceffary in the fugar colonies.

Florida, the new-acquired province in the fouthern part of North
America, was reprefented as capable of producing indigo, (ilk, and many
of the tropical productions.

The new-acquired iflands in the Weft-Indies promifed a great increafe
of fugar, coffee, cotton, and other tropical produce, of which our old-
fettled iflands fcarcely afford a fufHciency for our own increafing con-
fumption.

The advantage pointed out, as the refult of our acquifition on the
coaft of Africa, was the fecurity of the gum trade from the monopoly
of it, which was lately in the hands of the French by their pofTeflion of
the River Senegal.

Such, according to the obfervations of their lordfhips, were the ob-
vious advantages to be expeded from the territories ceded to Great Bri-
tain by the definitive treaty of peace, which could only be fecured by
an immediate eftablifhment of regular governments with fuflicient
ftrength to encourage new fettlers, and to proted the former inhabit-
ants in the enjoyment of the rights and privileges referved to them by
the treaty.

That part of the report, which refpeds the fifhery in the Gulf of St.
Laurence, was confirmed by the fuccefs of the New-England whale-fifh-
ers, who in the year 1761 employed in it ten velTels of about ico tuns,
in 1762 fifteen, and in 1763 above eighty veffels ; whereupon the in-
creafe of the quantity of whale-bone imported from New-England to
Britain reduced the price of that article from ^^500 to ^^^350 a tun.

An improved method of curing falmon with fpices was difcovered by
Mr. Alexander Cockburn, faflimonger in Berwick, for which he obtain-
ed a patent.

So eager are the Dutch for a regale of herrings at the beginning of
the feaion, that two barrels were fold at 570 gilders {£s^ fferling), and
\2\ were fold at 460 gilders (about /?42), being a parcel difpatched
from Shetland at the beginning of the iilhery. It is well worth their
while to fend off fo fmall a cargo, to- be fold for above 600 guineas ;
but the prices, it feems, are not every year quite fo high.

About the end of July feveral merchants in Amfterdam failed for
large fums, and their failure was followed by the bankruptcy of a much
greater number of others in Hamburgh, and fome of the other princi-
pal trading to\\^ls in Germany, which for fome time put almoft an en-
tire ftop to all bufmefs, no one being willing to deliver any goods but

* The reader will be enabled to judge of the extent of the fur trade of Canada from the accounts
of it to be given under the years 1766 and 1787.

A. D. 1763. 373

for ready money. Many more merchants, wlio were in good circum-
ftances, would have been obHged to flop pavment, if the Lombard
houfes in Amfterdam and Hamburgh had not aflifted them with large
advances of cadi, and if the magiflrates had not wiiely interfered, by
protecting from arreft the merchants who could make it appear by
their books, that they really pollened fufficient funds for the difchargc
of their debts. On this trying occafion theBritifh merchants acted with
the mod: honourable liberality, by giving larger credits to their corref-
jjondents in the hour of their diftrefs, than they had ever done in the
leaion of their profperity, and even fending large remittances for their
lupport, which they were enabled to do, by the no-lels-liberal determin-
ation of the bank of England, and the principal bankers, to fufpend the
payment of their own bills. Thcfe generous meafurcs fo far reflored
public credit, that in a few weeks bufmefs went on nearly as before.

The failures were by fome afcribed to the large funis owing by the
Britifh and French armies, and by others to the vafl quantity of bafe
money iffued by the German princes during the war, for which the
merchants had expected to receive the value, or at leafl: a confiderable
part of the value, it was iffued for. It is reafonable to believe, that both
thefe caules co-operated, and that even the peace, by fuddenly drawing
off the trade enjoyed by thofe neutral places during the war, might be
inftrumental in producing a derangement in the affairs of thofe con-
cerned in it.

The king of Pruflia, in order to encourage manufadures in his eled-
oral dominions, prohibited the importation of filks, chintzes, and cot-
tons, and even went fo far as to order all fuch goods already in the
country to be exported, under a penalty of 100 crowns for every ell.
If his own people were able to fupply the demand, fuch regulations were
not impolitic, though the later part was furely too harOi.

The expulfion of the French from North America was not produc-
tive of that perfcdt tranquillity that was expeded. The Indians, efpe-
cially thofe who had been in the French intcrefl:, and whom our people
feem to have neglected and defpifed, more than was coniiltent either
with humanity or good policy, were greatly alarmed at the chain of
garrifons eflablinied in their country, the intention of which they ap-
prehended to be no lefs than the extirpation of the antient poffeffors.
In coniequence of this apprchenfion, a very extenfive confederacy was
formed among them ; and the back fetllements of Fennfylvania, Mary-
land, and Virginia, were attacked at the time of harveft; with an unani-
mity and effect, of which Indians were not fuppofed capable. In feveral
engagements our leaders were abfolutely out-generalled by the Indian
chiefs; and, though at the end of the campaign they were rather
checked, we had no reafon to boafl; of our fuccefs. All the itinerant
traders, who, fuppofing themfelves perfectly fecurc, were difperfed

374 A. D. 1763.

through the Indian country, were murdered, and their property feized,
to the amount, it is laid, of feveral hundred thoufand pounds; the lofs
of which fell heavy on the principal ti-ading towns in America, and, no
doubt, alfo on their correfpondents in Britain.

It is worthy of uotice in this work, that a happy expedient was hit
■upon for making a fliip ride eafy in a florm at lea, which was effeded
by launching overboard a fpare boom made fall to the end of a haufer.
This kind of floating anchor was found to ait alfo as a weather fliore in
fcreening the lliip, which fell to leeward of it, and rode with her head
to the wind, from the fury of the fea, after her main mall was cut
away. To a negro feamen the world is indebted for the difcovery of
this improvement, which is now commonly, and fuccefsfully, pradliled.

The merchants of Liverpool concerned in the exportation of rock-
falt to the Auftrian Netherlands, and the proprietors of the fait mines in
the neighbourhood of that town, were greatly alarmed by the Aullrian
government reviving the old duties, amounting to a prohibition, upon
Britifh fait ; in coniequcnce of which many large orders for that com-
modity were this year countermanded, whereby great confuiion and
damage were brought upon the trade ; and the proprietors of the fait
mines, with the great body of people depending upon them, were very
much diflrelTed.

In a n^emorial to the lords of trade they reprefented, that the ex-
portation of rock-falt from Liverpool to the Aullrian Netherlands com-
menced in the year 1756, when only 30 tuns were lent ; that it had in-
creafed ever fince, and that in the year ending with the 5th April 1763,
there were fhipped 6979 tuns ; that the promifing appearance of the
trade had induced the proprietors of the mines to lay out great fums in
■finking new pits, building ftore-houfes, and barges fit for the conveyance
of the fait to Liverpool by an inland navigation of near forty miles ;
that this new trade had brought along with it a confiderable exportation
of the produce of the Britifli colonies, and of lead and lead ore, which
have all been paid for with ready money ; and in this point of view,
and as a fund of employment in a temperate climate, for about 7000
feamen, including the barge-men on the inland navigation, and as be-
ing, m.oreover, fo much deducted frora the commerce of the French,
our rivals for trade and power, this trade may deferve to be valued as,
perhaps, fuperior to a Well-India colony.

It ought, however, to be obferved, that this 'trade was begun by Mr.
Ryngaut, a citizen of Ghent, as an appendage to the tobacco trade,
which was his chief objecfl, becaufe he wanted ballall for the fliip-; he
was obliged to charter, for carrying his tobacco from Liverpool to
Oftend.

Fort-Louis, on the River Senegal, with its dependencies, being de-
livered by government into the management of the committee of mer-

A. D. 1763. 375

chants trading to Africa, they appointed a governor to take charge of
it, whofe duty it was to affifl: every Britifli trader within the extent of
liis influence to the utmoft of his power, it being the intention of the
legiflature, that all BritiOi fubjeds fliould have a free trade upon that
coafl:, according to certain regulations.

The committee of African merchants complained, that the funds al-
lowed by parliament were not near fufficient to repair the various forts,
which were all left in ruinous condition by the late royal African company.

If the great advantages that commerce, and mod probably Britiih
commerce, will, in fome future day, derive from a knowlege of the in-
terior regions of Africa, are coniidered, no apology will be required for
inferting the following

Abridgement of the account of the River Senegal and the adjacent count ly, from
a letter written by Mr. Barnes, governor of Fort-Louis y to the committee
of merchants trading to Africa.

The River Senegal has fufficient depth of water for vefTels drawing
nine feet, for 86 leagues from its mouth. The befl: time for going up
is the beginning of July, and the voyage takes up from five to eight
weeks. The end of Odober is the bed time for the downward pallage,
which is generally performed in three or four weeks.

At the head of the River Senegal there is a ridge of mountains, be-
yond which, according to the natives, there is a great river, like the
Senegal, called the Black river *, which runs eaflward into a great lake,
around which there are fettlements of white people f, who have a num-

• Ned il Abctd (the river of the black, peo- ' [or Dambar.'na], hns no affinity with the Ara-
ple), and Ncel il Kibccr (ttie great river), are the ■ ' bic or Turkifh.' Surely their language liavlng

indigenous names of this river, the courfe of which no affinity with the Arabic is no reafon for fup-

has fo long puzzled geotrraphcrs. Nccl or Nil poling them to be .\rabs.

fignifies fir;:ply river-, and is a very proper name for Tiiougli Mr. Park's travels in the interior part

the oi;c river of Egypt. of Africa did not extend to the great lake, nicn-

\ It would be too romantic to hope, that this tinned by Mr. Barnes, nor do any of the conver-

civilized white nation may be found to be the off- fations lie had with the negroes on tlic banks of

fpring of a remainder of the Carthaginians, If the Niger, Neel-ill-Al)eed, or Joliba, fcem to en-

they (hould be really Carthaginians, and AiU re- courage us to hope for any knowlege of fuch a

tain the literature and fcience of their ancellors, white nation on the banks of the great lake ; yet

what a bright ilream of illumination might an ac- the agreement of Mr\ Barnes's information with

<liiaintance with ihcm throw upon an intercl'irg that obtained by Captain Blankett's friend gives

portion of anticnt hiftory, which is fo mifcrably us fome reafon to hope to be made acquainted

<lefeftive, from oirr having heard only one frde of with fuch a eommnriity of white people. Mr.

the (lory. It is worthy of obfervatjon, that (ac- Barnes, wlien examined by the committee of privy

cording to the informatioir received from a negro council, faid, that he had been told, that tliofe

trader in the upper parts of the Gambia, by a wliite people had a fort mounted with girns rrpon

gentleman of veracity and irrformation, formerly the lake ; and p<.o])le, who had feen them, laid

imployed by the African company, and commn- that they do not fpeak Arabic. Though the

nicatcd by Captain Blankctt of lire navy to the language of the Arabs was antiently akin to that

ommittce of the privy council, when enijagcd in of the I'hixnicians and Cart"

he coiiflderatloir of the Have trade,) ' The Ian- wtll fiippofc, that they are vc

guage fpoken by the white meir (who arc fup- the later be really anywhere ii
pofcd to be Arabs] of Tombuto and Banbaia 3

376 A. D. 1763.

ber of veflels, and carry on an extenfive trade upon the lake, and up the
river into the country of Banibarina, the chiefs of which are extolled
for their politenefs and civility.

From this great country comes above one half of the gold, and mofi;
of th.e flaves purchafed at Senegal and Gambia, and almofl all the flaves
and gold of Morocco, Algier, Tunis, and the Levant.

This valuable country might very eafily be explored by means of
fome of the natives of Senegal ; and the author of this account is able
to point out fome men of fenfe and fidelity, mafters of Arabic learning,
and every way capable of undertaking the bufinefs *.

November 21" — The lords of trade and plantations gave notice, in
the London gazette, that all perfons defirous of grants of lands in Eaft
Florida and Weft Florida, for the purpofe of railing filk, cotton, wine,
oil, cochineal, indigo, &c. might apply to Mr. Povvnall, their fecretary,
without delay.

The quantity of filk produced in Georgia this year was only 953
pounds, which was 87 pounds lefs than the produce of the preceding
year f .

Mr. Martin Kuyck Van Mierop, a member of the Ruffian company,
who had been a faftor in Perfia from the commencement of the trade
to the termination of it (nine years), reprefented as proofs of the great
advantages to be derived from the trade to Perfia through Rufiia, that
it was carried on entirely with Britifh manufadures, tin, cochineal, indi-
go, and coral beads, but that nineteen parts in twenty of the whole va-
lue confifted of woollen goods, and that no money nor bills were re-
quired— that almoft the whole of the returns to England were in raw
filk — that the lilk fent to Europe by the Ruffian and Armenian mer-
chants, owing to unfair packing, fold 20 per cent lower than what is
fent by the Engliih faftors. The roads from Ghilan to Smyrna and
Aleppo being utterly impaflable during the convulfions in Perfia, it is
now impoffible for the Turkey company to import any filk ; therefor
it is of the utmoft confequence, that liberty be fecured by the treaty,
now negotiating with Ruffia, to carry on that trade J.

* with Mr. Barnes's account of the interior part J The firft treaty with RufTia, after this time,

of Africa agiees that of Mr. George G!as, a na- was in the year 1766, and no fuch trade is men-

vigator, (but originally bred to meiiicinc) who, tioncd in it.

by refiding in South Barbarj-, acquired confider- The route recommended by Mr. Van Mierop is

able knowlege of the trade of the country. We aftually ufed by the Aruicnians in their trade be-

ihall afterwards find Mr. Glas propofiiig to open tween Perfia and Holland, if I am rightly inform-

a new channel of trade on the African coaft. ed. And the fame route was recominendcd to

f There was an acco,snt, publiflied in the newf- llic Englifli Ruffia company in the year 1740, by
papers, of 15,000 poundsofcocconsbeing brought Captain Elton, who was acquainted with the na-
to the filature in Georgia, which was held out as vigation of the Cafpian fea. At their defire he
a proof of the great advantage of that culture, and made a joumey into Perfia, by the route he pro-
of the profperity of the province. The writer of pofed, and obtained from Rifan Guleo Mirfa, the
that paragraph was not aware of the great num- eldeft fon of Nadir Shach, and fole regent of Per-
bcr of pounds of cocoons required to make one fia, a mod favourable grant of trade for the ' Ho-
pound of filk. 4

A, D, 1763. 377

On an average of nine years experience, he eftimates the proceeds of
a bale of cloth, which cofts, with freight and duty in Ruflia, £106 : 14,
to be, when i-eturned in raw filk, £357 • ^3 ■ i> fubjed to duties and
charges amounting to ;{?g2 : 4 : 9, fo that there remains a net profit of
^158 : 14:4.

From all thefe confiderations he ftrongly recommended the revival
of the trade though Ruflia.

Odober 7''' It being determined, after, mature deliberation, that

the countries ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of peace fliould be
divided into four feparate governments called Quebec, East Florida,
West Florida, and Grenada, a proclamation was ifiued, wherein their
limits were afcertained, and encouragement was held our to fettlers.

Quebec was bounded on the Labrador coafl by the River St. John on
the eafl, and by a line from the liead of that river through Lake St.
John to the fouth end of Lake Nipiflim, whence by a line crofling the
River St. Laurence, and then croiTmg Lake Champlain in the latitude
of 45 degrees, and running along the high lands which divide the rivers
running into the St. Laurence from thofe running into the ocean, and
along the north coafl of the Bay de Chaleurs to Cape Rofiers, whence
acrofs the Gulf of St. Laurence, by the weft end of the ifland of Anti-
cofli, to the aforefaid River St. John.

East Florida was bounded on the weft by Apalachicola river, on
the north by a line from that part of the Apalachicola, where the rivers
Chatahouchee and Flint meet, to the fource of St. Mary's river, and by
that river to the fea, which forms the other boundaries of the province,
wherein are alio comprehended all iflands within fix leagues of the
coaft.

West-Florida was bounded on the fouth by the Gulf of Mexico, on
the weft by Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and the River INhflifip-
pi, as far north as the latitude of 31 degrees, which parallel of latitude
forms its northern boundary, the eaftern one being the River Apalachi-
cola. All iflands within fix leagues of the coaft were alio annexed to
this province.

The government of Grenada comprehended that ifland with tlie
Grenadines, the iflands of Dominica, St. Vincent, and Tobago *.

For the extenfion of an open and free fifliery to all Britifli fubjeds,
the coaft of Labrador, from the River St. John to Hudfon's ftraits, to-
gether with Anticofti, Madclainc, and the olher iflands on that coaft,

♦ iioiirablc Englifh merchants,' witli every privi- \_PI.'iHipi^t H'lft. of inLinA njvi^nlion, />. 26, ej.

lege tlity toulj wirti for. 'TyS-J

The iiiliiniJ navigation, from Pctcrfl'iirg to tlic * Dominica, St. Vincent, anJ Tob.igo, fince

Cafpian fen, was fo mucli improved by the late tlic con(|ne(l of lliem liaJ been annexed to the

cmprefs in the year 1780, that the Noyagc is now government of Barbados,
pcrfoniied in half the time it formerly required.

Vol. III. 3 B

378 A. D. 1763.

were put under the care and infpedion of the governor of Newfound-
land.

The iflands of St. John and Cape Breton, with their dependencies,
were annexed to the government of Nova-Scotia.

And the trad of land between the rivers Alatamaha and St. Marys,
was annexed to Georgia.

For the encouragement of fettlers, the proclamation held out the af-
furance of fecurity for their liberties and properties, of regular govern-
me!ir, and of reprefentative aflemblies as foon as the provinces fhould
be lufhciently populous to admit of elecftions. The lands fliould be
granted on the mod liberal terms ; and for the particular encourage-
nient of the army, the governors of the three new provinces on the
continent, and the governors of all the other provinces in North Ame-
rica, {hould be inftruded to grant, without fee or reward, and free of
quit-rents for ten years, and of all obligations, except thofe of cultiva-
tion and improvement,

To every field officer - 5000 acres of land.

To every captain - - 3000,

To every fubaltern, or flaff officer 2000,

To every noncommiffioned officer - 200,

And to every private man - - 50 *.

And to fuch reduced officers of the navy, as ferved at the redudlion of
Louifburg and Quebec, the like quantities of land, agreeable to their
rank, were offiired on the fame terms.

The governors of the three new provinces on the continent, were
reftrided from making any grants of land, or permitting any fettle-

* For the encouragement of fuch foldiers and The truftees for the forfeited eftates in Scotland

failors as chofc to fettle at home, gratuitous, or promifcd the foldiers and failors gratuitous land,

advantageous, offers of lands were alfo made by and alfo materials for building and cultivation,

public focicties and public-fpirited individuals. fifhing boats, tackle, and even money.

The Dublin fociety offered premiums of five Sir Ludovick Grant, and Mr. Grant of Grant,

pounds each to the firft hundred foldiers or fall- offered to grant them farms of from five to fifteen

ois, who had ferved his Majefty out of Great Bri- acres in the fliires of Invernefs, Elgin, and Bamff,

tain or Ireland, and were regularly difcharged free of rent for feven years ; and for twelve years

from the fervlcc, that fliould, in tlie year 1763, thereafter at one fliilling the acre, and to allow

take leafes for lives of not lefs than five, nor more them timber, (lone, and lime, for building, and

than twenty, acres of land in the provinces of peats for fuel.

Leinfter, Munller, and Connaught, on their pro- Several villages or hamlets were fettled in con-
ducing, in September 1764, certificates from the fequence of thefe encouragements. But the vi.
clergyman of the parifh, or two neighbouring ciltitudes of fatigue and indolence in the military
juftices, of their induftry, and the apparent pro- life, are not very proper preparatives for the re-
bability of thtir perfeverance and continuance on gular and perfevering indufti-y requifite for agri-
their farms. And they alfo offered honorary cultural purfuits. I believe moft of the fettle*
gold medals to each of the firfl ten landlords in raents were foon abandoned.
thofe three provinces, who (hould let at leaft five ^
fuch farms to fuch tenants.

A. D. 1763, 379

meats to be made on the lands referved for the occupation of the
Indian aborigines. The trade with the Indians was declared to be en-
tirely free and open to all Britifli fubjedts, on complying with fuch re-
gulations as already were, or afterwards fhould be, made for the direc-
tion of it ; the traders being only obliged to take out licences from the
governors, who were to give them without any fee or reward.

Agreeable to the arrangement fixed by this proclamation for the new
provinces, the king had appointed General James Murray to be governor
of Quebec, or Canada ; General James Grant to be governor of Eaft
Florida ; Commodore George Johnfton to be governor of Well Florida ;
and General Robert Melville to be governor-general of Grenada and
the other ceded iflands.

In the year 1749 an agent, or fuperintendent, fubordinate to the
governor of Jamaica, had been appointed, with a fuitable allowance, to
dired the Britifh fettlements on the Mufquito fhore, and to cultivate
the friendfliip of the Indians of thofe parts. In confequence of the ar-
ticle in the treaty of peace for demolifhing the fortifications on the Bay
of Honduras, it had become doubtful, whether the office of fuperintend-
ent on the Mufquito fhore was alio to ceafe ; but by directions from
home he was continued in oflSce. Soon after Captain Otway, the fu-
perintendent, fent home the following account of the Britilh fettlements
and trade on the tract of coaft under his care.

At Black river, the principal fettlement, there were 45 white families,
and 21 families of meflees * ; and in ten other fmaller fettlements there
were 22 families of whites, and 9 of meflees. The annual exports he
calculates to be 650,000 feet of mahogany, 110,000 pounds of farfa-
parilla, 8000 pounds of turtle fhell, 150 mules, and cotton, indigo, and
cacao, in fmall quantities f.

December 19''. — In the ad of parliament for levying the land-tax for
the year 1764, all perfonal effates, including debts, excepting defperate
debts, flock on land, houfehold goods, and loans to his Majefty, are tax-
ed to pay four fliillings in the pound of their yearly value, which is one
})er cent on the capital. The fame tax is alfo extended to all employ-
ments and penfions, fhares in the new river, fire offices, &c. excepting,
however, offices in the army and navy.

In that part of the acl, which regulates the taxation for Scotland, it

' People of mixed breed, between whites and f The quantity of cotton incrcafed confidcr-

Indians, or between whites and negroes, or of all ably afterwards, and the quality of it was excel,

ihefc breeds confounded. Mellee, however, in lent, efpecially of that of tlic growili of St. An-

ftrieter acceptation, means the iduc of a mulatto drcas, i:u iiland about 40 leagues from the fliorc.
and a white, who is three quarters white and one
quarter negro.

q E 2

380 A. D. 1763.

appears, that there ftill remained in that country fome obligations in
force for debts bearing interefl: at fix per cent ; and the debtors, by §
132, were authorifed to withhold payment of one lixth part (or one per
cent) of the interefl:.

Bv § 137, a fum not exceeding two millions, bearing interefl: at four
per cent, was directed to be borrowed on the credit of this tax. [4 Geo.
Ill, c. 2.]

The marine fociety, that noble combination of charity and patriot-
ifm, was originally projecfted by the benevolent Jonas Hanway, for the
purpofe of feeding and clothing poor defl:itute boys, and fitting them
out for the fea lervice ; and it was fupported by the liberal contribu-
tions of himfclf and other philanthropifl;s, among whom Mr. Hickes, a
merchant in Hamburgh, who bequeathed to this mofl: valuable charity
his whole fortune, amounting to above /^20,ooo, deferves to be emi-
nently noticed. During the war, a very great number of boys had
been rendered ufeful to themfelves and to their country by this fociety.
And they did not lofe fight of their wards, when they were difcharged
from the navy on the return of peace, but invited all thofe, who were
under fixteen years of age, to return to them. Some of thefe youths,
they placed with watermen, lightermen, fifliermen, and commanders of"
merchant veffels ; others they put under the care of officers of the navy,
who engaged to keep them for three years ; and about ninety were
bound to manufactures and mechanic trades. By thefe means they put
about three hundred of their boys a fecond time in a fair way of be-
coming ufeful members of fociety, inflead of being a burthen and a
nuiiance to it, as niany of them would probably have been, if they had
remained in their original and undirected flatc of miferable dereliction.

The north part of Stafford-fliire, abounding with coal, and, its ufual
attendant, ftrong fire-clay, has certainly been the feat of manufadorics
of earthen ware for feveral centuries*. When Dr. Plott wrote his Na-
tural hiflory of Stafford-fhire in the year 1686, the manufacture was con-
fined to coarfe butter pans, and fuch ware, the fale of which extended no
farther than they could be carried on the backs of the workmen or
hawkers.

About the beginning of the eighteenth century the difcovery of a
fine bed of red earth at Bradwell induced two brothers of the name of
Elers to come from Holland and fettle there : and they may be confi-
dered as the firfl: improvers of the pottery. They made a fine kind of
red porcelain in imitation of the oriental ; and they introduced the

• Some years ago the vefliges of an antient man origin, whence it has been fiippofed that the
potter)' were dil'covereJ at Chellerton, a village Romans may have eftablifhed a manufaftory of
near Newcaftle, the uame of which proves its Ro. earthen ware at that place.

3

A. D. 1763. 381

art of glazing earthen ware by throwing common fait into the oven at
the time of its higheft ignition. But the clouds of fmoke, raifed by this
operation, gave fuch offence to the neighbourhood, that they were ob-
liged to leave the country ; and, it is believed, they removed to Ireland.

The clays of Stafford-fhire are not fit for making white earthen ware :
but the ingenuity of the manufwflurers has difcovered various improve-
ments and combinations of the different fubftances, which have enabled
them to produce from their own clays feveral fpecies of earthen ware,
ftill beyond the reach of foreign competition.

The pipe-clay of Devon-fhire was alfo carried to Stafford-fhire, and
formed the bafis of a white earthen ware, which was foon after much
improved by the accidental difcovery of the ufe of calcined flint. Thefe
improvements produced a flronger and more agreeable fpecies of goods,
known for many years by the name oi white Ji one Tvare, which was glazed
with fait in the manner introduced by the Elers, the neighbours no
longer complaining of the nuifance of the fmoke. This ware came into
very general vife all over the country ; and fome of it was exported. But
flill great quantities of finer and more elegantly-formed earthen ware
were imported from France and Holland for the tables of the wealthy.

Such was the ftate of the manufad:ure, when Mr. Jofiah Wedgwood
this year produced a new kind of cream-coloured earthenware, fuperior
in texture and durability to the French and Dutch, more capable of bear-
ing the ludden changes of heat and cold, and covered with a brilliant and
impenetrable glazing, which could be furniflied at a moderate expenfe.
The tide of public tafte immediately turned ; foreign earthen wares
were difcarded ; Englifh wares were ufed in every houfe in the king-
dom, and began to be exported to the very countries from which
earthen ware had hitherto been brought ; and the foreign manufactures,
unable to ftand the competition, declined, or were abandoned.

Mr. Wedgwood, who, with the diligence of the manufacturer, pofieff-
ed the fcience and unwearied perfeverance of the experimental phllo-
fopher, not fatisficd with having added a moft important article of uni-
verfal uie to the manufactures of the country, (for the quantity made
before his improvement, compared with that made fince, may be rec-
koned as nothing) introduced many new fpecies of porcelain of various
colours and forts, of which are made an infinite variety of ornamental
works, comprehending cameos, intaglios, bas-reliefs, medallions, tablets,
fmall flatues, buffs, feals, &c. the matter of which is fo hard, and fo
qualified to refift the action of fire and acids, that it proniifes to remain,
after time fliall have del1;royed pictures, and even marbles and bronzes,
an unperifliing monument, to hand down to the latefl pofferity the
immortal fame of the inventor, along with that of the characters repre-
fented on it. The fortunate circumflance of Sir William Hamilton
bringing over from Italy his admired collection of antique vafes alfo

382 A, D. 1763.

opened a new field to his imitative powers ; and he foon rendered their
beautiful forms familiar in this country, inftead of being confined to
the knowlege of the few who could have accefs to fee the originals. He,
moreover, dilcovered the art of painting on vafes, &c. without any
glois, in the manner of the antient Etrufcans, which, according to Mr.
D'Hancarville, (in his DilTertation on Sir William Hamilton's mufeum)
has been loft ever fince the age of Pliny : and his productions in this
clafs have even a fuperiority over the Etrufcan vafes, as they add to the
beauty of defign, the advantages of light and fliade in all the variety of
colours. His porcelain mortars, harder and more impenetrable than
marble or metal, and his pyrometers for determining the degree of heat
in very ftrong fires *, deferve the gratitude of all who are interefted in
medicinal and chemical operations. Nor mufl his improved ink-pots,
though trifling in point of price, be forgotten, as they are valuable to
all who wilh to preferve the points of their pens from being fpoiled,
and their fingers from being daubed with ink f .

For the fake of connection, I fliall here give a brief account of the
improved fl;ate of the earthen ware manufacture, chiefly extracted from
Mr. Wedgwood's own evidence, given before the committee of the
houfe of commons in May 1785.

From fifteen to twenty thoufand perfons are employed in the potteries:
and much greater numbers are employed in digging coals for them, and
in various diftant parts of the kingdom, and even in Ireland, in raifing
and preparing the clay and flint, whereof fifty or lixty thoufand tuns
are annually conveyed to Stafford-fhire by coafting and inland naviga-
tion, which gives employment not only to coafting vefTels and canal
barges, but alfo to the vefTels belonging to the Newfoundland fifhery
during the months that they ufed to be laid up idle. Vaft numbers
are alfo employed in carrying the goods, when manufadured, to every
part of Great Britain for home confumption, and for exportation.

Though many of the ftates of Europe have prohibited the admiffion
of Britifli earthen ware, and others have loaded it with intolerable
duties, yet five fixths of the quantity made are exported ; and fcarcely
a veflel fails from any port of Great Britain without carrying lefs or
more of this cheap and univerfally-ufeful article, the great bulk of
which, in comparifon with its price, renders it a mofl important ob-
ject in refpedt to freightage, as every ttm in weight of the raw material
becomes three or four tuns in meafurement, when fhipped in its finifh-
ed ftate. To this account of the great increafe of the manufacture Mr.

* The pyrometer has a diftingulHied place in f A* fuller and better account of Mr. Wedg-
all the laboratories of chemiftry and experimental wood's inventions may be found in a catalogue
philofophy on the continent. [See 'Travels in which is delivered to the public at the warehoufe.
England and Scotland by Mr. Faujas Saint-Fond,
V. \, p. 96, En^Jifh tranjlation.']

A. D. 1763, ^S^

Wedgwood added, that he conceived it to be ftill in its infancy, in
comparifon of what it may be, if it is not interrupted in its growtli *.

The manufadure has ftill continued to increafe, and has fpread over
a diftritfl in the north part of StafTord-fhire of about nine miles in ex-
tent, the whole of which is now fo covered with manufacT:ories and
dwelling houfcs, that it has the appeai^ance of one large fcattering
town, and is accordingly called in the neighbourhood by the name of
the Pottery, though including feveral towns and villages. Earthen ware
is alfo made in imitation of Mr. Wedgwood's manner in many other
parts of Great Britain, and in Ireland, and alfo in feveral parts of the
continent of Europe,

Thus are the meaneft materials, the clay and the flint ftones under
our feet, converted into objeds of the greateft utility and beauty, and
become the means of giving employment to a prodigious number of
people with the greateft poflible national advantage (for the whole value
of the earthen ware of every kind is the price of labour paid to our
own people) and of opening a new and extenfive field of commerce of
the moft beneficial kind to the kingdom. For all thefe bleflings Great
Britain is indebted to the genius, the elegant tafte, the fcience, and the
perfeverance, of Mr. Wedgwood, whofe memory ought to be held in
honour by all concerned in the landed or commercial interefts, or who
wifh well to the general profperity, of Great Britain f.

The following funis were this year voted by the Irifli parliament for
promoting inland navigation and other commercial objeds J.

For the great canal from Dublin to the Shannon, - £6000

For a canal to carry vefi^ils of 100 tuns from Newry to Loch
Neagh, and thence to Drumglas colliery in the coimty of Ty-
rone, _ _ _ . 4000
A canal to conned Loch Swilly and Loch Foyle, - 4000
A canal, which, with the improvements on the River Lagan,
completes the navigation between Loch Neagh and the fea at
Belfaft, - - - - 2000
Four other inland navigations by canals and improvement of the

River Shannon, &c. _ _ > 10,000

• Let us alfo hoar what a foreigner, a chcmift, ' Spain, Portugal, and Italy, are fupplicJ with it,
and mlncralDgKl, and a lover of the arts, fays of it. ' aiul vclftls are loaded with it for the Eart-Indles,

* Its excellent worknianfliip, its folidity, the nd- ' the Wed- Indies, and che continent of America.'
' vantage which it pofltffes of fuftalning the ac- \_Faujas Sainl-FonJ, V. i, p. 97.]

' tion of fire, its fine glaze impenetrable to acids, f Mr. Wedgwood died in January 1795, at

• the beauty .md convenience of its form, and the Etruria, his feat in Stafiurd-fhire, where he poflefl-

' chcapnefs of its price, have given rife to a com- cd a fine eilate, ai\ extenfive fet of work* for his

' merce fo aftivc, and fo univcrfal, that in travel- manufactory, and a village for the accommodation

' ling from Paris to Peterfburgh, from Amfterdam of liis work people ; all the fruits of his invn ho-

' to the farlhell part of Sweden, and from Dtiii- nourable creative iiKlullry.

' kirk to the extremity of the foulh ot France, \ See the grants of the year 1761 in /», 349.

' one is fervcd at every inn upon Englifli ware. 4

384

A. D. 1763.

Improving harbours and building piers, quays, 8cc. at Dublin

and feven other ports, _ _ - ;(^ir,200

To alTift the expenfe of the dry dock at Dublin, - 1000

For carrying on the ballaft-office wall, - - 4000

For carrying on a whale fifliery on the north-weft coaft of Ire-
land, - - _ - 1000
To the Dublin fociety for the encouragement of arts, trades,

and manufactures, » « - 10,000

And confiderable fums were at the fame time allotted for churches,
hofpitals, bridges, and other ufeful works.

The herrings, after having for fifty years deferted the coaft of Sweden,
had fome years ago returned to it in fuch abundance, that 42,012 tuns
of thofe fiih were fent from the coaft into the interior parts of the
country; and theix were exported from Gottenburg 101,143 tuns of
faked herrings, 48 of fmoked, and 322 of frefh ; as alio 63,016 cannes
of oil made from the herrings. The Swedilh government wifely en-
couraged this very profitable fifliery for fome time after the revival of
it. But by the very fuperior advantage of taking the herrings in pro-
digious numbers at almoft no expenfe by feine nets clofe upon the fliore,
the low price of labour and of caiks, it was foon capable of fupport-
ing itfelf without any public afliftance ; and the Swedes were enabled
to underfell every other nation engaged in the herring fiftiery.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1762 to Chriftmas 1763 was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark and Norway

East Country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Prussia

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

I

raported into

P)xported from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

^18,128

2

8

^463,818

9

4

a^l31

5 0

2,739

13

1

21,032

16

9

89,179

11

2

^36,216

7

1

140,610

10

/

26,940 17 8|

247,006

1

6

299,857

7

7

1,0^9,335

18

;

887,083

7

0

83,320

3

10

384,177

12

8

27,697

14 2

43,158

5

5

197,KX)

11

3

187,365

11 3

1,085,107

0

9

4,843

8

0

2,272,272

16

8

20,649

13 9

8,117

15

2

2,491

7

10

22

15

3

476,383

10

3

84,419

15

5

1,9 10,240

19

5

201,599

8 0

769.379

11

6

130,604
3

15
15

1
0

1,640,713

3

3

165,654
1,433

18 6
14 10

949,140

8

0

1.237

3

1

468,779

18

4

1,145

14 6

1,119

3

9

10,536
8,740

2

8

i

37.278

13

3

239

15,300

6,i)04

6 2

16 10

17 5

3at,056

0

10

1 1 ,081

8

5

727,623

12

9

11,706

8 6

801,279

0

7

110,720

5

8

78,(101

1

11

92,339

9 1

590,506

5

11

6,250

11

6

1,168,072

1

3

11,973

0 7

20,276

n

4

325,622

18

6

249,540

15

0

24,275

6

0

20,494

1

/

1,544

15 6

7\i,(X>-i

9

2

lyjMG

13

11

A. D, 1763.

385

Countries, &c.

Imported into

1 ■ _

Exported ti-om

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

Venice

.^'31,841 18 4

20,259 1^ 0

Guernsey, &c.

144,89J 7 9

10,350 3 11

43,746 12 9

3,690 8

0

Belk'-isle

17 13 7

929 9 6

America in general

353,984 11 5

270,548 16

9

Hudson's bay

8,5(37 10 1

4,393 2 7

Newfoundland

34,102 18 8

55,102 8 7

Quebec

20,85(3 13 5

149,539 16 4

Nova- Scotia

4,312 9 10

10,303 3 4

New-Fjn^land

74,815 1 1

258,«J4 ly 6

New- York

53,988 14 4

238,560 2 1

Pennsylvania

33,228 10 2

284,152 16 0

Virginia and Mar)'land

642,2;M 2 9

555,3yl 12 10

Carolina

282,3ii(> 3 6

250,132 2 0

Georgia

14,4(39 18 4

44,y08 ly y

Florida

9,946 3 2

West-Indies in general

88,331 12 3

3y,578 10 10

75,672 IS

3

^\jiguilla

2,369 18 9

Antigua

180,347 3 1

101,574 8 2

Barbados

252,537 10 0

213,909 4 9

Bermuda

8,623 15 11

Dominica

1,264 5 6

Grenada

261,552 3 0

53,118 5 6

Guadaloupe

412,303 18 7

11,159 1 4

Ha\anna

249,387 4 8

6,643 11 6

Jamaica

1,159,0'23 15 11

584,9/8 2 5

Martinique

344,162 7 1

12,455 14 2

Montserrat

59,571 15 11

15,505 18 1

Nevis

45,280 9 10

2y,557 9 8

New-Providence

6,438 2 11

St. Croix

8,396 5 9

1,144 0 0

St. Christophers

234,981 17 9

101,724 7 10

Tortoia

58,571 4 2

l,yoi 1 4

Foreign West-Indies

19,137 0 11

3,190 14

6

British and Irish linens

exported on bounty to

various countries

30,604 6 6

Prize goodii

160,516 12 10

201,194 6 7

Imp. and exp. of England

1,660,036 0 t)

14,487,507 3 9

Imp. and exp. of Scotland

903, Syl 2 8

C)03,80I 2 8

1

1,091,435 19 9

,091,435 19

y

Total, Great Britain -

2,5(jS,p27 3 5

15, 576,943 3 6

There belongetl this year to all the ports
of England - 6,571 veflels, of the reputed burthen of 496,093 ttins,
and ot Scotland 1,062 59,862

Total - 7,633 555»955

The net amount ot the cuflonis, including the Weil-India tour-and-

a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the e\chei]uer in the courfe of thii.

year, was, from the cuftom-houfe in London, /^2, 247, 103 18 9

and from the cuflom-houfe in Edinburgh, - 2,500 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain, /!2, 249,603 18 9
Vol. hi. 3 C

386 A. D. 1763.

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
10,980 pounds of gold, value - - £5i^,o/\.o 10 c

and 848 pounds of filver, _ _ _ 2,628 16 o

£515^9 6 o

1 764 January — As the charter of the bank of England was nearly ex-
pired, an agreement was entered into between the government and the
bank, whereby the later agreed to pay cafh for exchequer bills to the
amount of a million, for which they were to receive interefl at the rate of
three per cent till the year 1766, when the bills were to be paid off;
and aifo to pay £1 10,000, for which they were to receive neither in-
terefl nor repayment : but in confideration thereof they were to be
continued a body corporate with all their advantages as before, and to
the exclufion of every other body politic, and partnerfliip exceeding fix
perfons, from carrying on the bufinefs of banking in England till the
redemption of the debt due to them by government, and one year's
notice after the firfl; day of Auguft 1786.

The agreement was foon after confirmed by an a6t of parliament,
wherein it was made felony without benefit of clergy to forge powers
of attorney or other authorities for receiving dividends, transferring or
felling flock, or to perfonate the proprietor of any flock in order to re-
ceive his dividend or transfer his flock (April 18th). [4 Geo. Ill, c. 25.]

In the enfuing Oftober the dividends on bank flock were raifed from
four and a half \.o five per cent.

The fcheme of fupplying the nietropolis with frefli filh at moderate
prices under the patronage of the fociety for the encouragement of arts,
manufadlurcs, and commerce, and the management of Captain Blake,
in the year 1761, had been flrongly oppofed, and in a great meafufe
defeated by the arts of thofe, who were interefted in keeping up the
price of fifh. The fociety, who had advanced /^2000 as the foundation
of the bufinefs, and /^i56o further as a loan to Captain Blake to affifl
in carrying it on, being fully fitisfied of the propriety and integrity of
his condudi, entirely releafed him from the obligation of the debt con-
tradled in his zeal for the fervice of the public. As it was evident, that
this undertaking, though attended with lofs to the patriotic fociety and
the manager, had been very advantageous to the public in greatly re-
ducing the price of fifli, parliament foon after allowed Captain Blake
>(!^2500 to enable him to perfevere in his laudable attempt.

The fociety of arts, flill defirous of exerting themfelves for procur-
ing a plentiful fupply of fifh, and encouraging native fifhermen, foon
after offered a premium of £^ for every hundred of turbots meafuring
i6 inches from the eye to the fork of the tail, and ^2:10 for every
• hundred not under 10 inches*, caught by Britifh fubjedls, and offered

* Pope, in his Satires, informs us, that it was ihe faJJAon to prefer fmall turbots in liis time.

A. D. 1764. 387

tor fale in London or Weftminfter between the ill of May and 31 ft of
Auguft 1764.

Since the eftabUlhrnent of this truely benevolent and generous fo-
ciety in the year 1755, they had expended almoft /^20,ooo in pubUc-
fpirited mealures for promoting the improvement and the happinefs of
the country.

The EngUfh Eaft-India company, though originally merely a fociety
of merchants, by being obliged to maintain a body of troops for the
protedion of their fcttlements, and by their frequent contefts and al-
liances with the princes of Hindooftan, had gradually become a war-
like, as well as a commercial, commonwealth. Even at this time they
had gained fuch an afcendant in the affairs of India, that the court of
diredors in Leadenhall ftreet might with great propriety be compared
to the fenators of antient Rome fitting in judgment on, and determin-
ing the fate of, fuppliant princes : for the fovereigns of India, whofe
protedion the company ufed formerly to court, were now, by fome of
tliofe ftrange revolutions, which have in all ages decided the fate of
that country, funk into the lituation of dependents upon the company,
(or, perhaps, to fpeak more corredly, of their fervants in India) at
whofe pleafure they polTefled their precarious dignities. In order to
give the reader fome idea of the events, that in the courfe of a few
years placed the company, as territorial fovereigns, at leaft on a level
in refped to power and revenue with the greateft of the Oriental
princes, the emperor of China only excepted, it will be neceflary to
give a glance to the affairs of India for a few years back.

The Englifh governor and council of Calcutta, provoked by the cap-
ture of their town by Surajah Dowlah nabob of Bengal, and fenfible
that, fince they were now at variance with that prince, their fafety
could only confift in a fuperiority of power, entered into a negotiation
with Mir Jaffier Aly Cawn, one of his favourite chiefs, to whom they
offered their affiftance to eftablifh him on the throne of his fovereign.
In confequence of their previous agreement Jaffier ftood neuter at the
battle of Plaffey, fought in June 1757, and Surajah was completely
routed by Colonel (afterwards Lord) Clive : and that battle may be faid
to have made the Engliffi Eaft-India company the arbiters of the deftiny
of the fovereigns of Bengal, befides giving them a preponderating in-
fluence throughout all the ftates of Hindooftan *. Jaflier was accord-
ingly made nabob : and in confideration of the aftiftance given him by
the Englifli company he paid them a great fum in ready money, and
rcligned to them a territory yielding a revenue of /?6oo,ooo a-year, re-
ferving to himlelf only the quit-rents amounting to ^^30, 000 a-year j

* Tlic proper name, in tlic Pcifiaii langiiajjc, of boiindar)- of It. Tlic indigenous name is Bliarata.
ll»c country ufiially called India on this fide of tlio [Sec Rcnnel't Memoiri of a Wiip of HinJooflan,
Ganges, tliougli that river is hv no means the p. xx.l

4 3C2

388 A. D. 1764.

and even thefe he loon after diverted himfelf of in favour of Colonel
Clive, which donation became the fubjed of much public difcuflion
under the name of Clive's jagheer. He was moreover obliged to grant
them privileges in trade, fo excefllvely great, and fo prejudicial to his
cuftoms, that upon the whole his exaltation to fovereign power might
juflly be fald to have ruined him. He was reduced lo fuch neceflitous
circumflances, that he was driven to the defperate refource of opprefT-
ing his iubjeds beyond their abiUtics ; and yet he fell greatly in arrears
to his army, whofe good will was eflentially neceflary to fupport him
againfl the difcontents of his iubjeds, and to levy the taxes he laid up-
on them, and alfo to enable him to encroach upon thofe privileges he
had fo profufely granted to the Englifh. In this diftrefsful fituation he
was a':tacked by ieveral of the neighbouring powers ; and the govern-
ment of Calcutta, no longer inclined to favour or affifl him, refolved
to depofe him, and fet up his fon-in-law Mir Coffim Aly Cawn in his
place.

The propofcd revolution was foon effected by Governor Vanfittart
and Colonel Caillaud ; and, as the price of his elevation, additional pay-
ments and privileges were obtained from the new nabob.

Coflim was a man of much greater abilities than his predecefTor. He
felr the mifery and ignominy of his fituation : but he refolved to bear
it in fiience. till he (hould be enabled to bring about a proper opportu-
nity of afTerting the independence of the fovereignty, with which he
was inverted : and that purpofe he kept conftantly in view, as the ca-
pital objed of all his politics. By alfiduoufly cultivating the friendfhip
of the Englifli he was enabled to defeat a fon of the great Mogul, who
had attacked him, and with whom he foon after entered into an al-
liance. He aUb fupprefled the Indian rajahs, who had taken the ad-
vantage of his predecertbr's embarrafTmenis to throw off the yoke, and
compelled them to pay the antient tribute. His revenue being thereby
fomewhat improved, he was enabled to pay his army more regularly,
and to ertablifli quiet and good order in his dominions. And now he
thought himfelf m a condition to throw off his difguife, and to be-
come his own mafter. His firft rtcp was to remove his refidence from
Moorfhedabad to Mongheer, two hundred miles higher up the Ganges,
that his anions might no longer be expofed to the obfervations of the
Englifh at Calcutta. He lort no time in fortifying his new capital, and
in forming an army, which, by the acceffion of military adventurers
from various nations of Europe and Afia, he was enabled to arm, dif-
cipline, and furnifli with artillery, altogether in a ftile much fuperior
to what had ever before been feen in India.

The free trade, which his predeceflbr and he had been obliged to
grant to the Englifh, was not only ruinous to his revenue, but alfo to
the trade of his fubjeds, all the commerce of the country being there-

A. D. 1764. 389

by forced out of Its antient and natural courfe into thofe new and more
favoured channels. He therefor began his operations by orderinsi; that
the ET\g\i(h private traders fhould pay the ufual duties throughout his
dominions, and that all difputes, originating beyond the Englifh limits,
fhould be decided by his magiflrates.

Such orders were mofl alarming to the fadtory at Calcutta. Mr. Van-
fittart the governor thought his own prefence neceflary to try to bring
things back to their former channel, and undertook a journey to Mong-
heer for that purpofe. But the nabob had hitherto conduced his plans
too well to be induced by any force of argument to depart from them ;
and he thus anfwered the governor's remonftrances :

' If the fervants of the Englifh company were permitted to trade in

* all parts and in all commodities cuflom-free, as many of them now

* pretend, they mud of courfe draw all the trade into their own liands ;
' and my cuiloms would be of fo little value, that it would be much
' more for my intereft to lay the trade entirely open, and colle<fl no

* cuftoms from any perfon whatfoever upf)n any kind of merchandize.

* This would draw a number of merchants into the country, and in-
' creafe my revenues by encouraging the cultivation and manufadure
' of a large quantity of goods for fale, at the fame time that it would
' efFedually cut off the principal fubjedt of difpute, which had diflurb-

* ed the good underflanding between us, an objed; I have more than

* any other at heart.'

There was no anfwering a fpeech fo forcible in point of argument,
and fo well fupported by the power of the fpeaker. The governor,
though accuflomed to dictate to Indian princes, was obliged to fuljmit
to the regulations prefcribed by the nabob, which, whether reafonable
or not, were far from being agreeable to the gentlemen of the fadory,
who, in virtue of the former indulgences, were making great fortunes
at the expenfe of the nabob and people of Bengal.

In their aftonifliment and indignation at feeing the creature of their
own hands raife his head againfi: them, they difowned the agreement
made by their governor, and fent orders to all the fubordinate factories
to pay no attention to it. Every thing was now thrown into confufion,
and the whole commerce of the country was at a ftand. They then
made another application to Coflim to repeal the obnoxious regulations j
but he, confident of his power, haughtily refufed to enter into any ne-
gotiation with them.

The fadlory, flung witli refentment and difappointmcnt, and pre-
fuming upon the eafc wlierewith they had lately made and unmade
princes, immediately proclaimed Mir Jafher again nabob of Bengal ;
and the dccifion of the contcO; was referred to the Iword.

The Englifh garrifon of a fortified factory at Patna, a city on the
Ganges, 400 miles above Calcutta and about 100 above Mongheti,

390 A. D. 1764.

ftruck the firfl: blow in this war by an attack upon the town of Patna,
which they almoft inftantly made themfelves mafters of, and abandon-
ing themfelves to the licentioufnefs and diforders of pillage, they were
as fuddenly driven out of it in four hours thereafter, and obliged to
take fhelter in their fort, which they as fpeedily abandoned, fled acrofs
the Ganges, and three days after were completely routed by the Indian
forces (25th June — ifl July 1763).

Major Adams immediately marched into the nabob's territories ; and,
though Collim conduced his operations with a degree of prudence and
military knowlege never before attained by any of the Indian princes,
and his troops were alfo better armed, clothed, and difciplined, and dif-
played more courage and firmnefs than is ufual with Indian armies, the
iliperior military knowlege and difcipline of the Englifli in a few months
(July — Ociober 1763) drove him from pofl to pofl:, and at laft entirely
out of his dominions to take fhelter with Sujah Dowlah, the nabob of
the neighbouring province of Oude, who, fearful of drawing on him-
felf the refentment of the Englifh, refufed to admit any of his troops,
though he willingly afforded an afylum to himfelf.

Such was the fituation of affairs in India, when the difpatches were
fent home : and, though the event might be confidered as rather fa-
vourable to the company, yet, when they received the unwelcome news
of a war, the progrefs and confequences of which might be fo defl:ruc-
tive to their revenue, which from territorial and commercial funds now
amounted to between fix and feven hundred thoufand pounds a-year,
it ftruck them with fo great a conflernation, that India flock imme-
dia^jely fell 14. per cent (February 6th), and great debates enfued on the
jneafures proper to be purfued in India.

Lord Clive was generally confidered by the proprietors of India flock
as the perfon befl qualified for the military command in iuch critical
circumftances. But there were fome difputes on the fubjedt of his
jagheer, which the company, through whofe hands only he could re-
ceive it, had withheld from him, as being anfwerable for it to the
Mogul, if he fliould ever be in a capacity to demand it of them. There
was alfo another difficulty. While they wifhed Lord Clive to be at the
head of their army abroad, they defired that Mr. Sullivan fliould pre-
fide as chairman in the direction at home. But Lord Clive politively
refufed to take any concern in the company's affairs, if that gentleman
were to be at the head of the diredion. And fo high were their hopes
and their confidence in Lord Clive's military talents, that all difficulties
were fmoothed, the affair of the jagheer was accommodated to his la-
tisfadion, and Mr. Sullivan was obliged to content himfelf with being
merely one of the directors. Lord Clive, having thus got all matters
in difpute fettled almofl on liis own terms, embarked for India about
the end of May.

A. D. 1764. 391

The India company, in order to avoid fimilar difputes in future, made
a law, that henceforth none of their fervants fliould ever accept any
gratuity from any prince or governor in India.

Some flones found in the Highlands of Scotland *, and judged to
be equal in beauty, and all the other characleriftics, to the oriental
rubies, were prefented to the royal fociety and the fociety for the en-
couragement of arts, commerce, and manufxdlures. If a brilliant
ftone is really a defirable thing, and worthy of being purchaled at the
price of a good eflate, whether is it better to procure them from the
poorefl provinces of our own ifland, or from the mofi; opulent regions
of the globe ?

Siberia, a country hitherto little known, appears to be rich in mines
of the pretious metals. 13,200 pounds weight of filver, and 990 pounds
of gold, the produce of the labour of the miners in the year 1 763,
were conveyed to Peterfburg in the beginning of this year. The quan-
tity was expeded to be greater in the enfuing year, as that of 1763 had
exceeded what had been got in 1762. A mine of quickfilver was alfo
difcovered in the lame country.

March 20th — Anewharbour was completed by Sir John HufTey Dela-
val at Hartley near Newcaftle, the entrance of which was cut out of the
folid rock 19 feet deep and about 900 feet in length.

There being a general complaint of the high prices of provillons,
parliament inftituted an inquiry, whei-eby it appeared, that the price
of the beft: beef to the venders was 3^/ a pound, and to the confumers
4^' and ^.{d fov choife pieces, ^d and 3j(Y for middling, and from ild
to 2^^ for coarfe pieces, being about a halfpenny dearer than the prices
in the fame month (March) in the preceding years, when we were en-
gaged in an extenfive war. On examining the pvrople concerned in con-
veying the meat from the farmer to the confumer, it appeared that
there was no fcarcity of cattle, that meat v.'as fold much cheaper with-
in thirty miles of London, and, notwithftanding feveral Ipecious pre-
tences, that the high price in London was in reahty owing to the arts
of cngroflers and forelLillers. But though the caui'e of lo great an evil
was difcovered, we do n«t find that any effectual ren:iedy has ever been
applied f .

• Among tlic pretious flones found in the High- Alexander I was ctkbratctl and coveted in forei)^n

lands may be reckoned fapplilres, equal lo tlie ori- kingdon-.s. See an aeeoiuil of the Scnuilh pretious

ental; hexagonal topazes, commonly called, from Hones in the Bfe, 17^3, a periodical woik puLlilh-

the mountain on which they are chiefly found, ed at Edinburgh.

Carn-gorm (loncs, one of which, in the poircdioii f Some hold it as a maxim, that the high price

of Mr. Farquharfon of Invercauld, is as large as of provifiuns is a proof of floiirilhiiig ei.mmerce

the body of a child of two years old ; the emerald; and national profptrity. But tiiis, lik>- all other

the anicthyfl; the garret or tuby. The Ely ruby general rules, nmil be received with allowances and

found in the fands at Ely in Fife. exceptions. The trade of the cattle jobber and

'I'he i>earls of Scotland were famous In former carcale-butcher may prolper while '.lie price of

times, and the coUedion of them belonging to King meat ii very high ; but commerce is hurt by it in

392 A. D 1764.

Upon a confideration of the flate of the iflands ceded to us in the
Weft-Indies by the treaty of peace, in order to concert a plan for the
immediate and effedual improvement of them, the following account
of them was drawn up.

Tobago, fup])ol"ed to contain above 100,000 acres of land, is one of
the moft valuable of the Caribbee iflands, being, though little encum-
bered with mountains, well refreflied by rivulets, and ftored with ufe-
ful timber. Though it was formerly in fome degree fettled*, it was
now abandoned, the only habitations on it being a few huts for the
fhelter of the French turtlers, when they reforted to it. For the mofl:
advantageous fettlement of this ifland, it was recommended, that it
fhoukl be divided into convenient diftricls or parilhes of from fix to ten
thoufand acres each, limited as natural boundaries might diredt, and ex-
tending from the fliore into the heart of the ifland; that fituations pro-
per for fortifications or yards for the navy fliould firft be marked out ;
that a place in each diviiion moft convenient for trade, and containing
from 500 to 1000 acres, fliould be allotted for a town, with fuitable al-
lowances of glebe for a minifter and fchoolmafter ; that in the hilly
parts of each parifli a proper refervation fliould be made of the natural
wood, for the fake of attracting the clouds, and thereby producing the
feafonable rains fo neceflary in a warm climate, and for want of which
forae iflands, where the woods have been totally extirpated, have great-
ly iufFered in their crops f . After all thefe refervations, it was pro-
pofed, that the remaining lands fliould be allbrted into lots, moftly
from 100 to 300 acres, and a few as large as 400 or 500 acres, allowing,
as far as the ground would admit, an equal proportion of the natural
conveniencies to every lot, and extending them length-ways from the
iliore or river into the interior country ; and alfo that fuch parts of
each parifli as were unfit for fugar plantations, fliould be diftributed
into linall lots of from ten to thirty acres for the encouragement of poor
fcttlers, and for promoting the fpeedy population of the ifland.

all its btancliis, from the maniifi£liirer to tlie ex- lands, wlii'ch is in reality the price of provifions,

porter, who feels it fevtrely in viihialling his (hips, may rife, when a country is far from being in a

as feviral merchants c'eclared in the coinfe of this flourilhing condition.

fame inquiry. But if we were profpcruus in Maicli ' Repeated attempts were made by the Englifti

1764, hv this ftar.dard we mud have been more and by the Dutch to fettle Tobago; and a duke

than duub'.y profperous in Maich 1799, the price of Cowrland alfo made an effort here to come in

of niti't being more than double ot what was com- for a ihare of the Well-Indian iflands with the

plain. d of in 1 7''>4 as eiiomious. greater fovtriigns of Europe. \_Raynal Hijl. phU.

No one can rejoice more tiian myfclf at the pro- et polil. f. vii, f. 302, ed. 1782. — Campbell' 1 poll-

fpcrity of my country ; yet I cannot help feeling lica! Jurvty, V. ii, p. 690.]

for the fituation o\ all thofe who cannot increale f Raynal thinks the prefervation of the woods

their income to keep pace with the profperlty of alfo neceflary to health, and he afcribes the great

the dealers in provifions, and av? confequently not mortality of the Europeans on the firll fettlement

quite half fo rich now with an income of the fame of the iflands to the injudicious pradtice of cutting

number of pounds, as they were fo lately as the down all the trees, and clearing the ground fader

year 1763. Dean Sv.-ift, in ]ih M. xims contr.JM than they could cultivate it. [//j?. f'. vii,/. 303.]
in Ireland, has made it appear, that the price of 4

A. D. 1764. 393

Grenada contains, by eftimation, 67,4.25 acres, of which above one
half was now adually in cultivation, the produce of the year 1762, in
fugar efteemed of the bed quality, rum, coffee, cacao, and riielafles,
having amounted to /^aoo.ooo *. The interior part is mountainous,
and covered with ufeful wood. The ifland contains fix pariflies, in each
of which there is a town, about 3500 white inhabitants, and about
1 0,000 negro flaves.

The Grenadillas, or Grenadines, are a chain of fmall iflands extend-
ing between Grenada and St. Vincent,- the chief of which, Cariacou
and Bequia, produced cotton and cacao.

St. Vincent is mountainous with a mixture of large trails of good
land, efpecially near the fea and on the gentle flopes of the hills. It
was partly occupied by the aboriginal Caribs with a mixture of Negroes,
fuppofed to be from four to five thoufand in number, who were quite
independent, and very jealous of any European fcttlement upon their
ifland. There were, however, a good many fettlements made by the
French, who were computed to be about 1 300 white people, and 3400
blacks. They had a confiderable flock of flieep, horned cattle, and
working beafts ; and their principal articles of produce were cacao,
coffee, and tobacco. The fame mode of lettlement, propofed for To-
bago, is recommended for this ifland ; only that the good will of the
independent Caribs and Negroes mufl be feduloufly cultivated, and un-
jufl: encroachments upon them mofl: carefully avoided.

Dominica contains about 300,000 acres of good and fertile land,
well watered with 83 rivers or rivulets, fufficient for driving fugar
mills ; but it is not ib well adapted for fugar, on account of the moun-
tains which almoft entirely cover it. The land already cleared on the
coafi; was reckoned about fix thoufand acres, producing annually about
1,690,000 pounds of coffee, 270,000 pounds of cacao, and 17,000
pounds of cotton, the value of which was above ^^70,000. The num-
ber of inhabitants was 171 8 whites, 5872 blacks f, and about 60 fami-
lies ot free Caribs. The ifland was already divided by the French into
ten diflrlds or parilhes : and the plan propofed for its fettlement was
nearly the fame with that for Tobago ; only that, as it Icemcd not
equally well adapted for fugar plantations J, and becaufe it lies between
the French iflands of Martinique and Guadaloupe, a Itrong population

• The importance of Grenada, even bcfoic the blacks in Dominica in the year 1763. If holU

inditntion of regular government in it, may be accounts are conecl, the difference m.iy be lup-

feen from the account of its exports from 20th pofcJ to proceed from tlie acceflion of Britillvfct-

January 1763 till 2ctli January 1764, which weie tiers after the conqueft. But he reckons only

66,579 cwt. of fugar, 2c6 hogllitads of rum, 1574 whites of all ages on llie ill of January

1,707,305 pounds of coffee, 278,749 pounds of 1778, with 574 free mulattocs and blacks, and

cacao, 166,686 pounds of cotton, and 2640 hogf- 14,308 Haves. [_HiJl. V. vii, p. 317.]

heads of melaffes. J Tor many years bypaft Dominica has pro-

■\ Raynal reckons only Coo whites and 2000 duccd very good fugar and rum.

Vol. III. 3 D

394 ■^' ^- 1 7^4*

of white people ought by all means to be encouraged ; and therefor^
after the public lands were referved, it was propofed to make a diftri-
bution into lots generally not exceeding loo acres, allowing, however,
a few more extenfive lots in fome places fit for fugar.

In order to prevent a monopoly of lands by jobbing purchafers, it
was propofed, that no perfon Ihould be allowed to hold above soo
acres ; and at the fame time, to remove every poflibility of partiality
in giving gratuitous grants, that the cleared lands, occupied by the
French planters, fhould be leafed to them in quantities not exceeding-
500 acres on moderate quit-rents, on their taking the neceffary oaths
to qualify them as Britilh fubjeds ; that the uncultivated lands, and alio
the cultivated lands vefted in the crown, jfhould be fold by auftion, the
former being put up at fo low a price as to be almofl; equal to a gra-
tuitous grant, while at the fame time the nature of the fale would per-
mit every one to be an offerer *, and as far as pofFible prevent undue
influence and favour, the purchafers being bound to certain conditions
of cultivation, and to the payment of an annual quit-rent of 6ii foi-
every acre of cleared land, from which fettlers of lots of 30 acres or
under fhould be excufed for four years.

The town lots, not already cleared, were to be given gratis, on con-
dition of clearing and building, and paying one penny annually for
every foot in front, and 6d for every acre of the paflurc lots annexed
to each town lot. The town lots, already cleared, were to be fold by
auction, fubjeft to ground-rents and quit-rents, as the others.

Such were the report of the lords of trade and plantations upon the
flate of the ceded iflands, and their propolalsfor the fettlement of them ;
agreeable to which a proclamation was ifllied (March £6th), fetting forth
the terms of purchafe and payment, viz. 20 percent to be paid immedi-
ately, whereupon a bill of fale was to be given, and the remainder to
be paid by inftallments of 10 per cent the firft year, 10 per cent the
fecond year, and 20 per cent each year after, till the whole fliould be
paid up. The purchafers of cleared grounds to have one white man,
or two white women, on every hundred acres, on penalty of £^^0 for
every man, or ;(^20 for every woman, deficient. The purchafers of un-
cleared land to clear every year at leaft one twentieth part of their lots,,
till a half of the whole were cleared, on penalty of £^ for every acre
negledled to be fo cleared ; and, as fafl as the ground was cleared, to
have the fam.e proportion of white men or women fettled on their lands^
The lots referved for poor fettlers, after four years to be fubje(^ to a
quit-rent of 6d for every acre cleared, and 2/ for every acre micleared,
and not to be alienated for feven years, except to the children of the
grantees.

* The nature of a fale by auflion alfo tempts every bidder, in cafe of a keen competition, to offer
more thaa the value ; and it is the opinion of many, that that was actually the cafe at thefc falcs.

A. D.I 764. 395

Difputes having arifen between the EngUfli and French fifliermen at
Newfoundland, and both governments bemg defirous to avoid a na-
tional quarrel, the French ambaflador prefented to the Britifh govern-
ment fome propofitions relatint:; to the concurrent fifhery on a part of
the coaft of Newfoundland, Itipulated by the treaty of peace. The
king thereupon fent additional inftrudions to Commodore Pallifer, the
governor of that ifland, directing him to obferve the llricteft impar-
tiality between the fubjeds of the two nations with refpect to their
fhares of the grounds for drying their fifh, and to prevent any injury ta
the perfons or properties of the French fifhermen (March 30th).

April 5th — For the encouragement of the manufadure of hats, the
law, allowing beaver to draw back the duty when exported, was repealed ;
and moreover, a duty of 7^ was laid on every beaver fkin or piece of
beaver fkin, and of i/b on every pound of beaver wool exported, the
beaver Ikins paying when imported, a duty of only one penny each.
[4 Geo. Ill, c. 9.]

The laws for encouraging the manufacture of Britifh fail-cloth and
gun-powder, and for encouraging the importation of timber, and the
articles of wood commonly called lumber, being nearly expired, were
all continued in force till the end of the firfi: fefllon of parliament after
29th September 1771. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 11.]

The laws for regulating pilots for the River Thames — for allowing
rum or fpirits, the produce of the Brltifli plantations, to be landed and
warehoufed before the excifc duties are paid — that againft forcibly re-
fifting the revenue officers — and that allowing fugars of the Britifh co-
lonies to be carried diredly to foreign parts in fhips built in Great Bri-
tain, and navigated according to law, were all prolonged ; that for the
pilots to the end of the next feffion after 25tli March 1778, and the
others to the fame term with thole in the preceding aft. By the fame
act of parliament thoi'e foinid guilty of damaging banks, flood-gates,
or other works belonging to rivers and flreams made navigable, were
ordered to be tranfported for feven years. [4 Geo. II f, c. 12.]

In an adt for taking two millions out of the fmking fund, the allow-
ance of twelve per cent for leakage of wines was relcinded from all
wines imported from anv other place than th.at of their growth, the
merchants of Jerley and Guernfey iiaving made a practice of filling up
their wines in thofe iflands, and then receiving the allowance for leak-
age as well as others. [4 Geo. III., c. 13.]

The following is the preanible of an aift for granting duties in the
colonics.

' Whereas it is expedient, that new duties and regulations fliould be
' cflablilked for improving the revenue of this kingdom, and for ex-
' tending and fecuring the navigation and commerce between Great
' Britain and your Majelty's dominions in America, which by the peace

3 D 2

39^ A. D. 1764.

' have been (o happily enlarged: and whereas it is juft and ncceflary,
' that a revenue be railed in your Majefty's fiiid dominions in America
' for defraying the expences of defending, proteding, and fecuring the
' fame. We, your Majefty's mod: dutiful and loyal fubjedls, the com-
* mons of Great Britain in parliament aflembled, being defirous of
' making fome provifion in this prefent feflion of parliament towards
' raifing the faid revenue in America, have refolved to give and grant
' unto your Majefty the feveral rates and duties herein after mention-
' ed,' viz. after 29th September 1764, on the following goods landed
in America.
White or clayed fugar, the produce of foreign colonies to

pay over and above all former duties, per cwt. £1 2 o

Indigo of foreign growth, per lb. - - - - 006-

Coffee, from any place except Great Britain, per cwt. - 2 19 9
Wine from Maderia, or any other ijland, whence wine may law-
fully be imported, per tun - - - 700
Wine of Portugal or Spain, or any other wine except French

French, imported from Great Britain, per tun - o 10 o

Silk, or fluff mixed with filk, made in Perfia, China, India,

imported from Great Britain, per pound weight - 020

Calico made in Perfia, &c. imported from Britain, per piece 026
Cambric, foreign made, imported from Britain, per piece -030
French lawn imported from Britain, per piece - 030

Such were the duties enaded to be paid on the importation into the
colonies. The following were to be levied on the produce of the Bri-
tifli colonies, when fhipped for any place whatever, except Great Britain.
Coffee of the Britifli iflands, per cwt. _ - _ ^o 7 o

Pimento of the Britifh iflands, per lb. - - o o o~

At the fame time the a6f, [6 Geo. II, c. 13] for better fecuring and
encouraging the trade of his Majefty's fugar colonies in America, was
made perpetual, with the following alterations.

Mclafles and fyrups, the produce of foreign colonies, if carried to his
Majefty's colonies in America, to pay threepence per gallon, inftead of
the former duty of fixpence, which was generally eluded.

All thefe duties payable in America to be paid into his Majefty's ex-
chequer in bulUon, and to be kept apart and appropriated for the de-
fence of the colonies.

No fugars were allowed to be imported into Ireland, but diredly
from Great Britain.

The remainder of this ad moft ftridly guards the trade of the Ame-
rican colonies, and condemns to forfeiture all vefTels found hovering on
the coaft of America ("except French vefTels near the tolerated part of
Newfoundland) and all Britifh vefTels found ftanding into, or coming

A. D. 1 764. 397

out of the French iilands of St. Pierre and Miquelon in the Gulf of St.
Laurence. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 15.]

Agreeable to the fpirit of this law, all the officers of the (hips of war,
ftationed on the coafts of Ameuica and the Well-Indies were made to
take the cuftom-houfe oaths, and adl as revenue officers for the preven-
tion of fmuggling. But the alertnefs and adivity, which thofe gentle-
men had lately exerted with fo much advantage and honour to them-
felves and their country in taking prizes from the enemy, were more
prejudicial than ferviceable to the general interefts of commerce in their
new employment. Little acquainted, as may be fuppofed, with rules,
which require long fludy and pradlice to underfland them, and ftill lefs
with the prudential reafons, which had hitherto induced a relaxation of
the rigour of the law in cafes, where a judicious overlooking was for
the national advantage, they eagerly and indifcriminately feized every
veffel they found in the fmalleft degree tranfgrefling the Uriel: letter of
the law, the interpretation of which was in * a great mealure in their
own hands.

The old northern colonies in America, it is well known, have very
few articles fit for the Britifli market ; and yet they every year took off
Jarge quantities of merchandize from Great Britain, for which they
made payments with tolerable regularity f. Though they could not,
like the Spanifh colonifts, dig the money out of their own foil, they
found means to make a great part of their remittances in gold and fil-
ver dug out of the Spanifli mines. This they effeded by being general
carriers, and by a circuitous commerce, carried on in fmall vefle Is, chief-
ly with the foreign Weft- India fettlements, to which they carried lum-
ber of all forts, fifli of an inferior quality, beef, pork, butter, horfes,
poultry and other live ftock, an inferior kind of tobacco, corn, flour,
bread, cyder, and even apples, cabbages, onions, &.c. and alio veflels
built at a Imall expenfe, the materials being almoll: all within thcm-
felves ; for which they received in return moflly filver and gold, fomc
of which remained as current coin among themfelves ; but the greatefl:
part was remitted home to Britain, and, together with bills of exchange
generally remitted to London for the proceeds of their bcfl: tilh, fold in
the Roman-catholic countries of Europe, fcrved to pay for the goods
they received from the mother country. This trade united all the ad-
vantages, which the wifeft and moll philanthropic philofopher, or the

• In cafes of improper feizurc rcdrefs niiglit be value of a fliip and cargo feized in tlie year 1763

foiijjilt liy appeal to the boards of ajmiialty or by a capt.liii of the navy, at the fiiit of the owner,

trcal'ury at home; wliich, confidering the dthiy who olrtained a verdift for /^4C46 with colls,
and dillance, and tlic circumUanccsof the plalntifts f The tables of imports and cNVJort.") will (how,

and the defendents, could very feldoni be produc- how large a balance was paid by New-England,

live of any redrcfs. There was, however, at Itall New- York, and Pennfylvania ; while Maryland,

one inllance ofacaufc being tried before the fupe- Virginia, the Carolinas, and in later year* Georgia,

lior court at New-York in the year 1766 for the fomctinics received a balance from Uritain.

398 A. D. 1764.

i-noft enlightened legillator, could wifli to derive from commerce. It
gave bread to the induflrious in North America by carrying off their
lumber, which mud; otlicrwifc rot on their hands, and their fifli, great
part of which without it would be abfoUitely unfalcable, together with
their i'pare produce and flock of every kind ; it furniflied the Weft-India
planters with thofe articles, without which the operations of their plan-
tations mull: be at a fland ; and it produced a fund for employing a
great number of induflrious manufadurers in Great Britain ; thus
taking off the fuperfluities, providing for the neceffities, and promoting
the happinefs, of all concerned *. This trade, however, was almofl: en-
tirely ruined by the rigorous execution of the new orders againfl fmugg-
ling, and the colledion of the duties in hard iilver, which loon drained
the country of any little real nioney circulating in it. And, as if govern-
ment had intended to prevent the colonifls from having even the fhadow
of money, another ad was palled, in a few days after that for the new
duties, declaring that no paper bills, to be thenceforth ifihed, ihould be
made a legal tender in payment, and enjoining thofe in circulation to
be funk (that is, paid off in hard money) at the limited time.

North America was not, however, the only quarter of the Britifh do-
minions diftreiled by thefe meafures.

For a long courfe of years the Spanifh colonifls in America had been
accuflomed to refort to the neighbouring fettlements to purchafe Eu-
ropean goods, the price of which the jealous policy of their own govern-
ment rendered mofl opprelfively exorbitant in the courfe of their regu-
lar trade. Jamaica had a principal fhare in this beneficial commerce,
wherein the Spaniards in their fmall coafting vefTels brought over fome
mules and cattle (articles more valuable to the planters than filver or
gold) cochineal, indigo, fome medicinal drugs, and gold and filver,
coined and uncoined, to the value often or twenty times the amount of
their little cargoes. In return they purchafed linens of every kind, ca-
licoes, and almofl every article of Bntifla manuiadure, which they car-
ried home at the rifk of confifcation and corporal punifhment if deted-
ed, and ufually made very great profits, notwithilanding the difadvan-
tages attending purchafes at fecond hand, and the heavy expenfes in-
feparable from clandeftine trade.

This trade, fo eminently valuable in fupplying Jamaica and the other
iflands with an abundant flock of the pretious metals for their internal

* The nature and cfFefts of tin's trade are ex- cial fyfleni, of the mother country-. But how could

plained ir.ore fully in An tjfay on the trade of the it be othenvays in a country fo remote from the

northern colonics, printed in Pluladclpliid, and re- government, to which it pn.tcflTed allegiance, and

printed in London, 1764. pon'cfling an extent of coaft, which no chain of re-

I do not mean to vindicate the Americans from venue crnifers, that cuild be fupported by go-

the charge of fmiiggling. I know that vail quan- vernmint, would be fufficient to guard with any

titles of goods were imported in direct violation of kind of effeiSt ?
the letter and fpirit of the law, and of the commer-

I

A. D. 1764. 399

circulation (they have no paper money) and alfo for remittances to Bri-
tain, befides taking off a vafl quantity of goods, which would otherwavs
have been bought from thcFi-ench orDutch.and not in the fmallcfl degree
offending againft any of the revenue laws, was lliill illegal ; becaufo no fo-
reign veffels were allowed to enter the ports of any of the colonies, uti-
lefs forced in by dijlrefs ; a plea which had been conftantly alleged, and
admitted without any queftion.

But now in confequence of the great zeal and activity of the navy of-
ficers, who, in rigorous obfervance of the a<fl 4 Geo. Ill, c. 15, feized
fome of the Spanifh veffels*, and alfo of inftrucfions fent to the gover-
nors for the fupprefllon of illicit trade, whereby they were obliged to
prohibit all foreign veifels from entering the Britilh harbours in the
Weft-Indies, this moft beneficial commerce was completely abolifhed ;
and the merchants in Jamaica were involved in great difficulties by the
fudden and unexpedled prohibition.

The effects of the rcflricfions upon the trade of the northern colonies
were fuch as were fcarcely expeded on this fide of the water. Becaufe
the wool of the American flieep is much inferior to Englifh wool, it
was, rather raflilv, fuppofed, that the people of America niuft continue
to wear Englith cloth ; not adverting, that, if they could not pay for
cloth made by others, they mufl of necellity wear what they could
make themfelves, and that, where all wore coarfe cloth, no one could be
afliamed of the ule of it. Befides, they were already lb much indebted
to the mother country, that, if the fources of their remittances were to
be cut off, there muil immediately be an end of importation, whether
they chofe it, or not. They therefor entered into aflbciations,whercin
it was refolved at once to retrench all luperfluous expenles (and particu-
larly funeral mournin;>s) and to encourage every fpecies of manufic-
tures : and they actually (et about it with fo much ardour, that they
foon produced fuch fpecimens, as emboldened them to think, they
could, in cafe of neceflity, live confortably without depending up-
on foreign trade for any of the neceflaries or conveniencics of life.

April 1 8th — For the encouragement of the tilhcry in the province of
Qiiebec, fait from any part of Europe was allowed to be imported for one
year into that province in Britifli velfcls navigated according to law, in the
fame manner as to New-England and Newfoimdiand. [4 Ceo. Ill, c. 19. J

The cammittee of merchants trading to Africa, who had the manage-
ment of the Fritifli intereft on that coaft inffead of the late African
company, having reprefented to government, that the annual allowance

* Mr. Edwards in liis valuable Hijlary nf the 1 765 fell (hort of the year i763/'i68,oco ftcrling.

Wrjl-Iiidie: [p. I'^l, eil. 1794] very jiillly obfcrves, Ami it appears from the ciilloin-houfc accounts,

that this was ' a meafurc which in truth wa3 con- that the exports iu the year 1766 fell even a little

' vertiiiir our navy m\.<j sitarila-cnjlas for tjic king of lower than thofc of 1765. in 1767 thc)- began

' Spain ;' and that in confequence thereof, thc ex- to rife,
ports from Gicat Britain to Jamaica iu thc year 3

400 A. D. 1764.

of X^8oo, which the company had been permitted to dedud from the
public money under their dire6tion for falaries, houfe-rent and other
charges, was infufficient, they were now by law indulged with a further
allowance of /!^400 a year for the falaries of their clerks and agents in
London, Briftol, and Liverpool, the rent of their office in London, and
all charges of management in England. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 20.]

The bounties and encouragements formerly given to the Greenland
whale fifliery were continued till 25th December 1767, and after that
to the end of the next feflion of parliament. [4 Geo. HI, c. 22.]

Till now the letters, which were franked, or exempted from paying
poflage, were figned by the members of the two houfes of parliament,
or other privileged perfons, only at the corner of a blank cover, on
which the writer of the letter added the addrefs. This manner of frank-
ing was fubjedl not only to forgery, but to many other abufes *, where-
by the revenue of the pofl-office was greatly injured. It was therefor
now enaded, that after the ifl day of May 1764, no letters fliould be
exempted from paying poftage, except thofe fent from, or to, the king,
all letters, not exceeding two ounces in weight, fent to any part of Great
Britain or Ireland during the feflion of parliament, or within forty days
before, or forty days after, any fummons or prorogation of the fame,
the whole of the fuperfcription being in the hand-writing of a member
ofthehoufe of lords or houfe of commons, and alfo all letters fent
to the members. Letters fent to mofi: of the public offices f in Great
Britain, Ireland and America, or fent from them, fealed with the office
leal or the feal of the principal officer, were alfo exempted from poft-
age. And the printed votes and proceedings of parliament, and newf-
papers, were permitted to go free, being put in covers open at the ends,
and franked by certain clerks of the fecretary of ftate's office, or certain
officers of the poft-office. Forgery of franks, was rendered punifliable
by tranfportation for feven years. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 24.] In the examina-
tion previous to pafling this ad it appeared, that the poftage of franked
letters on an average of feveral years paft, was equal to /^i 70,000 a year ;
a great part of which was by the new regulation added to the revenue.

In order to obtai^ a cheaper and furer fupply of hemp and flax, and
to encourage the cultivation of it in the American colonies, the parlia-
ment granted a bounty of ^,^8 on every tun of clean merchantable hemp,
or rough flax, imported from the Britifta American colonies from 24th
June 1764 to 24th June 1771, and thence to 24th June 1778 a bounty
oi £6, and thereafter to 24th June 1785 of/?4; the pre-emption of all
fuch hemp and flax being offi;red to the commiflioners of the navy, and

* It was common for the fervants of members to afk their mafters to fign great numbers of franks at
a time, which they openly fold to people, who made a tiadc of retailing them, 4

f The ofiSces are enumerated in the aft.

A. D. 1764. 401

twenty days being allowed for their determination before the importer
could be at liberty to fell it to a private buyer. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 26.]

Rice was allowed to be carried from South Carolina and Georgia, in
veflels belonging to Britilh fubjefts, di redly to any part of America
fouthward of Georgia, on paying one half fubfidy, which was equivalent
to the duty remaining, if the rice were brought to Britain and re-fhip-
ped on a drawback. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 27.]

In order to prevent provifions from being raifed to an exorbitant
price, the king was empowered, with the advice of his privy council, to
permit the importation of falted beef, pork, bacon, and butter, from
Ireland, fuch provifions paying at landing a duty on the fait employed
in curing them. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 28.]

For the encouragement of the whale filTiery in the River St. Laurence,
the fins of whales, caught in that river, and on the coafts of Britifli
America, were allowed to be imported on paying only the old fubfidy
direded by the ad 25 Car. 11, c. 7. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 29.]

Whereas fome merchants, bankers, and other traders, within the fl;a-
tutes i-elating to bankrupts, having privilege of parliament, had claim-
ed exemption from the bankrupt laws, it was now enaded, that fuch
traders fliould be liable to a commilfion of bankruptcy as well as others.
[4 Geo. Ill, c. 33.]

The Englifh linen company was eflabliflied as a corporate body,
chiefly for the purpofe of makuig cambrics and lawns of the kind call-
ed French lawns, with a joint capital flock which fliould not exceed
/^ 1 00,000. The goods, in order to certify them to be of Englifli ma-
nufidure were to be fealed at each end of the piece by proper oflUcers,
before they were taken out of the loom. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 37.]

A great improvement in the fpinning wheel, whereby a child may
fpin twice as much as a grown perfon can do with the common wheel,
was invented by Mr. Harrifon, for which the patriotic fociety for the
encouragement of arts and commerce gave him a premium of fifty
pounds.

The convention of royal burghs of Scotland reprefented to the king,
that the agriculture and manuhiolures of the country recjuired the la-
bour of all the working hands in it, and therefor prayed he would re-
voke a licence that had been given to the Dutch of recruiting their ar-
my in Scotland. The country muft be in a wretched condition indeed,
which exports its natives. Such is the condition ot a great jxu't of
Africa. But may it never more be fuch of any part of the Brituh do-
minions.

During the war a veflcl belonging to Liverpool, having parted with
her convoy, was taken by the enemy ; wliereupon the owners applied to
the und(.rvvriters for her value, who refufed to pay it. On the matter
being brought before Lord chiefjuflice Pratt (afterwards Lord Camden)

Vol. III. 3 E

402 A. D. 1764.

it appeared, that the vcflel had intentionally parted from the fleet ; and
therefor it was determined by a fpecial jury, that the underwriters were
not liable for the lofs (May 14th.) This decifion, as being a precedent in
a matter of great commercial importance, is worthy of this brief notice.

It may be confidered as a convincing proof of the increafing profpe-
rity of London, that a,piece of wafte ground in Picadilly, which a
brewer had bought fome years before at the price of ^^30 for putting
his cades and lumber in, was now fold for;(^2,5oo.

For fome years the French Eall-India company had been very rapid-
ly declining, notwith Handing a dividend of 40 livres on each fliare and
other advantages allowed them by the king ; who now alfo made them
a prefent of 1 1,835 flares belonging to himfelf, and empowered them
to make a call on the proprietors for 400 livres on each of the 38,433
remaining fliares, which raifed them to 1600 livres, and in confidera-
tion thereof to raife their dividend to 80 livres a (hare, and to reduce fuch
proprietors as (hoiild refufe to anfwer that call to five eights of the new
fhare. At the fame time he relieved them of the burthen of the ifles
of France and Bourbon, the diredtion of which, like that of the other
colonies, he committed to the department of the marine*.

July 7th — The king of Denmark defirous of drawing a trade to his
Weft-hadia pofleflions, eftablifhed free ports in his illands of St. Thomas
and St. John f , on the following conditions.

European merchandize to be carried thither only by the king of
Denmark's European fhips furnifhed with pail]5orts, and to pay two per
cent ad valorem on importation. American produce to be admitted in
veilels of any nation, and to pay five per cent of the ufual duty ; and
fuch vefiels may export any goods free of duty. But no veflels are per-
mitted to go from thefe iflands to St. Croix for a cargo. — Produce im-
ported into thefe iflands to be carried to Europe only in the Danifli
paflport fliips, and to be landed only in Denmark or the Danilh provin-
ces Thofe foreign productions to be exempted from foreign duty ; but

the produce of St. Thomas and St. John to pay five per cent. — Frauds

to be puniflied by confifcation.and fines Foreign fugars, brought from

thefe iflands to the Danifli flates, fliall remain only till they can be ex-
ported again, paying a duty of one per cent.

The Spanifli governor of Yucatan having given fome trouble to the
Britifli logwood-cutters at the Bay of Honduras, and even driven fome
of them away, on pretence that they had no certificates of their being
Britifli fubjeds, and that they made too free with the produce of the
country, proper remonflirances were made to the Spanifli court, who ex-

* I'tiis new arrangement, made an annual faving -j The Duiiifh iflands in the Weft-lTidies are

of two millions of hvres to t!ie company, without mollly owned, cultivated, and inhabited, by Biitifh

afFertlng their cxclufive commerce with the iflands planters and merchants. Their ncwfpnptrs are

in the fmallcft d-gree. \_Raynal Hijl. phil. et pol, printed in Danifli and Englifh, every article being

V. i\,p. 322.] txprclTed twice. 3

A. D. 1764. 403

prefsly difa vowed the condud: of the governor, and gave aflurances,
that frefh orders fhould be fent to him to give no interruption to the
Britifh logwood-cutters, to re-eftablifh thofe he had expelled from their
fettlen-ienrs, and to adhere ftridly to the ftipulations in the 17th article
of the treaty of peace ; all which was foon after performed with the
greateft punduality. And thus a little ftorm, which fome clamorous
politicians had attempted to magnify into a very ferious affair, was hap-
pily blown over.

Accounts received from Jamaica contained the following ftatement
of the condition of that important ifland.

From Chriftmas 1752 to Chriftmas 1762 there were imported 71,115
neeroes, fold on an average at jQ\o ilerling.

During ten years part there were imported from Madeira about 6^9
pipes of wine annually. The annual value ofprovifions imported from
Ireland was about ^^loo.oco flerling. During the war the annual
amount of provifions, lumber, live dock, See. imported from North
America was about _^200,ooo currency *, of which about one quarter
was paid in produce, and the other three quarters f in money or bills
of exchange, which the Americans ufually carried to the French part
of Hilpaniola J, the produce of which was at a very low price during
the war.

The population of Jamaica was now fo much increafed as to be efli-

• Tlic exchange being 40 per cent upon fterling
money, this fuin amounts to /, 142,857 : 2 : 10
flerling.

+ According to Lord Sheffield, the following is
the ca'cul:uii)n of the p oportion of produce taken
by the North-American traders in tlicir dealings at
Kingllon in Jamaica. Thofc of the Carolinas and
fouthirn provinces took rather more than half;
Pennfylvania and the other middle provinces about
one fourth, and the balance in cadi and bills of ex-
change ; the New-England provinces not above
one tenth, and the balance in dollars, which they
immediately carried to Hifpaniola, Sic. He adds,
that American vefTcls uled to cleir out empty
hoglheids at the cuflom-houfe, which they filled
wiili fui^ar, &c. at rhe foreign iflands, and there-
by evaded the foreign duty in America : and that
tiic New-Englandcrs ufed to purchafe Jamaica pro-
duce with doubloons manufactured at Bollon, but
as foon ns tlu legiflature of tlie ifland put a Hop
to the circulation of tliem, they gave up buying
produce. [fJhfirvalions on the cjmmercc of ihi
^•ImericanJIntet, f>. \-j%, eti. 1784.]

X \ principal article of the piirchafes of the
Amiricans tiierc was mclafTes, which tlicy could
not buy in Jamaica, whore it is fo valuable for the
purpofe of converting it into rum, and which they
could buy on very low terms from the French
planters, who, before this market opened to them,

fometimes threw it away, as I have been told, the
plenty of wine and brandy from France, and the
difcouragement of the dilliilery by their govern-
ment, rendering it of no value to them. The me-
laflcs bore a great profit in America, vail quantitieJ
being expended in families, and, probably, iliU
more in the dillilleries.

Of the fpirits dillilled from it, a great quantity
went to Africa for the purchafe of negroes, who
were generally fold in the Well India iflands, and
the proceeds remitted to Bi itain ui bills of exchange :
fo that the French mclafles thus became the lawr
material of a trade, very favourable, in point of ba-
lance at Icall, to Great Britain.

As, according to the founded maxims of trade,
raw matcri;ds lor manufa^'^urcs may be bought
with advantage from foreigners, the acquifiti<in of
melanVs from the French (lailicr than from our
own planters, who know better what to do with
it) was evidently as advantageous (it the dnIiKery
is allowed to be a beiicf.ci'l, and not a peruiciinis,
manufafture) as the acquilkion of raw fi'.k, fl.ix,
hemp, iron, faltpetre, &c. There is no doubt,
that fome articles of French manufai^hire w.rc
carried to America along with the mvlaffes : hut,
if we allow our rivals in trade to underfell us in any
article, a preference in the fale of fucli ailicle it
the unavoidable confrquence.

404 A. D. 1764.

mated at 15,000 white people, exclufive of the military and naval efta-
blifhments and the feafliring people ; 4000 free peojile of colour ; and,
according to the returns made in the year 1762, 146.464 flaves.

As it was found inconfiftent with the interefts of the Britifh com-
merce, and moil particularly of that of Jamaica, to prohibit the refort
of SpaniOi veflcls, inflrudions were fent to the governor and the adnii-
ral on the Nation, fignifying, that Spanifli velTels, coming into Jamaica
by reafon of d'ljlrefs, or for refrefjjmeiits, as formerly, fliould receive the af-
fiftance they had formerly been allowed, provided they did not attempt
to bring in foreign merchandize. And fimilar iiiftructions were fent to
the governors of the other colonies, v^hich ufed to be vilited by Spanifli
veflels.

But the public deliberations on the regulation of a trade, which had
formerly been allowed filently and quietly to regulate itfelf, could not
poflibly efcape the watchful attention of the Spanifh ambafTador. The
confequencc was, that the government of Spain, in order to counteracil
our policy, now for the firfl time laid open the trade to their iflands to
their own fubjeds in all the provinces of Spain, by permitting the free
exportation of goods, on payment of moderate duties, to Trinidad, Pu-
erto-rico, Hifpaniola, and Cuba. But it does not appear, that this mea-
fure, however promifing and apparently liberal, was producTtive of much
benefit to the Spaniards, few of whom pollefled fufficient fpirit, or
means, to avail themfelves of the indulgence to fuch an extent, as to
fupply their colonies with proper afTortments of goods, qualified to come
in competition with the Britilh manufliclures, which fi:ill preferved fuch
an afcendant in the demand among the Spanifli Weft-Indians, as tempt-
ed them to brave all the dangers and penalties they were liable to, if
detedled in Imuggling them.

The culture of filk was unfuccefsful in Georgia this year, owing to
unfavourable weather in March and April. The quantity brought to
the public filature was 15,126 pounds of cocoons, being 360 lefs than
the produce of the preceding year. At this time the Georgia filk was
complained of in London, as being too round and fpungy, owing to its
being wound from too many cocoons at once.

The continent of America, from the mouth of the Mifiifippi to the
frozen fea of Greenland, being now fubjedl to Great Britain, it was
thought expedient, that accurate furveys Ihould be made of all its coafts,
harbours, and rivers ; for which purpofes Mefirs. Samuel Holland and
William de Brahm were commiflloned as furveyors-general of America,
the river Potowmak with a line running weft from the head of its main
ftream being tlie boundary between their diftrids. The iflands in the
Gulf of St. Laurence were recommended to the earlieft attention of Mr.
Holland, as the peninfula of Eafl Florida was to that of Mr. De Brahm.

This year the parliament of Ireland entered in good earneft upon the

I

A. D. 1764. 405

important bufinefs of the herring fifliery. One of the members obferv-
cd, that ' Hitherto the greatefl: impediments to the progrefs of the Brit-
' ifli fifheries carried on from Scotland have been the ill calculated laws,
' reftridtions, and duties, laid upon fait ufed in curing of herrings. Let
' not therefor infignificant fait duties be a flumbling-block with us. As
' we have feen the abfurdity in others, let fuch provifion be made at
' darting, as may prevent any fuch accident from blafling the firft pro-
* grefs of the Irifli fiflieries.'

An immediate confeqiience of the parliamentary encouragement given
to the Irilh fiOiery was, that Ireland took from Britain only about 16,000
barrels of herrings on an average of feven years, inllead of about 23,000,
the average quantity for a number of years previous to 1764. It is true,
that the quantity imported by Ireland from the Eafl country increafed
after this year : but that is accounted for by the very low price the
Swedes were enabled to fell their herrings at by the wonderful plenty
upon their coafl, which made it an objed: for the Irifh to procure them
for re-fhipping to the Weft-Indies.

The ille of Mann, by being independent of the Britilli revenue laws,
had become a great magazine of foreign merchandize, vaft quantities
of which ufed to be fmuggled into the three Britifli kingdoms, to all of
which it is almoft equally near. Therefor a number of fliips of war and
cutters were now ftationed around the coafts of it, in order to prevent
fo great an injury to the revenue and to the fair trader.

The whale fifliery at Greenland proved very indifferent this feafon.
The Britifh Ihips got very few fifli, many of them none at all : and the
Dutch got only 117, lets than half of their ufual number. As fome
compenfation for their difappointraent in Greenland, they fell in, near
the ifland of Rona *, about 40 miles north-north-eaft from the ifland
of Lewis, with a fmalllpecics of whales, and caught thirty-two of them,
which were reckoned equal to five or fi.\ fizeable Greenland whales.
Thus have the Dutch difcovered another gold mine in our feas, which
our own people in the adjacent iflands unfortunately want the knowlcgc
and the means to avail themfelves of by going after the whales, and are
obliged to content themfelves with now and then making a prize ot a
• i])ole of them, when they in a manner call upon them to take them by
getting embayed in fmall inlets among the iflands f.

• From Rona there ruos a bank towards Till- ' tliere run into a bay no Icfs than 1 14 at once.*'

litad in Ireland, which Sir William Munlon [.Vii- [ //' j//<i«'x y-Avou/;/ of Orkney, p. 37. J Martin, in

val Traill, B. iv] fays, alFords a great qii.inliiy of his Defiriplion of tlsi IVcftrn i/ltimls, trcqiicniiy no-

tiie bell cod and ling : but he cgmplaina that it tices the plenty of whales among them. — I.i the

had been ntgledcd for above a century. Other illand of Northmaven in Shetland },(iO whales were

two centuries have fince claplcd, and, ^ure. Is it driven aihore in the year 174I1 about 100 in the

nit Hill neglected? year 1791, and fmallcr numbeis aie ufual. [^Sir

\ ' Spout whales and pcUacks run in great num- J^o/mi Situ/nir'j Stiiiylual account of ScclJaiui, V, xii,

' bcr upon the Ihore, and are taken ; as ui ihe year f>. 362 ; and the accounts of Icvcral other infular

•1691, near Kairllon in the Maiuland, [Orkney] parilhcs in the fame work agree in the frcqucut

4o6 A. D. 1764.

June I ft — A French ftiip of fixty guns, with feveral other velTcls undef
Fn nch colours, landed a number of men on the Turks iflands, burnt and
deftroyed all the huts ereded for the fhelter of the falt-rakers, and after
ereding two columns of ftone, as monuments ofvit-fory, or proofs of io-
vereigntv, they left the place, carrying with them all the Britilh fub-
jeds and ihipping, which confifted of fourteen fmall floops and fchooners,
and leaving a few of their people in pofllflion of the iflands.

Thele fmall iflands or keys, which, fince the fiift fettlement of Caro-
lina, were reckoned an appendage of that province, as being a part of
the Bahama iflands *, were only ufeful for the great quantity of excell-
ent fait produced in fliallow ponds every feufon by the heat of the fun,
and had lutherco had no regular fettlement formed upon them. In the
proper feafon they were reforted to, chiefly by people from Bermuda,
and a few from Jamaica, for the purpofe of raking fait, and alfo by
fome veflels from the northern colonies in America, which brought
flour, provifions, lumber, &c. to exchange for the lalt.

The court of France, upon the application of our ambaflador, dif-
avoxved the adl of the comte D'Eftaign, the governor of their portion
of St. Domingo (or Hifpaniola), who, if he really had no orders from
his court, may have fuppofed, that, as thofe fmall iflands were nearer
to his own, than to any other, feat of government, they ought to be-
long to it, and, as unoccupied territory, ought to become the property
of any who would occupy them. But, as they were too trifling an ob-
ject to go to war for, efpecially fo foon after the conclufion of a peace,
D'Eflaign was ordered to reftore them, and to make reparation for the
damages done to the Britifli fubjects.

September — x\ fomewhat fimilar invafion of Britifli property was
made by the French governor of Goree, in attempting a fettlement
near the river Gambia, which the French in like manner difavowed, and
even called him home to anfwer for his offence.

In confequence of a petition of the merchants, complaining of the
high price of provifions, the king, by the advice of the privy council,
and agreeable to the ad lately paflTed, iflued a proclamation for the free
importation of faked beef, pork, and butter, from Ireland ; and offered
a reward of /^loo for the difcovery of any unlawful combinations to
raife the price of provifions (Odober 9th). The high price of corn alfo oc-
cafionedfome dillurbances about this time. In Derby-fliire the colliers,

appearance and plenty of the whales.] — Egede, in is fcarccly to be diftingulfhed from the bacon of

his D^j'cnplh)! of the Foeroes, a duller of iflands pork. The lean part, in appearance and tafte, re-

lyiii-^ north-well fiom Shetland, \_p. 171 of the fcmbles beef, and is ufed cither frclh, or cured by

Englftj tranfla'.'ion~\ gives a fimilar account of the drying.

plenty of wliales among thofe iflands, and fays, * In the year 1695 a vcflel was feized by order

that about i3CO of them were taken in two places of the proprietors of Carolina for not paying the

in the year 1664. The natives melt part of the tenth, claimed as due to them for taking fait on

fat of thcfe fmall whales for oil, and the remainder Turks iflands.
they cure in the manner of bacon, which, he fays.

A. D. 1764. 407

finding wheat charged at 8/4 a bufheL fixed the price at s/by their own
authority, and cleared the market at that price. The gentlemen of York
contributed a fund for importing foreign grain to be diftributed to the
poor, which, if there was a real fcarcity, was at leafl a well-intended
charity; but, if the fcarcity was artificial, it may be doubted, whether
the application of a part of the money, for the purpofe of enforcing the
laws againft the counteradors of God's bounty to mankind, would not
have been a more effectual charity *.

The filk-weavers prefented a memorial to the lords of trade, fetting
forth their hardfhips arifing from the importation of foreign wrought
filks and velvets, and praying, that at leaft double duties fliould be laid
on all fuch goods.

At the fame time the filk-throwfters and others in the filk trade pre-
fented a memorial, flating, that the quantity of raw filk imported was
not fufficient to anfwer the demands of the trade.

A third memorial was prefented by the filk-mercers, who aflarmed,
that there was no v/ant of employment, but a great want of hands to
execute the work offered to the weavers.

There is a ftrange contradiction in thefe three memorials. Parlia-
ment endeavoured to fatisfy all parties by an adl pafl'ed in the enfiiing
feffion, which will be noticed in due time.

The following account was tranfmittcd from Nova-Scotia of the ex-
ports of that province during the year 1764.

66,400 quintals of dried cod, value - - ;i(?39,840

7200 barrels of pickled fifh, _ _ _ 7.770

Lumber, to the amount of - - - 700

Sole leather tarnied at Halifax and Lunenburg, - 200

6 tons of cheefe, - - - - - 280

Furs, _____ _ i6,coo

;^64,79o

But 22,000 quintals of the cod were caught by the people

of New-England, value _ _ _ 39,000

So that the exports really proceeding from the indufiry of

Nova-Scotia are reduced to - - - ;iC25.790

Mofl of the expenfes attending the late war being now paid off or

• If wc may judge from tlic crowds tliat were warrants and receiving the bread, than tlicy faved

to be feen waiting at tiic ditLrcnt plaets in and by getting it fourpence under tlic price. And

about London, where biead was given out below there is rcal'on to believe that the more worthy

the niarkei pi ice in tlie yeai 1796, wlitn the <[uar- p.irt of the poor (generally fuflcred the hardlhip in

tern loaf wa-i at the enormous price of 1/3, we may lilence, from a principle of modeily, which was in

probably be warrnnttd to fuppofe, that the poor reality tlie bed ccoaomy with regard to the value

lod more in the time walled in applying for the of their time.

4o8 A. D. 1764.

funded, it mny be proper to obferve, that the capital of the national
debt, whicli in the year 1755 was - - ^^72, 289, 673 o o

was now, according to the accounts made up to

5th January 1764, - - 129,586,789 10 2

to \vhich muft be added the debt then remaining

unfunded, - _ - - 9,975,017 12 2

making the total debt - - )Ci39>56i,8o7 2 4

bcfides which, there are annuities for terms of years and for Uves, pay-
able at the bank, the value of which muft be changing every day.

But as the national creditors have no right to demand repayment of
their capital from government, and as the real value of the capital is
fubjecl to dayly fluctuations, it feems more corred: to reckon the na-
tional debt by the amount of the annual fums adlually paid to the cre-
ditors.

There were due to the ftock-holders, or national creditors, on the
5th of January 1764, perpetual annuities (redeemable, however, in the
option of government) to the annual amount of ;^4, 195,032 18 7
and in terminable annuities, fome for lives, others for
limited terms, payable at the bank and the exchequer, 493,144 12 5

Total annual amount of the funded debt *, ^4,688,177 11 o

The revenue provided by parliament for the above, and the other
branches of the national expenditure, in the year
1764 was - . _ /l7.759'574 15 7

The king of France, confidering the impofTibility of complying with
an order againft French or Englifti vefl'els coming within a league of
each-other's iflands, and that, if the Britifli government were to reta-
liate by a regulation of equal feverity, his own fubjeds muft fuffer by
it, lent orders to the Weft-Indies to allow all veflels to fail along the
fliores with freedom, and even to put into the ports in cafe of neceflity.

The grols revenue of the poft-office this year amounted to>{^28i,535 ;
in the year 1664 it was farmed for X^2 1,500; and in 1644 (only twenty
years earher) it was eftimated fo low as ;/^5000. Such is the increafe of
correfpondence, arifing from the increafe of commerce, and the increaf-
ed facility and diipatch in the conveyance of letters.

■ * Tlie annuities of every kind payable at tlie annuities, have fwellcd the amount of the capital,

bank are paid half-yearly, and thofe payable at varioiifly, accordinj^ to the rates they afTumed in

the excticqiicr quarterly. their calculations, wliich, it is evident, mult in a

Auriois who have written upon the national great raeufure be arbitrary.
debt, by calculating the value of the terminable

I

A. D. 1764.

4^.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 6918 vefTels of the reputed burdien of 523,128 tun?,

and of Scotland 1244 _ _ _ _ 67,345

Total 8162

590.473

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Wefl.-Tndia duty of
4i- per cent, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year, was,
from the cuftom-houfc in London, - /^2, 159,972 19 ir

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh, - 9>500 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain, /^2, 169,472 19 1 1

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
18,900 pounds of gold, value - - ^^883, 102 10 o

and 5 pounds of filver, - - _

10

;C883,ii8 o o

The offici.'\| value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriflmas 1763 to Chriflmas 1764 was as follows.

Countriet, Sec.
Africa
("anaries
Denmark, &c.
East Country
ivwt-InJia
Flandcr*
I'Vance
Ucmiany
Greenland "
Holland -
Inland
Mann
Ilaly
Madeira
Poland
Prussia
Portugal
Kus'sia
Spain
Slrails
S\^ed("n
Turkey
Venice

Gaeniscy, fiic.
Helle-iile

Anieri<-a in general
Hudion'j l)ay
NewlinindUnd
St. Jiihn'i island -
Uuebec

Vor„ III.

Imjx)rted into

E

xported Ironi

ENGLAND.

3C0TL.<ND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

j^3.5,738 9

2

^98

12

6

,^£'464,878

14

2

£196

2 1

3,158 10

7

31,867

10

2

85,027 9

6

37,-127

13

2

141,534

5

5

38,449

18 8

224, -1 1)9 8

1

290,33 1

6

<*

1,182,8-14 18

6

1,165,600

12

4

145,7r2 2

3

546,777

16

10

1 7,500"

18 4

95,4:!0 19

11

1.679

11

6

208,765

14

8

307,540

17 1

600,410 1

2

8,804

8

8

2,379,315

3

9

30,03 1

15 3

7,936 17

G

1,448

10

0

371,730 2

2

117,929

4

2

2,040,467

9

9

313,633

U 6

777.412 19

fc

82,766

0

10

1,634,382

1

8

209,416

17 11

15

0

0

1 ,583

12 (

810,902 9

0

1,445

14

6

754,446

4

'2

5,393

7 4

5,79-i 9

3

40,152

12

0

400

0 (

15,300

16

10

1,837

9 11

6,(|04

17

5

312,974 8

5

11,706

8

6

1,244,198

6

/

1,169

18 C

920,293 12

3

92,339

9

1

67,952

8

0

272

0 -

'5ai,4S9 6

4

6,904

18

0

1,318,345

4

11

7.299

4 4

32,271 4

11

I'J0,574

9

7

253,280 1

11

30,200

5

11

28,351

->

/

6,334

0 11

191,365 16

0

70,008

16

II

"54,092 10

5

l),0.i2

11

10

45.531 6

5

3,690

e

0

54,522

3

/

128

12 3

0 4

0

349,970

10

h

233.090

10 1

0.272 9

2

3,892

11

'»

30,354 2

4

72,588

6

3

80 17

2

44,669 ')

5

_

251,385

12

0

3F

4IO

A. D. 1764.

Imp

)rt<.'d into

Exportt

d from

ENGLAN'b.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

^€32 UJ

3

15,434 17 0

88,15/ 1

9

459.765 0 11

53,(i()7 10

4

515,416 12 1

36,258 18

1

435,191 14 0

55p,408 15

1

515,192 10 6

34"l,727 12

7

305,808 1 6

31,325 (J

4

18,338 2 11

294 3

4

117,319 16 3

J5,0O-t 15 7

69,047 13 1

307,3p2 6

8

63,136 10 10

300,213 17

3

181,710 11 3

10'5 U

1

10,534 3 7

31,894 6

2

16,415 12 6

200,889 13

6

65,935 3 9

33,551 17

0

5,735 8

0

1,076,155 1

9

456,528 I 11

3,169 0

8

82,966 15

0

7,532 8 9

60,652 11

2

7,934 16 5

283,842 4

1

98,321 8 2
971 15 2
349 8 5

41,549 1

11

2,485 1 ^

4,436 6

7

2,808 6 9

8,681 12

6

6,625 16 lb

917 0

10

9,398 11

3

400 4 11

24,863 9 2

44,361 5

2

35,782 19 2

10,364,307 12

3

16,202,378 16 9

886,352 11

1

886,352 11 1

1,243,927 9 lb

1,243,927 9 10

1 1 ,250,660 3

4

17,446,306 6 7

Countries, &c.

Nova-Scotia

New-England

New- York

Pennsylvania

Virginia and Maryland

Carolina . - -

Georgia - -

Florida . . -

West-Indies in general

AntigiKi

Barbados . - -

Bermuda - -

Dominica - - -

Grenada - - -

Gnadaloupe

Havanna

Jamaica . - -

Martinique

Mimtserrat

Nevis - - -

St. Christophers

St. Vincents

Tobago . . -

Tortola

New-Providence

St. Croix

St. Eustathius

Foreign West-Indies -

Briti;ih and Irish linens

■exported on bounty to

various countries
Prize goods

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain, -

1765 — A great part of the fonthern coafl of Barbary was deemed in-
accellible by reafon of a prodigious furf continually breaking upon it. But
a commodious harbour with an eafy accefs had been difcovered on that
coafl: by Captain George Glafs, who thereupon applied to government
for a grant of an e.vclufive trade for thirty years to his new-difcovered
harbour, which is fituated in 28° 4' north latitude, 11° 36' longitude
weft from London, and is called by the natives Regeaia or Gueder.
According to Captain Glafs the adjacent country produces great abund-
ance of fine wool, which the people partly manufadure, and partly fell
to the Guinea caravans ; but they would prefer exchanging it for Britifh
manufadures. He obtained from the natives a charter in Arabic, lur-
rendering to Great Britain the port, to which he gave the name of Hillf-
burgh, with a competent diftricff of the adjacent land ; which, with a plan
of the harbour, he tranfmitted (January) to the earl of Hillfburgh. After
■ a tedious delay, perhaps occafioned by the oppofition of the merchants

A. D. 1765. 4n

trading to Morocco, who alleged that the emperor of Morocco would
refent fuch a trade as an encroachment upon his dominions, he at laft
obtained the afllirance of a grant for twenty-one years, and thereupon
fet lail with a proper afTortmcnt of goods for the trade, laid in by him-
felf and one or two merchants conneded wiih him. But however flat-
tering the profpedt of this new trade might be, it was entirely fruflrated
by the tragical confequences of the treachery, or perhaps the groundlefi
apprehenlion, of the natives *.

The manufadure of Englifli cambrics, eftabliflied fome time ago,
was now brought to fuch perfedion, that they were efteemed nothing
interior to the French fabric, and promifed, with dvie encouragement,
very foon to fupcrfcde the necellity of importin'j any from France f.

The beginning of the year 1765 is dirtinguiftitd, or at lead ought to
be diftinguiflied, by two inftances of nice honour and ftridl integrity,
which deierve to be duely noticed in this work.

A lady, whofe name ought not to have been fupprefled, had a ne-
phew, a grocer, who had failed- about the year 1745, and paid his cre-
ditors lof in the pound. By her will flie bequeathed a fum of money
to pay tiie balance due to his creditors.

Mr. Stephen Theodore janflen, formerly lord mayor of London, and
one of the reprefentatives in parliament for the city, had the misfortune
to fail in bufmeis the year after his mayoralty. His friends immediate-
ly fettled on him an annuity of £,600 for life, 01 which he paid annu-
ally ^480 among his creditors, though acquitted of his former debts,
as far as a certificate figned by the creditors could acquit him. The
citizens of London, as a mark of their approbation of fuch honourable
condud, did themfelvcs honour in bellowing u])on him, without any
previous canvafs, the lucrative and confidential office of city chamber-
lain : and Mr. Janflen's fnbfcquent conduct did honour to their choice.
A few days after his eledion his brother Sir Abraham Janllen died and

* One of his men was miirdcrcd, and the king land witli a ((iiantily ol gold, orchill, \va::, woods,

of tlic placo attempted to jioifoii the wliole crew : feathers, and (l<ins.

whereupon Captain Glaff, being in want of necef- Captain Glafs, having been joined at Canary
farics, wliich he iNpcCted to get from the flioie, by his wife and daiighttr, emb.irkcd onboard a
or, according to other accounts, witli a view of vclTcl bound for London, and had aclually got
felling fome goods he found not faleable there, fight of the land of England, when four n;ffianj
went over in his longboat to one of the Canaries, of the crew, in purfuancc of a fcheme they had
where the Spanidi gimrnor, pretending that he laid before they (ailed, munlered their own corn-
was a fpy, kept him in prifon, till he found means, mander, Captain Glafs, his wife, daughter, and
by writing with charcoil upon a bifcuit, to repre- fervjint, with fome of the ftamen not concerned in
fent his cafe to tiie captain of a Britilli fhip of war, tl-.eir plot, in older to poffefs a large fum of mo-
wlio, after beinj; fent to prifon himfelf, procured ney onljoard the fliip.

his liberty. In the meantime the natives of Gue- Such was the melancholy end of this entcrpril-

der took advantage of the weakened Hate of the ing and unfortunate gentleman j and with him, I

(hip's comj)any, made an attack upon her, and believe, his jjrojetted trade alio perirticd.
were bravely repulfed by the mate, who at laft dc- f 300 pieces were fold at Gairaway'i coffee-

fpairing of his commandir's return, fiiiled for Eng- houfe at 13^6 a yard on an average in January

1765.

3F 2

412 A. D. 1765.

left him an annuity ot ^500 for life, which he immediately fold, ruid
divided the money among his creditors. Me aUb appropriated a confi-
derable part of the emoluments of his oflfice to the difchargc of his
debts, till the full payment of the lad penny due to every one of his
creditors was completely and honourably effected *. So noble an ex-
ample is worthy of being held up to all traders, who by the viciiluudes
of misfortune and profperity may be placed in fimilar circumftances.
And he, who has it in his power to follow fuch an example, and docs
it not, may wallow in wealth and luxury, he may be fed with the in-
fmcore applaufe of thofe who pretend that merit confifls in opulence ;
but he muft never exped: to enjoy the heart-felt latisfadion and peace
of mind, which this honest man defervedly enjoyed.

When toiling through the thorny mazes of human crimes and follies
in fearch of materials for commercial hiftory, it is pleafing to meet with
fome bloflbms of human virtues, and to endeavour to preferve them for
the delight, and for the imitation, of future ages.

January 26''' — The fociety of artifts of Great Britain were incorporat-
ed, and mvefled with the ufual privileges of corporate bodies, by a
royal charter, which diredls, that the prefiding officers of the fociety fhall
be painters, fculptors, architecfls, or engravers, by profeflion.

Soon after this it was determined in the court of common pleas, thai!
the publifhers of engravings of portraits were entitled to the benefit of
the act for fecuring the property of engravings.

January 28''' — Salted provifions were allowed to be imported from
Ireland for one year, on paying duties equivalent to the fait duties of
this kingdom. [5 Geo. Ill, c. i.]

February 9'' — The Britifh fubjeds in the territories ceded to France
iind Spain at the peace, not having been able to accomplifh the remov-
al of their property within the time limited by the ad: of parliament,
[■^ Geo. Ill, c. 17] they obtained a further indulgence till the ill of May
1765 of importing their effeds, on paying the fame duties as for Britifli
produce. [5 Geo. Ill, c. 3.]

Several Mediterranean pafles having during the war fallen into the
hands of nations in hoftility with the piratical ftates of Barbary, all the
palles then in ule were called in by proclamation, in order to be re-
placed by others of a new form, that no occalion might be given of any
mifunderftanding with thofe ftates.

The governors of the Britifli forts on the coaft of Africa had long
been complaining, in their letters to their conftituents, of encroachments
upon their limits by the French, particularly by their intended fort at
Albreda. The ftate of that country therefor became an objed of atten-
tion to the lords of trade. On examining the information received from

'o

• By the death of his brother Sir Htcty in FebTnary 1766 the tirio of bareiret dcTeltcd npon hiiis

A. D. 1765. 413.

Africa, they found, that the forts were generally in a defencelefs con-
dition, and the garrifons unacciuainted with military difcipline, and too
weak, to uflford any profpcdl of defence, even againft the natives ; that
places, reprefented as of great importance for improving our commerce,
and where the natives had even requefted us to make fettlcments, were
totally neglected ; and that the civil government was as defedtive as the
military, there being at Fort-Louis a town confi fling of about 4000
people, totally deflitute of government ; though, in the time of the
French dominion at Senegal, that town, together with Podore on the
fame river, was fubject to the command of the French governor.

The nature of the commerce at Senegal, which is chiefly for gum,
differing greatly from that on the other parts of the coafl, and the in-
habitants being alfo very different, and feveral fettlements being made
fiir up the river, it was conceived to be impolfible for the committee of
African merchants, a fluduating body annually eleded, to govern that
country with propriety. It was therefor determined to ered that tract
of the coaft lying between Cape Blanco and Cape Rouge, and including
the rivers Senegal and Gambia, into a royal government, to be called
the province of Senegambia, with a civil conftitution, and a military
cftablifhment for the government and lecurity of the fectlement. The
expenfc of the civil and military eftabliflimcnts- of the intended pro-
vince, including an armed floop and two flat-bottomed gun-boats for
defending the entry of the river, was ftated at ^(^f 2,000 for the firft
year, and ;^i 0,000 a year afterwards.

By the adl of parliament for vefling this province in the king, the
trade of that coaft was declared to be open to all Britifli fubjeds, rcTerv-
ing, however, a power of granting to George Glafs an cxclulive trade for
twenty-one years to his newly-difcovered port of Regcala or Gueder *.

March 22'' — The liberty of importing cattle from Ireland, free of
duty was prolonged for feven years. [5 Geo. ///, c. 10.]

It was enacted, ' that from and after the firfl day of November 1765
* there (hall be raifed, levied, colledted, and paid unto his Majefty, his
' heirs and fucccflbrs, throughout the colonies and plantations in Ame-
' rica, which now are, or hereafter may be, under the dominion of his
' Majefly, his heirs and fuccellors,' llamp duties upon all kinds of le-
gal or commercial writings or contrads, pamphlets, newfpapers, adver-
tilements, almanacks, cards, dice, &c. Thele duties were to be under
the management of the commiflioners of the ftamps in Great Britain,
who were to appoint officers to attend in every court through all the
colonies to watch over the coUettion of tlie'ftamp duties -f . [5 Geo. Ill,
c. I 2.]

• Mis pott was far north of tfie north cm mo ft f A fchcmc for IcTvIr.g a tax in the Btitifh co-
rimit of tjciiog .mbia. The fate of Glafs's unfor- Ionics in America haviiig been piDpoftil to Sif
tiuiatc cntcrprifc has been already ootictd. Robot WalyuU during lUc Sp aniib war, wki«h

414 ■^' -D- ^7^5'

The commiffioncrs for the difcovcry of the longitude having already
paid to the authors of various inventions ^6000. the whole fum allotted
tor making experiments, they were further empowered flill to receive
propolals, and, on feeing a probal-ility of fuccefs, ftili ro allow a fum
not excetdincr £2000. to each author of an approved plan for afcertain-
ing che longitude. It was now that payment was ordered to Mr. Har-
riion of the balance of the j(^20,ooo promifed by former adts of parlia-
ment, his ti i.e-keeper having on the fecond trial run the longitude to
Barbados within ten minutes, or one fixth of a degree *, on condition
of dilcovering the art of conflructing his time-keeper within fix months
of the date of pafling this a6l. and delivering three time-keepers made
by him, and proved by fufficient trials to be capable of afcertaining
the longitude with the required degree of exatSnefs.

A reward of ^(^^3000 was allowed to the widow of Profeflbr Mayer of
Gottingen for a let of lunar tables cnnftruded by hma upon Sir Ifaac
Newton's principles, which were found very ufeful iii determining the
longitude ; and alio a revvard of ^^300 to Profeflbr Euler of Berlin for
aflifting Mayer in his work. And /."5000 is offered to any one, who
fliall make any improvement in thele lunar tables, or fhall make any
diicoverv or improvement ufeful in navigation. [5 Geo. ///, re. 11, 20.]
Thus does Great Britain invite and animate the learned and ingenious
of all nations to exert their talents in the fervice of fcience and com-
merce. Indeed, it is probable, that this great and importatit defidera-
tum in navigation is, by the time-keeper, the marine chair, the improv-
ed lunar tables, and Dodor Malkelyne's improvements in the allow-
ances for parallax and refradion, now brought as near to perfedion as
it is pofTible to bring it.

April 19" — The encouragement held out to the cultivation of madder,
by the ad 31 Geo. If, c. 12, was prolonged for fourteen years, to be com-
puted from I ft Auguft 1772.

May 10 — The focietv of the free Britifh fidiery, incorporated by ad
of parliament [23 Geo. 11, c. 24] had, by virtue of ieveral ads enjoyed
an annuity of three per cent, payable by the receiver-general or the cul-
tomsonall money adually employed mthe fifhrry, and a bounty at 30/",
afterwards railed to 50/", per tun, on all veflels from twenty to eighty tuns

began in the year 1739, he fnul^d, and faid, 'I ' j^2 50,000 of their gains will be brought into his

' will leavr that to Joint of my fucctfT rs, who ' Maje:ly's exchtqiier by means of the labour and

' may have more courjge thsn 1 iiave, and be Icfs ' produce of this kingdom, a,< immenfc quantities

' a friend to commerce than I am. It has_ been a ' of every kind of our manufactures {fo thither ;

• maxim with me, during my administration, to ' ami as they increafe in their foreign trade, more

• cnroiirajje the trade of the Amirican colonies in ' of our produce will be wanted. This is taxiiig

• the ucnioft latitude, and even to jafo over fome ' them mure agreeably both to tlieir owii conllitu-
' irregularities in their tiade with Europe : for by ' tinn and to ours.'

• encoura;j;ing them to an exttnfivc gnuving fo- * The grtatcll exafln-fs required by the a6l. of

• uign comri.d.-e, if the- ^,ain jfjocooo, I im parliaiuent to entitle the inventor to the highefi.

• convinced, that in two years afterwards full reward was only half a degrte. ' 4

A. D, 1765. 415

burthen employed by them. But, as thefe advantages were to ceafe on
the 22(1 of Odobcr 1767, and the charter wouk! not expire till the 22d
of ■' Jdlober 177T. Tue aiinuity and tunna^e bounty were prolonged for
the remaining four \cars of the charter. [5 Geo. Ill, c. 22.]

The rates of portage were raifed. Ships bringinc^ letters were oblio-ed
to deliver them at the polt-nffice. The poflmaftcr-general was empow-
ered to eftablifh a penny poft-olFice m anv town ni the Britifli domi-
nions. Letters brought by the general poll for peopld' living beyond
the delivery of the general pofl-office, and in that of the penny-poft,
were directed to be delivered by the penny-pofl: with an additional
charge of one penny for each letter, whether fmgle or double. No
packets weighing above four ounces, except general pofi; letters, were
henceforth to be carried by the penny-poft. Embezzlement of letters,
taking notes or bills out of them, and robbing the mail, were made fe-
lony [5 Geo. HI, c. 25.]

The feudal fovereigTity of the illand of Mann had been granted by
Henry IV to Sir John Stanley, anceftor of the earls of Derby, and was
now poil'eiTed by the duke and duchels of Athol as heirs of the earls of
Derby. But many inconveniencies being found to proceed from the
ifland being independent of the Britifh government, it was now given
up to the crown for a valuable confideration paid to the duke and
duchefs.

By an abftrad of the whole revenue drawn by the duke of Athol
for ten years, from 1754 to 1763 inclufive, it appears to have been
^^85,085 : 6 : 6y ifland currency, which, being to fterlmg money as fe-
ven to fix, makes ^72,930 : 5 : 7 fterling, the annual average of which
is/?7293: o: 6^ rterling, whereof above /^6ooo wtre cuftoms paid to
the duke as fovereign. [5 Geo. Ill, c. i(i.'\

The journeymen lilk-weavers, and thole of the other trades connect-
ed with that branch in London, who were futfering by the fafliion of
wearing French filks, alfembled in vaft numbers on the day appointed
for the meeting of parliament (loth January), and marched with drums
and colours by feveral routes to the pal;ice and parliamem-houfe, in or-
der to preient petitions praying for relief by a total prohibition of fo-
reign-wrought filks ; and they alio perlonall_^ applied to feveral mem-
bers in their way to the houfe, in the humblelt terms imploring them
to have pity on the wretched lunation of the inklvcs and their families.
The fight of luch a multitude of people, thrown idle for want of em-
ployment, and probably ready for the commiffion of delperate deeds,
together with a report that the weavers of the inland towns were pre-
paring to fet out for London, fpread a dreadful alarm, elpeciall) aiiiong
thole who conceived themlelves obnoxious to their reientment. 1 hey
however did no other milchief than breaking the windows of feme
houfes, where they fuppofed French filks were Ibid, and were appeafeJ

41 6 A. D. 1765.

by a contribution tor their immediate relief, and an engagement enter-
ed into by the principal lilk-mercers to countermand all their orders for
foreign filks.

That the manufacflurc might not fufFer for want of materials, the par-
liament took oft' the old duties paid upon the importation of raw lllk,
and laid a new duty of 1/3 per pound of 24 ounces on raw filk, and
V9 P^^ fame pound on thrown lilk, to be paid on importation, without
any drawback on exportation, except to Ireland, in favour ot which a
.drawback of \f on raw lllk, and Gd on thrown filk, per pound of 24
ounces, was allowed, with an exprefs prohibition, however, of re-export-
ing the raw filk from Ireland on any account whatever- [5 Geo. Ill, c.

29-]

In order to provide a fufTicient fupply for the African trade, the Eaft-

India company were empowered to import from any pfirt of Europe, in

Britilli veflels, fuch quantities of coarfe printed calicoes, cowries, and

arangoes, as may be necellary, when their own flores of thofe goods are

found infafhcient, on obtaining a licence from the treafury, and on

payment of the ufual duties. But, fliould they negled to procure a fuf-

ticient fupply, or aflc an unreafonable price, the lords of treafury were

empowered to grant licences to other perfons. [5 Geo. Ill, c. 30.]

An additional duty of 4/ per chaldron was laid on all coals fhipped
for any foreign dominion ; and a duty of five per cent ad valorem on
lilks, calicoes, and other manufactures, of Perfia, China, or India, fliip-
ped to any foreign country, except Africa. At the fame time additional
duties were laid upon policies of infurance. [5 Geo. Ill, c. 35.]

May 25'*" — An atft was pafled to confine the importation of gum fen-
ega to Great Britain, and laying a duty of 6^ per hundred-weight on the
importation, and 3c/ per hundred-weight on the exportation, of it. [5
Geo. Ill, c. 37.]

The goodnefs of roads is of the greatefi: confequence to the internal
trade of a country, and is an objed; well deferving the attention of
every wife legifiature. In the preceding reign the narrow wheels, which
plowed up the roads, were difcouraged by exempting carts and wag-
gons, having wheels of nine inches in breadth, from part of the toll
duties paid by thofe with narrow wheels. A confiderable improvement
was novv' made upon that regulation, by directing that thofe who, by
forming their axles of dift'erent lengths, fliould make their fore and
hind wheels together roll upon the ground in a Une of at leaft fixceen
inches in breadth, fhould pay only half the toll dues payable by others.
In order, alio, to prevent the roads from being defl^royed by enormous
weight, the commilfioners of the roads were empowered to erect weigh-
ing engines, and to exacl 20/ per hundred-weight from all waggons
weighing above i\%. tuns, and all carts above three tuns. [5 Geo. Ill,
c. 3S.]

A. D. 1765. 417

The ifland of Mann, not having been hitherto fubjcdl to the Britifli
revenue laws, had been a magazine for the reception of India and other
foreign goods of all kinds, which were clandeflinely imported from
thence into Great Britain and Ireland. But, in confequence of the
purchafe of the fovereignty, it was now fubjeded to the controul of the
Britifh legidature ; which enadled, that after the id of June 1765 the
revenue officers fhould fearch all veflels arriving in that ifland, and
feize ud goods illegally imported, in the fame manner as in Great Bri-
tain ; that no foreign fpirits fliould be carried thither but from this
kingdom ; and that none (hould be brought into this kingdom from
thence. Several regulations for the coafting trade, &c. were alfo enact-
ed. [5 Geo. Iff, c. 39.]

By an act, containing a multitude of regulations for rendering the
execution of the revenue laws more effectual, and the revenue more
produdtive, the linens manufactured in Mann were entitled to the fame
bounty on being fliipped from Great Britain, that Britifli and Irifh
linens are entitled to : and the people of Mann were allowed to import
into Great Britain the cattle and manufactures of the ifland, except
woollen manufactures, beer, and ale, without paying any duties on im-
portation.

The fmugglers being deprived of their principal rcpofitory by the
ifland of Mann being fubjed:ed to the revenue laws, it became neceflar)--
to cut off another means of defrauding the revenue and injuring the
fair trader, which was pradtifed by fliipping bounty goods for the iflands
of Faroe (or rather Foeroe), fubjecl to Denmark, and lying in the
Northern ocean between Shetland and Iceland, where a great deal of
fmuggling bulinefs has been carried on. Such goods having been of-
ten entered for thofe iflands with an intent to obtain the bounty or
drawback, and afterwards rclanded in fome part of Great Britain, it
was now enacted, that no bounty or drawback fliould be allowed upon
any goods to be fent thither ; and that any pcrlon entering goods for
bounty or drawback to be carried to other foreign countries, and not-
withflanding laiuling them in Faroe, fliould forfeit the bounty, three
times the value of the goods, and alfo the velfel which carried them.
[5 Geo. Ill, c. 43.]

For fecuring and encouraging the trade of the American provinces,
large bounties were allowed on the importation of deals, planks, and
timber, the growth of thofe provinces. The liberty of exporting rice
to thofe parts of America fouth of Georgia, formerly granted to that
province and South Carolina, was extended to North Carolina. Rice
imported into Plymouth, Exeter, I*oolc, Southampton, Chichefter, Sand-
wich, and Glafgow, and intended to be immediately exported, was ex-
empted from paying any other duty than half the old fubfidy. The

Vol. III. 3G

41 8 A. D. 1765.

American colonics "were allowed to fliip their iron * for Ireland, and
their lumber for Ireland, Madeira, the Azores, and any part of Europe
to the fouthward of Cape Finifterrc, as well as to Great Britain.
[5 Gn. Ill, c. 45 0

Foreign-manufadurcd filk (lockings, filk mitts, and filk gloves, were
prohibited to be imported after the 24th of June 1765 ; and the prohi-
bition of the importation of ribands, laces, and girdles of filk, enacted
by Henry VII, was now enforced by a heavier penalty. [5 Geo. Ill,
c. 48.]

The banks in Scotland, in order to guard againft the diflrefs of a run
upon them, ufed to infert in their notes, what was called an optional
clauje, whereby they referv-ed a power of poftponing payment for fis
months, and paying intereft from the day of the demand. But the op-
.tion being complained of, as perverting fuch paper from being a fubfti-
tute for current money f, it was enacled, that, after the 15th of May
1 766 all bank notes fhould be made payable on demand, except poft-bills,
which, as before, may be made payable feven days after fight. An-
other, and a much greater, abufe had alfo crept in, which was, that notes,
called bank notes, for ten {hillings, five fhillings, &c. were iffued by
obfcure pcrfons in many villages in Scotland, which almoft entirely
banilhed filver out of the circulation. To put a flop to this evil, all
notes under twenty {hillings were prohibited to be current after the ift
•f June 1765. [5 Geo. Ill, c. 49.]

All the laws, hitherto m.ade for regulating the flreets of London, be-
ing found defcf^ive, a new act was pafled, giving larger powers to the
coramiffioners, and extending them to the Surry fide of Weflminfler
bridge. [5 Geo. Ill, c. 50.]

The feveral laws for regulating the manufachire of v.-oollen cloths in
the wefl riding of York-fhire were repeated ; and the juflices of that
riding (not being themfelves concerned in the woollen trade) were di-
reded to appoint men of good character, bred to the woollen manufac-
ture, to inipecl, meafure, and feal, all cloths at the falling mills, and to
keep a proper regifler of the cloths and the makers : and the clothiers
were moreover directed to put their names and refidence in the end of
every cloth, woven or fewed in plain legible letters. [5 Geo. Ill, c. 51.]

June I'- — In confequence of thepurchafe of the fovereignty of Mann,
formal polTeflion was taken for the king, by hoifling the Britiih colours a»

* When the encouragement of the American though it is not thirty miles from Carlile, where

iron was under conGJcration, tlic manufaftureis of the txciiange with London was at par. In Car-

Lon.lon, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, &c. gave lile bills were paid in gold and Clver, but in Dum-

•rider.ce, that it was in all refpceu equal to the fries in notes of the Scottish banks, which the un-

SweJira iron for ev:ry purpoi'e. certainty of getting them immtatatciy changed fo»

■{• In the year 176^, 1763, 17G4, when the gold or filvrr, i bus degraded four per cent undcB

abufe of the optional cbufe n-as at the greateft their norninsl \-alue. \_Smilh' t Wialth of nat'wnr.

height, the exchange between London and Dum- /'. i, ^. 492, *d. 1793.1 3

(■ !cs was fomctinaes four per cent againd \\.< later,

A. D. 1765. 419

CaftletowH, the capital of the ifland : and the new ariangv-meiits for the
government, and collection of the revenue, as alfo the eftablifhn^ent of
a curtom-houfe, and excife -office, took place. The traders in the ifland
were allowed fix months to difpofe of their (lock, at the expiration of
which time they became fubject to the fame taxes and reftridlions as
the people of England. But moft of the Grangers who were fettled on
the ifland declined availing themfelves of the fix months indulgence,
and removed from it immediately after the changfe of goveniraent.

So eager were the French in pufliing for.vard the population and im-
provement of their colonies, that all people, declaring themfelves v.illing
to go to them, were furniflied at the public expenfe with carriages to
convey them to St. Jean de Luz, where they were decently maintained
till a vefl*el was ready to carry them to the place of their dcftination.

July 19'' — The proprietors of the million bank, whofe dividends
had been reduced in the year 1728, from Jive to /our per cent, agreed
at a general court to reftore them to Jive per cent.

A fliip of v,-ar of 74 guns was built at Milford haven ; which, if I
miftake not, is the firft inftance of any fhip for the navy being built on
the weft fide of Britain.

The pearl fifliery in Scotland, fo confiderable in antient times, but
of late almoft wholely neglected, was this fummer revived with confider-
able advantage in the river Spey.

By a trial at Gildhall upon an infurance caufe, it was determined, that
the owner of a veflel, which is not fea-worthy, not only lofes the bene-
tit of tb.e infurance, but is alfo liable to the fhippers upon freight, for
the loffts arifing from the infuflliciency of his veflel. This precedent
ought to be generally known, as it may operate, as well as a furveyor,
to make owners particularly attentive to the condition of the veflels on-
board which they propofe to receive other people's property.

Mr. Witchell's marine table for facilitating the calculation of the lon-
gitude by the lunar method, was approved of by the board of longi-
tude, who advanced him /^looo to en:ible him to proceed in his work.
They alfo appointed him and Meflleurs Lyons, Wales, Mapfon, and Du-
nithome, to compute an Ephemeris, to be publiflicd for promoting
the fciences of aflronomy and navigation (July).

About this time Mr. Ding\vall, a Scottifh clergyman and mathemati-
cian, endeavoured to make an improvement in another very important
branch of nautical fcience, by calculating aftronomical tables for difco-
vering the variation of the compafs. But the principles, which regulate
this wonderful deviation of the magnetic needle from the true incridbn,.
flill continue to elude the refearches of human fcience.

Among the efforts of the king of Pruflia to introduce manufactures
and commerce in his dominions, were the eredlion of a bank ; and ot
an office fur infurance with a capital of i,ooo,ooD crowns in 40CO fljires

vG2

420 A. D. 1765.

of 250 each, and an cxclufive privilege for thirty years ; alfo a compan)-
for trading to Turkey with a capital of 1,000,000 rix-dollars ; and an
Eaft-India company at Embden with a fubfcribcd capital of 125,000
crowns *, of which the fubfcribers were to pay in two thirds ; and the
partners of the rained company, which was aboliflied in the year 1763,
were entitled to a preference in the fubfcription.

The city of Hamburgh alfo this year eftablinied an office for infur-
ance, with a capital rubfcription of 500 fliares of looo dollars each.

Nine fhips from the Spaniih American dominions arrived at Cadiz in
the month of Auguft, whofe cargoes were valued at eleven millions of
dollars, whereof the regiftered gold and fdver were almofi: nine millions :
and it is probable, that the unregiftered, or fmuggled, bullion amount-
ed to two or three millions more. It is doubtful, if Great Britain was
not as mull interefted in the arrival of thofe rich fhips as Spain.

Some grievous difcontents among the coal-workers in the neighbour-
hood of Newcaftle and Sunderland broke out in dreadful excefles, which
continued from the middle of Auguft till the end of September. They
fet fire to the coals which were ready for fliipping, and even to the coal
mines under ground, broke up the coal ways, and deftroyed all the ma-
chinery ; in confequence of which about 600 fliips, and 100,000 men,
in Newcaflle, Sunderland, and London, were thrown idle, all bufinefs
t'onnedled with the coal trade was at a ftand, and coals rofe to an enor-
mous price in London. \Vhile all the adjacent country was convulfed
with violence and outrage, the coal works at Hartley, belonging to Mr.
Delavall, whom the coal-workers diftinguiflied for his humane treat-
ment of his workmen, were carried on in perfect: tranquillity : an im-
portant ledbn to all, who have occafion for the fervices of a great num-
ber of their fellow-creatures.

The emperor of Morocco informed General Irwin, the governor of
Gibraltar, that he was defirous of moving the chief trade ot his donii-
nions to his port of Mogadore f, where all ftrangers, and particularly
the Englifli, might rely on enjoying every encouragement and protec-
tion, with a diminution of the duties on imports and exports, and a to-
tal remillion of the anchorage dues annually paid at his other ports, in
pov/der, ball, or money. The Britifh merchants, however, were very
far from approving of the change made by the emperor, which they
confidered as a very grofs oppreffion ; and they alferted that Mogadore
would be a very inconvenient harbour for their commerce :{:.

* A company, whofe wliole capital (if indeed Kerne by Hanno, and the mod antient commc-r-

there is no mittake in the fiim) was far (hortof the cial cllablidimcnt on tlie weil fide of Africa,
cuilk of one Ea!l India fliip, could expccl no very J The fame emperor, when prince, of Saffy,

great fiiceefs in attempting an Eall-India trade. about t!ie year 1755 maltreated two Uritidi n.er-

Rayiial has not even condefcenJed to mention canlile holtfef, and robbed tlicm of about ^,"i7,coo.

this new eilab!ifl".nient, when giving an account of Thefe enormities a!mo!l pctrn end to the refidenee

the unfortunatt. Eall-lndia trade of Pruifia. [^Hi/L of Britilh r.icrchants, who had tomierly been pr«t-

fh'ilof. etp"'':t. V. iii,/". 54, cd. 17S2.] ty n'JiiisrotiS in the dominions of Morocco.

\ Nfogadore is apparently the fmall i.land cu'.ki 3

A. D. 17(^5. 421

The flrft of November was the day appointed by parliament for the
eommencement of the operation of the ftamp a6t in America ; and
from that day no bufinefs of confequence could be legally tranfacled
without {lamped paper. But of all the ftamped paper, fent out by go-
vernment to the various provinces of America, not one flieet was to be
found from New-England to South Carolina, the whole being burnt by
the incenfed populace, except one fmall parcel, which had been deliver-
ed by the governor ot New-York into the hands of the mas^iftrates of
the city, who received it on the exprefs condition, that it lliould not be
ufed. On that day the warehoufes were fliut up ; the vellels in the
harbours exhibited their colours hoifted halfway up in token of mourn-
ing : there was no ajipearance of bufinefs on the wharfs, nor on the ri-
vers ; the courts of juftice were fliut up ; bufinefs of every kind was at;
a ftand ; and an univerfal fpirit of difcontent pervaded ail ranks and
defcriptions of people throughout the w'hole country.

In the meantime a new and general agreement was entered into by
the merchants of the colonies, to import no more goods from Great
Britain, to countermand their orders for whatever goods fhould not be
fhipped before the ill of January 1766, and not to receive on commif-
fion any goods configned from Great Britain alter that day. As their
agreement did not affedl the trade with Ireland, fuch articles as they
could not do without were imported from that country, in return for
Hax-feed and hcmp-fced ; fo that the commerce of Ireland reaped fome
advantage trom the diiagreement of the colonies with the mother coun-
try. In order, however, to be as much as pofllble independent of any
lupplics from Europe, the fpirit of manufacturing was revived with
great ardour ; and it was patronized and directed by a fociety eflablifli-
ed at New-York, upon the model of the fociety for the encouragement
of arts, manufadures, and commerce, in London. Linens, cloths, made
not only from the wool of fheep, biit alfo from beaver's wool, fpades,
hoes, fcythes, and other necefiary articles of iron ware, malt fpirits, pa-
per hangings, &c. were manufacl:ured by inhabitants of America, or by
people whom liberal encouragement had drawn from Great Britain, and
other parts of Europe, to fettle in America ; and th.ey were bought up
with the greateft avidity, everyone being defirous of apjicaring in Ame-
rican drels, in preference to Britiih manutaclures. The /.eal tor fuj^port-
ing tl e native woollen manufitdory, even produced a relolution agamfl
eating Iamb, and an agreement not to buy meat from any butcher, wuo
ihould kill lambs.

Not fatisfied v/ith abflaining from importation, they alfo propofed to
])rolubit the exportation of tobiitco to Great Britain ; a mealure which,
if it had been carri.d into execution, mull very teniibly have affe.icd
the commerce, the navigation, and the revenue, of ilie mother country.

Such were the principal efFeds, as far as iliey concerned commerce

422 A. D. 1765.

of the ftamp ad in the colonies of New-England, New- York, Ncw-Jer-
fey, Pennfylvania, Mary kind, Virginia, and the two CaroUnas. Thofc
at the northern and foiuhern extremities of the continent fubmitted to
the authority of the Britifli legiflature, as did alfo the Britifh iilands in
the Weft-Indies, excepting St. Chriftophers and Nevis, the inhabitants
of which were induced by fome New-Englanders in their harbours to
burn the ftamped paper, and commit outrages on fome of the fervants
of government *.

In the courfe of this fummer the French fhowcd a difpofition rather
hoftile to our trade in the Weft-Indies. A fleet of about forty fail from
Martinique went upon the coaft of Honduras to cut logwood, in preju-
dice of the Britifh logwood-cutters, to whom that privilege was fecured
by the 17th article of the treaty of peace in 1763. Orders were alfo
fent from France to feize every Britiftivefl'el, which did not depart from
Cap Fran9ois in forty-eight hours, in confequencc of which fome veft'els
from New-York were actually feized, and the people imprifoned. As
the refort of the Britifti- American veflels to that port was by no means
improfitable to the French, the condudl of the French court is perhaps
to be accounted for from a Britifti ft^ip of war having taken formal pof-
feflion of Turk's iflands, which they, after having feized, and then evacu-
ated them in the preceding year, wilhed to be confidered as neutral.

The African territory, including the rivers Senegal and Gambia, and
extending from Cape Blanco to Cape Rouge, being by a6l of parliament
f5 Geo. III^ c. 44] refumed from the African merchants, and vefted in
the crown, the king erected it into a province, to be called Senegambia,
and appointed General O'Hara governor of it, (December 28'), to be
afhfted by a council in matters of government ; the commercial depart-
ment being put under the direction of a fuperintendent of trade, fub-
ordinate to the governor and council.

Since Newfoundland was firft reforted to as a fiftiing ftation, it had
generally been the delire of government, that the fifliery ftiould be car-
ried on by fliips going from Great Britain every feafon, rather than by
ftationary fifliermen upon the iftand. This plan had not, however, been
uniformly adhered to ; and fo, by ading alternately upon different, or
rather oppofite, principles, the nation loft the benefits, which would have
followed from a fteady perfeverance in either of the plans. A claim of
right was fet up to all parts of the beach, convenient for curing the fifti,
by the inhabitants and the owners of bye boats, to the utter exclufion
of the fifliermen of the fliips from Great Britain, and alfo ot thofc from
France, entitled, under the treaties of Utrecht and Paris, to a concurrent
fifiiery between Bonavifta and Point-Riche. There being no proper

* Many events and ciicumftanccs of the Ame- ers of the time, arc omitted in this vrork, at belong-
rican difturbances, which were related by the writ- ing to general, rather than to commercial, hiftory.

A. D. 1765. 423

eftabliihment on the ifland for the execution of the laws of trade, fmugg-
ling was carried on with impunity, efpecially with the French fettled at
Miquelon ai:id St. Pierre, during the abfence of the Britifli fhips of war.
And there was even reafon to apprehend, that many veflels, rcforting to
Newfoundland as Britilli, were partly owned by Spaniards and other fo-
reigners.

Such being now the flate of the ifland and of the fifliery, and it being
undeniable, that the fiihiermen fettled on the ifland can go earlier to,
and remain later upon, the fifhing grounds, than the fhips can do, and
that they have alio many advantages in repairing their veffels, ftages,
&.C. it was evident, that, notwithftanding the difadvantages proceeding
from their diforderly way of life, the quantity of fifh, cured and carried
to market, was now as great as in the mofl flourifhing times of this fifh-
ery, while the exports to the ifland were five times as many as at that
period, befides that they were fuppofed to take from the coiitinental co-
lonies twice as much as they do from home, the profits of which ulti-
mately center in this country.

It being therefor impracticable, without very great violence, if not
even injuflice, to reftore the fyflem of the fifliery prefcribed by the act
of the loth and nth of King William, and to abolifh the fedentary
fifhery, the lords of trade advifed that fettlements and property fliould
be ratified by laws in all parts of the ifland, excepting that portion of
the coafl, where a concurrent fifliery by French, as well as Britifli, fub-
jects was ftipulated by the treaties of Utrecht and Paris, and where a
fliip fifliery only will be moft for the advantage of all concerned.

Commodore Pallifer, governor of Newfoundland, at the beginning of
the feafon, publiflied regulations for the fifhery on the coall of La-
brador, and the iflands of Anticofli and the Madelaines, regulations for
the falmon fifliery in Newfoundland, and orders for eflablifhing a friendly
intercourfe with the Efquimeaux Indians of Labrador.

At the end of the fealbn he made up a ftatement of the fifliery and
the inhabitants of his government, by which it appears that there had
arrived this year,

177 Britifli iifliing fliips, of the total burthen of 17,268 tuns, and car-
rying 2,521 men, and 5,397 paflengers, who cured 136,840 quintals

of cod, valued at from 10/ to 17/per quintal, and made 585:^ tuns of

train oil, valued at from £1 ^ to £iS per tun ;
116 Britifli lack (or trading) fliips, burthen 14,353 tuns, carrying 1252

men, who do not fifli, but bring I'alt, or only ballaft, and purchafe

their fifh ;
104 Britilh- American veflels, burthen 6.927 tuns, carrying 666 men.
There wore alio made by the bye-boat men 85,096 (]uintals of cod, and

481 ^ tuns of train oil; and by the inhabitants 310,576 quintals of

«od, and 1317^ tuns of oil.

424 A. D. 1765.

There were carried to foreign markets,
493,654 quintals of cod,

1 172 tierces of falmon, worth 40/ to 45/" each,
Seal-oil made laft year, and whale-bone obtained from the Indians, to

the amount of - - - - /?5io9

And furs taken by the inhabitants, to the value of - - 980

The fifhery on the coaft of Labrador employed 117 floops and fchooners
from the provinces of Quebec and New-England, carrying 1563 * men,
who between the 14th of May and the loth of July killed 104 whales,
each being of the average value of /^47 8, and yielding on an average
140 barrels of oil, and 2000 pounds of bone. The winter feal fifhery
on the ft\me coaft employed 107 men, who made 500 tuns of oil, be-
fidcs procuring furs, a coniiderable quantity of which they got from the
Efquimeaux (or rather Carahts, that being the indigenous name). The
value of the feal, cod, falmon, and furs, obtained upon that part of the
coafl; is eflimated at /^i 00,000, made entirely by the Britifh-Americans,
and the greateft part of it fold to the French.

In the French fifhery between Bonavifta and Point-Riche there were
employed 117 fliips of 18,495 tuns, carrying 7862 men, who made
292,790 quintals of cod, and 2929 hogflieads of oil.

The reft of the French fhipping and fiftiery was eftimated as follows.

Sh'ips. Tutu. Men. Jgu. Cod. Hhds. OH.

On the banks, 130 16,000 3,900 made 130,000 2,600

At St. Pierre 20 2,600 1,200 24,000 480

French frigates, 2 400

Belonging to St Pierre

andMiquelon ,and em-
ployed on the banks
and in theGulf of St. I
Laurence, j

> 50 2,500 750 30,000 600

Boats belonging to thofe 7 ^ 2^ ^^^ ^^^^^^

iflands, 3

'"'SweftSr.etl - ■•-° ^^° — —

Commodore Pallifer i-eckoned the number of the inhabitants fettled
upon Newfoundland to be 15,484, moft of whom were Roman Catho-
lics, and many of them deierters from the fliips, who, not being able
to follow any employment during the feven months in which there is no
fifhery, and being under no controul of civil government, ufed to fpend
that time in idlenefs, and fubfift chiefly by robbery, the whole of the
land cultivated by them being only 1,262 acres. He was clearly of opi-

* A fubfequent report by Commodore Pr.Ilifcr flates die number of men to be 1452.

A. D.I 765. 425

nion, that the fifliery ought to be carried on only by fliips from Great
Britain, and not at all by the refident fifliermen *.

The Britifh conlul and merchants at Lilhon complained that
their commerce labom-ed tmder many obftruclions and oppreflions.
The woollen trade had fallen off to about a half of what it was
ten years before, partly owing to new duties, and partly to the
competition of the I-'rench and Dutch woollen goods. The import-
ation of fine hats was funk to about a tenth part of the number
in former years, occafioncd partly by an importation of fine hats from
France, and partly by mamifaftures lately fet up in Portugal. About
60,000 quintals of dried cod-lifli were now imported in about thirty
veflels from Newfoundland ; but formerly the annual importation ufed
to be 80,000 quintals. The decrcafe may be afcribed partly to the ad-
vanced price of fifli at Newfoundland and New-England, partly to addi-
tional duties. iinpofed at Lifbon, and partly to the arts of the Lifoon
company of fiflimongers. The filk trade from England was growmg
confiderable, when fome manufadures of filk ft;arting up in Portugal,
and large importations from Spain and Italy, reduced it greatly. The
trade in filk liockings was at this time pretty equally divided between
England and France.

Portugal being obliged to import half the corn confumcd in it, is
fupplied from Great Britain and the Britifli-American colonies, the Me-
diterranean, Holland, Dantzik, Spain, and France ; but the importers of
com complained loudly of a law prohibiting them from carrying it to
another port, if the marketfliould happen to be glutted, when they ar-
rive in a Portuguel'e harbour. The Britilh- American colonies had
driven a very profitable trade with Portugal, till the late parliamentary
refiriilions took place. The importation of butter, beef, and pork, from
Ireland was now as great as ever, becaufe they could be got from
no other country'. The ufe of Britilh printed linens, formerly pretty
general, was ngw almofl aboliflied by fome arbitrary proceedings of the
cullom-houfe officers.

About twenty years before this lime there ufed to arrive in Lifbon
fix. or feven hundred Englifh veffels annually, they being then in a great
meafure the carriers of the trade of Lifiion in the Mediterranean. But
the Dutch, Danifli, and Swedifli, veflels, being generally larger than the
Engliih', and tlie port dues, of late monllroufly advanced, being fo con-
trived as to fill heavieft on the fmalleft veflels, the Englifli carry-,
ing trade was fo much difcouraged by thefe circumfiances, and other
opprcllive meafiu-es, that fcarccly four hundred Engliih vellels in a year
now entered the port.

• It is worthy of remark, however, that he haj it appears, tliat the want of a permanent govcm-
acknowlegfd, thnt tlic rcfiH-jiit lilhcrmcn coiilJ nunt upon the illand wis the cliief, if not tbcoDly«
Rinna^r the lifhtry to butter iulvantujje ; and thence caiife of the cnoroiitics he complained of.

Vol. III. 3 hi

426 A. D. 1765.

The Britifli trade in Portugal was moreover greatly injured by means
of the exclufive companies of Maranham and Pernambucco, who op-
prefTed the colonifts in Brafil, and ruined tlie trade by their monopo-
lizing avarice ; alio by the arbitrary ufitge of the board of trade f Junta
de cotnmercid' ) in giving protedtion to fraudulent bankrupts, contrary (as
is believed) to the 13th article of the treaty of 1654, which provides
againft any protections from the claims of lawful creditors ; alfo by the
uncertainty of property, proceeding from the arbitrary conduct of the
inquifition and the tribunal of inconfidentia, who frequently, on fufpi-
cion, feize the perfons and properties of Portugueze merchants, and de-
prive their creditors of the I'ums juflly due to them by the merchants fo
imprifoned. Befides all thefe lofles, the Britifli merchants were fre-
quently plundered by the king's ofBcers, who ufed to take up corn and
other goods without the confent of the owners, and keep them many
years out of their money, or never pay them at all. In l]iort, the in-
fringement ofprivileges due by treaty, the increafe of duties, the de-
creafe of the confumption of Britifli goods by means of furnptuary laws,
and the uncertainty (or rather partiality) and delay, which all muft en-
counter, who attempt to recover their property by law in Portugal, alto-
gether conftituted fuch an accumulation of hardlhips, as rendered
it impoflible for the Britifli merchants to continue their trade in Por-
tugal, unlefs they could obtain redrefs of their grievances.

More agreeable intelligence was tranfmitted by the conful at St. Lu-
car in Spain, who reported, that the importation of Britifli goods had
increafed confiderably fmce the year 1750 at St. Lucar and Seville.

Mr. Buckland, the conful at Nice (or Nizza) in Piedmont, at firfl: re-
ported, that there was almoft no Englilh trade there, but obferved, that,
if the filks of Piedmont were to be fliipped at Nice, which is a free port,
it would make a faving on that article only, which is efliimated at 5,000
bales annually, of 40/or 42/'abale, amounting to 10,000 pounds, or gui-
neas, a-year. And by fubfequent letters from the fame gentleman, it ap-
pears, that fome fliips had adually this year followed the plan propofed
by him with confiderable advantage.

According to the report from Leghorn, the Danes and the French
v.-ere hurting us in the fifli trade ; the French were getting the better of
us in the woollen manufaftures ; and the Spaniards, who had lately
opened fome lead mines, were leffening the confumption of Englifli
lead. The other fl;ates of Italy were drawing the trade from Leghorn,
v.'hich, however, was no difadvantage in a general view of the Britifli
conjmerce.

By the report from Mefllna in Sicily, the Britifli trade in that ifland
was about one third lefs than formerly, owing chiefly to the general
poverty of the people, occafioned by the opprelhon. of the barons, and
the defective adminiftration of juflice ; the object of the government

A. D. 1765. 427

being the immediate iiicreafe of the revenue, without any regard to fu-
ture confequences. There were ftill, however, more EngUfli woollen goods
than Dutch or French confumed in Sicily, our returns being chiefly in
raw and thrown filks Hupped for England, and corn fhipped for Spain
and Portugal, the freights of which were confiderable.

The merchants fettled at Conftantinople, and the feveral ports in the
Levant, complained of the great decline in the fales of Britifli woollen
goods in thofe parts, thofc of the French being now to the Bririfli a;
three to one ; whereas formerly they ufed to be only as one to three.
The want of a lazaretto in England for floring their goods, when there
is a fufpicion of the plague being in the Levant, was alfo complained
of as a great grievance, which, together witlv the importation of Turkey
goods by merchants not free of their company, and the hardfliips put
upon them by the Turkifh government, altogether rendered their trade
rather prejudicial, than profitable, to them. They reprefented their
trade as being more advantageous to the nation than any other, as their
exports confift almoft entirely in woollen manufactures ; and, by a rule
of their company, no bullion is ever exported : and, on the other hand,
their returns are in raw filk and moyhair, which are materials elFential-
ly necelliiry in fome of our mod; important manufaclures.

Mr. Frafer, the conful at Tripoli in Barbary, reported, that there was
not a fmgle Britifh merchant fettled in the kingdom of Tripoli.

According to the reports of the conful at Oftend, the Britifli trade in
Flanders had increafed greatly in the articles of tobacco, rice, and raw
fugar, fince the year 1740; but the importation of Britifh woollen
goods, earthen ware, paper hangings, and printed linens and cottons,
had confiderably decreafed, owing to the high duties laid on them by
the Auftrian government, and the prohibition of carrying woollen goods
through the Netherlands to France and Germany : he concludes, how-
ever, by faying, tliat, ' if we can preferve the trade as it is, the advan-
* tage is extreme, important, and confiderable, to the nation *.'

Of the Britifli commerce with Holland, a very ample and circumftan-
tial account was tranfmitted, of which the following is the fubftance.

There arrived in the rivers Male and Goree, for the ports of Roter-
dam, Dort, and Schiedam, from Great Britain, Ireland, and Britifli
America,

• 111 tliis report tlicrc is a curious fpccimcn of cargo of pipes was landed, .ind fold there at fuch

Dutcli llratatjcm. A mauiifaflurc of tobacco low prices, tliat tlic ikvv nianufaclure at once

pipes had been fct up in Flanders, which the funk under the t,Iow. But if it could have l\ood

Dutch wilhed to ruin. This they might have ef- its ground againft this one cli'ott of Dutch iiiale-

ferttd liy a very large importation of the article ; volence, it is not prob.ible that tlieir cagcrnefs to

but the hi^'.h duty rendered that expedient too ex- prevent any body from living but tliemfclvt*

penfive ; they therefor loaded a large p/ih a.ill) would have gone fo far as ti» repeat fo cuilly a

J<i/x-s, and purpofely wrecked her near Oftend. project.
Agreeable to the -marine laws of that e:tv, the

3 H2

428 A. D. 1765.

In the year i76f, 1762, '7^3, and 1764,

1372, 803, 847, and 881 vcllels,

which were all Britilli property, except 46, which were Dutch. The
corn trade from Great Britain to Hollami, formerly confiderable. was
now confined to fome malt imported from Yarmouth, Wells, and Eiirn-
ham ; the corn from the Eafl: country, and particularly Poland, being
much cheaper : fome years ago from 800 to i ,000 veflels in a year ar-
rived from England loaded with corn ; in 1764 there were only 200 at
Roterdam, and 30 at Schiedam.

About 1,000 packs of woollen manufacflurcs from Norfolk and ^'ork-
fhire, are annually imported at Roterdam, befides a very confiderable
quantity from London. Tlie value of the whole of tlie Englifli woollen
goods imported to Holland was eftimated at ^^350,000 a-year, of which
one third was fuppoftd to be fent to Germany.

Woollen ftockings to the amount of from ^^50,000 to £'jo,oco, are
annually imported from Aberdeen ; and coarfe woollen ferges, made irt
the Ihire of Ayr*, to the value ot £10,000.

In the year 1764 Dort, Roterdam, and Schiedam, received about
16,800 chaldrons of coals from Newcallle, and 310 from Sunderland, all
carried in Englifli fhips, and all paid for with ready money : there were
alfo tour or five cargoes of coals every year brought from Milford, and
large coals from the Firth of Forth, to the amount of about ;^5,gco
a-year. Owing to the decreafe of turf (or peat) in Holland, this trade
was increafing.

Holland received annually from 8,000 to 10,000 hogdieads of tobacco
from Glaigow, about as many from Whitehaven, Liverpool, and Brif-
tol, and it was iuppofed, about 5,000 from London. Four fifths of the
whole tobacco went to Roterdam, and the reft to Amfterdam.

From Cowes there came annually from 12,000 to 15,000 barrels of
rice.

From 1,500 to 2,000 tuns of lead arrived annually from the Firth of
Forth at Campvere, the duties on Scott iih trade being lighter there than
at Roterdam, to which the lead was conveyed in bilanders by inland na-
vigation. About 1 ,000 tuns of lead were brought from Newcaftle, Stock-
ton, Hull, and Chefter, as alfo a fmall quantity of litharge, and, in time
of war, fome red lead. Lead was worth ^^14 or £1 5 a tun.

From 2,000 to 3,000 barrels of pickled lalmon came from Scotland,
value /^5,ooo or ^6,oco : this trade ufed to be very confiderable *. From
12,000 to 14,000 barrels of red herrings and fprats ufed to be import-
ed here in a winter ; but of late years not above 3,000 or 4,000 have

* Qtierc, if not rather Aberdcen-diiie ?

\ The decreafe of it may be afcribed to the increafed confuoiption of falmon in London.

1

A. D. 1765. 429

come, owing to the fcarcity of the fifh, which keeps the boats longer
out, whereby the fifh arc fpoiled, and the price advanced.

From 3,000 to 4,000 ftraws of fprats come every year from Aldburgh
and Southwold.

In the year 1764 there arrived from Ireland 26,612 cafks of butter,
(of which nearly one half from Cork) each weighing on an average
150 pounds, and valued at about 38/'fterling.

Alfo 474 hoglhcads of tallow, each about 1,300 lb. at 27/'(lerlingper cwt.
445 cafl':s of lard, each about 150 lb. at 4iy'fterling per cafk.
118 bags of feathers, weighing each 270 lb. froni Limerick.
30 tuns of kelp, at 18/, from Waterford.
30 cafks pork, at 42/, from ditto.
2,693 falted hides, at 42/, and
171,000 ox bones, at 6()/per thoufand.

in time of war from 10,000 to 14,000 barrels of beef ufcd to come
from Ireland, but in time of peace only 3,000 or 4,000, being enterablc
only for exportation, unlefs there is a fcarcity.

Of alum about 260 tuns were imported annually.

Grindftones from Newcaftle to the value of /^i, 500.

Hardware was a confiderable branch of trade, and^dayly increafmg.

Felt and ftraw hats, woollen and filk ftockings, and filk fluffs, were
alfo very confiderable articles.

Englifli printed linens and calicoes, being the common fummer drefs
in Holland, were in every fliop in the country. No attempts to imi-
tate them have hitherto fucceeded.

From 1 ,000 to i ,500 tuns of Honduras logwood ufed to be brought
annually in time of peace from New-York, Bofton, and Rhode ifland ;
and from 500 to 1,000 tuns of other dying woods from the coaft of
Guinea.

Sugar, ginger, cotton, and other produce of the Britiili Weft-Indies,
were occafionally imported, and fometimes in large quantities, chiefly
from London.

Bottles ufed to be imported in large quantities ; but the erection of
a number of glafs-houfes in thefe provinces, had now reduced the de-
mand for that article.

Stafl'ord-fliire earthen ware had lately come into requeft here, and in
the neighbouring countries. The increafe of this trade fmce about the
year 1760 was furprillngly great.

Horfes were frecpicntly brought from London.

Birmingham and Sheffield wares of all kinds ufed to come in great
abundance, and fell well. *

Roierdam ulually exported to Great Britain and Ireland, in the courfe
gf the year, about 2,400 ca/ks of madder, valued at about £2$ per calk.

Of flax from 900,000 to 1,000,000 ftones (6 pounds each) from Ro-

43® A. D. 1765.

terdiun, and about 200,000 ftones from Dort ; medium value ijd per
ftone.

Flax-feed at leaft 17,000 hogflieads ; value about 50/" each,
Grave-ftones from Namur, to the value of about - /^ 1,500

Mill-ftones from Cologne, _ _ _ 1,200

Tarras, received rough from Germany, and prepared in Hol-
land, - - - - _ - 2,000
Clinkers, made in Holland, _ - _ 2,000
Rulhes for matting chairs, - - - 1,600
Spice, — they quantity very great, but not afcertained.
A fmall quantity of fine thread from Juliers, and alfo of Dutch tapes,
fail-cloth, and linens. The Britifli demand for thefe articles, formerly
very confiderable, is dayly decreafing.

Gold and filver for the fervice of the Eafl-Indla company, and alfo
for other purpofes of remittance, when the fluduating courfe of ex-
change happens to require it.

Brandy and gin were formerly the chief objeds of the fmuggling
trade, which was now almoft at an end. A great quantity of gin was
ll;ill carried to England and Ireland to be regularly entered.

To all thefe may be added the tranfportation of German emigrants
for peopling the Britifh provinces in America *.

The Britifli fadory at Hamburgh, the members of the mofl antient
commercial fociety belonging to Great Britain, obferved in their re-
port, that, fmce the trade was laid open in the firfl year of William
and Mary, it has been on the decline and getting into the hands of fo-
reigners.

In time of war, Hamburgh being a confiderable magazine for the in-
land confumption of Germany, and a neutral place, many prize goods
are fent to it fot fale, both by the Enghfh and the Fi-ench. During the
war the Englifli flidory flourifhed by the confignments from England,
and flill more by thole from America and the Weil-Indies, infomuch,
that France ufed then to be fupplied with fugar from Hamburgh : but
now from 50,000 to 60,000 hogflieads of French fugars were carried
annually to Hamburgh, and they had already driven the Englifh fugars
out of the trade.

Such is the account given by the members of the fadory : but that
tlie general Britifh trade with Hamburgh was not on the decline, may
be prefumed from the following enumeration of fliips arrived at Ham-
burgh, tranfmitted by the conful.

* This account, though lon^, will not be which it is the material. T'ormerly we ate all our
thought tcdiom by thcl'e who with to mark the meat ofF plates made at Delf in Holland: novr
changes brought about in trade by time. Inllcad the Dutch generally ufc our SlaiTord-lliirc plates,
of carrying our cotton to Holland, we now col- And it is plealnij to obfevvc, that ahnoft all the
Ifcl cotton from every part of the world, to fup- other alterations arc favourable to the Britifh ma-
ply the vail variety of ettenfive manufactures, of nufadlures.

3

In the year 1760,
160,

A. D. 1765. 431

1761, 1762, and 1763, there arrived

220, 240, and 209 Britifli fhips.

The arrivals at Hamburgh in the year 1764, were

from

Britifh ports,
BritifhAmericanco-

lonies,
France,

1

Spain,

Portugal, Italy, Ruffia,
Sweden, Norway,
Greenland, Baltic, 7
North fea, Stettin, j

Britifh vefTels,
231

2

5
18

267

Hamburghers
56

37

5

42

157

Of other nations.

ToUl.

36

323

2

4-

French, 2 T

Dutch, 103 S- 154
Others, 49 J
(no Spanifh) 19

198

28

48
Swedifh, 31 7
Dutch, &C.43J 74-

79

79

53

99

386

Sio

There arrived at Hamburgh in the year 1765,

from

Britifh ports,
France,

Spain, Canaries,

Portugal,

Italy,

Rullia, Sweden

Norway , Greenland

.land, J

Britifli vefTcIs.
218

5

10

16

J52

Hamburghers.
36

61

142

Of other nations.

French,

Dutch,

Others,

Spanifh,

Others.

12.:
4

45

1

(na Italian)

33
171

47

14
19

93
377

Total.
292

212

60

35
157

771

The decreafe of Britifli fliips this year was chiefly owing to the Ham-
burgh lligar-rcfiners having ovcrflockcd thcniiclvcs with fuyars in the
year 1764, and not to the apprehended fuperiority of the French in that
article ; tlie French imports being alio lower in fugars this year than
the laft, but higher in wines from Bourdcaux.

The Briiidi trade to Denmark was laid to be almoft annihilated at
this time.

The confuls and merchants at Barcelona, Mahon, Smyrna, Madeira

432 A. D. 1765.

and Naples, complained in general of oppreflivc laws and cuftoms, and
arbitrary proceedings of the people in power.

There were many other reports, which contained nothing particular
with refpedl to commerce.

To this view of the trade of our merchants fettled in foreign coun-
tries I fliall add an account of the fliipping in two of our principal
ports.

There were entered inward this year at Briflol 384 Britifli, and 47
foreign, veflels ; and outward 319 Bricifh, and 44 foreign *

In Liverpool there was entered inward 73S Britifh, and 65 foreign,
veflels ; and outward 795 Britifli, and 70 foreign.

In the year 1565 Liverpool poflxifled only 12 vefl"els, the whole bur-
then of which was only 225 tuns, not the burthen of one modern
fizeablc fliip for foreign trade.

From thefe ftatements it appears, that Liverpool had gained ground
greatly upon Brifl:ol, and was henceforth to be confidered as the iecond
port in Britain, and the commercial capital of the weft coaft.

Tn Hindooftan we have feen that Coflim Aly Cawn was driven by the
arms of the Eaft-India company to feek for refuge at the court of Siijah
Dowlah nabob of Oude, who, after the death of Major Adams, openly
efpoufed the caufe of the exiled nabob. Though Sujah was a prince
of confiderable military talents and reputation in the country, his army,
together with that of Coflim, was completely routed with great flaugh-
ter by Major Munro at Buxar (22d October 1764) ; and foon after
Allahabad, one of his mofl; confiderable cities, tell into the hands of
Sir Robert Fletcher (who facceeded Major Munro) ; and in May 1765
Sujah himfelf furrendered to General Carnac (the fucceflbr of Sir
Robert Fletcher) fubmitting the determination of his fate to the arbi-
tration of Lord Clive, when he fliould arrive. And thus Coflim, for
whofe perfonal lafcty Stijah had previoufly provided, was again reduced
to the condition of a fugitive.

Li the meantime Mir Jaffier, the company's nabob of Bengal,
died, having, according to the cuftom of the country, appointed his
oldeft furviving fon his fuccelTor, in preference to his grandlbn, the
infant child of his oldeft fon, who died before himfelf. The fervanis
of the company at Calcutta made the new nabob agree to pay the com-
pany /?8oo,ooo fterling annually, in confidcration of which they en-
gaged to relieve him from the trouble and expenfe of maintaining an
army, and to take the defence of his country into their own hands.
They alfo bound him to manv other very hard conditions, one of
which was, that his prime minifler fliould be appointed by them ; or,

* Mr. Anderfon (under the year 1754) relates, that in the year 1743 he was /9/</, that thetc
•were 400 fliips belonging to Briftol employed in foreign trade.

A. D. 1765. 433

in other words, that they fhould fend a governor to rule the kingdom,
and leave him only an empty title.

Such was the fituation of affairs, when Lord Clive arrived at Cal-
cutta (3d May 1765), with more ample powers than any preceding
governor of Bengal had ever been vefled with. He adopted the policy of
making Sujah a friend, inftead of an indignant conquered enemy, and
reflored all his dominions, except the provinces of Corah and Allaha-
bad, which he afligned as part of an eftablifhment for the nominal
mogul, who had thrown himfelf upon the protecftion of the Britifh
army. At the fame time he obtained from the mogul a formal grant
to the company of the adminiftration of the provinces of Bengal,
Bahar, and Orifla, on condition of paying an annual quit-rent of 26
lacks of rupees (;^26o,ooo). Thus a territory much larger than Great
Britain and Ireland, producing at leafl a million flerling of net
revenue,* and containing at leafl; ten millions of inhabitants, was
acquired to the company ; a provifion was made for the reprefentative
of the antient potent fovereigns of Hindooflan, who till now was not
in pofleflion of any certain revenue or refidence ; and Sujah Dowlah
was in a better fituation than he expeded after his unfortunate cam-
paign. As for the nabob of Bengal, a penfion of ^^ lacks of rupees
(^^530, 000) was allowed him by the company:}:.

In the courfe of this year feveral imprcA'ements were made in the
chemical and mechanic arts fubfervient to fome important manu-
fadures. The fociety for the encouragement of arts, 8cc. gave a prem-
ium of ^100 to Mr. Spurrit of Ifleworth for his method of dving
cotton yarn of a durable Turkey red ; and Mr. D'Ambournay, a
botanifl; of Paris, difcovered a dye-fluff, which produced the fame
effedl. A premium for the fame ufeful difcovery was alfo offered by a
fociety for the encouragement of the arts in Hamburgh. The procefs
of dying purple and crimlon with a vegetable, which is quite common,
was exhibited by the baron de Beufl before the chemical committee of
the fociety of arts. In New-England they fell upon the method of
making pot-arties, equal to thofe of Hungary, for the ufe of the glafs-
maker and bleacher ; and pearl-aflies were brought from Minorca,
then a part of the Britifli dominions, which were fcarcely inferior to
thofe of Triefle. A tanner of Battle in Suflex difcovered a method of
tanning calf Ikius with the faw-dufl ot oak, whereby every particle
of that valuable wood may be rendered ufeful, and the oak trees may
be allowed to grow up to a fufficient fize for their noble deftination
of fliip-building. Mr. Charles Douglas Bowden, and Mr. Erikine, each

* Lord Clive idimattd the net revenue at M.ijor RenticU'* (kctclics of the hiilor)- of Hin«-
/, i,70c,-C0 llerling. doolLin, prcr4x<*d to liis Afemoir ef a viap of ll'tH' •

f I liave borrowed part of this narrative from do-i'l-.n.

Vol. III. * :; I

434

A. D. 1765.

invented a new engine for raifing water, and both ; being fubmitted
to the fociety for the encouragement of arts, were by them confidered
as fuperior to the chain pump.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,076 veflels of the reputed burthen of 542,566 tuns,

and of Scotland 1,308 - - _ _ _ 75>i36

Total - 8,348 617,702

The net amount of the cuftoms including the Weft-India four-and-a-

half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of the year,

was from the cufto'.-houfe in London - ^^2, 264, 231 17 5

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 7,000 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain £,2,211, 2-^\ 17

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year

11.520 pounds of gold, value - - ^^538, 272 o

and 6 pounds of filver, - - 18 12

o
o

;(;538,290 12 o

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain, from
Chrillmas 1764 to Chriftmas 1765, was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark, &c.

East Country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Mann

Jtaly

Madeira

Poland

Prussia

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

Imported into

Exported from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

^51,692

2

11

^53

5 0

^'469,034

14

4

a^371

19 0

8,591

4

11

42,365

15

8

85,901

3

9

34,204

9 3

132,588

16

10

47,512

8 4

128,901

18

2

239,717

5

5

1,455,589

1

2

914,278

14

1

146,412

4

9

568

12 0

456,817

19

1

49,082

0 5

186,333

8

10

1 ,202

8 7

1 53,076

11

0

130,149

11 8

602,624

12

7

6,024

17 1

1,869,465

18

8

42,262

10 8

10,639

U

0

4,254

0 10

15

5

7

420,273

4

3

101,293

12 5

2,026,772

16

Ji

373,245

10 9

1,070,533

11

11

84,65 1
73

7 8
2 0

1,767,020

1

6

276,310
804

11 4
0 8

785,030

7

6

1.769

7 10

824,803

5

8

10,277

1 0

:3.97-i

12

1

78

16,572

7.6O9

5 5
5 10
2 0

40,797

3

3

320

636

61

0 0
0 2

4 0

354,307

5

1

13,996

12 1

679,037

16

1

3,110

0 10

967,339

11

7

89,801

12 0

76,170

18

9

249

I 6

594,893

9

3

7,695

17 2

1,237,551

3

11

10,667

8 7

28,057

7

8

80,306

16

0

234,452

0

1

32,306

1 1

49,003

17

8

5,454

14 6

122,652

2

11

91,735

1

3

_

A, D. 1765,

435

Imported into

1 Ji>q)orted Irom

Countries, fcc.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAKD.

Venice

4^47,912 11 10

,^22,461 1 4

Guernsej', Ike.

34,545 b 5

^2,082 12 10

42,467 13 5

America in general

423,885 8 3

^185,733 16 4

Hudson's bay

10,654 10 I

4,394 5 5

Newfoundland

43,928 4 U

70,498 7 9

St. Johns Ifland

862 11 9

Quebec

39,034 4 2

213,509 14 9

Nova-Scotia

164 2 1

48,211 19 8

New-Englund

145,819 0 1

451,299 14 7

New-Yorii -

54,959 18 2

382,349 11 1

Pennsylvania

25,148 10 10

363,368 17 5

Virginia and Maiyland

505,671 9 9

383,224 13 0

Carolina

385,918 12 0

334,709 12 8

1

Georgia

34,183 15 8

29,165 16 9

Florida

684 8 4

19,888 9 8

West-Indies in general

91,360 2 6

1,383 15 3

44,429 16 9

Antigua

159,152 12 5

149,751 1 8

Anguilla

3,536 11 0

Barbados

326,688 6 8

191,202 19 0

Bermuda

9,973 4 8

17,715 15 3

Dominica

73,497 10 10

8,656 3 3

Grenada

199,909 0 11

77,673 9 1

Guadaloupe

66,560 15 7

Havanna

6,451 0 0

Jamaica

1,023,091 13 9

415,624 0 4

Martinique

24 16 1

Montserrat

66,6g4 12 11

15,938 15 4

Nevis

.54,528 17 6

11,905 19 5

St. Christophers

245,095 3 7

111,357 9 11

St. L\icia

447 3 6

St. Vincents

4,459 14 5

1,443 18 9

Tobago

546 19 11

Tortola

38,972 13 10

21,171 17 9

New- Providence

4,871 3 5

4,227 18 3

St. Croix

7,089 10 4

4,800 18 11

Foreign West-Indies -

11,874 5 8

2,918 5 11

113 8 8

Imp. and exp. of England

0,889,742 13 10

14,550,507 1 8

Imp. and exp. of Scotland

922,401 7 9

922,401 7 9

1,213,360 8 10

,213,360 8 10

Total, Great Britain -

11.812,144 1 7

15,763,867 10 6

1766 — The French were very intent upon the reftorution of their ma-
uufacftures and commerce, which had been very mtich injured and
deranged in the late war, and they fo far fucceeded, that by this time
they had in a great meafure recovered their trade with many parts of
the world. Notwithftanding the difaflers produced by a luirricane, the
mofl tremendous that ever was known, in their Weft-India fctilements,
their colonies in that quarter of the world were again in a flourilliing
condition ; and their fpirit of enterprife and induftry was furmouming
all obftacles in the way of their profperity. About this time ihey obtained
permiftion of the court of Ruflia to eftablifh a French fadory at Arch-
angel (the feat of the firft Britidi trade with that country) from which
they expeded great commercial advantages.

3 I2

43^ A. D. 1766.

From the year 1757, when the bounty on the bufles fitted out for
the herring fifliery was raifed from 30/ to 50/" a tun, the number of
bufles and men employed in that bufmefs had been confiderably in-
creafed on the weft coaft of Scotland, where the commercial fpirit of
Glafgow had infpired an ardour of enterprile unknown to the reft of
the country, which carried the fifliery in that quarter to fome extent,
when all the attempts to eftablifli it in the other parts of Scotland
had proved abortive ; and it was alfo fupported by a brilTc demand in
Ireland and the Weft-Indies, as well as for the home confumption, the
trueft and moft effectual encouragement to any undertaking. But all
of a fudden the progrefs of their profperity was arrefted by the dread-
ful and unexpe61ed ftoppagc of the payment of the bounty on the
return of the fleet in January; the reafon afligned for which was, that
the peculiar branch of the Scottifli revenue appropriated for that fer-
vice was already anticipated for fome years *. Many of the bufs-
owners, who had embarked their all, and fome of them much more
than their all, in building bufles, providing nets, cafks, fait, &c. were
ruined ; and the damage fuffered by the inhabitants of Campbelltown
alone in bufles, nets, caiks, and buildings, was eftimated by Mr. Knox
at ;^335, 049. f Such of the adventurers, as were able to ftand the
fliock, ftill perfevered in the fifliery, in compafllon to the multitude of
people dependent upon them, and as the only way of employing the
capital already engaged in it, trufting to the payment of the bounty on
fome future day; and accordingly in the 'following year they fitted out
263 bufl^es. But nobody could long perfevere iii a fifliery fo circum-
ftanced, or continue fi^ibjedt to the expenfes and reftrictions of the
bounty laws without receiving the bounty X- Some, however, by fend-
ing their veflels to clear out at Whitehaven §, obtained a regular pay-
ment of their bounty, which in the Englifli ports was payable, not
from a particular fund, as in Scotland, but from the general revenue
of the kingdom.

The merchants and traders of the city of Dublin reprefented to the

* The bounties were paid off in time, but any adventunr from luting out veflels ' for the
moftly into the hands of people, who liad brought ' fole purpofe of catching, not the fidi, but tlic
the certificates at a large difcount from the adven- ' bounty.' With refpcft to the decline of the
turers in the fifliery. fifliery by open boats, which he regrets, it may be
■f See Knox's V'tetu of ihe Bnt'ifl} empire, p. izo. prcfumed, that the views of government were at
X As fo great an author as Doftor Smith has leaft as much directed to the increafe of the
given his opinion, tliat the bounty, even when re- qumber of feamen, as of the quantity of herrings,
duced to 3C/I is too favourable to the adventurers, J In the cuftom-houfc returns from the port of
and too expenlive to the nation, it is proper to Whitehaven of veflels cleared out for the herring
obferve, that the fupernumerary hands they are fifliery in the years 1769-70-71 there is the fol-
obliged to fliip, and the many reftritlions and ex- lowing note ' The principal part of the veflels
penfcs, to which they are fubjeded by the bounty ' fitted out belonged to difierent ports in Scot-
laws (to fay nothing of vexatious litigations and ' land, and on their return from the fifliery dif-
-officer'a fees) mnft at all times efFeftually prevent ' charged their cargoes at their refpedive home?.'

A. D. 1766, 437

lord lieutenant of Ireland, that four thoufand families were fupported
by the trade of refining fugar, in which a capital of /^34o,oco * was-
engaged ; and they complained, that the bounty given on the exporta-
tion of Englifh refined fugar to Ireland was a hardfhip upon their
trade, which it could not poflibly bear. They therefor begged of him
either to endeavour to get the bounty taken off from refined fugar
fliipped for Ireland, or to promote a bill in the Irifh parliament for
laying a duty on the fugar when landed in Ireland, which fliould be
equivalent to it.

The Englifh refiners on the other hand fiirenuoufly oppofed the Irifli
propofal, and infilled that the flatcment given in by them was grofsly
mifreprefented.

Mr. James Cook having been appointed by the admiralty to make a
furvey of the coafts of Newfoundland f, with the oppofite coafl of La-
brador, under the direftion of Commodore Pallifer, governor of New-
foundland, delivered his charts at the admiralty-oflfice : and Commo-
dore Pallifer having propofed to the admiralty, that Mr Cook fliould be
allowed to publifh them for the fervice and encouragement of naviga-
tion in thofe feas, they were accordingly publilhed. Mr. Cook had al-
ready, in the year 1759, made a furvey of the River St. Laurence, which
was alfo publifhed : and it has been found fo correal, that it was never
thought neceflary to make any other after it J. Thefe were the firfl;
public difplays of thofe great geographical talents, which pointed out
Cook as the proper condudor of the voyages of difcovery, which will
tranfmit his fame to the latefi: ages.

February 5''' — A treaty was concluded between Great Britain and
Sweden, wherein it was ftipulated, that their fubjeds fliould mutually
enjov in the ports of either kingdom all the advantages granted by either
to the moft favoured nations, excepting only an article in a treaty be-
tween Sweden and France (dated ^^ April 1741) relating to the duties
payable in the port of Wifmar §.

A letter from General O'Hara, governor of Senegambia, flates, that
Galam, a country fituated on the upper part of the River Senegal, is very
rich in gold, and fupplies all the Barbary flates with that pretious metal.
He fays, it confumes a very great quantity of manufaclures, which are

* The petition of the importers and manufac- faid lie had reafon to believe, tliat Mr. Cook had

turers of fugar to the Irifh parliament. Hates tlx: never attempted to draw a chart before he begau

capital employed at ^400)O0O. his furvey of the River St. Laurence. But he wa»

f Mr. Cook difcovered very copious mines of one of thofe heaven-taught gcniufes, who make

coal ill Newfoundland,' fo clofe to the fliore, that greater progrcfs in fcicnce by their own powers

the coals might be thrown direelly from the works and application than others can do by inftrudion.
into the veltels ; an objcil furely worthy of attcii- § The other articles of this tieaty, which is un-

tion. [For/}er's Voyages in tbi North, p. 297 of commonly Ihort, contain nothing concerning com-

Englijl) lranJlal'ion.'\ nicrce. I'lie icadir m.\y fecit in // cilUtiioncf

X Sir Hugh Pallifer, his commanding officer, treaties, by George Chalmcri Efq, y.'x, p. 6o.

438 A. D. 1766.

carried by numerous caravans from Morocco, Algier, Tunis, Tripoli,
and Grand Cairo : and he advifes, that the Britifh confuls at thefe pla-
ces fhould be direded to fend intelligent perfons along with thofe cara-
vans in order to learn the nature of the trade ; a plan, apparently, as
well adapted as any to obtain the knowlege of the interior parts of
Africa, now fo much the objed of public curiofity. He adds, that for
tbefe laft fifty years there have been annually fliipped from Africa
about 70,000 of its prime inhabitants ; from whence it may be conclud-
ed, that that continent mufl: be extremely populous to fupply fo confi-
derablc an annual drain.

February 19^*" — Corn being fcarce, the importation of it from the
Britifh colonies in America for a limited time, was permitted by an ad of
parliament. Oats and oat-meal were alfo allowed to be imported ; and
all exportation of corn, meal, flour, bread, and flarch, was prohibited for
a limited time. [6 Geo. 7//, cc. 4, 5.]

The lords of trade, having fully confidered every information produc-
ed to them upon the affairs of Newfoundland and the territories an-
nexed to it, reprefented to the king, that an illicit and deflruclive trade
was carried on there with the French fettled at Miquelon * and St. Pi-
erre ; that the concurrent fifliery of the Britifh and French fubjeds had
produced many difficulties and embarrafTments ; and that a flate of in-
habitance, unreflrained by any form or conftitutions of civil govern-
ment, had operated to the total fubverfion of that policy, upon which
the fifheries dependent upon that ifland were originally eftablifhed, and
defeated the great national advantages of the ftatute of 10th nth Wil-
liam IIT, principally by fetting up excluiive claims to all the places on the
(liore which are ufeful for curing the fifli ; and fuch claims of property,
if they are permitted, are alore fufficient to banifli from the coaft
the fhip-fifhing, which Commodore Pallifer conceives to be the only fpe-
cies of the fifhery attended with the great national advantage of breed-
ing a hardy race of feamen, capable of manning the navy in cafes of
emergency.

The fifhery upon the coafl: of Labrador was embarrafTed by claims fet
up by the antient French proprietors for fifhing ports, and by others,
who had engaged in fifhing fchemes upon the: ftrengrh of temporary
grants made to them by the gov rnor of Qiiebec, before the limits of
the governments were afcertained, who all complained loudly of the re-
gulations pubhfhed and enforced by Comm'., Jore Pallifer, to whofe go-
vernment of Newfoundled that country \\a.s r.-inexed. According to
Commodore Pallifer's accounts, the cod-fitherv -s more abundant, and

* Miquelon about this time received a confidcr- from the Fa u(h province of Nova-Scotia, who
able iucreafe of inhabitants, by the IcccHion of fe- built a kind of town upon the ifiand.
vcral hundreds of French Acadians and Indians

A, D, 1766, 4^9

in all refpedls more advantageous, on the coafts of Labrador than on
thofe of Newfoundland ; and the fifhery of feals and fea-cows can be but
a fecondary objed, confined to particular fpots of the coaft, and carried
on at a time when it does not interfere with the more important fifhery
for cod. The climate being fo fevere, and the country, where not co-
vered with wood, being either bare rock or deep mofs, no kind of agri-
culture can ever be carried on in it, further than the culture of fome
garden fi:uffs during the few weeks of fummer : therefor it can never
be ufeful in any other way than as a flation for an excellent fifliery ; cod,
whale, feal, and falmon, being all in great abundance, and of the bed
quahty.

A defcription of the iflands of Madelaine and St. John, tranfmitted
about this time by Captain Holland, furveyor-general of the northern
difi:ri<5t of America, gives a particular account of the fea-cows*, and the
amount of the oil made from thofe animals on that ifland in the year
1765, viz.

In the fpring of 1765, there were taken on two echouries f 2,000 fea-
cows, wliich made 900 barrels of oil, the value of which was ;^2,i37 ;
of which two-thirds belong to the undertakers, who pay all charges, the
people employed having infi;ead of wages one clear third of the oil,
which they generally fell to the undertakers.

The ifland of Madelaine appears to be ufeful for no other purpofe but
the capture of thefe animals, and the feal and cod fiftiery. The foil is
generally fandy, producing little elfe but fmall pines, and fpruce, juni-
per berries, ftrawberries, rafpberries, &c. The only animals are foxes,
which are generally filver grey.

According to Captain Holland's defcription of the ifland of St. John
in the Gulf of St. Laurence, the lands formerly cleared in it had almoft
returned to a fliate of nature. The ground was covered with ftrawber-
ries, and, with proper culture, might produce moft kinds of grain and
garden fluffs; but the extreme rigour and long duration of the wintei*
will ever prevent this country from being valuable as an agricultural
fettlement. It has plenty of bcafts, birds, and filh, and is exempted
from the perpetual fogs, which involve the neighbouring iflands of Cape
Breton and Newfoundland.

* Tliofe animals being even now but little can fcarccly fee an objcdl at the diftancc of twenty

known, a brief dclcription of them may be accept- yards ; but their fenfes of fmelliiig and hearing are

able. When very young, they weigh only about fo very acute, that, if the men, wlio attack them

50 pounds, but in five or fix years they get to the when ballvuig on the land, did not approach them

weight of about 2,000 pounds. They are very on the leeward fide, they would inllantly ru.b Into

ugly, refembling a toad in form and colour with the fea, and probably cany their invaders along

a head foniewhat like that of a cow ( whence with them. Their Ikliis are an inch in thicknels,

their name) having in each upjicr jaw a tull; of and are cut into traces ; but the moll valuable part

ivory about a foot and a half long. Tliey is the fat, of which the oil is maile.

have four fins armed wiih fmall claws, by means of f So the French called the (loping banks frc-

which they can clamber up a deep bank. Tliey qucntcdby the fea-cowsforrellingandbalking upon-

440 A. D. 1766.

Thfr long-dependent bufinefs of the Canada bills was finally and ami-
cably fettled. But, in order to render the affair intelligible, it will be
necefliiry to look back to the origin of thofe bills.

However profitable the trade of Canada, when under the French do-
minion, may have been to the individuals concerned in it, it was far
from being profitable to the fovereign, The expenfes of that province,
from 1,700,000 livres in the year 1749, rofe higher and higher every
year, and in 1759, the laft year that it belonged to France, amounted
to 26,000,000. Thefe fums were not paid in hard money, but in paper
cards of from 24 livres down to 7 livres 6 fous, bearing the arms of
France, and figned by the governor, the intendant, and the comptrol-
ler, to the amount of about a million of livres ; and alfo in ordonnances
of from I to 100 livres, which were figned by the intendant only ; and
the amount of thefe was unlimited, perhaps unknown. Thus, in con-
ducing this bufinefs, there were two mofi; enormous blunders, to call
them no worfe. For fome time thefe two kinds of paper currency an-
fwered all the purpofes of real money in the country ; and, as the hold-
ers got bills of exchange on the treafury of France for them every year
in Odober, they were preferred in all tranfadions to real hard cafii.
The bills of exchange were regularly paid till the year 1754, when, on
account of the prodigious increafe of their amount, the payment was de-
ferred ; but in 1759 it was abfolutely refufed, till an inquiry fiiould be
made into the real value of them : for it is almoft needlefs to fay, that
immediately after the firfi: delay of the payment their value depreti-
ated.

In the later end of the year 1763 an inquiry was inftituted at Paris,
and mofl; fcandalous malverfations were difcovered, Some of the de-
faulters, by a profufe difiribution of their ill-gotten wealth, efcaped
punilhment and refi;itution, while others were baniflied and com-
pelled to refund large fums, which altogether amounted to 12,965,000
livres.

The bills of exchange were reduced to one half of their nominal va-
lue, and the ordomiances to one quarter : and both were paid in con-
trails, or tickets, bearing interefl: at four per cent, which were foon af-
ter fold at a very low price *.

Of the Canada paper, which at the peace altogether amounted to 80
millions of livres, the Canadian French held 34 millions in ordonnances,
and 7 millions in bills of exchange. As thefe people at the peace
became BritifJi fubjeds, and as moreover a very large proportion of the
paper had come into the hands of Britilh merchants fettled in Canada,
and was remitted by them to their correfpondents in London, the Brit-
ifh government took an adive concern in procuring payment of it.

* Such was the low ftate of their credit in London, tha* ;\ p^^-cel of them, a:nounting to fevcral hiin
drcd thoufand livres, was fold at Garraway's in March 1765 at from 9 to 30 per cent.

A. D. 1766. 441

By an arret of the French council of ftate, dated 29th December 1765,
the interefl was raifed from 4 to 4.^ per cent, and the holders of the
bills were required to get them liquidated before the ifl of March 1766,
on penalty of their becoming void; but the fubjeds of Great Britain, on
account of the diftance of Canada, were iiadulged with further time to
he ifl: of October 1766.

At laft (March 29"') after long delays, a convention for the liquidation
of the Canada paper belonging to Britifh fubjedts was concluded at Lon-
don between General Conway and the Comte dc Guerchy, wherein the
reduclion of the value, and the rate of interefl, as formerly fettled by the
court of France, were acquiefced in, and the neceflary forms to be ob-
fer\'ed in afcertaining the Britifli property, as alfo the fleps to be taken
for obtaining reconnoiflunces, or rent contradls, were fettled. The court
of France, moreover, flipulated to deliver to the Britifli proprietors in
April 1766, by the hands of the Britifh ambaflador at Paris, 500,000
livres in money, and 2,500,000 in rent contrails bearing interefl from
the ifl of January 1766, as an indemnification*, on condition that all
Canada paper of Britifh property, not liquidated in the prefcribed time,
fhould fhare the fame fate with that of French property.

To »his convention Meflieurs Brook Watfon, Robert Allen, Francis
Rybot, Robert Hunter, Ifidore Lynch, Charles Crockat, William Green-
wood, Robert Grant, and Daniel V^ialars, who were the committee of
London merchants chofen by the proprietors of Canada paper to manage
their concerns, added, with the approbation of General Conway, feveral
regulations for the diflribution of the money, &c. which they appoint-
ed to be in November 1766 f.

The iflands of Grenada and the Grenadines being in a much more
advanced flate of cultivation, and much more populous than the other
ceded illands, the Icgiflature for them was completed by the eledtion of
a feparatc afTembly for thofe iflands only, who accordingly met for the
firll time on the 15th of April, and in an addrefs to the king on the
completion of the legiflative fyftem for Grenada exprefled their I'enfe of
the important trufl repolcd in them ; ' in conjundion with a governor,
' (General Melville) who has given conftant and diftinguifhed proofs,
' that his whole fentiments and condud are formed for the profperity
' and goodof thele illands, by views the mofl difmterclled, and upon
' principles the moft candid and impartial.' But, notwithilanding this
harmonious outlet, the new allembly, unfortunately conceiving loo high
an idea of their own powers and privileges, immediately went to variance

* Raynal fays, that the Brltini proprietors there- he is mill.ikeii in tlie amount of the isukmnlfica

by Rot 55 per cent for ihcir bills of exchange, and tion, we may prcfume that he is erroneous in hi*

3^. ptr cent for their oidonnanccs ; while the calculation.

I'rcncli fiihjcds were obli^^cd to rcil fatitfiid with f The Canada bills were not finally paid off by

tlie original compofition of 50 and 25. But, as tlic French treafury till the year 1772.

Vol. m. •» -, K

44* A. D. 1766.

with the council, by wliich, and fomc unconftitutional proceedings,
they compelled the governor to difTolve them on the 2ifl of May.

Dominica, St. Vincents, and Tobag^o, not being fo well advanced in
population and culture, retained ftill their original temporary form of
government, admaiifleredby a lieutenant-governor and a council in each
ifland, Subordinate to the governor-general of Grenada and the other
ceded iflands.

If we turn our eyes to the continent of America, we there fee much
turbulence and confufion, the confequence of a general diipofition to
difown the fupremacy of Great Britain. But the country felt little or
no diftrefs : the warehoufcs of the merchants were full of goods, for
which no payment was made, and for vv'hich, confidering the condition
the country then was in with refpe6t to money, from the luppreffion of
thofe branches of trade, which uled to fupply the means of making re- •
mittances in cafh or bills of exchange, very little payment could be
made. It is true, that, when thofe goods were coniumed, no more
would come to replace them, at leafl not in the fame channel of trade ;
but that was no great inconvenience in a country, which produces with-
in itfelf every real neceflary, with a large (hare of the comforts of life,
and among a people, vying with each other, not in the oftentation of ex-
travagance and the confamption of foreign vanities, but in the oflenta-
tion of parfimony and the pride of encouraging their own infant ma-
nufactures. But no petitions againfl: the llamp ad were forwarded this
year from any of the continental colonies * exc pt Virginia and Georgia,
the others having apparently determined to defifl fi om fuch applications,
in confequence of the ill fuccefs of their former ones.

In the meantime the efFe(n:s of the American non-importation were
fenfibly felt in every part of Great Britain. The merchants connedled
with America found themfelves unable to fulfill their engagements by
the ftoppage of the payment of feveral millions due to them from their
American correfpondents ; the whole fyflem of their bufinefs was de-
ranged, and general diftrefs was difFufed throughout the wide-lpreuding
circle of their connedions ; the manufacturers fuflered by the want of
regular payments from the merchants, and moreover found their ma-
terials and made-up goods in a great meafure become a dead flock upon
their hands; in confequence of which great numbers of theirvvorkmen
and other dependents were reduced to idlenefs and want of bread, at a
time, when, to heighten the diftrefs, provifions were extravagantly dear.
Petitions were prefented from London, Liverpool, Briftol, Lancafter,
Hull, Glafgow, and, in a word, from all the trading and manufacturing
towns, wherein were difplayed in the ftrongeft colours the advantages
derived from the trade with America in the vaft, aird increafing conlump-

* Tlsat it tj fay, in thi.ir corporate capacity : alfi> fciit home from Ja.raica (and, I believe, from
bm a mc iiiorMl.. 01 p :i''on, 'vas .v;nt licme fign-d no o:hcr of the Weil-LiJu illanUs^ againil tlic
by 280 merctia..u of Pliilailclpliia. A petition was fxanf^t aft.

I

A. D. 1766. 443

tion of Britifh manufactures, and alfo of foreign goods fliipped for Ame-
rica, wi.ich were paid lor with Britifh or American lioods ; the valuable
nature of the returns received from America, being moltly either the
materials of our manufidures or of a profitable re-exportation; befides
which we annually received large balances in bullion or bills of ex-
change, which were in facSt the profits made by the colonifts in their
trade with other coimtries, poured into the general mafs of Britifh
wealth: and it was obferved that many thoufands of manufacturers,
labourers, and feamcn, employed in the various operations of that ex-
tenfive commerce, muft: now be thrown defbtute, or driven into the
fervice of other nations. But thele compofitions, as we may well fup-
pofe, were not free of exaggeration *.

The arguments urged in parliament, and in innumerable publications,
for and againfl: the right and expediency of Great Britain impofuig
taxes upon America, are foreign to the nature of this work. It is fuffi-
cient here to fay, that the wifdom of the legiflature faw the propriety of
repealing the damp adl. The ad for its repeal [6 Geo. Ill, r. 11] was
paJlld cm the i 8th of March, on which occafion the fl:ups in the River
Thames, the coffee-houfes frequented by the American merchants, and
alfo many private houfes, exhibited the ufual demonftrations of public
rejoicing f.

But this gracious and healing adi was immediately followed by one,
which in the preamble refleds on the American provincial legillutures
for affuming, againfl law, the exclulive right of impofing taxes upon his
IVIajefty's fubjeds in the colonies, and declares the American colonies
fubordinate to, and dependent upon, the crown and parliament of Great
Britain, whofe legiflative authority is expretsly allcrtcd to extend to, and
bind, the people of the American colonies, as fubjeds, in all cafes what-
foever. [6 Geo. I/I, c. 12.]

Some doubts in an ad of lafi: feffion [r. 43.] for regulating the duties
onRuflia linens imported, were removed by a new ad for regulating the
duties. Doubts having alfo arifen concerning the right of importing
tea by any other than the Eafl-India company's fliips, it was by the lante
ad declared, that licences might be granted to import limited quanti-
ties from any part of Europe. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 13.]

April 1 1 '' — The duties laid on foreign cyder and perry imported (by
ad 3 Geo. Ill, c. 1 2) were raifed to/^3 per tun, and thofe on the lame articles

•That the American noiiimporlation agree- exerted himfclf for tlie repeal, and nfoliitions were

ments had not the fmallell effcft upon the woollen made to prcpaie new dniTts made of Britilh ma-

manulafturesof York- (hire, will appear from a view nufai^turcb for celebrating the luurtii of J;nic, fhc

of the progicfs of it, to be given in the year l 783. birth-day of their molt j;raci(iiis fovercij;n, and to

•j- When the news of the repeal reached Anieri- give their home-lpiin elotlicr. to tlie poo;. Thefe

ca, it was, notwiihftanding the difagreeable natme are proofs, that the fpirit of difaifcction tf) the

of the concomitant act, [r. 12J lectivcd with uni- Britidi governniciil, though it had taken root, had

verfal denainllrations ot joy. Snbfcriptions were not yet acquiied any contirmej llrcngth among the

rnedc for erctting ftaturs to Mr. Pitt, who had generality of the people of Ameiica.

A ' 3 K 2

444 ^' ^* 1766.

of home manufadure to 6/perhog{head, to be paid by the retailers, and
16/B per hogshead to be paid by fadlors, to whom cyder or perry is con-
figned for fule. [6 Ceo. Ill, c. 14.] As the duties on thefe liquors, were
no longer payable in the firfl inftance by the makers and confumers, the
imwelcome vifits of the revenue officers in private houfes became unne-
ceflary, and the moll; obnoxious circumflances in the former mode of
collecting the duties were now removed, to the great fatisfuclion of the
inhabitants of the cvder counties.

The importation of foreign-made gloves and mitts was totally prohi-
bited. [6 Geo. III,c. 19.]

In tlie year 1764 Commodore Byron failed to take pofTeflion of Falk-
land's illands near the fouthcrn extremity of America, which had been
Ib-ongly recommended by Lord Anfon, as a flation for promoting hof-
tile and predatory expeditions againft the Spanifh fettlements in South-
America. Thence he proceeded on a circumnavigation of the globe,
in the courfe of which he difcovered feveral iflands in the Pacific ocean,
iome of which appear to have been feen by former navigators, and
which we were more fully niadc acquainted with by the vifits of Cook,
and other fucceeding navigators. He arrived in England 9th May 1766.

Soon after Commodore Byron's return, Captam Wallis and Captain
Carteret were difpatched on a fimilar voyage round the globe. They
made fome additions to our geographical knowlege by giving the pofi-
tion of many iflands, hitherto unknown, or mifplaced. Having been
feparated at the entrance of the Pacific ocCvin, Wallis returned to Eng-
land in May 1768, and Carteret in March 1769.

About this time the bank of Venice reduced the interefl: of their
funds to four per cent, at the fame time oflfering payment of their prin-
cipal to thofe who were unwilling to accept that rate of interefl.

May 14''' — To prevent unfair preferences in dilpatching the coal fhips
at Newcaflle and Sunderland, the agents or venders of coals in thofe
towns were by law obliged to load all fliips in rotation, on payment be-
ing tendered to them, either in ca(h, or bank poit-bills payable in feven
days after fight. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 22.]

An ad was pafled for further regulating the manufacture of woollen
cloths in the weftriding of York-fhire, and preferving their credit in fo-
reign parts. [6 Geo III^ c. 23.]

And another for paving, lighting, and otherways improving, the
burgh of Southwark. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 24.]

Alfo another to oblige apprentices to ferve out their time, and to com-
pell artificers and workmen to fulfill the contrads entered into with their
employers for the time agreed upon. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 25.]

Three ads were pafled for improving the ftreets of London, regulat-
ing buildings, &c. [6 Geo. Ill, cc. 26, 27, 37.]

The importation and lale of foreign-made filks and velvets was total-
ly prohibited ; excepting thofe imported from India, and filk crapes and

I

A. D. 1766. 44^

tiffanies from Italy. At the fame time breaking into any houfe or fhop
malicioufly to deftroy or damage any lilk goods in the procefs of the
manufadlure, was declared felony, and punifliablc with death. [6 Geo.
Ill r. 28.]

In order to preferve the credit of the (locking manuflidure, all per-
fons found guilty of marking an untrue number of threads were fub-
jeded to the lofs of the goods falfely marked, with a penalty of five
pounds for every piece, [6 Geo. II !, c. 29.]

The fandy point called the Spurn at the mouth of the Humber, on
which two light-houfes had been built in the reign of Charles II, having
by the action of the fea fo far changed its form, that the light-houfes
wxre now a confiderable way from the point, it became neceflary to re-
move them to the prefent point ; for which purpofe one of the proprie-
tors (the others being unwilling to engxige in it) was empowered to bor-
row money to carry on the work, wliich is fo elTential to the preferva-
tion of veflels paffmg along that dangerous coaft. [6 Geo. II J, c. 31.]

The city of Briftol, though one of the principal commercial ports in
Britain, was incommoded by feveral very inconvenient narrow flreets
und paflages, which the corporation were now empowered to widen and
improve ; and alfo to remove all projecting figns, flieds, fpouts, and
other nuifances, in the flreets. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 34.]

Some further regulations were enacted for the amendment and pre-
fervation of the public roads. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 43.]

In order to fupport and encourage the national commerce, feveral
laws, now almofl expired, were prolonged, viz. for the drawback on the
exportation of foreign copper bars ; for the encouragement of the lilk
manufactures; for taking off feveral duties on goods exported; for re-
ducing the duties on beaver ikins, and on feveral fpiceries, imported ;
for the importation of all furs, the produce of the Britifh plantations,
into Great Britain only ; for the prefervation of his Majefty's woods in
America, and for encouraging the importation of naval ftores from
America, and of mafls, yards, and bowfprits, from Scotland ; for encou-
raging the growth of coffee in the Britilb colonies ; and for encouraging
the manufacture of Britilh fail-cloth : all extended to the 24th of June
1774. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 44.]

To encourage the manufa(fture of cordage made of Britifh or foreign
rough hemp, except that of the American colonies, a bounty of 2/4'
was allowed for every hundred-weight (112 pounds) of fuch cordage
exported as merchandize to any place beyond the feas, except the ille
of Mann : and the drawback hitherto given on exportation of foreign
rough hemp was no longer allowed. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 45.]

For the encouragement of the filk manufactures an additional duty
of 17/6 for every pound-weight (16 ounces) was laid on the crapes antl
tiffanies of Italy, half of which to be drawn back on exportation. For

44^ A. D. 1766.

the benefit of the linen manufacfiure in Ireland a quantity of gum fene-
ga or glim arabic, not exceeding 30 tuns annually of both together, was
allowed to be carried to Ireland free of duty. Permiflion was alfo given
to import from Mann in Briiifli fliips a quantity of bugles, not exceed-
ing 2 T, 000 pounds, which had been in that ifland before the 1 ft of
March 1765. The carriage of rum and other fpirits, hitherto confined
to veflels of ico tuns or upwards, was now allowed to vefTels not under
70 tuns. [6 Geo. II f, c. 46.]

An additional duty of fix pence upon every gallon of fingle brandy or
other fpirits, and of one fliiUing upon every gallon of double brandy or
other fpirits, not produced in the Eritifh colonies, wasenadted to be paid
on importation. And the fpace of fix months, hitherto allowed to the
importers to warehoufe their rum or fpirits produced in the Britifh co-
lon es before paying the excife duties, was now enlarged to twelve
months. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 48.]

In order to encourage the freedom of importation and exportation,
under certain limitaiions, for the advantage of the manufadures, com-
merce, and navigation, of Great Britain, it was thought proper to open
free ports in fome of our Weft-India iflands. It was therefor en-
acted, that after the ift of November 1766 live cattle and all other pro-
duce of foreign colonies in America, except tobacco, might be import-
ed into Prince Rupert's bay and Rofeau in Dominica in foreign vefTels
not having more than one deck. The ports of Kingfton, Savanna-la
mar, Montego-bay, and Lucea, in Jamaica were to be opened at the
fame time for the importation, alfo in fingle-decked vefTels, of cattle,
and foreign provincial produce, except fugar, coffee, pimento, ginger,
melafTes, and tobacco. But all foreign manufadfures were prohibited on
pain of forfeiting vefTel and cargo. Copper ore, cotton, ginger, dying
woods, hemp, indigo, melafTes, beaver fkins, and fkins and furs in gene-
ral, fugar, cacao, coffee, pimento, aflies, raw fdk, aiid whale fins, from
the Britifh colonies were alfo prohibited. It was moreover declared
lawful for foreign fingle-decked vefTels to carry from the free ports ne-
groes imported in Britifh fiiips, and all goods lawfully imported from
Great Britain, Irelai:id, and the Britifh colonies; except fpars, pitch, tar,
turpentine, tobacco, and Britifii-American iron. The reft of the a6l
contains regulations for carrying foreign produce to Europe, and the
duties on negroes and other merchandize to be paid in the free ports.
[6 Geo. Ill, c. 49.]

This law appears to have been chiefly intended to encourage the
Spaniards to refort to the Britifh free ports now to be opened ; as it was
fuppoled, that they would prefer ports, where a free entry was afTured to
them, to thofe where they muft depend on precarious indulgence or con-
nivance, and be liable to feizure at the caprice of an officer. The event
of tliefe arrangements will appear in the tranfadions of the year 1773.

A. D. 1766. 447

Perfons, who had incurred penalties inflided by the ftamp aft, were
indennnified ; and all deeds, &c. upon undamped paper, which by that act
ought to have been on ftamped paper, were declared valid. [6 Geo.
JII,c.5o.]

Tnftead of the duties formerly paid on goods imported into the Brit-
ifli continental colonies, the following were now to be levied, viz.
On meladL's and fyrups *, per gallon, wine meafure, ^^o o i

Coffee of the Britifli plantations, per cvvt. - 070

Pimento of ditto, per pound, - - - 000^

Foreign cambrics and lawns, per piece of 13 ells, - 030
Britifli coffee and pimento, imported into North-America, and imme-
diately warehoufed for exportation within twelve months to Great Britain
or a Britifh colony, were exempted from paying any duty. The fame
indulgence was extended to foreign fugars, coffee, and indigo, with the
further liberty of carrying the fugar to any part of Europe fouth of
Cape Finifterre. — Foreign cotton and indigo were allowed to be carried
to the Britifli Weft-India illands in veflels navigated according to law, free
of any duty: and cotton might alfo be brought in BritiOi vefTels fro'.n any
place whatfoever free of duty f . By this adl: all fugars brought to Britain
from the northern colonies were reputed as French, and charged with
duties accordingly. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 52.]

In the fame lelhon of parliament many afts were palTed for improv-
ing harbours, making canals (the chief of which will be noticed at the
times when they were completed and rendered ufeful to the commerce
of the country) widening and improving roads, and dividing commons.
Although the axe of deftrudion feeraed to be laid to the root of the
fifhery of Scotland by the failure of the payment of the bounty in
the month of January, fome branches of it were this year profecuted
with conliderable r])irit and fuccefs. On the weft fide of the country
fome fifhing banks, formerly unknown, or forgotten for ages, were dil-
covercd, where cod were found in fufHcient plenty to load all the New-
foundland fleet. In the neighbourhood of the Orkney and Shetland
idauds new banks of cod and ling were alfo difcovcred. And on boili
fides of the country the people were now greatly improved in the :nt
of curing the fifh. What a dreadful misfortune to the public, as well
as to the peo])lc more immediately concerned, that their career fhould
be arrefted, when they had juft attaircd to a degree of perfedion in a
bufinefs fo eminently capable of augmtuting the wealth, and Ihpport-
ing the maritime power, of the Britilli empire.

* When tlic duty on n.chnis iinportcil itilo fee the bad policy of ciico'.ir.igiiig iinii;;!;!!"^ I>r

America was fixpi-ncc .n g.illoii, it produced j/','2,ooo hi^li duties. It is Certain that a great part even

a year, liy lowering M U) <"ic penny, the amount of the low duty was evaded.

was ro'fed \.a j['i-j,coo. [^Lord ShrffieU's Oifi.r- \ The wilV policy <if encourap'njj manufa^iirct

valions en the cainmrrce of ^Imer'ica, f>. lid, Ji.\:h hy lieein;; llic materials of tlicni from all rcllraintt

eJ.'\ It is probable, that the quantity imported and bnrthina is better uiidtrllobd now than it wa*

was little, if at all, incrcafcd ; and thence wc may iu former ago.

448 A. D. i76(^.

June 20'*" — A treaty of navigation and couimeicc was concluded
with RufTia, the fubftance of which is as follows.

Art. II) The fubjcdts of both |X)\vers have mutual liberty of naviga-
tion and commerce in all parts of each -other's dominions in Europe,
where any other nation has, or fhall hereafter have, fuch liberty of na-
vigation and commerce.

III) Ships, boats, and caiTiagcs, have perfe<ft freedom in arriving, re-
pairing, and departing, in all places where the fubjeds of other nations
are admitted ; no reftraint (hall be put upon the crews of either ; and
all deferters fliall be reftored. There fhall be perfed freedom in pur-
chafing goods at the current price?, the parties conforming to the laws
of the country they are in.

IV) The merchants of Great Britain have liberty to carry by, water or
by land into every province of Ruflia, wherein Grangers are permitted
to trade, all kinds of merchandize not particularly prohibited. And
the merchants of Ruflia may alfo freely carry to all parts of Great Bri-
tain," which are open to foreigners, all kinds of goods not particularly
prohibited ; and they may buy and export all kinds of good§, which
any other ftrangers may export, and particularly wrought and unwrought
gold and filver, except the current coin of Great Britain. In order to
preferve a juft equality with regard to the exportation of provifions and
other commodities, it is flipulated, that the fubjeds of Ruflia fhall pay
the fame duties on exportation, that are paid by the Britifli merchants
on exporting the fame effedls from the ports of Ruflia. The commerce
of the interior parts of each country fliall be regulated by its own laws.
The Ruflian merchants fliall enjoy the fame privileges as the Britifli
merchants of the Rufllan company enjoy. There fliall be perfed free-
dom on both fides in difpofing of merchandize, whether the produce
of the country or imported, the fellers conforming in all things to the
laws of the country they are in. Any difputes in which Britifli fubjeds
arc concerned at Feterfburgh Ihall be fubniitted to the college of com-
■merce, and in other towns to the tribunals which have cognizance of
commercial affairs.

V) Britifli fubjeds, if not provided with rix-dollars, may pay their
duties in other foreign coin or the current coin of Ruflia, the rix-dollar
being valued at one hundred and twenty-five copecs.

VI) Ships fliall be loaded and unloaded with all poflible difpatch. Brit-
ifli fubjeds, having contraded with any chancery or college to deliver
goods, and giving notice that they are ready for delivery agreeable to
the tincie fpecified in the contrad, they fhall immediately be received
and fettled for according to the terms of the agreement. And the fame
condud fliall b)e obferved tou'ards the Ruffian merchants in the Britifli
dominions.

VII) Goods bought in either country by the fubjeds of the other fliall

A. D. 1766. 449

be paid for in the current coin of the country, unlefs otherways fettled
in the agreement.

8) The fubje<5ls of either power have perminion to load their fliips
and carriages in all the ufiial ports of embarkation with the commodi-
ties they have purchafed, on paying the cuftoms, and conforming to the
laws.

9) The merchants fhall pay no higher duties on either fide on the
importation or exportation of their commodities, than are paid by the
fubje<fts of other nations. Goods clandeflinely imported into either
country fhall be confifcated ; but no other punifhment fliall be inflicted
on the importer.

ic) The fubjeds of either power may freely trade with fl;ates which
are at war with the other, provided they do not carry military flores.
Places adually blocked up or befieged, by fea or land, are excepted from
this permiflion.

11) Cannon, mortars, mulTcets, piftols, bombs, grenades, balls, flints,
matches, powder, faltpetre, fulphur, breafl:-plates, pikes, fwords, belts,
cartouch-bags, faddles and bridles, are declared to be military flores,
and if found in quantities beyond what is necefl^ary for the fervice of
the fliip and people onboard her, fliall be feized as contraband : but
neither the fliip, the people, nor the other goods found onboard fliall
be detained.

12) In cafe of war between Great Britain and Ruflia, the perfons,
fliips, and goods, of the fubjeds of either power fliall be perfedly at
liberty for the fpace of one year, and at their departure fliall have power
to appoint attornies to fell their goods and collecT: their debts, which the
debtors fliall be obliged to pay.

13) Every afliflance fliall be given to the unhappy fufferers by fliip-
wreck ; and all their goods, which can be found, fliall be reflored to
them, they paying a moderate lalvage for the afliflance given them.

14) Britifli merchants may build, buy, fell, or hire, houfes in any
part of Ruflia (excepting fome towns which have particular rights of
burgherfliip) : and the houfes belonging to, and inhabited by, Britifli
merchants in Peterlburg, Mofcow, and Archangel, fliall be exempted
from quartering foldiers, but not in other towns. Thev fliall have the
free exercife of their religion, and fliall have power to diipofe of their
eflates, or to leave them by will accDtdinp; to the cuftoms and laws of
their own country. All thele privileges fliall be enjoyed in an e(jual
degree by the fubjeds of Ruflia in Great Britain and Ireland.

15) Britifli fubjects, propofing to quit the dominions of Rulfia, fliall
give two months notice to the college of commerce, who fliall at the
expiration ot the time grant pallports without requiring any further
fecurity. The fame eafy accommodation fliall be granted to Ruflian
merchants in the Britifli dominions.

Vol. III. .; L

45^ A. D. 1766.

16) In hiring domeftics ihe fubjecls of either power niuft conform
to the laws of the country in which they are.

1 7) In law proceedings the Britifli merchants fhall be amenable only
to the college of commerce, or, in places at a diftance from it, to the
magiflrntes of the towns, with a right of appeal from them to the col-
lege of commerce. The Ruflian merchants in the Briiifli dominions
fhall have the fame protedion and juftice which the laws grant to foreign
merchants of the mofl favoured nations.

18) The merchants of either country fhall not be obliged to iliow
their books or papers, unlefs for the fake of proof in the courfe of
juftice : and their books and papers fliall upon no account whatever be
feized. Bankrupts are to be treated according to the laws of the place.
An arreft may be laid on the effeds of a debtor refuling to pay, equi-
valent to the \-alue of the debt, and, for want of fufficient effeds, on
the perfon of the debtor ; and delegates appointed by the creditors
fhall diftribute the eflfeds among them with all poflible difpatch. The
fame procedure fhall be obferved towards the Rulfian merchants in the
dominions of Great Britain.

19) ' In cafe of complaints and law fuits, three perfons of fair and
' tmblcmiflied charader among the foreign merchants fhall, with a pro-
' per regard to circumflances, be named by the college of commerce,
' and where there is no fuch college, by the magiftrate, to examine the
' books and papers of the parties ; and the report they fliall make to
' the college of commerce, or to the magiftrate, of w^hat they fhall
' find in the faid books or papers, fhall be held a good proof.'

20) The a6ls of the clerks or fervants of merchants, having power
from them, fhall be binding upon them at the cuflom-houfe. Ruffian
fervants employed in fhops fliall be regiftered, and bargains made by
them fhall bind their maflers.

21) Ruffian merchants removing to diftant provinces fhall flill be
hable to be fucd by their Britifh creditors before the college of com-
merce, who, after feeing proof of the debt, fliall cite them thrice ; and
if they do not appear in a fafhcient time, the college fliall give judg-
ment, which fhall be forwarded to the governor of the province to
which the debtor has removed, and by him be put in execution.

22) Brokers fhall be obliged to make good all lotFes occafioned by
deficient quality or fraudulent package of the goods paffing through
their hands ; and they fhall receive a fair brokerage.

23) A regulation fliall be made to prevent abufes in the package of
leather, hemp, and flax : and if any difputes arife, they fhall be deter-
mined by the commiffioners of the cuftoms.

24) For the encouragement of the trade of Great Britain, it is agreed,
that Englifh woollen cloths fliall pay no higher duties than the follow-
ing, viz. cloth for the foldiers and coarfe York-fhire cloth (called in the

A. D. 1766. 451

Ruffian tariff coftrogy) to pay (in rix-doUars) two copecs for ex'ery ar-
fheen : broad flannels one copec, and narrow flannels three fourths of a
copec, the arfheen *. And in general the Britifli fubjedls are to be con-
fidered and treated as the mofl: favoured nation.

This treaty was figned at Peterfl)urg by Sir George Macartney (now
Earl Macartney) and by four Ruflian noblemen on the 20th of June
1766.

June — The king of Naples having ordered his revenue ofliicers to make
a Arid examination of all fingle-decked veflxils arriving in his ports, the
Englifli merchants fettled in that kingdom immediately remonflrated,
that fuch a proceeding would be a direcl violation of the i oth article
of the treaty of Madrid in the year 1667, which is the bafis of our
trade with that country ; wherein it was exprefsly ftipulatecl, that no
Britifh veflels, navigating within the ftatcs of the king of Spain or in
any of his ports, fliould be liable to be vifited by the judges of the con-
traband, or by any other perfon under their, or any other, authority.

The Britifh conful and factory at Leghorn fent home a memorial,
flating the prodigious hardfhip their trade was fubjeded to in expenfcs,
damage of goods, delay, difappointment, &c. from their fliips being
obliged to perform quarantine on their arrival in Great Britain. They
infifted, that Leghorn is the port of all others in the Mediterranean,
where the mofl ftrict and judicious precautions are ufed to guard againll:
infedion, and confequently, that to put a reflraint upon their trade,
from which the trade of other ports, more liable to infection, is ex-
empted, cannot be confiflent with equity and commercial policy.

The young fettlement on the Muiquito fhore was in danger ot being
ruined in confequence of the encouragement held out to the negroes
by the priefts of the neighbouring Spanilli province to defert from the
plantations : and it was pretended, that the civil power could not inter-
fere, as they were under the protection of the church.

In the year 1756 Mellieurs Gordons at Leith began a manufadurc
of dye-ftutT from cutbear, a kind of mol's growing upon the rocks in
the Highlands f , which anfwered the purpoles of orchil, a foreign pro-
duction that ufed to be imported at a very great expcnlc. A manu-
fadurc of the fame nature was now fet up in London, the proprietors
of which engaged people to collect the material among the mountains
of Lochabcr. In procefs of time it became fcarce ; and then it was
brought from Norway and Sweden, for Melfieurs Gordons, for the ma-
nufacturers in London, and afterwards for a manufactory of it cltablifh-
cd at Glafgovv in the year 1777.

• So early nt the year 1767, this aiticle was ftoncs on the coaft and on tlic liills, which, whcu

violated hy thi- RufTian government in a turilT im- ground to powder and llecpcd in urine, dyes 4.

pofin^ highiT duties on wooUcn goods. prcuy ciiinfoii LVili'ur. Il ik ajijiarcntlv ilie fame,

■(• Martin in liis Dffcription of iht IVfOcrn iflandt whicli is now called ciUlier, nhii-li, I find, ii a'.lc.

[/I. H5] dv-f;;Il)C» ccrkir as a fcurf upon the pieparcd wilh ui'.ae.

3 3,. L 2

452 A. D. 1766.

May 13'* — A reward of/^-yoo was given by the parliament of Ireland
to Meflieurs Holt and Warring for the difcovery of a method of tanning
leather with heath boiled in a copper veflel and applied to the leather
blood-hot. What a field of enterprife and induftry for the wildeft parts
of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland !

Aitgull: — ^AVith a view of fecuring to Britain the pofTefllon of Turk's
iflands, which the French had fome time ago made an attempt upon,
by the title of occupation, the king appointed Mr, Andrew Symmer to
be his agent in them, and to regulate their trade, which had hitherto
confifled of nothing but fait.

The corporation of Liverpool, in the true fpirit of a commercial
community, ereded an obfervatory, to be furnifhed with nautical in-
flraments proper for the inftriidion of young navigators.

The Eaft-India company thought themfelves warranted by the fplen-
did acquifitions made for them by Lord Clive to raife their next di-
vidend from three \.o five per cent for the half year.

September — In conlequence of petitions and addrefles from the prin-
cipal cities and leveral other parts of the kingdom, fetting forth the
general diftrefs occafioned by the enormous price of bread, the king if-
fued three feveral proclamations, before the meeting of parliament, for
enforcing the laws of Edward VI and Elizabeth againfl foreftallers and
engroflers, for laying an embargo on all veflels loaded with wheat or
flour in any of the ports of Great Britain, and for prohibiting diftillation
from wheat or wheat flour for a limited time. And by another procla-
mation, iflued the day after the meeting of parliament, the embargo was
prolonged, and extended to veflels having onboard barley or malt.

The high prices had provoked the populace to rile in many places,
who in their heedlefs fury committed many atrocities tending to in-
creafe the evil they complained of. With all the outcry the price of
the finefl; quartern loaf was only eightpence on the 27th of Odober *.

The method taken by government to encourage the cultivation of
filk in Georgia was to take the cocoons off the hands of the breeders
at the fixed price of 3/" a pound, of which price at leafl; three fourths
were in reality bounty : and government employed Mr. Otolenghi, a
native of Piedmont, to bring the filk to a merchantable ftate, and to
give the fettlers the necefl^iry inftrudions for managing the worms and
the filk. But it being now thought proper to reduce the price to ijd,
the planters of any property, who made rice and indigo their principal
objeds, no longer paid any attention to it, the breeding of filk-worms
was abandoned to the very pooreft of the people, and confequently it
never arofe to be an objed of any confequence. The produce this
year amounted only to 20,350 pounds of cocoons, raifed by 264 per-

• In the year 179J, the quartern loaf was at 1/3, and there were no riots. What a ftrong de-
moaftration of the fall in the value of money in Icfa than thirty years !

A. D. 1766. 4^2

fons ; from which were made 1084 pounds of filk, and about icoo
pounds of filozel and trafh.

Notwithftanding the failure of this article, of whicii the moft fan-
guine hopes had been entertained, the province of Georgia was begin-
ning to flourifli. Hitherto its trade had been fubjccTied to much in-
convenience by the want of a direct intercourfe with Great Britain :
but now there were three fhips, five fnows and brigs, and fix fchooners
and floops, belonging to the inhabitants of the province ; and there
were four confiant fliips fixed in the London trade, befides others freight-
ed occafionally.

The value of the trade of the province from Odlober 1765 to Odo-
ber 1766, was as follows.

Imports Exports

From Great Britain £S^,ooo To Europe - - ^^55, 24*^

the Weft-Indies 26,242 the Weft-Indies - 24,481

the northern colonies 12,017 the northern colonies 5?074

Africa in negroes 14,820

X^i36,o79

£H,^02
Remitted in bills
To Great Britain - 7,500

tlie northern colonies 2,000

£94^3°^

It muft be obferved, however, that there was not in fad any balance
remaining due to the northern colonifts, wlio gave no credit, but made
a point of carrying off the proceeds of their cargoes in produce, bills,
gold, or filver.

The exports confifted of i 2,474 barrels of rice, 38,660 pounds of in-
digo, 235,600 pounds of deer fkins, 2,674,355 feet of lumber, 3,040,517
fhingles,,(8 29,410 ftaves, 25,600 pounds of leather, 1,281 barrels of pitch
and tar, 400 bufliels of Indian corn, 88 fleers, 42 horfes, 290 hogs,
and fundry fmall articles ; and befides all thefe, the aimual produce of
filk fiiipped for account of government. The deer ("kins and leather
were purchafcd from the Indians, and all the other articles were pro-
cured by the induftry of the fettlers.

The number of white people of all forts in the province was about
10,000, and of the negroes at leaft 7,800.

The following is an account of the Ikins, or furs, exported from the
province of Qiiebec in the undermentioned years.

1764 106,035 fkins*, befides 58 callcs, 207 bales, and i trunk,

whereof the contents are not afccrtained.

1765 275,206.

1766 346,794-

• ' The returns from tlic ofiicers at Quebec do not diftiiiguilli the fpcciei of fan, bat enter them
* under one head of />f//riV/ _/{/■«/.' 4

454 ^' ^' ly^^*

The price of corn being flill very high, the ads prohibiting the ex-
portation, and thofe allowing the free importation, of it for a hmited
time were prolonged, as well as the, lately annual, a<5l for the importa-
tion of faked provifions from Ireland. [7 Geo. Ill, cc. i, 3, 4, 5, 8,
II, 22.]

According to the Abbe Raynal, the quantity of tea imported from
China in the courfe of this year, was as follows :

By the Englifh, - - 6,000,000 pounds,

the Dutch, - - 4,500,000

the Swedes, - - 2,400,000

the Danes, - • - 2,400,000

the French, - - 2,100,000

17,400,000
and he efliraates, from obfervations and calculations made with all pof-
fible cxaftnefs during feveral years, and from the preference given by
moft nations to chocolate, coffee, &c. that the confumption of tea in
the continent of Europe was not more than 5,400,000 pounds, and that
6,000,000 pounds muft have found their way into Great Britain, and
been confumed there in addition to the 6,000,000 imported by the Eaft-
India company. \HiJl. phil. et polit. V. ii, p. 138, ed. 1782.]

There were ftamped for fale in Scotland this year 12,746,659 yards
of linen, the value of which was ^^597, 227 : 1 1 : o.

There arrived this year at Peterfburg 413 vefiels, whereof 167 were
Britifli, 68 Dutch, i French, and the reft Ruffian, Swedifh, Danifh,
and German. The value of their cargoes, as rated in the cuftom-houfe
books, was 5,288,471 rubles. And there failed 159 Britilh vefTels from
Peterfiaurg, of which there were 71 for London, 52 for the other ports
of England, 18 for Scotland, 6 for Ireland, 2 for Guernfey and Jerfey,
I for Bofton in New-England, and the other 9 for ports on the con-
tinent of Europe. Their cargoes were valued at 3,270,000 rubles. Of
other nations there failed 265 vefTels for foreign ports, carrying cargoes
valued at 2,510,000 rubles. Thus greatly above a half in value, and
probably aUb in bulk, of the commerce of Peterfburg was in the hands
of Britifh merchants, and carried by Britifh veilels.

The fame obfervation holds good with reipect to the hemp fhipped
this year at Narva, of which -], ^ were brought to Britain.

The Swedidi Eaft-Inuia company, originally eflablifhed in the year
1731, and whole privileges were renewed in 1746, were now again
chartered for twenty years more. Their fhips are moflly fent to China,
where their purchaies are made almoft entirely with filver, which they
procure at Cadiz. Four fifths of the value of their imports have been
tea, whereof but a fmall proportion has been confumed in their own
country, and the greatelt part, there is reafon to believe, was clan-

A. D. J 7 66.

455

dcftinely imported into Great Britain, before the commutation duty
entirely put an end to that principal branch of the fmuggling trade.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,412 veflels of the reputed burthen of 561,982 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,295 _ _ _ 73^^93

Total 8,707 - - - - 635,275

The net amount ot the cuftoms, including theWefl: -India four-and-a-
half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year, was,
from the cuftom-houfe in London, - /^2, 437, 2 80 15 lo

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh, - 11,000 o o-

Total net revenue of the cufloms of Great Britain, /!"2,448,2 8o 15 10

There were coined at the mint in the courfe ot the year
'7.565 pounds of gold, value - - £S2o,y24. 12 6

and 96 pounds of filver, - - - 297120

X^82I,022 4 6

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1765 to Chriftmas 1766, was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark and Norway

East Country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Iceland

Ireland

M:.iin

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Portugal

Pnissia

Russia

.S]iain

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Sardinia

Guernsey, kc.

Hudson's bay

NewfouiidLinJ

Imjiortec

J into

—

Exported from

1

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

£52,217

3

11

^496,789

12 0

*£4,088

14 9

10,3-8

12

0

^£•2,620

4

6

47,472

13 10

437

5 9

93,473

0

1

30,390

5

4

157,004

0 10

22,939

7 3

152,884

16

7

171,669

18 0

1,07.3,981

7

9

733,961

17 iO

125,211

8

5

1,702

17

6

433,553

12 7

30,367

11 10

8 1 ,470

13

9

2,451

5

0

201,032

0 10

229,496

11 10

033, (J72

17

11

10,049

8

0

1,811,208

2 3

67,095

5 1

9,025

5

4

1,485

5

10

33

0 0

374,587

0

1

123,780

12

0

1,602,924

6 7

313,921
206

15 7
15 0

1,154,982

4

7

95,453

12

1

1,920,015

19 6

228,761

9 10

152

10

0

185

10 10

812,179

4

0

1,.5(XJ

5

3

839,838

7 r

7,865

9 2

0,988

17

8

33

0

8

30,200

10 0

1,803

14 6

8,878

5

3

1,142

13 0

347,806

2

2

14,179
11,274

0

13

607,104

7 8

vgo

4 6

694,585

IG

5

99.752

15

1

10<),000

16 10

510

15 4

558,(Xy2

12

7

6.876

13

7

1,078,731

10 1

4,319

2 .■;

14,103

13

10

59,678

19 1

195,449

5

9

27,892

19

1

47,393

IS 1

3,519

10 4

lixi,522

7

<J

100,796

4 4

03,105

7

0

73

1

fi

42,643

10 0

34,858

G

5

3,121

6

3

05.564

9 6

10,487

9 4

lO.liK)

17

0

4.63 1

6 .)

45,207

15

0

. 65,779

1 0 i)

1,350

3 11

45 6

A. D, 1766.

1 ^

mpuitc

lI into

^ J

vxported lioni

1

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

.■^060

19

.'

s£-i6,q82

12

3

<5^700

4

0

366,573

4

11

c^5,4I7

15 8

1,433

9

4

14,181

6

5

141,733

4

11

15,809

5

7

409,642

7

6

9.773

6 1

67.020

11

8

315

2

8

330,829

15

8

2,088

11 5

26,851

3

1

1,292

4

2

327,314

5

3

6,654

7 4

461,693

9

1

78,859

5

10

372,548

16

1

S 37,789

19 7

255;460

19

7

1 109,390

12 3

2.03,587

7

8

12,466
13,913

19
14

10
10

296,732

1

4

5 7.0()3

I 4,707

3 2
11 10

53,071

16

/

67,268

5

5

2,113

7

/

38,718

14

10

396,465

12

3

60,300

19

6

142,326

16

7

8,967

14 11

"3,225

'9

11

296,732

16

7

26,66Q

2

4

]94,ai2

7

1

3,705

4 7

3, -175

14

1

11,299

6

3

111,649

5

9

20,792

6

0

264,194

5

7

3,016

5

1

89,431

1

9

2,508

15 9

1,201,601

16

4

49,057

1

9

415,544

17

4

21,490

19 1

71,762

2

4

'i,737

13

6

26,826

1

10

74,200

16

0

18,989

8

0

4,585

9

5

15,085

13

9

304,778

9

2

13,285

0

3

91,736

17

6

8,686

15 2

31,023

1

7

5,325
13

6
2

7
6

48,280

5

8

18,218

0

/

11,807

3

7

1,425

7

0

13

15

0

531

5

0

96

1

6

1,511

3

3

11,601

2

G

3,555

1,673

1

11

11

0

8

11,475,775

5

8

14,024,964

2

980,989

12

2

990,989

12

2

1,163,704

7

10

1,163,704

7 10

12.456,764

17

10

15,188,668

10

6

Countries, &c,

St. John's Illand
Quebec
Nova-Scotia
Kew-Eiigland
New- York
Pennsylv:uiia
Maryland
Virginia
-North Carolina
SouLli Carolina
Georgia
Florida
Antigua
Anguilla
Barbados
Berniuda
Dominic.i
Grenada
Jamaica
Montserrat
Nevis

New-Pro^ idence
St. Christophers
St. Vincents
Tobago
Tortola
St. Croix
Martini(]ue
St. Lucia
St. Eustathius
Havanna

Spanish West-Indies in 1
general - - /
Westrlndies in general

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. ot Scotland

Total, Great Britain -

1767 — In the beginning of January the new Britifh colony of Gre-
nada was threatened with total deftrudion by a formidable infurredtion.
of the negroes, and chiefly thofe belonging to the old French inhabit-
ants. An armed force was immediately difpatched into the woods and
mountains, to which they had withdrawn. But the operation of it
was in a great meafure rendered unneceflliry by the prudence and hu-
manity of General Melville, the governor-general of the ceded iflands,
who, without bloodOied or public expenfe, but merely by the popu-
larity he had acquired among the negroes from their confidence in his
hum.anity and juftice, eafily perfuaded them to accept the pardon he
offered them, and to return to tlieir work *. General Melville's atten-

* Upon this occafion Chailes Auguftine, a eminence of being their chief, or ringleader, exert-
creolc negro, who for his fuptrior talents was, by ed Iiis influence to bring about an harmonious ac-
the free eleftion of his affociates, raifed to the pre- coramodation, and was in return rewarded with ht»

A. D, 1767. 457

tion to the profperity of the ifland was on this occafion further dheded
to the prevention of any alarm at home, whereby moll of the planters,
who in the infancy of their fettlements were largely indebted to the
merchants of London, would have been in danger of being ruined.
This he efFecfled by advifing the publifher of the newfpaper to forbear
from mentioning the infurredtion, till he could at once relate the be-
ginning and the termination of it, which he was happily enabled to do
in his next paper : and thereby thofe, who were concerned in the prof-
perity of the ifland, were prevented from ever feehng the fmallefl: un-
eafinefs upon that account *.

Marcli — The Britifh merchants fettled in, or trading to, Portugal com-
plained, tliat for fome years pafi: their trade had been expofed to great
and unufual difficulties. The privileges and jurildidion of their judge-
confervator, eflablifhed by antient decrees of the kings of Portugal, and
contirmed by the treaty of 1654, were trampled upon. The perfons,
properties, and books, of the merchants were feized, their houfes and
warehoufes broken open, and forcibly entered, withop.t any proper war-
i-ant ; and their debtors were proteded from law fuits. A company
eftablilhed on pretence of improving the wines of the diflricl of Alto
Douro polfefled the power of appret^ating every vintager's wine at their
own pleafure, whereby the intcrefls of the Britifli merchants were great-
ly injured, and their property was laid at the mercy of that company,
who were their rivals in the wine trade, and were inverted with very
extraordinai7 and arbitrary powers f . The eftabllfliment of cxclufive
companies for the trade to Maranham and Pernambucco, contrary to
the 2d, 3d, and 9th, articles of the treaty of 1654, had ruined many
of the Portuguefe merchants, who formerly carried on a flourifhing
trade to thofe places, and they being all indebted to the Britifh mer-
chants, the greateft ])art of the whole lofs inevitably fell upon them.

Notwithftanding the preference ftipulated for the Engliih woollen
manufadlures by the treaty off 1703, the confumption of them was pro-
hibited by new fumpruary laws. But the Britiih merchants had the

freedom at iho pnWic expenfe. Not btijg wr.lli.g that they bo governed with a ruild and (Icady au-
to remain on the l\ime ifland with' his Inte niadcr, tliority by nic.i of humanity, prudence, and liberal
wliofe opprcflion lud diivcn him into rfbvlliun, he fcntimcnts. But it has too often liappencd, tliat
begged of the u;<iveinor to acceji; of his feivicea men of a very oppufitc charader have acquired the
upon an eftaic belonging tnhimin Dominica. His property of them, or btcn let over ihcni by tlicir
requell was granted; and he has" evrr fmce bf en proprictora, whofe liceiitioui abufe of power hiit
einphiycd upon wages as a driver, or black over- driven the unhappy llavts to zAa of defperaiion,
feer, and has 4lifchargeii the duties of his office which have move than once endangered the life of
Avitli fidelity and every dcnionllration of gratitude, every white perfon in Jamaica, and have been re-
■He u Hill on the general's elbte, aiul reccivci from \eugcd by the clfufum of torrents of blood, fticd
him an annua! prefvnt, which id regularly font cut with ciicimiilanccs of vUliberatc cruelty, difjjracc-
aliint; with the planlaliun (lores. 'I'Uh little anec- ful to any pcoi>le who call ihemlilvcs civilized.
dote, as coiilaining jn iiuportanl Iclion li> the pro- * The reader may recollect a fimilar inllarice of
prielors of Haves, Jcfervis lo be publicly known. prudent attention in thecondud ot General Dalling
As Well-li.dia goods, which oov/ occujiy fo ilic lieiitcnnnt-govcrnor of Jani.iIcJ In the year 1760.
important a place in the general cominerce of -f Their powers fccm to have been more luit-
Great Ciitaln, are prodncej entirely by the labour able to the general of an invading aimy, than lo
of negro (lave-., it is ot the utmolt confequeacc, a cuuiiuercial company.

Vol. hi. 3 M

45 «

A. D. 1767.

mortification to fee thofe laws difpenfed with in favour of French cloths
without any difficulty.

The court of Portugal, as if defirous of ruining the Britifli trade,
cramped it with new duties upon goods and fhips, and many new op-
prellive regulations and delays.

The Britifli merchants found it next to impoffible to recover their
debts in the Portuguefe courts of juftice : they were moreover com-
pelled to take in payment actions (or iliares) of the very companies,
which had been fet up with a view to defl;roy their trade, which fliares
the officers of the revenue, and even the companies themfelves, refuted
to take in payments.

The property of the Britifh merchants was frequently feized for the
fervice of the king, and even for convents of monks lupported by the
king, and the payment delayed for many years, or totally withheld.
The violences were committed not only in the prefTure of war, but alfo
during the tranquillity of peace.

Eftimate of the trade between Great Britain and Portugal.

Britain and the Britifh dominions receive from
Portugal

Wine of Oporto, 22,000

pipes, - - ^5220,000
- Lilbon, 7,000, - 63,000
Madeira and the

other iflands, 12,000, 240,000'

Oranges and lemons,

50,000 cherts, - 7j,ooo

Salt, 40,000 moys, - 24,000

Oil, morocco leather, ca-
cao, brafil wood, drugs,
&c. fay - - 8,000

Balance in favour of Bri-
tain, - - 105,000"

X 735,000

The following are original notes by the merch-
ants.

a By the cuftom-houfe books at Madeira it ap-
pears, that above i l,ooo pipes were (hipped in the
year 1765 frtrni that ifland only: fo this article
may be prcfumed to be rather under, than above,
the truth *.

b This fum is taken from a tranfcript of the
cuflom-houfe books at Lifbon, procured at a great

• Sir George Staunton ftatei tha produce of the ifland
and about joo pipes of malmfey, the half of all which it
/• China, f. \,f. 78 of ?V0 «i/.]

Portugal receives from Britain and the Britilh do-
minions

Woollen, linen, and other
manufacluresfrom Bri-
tain, rice from Ameri-
ca, camblets from Ire-
land,carried toLifbon,/^45o,ooo*'

FiflifromNewfoundland,

42,000

Butter and beef from Ire-

land,

40,000

Staves from America, and

coals, &c.

8,000

Woollens, linens, &c. car-

ried to Oporto,

120,000

Ditto to Martinho,

25,000

Fifh from Newfoundland

to Vianna,

6,000

Manufadures and provi-

fions to Madeira and

the other iflands.

44,000

;^735>ooo

expenfe. The other articles are eftimated by peo-
ple converfant in the trade.

<^ The fmallnefs of tiie balance will furprife
thofe, who, accullomed to confider the trade with
Portugal as the moft valuable branch of the Britifh
commerce, fuppofe (without grounds) that it
amounts to two millions annually : and lome even
pretend, that Portugal pays Britain an annual ba-
lance of two millions.

of Madeira only st near 35,000 pipes of Madeira wine,
carried to the Britifli dominions and America. \^Bml>offf

A. D. 1767. 459

The trade to the port of Faro in Algarva is not brought into this
eftimate, but the imports and exports there are nearly equal. Neither
is there any eftimate of the diamonds received from Portugal, or of the
fugars carried from Portugal to Ireland, or the corn from Ireland to
Portugal.

May — The king of Denmark having eflablifhed a company at his town
of Altona in Germany, for carrying on a herring fifliery in the North fea,
(that is to fay, on the coafts of Shetland and Scotland), the fociety of the
Free Eritifh fifliery, eftablifhed in the year 1750, were apprehenfive that
the magiftiatcsof Hamburgh, with whom they had entered into a treaty
for the importation of Britifli herrings, would be induced to give a pre-
ference to the herrings brought by their near neighbours of Altona.
On this occafion the fociety reprefented, that the Ihips of war, appoint-
ed to attend the fifliing grounds, might eafily prevent foreigners from
fifliing too near the coaft, whereby our own lifhermen would enjoy the
preferable filhing grounds on our own coafls, and alfo be freed from
the intolerable infolence of the Dutch fifhermen. They alfo afTerted,
that their induftry and perfeverance had now fo far furmounted all ob-
flacles, that in foreign markets the Britifh herrings were pronounced to
be ' equal, and even fuperior, to thole of the Dutch.' And they ex-
prefled their hope, that the Britifli minifter at Hamburgh might be able
to prevent the Danifli herrings from being imported there on eaficr
terms than the Britifli.

The tru flees for fiflieries and manufacftures in Scotland, and the con-
vention of the royal burghs of Scotland, were confulted with refpedl to
the probable coniequences to the Britifli fifliery, from the eftablilhment
of the Danifli company at Altona ; and the following facts are feleded
from the reports of thofe boards.

For fome years pafl the capricioufnefs of the herrings in their migra-
tions had carried them fo clofe upon the fliores of Norway and Sweden,
that they were taken at very little expenfe by fmall boats with drag-
nets, whereby the flate of the herring trade in the Baltic and Hamburgh
markets, was totally reverfed. Formerly the Scots uled to carry great
quantities of herrings to thofe markets : but the Swedes have fome years
ago laid a duty of nine fliillings a barrel on herrings imported from
Britain. The Swedes in each of the years 1764 and 1765, exported
from Gothenburg near 20,000 barrels of herrings to Ireland, whence,
they are carried to the Britiih colonies, which alfo receive great quanti-
ties from the Dutch and Danes, by the clandefline trade from the iflands
ot Saint Euflathius and Santa Cruz.

'I'hey obicrved, that the fifliery had been much difcouraged by the
delay of paying the bounty, which was now in arrears for tiiree years,
to the amount of ^^40,000, the debentures for which were felling at a
ruinous dilcount.

3 TNI 2

460 A. D. 1767.

The navigation of the great lakes, or inland lea;;, of America was
now beginning to afTume a refpedlable appearance. Four brigs from
40 to 70 tuns, and fixteen armed cutters, were now failing upon Lake
Ontario, the lowermoft of the great chain of vaft lakes in the interior
part of North Atnerica. And we may believe that the trading inter-
courfe upon thefe lakes will at no very remote period emulate, or ex-
ceed, that of the Cafpian fea.

Between May 1766 and May 1767 there were 70,000 yards of cam-
bric made at Dundalk, the {-roduce of 160 looms. This manufacfturc
had already given a check to the importation of French cambrics in
Ireland, and w^as expected to be an objed of the utmoft importance.

A duty of fixpence a chaldron on coals for forty-fix years was grant-
ed to the city of London, for the purpofes of redeeming the tolls on the
bridges, embanking the river, repairing the exchange, and rebuilding
Newgate.

To prevent frauds in the coal trade, land coal-meters were appointed
by adl of parliament. The facks were ordered to be four feet long, and
two feet wide : and the buyer, if diilatisfied with the appearance of his
quantity of coals, might have them remealured at his own door, where-
upon, if they are found fliort of meafure, the feller is fined : but if they
are found fufficient, an expenfe of fixpence a chaldron, and half-a-crown
for every hour's demurrage of the cart, falls upon the purchafer ; which,
together with a confiderable deal of trouble attending the remeafure-
ment, will generally induce the buyers to fubmit quietly to the pillage
of the carmen, againft which there is no other precaution provided.
[7 Geo. Ill, c. 23.}

On the application of the magiflrates of Edinburgh, the royalty, or
jurifdidion, of the city was extended over feveral of the adjacent fields,
with a view of building new fireets on the north fide of the antient
city, preparatory to which a bridge of communication was now build-
ing. At the fame time a theatre-royal was, for the firft time, eftablilh-
ed at Edinburgh. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 27. J

An additional duty of threepence was laid on every ell of drilling
and linen above yard-wide, imported. This duty, together with addi-
tional duties of fix ftiillings per dozen upon ball or flraw, chip, cane,
and horfe-hair, hats and bonnets, was deftined to go towards the pay-
ment of the interefl of money borrowed this year. [7 Geo. Ill, cc. 20,

28.]

Rice, fago powder, and vermicelli, were allowed to be imported free
of any duties from the Britifii colonies in America for limited times,
viz. the rice till ifi; December 1767, and the other articles till ift De-
cember 1781. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 30.]

Several acls nearly expired were further continued, viz. thofe againft
clandefline running of goods, and danger Of infedion thereby ; that for

I

A. D. 1767. 461

permitting rice from Carolina to be carried to any part of Europe fouth
of Cape Finiflerre, in fhips built in Great Britain, and navigated accord-
ing to law ; and alio that which prohibits the importation of books
printed abroad, and copied from books firft written and printed in this
kingdom. All thefe ads were prolonged till 29th September 1774.

[-] Geo. IIU c. :^S-']

The free importation of cochineal and indigo, agreeable to the adt of
33 Geo. II, was continued. [7 Geo. Ill, c. ^6.']

The city of London, being engaged in building a bridge over the
Thames at Blackfriars, had borrowed ;/(^ 144,000 on the credit of the
tolls to be taken on it : and a further fum of ;/(?58,500 was eftimated to
be neceflary to finifh the bridge and its concomitant improvements ; as
alfo ^^7,500 for making an embankment on the north fide of the river,
from the weft fide of Powell's wharf near Puddle dock, to the eafl:
corner of Robert's wharf near Milford lane ; ;^5o,ooo for rebuilding
Newgate ; and ^^ 10,000 for repairing the royal exchange. It was now
enafted, that in due time the new bridge fliould be frred from the pay-
ment of the tolls taken upon it, and that London bridge fliould alfo be
freed from the tolls taken upon it : alfo that the city fhould pay annual-
ly /^8oo towards paving the ftreets of Wefiminfler, and /C480 towards
the pavement of the burgh of Southwark. And tor all thefe improve-
ments adequate funds were provided and apportioned. [7 Geo. Ill, c.

The Englifli engravers having now arrived at a degree ot excellence,
which renders their works a confiderable objed of commerce, it becomes
proper to obfcrve, that the old ad [8 Geo. II, c. 13] for fecuring the pro-
perty of engravings, was found inefFedual againlt piracies upon their
property ; and it was now cnaded, that the proprietors of all plates of
hiftorical prints, portraits, maps, j^lans, or any other prints whatloever,
engraved after the tirfi; of January 1767, fliould have an exclufive right
to the fame for twenty-eight years from the day of publication, fo as to
prevent any copies from being engraved, printed, or imported for file,
provided the profecution is commenced within fix months after the
commiilion of the offence. And on this occafion Mrs. JHogarth, the
widow of the celebrated moral engraver, was indulged with an extra
term, of about fix years, in the exclufive property of the works of her
late hufband ; excepting only that copies made from theprint.s, of which
the exclufive property was already expired agreeable to the former ad,
might ftill be lold. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 38.]

For the protedion and prcfervation of the roads, the weight to be
carried in the feveral l:inds of carts and waggons, was regulated accord-
ing to the nature of their wheels : and weighing engines were ordered
to be conflrudcd at the turnpikes. Among a great number of regula-
tions for the benefit of the roads, rhf*. eflablifhment of guide-pofts, con-

462 A. D. 1767.

taining the necertary information concerning the neighboiuing towns
and villages, and of mile-ftones to inform the traveler of the progrefs
he has made, and of what remains unperformed of his journey, as alfo
the punifhments appointed for the deflroyers of guide-pofts, banks, or
otiier fences fet up to guard the road, and for the dclboyers of turn-
pikes or weighing engines, fliew a laudable attention to one of the moft
important branches of national police. [7 Geo. Ill, cc. 40, 42.]

In order to a^'oid the inconvenience and delays, which arofe from the
revenue officers in America being often obliged to apply for inftrudions
in doubtful points to the coramiflioners of the cufloms in London, the
king was empowered to appoint comniiflloners of the cufloms to refide
in America, and perform the functions of their office independent of
the commifTioners at home. Boffon was fixed on to be the refidence of
the new commiirioners, whofe office was deflined to be but of fhort con-
tinuance. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 41.]

An ad: was pafTed enforcing and amending the feveral laws already
exiffing againff the importation of French cambrics and French lawns,
to be ufed in Britain ; and reflriding the importation of them for re-
exportation to the port of London only. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 43.]

Inflead of the former duties upon policies of afTurance (or infurance),
all policies upon fhip or cargo, or both, for fums not exceeding ;^ 1,000
were charged with a flamp duty of five fhillings, and for all fums above
;(^i,ooo with two fucli ftamps. But no additional rifk is permitted to
be added to that which is mentioned in the original policy, by any
writing not duly flamped. [7 Geo III, c. 44.]

Among a great multitude of regulations for the imports and exports,
manufactures, &c. of the ifland of Mann, there are a fet ot premiums
appointed for the encouragement of the herring fifhei"y and the linen
manufacture in that ifland. [7 Geo. III. c. 45.]

Duties were laid upon glafs, painter's colours, teas, paper, pafle-board,
.and paper hangings, exported from Great Britain to America, which
were to be paid at landing in America. The revenue expeded from
rhefe duties was deflined for the fupport of the civil governments in the
colonies, and the remainder was to be paid into the exchequer, and to
be difpofed uf bv parliament, tt)vvards the expenfe of defending the Bri-
tifh colonies in America. By the fame ad the exporters of China earth-
en ware to America were deprived of the drawback they hitherto en-
joyed. And at the fame time, as an encouragement to the planters of
coffee and cacao in the colonies, the whole duties payable on the import*
ation of thefe articles were allowed to be drawn back on exportation.
[7 Geo. Ill, c. 46.]

As the continental and infular colonies confidered their intereAs as
very different, if not quite oppofire, this favour, whereby the later only
<;ould be benefited, could have no efFed in foothing the fpirits of the

A. D. 1767. 463

former, who were at prefent very far from being in good humour, and
were exalperated by tliis law to a degree of refentment and alienation
from the mother country, nothing inferior to that which was excited by
the ftamp ad, and which, after they were further imbittered by this aft,
were continu;dly breaking out in ads of violence and outrage (the de-
tail of which does not belong to this work), till at lafi: they flamed out
in thofe open hoftilitics, which feparated the moft of the American con-
tinental colonies from Great Britain.

The exportation of logwood free from duty was permitted : and for
the improvement of the revenue, the duty upon fuccus liquoritiie imported,
was reduced from ^^7 : 2 : 6, to ;(^i : 10 : o, the hundredweight. A du-
ty of two and a half per cent ad valorem, according to the rate fixed in
the twelfth year of Charles 11, was laid on the exporration from Great
Britain of rice, imported free of duty from the Britilli American colonies.
The ufe of foreign lace and needle-work was utterly prohibited, and
they were direded to be locked up in the king's warehoufes, and deli-
vered thence for exportation only. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 47.]

The government now began to interfere in the affairs of the Eafl-
India company, which hitherto had been left to their own diredion.
Thev had acquired a vaft territorial revenue ; and it became a queftion,
whether, as fubjeds of Great Britain, they could be fovereigns in India;
an imperiiiin in imperio being univerlally acknowleged to be a lolecifm in
politics. It was aflerted, that all conquefts made by Britifli I'ubjeds,
though they fliould be made entirely at their own expenfe and riik, muft
belong to the crown, and that, in this cafe, great expenfe had been in-
curred by the nation, which at any rate mud be entitled to a very large
participation of the revenues. On the other hand it was urged, that no
fuch refcrvation to the crown had been made, wh_"n the charters were
granted and confirmed by parliament, for obtaining every one of which
the company had given a valuable confideration, and confequently were
entitled to every advantage that might accrue from it. As to the plea
of expenfe, that of the nation had been very trifling, if compared to
that of the company, and could at beft only conftitute a debt : and luch
an infringement of property and public faith would be a molt fatal pre-
cedent, and would be dcftrudive of all confidence in government.

In November 1766 parliament had appointed a committee to enquire
into the fituation of the company's affairs, their charters, their tranlac-
tions and treaties with the princes of India, the ftate of their revenues
arifing from Bengal, Bahar, and Orifia, and even their correfpondence
with tlieir fervants in India, and alio all expenfcs incurred by govern-
ment on the company's account, whether in the naval, military, or any
other department ; all which were ordered to be printed, and it was
with difficulty that the company got their private correfpondence with

464 -A. D. 1767.

their fervaius in India exempted from the publicity, to which all their
other affairs were foon after expoied.

At a meeting of the company on the 6th of May, their half year's di-
vidend, payable at Chriftmas next, was declared to be ^v and a quarter
per cent. The llockjobbers immediately laid hold of fo very large an
advance *, and, trumpeting forth with open mouth the advantages ob-
tained in India by Lord Clive, boldly predided, that the dividends
would foon rife to fifty per cent, and the price of ftock to 900 or 1,000.
They adually carried it up to 263 at this time, and the nation was in
danger of a renewal of the madnefs of the South-fea year.

But thefe towering hopes were inllantly dafhed to the ground by par-
liament, who, apparently apprehenfive of ftockjobbing manoeuvres tor
carrying queflions in the meetings of the company, made a law againft
the pradlice of fplitting votes, for the purpofe of making temporary pro-
prietors to give votes in the general courts of any of the public compa-
nies, and declared, that no proprietor fhould be entitled to vote atter
the ift of Augull 1767, who had not held his or Ircr ftock fix months,
or acquired it by legacy, by marriage, or by the cuftom of the city of
London. And to prevent the dangerous confequences of fudden and
unwarrantable alterations in the rates of the dividends, it was ena<5ted,
that dividends fhould be only declared at a half-yearly or quarterly ge-
neral court, at leaft five months after the declaration of the preceding
dividend ; that the declaration fliould^ be only for one dividend ; and
that every propolition for increafmg the rate of a dividend fhould be
decided by ballot three entire days, at the leaft, after the breaking up
of the general court wherein the propofal was made. [7 Geo. Ill, c.

This a6l, which was generally binding upon all the public companies,
was immediately followed by a particular law for regulating the divi-
dends of the Eaft-India company, in order to fecure as well ' the per-
' manent intereft of the faid company, as the ftate of credit both pri-

* vate and public, from the miichiefs, which muft enfue from an im-

* proper and improvident incrcafe of the dividends of the faid company,
' which cannot be effedlually done without the interpofition of parlia-
' ment.' It was therefor enad-ed, that after the 24th of June 1767 no
dividend fhould be made but by ballot in a general meeting of the
company, iummoned exprefsly for that purpofe by at leaft feven days'
previous notice fixed on the exchange of London, and that no dividend
above ten per cent per annum fhould be made before the next feffion of
parliament. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 49.]

By this adl the late declaration of the increafe of dividend was ref-

* From the year 1 755 to 1 766 the dividend was only fix per cent for the year.

A. D. 1767. 465

cinded ; and thofc, who had Ipeculated largely in India l\ock upon ihc
hopes of a further increafe, were grievoufly difappointed.

In fupport of the ftrong meafure of reducing the dividend, it was ar-
gued, that the company ought to diicharge all their debts, before they
pretended to enlarge their dividends, and that the expectation of large
dividends would introduce a boundlefs and ruinous fpirit of gambling.
On the other hand it was obferved, that no commercial company can
ever be entirely free from debt, but that the company polTefTed abun-
dant funds for the difcharge of every demand ; of which their creditors
were fo well aflured, that inftead of exprefling any anxiety for their pay-
ment, as parliament was doing for them, they fliowed, by the premium
they demanded for parting with the company's bonds, that at Icafl: a
majority of them were rather unwilling to receive payment : and finally,
that to exprefs a doubt of the company's ability to pay their debts, and
at the fame time to demand from them an annual payment, much larger
than the whole of their dividends, was at leaft vei-y inconiill:ent. The
bill was not carried through parliament without very keen oppofuion in
both houfes,many members infifting that the objections to the dividend
of 12^ percent per annum, which was legally voted by the proper
court, were entirely without foundation, and exceedingly injurious to
thofe who had occafion to fell ftock ; and the meafure was moreover
highly exceptionable, as being an ex pojlfaclo law, which in its confe-
quences would be very injurious to private property, and alarming to
public credit.

The company, when they found themfelves in the hands of a power,
with whom they could not deal on the equal terms of accepting, or re-
jedting, a propolal, and with whom they could far lefs contend, had pre-
fented to parliament a petition, containing two propofitions, one of
which, they hoped, would be accepted.

By the firft, the company requelted government to grant them fome
advantages refpeding the inland duties on their teas, and a drawback on
the exportation of them to Ireland and the colonies, and fome others
refpeding raw filks, calicoes, muflins, the recruiting fervice, and mi-
litary {tores. And they propofed in return, that, after deducting
/j400,ooo a-year, in lieu of the company's former commercial profits,
the net produce of the remaining revenues and trade, after deduding
all charges, fliould be equally divided between the government and the
company, provided the company's property in the new acquifitions con-
tinued tor three years.

Jiy the fecond, the company offered, npon the fame terms, to pay to
government for three years, the fpecific fum of /^400,ooo a-year in half-
yearly payments, and to indemnify the revenue for any lols that might
proceed trom the advantages they required xn the tea trade, if the ad-
vanced conlumption of it, taken on an average of five years, fliould not

Vol. III. 3 N

466 A. D- 1767.

pr6ducc duties equal in aTnount to the former ones. And ihey entreat-
ed parliament to confit^er the many dangers to which their pr(>periy had
been expnfed, and tlii'ir prodi-.'ious heavy expcnfes in India, which, not-
withflandin^ tht-y had loft very few (hips at fea, had for many years
kept their dividends very low, while the public were in the uninterrupt-
ed pofTcffion of an annual revenue arifnlg from ihcir trade, fully equal
to a third part of their whole capital.

The parliament did not accept either of the propofitions in the terms
oflfercd. but didaced their own terms in two ads, which were imrnedi-
ately pafp d.

By I he firft, the inland duty of one (hilling a pound was taken off
thole kinds ot tea called black teas, cleared out of the Eafl-India com-
pany's warehoufes for confumption in Great Britain, for five years after
the 5th of July 1767 ; and the teas exported in the original packages to
Ireland and the Britilli- American colonies were entitled to draw batk
the whole duties. This regulation being calculated to increafe the con-
fumption of teas legally imported, and to enlarge the Eafl-India com-
pany's fales. they were bound, in cafe the revenue arifing from teas dur-
ing thefe five years Ihould fall fhort of its amount during the five pre-
ceding years, to make good the deficiency. [7 Gro. Ill, c. 56.]

By the fecond, the Eaft-India company, in confideration of their ter-
ritorial acquifirions, became bound to pay to the pubHc £:^ot,kQO a
year for t\Vo years, commencing from the ifl of February 1767. It was,
however, provided, that, if the company fliould be deprived of their
territories, or any part of them, during that period, a proportional
abaterhent of the payment fliould take place. [7 do. Ill, c. 57.]

The other ads of this feffion, which concerned commerce, were the
following.

' Whereas it is of the utmofl: importance to the trade and commerce
' of thefe kingdoms, that all letters, packets, bank-notes, bills of ex-
' change, and other things, may be fent and conveyed with the greateft
* fafeiy and fecurity,' any perfon in the fervice of the poft-office em-
bezzling or defi;roying any letter containing any valuable paper, or pick-
ing out fuch valuable paper, is deemed guilty of felony, and condemned
toiufter death without benefit of clergy. And the robbery of the :^iail,
or of a port-office, is alfo made felony. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 50.]

An ad was pafliid for improving the navigation of the river Lea, and
extending it to the town of Hartford. The navigation of ic was declared
to be free to all the king's fubjeds, on paying the appointed rates and
duties; and manure carried upon the river was wholely exempted from
payftient. [7 Geo. Ill, <:. 5 1 .]

The utility of inland navigation being dayly inore and more under-
flobd, feverai other ads -^ere paJTed for improving the channels of

A. D. 1767.

467

fivers ; for they ftill adhered fo much to the old ideas, as to think a
river, that could be made navigable, preferable to a canal.

An ad was paflcdfor building a pier at, and otherwife improving the
harbour of, St. Ives in Cornwall, which, if the accefs to it vyele eafy,
would afford great protedion to fhips on that coafl. [7 Geo. Ill, c. 52.]

For the eflablifhment of a fund of /^ 15,000 a-year, to encourage the
cultivation and drelTing of hemp and flax, additional duties were laid
upon foreign canvafs and lawns, to be repaid on fuch as fliould be ex-
ported. [7 Geo. III., c. 58.]

Mr. Buckland, Britilli conful at Nice, who had formerly recommend-
ed a direcl: intercourfe between the dominions of Piedmont and Britain,
this fummer fent home notice, that the trade, begun in confequence of
his advice, was now confiderably increafed ; and that in the years 1765
and 1766 fix rich cargoes of filk, oil, &c. had arrived at London, and
two at Exeter, from Nice and Villa-Franca : and in the fame two years
ten valuable cargoes from London, fix from other ports in England,
and two from Britifli America, had arrived at thofe ports.

Mr. Frafer, Britifli conful at Tripoli, fent home a very full and cir-
(Sumfl:antial ' General ftate of the commerce of Tripoli' by fea with the
nations bordering on the Mediterranean, and by land with the natives
of the interior parts of Africa, of which the following is a fummary.

Tripoli exports to Zcchms*.

Leghorn, goods to the value

of - - 1493=5

VemcCy - - 6,025

Con/lantimple , Smyrna, Alexan-
dria, CancLa, and the other
iflandsand portsofthe Lf i^-
rt«/, chiefly in negro flaves, 50,485
'Tunis, - - 000

Malta J - - 1,815

Tripoli fends annually by the
inland caravans to

Fezzan, chiefly in foreign

goods, - - 26,475

The traders remain four or
five months at Fezzan,
where they meet with the
caravans from Bornou,
Zaufara, Agdes, which is

Tripoli imports from Zcchins.

Leghorn, goods to the value

of - - 21,459

Fenice^ - - iO'795

Conjldutimple, Smyrna, is'r. 46,390

Tunis, _ - _ 2.300

Malta, - - 1,480

Tripoli receives from

Fezzan, negro flaves, fena,
dates, oft;rich feathers,
gum-arabic, &c. to the
value of - - 37,j8o

• The zcdiin at Tripoli it worth 8/5 ftcrling ncarcH.

3 N 2

468 A. D. 1767.

Zechins.

in the heart of Africa,
and TombuL^oo*.
Gadaims\, the fame goods, 7,610

Zcchlot.

Gadnnus, negroes, fena, gold-

duft, and oftrich feathers, 9,725

The produce of the provinces of Barca, (the antient Cyreu-
aica) fubjecl to TripoH, is annually worth - - 20,920

The excefs of the imports in the inland caravan trade is not a balance
againft Tripoli, but the grofs profit made by the trade.

The general balance in trade againft Tripoli, is paid by the fale of
flaves taken in their piracies, and the money fpent among them by the
agents and confuls ot the feveral European powers with whom they arc
at peace.

Tripoli has for fome centuries been the mart in the Mediterranean
for black flaves, who are annually exported thence to Conftanvinople,
and a few other ports in the Turkifli dominions. Chriftians being pro-
hibited from poflefling flaves of the Mohamedan religion, this trade is
wholely in the hands of Moorifli merchants, and therefor fo little known
to Europeans.

Mr. Frafer obferved, that though there were no dired trade between
Great Britain and Tripoli, a confiderable part of the goods imported
into it was of Britifli manufad;ure.

Mr. Frafer anticipated the zeal of the prefent day for difcoveries in
the interior parts of Africa, with which, imder prudent diredion, a
more extenfive, and more mutually-beneficial commerce may fome day
be carried on, than has ever yet been driven upon its coafts : and he
pointed out the moft proper method of profecuting the difcovcry, and
profiting by it.

It is worthy of remark, that crimfon leather, which forms a confider-
able part of the exports from Tripoli, was noted as a manufacture of
the fame country before the age of Herodotus.

The Britifli conful-general, and merchants, in the kingdom of Naples,
again complained of feveral oppreflive innovations upon the privileges
formerly enjoyed by the Britifli traders in that country, and particularly
of the fupprelfion of the vice-confuls in the outports, and a feizure
made by the government of an Englifli fliip ftranded at Cuma.

So very numerous were the people in the Britifli-American colonies,
that fo long ago as the year 1755 Samuel Hazard of Philadelphia had
applied to the king for leave to eftablifli a new colony of feveral thou-

* Mourzouc, the capital of Fizzan, and the Tombuftoo to the wclhvard, fo tliat the trade car-

fcenc of this traffic, is about 400 miles fouth- ried on at Fczzan accomodates an extent of coun-

fouth-caft from Tripoli. Agdes (or rather Aga- try meafnring at kail 1,300 milts from sad to

des, called Agodoft by the geographer Edriffi) is wtft, in the very heart of Africa,

about 750 miles fouth from Tripoli, from which f Called alfo Ghedtmes and Godem(he€, aboul

Zamfara and Bomou extend to the eaftward, and 180 miles fouth-eaft froro Tripoli.

A. D. 1767. 469

fand people on the Ohio. This year the application was renewed by
General Phineas Lyman, an officer on the American eftabliflinient, in
behalf of himfelf and the reft of the officers and foldiers of the feveral
corps of American provincial trbops difbandcd at the late peace ; and
alfo in behalf of 4,320 of the fubfcribers to Hazard's intended colony.
Their propoful was to fettle a trad of country extending 100 miles on
each fide of the Ohio, and 300 miles eaft from the Miflillippi, to be
purchafcd with the free good will of the Illinois, the Indian proprietors.

The new provinces, being in a great meafure fettled by people trained
up in their early life to agriculture, and afterwards habituated to a mi-
litary life, would be an excellent military barrier, as well as a moft pro-
du61:ive agricultural terrritory, the country being of fo rich a foil, that the
French ufed to call it the tcnejlrial pca-ad'ifc.

The rich produdions of this country, confifting of corn, hemp, flax,
filk, indigo, madder, wines, &c. being carried down the Miflillippi,
would plentifully fupply the province of Wefl-Florida, the merchants
of which muft enjoy the benefit of fhipping the produce, and iupplying
the propofed colony with vaft quantities of Britifh goods, the veffels
adapted to the navigation of the river being incapable of crofling the
Ocean. It was alleged, that thefe advantages would foon make Weft-
Florida an opulent and flouriftiing province, of great advantage to the
mother country, upon which it had hitherto been a heavy burthen; and
that the Indians, by good treatment and fair trading, would be glad of
the near neighbourhood of the white people.

What may, perhaps, appear fingular, the advocate for thefe new co-
lonies, among other advantages to be derived from them, infifted, that
fuch an eftablilhment would operate as a check upon the attempts ot
the inhabitants of the old colonies to become independent of Great
Britain, by draining them of their redundant population *.

* ' The period will doubtlifs come, when dcfcribed as a healthy, ftilile, and pleafant, coiin-

' North- America will no longer acknowlcge try, producing wine, tobacco of a fupirior quali-

• a depenjeiice on any part of Europe. But ty, rice, olives. Sec. ' A colony there would not, .

• that period feeins to be fo remote, as not to • like that on the barren coail of Nova-Scotia, be
' be at prefent an object of rational policy or ' nine or ten years before it could draw any fub-

• human prevention, [andj it vs-ill be made (lill ' fillence from the ground, and require in that

• more reniote by opuiing new fcencb of agricul- ' lime near a million ftcrling from the mother

• ture, and widening the Tpace which the colonills ' countiy.'

' muft firft completely occupy.' \_Condufion of He ellewherc fays, ' It would be lavifhing mo-

Gencral layman s AIt»wrial.'\ ' ney to no purpi)re to grant annual fupplii.*

In the prelent (late of aflairs, it may be at leaft ' merely for the fubfiftence of the colony, which

amufmg, if not inlluiclivc, to fee the opinion of ' only enables new fettlers to build fine houfes,

another peifon acquainted with Anitiican affairs, ' and live idly at the cxpenfe of the motiier coun-

who, upon this oceifion, wrote a paper, never ' tiy. But to grant large premiums for the pro-

" printed, entitled, Same ihaughlt upon Iiulian ' dutllonii of the earth would turn the minds of

a/fairt,' l^c. ' the fettlers diredUy to indullry, and the cultiva-

He alfo recommends colonizing the interior ' tion of produce fuited to the climate, wiiich

parts of America, but prifera the cotjntry of the ' would enable the colony in a lew years to fend

Nalchts, :arther di.'.vn the MilGIFippi, for the feat ' laige returns home to this illand.' He advjfef,

of the new colony, v^'hi•h the i''rcDch writers have that the piemiiiins be paid at an early llage of the

cultivaliuii .

470 A. D. 1767.

Though thispropofal for the cflablifliment of three new governments
in the interior part of America was approved of by Sir William Johp.fon,
the venerable fuperintendant of Indian affairs in the northern diftri<fh,
every art^um.ent in favour of it was completely repelled by the lords of
trade and plantations, in a reprefcntation made to the king upon the
buflncfs, in the beginning of the enfuing year.

While this fcheme was in agitation for depriving the Indians of their
country, fome regulations were made to prevent ^vhite people from
hunting upon their grounds, or from trading clandeftinely with the Ind-
ians of the fouthern diftricfi-. The quantity of fpiritous liquors to be
carried into the Indian country was regulated, whereby, it was hoped,
a flop might be put to the frequent murders, and other enormities, oc-
cafioned by the immoderate ufe of thofe dangerous liquors.

Odober 28' — At a town meeting held at Bofton in New-England,
feveral relolutions were unanimoiijly voted, which fhovved a determination
rather to widen, than to heal, the breach with the mother country, and
to dire6t their attacks againft her commerce, which they confidered as
her mod vulnerable part, as well as that which they could diftrefs with-
out the infringement of any law.

In the preamble, they fay, ' Whereas the exceflive life of foreign fuper-

* fluities is the chief caufe of the prefent diftrelfed ftate of this town, as
' it is thereby drained of its money ; which misfortune is likely to be in-

* creafed, by means of the late additional burthens and impofitions on
' the trade of the province, which threaten the country with poverty

cultivation, e. g. (^lo per acre for every vine-yard ' branches of navigation. If proper rf^tihit'ions

not exceeding five acres, bccaufe new fettltrs are ' ivere eJlMlhcd, a more tijcful, and perhaps as lu-

feldom able to wait for diftant returns for tlieir ' crallve, ajijhery might be found on the cou/ls of :his

induflry, without ruinous confcquences ; and this, ' ijliind, as on thofe of /ImericH. There appears

he contends, would be the cheapell method of ' fomelhing fiiigular in leaving a Britifl?fi/hery to the

fupporting an infant colony. ' Whoever atten- ' Duui.', and ingoing to feet another a thoufand

' lively confiders the nature of our fettlements in ' leagues off*. If the tilhcry of this nation be en-

* the continent of America, will foon be convinced, ' couiagcd upon the coafts of North- America,
' that it is for the intereft of this nation to check • that will iiif.nlibly draw the chief fifhers to rc-
' population in the northern colonies, and en- ' fide there likewile. But prudence w>'uld require
< coura;3;e it in the fouthern.' ♦ » » » < Our ' to keep thofe as much as pufiible at home, as

* territories in North-America are nearly as large * one of the readiell rcfourcts ot'our naval llrcngth,
' as all Europe ; confequcntiy, if we chfTufe the * which is the right hand of our power, and can-
' colonills widely all-over them, efpccially in the ' not be loo carefully, and too watchfully, cherifh-
' fouthern climates, we will not need to be appre- ' ed.' He concludes, by oblerving, that 'To en-
' henlive of their incrcafing numbers for ages to ' courage population in the fouthern colonies, it
' conne, provided mean? be taken to keep up the ' dirtclly promoting the intcri.ll of this ifland, and
' population of this ifla.id in a due proportion. ' is the fpeedieit method of Urengthening our

* But to fuiTer towns to multiply in the northern ' fettlements on the continent of America: for,
' colonies, and to eiico'.irage the forming of a con- ' in the fouth, where the foil and climate afford
' fiderable naval force there, is to render thofe co- ' two or three rich harvefts annually, a colony

* lonies rather the rivals, than the auxiliaries, to ' will advance mure in ten years, than in an hun-
' thi-ir mother country ; and it m.ty be qu'.ftion- * dred years in the north, where nature lies dead
^ ed, whether they do not rival it already in fome ' half the year.'

• • I bright to fet the zeal that minif^ry had ahout the fifhinj of NewfoundljnJ (I think), while no care wai tikc»
-< aj'inll the Dutch filbing juft it oar doorg.' [Swi/i.] S

A. D. 1767. 471

* and ruin ' Tliey therefor refolved immediately to lefTen the ufe of
all fuperfluities imported from abroad, viz. ' loaf-fugar, cordage, anchors,
' coaches, chaifes, and carnages of all forts, horfe-furniture, men's

* and women's hats, men's and women's apparel ready made, houfe-
' hold furniture, gloves, men's and women's (lioes, fole leather, flicath-

* ing and deck nails, gold and filvcr and thread lace of all forts, gold
' and filver buttons, wrought plate of all forts, diamonds, ftone and

* pafte ware, fnuff, muflard. clocks and watches, filverfmiih's andjewcl-
' ler'sware, broad cloths that coft above icypcr yard, mufifs, furs, and

* tippets, and all forts of millinery ware, flarch. women's and children's

* flays, fire-engines, china ware, filk and cotton velvets, gauze, pcwterer's
' hollow ware, linfeed-oil, glue, lawns, candjrics, filks of all kinds for
' garments, malt liquors, and cheele *.' And they refolved totally 10
abflain from them after the ift of December next.

They alfo refolved by all prudent ways and means to encourage
the manufadures of Britilh America, and more efpecially thofc of their
own province : and they particularly recommended to the public atten-
tion and patronage the manufactures of glafs and paper.

They moreover refolved to retrench all fuperfluous expenfe of new
clothes, 8cc. at funerals, and on fuch occafions to ufe no gloves but of
American manufadure.

The French prohibited all Britifh veflels from entering the ports of
Guadaloupe and Martinique : and two Britilh- American fchooners were
adually feized at Mailiniciue, though the inhabitants were at the very
time in great difl:refs for want of beef, pork, llour, Sec. with which they
were loaded.

The Spaniards alfo fliowed a hoftile difpofition to our commerce by
contrading tlie time allowed for Britiiii veflels to remain at Monte
Chrifti to twenty-four hours, and preventing the logwood cutters from
working at Spiritu Santo.

Captain Holland, lurveyor-general erf the northern diflricl of America,
tranimitied home an account of the former and prefent ftate of the
ifland of Cape L-reton. It appears that, when the French were in pof.
feflion of this ifland, they employed in the fiihery on various parts of
the coafl

^co decked fchooners and floops, carrying 2,400 men, and (^infai.offiih.
taking, on an average, 700 quintals of flfli, - 210,000

1,459 llialops, carrying 8,754 men, and taking, on an aver-
age, 300 quintals, _ - - 437,700

647.700
the value of which on the ifland at iq/'was - jCs^^M^o

■ • As I'cvfra! oilicles in this lift, e. p. cordage, America, wliith, if not equally good with lliofc

•ncliuiA, ftiocs, Icaihcr, nails, &c. aic evidently not of Dritiili fabric, tlic)' determined lu content them"

fuperfluities, the rcafon of infciling them mull fdvci with.
♦•are b«n, l!i:it futh articles wcic taauufitlurcd ta

472 A. D. 1767.

befides the value of the fi(h oil, train oil, whale-bone, mackerels, and
herrings, got on this coaft, all of which were confiderable. It is more-
over a great objed; to a maritime power to have fo many feamen bred
up in an employment, which fo eminently qualifies them for encounter-
ing the hardOiips of a feafaring life.

He fays, that there were only 1 1 decked veflels, and 68 flialops, em-
ployed in the fifhery, when he made his furvey : but the coaft, eftimat-
ing it by the extent of beach fit for curing the fifli, might ajflford em-
ployment for 820 decked vefl!els, and 2250 flialops, which would require
above 20,000 men to man them ; and the filh caught by them, together
with the oil made from thofe fifti, would find employment for 653 fize-
able veflels to carry them to markets.

Befides the important cod fifliery. Cape Breton is excellently fituated
•for carrying on a fifhery for whales, which abound near its fliores, and
for falmon, mackerels, herrings, &c.

The inland part of the country abounds with beavers and other ani-
mals with valuable furs. It alfo produces plafter of the beft fort,
marble, lime-fl;one, free-ft one for building, and timber for building;
alfo coals, of which between two and three thoufand chaldrons were dug
this year by a company, who had contraded to pay government 2000
dollars for permiifion to work them.

Commodore Pallifer, governor of Newfoundland, in his report upon
the fifhery this year, obferved, that the number of veilels employed
therein had annually increafed of late, and the number of men returning
to Britain and Ireland had alfo been fully double of what it ever was
for iixty years paft, though ftill not equal in proportion to the number
of men returning annually to France from the limited fifhery allowed
to that country. He reflecled feverely on the avaritious and cruel cuf-
tom, longpraftifed by the commanders offifliing fhips, of leaving many
of their fifhermen on the defolate coaft of Newfoundland when the fifh-
ing feafon is over, whereby their families are left deftitute at home, and
themfelves forced into a life of idlenefs and rapine, and obliged to fell
themfelvcs to the colonies, or piratically run off with vefTels, which they
carry to the continent of America. By thefe nefiirious pradices the
Newfoundland fifhery, which is fuppofed to be one of the moft valuable
nurferies of feamen for the navy, has long been an annual drain, which
has carried off thoufands of the ftouteft and moft valuable feamen to the
rival (rather than fubjcci) fifhing colonies in America *.

His accounts of the fiftiery on the coaft of Labrador, which he had
Yifited this feafon, ftate, that twenty-feven Britifli fiflilng veflels were
there this year ; and that thofe, who formerly objeded to the eftablifii-

• In a ftatemeiit of the Mimbcr of Britifli fliips rica in 1764 at 1,500, in 176531 1,000, and in
and men, employed at Newfoundland during tlie 1766 and 1767 at 200 each year,
laft four years, he cftimates the men run to .4me-

A. D. '1767.

473

ment of a fliip fidiery there, have now addrefled him to fupport it,
which he has done agreeable to their wiflies, and has alfo confirmed
fome regulations, agreed upon among the whalers, refpeding the divi-
fion of whales killed by the boats of different fhips. He adds, that the
crews of the vellels from the colonies, who had been accuftomed to keep
the coafl in a Itate of warfare, to fet the woods on fire, and to do all in
their power to exclude and ruin the fifhers from Great Britain, were not
fo licentious and iniolent this feafon as they ufed to be ; and all were
now convinced of the neceffity of fubmitting to order and government.
State of the fifhery in the feafon 1 767.

3->

rj

C

E

I-
f
ho

J

quintals of
lifli cured.

S '5

258

23,419

3,94^^

7,070

208,570

941

92

6,397

888
680

unknown

unknowTi

372

2,188

79,59°

431

1,151

265,150

1,240

Britilh fidiing veffels,
Britifh fack veflels,
American veffels,
Bye boats,
Boats of the inhabitants.

Of the 258 Briiifli fifning veflels, 27 fiHied on the coafl; of Labrador.

The 115 American veffels brought cargoes of rum, melafles, bread,
flour, &c. the proceeds of which, with the prices of fome of the veflels
fold, may be rated at ;^i 00,000, paid moflly in bills of exchange, and a
very fmall part of it with refufe fifh.

The American colonifls alfo employed about 300 veffels, eftimated at
60 tuns and i 3 men each, in the whale fifhery about the coafts of New-
foundland, Labrador, and the Gulf of St. Laurence. In the gulf they
killed 100 of the beft whales in about fix weeks; and their fuccefs in
the other ftations was alfo confiderable. They alfo employed about 300
veflels, of about 60 tuns and 10 men each, on the banks of Newfound-
land and Labrador ; and each veffel may be fuppofed to take 800 quin-
tals, which they carried to the ports of America, whence they came.

There were carried to foreign markets 533,620 quintals of fifli (/. e.
cod) the value of which was from ^/'to i ;^/", or in barter 15/", per quintal.
Tlie train oil was worth ^^14 or /^I5 per ton.

There were fent off 1,006 tierces of falmon, valued about 4^each.
The value of feal oil made lafl winter in Newfoundland was ;C3»895-

and in Labrador 4>937'

1,200 fea cows were taken at Madelaine.

Three tuns of whale-bone purchafed from the Indians, together with
furs taken by the inhabitans to the value of /^2, 041 , complete the pro-
ceeds of this government, carried in Britifii veffels, for tlie year 1767.

Vol. III.

O

474 A* ^' ^7^7

In Odober the governor and company of the bank of England raifed
the dividends upon their capital ftock from ^ve to ^ve and a half per
cent.

December — The feveral a<5ts prohibiting the exportation, and encou-
raging the importation, of corn of all kinds were continued for a
limited time. [8 Geo. Ill, c. i, 2, 3 ]

During the recefs of parliament feveral orders of the fame purport
had been ifTued.

The fociety of arts and fciences this year honoured Mr. Doflie with
a gold medal for his written communication of the method of making
pot-afli and barilla in America. They alfo gave Mr. Philips a premium
of /^ 1 00 for difcovering his improved method of dying leather red and
yellow, which was found fuperior to what is imported from Morocco.
They moreover prefented another gold medal to Mr. Dingley for eredt-
ing at Limehoufc a faw-mill to be worked by the wind, with an im-
proved fet of machinery for fawing timber with exaclnefs and expedi-
tion. A committee of the fociety examined Mr. Pinchbeck's improve-
ment of the wheel crane, which prevents the fatal accidents, to which it
had formerly been liable.

The follo'ving authentic ftatemcnt of the commerce of Peterfburg,
tranfmitted by the Britifli conful, fhows how greatly the Britifli trade in
Ruflia was improved in the courfe of this year. In the year 1767 there
failed from that port 200 Britifh veflels, whereof 77 were for London,
21 for Hull, 14 for Briftol, and 41 for the other ports of England; 9
for Leith, and 16 for the other ports of Scotland ; 7 for Dublin, and 4
for other ports in Ireland ; i for America; and 10 for Lifbon and the
Mediterranean. There failed 202 vefllls of other nations, of which 44
were for Amfterdam.

This year 74 veflels were loaded at Archangel, of which 40 were for
Amflerdam, 15 for Hamburgh, only 7 for London, and none for any
other Britifh port. Hence it appears, that the P^.nglifh trade with Ruf-
fia, originally eftabliflied at Archangel, has ahnoft entirely left that port,
and fixed at Peterfburg.

According to a report from the Britifli refident at Hambiirgh, 254
vefTels arrived in that city from Britifli ports in the year 1766, whereof
167 were Britifli ; and in 1767 there arrived 224 from Britifli ports,
whereof 186 were Britifli. The decreafe of 30 fliips, he fays, is owing
to the prohibition of exporting provifions, but, he adds, that the trade
was in every other refped as brifk as beiore. There was alfo this year
a decreafe of 34 fliips in the number of arrivals from France, but, the
vefTels being larger, the tunnage, or real quantity of fliipping, is fup-
pofed to be as great now as before.

It appeared by the cuftom-houfe books, that above a million of
money was paid for the corn imported in the courfe of this year.

A. D. 1767.

475

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7»339 veflels of the reputed burthen of 556,905 tuns,

and of Scotland 1,546 _ _ - 84,481

Total 8,885 - . - . 641,386

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-a-

half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year, was

from the cuftom-houfe in London - ^2, 350, 850 5 o

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 5.0C0 o o

Total net revenue of the cufloms of Great Britain )C2,355,85o 5 o

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
27,219 pounds of gold, value - - £i,2yiSo 15 6

and no filver.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain, from
Chriflmas 1766 to Chriftmas 1767, was as follows.

Countries, &c.
Africa
Canaries .
Denmark and Norway
East country
East India
Flanders
P'rance
Germany
Greenland .
Holland .
Iceland
Ireland
Mann
Itily
Madeira
Poland
Portugal .
Prussia
Russia
Spain
Ciibraltar
Straits
Sweden
Turkey .
Venice
Sardinia
Guenisey, &c.
Hudson's Bay
Newfoundland
St. John's Ishuul
Quebi'c
Nova-Scotia
New-England .
New-York

Imported into

Ex

lort

2A. from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

0^55,981

8

6

^£"558,062

5

8

£509

3 2

6,061

19

4

38,289

4

5

75,308

3

10

£39,286

15

5

159,730

16

2

28,437

14 0

267,085

7

6

150,754

1

10

1,9S1,173

0

1

1,272,654

13

3

268,322

13

1

78

19

2

545,919

14

3

21,662

7 0

1 74,089

17

4

3.207

6

10

232,031

7

4

193,606

9 7

680,963

9

10

12,697

5

9

1,506,293

10

11

40.959

2 8

7,900

17

9

909

14 2

743,703

8

8

118,803
18

7
16

9
3

1,539,705

18

0

304,860
12

10 11
10 0

1,103,265

6

n

123,412
968

4
10

1
0

1 .880,486

13

9

267,288
66

8 7
3 9

630,447

17

6

1.964

16

2

606,506

5

1

4,048

10 6

6,21 1

0

0

29,236

3

6

34,253

5

6

684
1,450

7 10
4 2

340,289

13

1

15,070

25,895

4
14

1

II

515,080

14

3

511
145

17 9
19 0

822,271

14

5

87.937

17

8

125,208

19

7

574

17 3

593,504

19

3

6,I40

3
3

6
4

1.144.777

19

8

11.477
1,472

1 2

11 0

11,375

19

11

6t),772

5

4

17-'>,515

7

6

21,248

18

8

44,336

16

5

7,887

14 4

99.950

15

10

44,094

19

10

57.457

12

7

145

16

8

31,984

3

0

36,693

13

5

2,706

16

8

59,863

8

10

3,327

12 1

9.942

10

11

4.981

18

8

4H,g,'-)0

18

()

1 ,356

17

2

53,550

10

7

1,084

19 8

1/8

12

8

1.942

0

8

42,044

12

5

• 992

9

194.406

3

9

6,338

2 4

753

4

5

2.-..()(»4

10

1

128.207

17

4

19,309

4

7

4<)<),o'81

9

2

10,10-1

19 /"

6I.-1J2

IS

/

3.071

13

2

■nr.(i5-

15

5

(i.O->'J

4 1

O 2

476

A. D. 1767.

Imported into

K\p(,rted froui

1

Countries, Sec.

'

*

ENGLAND.

SCOTLANO.

liNGLANll.

SCOTLAND.

Pennsylvania

^€37. Ml

17

0

it'5,021

17 0

.i; 3 7 1,830

8 10

i^ll,2((l

7 8

Maryland . . 1

Virginia . . ^ ,

■137,926

15

0

f 04,(;O8
1 237,156

1 1

7 2

• 437,628

2 0

30,538
184,506

5 7
3 2

North Carolina .
South Carolina .

395,027

10

1

y 12,247
1 5,095

0 1
12 1

• 244,093

6 0

14,883
9.094

18 2
4 11

Georgia

35,856

15

7

23,334

14 2

146

10 3

Florida

12,681

6

8

30,963

13 11

Antigua

394,727

10

2

45,894

6 3

119,740

16 6

11,128

13 5

Anguilla

4,117

13

10

Barbados .

21((,0'82

3

9

29,92^1

3 0

145,083

4 4

4,678

17 4

Bermuda

1,417

12

5

12,133

9 4

Dominica

118,978

19

3

30,863

6 6

Grenada

243,618

IS

3

8,034

9 G

i59,;6'7

19 2

6,015

13 0

Jamaica

1/243,742

13

9

56,223

4 1

467,681

4 4

37,568

2 4

Montsen-at . .

54,960

9

9

2,497

19 0

23,071

9 3

2,514

16 2

Nevis

60,690

14

7

1 1 ,875

18 8

450

13 10

New-Providence .

4,487

3

0

14,986

0 3

St. Christophers .

276,013

9

9

12,641

2 1

106,162

« 7

17,S1I

12 0

St. Vincents

24,262

7

1

14,822

2 0

Tort(jIa ....

48,864

8

4

27,010

1 4

St. Croi.x ....

10,584

1

2

882

7 2

Martinique . . .

572

0

8

St. Lucie

629

13

9

St Martins

725

19 11

St. Eustathius

2,740

7

8

Spaniih West Indies

15,611

8

3

',995

4 5

West Indies in general

763

13 0

Imp. and exp. of En ■ .

12,073,956

0

11

13,844,511

I 8

Imp. and e.\p. of Scot.

1,023,197

5

5

1,023,197

5 5

1,245,490

2 7

l,245,4f(0

2 7

Total, Great Britain .

13,007,153

()

4

15,0(|0,(X)]

4 3

1768, January 29"'' — The ad for allowing the free importation of falt-
ed beef, pork, bacon, and butter, from Ireland, was conthiued ; and the
free importation of the fame articles fromi the Britifh American colo-
nies was alfo allowed. [8 Geo. Ill, c. 9.]

f'ebruary 23 — Though the affiiirs of the Eaft-India company were
in the mod flourifliing condition, and they were even making additions
to their territories in India, they were again prohibited by parliament
from making any dividend above ten per cent per annum, notwithftand-
ing a ftrenuous oppofition, not only from the company, but alfo from
many members of both houfes of parliament *. [8 Geo. Ill, c. 1 1.]

It is a proof of the flourifliing ftate of the commercial city of Glaf-
gow, that its magiftrates obtained from parliament powers to enable
them to make feveral improvements in their Itreets, to build an ex-
change, and alfo a new bridge over the Clyde, and to levy a toll, or

* On the fame day that this a£l was pafTcd, a
treaty was conchidcd between the company's ft

Alv, a bold adventurer, who had lately acquired
i.^.v^ ..PQ ..vjMLii.vitu utuvctii tiic i.umi,aii) o iti V- a confiderable lovercigi ty in the foutliern parts of
ants, in conjunAion with the nabob of Arcot, and India, and v.'as the conftaut enemy of the conj-.
Aly Cawn nizam of the Deccan, againfl Hydtr pany. < l

A. D. 1768. 477

pontage, upon it, till the expenfe of building it flieuld be defrayed.
[8 Gfo. in, c. 16.]

March 8 " — An ad was pafTed for paving, cleaning, and lighting, the
flreets of London. The regulations for fixing the names of the ftreets
on their corners were renewed (if not enforced), and regulations were
made for the flands of hackney coaches, watering the ftreets where ne-
ceflary, and for fcveral other matters of police. f8 Geo. Ill, c. 21.]

The law, [4 Geo. Ill, c. 13] which prohibited the allowance of twelve
per cent for leakage of wines, landed in Guernfey and Jerfey previous
to their importation into Great Britain, was repealed, and the former
allowance for leakage granted under certain conditions. By the fame
adt the encouragement for the manufacture of Britifli fail-cloth was con-
tinued till 29'" September 1774. [8 Geo. Ill, c. 23.]

The refule of lalt-works, called grey, or fcrow, fait, was permitted to
be ufed as manure on paying four pence duty for each bufhel weighing
56 pounds. — Policies of infurance to the amount of above j^x ,000 were
charged with two ftamps of five fliillings each. — Rum and fpirits, the
produce of the Britifh fugar colonies, exported as merchandize from.
Britain, were entitled, after 25''' March 1768, to draw back the cufiom,
and be exempted from the excife duties, though they fliould be under
the full proof. [8 Geo. Ill, c. 25.]

The bounties and encouragements held out to the whale fifhery were
continued till 25 '' December 1770. [8 Geo. Ill, c. 27.]

The commiflioncrs of excife entered into an agreement with the cor-
poration of London and the company of mercers tor the purchafe of
Grefham college, in order to erect on the area of it a convenieat build-
ing for accommodating the bufinefs of their office ; which agreement
was ratified by parliament. [8 Geo. Ill, c. 32. j

Several ads for improving roads, and feveral for making navigable
canals, were palled in this fedion. Of the later the mod important was
the canal for uniting the rivers Forth and Clyde. [8 Geo. 111., c. 63.]

The advantages of a navigable communication between the Forth and
the Clyde were perceived fo long ago as the reign of Charles II. That
prnice, who (perhaps by means of his relidence in the Netherlands) ap-
pears to have acquired a juft idea of the importance of inland naviga-
tion *, ])ropofed to have a canal executed on iuch a fcale, that tranf-
ports and liaall ihips of vvar might pais upon it from Tea to Tea. But
the expenfe, elbmuted at /^300,ooo, was beyond the ability of the age.

• Chatlts II orUi.i\d furvcys of the (Iqitli of t'uiil furvfy, f. i, p/i. 17J, I "6.] In liis rcign alfo

llic River riiaiiic.';, which wiis found to l>avc de- a bill was brought iiilo parliament for uiiliing the

cicafcd foi.r fctt during his own icijjn, and alfo .>t' Tlia i.es and the Severn by a canal from Lcchlade

thi- ciicri/achnients upon it. In his rtij^n an uCt on the former to the Avon, a navii;ahlc branch of

was tiaffcd for iiopi'uvmg the navigation 01 the Ri- iho !.ncr. \_Pl.il!ip4't Uiji. of inland navi^ulion.

vcr Medway, for the fake of cariying timber and /. ii6, ed. 1795.3
naval I'lOrts to the dutk.-)ard3. ^Camfiel/'j Ppli-

478 A. D. 1768.

About the time of the union the idea of a navigation acrofs the nar-
rowed: part of the ifland was revived, as appears by fome of the publi-
cations of that time ; {CampbeWs Political furvey, V. i, p. 227] and it was
again dropped. In the year 1723 it was relumed, and a furvey was
made for the purpofe of executing the canal. But ftill it was, apparent-
ly, too early to engage in a work of fuch magnitude ; and it again lay
forgotten till the year 1762, when it was taken up by the prime mini-
fler, Mr. Pitt, who propofed, that it fhould be executed by the public,
and on fuch a fcale as to admit fea vefTels of a moderate burthen : and
Mr. Mackell was employed to make a furvey and eftimate for a canal
from the mouth of the Carron on the Forth to the mouth of Yocker
burn on the Clyde. A fecond furvey and report was made by Mr.
Smeaton in the year 1764 ; and the execution of this great public work
was now left to priv:»te individuals. But the large amount of Mr.
Smeaton's eftimate induced fome of thofe, who wifhed for the naviga-
tion, to drop the grand idea of a canal navigable by fea veflels from fea
to fea, and adopt the notion of a petty ditch with only four feet depth
of water, and to extend no farther weft than Glafgow*.

The a61: now palled incorporated the proprietors of the propofed ca-
nal, as ufual, and authorized a fupplemental cut to Glafgow. It alfo in-
corporated another fet of proprietors for the purpofe of executing an
extenfion from the eaft end of the canal to Borrowllownnefs.

The work was immediately begun, and profecuted with great fpirit
till the year 1775, when it had reached the neighbourhood of Glafgow ;
and then, the funds being all exhaufted, a flop was put to it for foiTie
years. The inhabitants of Glafgow, however, very foon availed them-
felves of the proximity of the canal by making the fupplemental cut to
their city, whereby they immediately obtained a diredl communication
with the Forth and the German ocean ; and the canal began to be ufe-
ful to all the country adjacent to it, though in a degree far inferior to
what it would be if completed. Yet even in this imperfedl ftate of it
the lockage dues amounted to from ^^4,000 to ;^7,ooo a year.

* While the various plans for the canal were dams, efFcfted by two ftrong piers of ftone work

under confideratlon, Mr. J. Gray in 1768 publifh- at proper dlllancet. As an improvement, he pro-

ed Reflidions on inhirul navigation, wherein he pro- pofed to fet a mill [Why not two i] at each lock

pofed to retain the natural courfcs of the Bonnie or dam, to be worked by the water falling from

and the Carron on the eaft, and the Kelvin on the the upper part of it. and to give the cuftody of

weft, fule of the country', theieby avoiding the fe- the locks to the millers, wlio ihould regulate the

paration of private property, and alfo all expenfe proper quantity of water, in order to prevent in-

of tunnels, fluiccs, aqueduds, &c. as all fmall undations, and guard againft the formation of thick

ftreams would be received into the canal. Inftead ice by varying the depth during froil. He efti-

of digging out a channel, he propofed, as I may mated that a navigable communication between the

fay, to build a river, (as fome of the canals in two feas of Jlfleen feet depth of water, and even

HuUand are conftrufted) by raifing parallel em- three hundred ieex. 'n\ hre:iAx.\i, (except at the locks,

bankments 80 or lOO feet afunder (great part of where it fliould be narrower) might be completed

which, he obfervcs, is already done by nature) to in this manner for ^,"293,444, the fum eftimated

contain the water of the rivers witli a depth of by Mr. Smeaton for a canal of t-jielve feet deep,

rwelve feet, and to make a kind of triple locks or andjixiy-nine feet broad.

A. D. 1768. 479

A further account of this great national undertaking will be given at
the time of its completion.

The white people of the little colony of Montferrat were in immin-
ent danger of being exterminated by their negroes on St. Patrick's
day (17'" March). But the confpiracy being providentially difcovered
by a woman, two fhips of war and a fmall detachment of foldiers ar-
rived from the neighbouring iflands in time to prevent tlie execution
of it.

It being an objed of great importance to maintain a good corre-
fpondence with the American hidians, who ever fince the peace of
1763 retained many of the prejudices inftilled into them by the French
againfl the Britifli colonills, it was judged the moft prudent meafure to
afcertain by mutual confent a boundary line, beyond which no Britifh
fubjed fhould prcfume to fettle. This meaiure, calculated to remove
the chief caufe of the jealoufy of the Indians, was fo far carried into
execution, that the boundaries of the two Carolinas were adually fur-
veyed and marked out agreeable to treaties made by Mr. Stewart, fu-
perintendant of Indian affairs for the fouthern diflrid, with the Creeks,
Cherokees, and Chadaws : and the Indians of the northern diftrid
cheerfully pointed out a line, which Sir William Johnfon, the fitperin-
tendant, agreed to, provided it fliould be approved of by the king. In
order to preferve tranquillity among the Indians, it was thought moft
expedient to continue the two fuperintendants, and to empower them
to make the curtomary prefents to the Indians.

On a full confideration of the circumftances of the Indian trade it
appeared, that the confinement of the trade to particular ports, which
was then the general principle of the trading fyftem, was expedient and
effedlual with refped to the fouthern Indians, of doubtful policy with
refpcd to thofe adjacent to the provinces of Pcnnfylvania and New York,
and evidently hurtful and dangerous with reiped to the vafl; body of
Indians on the weft fide of the province of Quebec, the inhabitants
of which carry on a very extenfive commerce with them. Moreover
the cxpenfe was io great, as, in a commercial view, to exceed confider-
ably the objed, to which it was lublcrvient.

General Melville, governor-general of the Ceded iflands, made a
large botanic garden at St. Vincents for the reception and cultivation
of all plants valuable in commerce and medicine, which were fcarce,
or not at all to be found, in the Bruilh \\ eil-lndia colonies; and bv
the great diligence of Dodor Young, furgeon of the miUtary hofpital
and an excellent botanift, it was foon very confiderably advanced*.

* In May 1772 DoiHor Young haJ, among Tlic ganltii dill coiitimics to floiuidi under the caif

other valuable rxotics, 140 lualtliy plants of tlie of Doifior Aniierloii, another cniinciil botaiiill, and

Irne cinnamon ; for which, and his general botanic by the (Idl-conlinucd good cfSeet of Central MJ-

inerit, the patriotic fociety of artsand fciences with villc, its origins! founder,
g'reat propriety piefcnCcd turn with a gold medal.

480 A. D. 1768.

This piiblic-fpirited example, fet by General Melville, has fince been
followed in feveral of the other Weft-India iflands.

In the beginning of April the coal trade was interrupted by combin-
ations of the iailors and keelmen at Shields and Sunderland, who
demanded an increafe of wages. About the fame time the delivery of
the coal ftiips in the Thames was put a. ftop to by the combinations
and riots of the coal-heavers, who, thinking themfelves injured by a
fet of people called undertakers, who, they alleged, paid them their
wages, not in money, but in liquor and goods of bad quality, would
neither work themfelves for fome time, nor allow the failors belonging
to the fhips to difcharge them. In the courfe of thefe riots fome lives
were loft.

Soon after this the failors in the Thames alfo made a demand for
more wages, for which purpofe they prefented a petition to parliament
and another to the king ; and for fome time they allowed no veftels to
fail from the river.

Sir Stephen Theodore Janflen (who has already been defervedi/
mentioned with honour) conferred an eflential benefit on the public,
and more efpecially on the poorer claftes of the community, by efta-
blifliing premiums to the mackerel fiftiers for coming up with their
boats to market ; in confequence of which fine large mackerels were fold
for three halfpence each, which lowered the price of butcher meat one
penny a pound.

A claim was fet up by Daniel Coxe of New Jerfey and others, the
defcendants of Do(!Ior Daniel Coxe, who in the year 1696 had pur-
chafed the titles of a moft extenfive grant made by King Charles II to
Sir Robert Heath of all the lands in America between the latitudes of
31° and ;^6° north, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, toge-
ther with the iflands of Veanis* and Bahama, and all other illands near
thereto, and lying fouthward of the continent f ; which territory was
called Carolana. The claimants requefted either to be confirmed in
the pofleflion of the territories, and exercife of the powers, granted to
Sir Robert Heath, or to be paid a proper compenfatiou for furrender-
ing their titles into the king's hands. When this affair came to be
confidered by the lords of trade and plantations, it was concluded, that
the claimants, in confideration of furrendering all pretentions to their
long- neglected grant, fhould receive 40,000 acres of unoccupied land
in the interior part of the province of New-York.

Mr. Frafer, the conful at Algier, tranfmitted a very circumftantial
account of the commerce of that place, ftmilar to what he gave laft
year of the trade of Tripoli, as follows.

* Perhaps Bimiiii, the iilHiid fuppofed by the Spaniards to contain the fountain of immortality,
f This defcription, in the hands of a powerful argumentator, might be made to comprehend all the
Weft. India iflands. ^ y 6 .6

I

A. D.I 765.

Algler exports to
Alexandria^ in cafh •

Smyrna, negroes SjOOoV
blankets i,500?
bullion 5,50oJ
'Leghorn, wool, oftrich fea-
thers, wax, hides, &c.
The balance in bills or prize
goods

Zechins.
60,000

10,000

16,500

MarfeiUe, wool, 10,000
wax, hides, &c. ii,500

}

21,500

481

Algier imports from Zechins.

Alexandria, in rice, coffee,

linen, and cotton goods, 60,000

5'-7zj7-//fl, cotton, cotton t^^oods,

drugs, iron, brafs, filk, 10,000

Leghorn, Britifh wool-
lens, - 3,500

Venetian cloths,cut-"j

lery, filks, linens, >26,O0O 1
glafs, fplceries, j J

MarfeiUe, iron, - 10,000t

fugar, coffee, filks, '^

woollens, paper, ?'30,ooo
linens, fpices, J

1

> 40,000

There were no Britifh merchants ; and in the imports there were
very few Britifh goods. There were three French houies, branches of
houfes at MarfeiUe.

The conful at Coruna reported, that fince the lafl war no Britifh
merchants had fettled there ; and that the removal of the Euglifli
packets from that place had thrown fuch difficulties in the way of mak-
ing remittances, that the neighbouring country was now moflly fup-
plied with French nianufadures, to the great regret of the natives, who
all prefer Englifli goods. The Britifh veffels arriving in his depart-
ment were only about 14 annually with cod from Newfoundland, 3 or
4 with faked provifions fi-om Ireland, and a few with corn, coals, &c.
from other ports.

In a fubfequent report he more particularly flatcs, that from 25^*
December 1767 to 24"'' June 1768 only 7 Britifli veflels from New-
foundland, London, Cork, and Virginia, had arrived in the provinces
of Galicia and Aflurias, mofl of which had only landed fmall parcels of
goods there. During the fame time 1 1 French and 5 Dutch veffels
delivered their full cargoes in the fame diftricft, the Dutch having in-
creafed fince the packets to the Havana and Buenos Ayres were flation-
ed at Coruna, while the Englifh remained the fame as before.

The Britifh conful and merchants at Cadiz complained of the hard-
fjjips put upon them by feveral infringements of the treaties, and par-
ticularly by xhe pojltira, an order of the magiflrates for fixing the prices
of provifions, whereby they apprehended the tr.ide from Ireland and
Newfoundland to that port mull be ruined. They, and tlie conful at
St. Lucar alfo complained of a proclamation prohibiting the importa-
tion of all printed and painted cloths and handkerciiiefs, the demand
for which in the Spanifii colonies ui'ed to be very confiderable. They
ullo complained of the exactions of the health-office, of the indignities

Vol. III. 3 P

482 A. D. 1768.

put upon the commanders of their fhips, the partiality fhcwn to the
French, and the arbitrary power of the governors and magiflrates of
Cadiz, who were ignorant of the treaties, and had not even any in-
flrudions to regard them.

The diredors of the Eall-India company, being determined to pre-
vent the fale of the command of their (hips, refolved that after 25'"
March 1 769 all their commanders fhould be chofen by ballot out of
perlons, who have already commanded fhips, or at leafl: performed one
voyage to India as chief or fecond mate in their fervice. They alfo re-
folved, that after the fame time no fhips fhould be built for their fe-
vice without leave obtained from the court of diredors.

In all the meafures taken in oppofition to government in America
the people of Bofton conflantly took the lead. Their refolutions of lall
Odober were followed in February by an ofBcial circular letter from
the aflembly of MafTachufets bay to all the other afTemblies in Britiflx
America, propofing a flrid union of all the colonies in oppofing by
all legal means the operation of the late ads of parliament, and recom-
mending harmony in their applications to government for the repeal of
them. The minds of the people of Bofton were much exafperated by
the feizure of a floop, belonging to one of the reprefentatives of that
city, by the officers of the cuftoms, who, to efcape from the outrages
of the people, were obliged to take fhelter onboard a fhip of war, from
which they removed to Caftle William, fituated on a fmall ifland in
the harbour ; and there they eftablifhed the cuftom-houfe. The diffo-
lution of the aflembly by the governor added fuel to the flame, and
paved the way for a convention of reprefentatives, eleded by the peo-
ple, and afl'embled without any authority from government, who,
however, profefling themfelves to be only a meeting of private perfons,
earneftly requefted the governor to call together a conftitutional afTem-
bly. The governor refufed to receive their meffage, and warned them
to difperfe; but they, neverthelefs, continued their meetings tor feveral
days. The day of their breaking tip was diftinguiihed by the unwel-
come arrival of a fleet of fhips of war from Halifax, with two regiments
of ibldiers and a detachment of artillery, v:ho were quartered in Bofton.
In a fhort time after two more regiments arrived from Ireland, as alfo
General Gage, who was appointed commander in chief of the forces.

Previous to the meeting of the convention the merchants and traders
ef Bofton had entered into a new refolution againft importing any
Britid) goods from i*^ January 1769 to i*' January 1770, except fait,
coals, fifh hooks and lines, hemp and duck, bar lead and fhot, wool
cards and card wire. And they more efpecially refolved not to import
any tea, paper, glafs, or colours, till the duties on them fliould be repeal-
ed. A fimilar agreement was entered into by the traders of New-York.
Throughout the month of Odober the following premiums were
.giveix to fach boats as fhould deliver at Billingfgate in one tide, not lefs

A. D. 1768. 483

thcin three lafts of herrings, caught within forty-eight hours, at the rate
of £i2 : 10:0 per laft, or about a farthing a piece, viz. the firft: boat
jC^y : 10:0; the fecond jT^o ; and the third ^22 : 10 : o.

The king by additional inflrndtious (dated 6'' Odober 1768) to
General Melville, governor-general of the ceded iflands, confirmed the
conftitutions he had drawn up for the feveral idands, or divifions of his
government, viz. Grenada widi the Grenadines, Dominica, St. Vin-
cent, and Tobago. In thefe inftrudions the king obferved, that juftice
and found policy required, that the new fubjects (formerly fubjcds of
France) remaining in Grenada and the Grenadines, and having liberty
to profefs the Roman-Catholic religion on the faith of the treaty of
peace, fhould be admitted to a limited proportion of the executive and
legiflative offices of government : and he therefor diredled, that a num-
ber of them, not exceeding two in the council, three in the aflembly,
one as an afliftant judge, and one in each town and parifh or diflrid as
a juftice of peace, might be chofen and adniitted to cxercife the func-
tions of fuch offices in Grenada and the Grenadines, without being
obliged to take any other oaths than thofe of allegiance, fupremacy,
and abjuration, together with thofe for the due adminiftration of office.

General Melville this year fent home very flattering accounts of the
profpedl of flourifhing fettlements in Tobago, an ifland, which, when
he entered upon his government, was one entire wood.

November i 8"" — The king inftituted the royal academy of arts, con»
filling of painters, ftatuaries, architeds, &c. and allotted them a houfe
in Pall-mall for holding their meetings, for the accommodation of the
fludents, and for their annual exhibition of paintings and other works
of art. This inftitution has been of great fervice in promoting the
ftndy of the fine arts, and alio a tafte for them, in this country.

December 20'" — The powers polTelTed by the officers of the cuftoms
to feize horfes, carriages, &c. employed in carrying fmuggled foreign
fpirits, were extended to the officers of the excife. [9 Geo. Ill, c. 6.]

Funds were appropriated by parliament for improving and prelerv-
ing the harbour of Wells in Norfolk. [9 Geo. Ill, c. 8. J

Governor Fallifer's report of the Newfoundland filTiery for this year
reprefents the number of veflels employed, and the quantity of fifli,
8cc. as romewhut larger than in preceding years. In the lalnion parti-
cularly there was a very great increalc, the quantity fliipped for foreign
markets, being no lefs than 40,386 tierces. The trade and fifliery car-
ried on by the American coloniRs was nearly the fame as lad year,
with this diiVerence, that their whalers in the Gulf of St. Laurence were
fo unluccelsful as to get only three whales.

The feafon being very ftormy, about thirty fliips and a great number of
flialops were wrecked, and between four and five hundred men were loft.

The French this year employed in the filhery on the coall of New-
foundland 109 vellels of the burthen of 17,125 tuns, and carrying
3 3 P 2

484 A. D. 1768.

7,351 men, wlio made 214,100 quintals of fifh and 3,198 liogflieads of
oil. Their filhers on the banks, from the bell accounts, might be
rated at 225 veflels of 100 tuns and 20 men each ; and their captures
were efti mated at 4,500,000 quintals of fifh and 900 hogfheads of oil.
Their fifhery on the coafts of St. Pierre, and Miquelon, and in the
Gulf of St. Laurence, from the bed accounts, employed the fame
number of veflels as laft year, viz. 70 vefTels of about 50 tuns and 18
men each on an average, who were fuppoled to make 42,500 quintals
of fifli and 458 hogflicads of oil. Their traders from the Weft-India
iflands this year were only about four fmall veflels, their difappoint-
ment in the expedled fales of their rum and melaffes among our people
at Newfoundland having induced moft of them to give up the trade.

Sixteen French boats were feized this year by the veflels under
Governor Pal lifer's command for fifhing beyond their limits.

By the erection of larger and more powerful fire engines the coal
mines now began to be worked with greater advantage. One of them
fet up at Tinemouth-moor colliery was eftimated to raife a thoufand
hogfheads of water in an hour from the depth of feventy feet *.

An improved pump for {hips was invented by Mr. Cole, and on trial
at Portfmouth was found to be lefs cumberfome, eafier worked, eafier
cleared when choaked, and much more powerful, than the cham pump.

Mr. William Gilchrift, a millwright in Jamaica, invented a new mill
for grinding fugar canes, having the fide rollers larger than the middle,
or main, roller. The legiflature of Jamaica in December 1768 pafled
an adt for fecuring to him the exclufive benefit of his invention for four-
teen years, and Mr. Gilchrift: afterwards petitioned the king for a patent
for all the other Weft-India iflands.

A letter from the governor of Cape-coaft caftle on the coaft of Africa
to his conftituents, the committee of merchants trading to Africa, (dat-
ed 30'^ December 1768) complains of the Dutch commander at Elmina
having feized and otherways maltreated feveral Portuguefe veflels for
felling Brafil tobacco to the Englifli fettlements.

The number of negroes purchafed by the Europeans in the courfe of
this year on the coaft of Africa, between Cape Blanco and Rio Congo,
was ftatfcd as follows.

By Britifli veflbls - - 53.iooKqaoo

Britifh Americans - - 6,jOoj''^'^

French - - - 23,520

Dutch - - 11,300

Portuguefe - - 1,700

Denmark - - 1 ,200

Total natives of Africa carried off in one year 97, ' 00

• Thefe engines were afterwards eclipfed, and 'n many places fuperfeded, by the vaftly more power-
ful fteam engines ao improted by Meffrs. Boulton and Watt.

I

A, D, 1768.

485

The Imports at Hamburgh from Great Britain, Ireland, and the Brit-
ifh Wtrft-lndles, this year amounted to ^1,169,170 fterling ;

and thole from France to - 993-31 8

There arrived at that port this year from the Britifli dominions 254 vef-
fels, whereof 20 were Britifli; from France 160 veflels, whereof 9 were
Tritirti, 79 Dutch, and only 2 French ; from Spain 43 veflels, whereof
21 were Britifli ; from Portugal and Italy 57 veflels, whereof 22 were
Britifli; and from the northern kingdoms 176 vefl^els, whereof 8 were
Britifli.

The number of veflels cleared out at Newcaflle this year exceeded that
of the year 1767 by 453, the number laft year beini; 3,720,' and this
year, 4.173, whereof 3,728 were coartcrs, and 445 for foreign countries.

Of 124 fliips fent out by the Dutch to the Greenland whale fifliery, 5
wert loft in the ice ; and the remaining 119 caught 390 whales.

This year the white inhabitants of Jamaica were eftimated to be
17,000; there were 166,914 negroes on the tax-roll, and 135,773 head
•f cattle. The exports of the ifland were as toUows.

-c

.. 0

1

-2 J=

0^ Sj

.

J3

.s

1 S-8

M

ii

3, ®

0

_g J?
~ Ik

0 &,

^8

■is

^ bo

5' s g S §

>>

n

-a

S w

s>

.a

x>

J5

W-l^J2

2

X

54,181

11,127

13,116

2,551

2 ai

l,4i*i

4,181

443,920

1,590

4,124

201,960

738

620

252

2,712

424,030

2,297

55761

15,551

20i,9(io

13,854

3,171

2,463

4,203

4,181

608,000

2,287

To

Great Britain ?
and Ireland. 5

North ;

America. 5
Totals

befides mifcellaneous articles, which cannot be reckoned.

The whole value of the exports of this year could not be lefs than
/^i, 400,000 fterling.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7>5ii veflels of the reputed burthen of 549,191 tuns,

and of Scotland 1,498 _ _ _ 85,898

Total - 9,009 - - 635,089

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Wefl-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchctjucr in the courle of this year.
Was, from the cuftom-houfe in Loudon - X^2,43i,9i6 2 6

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 13,100 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms in Great Britain /^ 2, 445 ,01 6 2 6

There were C"ined at the mint in the courfe of the year
18,075 pounds or gold, value - r vC844j554 7 '^

and no iilvcr.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain, from
Chriftmas 1767 to Chriftmas 1768, was as follows.

Import

ed into

» ExiHirted from \

Countries, i'c.

ENCrLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAHU.

Africa . . -

J^ti7,24() 1

4

*£'6 12,392 9 6

^'734

1 0

Canaries

4,785 5

5

39,840 ly 5

Deiunaik and Norway

711,043 15

5

J:2gfi60 0

'

178,041 7 1<J

17,803

19 6

Kast country

3I8,S40 13

4

124,121 5 3

Enst-India

1,307,963 0

2

J

1,150,082 16 8

Flanders - . -

118,595 16

5

14 8

0

60rl,258 9 1

55,914

11 3

France ...

133, UX) 7

3

2,4C)6 0

4

271,828 15 7

337,357

4 0

Germany

6S9,562 17

9

19,742 2

3

1, 499,732 0 4

55,353

4 5

Greenland

12,483 15

C

63 12 0

Moli.ttid • - •

455,814 4

9

104,737 12

7

1,744,974 5 8

300,294

7 11

Ireland

1,226,094 0

3

277,146 7

J

2,248,315 6 5

383,060

9 7

Mann - - -

359 2

0

180

6 0

Italy

673,915 11

5

3,024 6

6

781,350 11 11

12,162

10 9

Madeira - - -

3,864 16

8

543 12

/

25,588 6 3

334

12 3

Poland ...

25,730 1

3

711,908 4 4

3,313

3 9

Portugal

391,502 3

8

15,679 10

0

711,908 4 4

481

8 0

Prussia . - -

19,358 4

<'

303

5 9

Russia ...

934,817 13

6

104,709 7

3

126,569 14 4

363

3 6

Spain ...

472,045 2

6

9,<^7 14

10

1,076,005 7 10

11,559

2 6

Gibraltar

40 0

0

682

I 1!

Straits , . -

12,212 18

6

91,005 18 2

Sweden

204,2/ 8 17

2

20,664 19

11

56,3.52 10 7

5,GlO 15 10|

Turkey

103,079 19

4

109,194 7 8

Venice ...

78,209 6

4

41,294 17 8

Guernsey, Sec. - ; -

36,287 8

0

3,010 9

0

47,456 1 9

Hudson's bay

8,008 7

6

5,500 13 9

Newfoundland

48,357 0

6

2,198 17

8

46,761 '2 1

796

4 9

Quel)ec . - -

37,162 6

4

742 6

0

110,598 12 5

3,116

8 1

Nova-Scotia

1.247 2

6

19,571 12 10

New-England

148,375 3

6

9,429 3

9

419,797 9 4

11,009

12 8

New-York

87,115 5

IC

4,694 5

9

482,930 14 4

7.743

7 3

Peinisylvania

5y,40a 8

5

2,264 15

1

432,107 17 4

9.722

6 5

Mar}'land

Virginia - ^ -

\ 406,048 13

11

f 97.241 12
1273,364 5

7
0

} 475,954 6 2

f 40,773

1 152,795

5 8
1 9

North Carolina
South Carolina

]■ 508,108 0

10

f 8,707 10
I 9.426 6

10
4

1 289,868 12 3

f 6,329

I 4,727

1 6

n 0

Georgia . . -

42,402 13

10

56,562 13 5

Florida . - -

14,078 6

3

32,572 0 7

Antigua

330,013 9

4

63,609 2

4

132,139 9 6

13,895

1 4

Anguilla

6,007 12

1

Barbados . . -

281,461 3

8

14,021 6

3

191,601 17 7

1,761

10 2

Bernuida - -

829 8

0

10,526 9 11

Dominica - - -

203,828 14

8

18,411 3 1

Grenada - - -

376,940 12

2

18,780 2

0

120,419 18 2

5,657

12 2

Jamaica . . -

1,215,628 19

9

0(),45S 3

1

473,146 13 3

29,129

19 3

Montserrat

69,563 11

3

3,430 8

4

25,572 5 10

3,308

10 9

Nevis . . -

71.144 17

10

15,674 0 3

New-Pro\ idence

2,523 6

4

6,752 13 9

St. Cliristophers

301,328 15

6

24,197 14

1

143,739 0 7

24,859

18 4

St. Mncenli

35,762 6

8

24,553 13 4

Tobago ...

485 0 2

Toitola . . -

50,443 19

10

17,746 0 9

St. Croix

12,383 19

4

49 14

11

6,387 4 4

St. Tbomns

19 5

0

St. Lucia

syi 3

0

St. Martins

995

10 J.

Spanish WVst-Indics -

34,633 8

1

4,6p4 18 0

West-Indies in general

3,328 15 t

Imp. and cxp. of Enjjland

11,878,661 2

7

15,117,982 16 1

Imp. and cxp. of Scotland

1,237,619 12

7

1,237,619 12

7

1,502,149 10 1

1,502,14^

10 1

Totiil, Great Britain, -

13,116.280 15

2

16,620,132 6 2

A. D. 1769. 487

1^69 — Mr. Bougainville, who in November 1766 had failed by order
of the king of France on a voyage of difcovery, arrived at St Malos
(14''' March), after having made a fmall fettlement at Falkland's iflands,
(called by the French les Malouines), and made a circuit of the globe,
in the courfe of which he difcovered many iflands hitherto unknown.

March — The mines in the neighbourhood of Newcaflle were now fo
judicioufly managed as to be very productive of the pretious metals. As a
proof of this, a mafs of fdver weighing 31 1 pounds, and another of pure
gold weighing 18 pounds, were delivered from a refinery near that town.

As the time was near at hand, when the annual payment of ^^400,000
to government by the Eaft-India company, and alio the parliamentary
reftridlion of the dividends, would expire, the company, plainly perceiv-
ing, that the large fum exadled from them would thenceforth be con-
lidered by adminiflration as a part of the regular revenue, were now
only defirous of being gratified with feme compenfation for, what they
deemed, fo great a facrifice. They therefor requefled of government
to prolong their charter for five years ; but it was abfolutely refuied,
and the company were more than ever made fenfible, that they were
entirely in the hands of a fuperior power, to whofe will there was a ne-
ceflity of lubmitting. After holding feveral general courts, and much
correfpondence between adminiftration and the company, the following
agreement was confirmed by parliament.

April 20'^ — The Eaft-India company became bound to pay to the
public ^(^400,000 annually for five years to come. They were permit-
ted to increafe their dividends, at a rate not exceeding One per cent each
year, till they fliould be railed to 'Twelve and a half per cent, wliich they
muft never exceed. Should the company, inftead of increafing, be
obliged to reduce, their dividends, a proportional dedudion was to be
made from the fum payable to government, which was to be entirely
given up, if the company fhould be obliged to reduce their dividends to
Six per cent. Daring the five years the company were obliged to export
Britiih goods equal in value to the average amount of thofe they ex-
ported in the laft five years. And if any cafli {liould remain in their
treafury, after the payment of certain fpecified debts, they were bound
to lend it to the public at the interell of two per cent. [9 Geo. III. c.

24-]

The ad tor encouraging the coinage of nioney was made perpetual,
[9 Geo. III. f. 25.]

The permillion to carry rice from the two Carolinas and Georgia to
any places fouth of them, and to places in Europe fouth of Cape Finil-
terre, was prolonged to 24'*" June 1774. [9 Geo. lll^ c. 27.]

May i" — In confequence of the petition of the mcrchantsof Jerfey and
Guernfey concerned in the Newfoundland filhery, they were perniitte*!
to export from their iflands to Newfoundland or the Britifli colonies in.

488 A. D. 1769.

America all goods of the growth or manufadure of Great Britain ne-
<:eflary for the fifhery, under certain reftridtions, and to import to thofc
iflands any non-enumerated goods, except rum. [9 Geo. Ill, c. 28.]

Burning mills, and deflroying or damaging engines for draining any
kind of mines, or the waggon-ways, bridges, trunks, ftaithes, &c. or
fences belonging to any mine, were made felony without benefit of
clergy, [9 Geo. Ill, c. 29.]

The encouragement hitherto held out to the cultivators of filk in the
fouthern American colonies, by purchafmg the cocoons for government
at a price above their value, having been found to effect no confiderable
exertions in the production of that article, it was now determined, that
the encouragement fhould be in the form of a bounty upon the import-
ation of filk produced in America into Great Britain in velTels legally
navigated, as follows.

from 1^ Jan. 1770 to i*^ Jan. 1777 a premium of 25 per cent,
from \^ Jan. 1777 to i"* Jan. 1784 20 per cent,

and from i'^ Jan. 1784 to i*^ Jan. 17 91 15 per cent,

on the value of the filk. [9 Geo. Ill, c. •jS.]

The importation of raw hides and Ikins from Ireland and the Britifli
colonies in America free of duty was permitted for five years ; and the
duty upon feal ikins, tanned or tawed, was alrered to three halfpence
a pound, of which one penny to be drawn back upon exportation.
[9 Geo. Ill, c. 39.]

The mode of paying the prizes in the lottery was this year altered.
Infl;ead of giving the proprietors of the fortunate tickets annuities in
the funds proportioned to the fum of their prizes, government now en-
gaged to pay the value in cafti. Inftead of limiting the hi2;hefi; prize to
X^ro,ooo, one or two prizes of /^20,ooo, and feveral of /?i 0,000, were
now mtroduced*.

The Eaft-India company loft no time in availing themfelves of the
permifiion contained in the late a6t to augment their dividend one per
cent ; and their dividend for July was accordingly paid at the rate of
eleven per cent.

July 10''' — The ifland of St. John in the Gulf of St. Laurence was de-
tached from the government of Nova-Scotia \ and the king appointed
Walter Paterfon Efquire to be the firft governor of it. Settlers had be-
gun to refort to this ifland the preceding fummer ; a town plot was laid
out ; and great hopes were entertained of the profperity of the colony.

General Carlton, governor of CXiebec, fent home a report of the ma-
nufactures in his provinces, which confifted of the following articles.

* Succeeding lotteries have had one, and fre- in order to hold out temptations to avarice, and to

qiiently even two,' prizes of ^30,000; and in ge- enlarge the chance of rich prizes remaining in the

heral it has been the policy of the lottery fchemes wheel till late in the drawing.
fo throw the moft of the money into great prizes,

A. D. 1769. 489

A conflderable quantity of coarfe linen made for private ufe from
flax raifed in the country.

Some worded ilockings knit by the women, and fonie hnfy-woolfy
fluffs.

A coarfe kind of earthen ware for milk pans, &c.

Some leather, very indifferently tanned witli hcmlock-fprucc, for
making mocaffms (a kind of fhocs), for which purpofe large quantities
of American tanned leather are imported from the other colonies, the
Britifli leather being too ftrong, and too dear.

About 400,000 pounds of bar iron, made at the forges of St. Mau-
rice.

Iron ware for the mod common ufes, and alfo edge tools, axes, and
hatchers, for the confumption of the country, and for the Indians.

Pearl-afh and pot-afli were made for about two years preceding this
tirne, but hitherto with little fuccefs. With proper enco iragement
they might become important articles of commerce, as might alfo hemp
and flax.

A diflillery of rum from melaffes, newiy edabliflied at Qixebec, was
expected to lave confiderable fums, hitherto fent to New-England and
New-York, and alfo to introduce a direct trade with the Weft-Indies.

Such were the manufadlures of this province ; far beneath the jea-
loufy of Britifh manufadurers. But in the difcontented provinces they
were much more confiderable *.

Augufl 17''' — The fl(Hirifhing ifland of Antigua was greatly diftreffed
by a fire, which almoft reduced to aflics the town of St. John's, the
capital. The damage was eftinrated at ^400,000.

The Eaft-India company had now been for fome time engaged in a
harallin^ and expenfive war with Hyder Aly, a foldier of fortune, who
by fuperior talents, and the affiftance of European officers in difciplin-
ing his armies, had raifed himfelf from a low ftation to be the Sove-
reign of a great and rich territory in the fouth part of India. The
company's fervants in India were chai'ged with having wantonly rufhed
into this war to ferve their own private ends, to the dilgrace of the Brit-
ifli name, and the ruin of the intereft of their employers committed
to their charge ; and they were moreover faid to have conducted it
more like a lucrative job than a regular fj-ftem of warfare. General
Smith's hands being tied up by this plan of mifcondud, Hyder, by a
* judicious and rapid movement, entered the territories of the nabob of
Arcot, the faithful ally of the company ; and, after pouring out his venge-
ance againft him, he prefcntcd himfelf in great force within feven
miles of Madras, whereby he was enabled to dictate the terms of a peace
CO the government of that prefidency, and to compell them to lay theii*

• A more general aci;a«nt nl American nunufjclurct will be given under the yf«r i»7{.

Vol. III. i Q^

490 A. D. 1769.

commands on General Smith to defift from purfuing the advantages he
was ready to reap by Hyder's abfence from his capital.

The war with Hyder having exhaufted the treafury of the prefidency
of Madras, remittances were made to it from Bengal, for which they
were obliged to have recourfe to a bafe fpecies of gold coin, on the ex-
change of which the company loft ;(^4o,ooo. A total flop was put to
the inveftments, which uled to be made from Madras to China ; and
the manufadturers of the country were ruined by the ravages of the
enemy, or at a ftand for want of fale. Such were the effeds of this war
upon the company's affairs in India. At home the alarm excited by the
rumour of the diftant evil operated fo pow-erfuUy upon the imagination
and the fears of the ftock-holders, that India ftock fell above 60 per
cent in a few days, though the directors publidied the difpatches they
had jufl received from India, whereby it appeared, that the company's
affairs in that part of, the world were in general in a flourifliing flate,
and that there was no reafon to apprehend any ruinous confequences
from the war with Hyder.

The directors, however, were fully fenfible, that it was abfolutely ne-
ceflliry to take fome vigorous fteps to correct the abufes, which were
too evident in the condud of their fervants in India ; and they deter-
mined upon fending out as fupervifors three gentlemen of acknowleged
ability, charader, and experience, in the affairs of India, and to inveft
them with ample powers to redrefs the evils, and controul the abufes,
which exlfted in that country.

As to the necefTity of fuch a nieafure there was no doubt or difpute,
except with the friends of thofe who were fuppofed liable to fuffer by a
reform in India : but there were great differences of opinion refpeding
the degree of power proper to be delegated to the fupervifors. When,
after very keen difputes, this matter wis at laft fettled by the court of
proprietors, government unexpededly interfered with a demand that an
officer commiffioned from the crown fliould have a principal fhare in
the diredion of the company's affiiirs in India ; the confequence of
which was fuppofed by the company nothing fliort of a complete fur-
render of their territorial acquifitions into the hands of the miniftry,
than which, it was argued, it would be far better to refign them to the
princes of the country, who in return would give the company terms
of the greateft advantage to their commerce. The company thought
the government ought to be content with receiving from them annu-
ally a fum, exceeding the whole dividends paid to all the proprietors,
and exceeding the revenues of many fovereign princes, without attempt-
ing to fet up a jarring authority, which muft infallibly involve them in
ruin. At length the conteft between government and the company was
in a great meafure got rid of by the former fending out a naval officer
with extraordinary powers, the operation of which was confined to the

A. D. 1769. 491

Gnlf of Perfia, where the company had feme petty difputes with a few
turbulent chiefs on the coafts. Afterwards the powers to be veiled in
Meflieurs Vanfittart, Scrafton, and Ford, as fupervifors, were finally ad-
jufted ; and government appointed two frigates to condudl them to In-
dia *.

The flourifhing and improved ftate of the company's commerce was
made evident from a comparative examination of their exports, where-
by it appeared, that the manufadures, produds, flores, &c. fhipped by
them in the feven years ending with 29"" September 1769 had exceed-
ed thofe of the feven preceding years by the fum of ^^959,379 : 4 : r i ;
and that the gold and filver exported in the fame ipace of time were lefs
^y £^ ,374,591 : 7 : 6 ; that in the year 1767 there was only £g4.6 : 5 : 4,
and in 1768 none at all, the great remittances from Bengal and Madras
having been fufficient, with the goods carried from England to China,
for the inveftments from that empire. The accounts of a fcarcity of
filver in Bengal, and the uncertainty how far that prefidency might be
enabled by the territorial revenue to fend fupplies to China, induced
the company in 1769 to fhip filver to the amount of /^i 62,1 37 : 10 : o
to China.

Odober — The difcontents of the journeymen filk-weavers were fre-
quently breaking out in combinations for raifing their wages, and for
impofing taxes upon their brethren to fupport them in idlenefs and in
their ads of violence upon the property of their employers, whofe looms,
together with the goods in them, they frequently defl:royed, in defiance of
the law, which punifiies fuch enormities by death. Their riots were at
length fupprefied, but not without bloodfhed, feveral of themfelves, and
fome of the foldiers, being killed in the fkirmiflies.

An account of the exports of the province of South Carolina from i*
November 1768 to i" November 1769 was fent home by Lieutenant-
governor Bull. They amounted to ^404,056 fterling, whereof there
was fhipped for Great Britain to the amount of - £260,^04.

Portugal, 24,264 barrels office, - - 54,594

Spain, 5.046 do. "."."..' ^^'353

The chief articles of the exports, with their prices in Charleftown,
were as follows.

Rice

Butter

Pitch

Turpentine

Tanned leather

Pork

• The Aurora frigate, onboard which th;fc gentlemen were, was unhappily loll, and it w»i r.ever*
known wlitrc or how they pel idled.

3Q.2

Sterling.

23,317 barrels at £2

5

0

>C:

77.463 5

0

789 firkins

2

2

6

-

1,676 12

6

6,106 barrels

0

7

0

-

2,137 2

»

4,616

0

I 2

0

-

2,769 12

0

2,413 fides

I

12

0

-

3,860 16

0

2,179 harrels

0

'7

0

-

1,852 3

0

492 A. D. 1769.

Tobacco - 214,210 pounds o 15 o per cwt. 1,606. 6 6

Indigo - 380,570 036'- 66,599 15 o

Hemp - 290,095 X 3 o per cwt. 3,^36 2 6

Indian corn - 65,751 bufhc-ls 020 - 6,c75 2 o

Peas - - 11,680 020 - 1,168 o o

Flour - 2,754 barrels i 17 6 - 5.163 15 o

Ship bread - 898 160 - 1,167 14 o

Staves - 229,500 5 o o per M, 1,147 10 o

Planks and boards 678,350 feet 070 per C. 2,374 4 6

Shingles - 1,987,000 o 14 6 per M 1.440 ii 6

Deer fkins - 184,22.1 pounds 020 - 18,422 2 o
Raw filk - 1,014 106 - ',039 7 o

Befides thefe there were a variety of other articles, none of which
amounted to £1000 flcrling *.

The Turks iflands ufed to be reforted to in the proper feafon by-
people from Jamaica and Bermuda for raking (or colleding) the fait,
the only produce of thofe iflands ; and veflels from North America ufed.
to call there with money and provifions to purchafe cargoes of fait: and.
no other trade \va.s carried on there.

But after the eftablifhment of an agent fome people from Bermuda
fettled on the iflands, and took upon them by regulations of their own
to exclude all others from the benefit of the fak-ponds. The Turks
iflands foon became not merely a port for the fait trade, but alfo an
cntre-port, where veflels from the northern colonies, St. Euiiathius,
Cura<joa, Hifpaniola, and Cuba, met, and, as there was no curtomS
houfe, carried on an uncontrouled trade in their feveral commodities
and the manufactures of their refpedive mother countries, and alfo car-
ried off the rough materials of manufadures produced in the Bahama
iflands (which were illegally carried to that rendezvous), to the great
prejudice of the revenue and fair trade of Great Britain.

Such was the report made to the governor of the Bnhama iflands by
Mr. Brown, an old officer of the government at New-Providence. The
report of the arrivals of veflels made by Mr. Symer, the agent for Turks
iflands, has only feven from Boflon and one from Pifcataqua, loaded
with lumber, fifii, fpermaceti candles, beef, pork, onions, potatoes, &c. f
But it appears by his lift of arrivals from 2' March to 15'" November
1769, that 110 veflels came to the iflands in that time from various
parts of America :j: and the Weft-India iflands, foreign as well as Bri-
tifli, which carried on a free and uncoucrouled trade in Bntifh and fo-

* .'\mong tViefe there were 39 barrels of bittcr-fweet oranges, (a fpecies now neglecfted) and ico
gallons of orange juice.

f If Mr. Brown's account of the trade is corrcft, the illicit arrivals of the foreign vefTels had hi-
thcito been fiippriffed in the agent's report.

J It 18 woithy of being noted, that, tven at this time, one of thefc vedels was named The fra
if^,tritan.

A. D. 1769.

493

reign produce and mannfa6lures, as well as fait, whereby it was appre-
hended that the Americans might be enabled to perlift in their agree-
ments again ft importing Britifh goods, as they could eafily be fupplied.
through this channel with the manufadures of other countries ; and it
was obferved, on a vifit to Turks idands by the governor of the B.iha.na
iflands, that the people there were generally dreiled in French manufac-
tures.

The linen exported from Dublin, which in the year 1768 artiounted
to rS.4.c)o,r95 yards, was this year only 17,790,705.

The report of Mr. Swallow, the Britifli conful at Peterfburg, for this
year ihowii, that the general trade of that pUce was increafivig, and that
the BritiHi trade thither, employing this year 322 veflels \va^ confider-
ably more ihiu the whole trade of all other nations at that port *.

In the courfc of this year the goods imported into Hamburirh from
Great Britain, Ireland, and the Britifli Weft-Indies, in 216 veftels, where-
of 178 were Britiih, amounted in value to ^^949, 074 5 o fterling,
And the imports at the lame city from the

ports of France in 203 vefTels, whereof 17

were Britiih, aud not one French, - 1,208.461 10 o

The commerce of the Baltic fea appears to have been increafing at
this time ; for there were 449 more vefli'ls which paffed the Sound in
this year, th m there were in the preceding one. The following is the
ftatement for 1769.

VefTels belonging to

VefTels belonging to

Bremen

-

99

Lubeck - - 49

Courland

-

10

Pruflia - - . 296

Denmark

-

1,032

Rullia - - 35

Dantzick

-

262

Roftock - - 62

England

-

1,840

Sweden -- - 1,149

France

-

13

Spain - - - 3

Holland

2 so8

Hamburgh,

-

20

1.594

5.7«4

c -7R.1

Total 7.378

An eQimate v^ras made this year of the trade of the North- American
provixKcs, including iludlon's bay and Newfoundland, wherein the Bri-
tifti vefTels employed in trading with thofe colonies are ftated to be
1,078, carrying 28,91-0 feamen. The exports from Great Britain are
made to amount to £3,Syo,C)00, and the exports from the colonies to

* Mr. Swallow'^ {latcmc;ir, wln'cli is very circumnantial, was honoured with a letter fiom the loiJ-.
of tr.iiie, fignifyiiifj their fatisfaftioii with tlie accuracy of his reports, which contain th« quantity of
pvciy aiticic Ihipptd to tvciy poit, but not tlicir Tilue.

494

A. D. 1769.

/^ -5, 924,606: but, if we are to judge from the cuftom-houfe accounts,
there fcems reafon to believe that the amount is exaggerated *.

In the courfe of this vear the emprefs of Germany declared Oftend a
free port ; and the king of Denmark declared his port of Glukftadt at
the mouth of the Elbe alfo free, and abolifhcd the duties on veflds and
goods.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,939 vcilels of the reputed burthen of 573.987 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,508 _ - - 80,928

Total 9,447 - - - 654,915

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-

a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,

was from the cuftom-houfe in London - ;^2,629,o86 4 6

And from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 10,000 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain ;^2 ,639,086 4
There were coined in the courfe of the year

13.410 pounds of gold, value

;^626,582 5 o

and no filver.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain, from
Chriftmas 1768 to Chriftmas 1769, was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Atrica

Ganarios

Denmark and Norway

East Country

E.ist-Inclia

Flanders

France

Germ,iny

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Minorca

Mad<rira

Poland

Portiigal

Pmssia

Russia . - ,

Spain

Gibraltar

IiniJortt'd into

ENGLAND.

£5S,C)55

12

6

6,612

5

11

82,460

8

4

i5(J,4S\

13

9

l,8ti3,233

14

10

103,276

18

3

(11,245

6

11

619,181

11

9

21,353

0

5

323,720

14

5

1,265,107

12

8

930,045

'9

0

4,935

9

7

369,120

9

1

1,038,614

15

10

577,816

6

4

SCOTLAND.
^462 1

38,235 0

1,179

2,233

18,433

3,921

110,755

144,501

788

3,495

470

9,543

14,.';47

14,028

127,975

/,942

30

9

13

14

0

10

14

1

3

17
19
7
6
8
3
6

1
5

&

3

10

2

7

5

Exported from

KNGLAND.
i£605,lSO 5

36,036

1 6i), 1 55

74,422

1,205,388

623,579

113,310

1,338,866

2

1,658,551
1,964,742

6
6
3
18
2

9
9
o

13
1

746,220 6 2

27,459 2 3

545,367 2 2

158,777 n 5

830,893 19 6

SCOTLAND.

^£"212 0 10

17,838

62,6/6 17

299,498 19

50,130 15

J7
10

I
19

12
1

IS
16
10
8
0
13

1

306,085

419,271

150

6,420

2,936

1,667
763
S95

3,158
10,407

1 ,507

0
10
1
6
8

9

10

O

3

• The fiiil article, the exports from Great Brit- times nothing. In this y^nr it was £^,(^55 ' ^^^ ^

ain to Huufon's bay, is dated at jf lo.coo ; but the do not find any year in a hich it ha5 reached jCi;,oco

offiaal value of the exports to that fcttlement in fe- in the cuftom-houfe accounts,
vci'al of the early years is under j^i,cco, and fome- ■♦

A. D. 1769.

495

Coiin tries, &c.

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Guernsej', &c.

Hudson's bay

NewfoundJand

Quebec

Nova-Scotia

New- England

New-York

Pennsylvania

Maryland

Virginia

North Carolina

South Carolina

Georgia

Florida

Antigua

Anguilla

Barbados

Bermuda

Dominica

Grenada

Jamaica

Montserrat

Nevis

New- Providence

St. Christojihers

St. Vincents

Tobago

Tortola

Turks islands

St. Croix

Spanish West-Indies

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain -

Imported into

Exported from

i:nglamd.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAKD.

SCOTLAND. [

a£7,775

5

7

f£ 142,237

15

4

ib-i,896

8

3

i^" 18,408

1

11 57,211

14

8

^3,814

18 3

14-1,419

17

3

90,880

12

6

60,376

5

8

74,371

8

6

32,728

0

4

1,643

17

6

65,794

19

10

7,087

5

7

4,655

13

4

50,835

3

3

4,9S3

10

1

64,080

5

4

961

11 3

43,434

2

3

179

7

4 174,435

5

7

2,yOy

3 7

2,270

3

7

19.271

0

2

129,353

3

8

13,422

9

1 207,993

14

3

15,701

17 3

73, -if^

a

9

39.916

4

11 74,918

7

10

1,012

11 9

20,111

11

4

2,000

15

5

199.909

17

11

5,069 19 5|

} 361,893

12

0

r 98,353
I 299,715

6
6

8
4

} 488,362

15

1

< 51,511
i 175,009

4 1
16 6

1 387,114

12

1

/ 11,312
1 6,587

6
14

8
4

} 306,600

5

6

S 11,S>47
I 8,637

2 8
0 4

82,270

2

3

58,340

19

4

1,744

12

2

29,509

4

10

185

3 I

232,080

s

6

48,906

10

0

151,642

2

9

9,333

15 6

3,7-17

17

3

254,092

15

6

26,528

6

0

165,050

10

9

5,164

1 9

1,7-14

19

3

12,621

8

9

158,543

2

4

31,863

10

1

307,562

15

1

21,398

16

7 113,054

6

8

9,871

10 8

1,266,630

.0

4

110,054

19

7 570,468

10

11

53,360

14 3

77.653

16

0

783

13

Q 23,110

1

9

92

15 4

40,379

4

6

3,179

15

9

10,428

9

5

4,435

15

11

6,082

18

8

224,096

9

9

18,796

11

0

115,609

10

4

24,005

3 2

-0,772

9

3

33,720
6,119

16
0

10
0

770

1 0

54,560

1

5

812

3

8

27,100

12

10

1 9,220

1

3

2,809

4

10

103

10 0

81,494

2

0

11,352

3

7

1 1 ,908,560

16

5

13,438,236

6

11

1,225,529

16

1

1,225,529

16

1

1,563,045

19

0

1,503,045

19 0

13,134,000

12

6

I5,001.2S2

5

11

ijjo — The French Eaft-India company, notwithftanding the advant-
ages beftovvcd upon them by the khig in the year 1764, continued to
languifh and decHne. On the 13''' of Auguft 1769 their exclufive pri-
vilege was fufpended by an arret of council, and leave given to all
French fubjects to fail to India, they being obliged to take out a palP
port (free of expenfe) from the India company, to return to no other
port but L'Orient, where warehoiiles and other conveniencies were pro-
vided, and to pay a duty of Jive per cent on the merchandize of India
and China, and three per cent on that of the ides of France and Bour-
bon.

The company thereupon offered to furrender to the king all their
lliipping, amounting to thirty vellels, all their naval and military (lores,

49^ A. D, 1770,

their warehoufes in France, their forts with all their dependencies in
TndLi, togetlier with 2,450 flaves belonging to them in India, for the
fum of thirty millions of livres, and they at the fame time alked pay-
ment of fixteen millions and a half of livi-es due to them by the king.
But he, by his cdid of January 1770, gave them an annuity of
1,200,000 livres in full compenration for the fums demanded by them.
This mode of fettling their affairs they were obliged to fubmit to ; and,
after fome other arrangements, needlefs to be here detailed, the French
Eaft-India company appear to have become dormant, though not ex-
tindl, as a trading company, and funk into a fet of proprietors of divid-
ends payable by the government.

From the time that the Englifli Eafl-India company fucceeded to the
territorial revenues of Bengal to April 1770, when the edid for the fuf-
penfion of the French company's monopoly arrived in India, the amount
of the duties paid by that company into the cuflom-houfe at Hougley
was as follows.

Sicca rupees.

From Septemper 1765 to April 1766 - 10,085 8 o

From May 1766 to April 1767 - 12,579 5 8

From May 1767 to April 1 768 - 18,354 i^ 4

From May 1768 to April 1769 - 18,310 12 4

From Way 1769 to April 1770 - 12,185 13 8

Thefe fums multiplied by 40 give the total of the French company's

trade at that factory, as flated by themfelves. What was paid by the

French fadorics at Patna, Dacca, &c. or by private French merchants,

(whole duties were four per cent on the amount of their invoices) does

not appear from any books or accounts received at the India-houfe.

The French Eafl-lndia trade did not flourifh after it was laid open,
though the duties payable in France were very moderate ; and the king
is faid to have lent his fliips to fome of the adventurers. The failure of
fuccefs may in a great meafure be imputed to the want of due experi-
ence of the nature of the trade in many of thole whom the fufpenfion
of the monopoly induced to become adventurers. But probably the
moft cffedual caufe of the want of fuccefs was the general diflrefs
brought upon the country by the difgraceful breach of faith in the go-
vernment, who reduced the interefh of the national debt to one half of
the ftipulated rate, and deprived the holders of tontine flock of the be-
nefit of furvivorfhip. This fhamelefs flretch of power to plunder the
fubject brouc^ht ruin upon many thoufands of individuals, and was pro-
bably the principal caufe of the numerous bankruptcies, which about
this time fpread mifery and difmay through the whole kingdom of
France *.

* One houfe at Marfeille failed for twenty millions of livres.

A. D. 177c. 497

March 16'^ — The act for prohibiting the exportation of all forts of
grain and malt, and the extradion of fpirits from wheat, and permitting
the importation of faked meat and butter from Ireland and America
for a limited time, was continued. And the free importation of tallow,
hog's lard, and greafe, was alfo continued till 25''^ March 1773. [ic
Geo. HI, cc. r, 2.]

But the exportation of malt was very foon afterwards permitted (29"'
March). [10 Geo. III^ c. 10.]

April 1 2'*" — The merchants trading to A.merica having prefented a pe-
tition, fetting forth the great loffes they fuftained by the interruption
of their trade in confequence of the late laws,

The aft [7 Geo. Ill, c. 46] for laying duties on glafs, &c. landed ia
the Britifh colonies in America was repealed, as to glais, red-lead, white-
lead, painter's colours, paper, and pafteboards, ' as the faid duties, in fo
' far as they afFeifl the produce and manufadlures of Great Britain, do
* in their nature tend to the prejudice and difcouragement thereof, and
' are therefor contrary to the true principles of commerce.' The draw-
back on China ware carried to America was alfo reftored, but the duty
on tea was allowed to remain in force, [10 Geo. Ill, c. 17] being intend-
ed as a fmall acknowlegement (or afTertion) of the fupremacy of the
Britifh parliament in the legiflative and revenue concerns of the colo-
nies *.

The fields to the weftward of London, in the parilh of St. Mary-Ie-
bone (commonly called Marybone) having been very much built upon,
the feveral regulations for paving, lighting, &c. for the names of the
flreets and numbers of the houfes, for regulating weights, meafures, &c.
were extended to that quarter. [10 Geo. Ill, c. 23.]

The hberty of carrying rice to any part of Europe fouth of Cape Fi-
niflerre, which had been formerly granted to the provinces of Carolina
and Georgia, was extended to the two Floridas. [lo Geo. Ill, c. 31.]

The commillioners of the longitude were empowered to receive pro-
pofals relating to the dil'covery of the longitude, and for improving the
lunar tables, or for any other difcoveries or improvements ufeful to na-
vigation; and, if they fhould think the propofed improvements worthy
of a reward, to recommend them to the commiiFioners of the navy for
a reward not exceeding ;^5,ooo. [10 Geo. Ill, c. 34.]

Of two millions of money, borrowed in the 29th year of George II,
one half million was added to the three-per-cent funds ; and one mil-
lion and a half conflituted a particular fund or flock, bearing intereflat

• Tlic bill for this rcpc-al was brought iiito par- an evil eye, wherein four of the town's people were

liamen' on the 5th 01 March, and on the evening killed, and fcven ■vo'.nidcd. This was tht firfl

of that very fame day a fquabblc happened in the blood (hcd in the iinhapj'j qiiaiTcl between Great

llreeta of Dollon between the town's people and Britain and the col;;aici.
The foldiers, who had long viewed each other with

Vol. III. 3 R

49^ A. D. 1770.

three and a half per cent, with a condition, in the option of parliament,
to be repaid any time after the expiration of fifteen years computed
from the 11'' of February 1756; which fum was accordingly now or-
dered to be paid off at. the bank on the 12"' of February 1771. [10
Geo. Ill, c. 36.]

Tilt" encouragement given to the cultivation of indigo in the Britifjj
colonies in America was continued till the 25 ** of March 1777. [10
Geo. Ill, c. 37.]

The permiilion to import linen yarn, and the bounty of three half-
pence a yard on the exportation of Britifli and Irifh linens not exceed-
ing i/O per yard in value, were continued till 24''' June 1778. A new
bounty of one halfpenny per yard was allowed upon Britifh checqued
and ftriped linens, not Icfs than 25 inches in breadth, and from 7^/ to 1/6
in value : and the bounty of three halfpence was extended to fheetings
and table linens above yard-wide, to be computed on the fqviare yard,
fo that the value do not exceed ifS the fquare yard. In order to pre-
vent finer linens from being entered for the bounty, the officers of the
cufloms are empowered to take to thenifelves fuch linens on paying the
proprietor one penny a yard above the invoice price. The bounties al-
lowed by this aft are ordered to be paid without any fee, reward, or de-
dudion whatfoever. [10 Geo, III, c. 38.]

In order to encourage the cultivation of hemp and flax in this king-
dom, additional duties had been laid on foreign linens [7 Geo. HI, c. 58]
to conftitute a fund not exceeding /^ 15, 000 a year. It was now enabl-
ed that ^8,000 of that fum fhould be appropriated to thofe purpofes in
England ; and no lefs than ^^7,000 a year for the fame purpofes Ihould
be put under the management of the trufl:ees for fiflieries and manufac-
tures in Scotland. If the allotted funds fliould fall fhort, England
(hould have eight fifteenths, and Scotland feven fifteenths of the money
colleded*. [10 Geo. Ill, c. 40.]

Whereas a regifter of the prices of corn in the feveral counties in
Great Britain was thought generally ufeful, the juftices of peace were
diredted to give orders at their firft quarter fellions after the 29''' of
September in every. year for returns to be made weekly of the prices of
every kind of grain, and to caufe a ftandard Winchefter bufhel of eight
gallons to be kept at each market town. The returns are to be tranf-
mitted to the trcafury, and there to be regiflered in a book kept for
that purpofe, an abftradt of which is ordered to be publifhed weekly in
the London gazette. It was alfo enafted, that a regifter fhould be kept
of the quantities of corn exported and imported, with the amount of the
bounties paid, and duties received, on the fame, to be made up from re-

• It appears by the tlilrteentti Report of the been made in England for any premiums for raif-
oomuiiffioners for examining tlie public accounts, ing hemp and flax ; and that fome payments had
dated 18"* March 1785, that no claims had then been made in Scotland on that account.

A. D. 1770. 459

turns to be tranfmitted from the commiflioners of the cuftoms in Eng-
land and Scotland. [10 Geo. I/I, c. 39.]

The duties formerly ])aid upon foreign hats or bonnets made of bafi:
or ftraw, chip, cane, and horfe-hair, were repealed ; and a new duty im-
pofed of I2y5 on every dozen of fuch hats, &c. not above 22 inches in
diameter, and of 25/ for fuch as exceed that dimenfion ; and of 6/B a
pound on plating and other materials of bail, &c. ufed in mating hats.
[ro Geo. Ill, c. 43.]

Traders in excifeable commodities, found guilty of keeping falfe
weights and fcales for weighing their excifeable ftock, were fubjected to
a penalty of /^ 100. [10 Geo. Ill, c. 44.]

The penalty of 30 per cent, payable to the India company on goods
imported from the Eafl-Indies by Eritifli lubjec^s trading to India un-
der foreign commiffions, not being found fufficient to check fuch illicit
trade, it was now raifed to cent per cent on the value of all goods io im-
ported. By the fame ad the civil and military fervants of the company
were made amenable to the court of king's bench in England for acls
of opprefHon committed in India. [10 Geo. Ill, c. 47.]

Perfons knowingly receiving flolen jewels or gold and filver plate were
made liable to tranfportation for fourteen years. [10 Geo. Ill, c. 48.]

The delays and evafions of juftice occafioned by the privileges enjoy-
ed by the members of both houfcs of parliament, and even by their fer-
vants, were found extremely prejudicial in a commercial country. It was
therefor enacted, that after the 24''' of June 1770 fuits might be pro-
fecuted in courts of record, equity, or admiralty, and courts having
caufes matrimonial and teftamentary, againll peers and all members of
parliament, without arrefting their perlons : and the courts may order
the iflucs levied by diftrefs infinite to be fold, and the money to be ap-
plied under the dire6tion of the court to pay the plaintiffs cofts. [10
Geo. Ill, c. 50.]

An adl of the Scottifli parliament in the year 1685 had empowered
landed gentlemen to entail their ellates with fuch provifions and reftric-
tlons as they thought proper, which tallies [entails] when completed and
publiflied in the manner directed by the ad, were declared effedual
againfl purchafers, creditors, and all others whatfoever : and many of the
entails, made in confequence of this ad, limited the poflelfors of eftates
from granting leafes beyond their own lives. Such a law being an ef-
fectual bar againfl: all improvement, it was now altered fo far as to per-
mit the polFellurs of cftatcs fo entailed to give leafes for fourteen years
and one exifting life, for two exilling lives and the life of the lurvivor,
or for any number of years not exceeding thirty-one ; provided that
fuch leafes fliall oblige the tenants to improve the lands in the manner
exprelfed in the act. They are alio enabled to grant leafes for ninety-
nine years of lots, not exceeding live acres to one perfon, for the pur-

3R«

500 A. D. 1770.

pofe of building villages confiding of at leaft two lioufes upon each acre,
of the value of at lead £\o each houfe, which muft be kept in fufficient
tenantable repair. But no kafc is to be made at an under-rent in con-
fideration of a fum paid in hand.

In order further to encourage the poffeflbrs of entailed eftates in Scot-
land to improve them by inclofing, planting, and draining, and to build
fuitable fum-houles and offices for the tenants, every fuch pofl'eflbr, on
complying with the prefcribed forms, is empowered during his life-time
to charge the eflate for fuch purpofes with a debt amounting to three
fourths of the money fo expended, but which fliall not exceed four years'
free and net rent ; which debt the iucceeding heir of entail fliall be li-
able to pay, with intereft computed from the time of his acceflion to the
eflate, to the executor of the preceding pofl'efl'or, unlefs fuch execu-
tor be himfelf the heir of entail, before he can make any improvements
himfelf with a view to conftitute a debt upon the next heir of entail.
In the fame manner the pofl~eflbr is enabled to build a manfion-houfe
for himfelf, and to throw three fourths of the expenfe upon his fucceC-
for, fo as the debt thus created do not exceed two years net rent of the
eftate.

For the further improvement of fuch entailed eflates, the poflefTors are
empowered to exchange, vinder the authority of the fhirref or fl;ewart
of the fliire, any detached parcels of land, not exceeding 3? acres of
arable or 100 acres of hill or pafture, for equivalent parcels fituated
more conveniently for the improvement of the entailed eflate, fuch
newly-acquired pieces of land being fubjecl to all the reftridions of the
entail, as much as the refl; of the eflate. And laftly, all tallies (or entails)
of eflates in Scotland, made either before or after the year 1685, are
equally liable to the modifications of this a&. [10 Geo. HI, c. 51.]

Whoever confiders the clofe connexion between improvements of
agriculture and the profperity of commerce, will not think the abridge-
ment of this law impertinent in a hiflory of commerce.

An adl was made for regulating the coal-heavers on the River Thames,
and proteding them from the oppreflions of the coal-undertakers. [10
Geo III, c. c,^.^

The corporation of the city of Glafgow was empowered to improve
the navigation of the River Clyde, and to build a bridge over the river.
[10 Geo. Ill, c. 104.]

Many canals in various parts of the country (the chief of which will
be noticed in due time), and alfo the improvement of feveral fmall har-
bours, were provided for in this feflion of parliament.

The advocates for a fettleinent upon Falkland's illands, in their fan-
guine expectations of advantages to be derived from it, fa w not only the
facility of diflrelling the Spanifh fettlements in time of war, which (as
already obferved under the year 1766) was the objed Lord Anfon had

A. D. 1770. 5or

in view in firfl: propofing it, but alfo vaft profpefts of extenfive trade
with the Indian nations of Chili and the fouthern extremity of America,
and the natives of the great continent to be difcovered in the Antardlic
regions, the vifionary 'terra au/Iralis incognita, befides the profitable clan-
deftine trade with the Spanifh and Portuguefe fettlements in South
America. Similar ideas with refped to trade feem to have prevailed
about the fame time in France, which produced Mr. Bougainville's voy-
age and a fertlement upon thofe iflands, called Port Louis, afterwards re-
ligned by France to Spain.

In the later part of the year 1769 Captain Hunt, the commanding of-
ficer at the Britifh fertlement called Port Egmont, difcovered, that there
was a Spanifh colony with a governor at the head of it at the old French
fettlement, to which the Spaniards had given ihe new name of Port So-
lidad. A correfpondence thereupon enfued between the two command-
ers, wherein each afTerted the fole right of his fovereign to the country,
and warned the other to depart. In February 1770 two Spanifh frigates
arrived, the commander of which protefted againft the Britifh fettle-
ment, declaring at the fame time, that he would take no further ftep
till he fhould acquaint his court of the affair. Captain Hunt thereupon
thought it btfl to go home to inform government of what had happen-
ed ; and he left two floops of war to keep polTcflion in his abfence, one
of which was afterwards loft: on the coaft of America. In the beginning
of June five Sjianifh frigates, with a confiderable military force, arrived
at Poit Egmont, which obliged the Britilh commander to furrcnder the
place, but not his fliii-^ to the Spaniards. The ftiip, however, by an ar-
ticle of the capitulation, was not to fail till a limited time ; and for fe-
curing the perfonnauce of that article the Spaniards thought proper to
unhang the fhip's rudder, and carry it on (hore.

The affront put upon the Bntilh flag, and particularly the affair of the
rudder, was loudly relented at home ; and the minds of moft people
were much enflamed and eager for a war with Spain ; a war, which the
fuggeftions of the diemon of avarice, fliflmg the wifcr counfcl of the
genius of commerce, too often renders popular with the unthinking vul-
gar. In fliort, this trifling object was upon the point of j^lunging Eu-
rope, or raiher the whole world, inro the horrors of war ; and the pre-
miums of iniurance upon outward-bound veffels actually role fro\wfour
to ten per cent But the king of Spain, having happily no inclination
for hoftilities, (or beingy?/o«f/)' adviled againft them) in the begmning
of the h)llowing year (January 177 1) formally difavowed the act of his
officer, and ordered the place to be rcftorcd to Great Britain. It was
accordingly taken poffeffion of (16'' September 1771) ; and afterwards,
upon a fufticient experience of its inutihty, it was filenily abandoned in
the year 1774.

On the application of the planters and others concerned in the illand

502 A. D. 1770.

of Dominica, reprefentlng, that its great diftance from Grenada, the
feat of government, rendered the connexion with that ifland very de-
trimental to it, it was refolved to ere&. it into a feparate government ;
and Sir William Young, who was lieutenant-governor of it under Ge-
neral Melville, the governor-general, was appointed the firft governor.

Mr. George Walker, the juftly-renowned commander of the fquadron
of private fliips of war, called 716^ 7?oj'rt/yrtOT//)', and the public-fpirited
promoter of fiflieries ar Campbelltown and elfewhere in Scotland, fent
home from Nova-Scotia a memorial to the board of trade, fettlng forth,
that about feven years ago he had carried a large cargo of fait and fi{h-
ing implements in his own fhips to America, and having eftablifhed a
fettlement on the coafl; of Nova-Scotia northward of St. John's ifland,
entered largely into the fifhery. He obferves, that the coafl from Baye
vert (Green bay) to the Bay of Chaleur, a tra6l of about 50 leagues, is
the mofl produdive of fifli of any part of America ; that the Bay of
Chaleur abounds with falmon, cod, herring, mackerel, fturgeon, bafs
little inferior to falmon, lobflers, and oyflers; and that it is the only
place in that country free of fogs, whereby the fifh are caught and cured
fiX'weeks earlier than elfewhere, and confcquently can be fo much
fooner at market ; and he adds, that about the firfl of July the fifli mi-
grate to the coafl of Labrador. That great trad of coafl, whereon he
had fettled, was now in the legal pofTeflion of about twenty Britifh fa-
milies, and fllll inhabited by numbers of Indians, and by many Acadian
French, who took advantage of their remotenefs from the feat of go-
vernment, there being no other authority in the whole country than
a fmgle unfupported magiflrate (Mr. Walker himfelf), to inflill princi-
ples of hoflility to the Britifli fcttlers into the minds of the Indians.
The French moreover ufed to procure from the Indians large quanti-
ties of furs in exchange for French goods, which were run in upon the
coafl from St. Pierre and Miquelon. The total want of any legal re-
flraint encouraged the people employed by the Britifli undertakers of
fifheries to run off with their boats and veflels in the fifliing feafon to
remote parts of Newfoundland, where they fold the fifh, and, in order
to elude the purfuits of juflice, entered into other fervices, whereby con-
fiderable property and many fubjeds were lofl to Great-Britain. Other
fifliermen ufed to fell their employer's fifh on the bank for rum, &c.
to the New-England veffels, whereby they rendered themfelves ufe-
lefs for the remainder of the feafon, the confequence of which to their
employers was ruinous. The New-Englanders, no: contented with their
unlawful purchafes, ufed to land upon the coafl, and rob the flakes
of the fifli drying on them in the care of the women and children, and,
prefuming on impunity, frequently carried their piracy to fuch a
pitch of audacity as to let fire to veffels th '.t were flraadeJ, though they
might be got off, merely in order to plunder the iron work. Another

A, D, 1770. 503

thing ruinous to the fifhery, and alfo a conf;.'quence of the want of go-
vernment, was the pradice of throwing the retufe of the fifh overboard
on the fiihing grounds, which poifons the tifli, or drives them off the
banks. This lazy practice had alraofl; ruined the fifhery, when the coun-
try belonged to the French, who made, and enforced, a law againfl it,
whereby the fifhery again revived.

Commodore Walker further reprefented, that the want of a cuflom-
houfe, and the want of legally-conflituted authojity in this fequeftered
region, were infuperable bars to the improvement of the foil, and to the
extenfion of the fifheries and the trade with the Indian natives. There-
for he recommended, that a fub-governor fliould be appointed for this
diftridt *, and fupported by fuch a force as might enable him to pre-
ferve tranquillity and juftice among the fettlcrs, and that he fhould have
tinder his command a few cruifing vefTels to enforce order and regula-
tion, and prevent piracies and illicit trade among the fifhermen during
the feafon. He alfo advifed, that the fame perfon, or another, fhould
ad as deputy-collector of the cuftoms for the convenience and difpatck
of trade.

For fome years pafl the oppreffion of the Britifli merchants feems to
have formed a part of the policy of the Portuguefe government, of which
we have already feen many inftances. This fummer Mr. Connel, a Brit-
ifli merchant, was imprifoned at Lifbon for refuiing to pay brokerage
demanded of him, contrary to treaty, by u broker whom he had not
employed.

The fituation of the Eaft-India Company's affairs being fuch as to
admit of a further augmentation of their dividend, it was declared for
the July payment at the rate oi twelve per cent per annum.

September 17"'' — An artificial navigable cut from the river Lea into
the Thames at Limehoufe was completed, and began to be navigated
by barges. As this new cut faves the long and tedious circumnaviga-
tion of the Ifle of dogs, its great utility to the inland trade of the coun-
try adjacent to the river Lea is obvious.

November 29^ — The ad; prohibiting the exportation of bread and
grain (excepting rice), and the diflillation from whc"at, was furtlicr con
tinned. [11 Geo. Ill, c. i.]

December iG'** — For the better fupply of feamen for the navy and
merchant fervice, merchant-fhips were allowed to have three fourths of
their crews foreigners till the i" of February 1772. [i i Geo. HI, c. 3.]

December 22'' — The free importation of faked provifions from Ire-
land and America was further continued till the i"- of March 17721.
[II do. III. c. 8.]

Lieutenant-governor Bull, of South Carolina ftated the number of
white people about 45,000, and of negroes about 80,000. The land

• This dillrift is now a part of tlic new proTincc of Ncw-Brunfwick.

504 A. D. 1770.

pofTefled by refidents, though not all cultivated, was 2,591,762 acres, as
returned in lafl: year's tax. Since i" January 1769 there were 5,438 ne-
groes imported, and fold for about ^(^200,000 flerling. Hemp was in-
crcafing in quantity and improving in quality: this year 526,131 pounds
of it, brought to Charleftown, received the provincial bounty amount-
ing to £2,^00 fterling ; of which quantity nearly two fifths were work-
ed up in the province. The interior part of the country, he fays, is
found to be well adapted to vines ; and one poor German adually made
eighty gallons of wine *. The tobacco and flour were in want of legal
regulations.

JMr. Bull alfo reported the profperous ftate of a colony of French pro-
teftants fettled in the province in the year 1764, and of a large body of
Germans eftabliflied there in 1765 at the expenfe of a number of pri-
vate gentlemen in London.

Governor Bruere of Bermuda this year ftated the population of the
iflands under his command to be about 6,000 white people of all forts,
and full as many, or more, negroes f . He obferves, that in time of war
they are wealthy, their veflels, which fail remarkably fail, getting a pre-
ference everywhere for freight J, and alfo felling for high prices : but
in time of peace they can fcarcely fell them for the cofl. He flates the
' fmall exports' to confift of fawed ftones for building, limes, onions,
cabbages, and ducks, which they carry to Barbados, Antigua, &c. and
their veffels find employment by carrying paiTengers and goods among
the Weft-India iflands ||. He very much regrets their negle6l of raifing
corn, whence their whole cafh is carried off for that article, and, what
is worfe, not by their own veflels, but by North Americans, who bring
it, by which means the fupply is alfo precarious, and he apprehends,

* Mr. Collinfon, ths celebrated naturalift, had of them do, and is proprietor of four negro failors,

before tliis time remarked, that the natural grapes pays no wages at all except to a mate.
of America were capable of making good wine, if || He might have added — and to the continent

properly managed ; and he added, that if proper of America. He fays nothing of their wrecking,

care were taken to improve the grape by cultivation, except incidentally noticing, that the people arc

and the wine by a diligent and fkilful procefs in accuflomed to benefit by (liipwrecks ; nor of their

making it, America might become one of the moft catching turtle, which they carry to the Weft-In-

celebrated wine countries in the world. dia iflands and America.

■\ If this very fmall tradl of country confifting Whales are fometimes taken near Bermuda ; but

of chalk rock (which they work into pieces fit for they are not very numerous, as appears by a duty

building with a faw and a plane) in many places not or tax of ^ir . on each full-grown whale not being

even covered with foil, contain i:,ooo people, fnfficient to raife jf loo a-ycar of additional falary

white and black, it is probably the mofl populous to the governor. This whale-fifheiy is conduced

part of theBritifhdominions, excepting large towns; at almoft uo expenfe in open boats manned by ne-

as there muft be about one inhabitant for every groes.

acre, the whole country being only about 74 miles The incidents of a whale-fifhing adTcnture, and

long, and from half a mile to three miles in breadth, the beautiful appearance of the ifland, have been

A much lower, and apparently an accurate, ftate- celebrated by Waller, who had never fefn any

ment of the popiUation was afterwards given by other evergreen country, and who fpentfome weeks

Governor Browne. in the ifland, whereby the fame of this trifling fpot

J In lime of war other owners mud give cxor- has been raifed almoft above that of any of th«

bitant wages to their feamen. The Bermudian Weft-India iflands. Such arc the creatire powers

•wner, if he commands the veflel hirafelf, as many of poetry.

A. D. 1770. 505

may fome time ftaive the people, and drive the negroes into rebellion.
He propofes the erection of a light-houfe, as a thing abfolutely necefTary:
and in time of war, he fays, the iflands fliould never be without a fri-
gate. He obfcrves, that notwithflanding the general poverty there is no
money fmaller than a half real, and he recommends the introduction of
copper halfpence.

The governor of the Bahama iflands fufpeding, that a great deal of
illicit trade was going on at Turks iflands, applied to Captain Wallace
of the navy, who fent Lieutenant Dundas in an armed fchooner up to
thofe iflands, where he feized a fnow called the Friendfliip ; and the
fame officer foon after feized a brig called the Edinburgh in the harbour
of New-Providence : and both veflels were condemned in the court of
admiralty for taking onboard foreign produce and other goods prohib-
ited by law at Turks iflands.

Sir William Trelawney, governor of Jamaica, reported, that the coun-
ty of Cornwall in the wefl; end of the ifland was now fo much improved
as to make three fevenths of the whole produce of the ifland. He alfo
reprefented the profperity of the north fide of the ifland to be fo much
advanced by the great number of new plantations within ten miles of
the fea, and by the increafe of commerce at the free ports of Montego
bay and Lucea, as to be well worthy of the fpecial protedion of govern-
ment by ftationing fome fhlps of war at Port Antonio. ' The almoft:

* total neglect of this place about the year 1748, it was fuppofed, was
' chiefly owing to the uncultivated condition of the parts about it, the
' people being then fcarcely recovered from their fears of the rebellious
' negroes, and unwilling to rifque precarious fettlements. It is faid
' moreover that the place was unhealthy, that his Majefliy's fliips were
' with diflicuky fupplied with frefla provifions, and that the communi-
' cation by land with Port- Royal was extremely bad. But thefe objec-
' tions are now in a great meafurc, if not totally, removed; for the ad-

* joining country being now cleared, the rains are become lefs frequent,

* and the place as wholefome as any other part of the ifland. Very
' large and fruitful pens are now in the neighbourhood, fufficient to

** fupply with vegetables :md cattle any number of fliips ftationcd there:

* and confidcrable grants of money have been made by the aflembly,

* and expended in making good roads from that port 10 the fouthern
' parts of the illmid.'

In confequencc of an importation from North-America to Jamaica of
Spanifli gold coins, which had been mutilated to, or originally manu-
factured of, about three fourths of the real value (the irregular form of
the Spanifli hammered money encouraging fuch frauds) the alfembly of
Jamaica paflcd a fevcre acT: againfl clipping, diminifliing, or forging, the
foreign coins currrent in the ifland, or importing fiich deficient coins.
In the later end of the year the thriving new fug;ir colony of Toba—
Vol. III. " 3 S

5o6

A. D. 1770.

go was thrown into the greatefl confternation by the revolt of lon:ie of
the negro flaves. A military force was immediately fent from Grenada
by General Melville, the governor-general of the ceded iflands.by means
of which, and fome affiftance given by Captain Reynolds in the Quebec
frigate, the infurgents were foon reduced, the number of whom, it was
found, after all, did not much exceed thirty.

The ifland of Grenada was alfo alarmed by an attack of the maroon
negroes, who lived concealed in the woods in the heart of the ifland :
but no confiderable damage was done.

The Caribs of St. Vincents about the fame time made an attack upon
the houfes and works eredled by fome white people, who had intruded
upon the lands occupied by them.

u4n Account of the value of the exports from the Britifh Wc/l- India iflauds
in the courfe of this year is here inferted, in order to afford a compari-
fon with a more ample account of their produce and trade, which will
be given under the year 1788 *.

Exports from

Jamaica to

Virgin islands

Anguilla

St. Christophers

Nevis

Antigua

Montserrat

Dominica

St. Vincents

Grenada

Barbados

Bahamas

Bermudas

Totals

Tobago alfo exported fome produce, the value of which is not afcertain-
ed : it was, however, but trifling, the ifland being then but in its infan-
cy with refpedl to cultivation.

The total value of the woollen manufadures exported from Great
Britain at this time was above four millions of fterling money : and it
has fince increafed confiderably.

The grofs produce of the duty on hops this year amounted to
;(;ioi,l3i : 2 : 7.

By Mr Swallow's report of the trade at Peterfljurg it appears, that 306
Britifli veflels, and 229 of all other nations, failed with cargoes from
that port in the courfe of this year.

Great Britain

North

Total value in

and Ireland.

America.

Otlier islands.

Africa.

sterl. money.

1,391.210

146,324

595

1,538,129

01,696

10,133

71,829

3,800

2,057

5,857

367,074

59,794

519

68

427,455

43,827

14,155

57,982

430,210

35,551

230

465,991

89,907

1 2,633

102,540

46,365

16,496

62,861

79,126

13,375

92,501

454,977

51,061

672

506,710

311,012

119,828

1,173

432,013

5,919
8,013

3;279,204

481,407

3,189

68

3.777,800

* I have compiled this account from the information collefted by the induftry of Doftor Camp«
Wl in his accounts of the feveraliflanda. [_Poliiica/furvty of Great Britain, f . ii,//. 658 el feqq.

A. D. 1770. 507

By reports tranfmitted from Hamburgh by Mr. Woodford it appears,
that in the courfe of the year the goods imported into that city from
the Britifh dominions in 200 veflels, whereof 163 were Britifh, amount-
ed to ^^1,020,251 : 5 :4 fterUng;
and the imports from France in 177 veflels,")
whereof 19 were Britifh, and not one French, > 945,467 14:0
amounted to j

Mr Woodford obferved, that though the number of veflels from Brit-
ifh ports was fewer by 16 than laft year, he beheved that deficiency was
fully balanced by the greater burthen of the fhips of this year ; and that,
fo far from there being any decreafe in the trade of thofe ports which
lent large fliips with valuable cargoes, there were five fhips more from
London, and 10 fhips more from Glafgow, than in the year 1769.

He complained, that the merchants of Hamburgh, by means of the
great numbers of Hamburghers fettled as merchants in London, were
enabled to monopolize the carrying trade between the two ports, which
they confined to thirty large fhips of from 300 to 600 tuns, belonging
to Hamburgh, at fuch exorbitant freights as abfolutely prevented feveral
bulky articles from being fliipped ; while only one Englifliman, Mr.
Nevvby, ventured to employ any veffels in that trade ; and he had three
good fhips in it.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,898 veffels, of the computed burthen of 593,962 tuns^
and of Scotland 1,509 88,849

Total 9.407 682,811

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-

a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,

was from the cuftom-houfe in London - jC2>537>H3 ^8 8

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 9,000 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain ^^2,546, 143 18 8
There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year

13,350 pounds of gold, value - ^{'623, 778 15 o

and 22 pounds of filver, - - 68 4 o

^623,846 19 o

3 S 2

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain, from
Chriftmas 1769 to Chriflmas 1770, was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa
Canarres .
Denmark, &c,

East country
East India
Flanders
France
Germany
Greenland .
HoUand .
Ireland
Mann
Italy
Madeira
Poland
Prussia
Portugal .
Russia .
Spain
Straits
GibralUr
Sweden
Tiu-key
Venice

Guernsey, &c.
America in general
Hudson's Bay
Ncvloundland
Cape Breton .
Quebec

Nov^-Scotia . .
New-England ,
New- York
Pennsylvania .
Virginia and Maiyland
Carolina . .
Georgia
Florida

West Indies in general
Anguilla
Antigua
Barbados .
Bermuda
Dominica
Grenada
Jamaica
Montsen-at
Nevis

St. Christophers
St. Vincents
Tobago

Tortola . . .
New- Providence
St. Croix . .
St. Eustathius
ForeignWest-Indies 1
& Bay of Honduras j

Jmp. and exp. of Eng.
Imp. and exp. of Scot.

Toul, Great Britain ,

Imported into

Exported from

ENGLAND.

,£68,449 13 7

10,656 8 9

76,898 i7 2

175,552 15 6

1,9-11,627 4 0

113,860 11 7

6.-i,975 19 11

6b4,463 « IJ

22,626 6 1

352,535 6 4

1,214,398 4 5

815,944 17
4,935 12

329,663 3 4

1,046,710 5 11

505,267 13 2

7,083 11 5

136,616 6 0

164,366 3 6

82,963 19 7

47,542 14 5

10,715 0 7

45.108 11 0
197 4 4

40,703 6 7

7,324 7 4

148,011 14 9

69,882 10 5

28.109 5 11
435,094 9 7
278.907 14 O

55,532 7 5

3,688 3 0

167 17 11

349,102 1 8

283,455 19 1

136,152 18 7

433,421 12 1

1,274,807 13 6

83,947 9 1

97,152 19 5

324,287 7 8

81,965 18 3

2,323 11 10

43,230 4 4

6,387 11 10

21,386 12 9

476 18 U

87,256 19 2

12,216,937 14 3
1,213,360 8 10

13,430,298 3 1

SCOTLAND.
i^815 13

31,469 14

17-t
4,306

24,824

2,983

90,598

166,500

359

3,926

357

11,949 11

8,382 18

9,563 O

117,716 0

6,278 5

2
1
16
6
9
9

2
18
10

13
22,375

14
17

11

8
2
6

5
11

•7
/

11

10

8
o

6
10

2
11

9
3

522 11
486,376 18

ENGLAND.
£^57 1,003 6

41,352 11

167,257 4

80,329 0

1,082,030 8

678,286 12

156,509 6

1,272,569 0

29 6
1,766,333 10
2,125,466 12

756,385 11
26,500 15

221,367 12 5

2,486 10 8

1,213,360 8 10

534,709 19
145,743 6
887,099 1
148,813 18

231,626

45,092

394,451

475,991
134,881
717,782
146,273
56,193
r39,857

112,533
203,568
9.705
34,209
136,792
558,219

19,297
17,307
96,834
42,821
19,123
16,985
6,060
1,069

6

4

7
12
15
17
17
16
12

10
16
10
10

58,576 4
22,032 15
71,541 5 4
52,608 5 9

4,623 2 1
91,058 0 O

2 O

9 8
15 6

7 10
12 8

13 11

4 9
12 9

7 7

5 3

9,115 1 9

14,266,653 17 5
1,727,917 15 1

SCOTLAND.

^21,459 17 9

67,238 5 11

346,736 12 2

85,044 4 8

302,413 7 9

445,891 18 7

205 16 2

27,421 18 8

218 16 3

1,459 4 3

438 9 1

1,614 15 O

1,456 3 8

12,718 6 7

239 15 O

8,838 4 9

339,471 7 1

15,994,571 12 6

64,322 9 5

668 2 4

1,727,917 15 1

A. D. 1771. 509

1771 , January 4'*' — The lord mayorof London ordered the meal-weigh-
ers of the corn market in Mark lane to ftick up in a confpicuous place
an exadt account of the quantities and prices of the wheat fold and the
names of the buyers. This regulation gave great offence to the dealers,
millers, &c. but was highly applauded by the public, who hoped it
would contribute greatly to prevent engrofling the moft neceffary article
of fubfiflence.

April 1 2''' — The increafcd number of the people in the metropolis,
and probably alfo the increafed luxury of the people, rendering the 800
hackney coaches, hitherto licenced, too few to accommodate the public,
200 more coaches were licenced to ply, they paying, as the former ones,
a weekly duty of five fhillings each for their licences, [i i Geo. Ill, c.
24.]

The important fifliery of the River Tweed was regulated ; and no per-
fon is allowed to kill any fpecies of falmon in that river or its branches
between the 10'^ of October and the 12''' of January, nor at any time of
the year between twelve o'clock on Saturday night and two o'clock on
Monday morning. Taking, or even having in pofTefTion, the fpawn,fi-y,
or young brood, of the fifh between the i" of April and the i" of June
was alfo made punifhable by fine, as were alfo laying dirt or rubbilh in
the river, and diflurbing the fifli when entering the river. [ 1 1 Geo. Ill,
c, 27.]

The confequencc of the irregularity, or ftoppage, in paying the boun-
ty on the herring fifliery in Scotland, while it was regularly paid in the
ports of England, whereby the number of buffes fitted out from the
Scottilh potts, which in the year 1767 was 263, was reduced in 1770 to
19, has already been noticed under the year 1766, when the ftoppage
began. For the fummer fifliing of this year (1771) there were only 4
buffes cleared out, fo that the fifliery might be faid to be annihilated,
or rather abandoned to foreigners, who were enriched by vafl fums re-
ceived for herrings caught in the Scottifli feas, great quantities of which
found their way to our own Weft-India iflands.

So far as the regular payment of the bounty could operate to revive
this pcrifliing trade, it was evident, that a fmaller bounty, regularly
paid, would be preferable to a larger one with a delay of icveral years.
The proprietors of the buffes, therefor, made a propofal to government,
which was pafled into a law, to the following eflfe<S.

May 8''' — A bounty oi thirty JInllings per tun, to commence on the 22^
of Odober 1771, rind to continue for feven years, was granted to all
decked vefTels from 20 to So tuns burthen, built in Britain after the 2i'^ of
January 1760, and manned and navigated agreeable to the exifting laws,
which are fitted out for, and employed in, the herring fifliery. Every
vellel of 20 tuns is to carry fix men, and larger vefTels to have one man
for every five tuns above twenty ; and to carry an appointed quantity

510 A. D. 1771.

of nets, fait, and other fifhing ftorcs, proportioned to the tunnage. Every'
▼eflel intended for the fummer filhcry muft be at the ftation or rendez-
vous on or before the 22^ of June, and mnft not begin to fifti before
the 24''' ; after which they are to continue fifhing till the 12''' of Odo-
ber, unlefs they fhall have completed their loading fooner. Thofe in-
tended for the winter fifhery mufi: be at the rendezvous on or before
the I' of Oclober, and continue fifliing till the 1 1"" of January, unlefs
completely loaded fooner. The Rations appointed for the veflels to af-
femble at previous to the commencement of the fifhery, and for their
return from it, were Yarmouth in Norfolk, Leith, Invernefs, BrafTey
found, Kirkwall, Oban, Campbelltown, and Whitehaven : and the boun-
ty in Scotland was no longer to be dependent on the produce of a par-
ticular fund, but to be pundually paid from the whole revenue of the
kingdom, as it is in England. [11 Geo. JIJ, c. 31.]

An a<S for the keeping and carriage of gun-powder, among other pre-
cautions, direds, that, for the fecurity of the great number of vefTels
lying in the River Thames, no veffel fliall have onboard above 25 pounds
of gun-powder, while fhe is above Blackwall. [11 Geo. Ill, c. ^^.^

The exportation of live cattle and hogs, and alfo of the flefh of thofe
animals, was prohibited, except to Gibralter, Minorca, and fuch of the
colonies as have been ufually fupplied with provifions from Great Bri-
tain. [11 Geo. Ill, c. 37.]

For the encouragement of the whale fifhery, the importation of the
fins, oil, and blubber, of whales, and the oil, Ikins, and other produce
of feals, and other creatures caught in the Greenland feas, by velfels, of
which the captain, and at leafl one third of the men, are Britifh, was
permitted free of any duty. Alfo from 25''' December 1771, every
Britifh fliip, of ftrength fuflicient to encounter the Greenland feas, and
manned and provided in a manner proper for the whale fifhery, that
proceeds in the proper feafon to profecute that fifhery in the Greenland
feas, Davis's flraits, or the adjacent feas, and returns to the port whence
flie failed, is entitled to a bounty oi forty JJnllings a tun on every voyage
iox five years, to thirty Jhillings iov 2i kconA. term o^ five years, and to
nvcnty Jhillings for a third term of five years : the whole bounties grant-
ed by this aft expiring on the 25''' of December 1786 : every veflel of
200 tuns is obliged to carry /oz/r boats and 30 men, including the mafler
;ind furgeon ; and every fhip from 200 to 400 tuns to carry one boat and
6 men for every 50 tuns above 200 % and every fhip to have one appren-
tice for every 50 tuns of her burthen, who is to be reckoned part of
her compliment of men.

As doubts had arifen, whether it was lawful to infure the bounty,
which the veffel is entitled to in the event of her arrival, it was declared
lawful to infure fuch bounty, and to recover it from the underwriters,
if the veffel be lofl.

A. D. 1771.

51^

The fame bounties were alfo granted to Britifh-Araerican veflels, not
more than two years old, proceeding, after due infpedion, from their
ports in America before the firfl day of May for the Greenland feas,
and thence to fome port in Britain with the produce of their fifhery.

For the encouragement of the whale fifliery in the Gulf of St. Lau-
rence, and on the American coaft, whale fins taken by Britifli fubjeds,
were permitted to be imported till the 25''' of December 1786, in vef-
fels navigated according to law, paying no other duty than that called
the old fubfidy. [i 1 Geo. Ill, c. 38.]

While this ad was in contemplation, a retrofped: of the Greenland
whale fifhery fince its revival in this kingdom was produced, in order
to evince the propriety of continuing the bounty for fuch a term of
years as might indemnify the merchants for adapting their veflels, and
laying in the neceflary {lores, for fuch an expenfive undertaking : from
that retrofped, together with the more accurate information furniflied
by the cuftom-houfcs of England and Scotland, I have drawn up the
following account.

The Greenland fifhery, after baving been many years abandoned by
the Englifh, was revived in the year 1725 by the South-fea company,
who carried it on with very great lofs to themfelves till the year 1733.

For the encouragement of adventurers, the government thenoflfered a
bounty of 2q/"a tun, which in feven years after was raifed to 30/": yet
there were only from three to fix veflels employed in the filhery from
the year 1733 till 1749.

In the year 1750 the bounty of 40/" a tun took place ; and after that
time the veflels which failed from England and Scotland for the Green-
land feas, their tunnage, and the bounties paid to them in each year,
were as follows.

Vessels.

Tunnage.

19

6,264

23

7,360

30

9.871

35

11,814

52

17,235

m

21,2y3

67

21,328

55

17.221

52

15,3!»()

34

10,337

40

12,082

31

9.789

28

8,877

30

9,416

32

10,261

33

IO,Ot)C)

35

10,01.')

39

12,284

41

12,802

44

13,471

50

14,775

FBOM ENGLAND.

Bounty paid.

s£w,507 3
16,530 19
17,231 9
27,693 0

31,328 6
45,634 18
42,103 1
34,450 O
27,006 6
19.273 18
20,540 5
19,247 15
13,358 6
18,465 15
19,463 16
18,748 17
19.947 2
24 ,.537 9
24,026 18
24,935 12
29,240 18

Years.

Vessels.

Tunnage.

3

1 7.';o

1

333

10

1751

6

1,933

5

1752

10

3,137

11

1 ir>3

14

4,294

(|

17.-.1

15

4,680

6

1 7 '5

16

4,964

0

17.06

16

4,964

8

1 jr.i

l.i

4,530

1

11 JU

15

4,499

1

1759

15

4,479

C

1760

14

4,238

8

1701

14

4,238

9

1 702

14

4,238

9

170J

10

3.109

1

17()J

10

3.1 40

9

1761

8

2.55Q

5

i7u(i

y

■i.797

2

K'>1

9

2.707

1

17 OS

0

'^,191

n

17UHI

9

■2.197

11

1 770

9

^,197

FROM SCOTL.^ND.

Bounty paid.

^666 0 0

3,866 2 11

6,274 2 11

8,589 5 O

9,361 5 O

9,929 5 O

9,315 5 O

8,567 13 4

8,271 13 4

8.959 13 4

8,477 13 4

8,477 13 4

8,045 13 4

5,6-19 * o

6.281 O 0

5,119 O O

5,595 O O

5,595 0 o

5.595 o o

5,505 O O

5,5y5 0 B

512 A, D. 1771.

The fifliery from Great Britain is carried on by fhips which are, upon
an average, of 300 tons burthen*, and carry 54 men, of whom 6 are
apprentices, and is thus a very great nurfery of the mofl: hardy feamen.
The American fifliery is carried on by flialops, carrying about 6 men,
and in a great meafiire by the Eilcimeaux Indians, from whom the
American colonifls purchafe the oil and fins, which are much inferior to
thole brought from the Greenland feas, the oil being adulterated with
a mixture of feal and cod oil, and the fins brittle. Befides, all the oil
and fins which can be fupplied by America, though they were of the
befl quality, are far fhort of the demand : and thence it follows, that,
if the Britifli fifliery is given up, as it miift be if the bounty is difcon-
tinued, we muft depend almoft entirely upon the Dutch, who may
charge what prices they pleafe, (and in fa<5t they have charged as high
as /^700 a tun for whale fins) which mufl make a prodigious annual
drain of money from this country f .

Such were the fadls and the arguments which induced the legiflature
to continue the bounty on the whale fifliery.

The crime of counterfeiting the copper money of the realm, which
had hitherto been puniflied only as a mifdemeanour, was now made
felony. [11 Geo. Ill, c. 40.]

The importation of all kinds of unmanufidured wood of the growth
or produce of America, was permitted free of duty; and the importers
of fome parcels of Honduras mahogany, landed after the 1" of July
1770, were warranted to receive back the duties they had paid on theim.

Goods from the Levant liable to infecftion, if imported without clean
bills of health, were prohibited from being landed in Great Britain,
Ireland, or any of the adjacent iflands. In order to remove the doubt,
whether raw filk and mohair yarn, fliipped in places fubjedlto the Grand
Signior, and landed at any port of the Mediterranean for the purpofe
of being aired, are to be confidered as imported from fuch intermediate
port, it was enadled, that goods fo circumftanced are to be admitted
to entry as coming from the port where they were firft^ fliipped. [11
Geo. Ill, c. 41.]

In order to reduce the price of flaves and heading, the importation
of them from America was encouraged by bounties proportioned to
their fize, to commence on the i** of January 1772. The ports ap-
pointed for importation upon this bounty, were London, Southampton,
Poole, Exeter, Plymouth, Brifliol, Liverpool, Whitehaven, Glafgow,
Leith, Newcaftle, Hull, and Yarmouth. [11 Geo. Ill, c. 50.]

* The total tonnage of the 32 fliips from Eng- f About this time there was a very great con-
land in 1764 was 10,262 tuns, and that of the 50 fumption of whale bone, or fins, in very ftiff {lays
fliips in 1770 was 14,778. The blubber import- for the ladies. That rage has now greatly abated:
ed by the 32 fhips was 6707 tuns, and by the 50 thanks to the writings of Do£lor Buchan, anfl the
fhips 2,23s tuns. good fenfe of ttie ladies. i

A. D. 1771. 5i^

The feveral ads — for regulating laftage and balaftage in the River
Thames; — for admitting rum, and other fpirits, imported from the Brit-
ifti fugar iflands, to be flored without paying down the excife duty ; —
for the punifhment of perlons armed or difguifed, acting in defiance of

the revenue laws ; for preventing the deftruclion of the roads within

ten miles of London by overloading waggons or carts ; — and for ex-
porting barley (or bigg) from Orkney to Portugal, were continued for
limited times. [11 Geo. Ill, c. 51.]

The harbours in the ifle of Mann were formerly fupported by duties
levied under the authority of the ftatutes of the ifland upon the con-
traband trade. Thefe, fince the fovereignty of the ifland has been in
the king's hands, having entirely ceafed, the harbours of the ifland
were confequently now in a ruinous condition, and unfit to afford a
refuge to fhips taken by fudden or crofs gales of wind. Therefor, as a
fund for their improvement, certain regulated harbour-dues were al-
lowed to be taken from all vefl'els arriving in the ifland ; and alfo
fmall duties upon fpirits, tobacco, tea, coffee, wine, and other foreign
goods, except fait.

The bounties granted by a former acf to the boats employed in the
herring fifhery on the coaft of Mann, and on the linen manufacture,
being made payable out of duties arifing from the herring fifliery itfelf,
were found ineffectual, only about a tenth part of the fifliermen in the
ifland having conformed to the regulations required, and they were there-
for repealed ; but the duties were continued, and added to the funds
for the reparation of the harbours. [11 Geo. Ill, c. 52.]

Several adts were pafTed for improvements in various parts of Lon-
don and the fuburbs ; as alio in Winchefter, Worcefler, Edinburgh,
Leith, Wakefield, &c. Many ads for inland navigation, and for roads,
in various parts of the united kingdoms were alio paifed in the courfe
of this feflion.

Among thefe it ought not to be omitted, as one of many proofs of
the increafing opulence of the commercial town of Liverpool, that a
theatre-royal, fandioned by ad of parliament, was now ereded in it.

The governor of New-York was authorifed, by inftrudions from
home, to grant a leafe to Mr. Philipfe of all royal mines of gold and
filver, difcovered, or to be difcovered, within the manor of Philipfeburgh
in that province.

In confequence of an application to the king by the royal fociety,
Lieutenant Cook (who has already been noticed for his accurate charts
of Newfoundland) failed from Plymouth in Augufl; 1768, in order to
make, in conjundion with Mr. Green of the royal obfervatory at Green-
wich, an accurate obl'ervaiion on the tranlit of Venus over the lun in
a fouthern latitude. After making the obl'ervation on the tranfit on
the 4'" of June 1769 at the ifland of Otaheite, in the courfe of his

Vol. III. 3 T

514 A. D. J771.

voyage he difcovered many iflands in the great Pacific ocean hitherto
totally unknown to any European, made obfervations on others that
were erroneoufly defcribed, and particularly explored the coafls of the
great ifland (or continent) of New-Holland, and completed the circum-
navigation of the globe by returning round the Cape of Good Hope
to England, where he arrived in July this year. Mr. Banks and Doc-
tor Solander were induced by their third of knowlege to partake of the
hardfhips and the glory of this voyage ofjcience.

The indigo made in the province of Eaft-Florida was now of fo good a
quality, that fome of what was brought home this year fold by pub-
lic file at Garraway's cofFeehoufe fo high as 8^ a pound.

The Eaft-India company appointed their midfummer divided to be
at the rate of twelve anda half^Gv cent per annum, being the higheft
rate now allowed by acT: of parliament.

September — The following was fuid to be the ftate of the company's
trading flock at this time.

After all debts are paid, a balance of cafh, - £ 220,coo

Goods imported lall year, in the warehoufes, - 1,500,000

Cargoes of 18 Ihips arrived this year, by eftimate, - 2,300,000

Cargoes of 11 fliips dayly expected, by eftimate, - 1,500,000

X^5, 500,000

To which may be added the cargoes of 37 Ihips of lafl: year for India,
.and the goods provided in India and China for their homeward cargoes.

December 3' — The king of Spain iffued an ordinance, very prejudi-
cial to the manufadtures and commerce of Great Britain, wherein he
prohibited the importation of cotton velvets, and all fluffs having cotton
in their fabric, the ufe of which he ordered to be totally laid aiide in
twenty-two months.

A new cement for the bottoms of fliips, faid to be proof againll the
worms, was tried at Chatham, and approved.

Mr. Bernieres, diredor of the bridges and caufeways in France, in-
vented a boat incapable of being funk or overfet, fit for inland naviga-
tion, coafting voyages, and fhort pafTages by fea.

By accounts received from Grenada, the following was the ftate of the
infant colony of Tobago on the 25''' of June this year.

There were 243 white people, and 4,716 negro flaves, of whom 547
were efteemed worthy of beiiig trufted with arms ; and there were be-
lides 125 runaway negroes, of whom only 19 were thought dangerous.
The number of acres of cleared land was 7,171, and of land in canes
2,347. The produce of this year was 724 hogfheads of fugar, and 453
puncheons of rum. The produce of the enfuing year was expeded to
be 3,372 hogflieads of fugar and 1,850 puncheons of rum.

A. D. 1771.

515

December 27"' — The greateft part of the town of St. Georges in
Grenada was deftroyed by fire. The damage was eftimated at £200,000,
of which ;^6o,ooo were infured in London. If it had happened at al-
moft any other feafon, the damage muft have been much greater, this
being the feafon, when there is the lealt produce in the (tores.

The following account of the hnen cloth and Unen yarn exported
from Ireland, taken at intervals of ten years from the commencement
of the eighteenth century, and thenceforth annually, is extraded from
an account laid before the Irifh parliament by Mr. Archdall, infpedor
to the truftees of the linen manufadlure, in order to £how the progrefs
of the ftaple manufadlure of that kingdom.

Years

ending
Ladyd;!)'

1710
1720
1730

17*10
1750
1760
1761
1762
1703
1704
1765
1766
1767
1768
17G9
1770
1771

Linen Clotli.

Quantity.

Yards.
1,688,574
2,437,984
4,136,2031

6,627,77 If
11,200,460
13,375,456^
1 2,048,881 1
15,559,676
16,013,105^
15,10I,081J
14,355,205
17,892,I02i
20, 1 48, 170 J
18,490,01 9 1
17.706,70J5
20,560,754
25,376,808

1/3

1/

1/

1/4

1/2

>l/4

>\/0<

Value.

105,537

1*1,899

206,810

441,851

653,369

891,697

803,258

037,3 1 1

,067,540

006,738

■ 1 ,070,640

1,341,907

1,511,112

1,386,751

1,334,302

1,542,056

,1,903,200

< 1;

Li,

d.

6
0
6

8
4
8
4

14 8
7 0

15 8

7
13
15

9
17

Linen Yarn,

Quantity.

11 0

12 0

cwt. q
7,975
15,722
10,088
18,542
22,373
31,042

39,699
35,950
34,468
31,715
26,127
35,018
30,274
32,590
37,037
33,417
34,166

-. lb.
2 12

II

9

8

5

15

2 25
1 25

0 7

1 25

0 0

1 0

3 0
1 25
0 20
O 15
0 15

Value.

.£.
47,853
94,334
55,485
111,256
134,238
180,254
238,198
215,702
206,808
190,292
156,702
210,109
181,648
195,542
222,223
200,502
204,9y6

*.

d.

12

0

1

0

15

9

18

0

5

0

5

0

5

0

15

0

7

0

15

0

0

0

10

0

10

0

15

0

0

0

15

0

15

0

The following view of the total quantities of Britifh and Irifh linens
exported from England, from tlie commencement of the firft bounty
on exportation, {hows the progrefs of the trade and the effed of the
bounties upon it.

Yards British Linen.

Yards Irish Linen.

Bounty.

>>

"1743
1744

^1u'\)

40,907

5^383 10

8

49,521

28,255

311 7

9

1745*

56,240

101,928

7-^1 17

6

1/46

175,928

695,002

4,188 10

9

1747

238,014

595,277

4,2yO 12

0

>-(

^17-18

330,-47

723,663

5.594 1

10

■17-19

414,834

965.fi97

8,615 1

4

1750

588,874

742,0.12

8,308 16

8

>?

1751

527,976

854,4y0

8,617 8

2

l{

1752

437,277

968,319

6,775 13

10

8

1753

641,510

i,03i),o67

10,058 16

5

1754

1,382.796

843,9/3

13,905 7

11

.1755

41,367

51,O40

577 11

0

• This year thf bounty was raifcd to three halfpence per yard, and extended to all linenj from 5./
to 1/5 a yard.

I 3 T 2

i6

A. D. lyyi'

Yards British Linen.

Yards Irish Linen.

Bounty.

^ 1 756

394, 74 6

719,135

^£"6.932 11

S

1-^

1757

1,016.754

2,005,375

18,847 3

8

-I

1758

1,942,667

2,171.109

25,690 15

4

o<

1759

],69;),0S7

1.956,572

22,807 11

I

f

i7<5o

1,413,602

2,352,585

23,538 13

1

•-1

1761

1,272,985

1,819,329

19,324 11

3

.l7Ci2

1.762,643

2,930,476

29,331 19

10

"1763

2,308,310

2,588,564

30,604 6

9

17ti4

2,134,733

1,858,760

24.803 9

3

1765

2,095,933

1,663,6-0

23.407 10

4

S'

1766

2,236,086

1,770,634

25.042 0

0

1767

2,444,181

2,227,124

29,182 6

11

a

1768

2,687,457

2,270,160

30.985 2

1

1769

3,056,950

1,855,159

30.699 3

5

17-0*

3.216,506

2,707,482

36,972 18

4

L1771

4,411,040

3,450,224

-44,738 8

10

Unluckily I have not materials at hand to complete the linen exports
of all Britain by adding thofe of Scotland. As a fpecimen I fhall here
give thofe of Glafgow, the principal port of foreign trade, for the year
1771, from Gib/oil's Hijlory of Gla/goiv, pp. 213-234.

British linen
Irish hnen
Checks and stripes
Kenting (or Ghentilig)
Printed

2,175,431 jards.
731,012
362,894
46,385
S0.2S0t sc(uare yards.

Totid British and Irish linens - 3,396,0021

Befides fome German and Ruflia linens.

Of thefe 51,837 yards were exported to Ireland, while at the fame
time 1,100,291 yards were imported from that country j a proof that
manufadtures, which are fometimes too inconfiderately fuppofed hurt-
ful rivals, may be mutually beneficial.

In order to make the view of the linen trade more complete, fub-
joined is a flate of the imports of foreign linens in England for ten
years back, with the amount of the duties paid on them.

British yards.

Duties.

1762

18.827,853i

i^l34,031 14

1

1763

26.634,851

185,476 19

4

1764

28,092,215^

201,711 3

7

1765

25,497,795i

182,997 0

11

1766

25,624,107t

184,657 1

2

1767

21,054,411

104,532 8

10

1768

23,112,349

199,467 0

10

i;69

25,43 1,162^

217,386 9

0

1770

27.101,343^

221,333 8

9

1771

28,243, 12l|:

230,951 14

2t

* The bounty of three halfpence was now ex-
tended to (heetingt and table-linens, to be comput-
ed by the fquare yard ; and a new bounty of one
halfpenny per yard was allowed on Britifh checks
and ftripes from "jd to l/5 a yard.

t Mr. Paine the gOTernor of the bank of Eng-

land, when examined in the houfe of commons on
the fubjeft of foreign linens, ftated the imports of
thefe years fomewhat higher than they are here
given : and he made the average quantity from ihe
year 1752 to 1756 inclufive to be 31,000,000 of
yards annually. 4

A. D. lyyi.

5^

An attentive perufal of the foregoing details may afford ample mat-
ter for refledion ; and it may perhaps appear doubtful, if all the home-
made linens of the three kingdoms much exceeded the quantity of
foreign linens, imported under the difadvantage of fuch heavy duties *.

Mr. Swallow, the Britilli conful at Peterfburg, in his periodical re-
port, ftated, that ;^6^ Britilh veflels, and 255 of all other nations, had
iailed from that port in the courfe of this year. Their cargoes confift-
cd of iron, hemp, flax, hides, briftlcs, ilinglafs, tallow, foap, hemp-
feed, and lintfeed oils, wax, wax and tallow candles, caviary, cordage,
tobacco, leather, feathers, wheat, flour, tar, great variety of linensj;
ducks, drills, and failcloths, deals, and the fkins of hares, bears, fquirrels,
martins, fables, and foxes.

The Dutch were very fuccefsful in their Greenland fifliery this year.
They had 1 20 fliips employed, which brought home 500 wliales, and
14,320 barrels of oil. Three fliips were loft, after having caught 15
whales.

By an account laid before the houfc of commons it appeared, that
from the year 1750 to the year 1771, both years inclufive, there were
29,131 horfes exported from England, of which 7,783 during the war,
and 21,348 before and after it in years of peace.

The quantity of tobacco imported in Glafgow this year was above
46 millions of pounds, and the quantity exported nearly 44 millions,
belides i'everal cargoes belonging to the Glafgow merchants, ordered to
proceed diredl from Virginia and Maryland to London "f".

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,645 veflels of the reputed burthen of 577,176 tuns,
andof Scotland 1,503 _ ^ _ 88,452

Total

9,148 - - r 665,628

There were entered this year in all the ports of GreiU Britain, from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

Britilh,

Inward
Outward

Vessels.
7.380
9042

Tuns.

732,309
875,892

Foreign.

Vessels.

1,171

563

[39,164

Total.

Vcsscb.

8,551
10,104

1 un?.

871.473
942,448

• 1 fhoulil certainly run a great rifk, if I were
to prcfume to fay, that it is not altogether un-
worthy of confidfratior.— What would be tiie con-
fcquencc to our home manufadures in general, and
to our export trade, if the importation of foreign
linens were entirely, or nearly, free of duty ? The
reader will fee fome opinions, though perhaps not
quite difiirterefted, on that fubjcCt in the year
>774-

f The tobacco trade of Glafgow for this year
is given, not as being remaikably griat or fniaU,
but as being the principal article of the imports
and exports of that city, whereof Gibfon in his
//i/lory of Glafgow \_pp- 213-135] has given a mi-
nute detail for this year. I find, hovrcver, that the
importation of this year -ii^i the largeft that was
ever made iti the Clyde, etecpt that of the vea-.-
«775-

i8

A. D. 1 77 1.

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-a-
half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courle of this year, was
from the cuflom-houfe in London, - /,'2,638,i29 8 4

and from the cuflom-houfe in Edinburgh, - 4,000 o o

Total net revenue of the culloms of Great Britain, ^^2,642,129 8 4

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of this year
13,650 pounds of gold, value - - ^^637,7 96 5 o

and no filver.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain fronj
Chriftmas 1770 to Chriftmas 1771, was as follows.

Countries, &c.
Africa

Canaries

Denmark, &:c.

East country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Pnissia

Portugal

Russia ...

Spain

Straits

Gibraltar

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Guernsey, &c.

America in general -

Hudson's bay

Newfoundland

Cape Breton

Quebec

Nova-Scotia

New- England

New-York

Pennsylvania

Virginia and Maryland

Carolina

Georgia

Florida

West-Indies in general

Antigua

Barbados

Bermuda

I

mported into

J

K.xporti

d from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

0^97.486

19

3

e^'7 12,538

7

4

6,803

18

10

23,825

9

8

83,711

6

4

,^31,744

14

6

152,340

0

5

i£29,750

6 6

195,357

0

2

95,961

19

11

1,882,139

5

9

1,184,824

13

11

142,138

2

6

861,777

IG

7

Qim7

5 5

51,645

8

11

2,879

7

10

146,128

3

2

355,091

18 6

1^^,17*

2

0

36,134

10

8

1,316,492

1

4

97,027

6 6

13,803

5

10

646

14

«

10

6

3

428,080

1

7

121,930

10

10

1,685,397

16

0

383,272

5 1

1,380,737

14

11

173,980
250

2
8

3
4

1,983,813

17

6

432,366
308

16 3
9 0

947,138

12

8

3,237

12

8

782,582

15

7

8,727

2 11

2,067

18

2

5Q

13,174

8,721

1
18
19

1

9

1(1

11,213

17

9

653
5

4 8
4 0

354,631

10

7

17,136

6

8

716,122

3

5

1.270

2 0

1,274,620

12

0

123,504

12

5

150,159

16

6

1,805

6 5

568,323

11

3

9,230

0

8

1,224,811

11

10

9.244

16 7

3,604

13

6

2

14

3

153,323

16

11

755

16 9

157,851

10

1

26,723

8

3

64,180

0

1

5,107

7 5

100,443

2

9

20,573

15

3

83,335

0

2

7^.9^^

18

1

56,802

13

11

1,735
611,583

0

1

3
2

58,505

7

4

60
375,510

0 0

15 8

9>'i''i^

18

0

5,822

I

8

49,424

18

8

89,394

I

7

14

9

5

37,286

12

8

170,962

8

11

3,451

14

3

51,581

12

8

150,381

17

2

1,420,119

1

1

95,875

8

11

653,621

7

6

31,615

19

9

728,744

19

10

577,848

16

6

920,326

3

8

420,311

14

8

409,169

9

4

63,810

10

9

70,493

19

3

21,856

11

11

213,656

16

9

66,647

9

11

60,922

12 3

180,923

3

0

118,1.52

10

11

163,053

1

4

120,011

0

3

936

S

3

8,645

15

9

A. D. 1771.

5'9

Imported into

Exported from

ENGLAND.

SCOTtAND.

ENGLAND.

ICOTLAND.

170,623 19 3

55,612 2 3

361,839 10 7

138,431 6 6

1,261,675 7 9

494,888 0 10

63,034 4 8

15,642 0 6

67,291 3 2

19,751 7 1

268,276 16 8

95,442 17 10

123,919 4 5

35,200 1 11

7,091 2 7

28,610 14 11

41,466 4 1

20,969 5 0

7,837 0 3

4,685 16 2

4^17 7 1

1,406 2 11

39,988 0 9

4,301 0 2

1,887 7

5

12,821,995 16 9

17,161,140 14 2

1,386,329 1 lb

1,386,329 1 10

1,857,334 3 3

1,857,334 3

3

14,208,324 18 /

19,018,480 17 5

Countries, &c.

Dominica

Grenada
Jamaica
Montserrat
Nevis

St. Christophers
St. Vincents
Tobago
Tortola

New-Providence
St. Croix
St. Thomas
St. Eustathius
Foreign West-Indies "1
and Bay of Honduras /

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain -

1772 — This winter the Dutch were in the greateft diftrefs for want
of corn and cattle, having received little or no fupply from Poland, the
ufual great granary of the north (which was now ravaged and defolated
by the inroads of the neighbouring powers) or from any other of the
corn or paflure countries ; whereupon the iinall quantity of provifions
they pofTefTed, or obtained, rofe to a mofl enormous price. Such, not-
withftanding the opinion of a very great political economift, mull fome-
times be the confequence of a nation de])ending entirely upon others
for the firft of neceflaries, even though there fhould be the moft un-
bounded freedom of commerce in their ports.

A large quantity of the Portuguefe gold pieces, ufually called half-
joes, was carried into the province of Quebec from the neighbouring
provinces in the fpring of this year, which, being delicient in weight,
produced great inconvenience in the trade of the couiury.

Louis de St. Pierre reprefentcd to government, that he had at the
expenfe of his whole fortune brought to perfecTiion the culture of filk
and the making of wine at New Bourdcaux in South-Carolina, and that
he had now 100,000 vine plants, and above twenty additional families
of French proteftants, ready to embark with him for that country.
But being unable of himfelf to fupport the expenfe, he prayed for
fome afliflance from government. On his cafe being referred by the
treai'ury to the lords of trade for their confideration, they recommend-
ed Mr. de St. Pierre as deferving public encouragement and fupport ;
and the governor of South-Carolina was afterwards dircded to put him
in pofleflion of 5,000 acres of unlocated land.

In the meantime the fociety for the encouragement of arts, com-
merce, &c. liad tcllificJ their approbation of Mr. dc St. Pierre's indullry,

5io A. D. 1772.

and their fatisfadion in his fpecimens of wine and filk, by an honorary
gold medal and a premium of fifty pounds.

February — The king of France ilTued orders for the payment of all
the Canada reconnoiflances, or bills, which were the property of Brit-
i(h fubjeds *.

As the charter of the Danifh Eafl: India company expired this fpring.
It was renewed for twenty years. The trade with China was fecured
exclufively to the company : but every fubjedt of Denmark, and even
foreigners, upon condition of employing Danifli-built veilels, fhipping
a certain value of Danifli manufactures, and paying certain duties to
the company, were permitted to trade to all the Danifli fettlements in
India, and from one port of India to another. The company alio were
obliged by their charter to export a certain value of Danifh manufac-
tures in every {hip configned to China, and a larger amount in each
one for India.

March — The king of Denmark eredled a new light-houfe at Natche-
hovet near Helfingoer, and another on the tower of his palace of Cro-
nenburg, both to be lighted for the firft time on the firfl day of April
1772 : and in order to reimburi'e himfelf for the erection of thefe lights,
he directed the officers of his revenue to charge one dollar on loaded
Ihips and half a dollar on empty ones, being an addition of one quarter
upon the light-money hitherto paid. He alfo ordered proper charts of
the adjacent coafts to be publiflied, and to be delivered at the cuflom-
houfe of Ore-fund, on payment of twenty-four {hillings Danifh (one
fhilling {terling).

Previous to carrying thefe orders into execution he gave notice of
them to the Britifh amba{Iador by a note, wherein he depends on the
equity of his Britannic Maje{ty for his confent to this additional charge,
as being for the general advantage of commerce.

The Baltic merchants of London approving of the lights, and think-
ing the additional charge reafonable, the board of trade recommended
it to the king to agree to it.

April — The confervators of the Bedford level were empowered to
borrow fome money for carrying on their nece{rary works in draining,
banking, &c. Regulations were alfo made for preferving certain fen
lands in the fliires of Huntington and Cambridge. [12 Geo. HI, cc.
9, 26, 27.]

The corporation of Great Yarmouth were empowered to levy a duty
on all ve{l'els unloading within the bounds of their port, for the purpofe
of repairing and deepening their haven and the rivers running into it.
[12 Geo. Ill, c. 14.]

The magiftrates of Glafgow were empowered to levy a tunnage duty
on all ve{lels (^except thofe loaded with provi{ions, fait for the fifhery,

• An »ccour.t of the nature of thefe bills has already been given under the year 1766.

A. D. 1772. 511

and building materials, and empty veffels) for the purpofe of enlarging
and deepening their harbour of Port-Glafgow, now become infufEcient
for the increaled number and enlarged burthen of their vefTels, [12
Geo. Ill, c. 16.]

An ad pretty mu.ch of the fame nature enabled the magiftrates of
Ayr to enlarge and improve their harbour, to tvQ^t docks, light-houfes,
&c. their trade having alfo confiderably increafed of late years. [ 1 2
Geo. Ill, c. 22.]

It was made felony to burn or deflroy fhips of war or naval flores.
[12 Geo. Ill, c. 24.]

The light-houfes on the Spurn point, at the mouth of the Humber
being found improperly fituated (apparently owing to the recels of the
water from the north fhore of the Humber) the corporation of the Tri-
nity houfe were empov/ered to ereft new light-houfes, and to retain the
pi'operty of them till the duties payable fliould reimburfe all charges ;
after which they are to revert to the former proprietors. [12 Geo. Ill,
c. 29.]

In confequence of the premiums given by the city of London for
bringing mackerels and herrings to market, it appeared that 3,789,192
of the former, and an innumerable quantity of the later were brought
to Billingfgate in the courfe of the late feafon. The quantity of mac-
kerel only was computed to be equal to 3,608 oxen, or about a twenty-
third part of the oxen annually fold at Smithfield market.

May 21'^ — The free importation of rice from any of the Britifli co-
lonies in America was permitted till the i'' of May 1773 ; and a duty
of fix pence per pound ad valorem was impofed on the exportation of it.
[12 Geo. Ill, c. 32.]

Wheat, flour, rye, Indian corn, &c. were allowed to be imported free
of duty from Europe or America till the i" of December 1772. [12
Geo. Ill, c. ^^.'\

June — Several regulations were made to prevent impofitions on the
revenue with rcfpecSt to tea, foap, low-wines, and fpirits, and alfo vellum,
parchment, paper, and playing-cards. [12 Geo. Ill, cc. 46, 48. j

In order to encourage the manuladurc of leather, the importation of
foreign oak bark, the prelent duty on which amounted to a prohibi-
tion, was permitted after the 25''' of June 1772, on paying a duty of
only one penny, when the price of bark is ;^*io or more for the load.
l\2 Geo. Ill, c. so.]

In order to prevent the great confumption of timber fit for the con-
flrudlion of large fliips of war, the Eaft-Indiu company were prohibited
from building, or allowing to hv built {oc their frrvicc, any new fiiips,
till the fhipping in their employment fliould be reduced under 45,000
tuns, or employing any fliips built after 18''' March 1772. But thej

Vol. III. 2 U

522 A. D. 1772.

are at liberty to build any vefiel •whatever in India or the colonics, or to
charter any vefTel built in India or the colonies *. [12 Geo. Ill, c. 54.]
In order to prevent the clandeftinc importation of goods from Ire-
land, it was enaded, that after the 5'' of July 1772 no rum, fugar, cof-
fee, nor other goods prohibited to be imported from Ireland to Great
Britain, fliould be entered outwards in Ireland for Great Britain. Any
perfon landing goods in Britain, which had been entered in Ireland for
exportation to a foreign country, forfeits the vefTel and triple the value
of the goods. In order to prevent fmuggling Britifli plantation rum,
&c. the importation of it to Ireland in velTcls under feventy tuns after
the 29'** of September was prohibited on penalty of forfeiture of the
veflel: and the importation of foreign brandy, rum, or other fpirits, into
Ireland in veffels under a hundred tuns, beyond two gallons for each
man onboard, fubjeds the veflels and alfo the brandy, 8cc. to forfeiture.

[\z Geo. Ill, CSS-']

The expiring ads — for granting an allowance on the exportation of
Britifh gun-powder ; — for the free importation of lumber from the
American colonies ; — for encouraging the manufadure of Britifh fail-
cloth ; — for allowing fugars to be carried dired from the Britifh fugar
colonies to foreign parts in fhips built in Great Britain, and navigated
according to law ; — and for permitting the free importation of cattle
from Ireland, were all continued till the 29"' of September 1778, and
thence, as ufual, to the end of the next feflion of parliament. [12 Geo.
Ill, c. 56.]

The ad 26 Geo. II, c. 6, was explained and amended fo far as it re-
lates to the eftablifhment of lazarets for the reception of perfons and
goods liable to quarantine. [12 Geo. Ill, c. 57.]

For the better encouragement of the herring fifhery on the coaft of
the ifle of Mann, the importation into Great Britain of herrings, cer-
tified by the governor of the ifland and the cuftom-houfe officers to be
really caught and cured in that ifland, was allowed after the 24'*^ of
June 1772, on payment of 2f'^■ P^r barrel of 32 gallons for fait her-
rings, and iy8 per thoufand for red herrings. In the fame ad fome
doubts refpeding the bounties on the herring fifhery are explained.
[12 Geo. Ill, c. 58.]

To promote the exportation of tea, and prevent the fupply of it by
clandeftine trade, three fifths of the duties were allowed to be drawn
back upon all teas exported to Ireland or the Britifh colonies in Ame-
rica in the original packages, and in veflels not under the burthen of
eighty tons. In order to give Britifh fugars a preference in the Irifh

* Many people, acquainted with the ftate of fervicea'ble timber. One gentleman went fo far a$

the oak woods tlirough different parts of the king, to fay, that we were in danger of being no longer

dom, had lately affetted, that there was every- a maritime nation,

where an alarming diminutiom of the quantity of 4

A. D. 1772. 523

markets, the drawback hitherto allowed on foreign fugurs carried from
Great Britain to Ireland was flopped. Cordage, made in Great Britain
from Britifh or foreign hemp (not American), exported to any part of
the continent of Europe, was entitled to a continuation of the bounty
granted by the ad 6 Geo. I/l, c. 45. The liberty of importing rice
from the Britifh colonies in America into feveral }X)rts for immediate
exportation to foreign parts was extended to Briflol, Liverpool, Lan-
cafter, and Whitehaven. [12 Geo. Ill, c. 60.]

Several regulations were made for making, keeping, and conveying,
the dangerous article of gun-powder. [12 Geo. Ill, c. 6r.]

The marine fociety, an alTociation of gentlemen, who fince the year
1756 had contributed for the charitable and political purpofes of fit-
ting out deflitute boys and landfmen for the lea fervice onboard the
navy or merchant fhips, were now incorporated with the ufual powers
and privileges. The boys placed out as apprentices by them were ex-
empted from being imprefted while under eighteen years of age, and
privileged to exercife any trade in any part of Great Britain or Ireland.
[12 Geo. Ill, c. 67. j

Parliament gave a reward of /^5, 000 to Do(fi:or Charles Irving for
making public his art of frefhening fea water, fo as to make it fit for
drinking ; a difcovery of the utmofl importance to all feafaring people.

It was determined to pay off /^i, 500, 000 of the three-per-cent an-
nuities, eftablifhed vmder the various names of three per cents confoli-
dated, reduced, South-fea, and three per cents of 1751, to fuch perfons
as fhould in due time fignify their confent to receive at the rate of ^^90 for
X^ioo of the capital ; the money, amounting altogether to /?r ,350,000
to be paid in equal moieties on the 15''' of July and 20'' of October
1772, together with the interefl or dividend to the 5''' of July. And
as an inducement to accept thefe terms, each proprietor of ^ 100 flock,
upon figning fuch agreement, became entitled to four lottery tickets at
the price of /^I2 : 10 : o. [12 Geo. Ill, c. 70.]

' Whereas it hath been found by experience, that the reflraints laid
' by feveral flatutcs upon the dealing in corn, meal, flour, cattle, and
' fundry other forts of viduals, by preventing a free trade in the faid
' commodities, have a tendency to difcourage the growth, and to en-
^ hance the price, of the fame; which fiatutes, if put in execution,
' would bring a great diftrefs upon the inhabitants of many parts of
' this kingdom, and in particular upon thofe of the cities of London
' and Weftminfter,' the parliament wifely repealed feveral wcll-inteud-
ed, but ill-contrived, laws for reftricling and regulating the dealers in
butter, cheefe, milk, corn, cattle, &c. [12 Geo. III,c. 71.]

By the law of Scotland any creditor could arrcfl the effects of his
debtor in the hands of a third perlon, and thereby, in cafe of bank-
ruptcy, carry off the property to the prejudice of other creditors, and

X U 2

524 ■^' ^- ^772*

particularly of thofe, who, living in diftant places, could not have fuch
early or certain knowlege of the circumftances and connedions of the
debtor. The now enlarged commercial connedions ot Scotland ren-
dered this partial mode of proceedi^ig, which was a total bar againft
distant creditors having a chance of obtaining any lliare in the cfl'edts of
a bankrupt, a greater and more extenfive grievance than formerly ;
and therefor new regulations were made by parliament, whereby all
creditors upon proving their debts were entivled to an equal proportion
of the effeds of their debtor. At the fame time, for the further ad-
vantage of trade, the fiminuuy execution and other privileges, due 10
bills of exchange and inland bills, were, after the 15''' of May 1772,
extended to promiilbry notes in Scotland. [12 Geo. Ill, c. 72.]

In this feffion many adts were alfo pafled for improving the ftreets,
buildings, and police, of London and other cities and towns in Eng-
land and Scotland ; as alio many ads for inland navigation, roads, and
bridges, throughout the united kingdom.

The admiral on the American ftation had placed an armed fchooner
at Providence in Rhode-ifland to proted the trade and lupprefs fmug-
gling. The very adive exertions of the officer, who commanded this
veflel, fo provoked the people of the place, that a party of them, fup-
pofed to be about two hundred, boarded the fchooner at midnight,
took the people out of her, and fet her on fire (10" June). Such a
grofs aftfont to government was highly refented at home, and in Ame-
rica it contributed greatly to widen the breach between the people of
the country and thofe in the fervice of government, and perhaps to ac-
celerate the opener hoftilities which afterwards took place.

There were fome great bankruptcies in London, which produced very
general diftrefs, and for fome time flruck an univerfal panic, till the
principal merchants had a meeting (June), at which they concerted mea-
sures for checking the progrefs of the evil, by which means, together
with the judicious interpofition of the bank of England, the calamity
was happily prevented from fpreading lb wide as it mufl otherways
have done, the public apprehenlions were quieted, and the national cre-
dit preferved.

The firfl great failures were followed by fo many others in various
parts of the kingdom, that the bankruptcies of this year amounted to
the unprecedented nvimber of 525 *.

* There were 415 in the year 1726, 446 in die remccly of an ovei-fullnefs of commercial pro-

17J7, and 388 in 1728. In no other year till now fpcrity, as fome difordcrs in the human conllitu-

did they ever amount to 300, except in 1764, tion proceed from too great a confidence in a fult-

when there were 301. See Mr. Chahners's cla- nefs of health : and the export trade of Great

borate table of the bankruptcies from the year Eiitaln appears tc liave attamcd a height in the

17CO to 1793 in his EJl'imate of the Jlrcngth of years 1771 and 1772, to which it never rofe be-

Creat Britain, p. y\v\, ed. 1794. Numerous bank- fore, and which it never again equaled till th«

juplcies are frequently both the ccnfequence and year 1787.

A. D. 1772. J25

In the year 1769 the dukes of Buckcleugli and Qiieenfberry, the earl
of Dumfries, Mr. Douglas (the reprefentative of the antient earls of
Douglas) and many other gentlemen, chiefly of the weft part of Scot-
land, entered into a partnerfliip, and fobfcribed a capital of about
/^i6o,ooo for carrying on the bufinefs of banking at Ayr, under the
firm of Douglas, Heron, and company, with the intention of fupport-
ing and encouraging manufadurcs and agriculrure : and the company ac-
cordingly accommodated manufacturers, land-liolders, and farmers, with
money with a liberality beyond the cautious prudence of other banks,
in confequence of which, together with the prefent deranged ftate of
credit, they found thcmfelves unable to procure cafli to anlVer the de-
mands upon them (June). Tlie partners now dilcovered how feverely
they had fuflfered by their pubiic-fpirited undertaking; for they loft not
only their jomt ftock, but alio fums greatly beyond the whole amount
of it, which, as the bank was not conftituted by public authority, ther
were obliged to pay out of their private eftates *. They therefor broke
up their bufjnei's ; and in a fhort time thereafter they paid off the
whole of their debts with intereft, which they eflfeded in part by mo-
ney borrowed, but chiefly by the fum of ^450,000 arifmg from the
fale of annuities for one or two Uves, with a conditio;! of redeeming
them on paying half a year's annuity over the purchafe money and the
annuity due at the time of redemption f .

It was not only in America that fchemes for new colonies in the Ind-
ian part of that continent were in agitation :[:. A petition by feveral
gentlemen of rank arid fortune in England for a grant of the country
on the Ohio, to be fettled by a new colony, was prefented to the privy
council, who, it is faid, were not averfe to the fchcme. But before an
entcrprife of fuch magnitude could be carried into execution, the pro-
jedors of it were induced, apparently on account of the ftate of affairs
in America, to relinquifli the undertaking.

June 1 9-' — No fuel) caufes operated to prevent the attention of indi-
viduals, or of the public, from being direded to the northern provinces
of America. Henry Boftwick and others having dilcovered mines of
copper and other metals in the Indian country adjacent to Lake Supe-
rior, they were incorporated by a charter from the king under the
name ot "Ibe governor and company of adventurers for zvorhing mines in,
about, and under. Lake Superior in America, on condition of paying to
the king one tenth part of all the gold, filver, copper, tin, lead, pre-
tious ftones, &c. And in order to giuird againft the evds of ftock-job-

' II was well ohfcrvtd by Mr. Creech, that ' jrcncrah' [I.etUrt to Sir jf. Sindn'tr in ihe Sla-

• Although this lofs was huitful to many indivi- lijlical account of Scotland, /'• vi,^. 597.J

• duals, the country was highly benefited ; for the \ I'lic annuities wcic redeemed ia the year

• money liaving bteii belloned principally on the 1774. as will be related under that year.

• improvcintni of the foil, the jjiiiii was lallirg, and \ Sec above, V. iii, /•. 468.

526 A. D. 1772.

bing, fo fatally attendant on fuch fchcmes in the early part of this cen-
tury, no transfer of anv part of the joint (lock was to be permitted till
five years after the eredtion of the company.

The reports made about this time by Mr. Scammel furveyor of the
king's woods in America, and Captain Holland the geographical fur-
veyor of the northern diftridt of America, reprefent the country be-
tween St. John's river in the Bay of Fundy and Kennebeck river as one
of the grandefl: magazines ot pines, fit for marts and yards for the
navy, in the world. Mr. Scammel fays, he meafured one, which was
above feventeen feet in circumference ; and he alfo obfcrves, that the
white oak of that country is of a very good texture for fliip-building.

Ju!v 6'' — In confequence of a reprefentation from the journeymen
cabinet-makers of London, fetting forth that prodigious quantities of
magnificent houfehold furniture were imported from abroad on pre-
tence of being the property of foreign ambafladors, but in reality for
fale, the lords of the treaiurv ordered a feizure to be made of fome
hundreds of chairs, fofas, marble tables, tapeftry, and other furniture,
faid to l)e but a fmall part of the goods of that kind configned to the
Venetian ambaflador. He thought proper to make a demand of the
goods imported under his privilege, but received for anfwer, that the
king would not fuffer his minifter at Venice to infringe the Venetian
laws, nor the \''enetian minifter here to violate the laws of Great Bri-
tain. Very different was the conduct of Prince Mafl'erano, the Spanifli
ambafliidoi , who, at a meeting of the foreign ambafladors, declared,
that, as he caaie here to preferve, not to violate, the rights of nations,
he would keep no company with any one, who would degrade himfelf
from the dignified rank of the reprelentative of a fovereign to the
defpicable character of a fmuggler. In a few days after another meeting
was held at Prince Maflerano's houfe, where the foreign minifters figned
a p.ip< r, to be fent to the fecretaries of flate, wherein they declared up-
on their honours, that they would permit no goods to be imported in
their names but what fhould be truely for their own ufe.

Auguft: 3i'- — The Windward iflands in the Weft-Indies fuffered pro-
digioully from a hurricane of uncommon violence. In St. Chriftophers
almoft all the plantations were laid wafte : the fugar mills and works, the
canes and other plants, and even trees, were blown down, and all the
houfes in the ifland v« ere either totally deftroyed, or very much damaged.
The ihipi alfo were driven onftiore and wrecked. The diftrefs of the ifland

was dreadful, and it was univerfal At Antigua, the ftation of the

fliips of war allotted for the protection of the Windward iflands, the
admiral alone efcaped being ftranded, and many merchant fliips found-
ered. The towns and houfes on the plantations met with the fame de-

Ilrudion as thofe of St. Chriftophers At Dominica eighteen veflels

were loft And at Montferrat and Nevis fcarcely a houfe efcaped

A. D. 1772. 527

deftrudlion In the neighbouring foreign iflands the deftruftive rav-
ages of the hurricane were not lefs violent. In St. Euftathius 400
houfes were deftroyed : fome of them were carried ten or twelve yards

off, and a church was carried into the fea At Saba 180 houfes were

deftroyt'd; and at St. Martins almoft all the houfes and plantations

At Santa Cruz the fea aflifted the wind in its ruinous operations by a
dreadful rife to the height of about 70 feet, which fwept away every
thing in its courfe, and overwhelmed about 250 people. The planta-
tions were utterly defolated, and it was apprehended, that even next
year they would icarcely produce any thing, the very ground being al-
moft deftroyed by deep holes made by the falling of large trees. The
damage of houfes, plantations, &c. in this ifland was eftimated at five

millions of dollars (above a million of guineas) At St. Thomas's

the damage was alfo very confiderablc.

September — The duke of Bridgewatcr added confiderably to the util-
ity of his canal by eftablifhing regular pafllige-boats upon it, in each
of which about fixty people, with a reafonable quantity of baggage al-
lowed to every paflenger, may be carried above twenty miles, as quick-
ly as they could travel by land, for one fliilling a-piece *. Whatever
facilitates mutual intercourfe promotes the interefts of commerce, and
is therefor deferving of notice in this work.

The cmprefs of Germany erected a light-houfe about 100 feet high
at her port of Oftend, and alfo ordered a proper eftablifhment of pilots
to be conftantly in readinefs for the fervice of (hips.

About this time the emperor of Morocco compelled all the Chriftian
merchants, and alfo the European Jews, fettled at Tetuan, to remove
to Tangier, a place where there were no houfes ready for their recep-
tion.

This fummer fome gentlemen in Virginia fubfcribed for the equip-
ment of a veflel to be fent upon an attempt for a north-weft paifage.
Under their aufpices Captain Wilder failed in the brig Diligence to the
latitude of 69" 1 1' in a large bay, which he fuppofed hitherto unknown.
He reported, that from the courfe of the tides he thought it very pro-
bable that there is a paflage, but that it is feldom free of ice, and

therefor impafHible f But an impnff'able pnjjhge (if fuch language may

be allowed) is no paflage for ftiips.

But the impolfibility of finding fuch a paflage in any navigable fea
was at the fime time further demonftratcd by the return in this fum-
mer of Mr. Hearne, a naval ofRcer then in the fervice of the Hudfon's-

* The duk* afterwards employed larger boatt, kept by the mafter, Tvherein his wife fcrvcs the
carrying from 80 to lio paflciiyers with accoinrao- ojinpaiiy with wine and oUicr retrelliments.
dations for different clalTcs .it the rates of i/, \fG, f This Virginia voyage of difcovery had efcap-
and J/b, and each prorided with a coffcc-houfe cd the diligence of Doetor Forfter, the hillorian of

Toyages and difvroTcrics in the North.

528 A. D. 1772.

bay company, who, in confequcnce of fome information received from
the Indians, was fent by the governor of Fort Prince of Wales on a
journey of difcovery in the year 1770. He penetrated to the Frozen
ocean at the mouth of the Copper-mine river, which he makes to be
in about 72° of north latitude : and in the courfe of the journey he
learned by converfation with the Indians, that the continent ftretches
from thence a prodigious way to the weftward. From his journey we
know for certain, that any communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans mull be beyond the latitude of 72° : and no man will
ever venture his life or property in a long coafting navigation upon a
frozen ocean beyond that latitude.

October 14''' — The king of Pruflia, in order to encourage and extend
the commerce of his fubjects, eftabliflied by patent a company of mari-
time commerce with a capital of i ,200,000 crowns in Ihares of 500
crowns each. And with a view to encourage his fubjefts, and alio fo-
reigners, to take fhares in this vaft: capital, he took feven eighths of the
whole to himfelf *.

Irifli linens to the amount of 1,954,496 yards were brought to Lon-
don by fea, and entered at the cuftom-houfe, of which 776,625 yards
were from Belfaft, whence the finefl linens are (hipped. Eefides the
above gi*eat quantity, there is a continual importation to Chefter,
whence the linens are forwarded by land carriage to London and other
places.

Notvvithftanding the flourifliing ftate of the linen manufadture in the
north part of Ireland, it does not appear, that the people of that coun-
try found themfclves happy at home. In the courfe of two years there
failed from the northern ports of Ireland for North-America,

in 1771 32 veffels meafuring 8,900 tuns

and in 1772 30 - 8,450

62 i7'.35o

It is fuppofed, that thofe veflels carried as many paflengers as they
meafured tuns-j and as mod of the emigrants paid for their paflage at
/^3 : 10 each, and a great proportion of them were lineii manufacturers
and farmers, and many of them poffefled of fome property, which they
carried off in money, we may eftimate by how many fubjeds, and how
inuch treafure, thefe emigrations weakened the Britifli empii'e in Eu-
rope, and ftrengthened America.

December 3'' — The Swedes had formerly prohibited the importation
of fait in foreign veflels. But now, in order to remove every reftraint
from the herring fidiery, they admitted vefliels of all nations, loaded
with that important article, to enter the ports of the provinces of Got-

♦ How it could be an encouragement to the owners of 300 (liares to find thcaifelves only as one
to feven in the balance with their royal partner, I cannot conceive.

A. D. 1772. 529

tenburg and Bahus, the coaft of which had been for fome years part
enriched by the vifits of the herrings.

December 4 ''-24''' — The ads for the free importation of all kinds of
grain from Europe, Africa, and America, and of faked provifions, tal-
low, &c. from Europe, Ireland, and America, as alfo thofe for prohi-
biting the exportation of all kinds of grain, malt, flour, &c. were again
renewed. [13 Geo. HI, cc. 1-5.]

The free importation of rice from the Britifh colonies in America to
Great Britain was alfo permitted till the firft of May 1780 ; and the ex-
portation of it was fubjefted to a duty of 27 per cent ad valorem. By
the fltme adt all perfons were at liberty to make flarch of rice, notwith-
flanding a patent granted to William Prince for that manufacture, Mr.
Prince having confented to refign his exclufive right. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 7.]

The Eaft-India company's affairs in India ftood more in need of re-
gulation now, than when the three fupervifors, who unfortunately pe-
rifhcd on their padlige, were fent out. They therefor refolved to lend
out other fupervifors ; and General Monkton, together with MefTieurs
Gumming, Devaynes, Lafcelles, Wier, and Wheeler, were appointed to
that important truft (23'' Oilober). But before thefe gentlemen could
proceed on their million, they were prohibited by an adt of the legil-
lature, whereby

December 24"'' — The Eaft-India company were rcftrained for a limit-
ed time from appointing commiflloners for fuperintending and regulat-
ing their affairs at their prelidencies in India. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 9.]

The company found it necelTary, in confequence of the embarrafled
ftate of their affairs (which will be more fully explained in the tranfac-
tions of the enluing year) to reduce their dividend from tzvelve and a
half, at which rate it had been paid from Midlummer 1771 to Midfum-
mer 1772 inclufive, tojix per cent per annum.

Mr. Foivre *, who had traveled over a great part of Afia as a na-
turalift and philofopher, having made a voyage from the French lettle-
ments in Madagafcar to fome iflands producing fpices, and independent
of the Dutch, arrived in June 1770 at the Ille of France with a great
number of plants of nutmeg and clove trees, as well as of the fruits
themfelves fit for lowing. A fecond, and larger, importation was made
of them this year, and great hopes were conceived of their thriving in
the ifland. But, though they were treated with the greateft care by
very able botaniils, moil; of them perilhed, and thofe that furvivcd
were of a poor quality, and afforded Uule profpecl; of fuccefs f .

* The author of Vayagei i/'un bliilofoplie (Tra- tlierc were I1544 iiutmc)!; trcts and 4,163 clo»e

Tcls of a philofopher) and fcvcral otlicr valuable tires in the king's buunie (;arjvii, icajy, with

works. rtiiwy other rare plants, 10 he ^ivcn to any uf the

•f 'I'hey appear to have thriven better after b«- inhabitants, who <lcfiied to cultivate them. \_Huti-

ing naturalized to the foil. VV'lieii J.,iiutenant l,r'i Journul ul I'ori Ja.kjon, f>. ^6.]
King was at the ifle of France in Auguil 1790,

Vol. III. 1 X

5$o A. D. 177a.

Among the enormities, which took place in confequence of the dif-
memberment of Poland, perhaps the fate of the illuftrious free city of
Dantzik is the only event, which properly comes within the province
o C'Knmercial hiftory. The king of Pruflia began by feizing the ter-
ritory belonging to the city, the adjacent ifland of Holm, the two
peninfulas running into the harbour, and the faburbs of the city. He
then furrounded the city with cuftom-houfes, at which he levied exor-
bitant duties upon every article of country produce, that was carried to
market ; and he impofed new duties upon imports and exports, the pay-
ments of which he enforced before the fhips were allowed to come into
the harbour. In open contempt of the treaties cxifting between Great
Britain and Dantzik, by which Britifh commerce hadenjoyed confider-
able advantages, he raifed the duties upon Britifh imports, and parti-
cularly upon tobacco, the chief article of them, fo as to amount near-
ly to a prohibition. Not contented with this demonftration of his gra-
titude to a people, who had fo liberally fupported him againft the great
powers of Auftria and Ruffia, now his aObciates in the difmembermcnt
of Poland, he ere<3:ed an exclufive company vefted with the fole right
of importing and exporting fait, and gave to another the monopoly of
bees-wax. At length the magiftrates, feeing themfelves hemmed in on
every fide, fo that no corn, provifions, nor any other thing could go in
or out of the city, deprived of the navigation of the Viftula * and the
Baltic fea, and alfo deferted by their citizens, who had fled by thou-
fands to Sweden, France, and other countries, their trade utterly an-
nihilated by intolerable exadions, and their interefl negleded by all the
numerous powers, who were bound by treaty, and even by intercft,
to prote<5l them, were compelled to fubmit to the power of Pruflia.
Thus, with the ridiculoufly futile protedlion of a hundred treaties of
friendfliip and guarantee from the various powers of Europe, fell the
great and flourifliing commercial city of Dantzik, a prey to the rapacity
of the magnanimous and philofophic Frederik.

The fpirit of independence feems this year to have pervaded and ani-
mated the whole of South America, and made the European fovereigns
of that continent tremble for the fafety of their dominion over thofe
wealthy provinces. The iiegroes of the Dutch colony of Surinam, avail-
ing themfelves of the knowlege of fire-arms they had attained by the
inflirudions of the white people, rebelled againfl; their mafters, and re-
peatedly defeated the foldiers, who were fent againfl; them. In Brazil

* The king of PruiTia was faid to have extort- be placed to the account of exaggeration, it was

e<l fcven miUions of dollars from the unhappy peo- ftill a pretty good ftroke of phindtr. The forcible

pic by forcibly foreftalling and monopolizing the tranfplantlon of families in the ftile of the antient

torn brought down the Viftula or feized in the ad- Egyptian and Perfian policy, the tribute of mar-

jacent countries, which he paid for in bafe money, liageable virgins, and the other rapacious and op-

and forced the people to rc-purchafe with good preflive arts of «he Pruffian hero, do not belong

money. Granting that even half the fura fhould to this work.

A. D. 1772.

5^»

the negroes and Indians combined their forces, and after two obftinate
battles, faid to have been fupported on their fide with no lefs judgement
than bravery, they were obhged to give way to fuperior difcipline. The
Portuguefe are fuppofed to have loft feven thoufand people in this war,
which after all was not at an end. The fpirit of revolt was too widely
fpread among the numerous tribes of a vaft back country to be eafily
or quickly fubdued. The Spaniards made a new attempt to fettle upon
the ifland of Chlloe, near the coaft of Chili, that they might, like the
dog in the manger, prevent other European nations from reaping that
advantage from a friendly intercourfe with the independent Indians of
Chili, which the juft refentment of thofe brave people prevents them-
felves from enjoying. But their fruftrated attempt only ferved to raife
up a new confederacy againft the oppreflbrs of America among the Ind-
ian nations, who in great force attacked the mines, flaughtered all the
white people they found, and then laid fiege to Baldivia, of which, how-
ever, tney were only able to burn the fuburbs. But it may be remark-
ed, that our accounts of affairs fo remote, and fo jealoufly kept in ob-
fcurity, are far from being accurate.

Mr. Swallow, in his periodical report, obferved, that in the courfe of
this year 237 Britifh veflels (whereof 100 for London), and 289 veffels
of all other nations, failed from Peterfbui-g. Their cargoes coniilled of
the ufual articles.

Between the 5'" of December 1771 and the 5"" of December 1772
the following veflels pafled the Sound.

Total.

Dutch

- 2,145

Bremen

170

French

13

Englifli

- 1,894

Lubeck

38

Courland -

7

Danifh

- 973

Hamburgh -

32

Spanifh

2

Swedifti

805

Ruflian

28

Portuguefe -

2

Pruflian

- 326

Ro flock

21

Dantzik

211

Imperial

13

6,354 302 24 6,68a

A new method of ftriking whales by a harpoon difcharged from a
fwivel gun was this year tried in the Greenland fifhery *. The fociety
of arts, dcfirous of encouraging every improvement in fo important a
filhery, gave a premium of twenty guineas to the inventor.

The quantity of coals imported into London this year was 725,008
chaldrons, which greatly exceeded the importaticm of any former year.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,635 veflels of the reputed burthen of 582,563 tuns,

and of Scotland 1,567 _ _ - 91,890

Total 9,262

674.453

• Mr. AnJerfon mentiuns fucli a gun being inrtnfcd in the ywr If^x. It might notwiililUoding
he really invented by the perfon who mjw brought it forward to public notice. ,

3X3

53'

A. D. 1772.

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain,

Britldi

Inward
Outward

Vcffcls.
7,698
9,408

Tuns.
757,802
923,811

Forcipn

To

tal

Vellels.

1,143
563

Tuns.
136,320
72,750

VeOcU.
8,841
9,971

Tuns.
894,122
996,561

The net amount of the cudoms, including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of the year,
was from the cuftom-houfe in London - /^2, 525, 596 3 lo

And there were no remittances from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh
this year, the cuftom duties of Scotland being wholely exhaufted in
fifhery bounties, drawbacks, and charges.

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of this year
18,060 pounds of gold, value - - £^4-3,^53 10 o

and 108 pounds of filver, _ _ _ ^34 16 o

£Su,i^S 6 o
The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain, from
Chriftmas 1771 to Chriftmas 1772, was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark, kc.

East country

Kast-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland -

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Prussia

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Straits

Gibraltar

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Guernsey, kc.

America in general

Hudson's bay

Newfoundland

Cape Breton

Quebec

Nova-Scotia

Impi

irted into

Exported from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND. 1

^£92,338 12

0

^866,394 11

3

12,773 10

7

32,539 7

3

85,521 17

2

a^27,510

3

7

161,972 14

3

.5^24,619

19 5

209,189 14

5

103,661 2

5

2,473,192 8

2

941,361 4

5

99.473 6

9

98

2

1

793,454 12

5

18,813

17 3

54,948 11

5

3,313

10

2

290,989 16

1

472,175

IS 8

701,813 5

1

24,594

13

10

1,354,181 6

6

79,976

8 8

23,449 16

5

10,4.51

7

2

36 15

4

324,901 8

8

102,831

8

3

1,997,815 1

4

358,132

1 10

1,242,305 18

5

139,942

16

10

1,963,787 4

0

204,904

19 5

905

14

5

321

7 0

858.509 8

10

1,657

14

5

831,514 1

8

4,761

5 0

3,330 3

g

203

10

5

12,107 2

2

8,512

7

9

222

18 4

8,350

0

0

47

11 5

347,373 U

2

12,818

15

11

635,114 4

2

1,237

6 9

1,008.948 11

5

132,005

12

5

139,470 15

5

21,386

1 6

510,637 9

1

8,065

17

5

805,038 0

1

7,883

2 9

13,902 15

1

141,729 8

7

974

0 4

187,826 15

2

24,368

19

5

54,698 12

9

1,259

7 6

154,052 8

3

96,823 4

4

64,605 8

0

80,849 17

0

49,551 18

0

1,332

U

1

64,135 I

2

575,382

/

5

303,498

9 5

8,005 17

1

6,381 2

9

67,625 2

U

107,822 14

0

255 8

7

121 6

9

47,995 4

4

203,779 5

6

4,663 12

3

34,668 3

3

A. D.

1772.

533

Importcil into

Exported from

—

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

•GOTLAND.

se\26,2()5 7 6

j£824,830 8 9

82,707 8 6

343,970 19 9

29,133 12 3

507,909 14 0

528,404 10 6

793,910 13 2

425,()23 1 1

449,610 2 2

66,083 IS 9

92,406 4 4

15,722 17 6

40,458 2 9

3£'127,918 2 0

d^58,052 15

3

166,351 12 4

116,074 10 11

210,842 12 0

138,841 10 7

525 2 10

11,798 14 ©

215,667 7 1

60,526 14 2

492,974 5 3

191,774 18 9

1,483,818 19 8

592,733 5 1

82,873 18 2

23,334 7 8

82,331 17 9

18,277 15 1

302,952 2 0

118,914 4 9

155,182 18 0

33,361 18 10

10,-18 19 8

36,797 4 10

58,111 9 5

30,586 0 11

5,817 19 9

1,504 0 9

24,947 18 0

815 5 0

51,079 13 10

1,535 14 10

15,580 3 0

4,728 12 11

2,488 9

I

13,208,452 2 3

16,159,412 14 4

1,210,263 14 6

1,210,263 14 6

1,560,755 19 7

1,560,755 19

7

14,508,715 16 9

17,720,168 13 11

Countries, Sec.
New-England
New- York
Pennsylvania
Virginia and Marj-land
Carolina

Georgia ...
Florida -
West-Indies in general
Antigiia

Barbados ...
Bermuda - -
Dominica . _ -
Grenada - . -

Jamaica - - .
Montserrat

Nevis ...
St. Christophers
St. Vincents
Tobago ...
Tortola ...
New- Providence
St. Croix
St. Eustathius
Bay of Honduras
Musquito short-
Foreign West-Indies -

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp, and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain, -

T773 — The fpirlt of launching into rafh and boundlefs projeds in
commerce, which were to be fupported by artificial credit, and the
jnadnefs of towering fpeculations in national funds, which carry the ad-
venturer out of the proper fphcre of trade into the unfathomable abyfs
of gambling, had now ipread through the commercial world in inofl
parts of Europe, and even fome of the cautious and phlegmatic mer-
chants of Holland were infedcd with it. The evil, which had reached
its height in England in the llimmer of 1772, burfl out on the conti-
nent in the end of that, and the beginning of the following, year, with
fuch an extenfive crafli, that there feemed to be an univerfal wreck of
credit tliroughout Europe, to the amount, as was fuppofcd, of ten mil-
lions flerhng. But as the greatcfl part of it was upon airy fpeculation,
if thofe individuals, who were innocently drawn into the vortex, could
have been exempted from the general ruin, it would have been perhaps
rather upon the whole advantageous to the moderate and fobcr part of
the commercial world, that fuch ideal tranfadions fliould be expunged
and annihilated.

In this time of general diflrefs a happy mixture of generofity and
prudence in mofl: of the trading nations, though witliout any previous ,

534 .-A. D. 1773-

Concert, (which the urgency of the cafe rendered impoflible) averted
many of the fatal confequences that were apprehended, and prevented
the milbhief from fpreading fo wide as it muft otherways have done.
The merchants in Holland, where the evil was greateft, adled on this
occafion with their ufual commercial wifdom. The bank of Stockholm
gave fupport to every houfe of real refponfibility in that city. And the
emprefs of Ruflia ftepped forward to ward off the impending calamity,
and particularly favoured her befl cuftomers, the Britifti merchants at
Pcterfburg, by giving them a credit on her own banker for fuch fums
as they fhould ftand in need of.

The board of trade recommended to the king to permit the owners
of veflels fent to catch cod on the Labrador coaft, to make lettlements
on the fhore for the feal and falmon fifhery, which, being at a different
feafon of the year from the cod fifhery, can only be carried on by people
fettled on the land.

They alfo adviled that a part of the Labrador coaft fhould be detach-
ed from the government of Newfoundland, and re-annexed to that of
Quebec *.

The Eaft-India company having found it neceffary to reduce the di-
vidend upon their capital ftock to the low rate o? fix per cent, the Ja-
nuary payment was accordingly made at that rate.

March 16'" — As it would greatly advance the improvement of fu-
gar plantations in the Britifh Weft-Indies, if loans of money could be
obtained from foreigners as well as from Britifh fubjeds, it was made
lawful for foreigners to lend money on the fecurity of mortgages upon
Weft- India eftates at a rate of intereft not exceeding ^7;^ per cent, and
to have the fame rights in recovering fuch debts as if they were Britifh
fubjeds, even though their own countries fhould be at war with Great
Britain. [13 Geo. HI, c. 14.]

Hitherto the children of Britifh fubjeds refiding in foreign countries,
and being proteftants, were entitled to the privileges of Britifh fubjedts,
notwithftanding their being born out of the king's dominions, but not
the children of fuch foreign-born fubjeds, who were confidered as aliens.
But now the privileges of Britifh fubjeds were extended to thefe grand-
children of Britifh-bom fubjedts. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 21.]

The corporation of the city of London, confidering the high price of
corn, offered a bounty of 4/ a quarter for the firft 20,000 quarters of
foreign wheat of a proper quality, which fhould be imported in Lon-
don between 30'" March and 30* Jun® next.

They alfo prefented a petition to the houfe of commons, fetting forth
the pernicions confequences of lotteries, and praying that they might
be laid afide, efpecially in time of peace.

* The adrice wa« followed, and the re-annexation ratified by aft of parUament in the following
▼ear.

A. D.I 775. 5^5

April — The adl [6 Geo. Ill, c. 22] for regulating the loading of fhips
with coals at Newcaftle and Sunderland, being found ufeful, was pro-
longed for feven years more. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 22.]

To prevent abufes in the fales of parts of Britifh veflels to foreigners,
no perfon, who is not a natural-born Britifh fubje(^, is allowed to pur-
chafe any fhare of a Britifh vefTel without the confent of the owners of
three fourths of the value of the veflel, exprefled in writing on the back
of the regifter. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 26.]

The magiftrates of Greenock, having reprefented the increafe of the
number and fize of their fhipping in confequence of the great increafe
of their commerce, obtained an adl for levying duties fimilar to thofc
granted in the lad feffion of parhament for the improvement of the
neighbouring harbour of Port-Glafgow, in order to deepen their har-
bour, to ere<n: new piers, to bring in an additional fupply of frefh water
to the town, and to pave, light, cleanfe, and watch, the ftreets. [13
Geo. Ill, ^.28.]

The magiftrates of Aberdeen were inverted with a fimilar power of
levying duties for the improvement of their harbour by new piers, in
confequence of the increafed trade of their city, and for regulating their
pilots. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 2g.]

The magiftrates of King's Lynn, having reprefented the dangerous
ftate of the navigation of their harbour in confequence of the fhifting
of the fands, obtained power to levy a duty for improving their har-
bour, fixing harbour-moorings, &c. and alfo to regulate their pilots,
[13 Geo. Ill, c. 30.]

The enlargement and improvement of harbours is a fure proof of the
increafe of commerce.

As felons and malefaftors, by flying from England to Scotland, and
from Scotland to England, ufed to elude juftice, it was now enaded..
that fuch perfons ftiould be apprehended, and fent back to the place
whence they had fled. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 31.]

Before this regulation took place, the two kingdoms could fcarcely
be faid to be united.

A fociety of gentlemen were incorporated for twenty-one years, by
the name of T'he governor and company of BritiJ?} cajl-plate-glafs manufac-
turers^ for the purpofe of carrying on and improving the manufactory
by a joint ftock of eighty fliares of ^"500 each. [13 Geo. HI, c. 38. J The
company eftabliflied their manufadure in Lancafhire, and have profe-
cuted it with fucli dihgencc and fuccefs, that their plates rival, or even
furpafs, the moft celebrated foreign raanufadures in fize and brilliancy.

As the ad for conftituting free ports in Jamaica was near expiring,
Lieutenant-governor Dalling tranfmitted his oblervations upon the
influence of it on the commercial intercfts of the illand, to the fol-
lowing purport. The trade with the French was very trifling in the

53^ y^A. D. 1773.

articles permitted to be imported by the adt. Some indij^o was import-
ed, and a few negroes and other goods were given in return : but a
great and detrimental importation of other articles, and particularly of
coffee in great quantities, accompanied the indigo ; whereby the cof-
fee-planters, a ufeful clals of people, who cultivate the mountainous
grounds incapable of being occupied as fugar plantations, and who,
being all refident, add greatly to the ftrength of white people in the
ifland, were reduced to great diflrefs. The confequence of the free-
port act upon the trade with the Spanifh fettlements was, that the Spa-
nifli government immediately took the alarm, and, fufpeding that the
commanders of the guarda-coftas were corrupted by the traders, fuper-
feded them all, and appointed new ones *. In addition to the hardlliips
put upon the clandeftine trade by the jealoufy of the SpaniOi govern-
ment, the ftridtnefs and feverity of the cuflom-houfe officers in Jamaica
in enforcing the official formalities (which, the lieutenant-governor
thinks, ought to give way to the evident and great national advantage
of encouraging the trade) fo fettered that beneficial commerce, that it
was almofl annihilated at the very time when, and by the very means
by which it was expedled to be carried to a moft flourifliing ftate :
whereas, by proper meafures, the Spanifh trade could be made to pour
a continual ftream of filver into Jamaica, to the great benefit of that
ifland, and of the manufaduring interell of Great Britain.

The official formalities, to which the lieutenant-governor alludes,
were attended with confequences infinitely worfe than fettering to the
Spaniards who engaged in the trade. By an unaccountable policy, the
revenue officers in the free ports were infl;ruded to keep regular ac-
counts of all foreign vefl'els, the names of their commanders (who, ap-
prehending no danger from that quarter, did not think of affuming fic-
titious names), and the quantity of bullion imported by them. The
confequences of this meafure were forefeen and foretold by fenfible
men in this country, and they verified the predidion as exadly as the
changes of the moon, or the eclipfes, can verify a calendar. The go-
vernment of Spain, ever jealous of their hard-fettered commerce, and
roufed by the free-port a&. to double vigilance and vindidtivenefs, found
means, by virtue of gold, to procure copies of the cuftom-houfe entries
of the Britifli free ports : and the unfortunate people, who were thus
clearly convided of the crime of carrying bullion to fupport the manu-
fadures of Great Britain, were doomed by a relentlefs government to
utter ruin f . When the Britifli miniftry were apprifed of the dreadful

* And it appears that tliefe new officers were from a refpeftablc Spanifh merchant. [Sec his va-

niorc vigilant than their prcdecefTors, for feveral luable Hi/lory of the Wejl-lndics, V. i, p. 233, id.

fmall velTels belonging to Jamaica were taken by 1795-] But indeed, without any authority, one

them. miglit venture to aflert, that fuch confequences

-f- For this fa£t I follow the authority of Mr. followed fuch meafures as inevitably as night fol-

Edwards, who then had the diredtion of the cuf- lows the fetting of the fun.

tom-houfe in Jamaica, and received the intelligence 3

A. D. 1773. ^y,

confequences of the ill-advifed inftrudlions, they were immediately
countermanded ; but it was too late : it was not to be expeded that
any Spanidi adventurer would afterwards run into the gulf, in which he
faw fo many of his brethren perifli. And the Britifli colonics were
obliged, either to fubmit to the entire privation of the Spanifh trade, or
to become the adventurers themfelves, as fome of them adually did,
though they nm ftill greater rifks of confifcation and flavery than the
Spaniards.

To the lieutenant-governor's report may be added, that confiderable
quantities of St. Domingo cotton, (which, according to the evidence
given to the houfe of commons, is the propereft for the manufadure of
Manchefter velvets, wherein thirty thoufand people were faid to be em-
ployed), and of dying woods, as well as indigo, were brought to the
free ports in foreign vefl'els. And it was alfo given in evidence, that the
cotton and indigo fo imported came to the Britilh manufadurers thirty
per cent cheaper than the fame articles could be imported from France.
May lo'" — In order to regulate the corn trade by a permanent law
(inftead of the late temporary fufpenfions of exportation) which might
give fufficient encouragement to the farmer, and produce a regular
fupply of bread at moderate prices, it was enaded, that after the i"
of January 1774, whenever the average prices of Britilh grain in a dif-
trid are above the following rates per quarter of eight Winchefler
bufliels, viz.

wheat 48/; rye, peas, beans 32/"; barley, beer, or bigg, 24/; oats i6f;
they may be imported into that diftrid on paying the following low
duties, viz.

on wheat 6d; rye, peas, beans, 3 J; barley, &c. and oats. 2^, per quarter;
and wheat flour 2d per hundred weight : and the whole duty may be
drawn back, if the fame foreign corns are exported within fix months.

And when, and where, Britifh corns are at, or above, the following
average prices, viz.

wheat 44/; rye, peas, beans, 28/; barley, beer, or bigg, 22/; oats 14/)
the exportation of fuch corn, or of any bread, flour, flarch, &c. made
from them, is prohibited, under forfeiture of the corn, and 20/ for
every buftiel, together with the vefl'el in which they are ftiipped.

But this ad does not affed the carriage of corn by coafling naviga-
tion from one part of Britain to another. Limited quantities were alfo
allowed to be carried to Gibraltar, Minorca, St. Helena, Guernfey, Jer-
fey, Mann, and Africa ; and unlimited quantities to Ireland, at any
time when the exportation of corn from that kingdom is prohibited.

In order to prevent corn from falling much under the prices at which

exportation is proliibited, to the prejudice ot the tarmcr and landholder,

the following bounties, to commence on the i" of January 1774, were

granted on the exportation of corn in Britifli vefl'els, with at Icaft two

Vol. III. 3 Y

538 A. D. 1773-

thirds of the crews Britifh fubjeds, when, and where, Britifli corns arc
iinder thofe prices, viz.

on wheat, and malt made of wheat, 5/; rye 3/; barley, beer, or bigg,
and malt made of them, 2/6 ; oats 2/, per quarter ; and oat meal 2/6
per quarter of 276 pounds avoirdupois. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 43.]

By this law the legiflature endeavoured to limit the fluduation of
prices nearly between 44/ and 48/ for wheat, and proportionally for
other grains. The new regulations were fomewhat more favourable
than the preceding ones to the Britifh confumers of every fpecies of
grain, except oats, the exportation of which is encouraged by it, where-
as formerly there was no bounty for the exportation of oats, any more
than of peas and beans.

Inftead of the drawback of two fifths of the duty on teas exported,
allowed by the former ad, \\^ Geo. Ill, c. 60.] the whole duty of cuf-
tom was now allowed to be drawn back on all teas fold at the Eafl-India
company's fales after the 10'" of May 1773, and exported as merchan-
dize to the Britiih colonies in America. The Eaft-India company were
alfo empowered to export teas diredl from their warehoufcs on their
own account, on obtaining a licence for the quantity from the lords of
the treafury, to the Britifli colonies in America, notwithftanding a for-
mer law obliging them to fell all their goods at home. But fuch ex-
portation was only to be permitted, when the quantity of tea to be left
in the company's warehoufes fhould be at leaft ten millions of pounds.
[13 Geo. Ill, c. 44.]

The bank of England gave notice, that after the 24'" of June they
would no longer dilcaunt bills at a lower rate of difcount t\\:w\Jive per cent.

May 28'" The manufadurers of filver plate in Birmingham and

Sheffield labouring under great difficulties and hardfliips for want of a
proper eflablifhment of affayers to certify the quality of their goods,
guardians of the Jlandard of xvr ought plate were appointed for each town ;
and it was enaded, that after the 29'" of September 1773 every piece
of plate, of fufficient fize to bear the touch, made in, or within twenty
miles of, either of thofe towns, before being fold or exported fhould be
marked with the initials of the maker's name, the year in which it is
made, and the flamp of the guardians, which diflinguiflies the place
where it is made, and afcertains that it is of the flandard of eleven
ounces two pennyweights of fine filver in the Troye pound. The marks
are the figure of Britannia with an anchor for Birmingham, and a crown
for Sheffield. [13 G^o 111, f. 52.]

June 21" — It was enaded, that the paper, ifllicd by the governments
of the colonies in America, as fecurity to their public creditors, fliould
be received by the pubUc treafurers as a lawful tender for the payment
of duties, taxes, &c. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 57.]

A regulation was made for the prices of bread, containing a table of

A. D. 1773- 539

prices of the bufhel of wheat including baking, and of the Correfponding
prices of bread. [i^Gfo. Ill, r. 62.]

Whether this is an ufeful meafure of poUcy, or not, is a queftion, on
both fides of which much has been faid.

For feveral years bypafl the affairs of the Eafl-India company had
appeared to be in a very profperous condition, and they had thence
been encouraged to raife their dividends to twelve and a half per cent i
the highefl they were by law empowered to make fuice the interference
of government in their concerns, and indeed the highefl: that had been
ever made fmce the union of the old and new companies. The vaft
amount of their commercial and territorial revenues gave them a pleaf-
ing profpecl of the peiTnanency of their profperity, and flattered them,
that, notwithftanding the heavy prefTure of the annual fum paid to go-
yernment, they would foon be enabled to reduce their debts within
very moderate bounds, But thele fplendid profpeds foon vanifhed :
for it now appeared, that the prodigious increafe of their revenue and
authority in India had encouraged many of their fervants there in in-
numerable ads of mifcondud, profufion, and oppreflion. Since the year
1765 the company's annual expences had increafed from £700,000 to
^i ,700,000. They paid almoft ;^2, 000,000 every year to government in
cufl:om-houfe duties*, and the indemnity ftipulated to be paid for the de-
ficiency of the revenue on tea by the redudion of the dutyf, together with
the tribute, or compofition, for the territorial revenue. 13y thefe means
government had in the lafl: five years reaped extraordinary emoluments
from the company, beyond thofe of former years, to th6 amount of
>C3, 1 95,000 ; while they themfelves, though their mercantile profits had
in thefe five years averaged ;i^464,ooo annually, had received altogether
in their dividends fcarcely ^^900,000 above fix per cent upon their
capital ; whereas their trade alone, independent of their territorial reve-
nue, was capable of affording a dividend of twelve and a half per cent.
The great territorial revenue was reduced to a comparatively fniall fum
by the payment of the rent to the Great mogul, the penfions to the no-
minal nabob of Bengal and his officers, the lupport of the civil eftablifh-
ment, of a military eftablidiment of near 30,000 men, and, perhaps
above all, by the profuie expenfcs of colledion. The pretious metals in
Bengal, though formerly abundant, being the acquifition of induftry,
not the produce of native mines, could not hold out againfl; fuch drains
as the annual remittances to England, and the inveflments to China,
which had of late been regularly furnillied from tliat province, to fay

• On the 9" of Dtcembcr 1772 tlie company by this I'nJcmnity not left than ^(,000,000, of

paid ;^Z05,468 : o : 8 in one payment at tlic cuf- which the government received ^yoCjOCO, and

tom-houfc for duties on goods impuited under the confumers had the benefit of the rcrooining*

their bond. ^300,000 iu the reduced prices of tea.

t It WM calculated, that the coin]>any had loft

54© A. D. 1773.

nothing of the lupply fent lately to Madras. The country, being thus
exhaufted of the circulating money, which ufed to invigorate the in-
duftry of the inhabitants, niuft foon be rendered incapable of either
fupporting the natives or yielding any revenue.

At this time the company were in arrears to government for ^^400,000,
being one year's tribute, or participation, of the territorial revenue, and
alfo for a large fum due on the tea indemnity, befides other large funis
owing to the cuftom-houfe for duties unpaid. They were moreover
deep in debt to the bank, for money borrowed. And amidft all thefe
difficulties they were under acceptances for bills drawn upon them from
India to the amount of ^('i, 2 00, 000. Thus circumftanced, they found
themfelves not only difabled from paying the large annual tribute of
;f 400, 000, together with the indemnity, 8cc. but even from going on in
their bufmefs, unlefs they could obtain a large loan from government.

The company afcribed the bad ftate of their affairs in India to their
not having lufficient power to punifti their fervants for difobedience or
malverfations in that country, where the diftance alone was too power-
ful a caufe of many enormities being committed, not only with impun-
ity, but even without ever coming to the knowlege of the company.
In order to redrefs thofe evils the deputy-chairman of the company
made a motion in the houfe of commons (30'" March 1772) for a bill
to regulate the company's fervants in India, to prohibit the governor
and council from having any concern in trade*, and to alter the mode of
adminiftering juftice in Bengal, where the mayor's court of Calcutta, ori-
ginally inftituted for the trial of mercantile caufes, had extended itsjurif-
didion, along with the extenfion of the company's dominion, from a fmall
territory to a great empire, to the magnitude of which it was by no means
competent. The bill was read a firfl and fecond time, and then dropt :
but parliament did not thereupon lofe fight of the company's affairs.

The diffrefs and depopulation of the provinces fubjed to the company
in India, the oppreflion and defpotifm of their fervants, and the mis-
management of the revenues of Betigal and the other provinces, where-
by the company were now in more flraitened circumflances than ever
they were when they were merely merchants, were urged as motives for
appointing a committee of the houfe of commons to make a flrid
inquiry into the flate of the company's affairs at home and abroad : and
their invefligation gave birth to fuch arrangements as may be faid to
have thrown the company entirely into the hands of government.
On the 2'' of March 1773 the company petitioned parliament for a

* When by the acquifition of territory th« go- cally oppofite to the duty of a fovereign. The in-

vernors at the different prefidencies became the de- compatibih'ty of the charadters of fovereign and

puted fovereign rulers over feveral millions of peo- merchant is well illuftrated by Dodloi Smith,

pie, the purfuits of a merchant or faclor (for fuch \^lVcaUh of nation:, B. iv, c. 7.3
the governors formerly were) came to be diametri-

A. D. 1773. 541

loan of /"i ,500,000 at four per cent interefl for four years, with a
liberty of repayment fooner, if they fhould be able, in fums of not lefs
than ;^3CO,ooo. They propofed at the fame time to reftrid their divid-
ends io fix per cent till half the loan fliould be difcharged, and thereafter
to eight per cent till the final payment of the whole ; and then to appro-
priate the furplus profits above eight per cent to the difcharge of their
bond debts, till they fhould be reduced to ^^1,500,000 : and thereafter
they offered to divide the furplus profits equally between the public and
themfelves : and they requefted to be difcharged from the heavy penal-
ties incurred by the non-payment of the compenfation, owing to go-
vernment in confequence of the fum produced by the reduced duties
on tea falling fhort of the amount of the former duties; and alfo to be
difcharged from the annual payment of ^400,000 for the remainder of
the five years, for which they were bound by the late adt of parliament ;
and they requefted permiflion to export teas free of all duty to America
and to foreign countries *. They moreover propofed, that the accounts
of their territorial revenues, of their fales, and, in a word, a complete
ftate of their affairs, fliould be annually laid before parliament.

After keen and interefting debates in both houfes of parliament for
about three months, and remonflrances and petitions from the India
company, and from the corporation of London, whom the company
had perfuaded to interefl themfelves in the event, the following regula-
tions were ena6ted.

June 21" — The annual eledion of twenty-four new dircdors having
made the adminiftration of the company's affairs too fluduating and
imftable, they are in future to remain four years in oflRce, and fix of
them to go out every year ; fo that every year there fhall be an eledion
of fix, inflead of twenty-four, new diredors. The election is to be made
by proprietors of not lefs than ;jr 1,000 ftock, who only have the privi-
lege of voting in future f, which they mufl have held without collufion

• Thi« part of the petition was fpeedily complied with by an aft which received the royal af-
fent on the lo'" of May, the fubltance of wliich the reader has already fcen.

f The numbers of proprietors of Eall-Iiidia (lock, holding j2^Qo or more, appear by the com-
pany's book to have been as follows on the 4" of March 1773.

Proprietors of j£ 1,000 (lock or more,

Engiisli 487 - - holding j6'i,OI8,398 19 .11

Foreign 325 - - - t>yo,940 17 O

812 1,909.339 16 II

Proprietors of ^500 or

more, not amounting to
s£ 1,000,

English 1,246 ... 634.4frt 1 8

Foreign ys . . . .?0,22(j 0 O

1,341 684,690 1 S

V>y the prcfent aCl there were 1,246 proprietors of India (lock disfranchized, and the whole govern-
ment of the company's affairs thrown into Uie hands of 487 proprietors. This, to be lure, favcs trouble
to the candidates for the direftion. 4

544 A. D. 1773:

er fraud twelve months, or acquired by fuccedlon, the cuftom of Lon-
don, or fettlement. No perfon, who has been employed in any civil
or military capacity in India, can be eled:ed a diredor, till he has refided
two years in England.

The civil and military government in India, and the management of
-the territorial acquilitions in Bengal, Bahar, and OrilTa, were vefled in
a governor-general with a falary of ^^25,000 a year, and four counfel-
ors with falaries of /]io,ooo a year each, to refide at Fort-Williara in
Bengal, to whom the prefidencies of Madras, Bombay, and Bencoolen,
are made fubordinate *.

A fupreme court of judicature was alfo eflabliflied at Fort-William,
confining of a chief jullice with a falary of /^8,ooo a year, and three
other judges with falaries of j^6,ooo each, all appointed by the crown.
This court fuperfeded the mayor's court at Calcutta.

The falaries of the governor-general, counfelors, and judges, were di-
redcd to be paid by the company out of the territorial revenues; and nei-
ther they, nor any other civil or military fervant of the crovvTi or of the
company in India are allowed upon any account to accept any prefents,
or to engage in any kind of trade : but counfelors at law, phyficians,
furgeons, and chaplains, are allowed to receive their profeflional fees.

The intereft of money in India is limited to twelve per cent. [13 Geo.
Ill, c. 63.-\

In confideration of the prefent flate of the Eaft-India company's
affairs, parliament granted therri a loan of ^^i ,400,000. Ai^d as it would
be impoflible for them to repay this fum, if government fhould con-
tinue to receive ^400,000 a-year out of their territorial revenues, there
appeared a neceflity of relinquifhing that claim, till the company fliould
be enabled by the application of the whole of the clear territorial reve-
nues, and the whole of their profits upon trade, excepting a dividend
limited not to exceed fix per cent per annum, to repay the money ad-
vanced by government with the intereft on it. After the repayment of
that debt they were allowed to make dividends not exceeding feven per
cent, till the clear revenues and profits, being applied to the diicharge
of their bond debts, fhould reduce them to j^i ,500,000.

The company were obliged to fubmit a ftatement of their profit and
lofs every half year to the lords of the treafury ; they were reftrided
from accepting bills, drawn by their fervants in India, for above
^300,000 in a year, exclufive of certificates to the amount of ^^5, 000 to
the commander and officers of each of their fhips, without the confent of
the lords of the treafiiry ; and they were bound to export to the Britifli
fettlements within their limits goods of the growth, produce, and manu-

• Before the year 1707 the company's fettle- and independent ; but the want of harmony and
ment in Bengal was dependent on that at Madras, concert produced great inconvenience and difor-
Afcerwards the prefidencies were all co-ordinate ders.

A. D. 1773. 545

fadure, of Great Britain to the amount of £y6i,6j4. between 29"" Sep-
tember 1773 and 29"^ September 1775, exclufive of military and naval
ftores, and of all exportation by the company's fervants, or by private
traders licenced by the company. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 64.]

Paper printed, painted, or ftained, was permitted to be imported after
the i"of Auguft 1773 on paying, in addition to the cuftoms already
impofed, a duty of one penny-halfpenny per fquare yard, which is the
the duty charged upon fuch paper manufadured at home. Paper of
the manufacture of India imported by the Eaft-India company is ex-
empted from this duty. [13 Geo III, c. 67.]

July i" — The magiflraces of London (for the city) and thejuftices of
Middlefcx were empowered to fettle the wages of journeymeu lilk-
weavers, after the i" of July 1773. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 68.]

' Whereas the preventing the currency of clipped and unlawfully di-
' miniihed and counterfeit money is a more effectual means to preferve

* the coin of this kingdom entire and pure, than the moft rigorous laws

* for the punifliment of fuch as diminifh or counterfeit the fame; and

* whereas, by the known laws of this kingdom, no perfon ought to pay,

* or knowingly tender in payment, any counterfeit or unlawfully dimi-
' nifhed money, and all perfons may not only refufe the fame, but
' may, and by the antient ftatutes and ordinances of this kingdom have
' been required to dcflroy and deface the fame,' and the ad [9, 10
Will. Ill] which provided againfl the currency of clipped and counter-
feit filver, having rruide no provilion concerning gold money, all per-
fons to whom gold money is tendered, and who fufpect the fame to be
counterfeit or diminilhed beyond the ul'ual effeds of wearing, are em-
powered to break or cut fuch pieces, the lofs falling on the perfon ten-
dering, if the money is bad, but if found good, on the perfon cutting
it*. [r3 Geo. Ill, c. 71.]

Cod, ling, and hake, caught in Chaleiir bay, or on the coaft of La-
brador, were permitted to be imported into Great Britain in Britilh
veflels lawfully navigated, on the fame terms as lifli from Newfoundland
into Ireland. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 72.]

The free pores opened in Dominica {by the a6i 6 Geo. Ill, c. 49] were
continued free till the 1" of November 1780, and thofe in Jamaica till
the i" of November 1774. Cacao and coffee, the produce of Dominica,
were allowed to be imported, either in or out of the huik, after the
i" of November 1773, on the fame terms as the fugar and rum of that
ifland; as was alfo any coffee in the hufk, the produce of any other of
the colonies. The duty on negro (laves imported into Dominica, or ex-

* In a few week* after, the b.ink, nt the re- dom in quantities of not lefs than fifty guineas at
queft of the lorja of the trcafiiry, Lcijau to take jC3 • '7 • ^^ P'^ ounce,
io the cut and defaced gulj money of this king-

544 A. D. 1773.

ported from Jamaica, after the i" of November 1773 was reduced from
^i : 10 : o to 2/5 a head. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 73.]

A flandard was prefcribed by law for the uniform m.eafurement of all
fliips or veirels, which were to pay duty, receive bounty, or be liable to
penalties or fei/Aire, in refpedt of their burthen. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 74.]

Parliament gave the fum of /^2, 000 to Dodor Williams as a reward
for making public his invention of durable green and yellow colours for
dying cotton*. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 77.]

The feveral a<5ts for the prefervation of the highways were reduced
into one ; and the feveral a6ls for regulating the turnpike roads were
alfo reduced into one. In thefe ads the furveyors of the roads are en-
joined to fet up and maintain mile-ftones, legible diredion-pofts at every
junction of the roads, graduated pofts at places liable to inundation, and
proper fences upon bridges and dangerous places. The weights of wag-
gons, to be afcertained by weighing engines, are determined for the
fummer and the winter feafons ; and all carts, waggons, and carriages
let for hire, are ordered to be confpicuoully marked with the owner's
name and the number. [13 Geo. Ill, cc. 78, 84.]

Paper-makers, not employed by the bank, imitating the water-mark
of the bank-note paper, were made Hable to fuffer death. And in order
to prevent impofitions upon the ignorant by notes made in imitation or
refemblance of bank notes, no perfon is allowed to make any engraved
bill or promifTory note containing the words Bank of England, or Bank
pojl bill, or exprefling any fum in white letters on a black ground, under
penalty of imprifonment for fix months. [13 Geo. Ill, c. 79.]

Several ads for improving fen lands, for canals, roads, inclofures, and
other improvements, were alfo palfed.

Auguft The Britifh merchants in Dantzik having purchafed a quan-
tity of timber to be Ihipped home for the fervice of the admiralty, the
whole was feized by a company authorized by the king of Pruflia, and
conveyed to Elbing, at which, and fome other of his ports on the Baltic,
he was endeavouring to equip fome fhips of war, in order to become a
maritime power.

Captain Phipps (now Lord Mulgrave) and Captain Lutwidge failed in
two fmall {hips of war in May, in order to make obfervations in the
polar regions. When they reached the latitude of 81° 39', their farther
progrefs was arretted by the ice, and they were in great danger of being
loft. As foon as they got difcngaged, they therefor made the beft of their
way home, and arrived in September. This voyage proves, if any fur-
ther proof be required, that the fpace between the old and the new
continent, though it is almoft certain that it is not barred by any ob-

• The art of fixing beautiful and durable colours is of more importance to the profperity of our
inanufaftures than can eafily be conceived.

A. D. 1773. 545

Urud ever afford a pradicable communication with

tU P

W": in a meeting of the Eaft-India company, that

th -"y i l^il of the new law permitting them to export

titrir I ufly oppofcd by fome of the members, who wifh-

ed not le old eftablifhed mode of conduding their fales,

whereii lemt w as fure, for a new mode of adventure, in which

they mi. i; 't long for their payments, and befides run great

rifks of hepvy lo..v.'S. Though the large quantity of feventeen millions
of pounds of tea, then upon liand *, was held out as an argument for
the exportation to America, it was anfwered, that that quantity was
only reckoned equal to the confumption of two years, and confequently
only the double of what they ought at all times to have on hand ; and
that by making two fales at home the firfl: of them would in five months
bring into their treaiiiry the fum of£ i ,200,000; a fum fufficient to enable
them to do without the loan they were then requefting from govern-
ment, which was likely to be pregnant with fuch ruinous confequences to
the company. Notwithflanding thefe and many other arguments, it was
refolved by the majority, that the teas fhould be fhipped, and feveral vef-
fels were chartered to carry them to the different ports of America.

In America all things were already tending to widen the breach be-
tween the mother country and the colonies, v/hen the news of the
deftination of feveral cargoes of tea, which was to pay a duty in Ame-
rica, blew up a flame, which was only extinguifhed by acknowleging
the abfolute independence of the colonies.

On this, as on fimilar occafions, the people of Bofton took the lead.
Committees, affembled without any authority from the powers eflab-
lilhed by law or by royal authority, aflumed, or received from the people,
power to counteradl the deligns of government by preventing the tea
from being fold, or even landed, in America. On the arrival of three
of the tea fliips in the harbour, the captains, feeing the ftate of affairs,
offered to return to London with their ill-fated cargoes, if the con-
fignees, the cuflom-houfe officers, and the governor, would give them
permiffion. The permilfiou was refufed from every quarter. The
people of the town were ienfible, that, if the fhips continued in the har-
bour, means would be found to land the teas gradually and impercep-
tibly. A flrong meafure was therefor refolved upon. A great number
of men, difguifed like Mohawk Indians, boarded the fhips in the night-
time, and, without offering tlie fmuUeft injury to the velfcls or leamen,

• For fome years thf Americans had taken off of the company's dillrcfe : ar.d their iifual annual

fcarcely any of the company's teas, their enmity demand for tea only wa» faid to have been to tlic

to Great Britain confpiving with the lower price amount of y^6oo,000, bcfides grea; liimi for piece

to give ;i preference to the other nations of Vm- goods, China ware, &c. It is probable that there

rope. By the keen advocates for America ihia is lome exng^eration in the fum.
Bon-iniport.ition was alVi^ncd us the piincipal caufe

Vol. IlL 3 Z

54<5

A. D. 1773.

who could make no refiftance, they completely difcharged them of their
cargoes, the whole of which they threw into the fea, and then went quiet-
ly on fliore, without meeting with any oppofition from Callle WiUiam
or the fhips of war in the harbour (December 18"'). Such tea Hiips as
arrived at Bofton afterwards made no entry at all in the cuftom-houfe,
but returned directly to England with their cargoes. At New York a par-
cel of tea was landed under the guns of a fliip of war ; but the governor
was obliged to deliver it to be fecurely locked up from being fold, as had
been the cafe with the ftamp paper in the year 1765 in the fame place.
At Philadelphia the pilots were ordered to conduft no tea fhip up the
river. And at Charleftown the example of Boflon was followed by
dilcharging the tea into the water.

The fpirit of emigration from the north of Ireland, noticed laft year,
ftill continued. The Highland part of Scotland was alfo infeded with
the lanie eagernefs for change ; and great numbers of people from
Glengary, Rofs, and Sutherland, and from the iflands of Sky, Lewis, &c.
broke through the ftrong attachment to the land of their fathers, which
had for ages been the diftinguifhing charadteriftic of the Highlanders,
and croffed the Atlantic to cultivate the wafte lands, and augment the
military force, ot America, where llich an accellion of population, at
fuch a critical time, was welcomed with joy and aftonifliment*.

The emigration from the north of Ireland was owing, in fome degree
at leafl:, to the great and alarming decreafe of the demand for linens f .
The reader has already feen the rapid increafe of the linen manufafturc
of that country to the year 1 771. From that period it declined, fo that
the exports of linen from Dublin, which in the year 1771 were to the value
of /!' 1, 6 9 1, 000 fell in the year 1772 to about /^i ,300,000, and this year
beloW;^900,ooo; littlemorethana half of what they were twoyears before.

In Scotland the linen manufacture was alfo declining. By the flamp-
mafters' reports, there were (lamped for fale in the

year 1771 - - 13,466,274 yards,

1772 - - 13,089,006,

and in 1773 - - only 10,748, no. J

* Knox fays it is certain, tliat between tliq years (hipped at Dcrry in the fame time. And tlic
1763 and 1775 above. 30,000 people abaiidonej whole cnnigratioii from the provijice of Ulfter was
their liabitallons [in the Highlands]] belides great eilimated to amount to at lead 30,000 people,
numbers from the Lowlands. [/^/Vik of the Brit- wiiereof lo,coo were weavers, many of whom ear-
ijj) empire, p. 13".] Admitting the jurnbcr 10 be ried their weaving utenfils to Amcriea. Almoft
juft, we may fr.{fly venture to fay, that the emi- all the emigrants carried fome money with them,
grants from the Highlands only are now (1799) and fome of them might be confidered as men of
increafcd to 60,000 fabjeSs of the United Hates property. \_Riport of ihe comimttee nf the Irilb par-
ol America. liament on the linen tnaimfaclure, in the Irijh Journal

f About three fourths, and in fome places many 1774, {>p- 3^0 et J'cq.~\

more, ot the looms in tiie north of Ireland were \ The earlier progrefs of this maii.ifaitiirc,

out of employment. Trom the port of Bdfad which people arc accuflomcd to call ihe ftaplc of

3,541 pcrfons triibarked for America between Oc- Scotland, may be fesn in p. 336 of thii volume,
lober 1 771 and QAobcr 1773. About 6,000

A. D. 1773. 547

The flagnatlon occafioned by this decUne may have contributed to
induce fome of the people concerned in the manufadure to leave the
country. It was given in evidence before the houle of commons (in
March 1774) by Meflieurs Anderfon and Goldy, that 600 out of 1,800
fpinners had emigrated from one diftricl in Sutherland, and propor-
tional numbers from other places. From the evidence of thcfe gentle-
men it appeared, that fome of the linens made in the year 1771 (till re-
mained then on hand ; that the duUnefs of the demand had funk the
average price from 12^^ which it was in 1769, to 9^^^" in that year;
that in four fliires, which include Glafgow and Pafley, out of 6,000 looms
2,500 were unemployed, and in general a third part, or more, of the looms
were unemployed throughout Scotland and the north of England.

Mr. Paine, the governor of the bank of England, was alfo examined in
the houfe of commons upon the fubjed of the foreign linen trade. He
ftated the quantity of foreign linens imported in the
year 1772 at 27,000,000 yards,
and in 1773 at 17,000,000.
He eftimated the quantity of foreign linens exported to be from
7,000,000 to 10,000,000 of yards annually, and the annual confumption
of them at home to be about 18,000,000 of yards.

The decline of the manufidure and importation of linens was the
necelTiiry confequence of the difproportionately large quantities made
and imported in the year 1771, when a fpirit of overtrading was too
generally prevalent. The failures which enfued in 1772, and the glut
of linens on hand of the fabric and import of 1771, together with the
loaded (late of the foreign markets from the too great exports of 1770,
1 771, and 1772, effectually abridged the powers of the manufacturers,
and the demands, as well as the abilities, of the exporters*.

For feveral years paft the officers appointed by the committee of Brit-
ifh merchants trading to Africa, and thofe of the Dutch Welt-India
company fettled on that continent, had been engaged in diipiites upon
matters of commerce and pofleflion. The Dutch governor of St.
George d'el mina claimed an exclufive right to trade with the Portii-
guefe veflels, which brought lirazil tobacco to the coall ; which was
denied by the Britiili officers, who infilled that the Portuguefe fhould
be at liberty to deal with whom they plealcd, and aflertcd, tliat it would
be impodible without that article to trade with the Negroes. The
Dutch alfo claimed the property of the foil whereon a Bricifli fort was ered-
ed at AppoUonia, contrary to the flipulation of a convention in the year
I 708, wherein the Kiver Ancobrc is lixcd as the utmoll boundary of coun-
try with which the Dutch have any connection. There were alio other
difputes about the liberty of fome roads, and the property of fome villages.

• Sec tlie progrcfs of tlic linen trade from the year 1743 till the year 1771 in p. 515.

548

A. D. 1773.

Vessels.

Tuns.

Men.

Fishing
boats.

Quintals

of dried

cod.

Pickled cod.
Number. Bar-
rels.

Barrels
of oil.

Value in

Jivres
tournois.

J

104

15,621

7,263

1,367

190,060

2,825

3,816,580

}

35

2,543

456

20

36,670

253

805,490

}

125

9.V5

1,684

2,041,000

641

122

1,42 r, 61 5

264

27,439

9.403

1,387

226,730

2,041,000

641

3,200 J6,043,685

December — In confeqnence of the reprefentations of the Brilifli ara-
balTador at the Hague upon thefe contefts, the Stktes-general font over
two of the dire<!^ors of their Weft-India company as commiflaries to
London, who, however, though aflifted by their ambaflador here, con-
ckided nothing.

The account of the French cod fifhery this year was as follows* :

On the coait of
Newfoundland

At St. Pierre and
Miquelon

On the banks of

Newfoundland

Totals

The number ot bankruptcies, which, as has been already remarked,
laft year exceeded the number in any preceding one, was ftill increafed,
and no fewer than 562 names of bankrupts appeared in the gazettes of
this year.

In this year 20,000 hogftieads of fugar were imported into Briftol
from the Weft-Indies, being more by 5,000 than had ever before been
brought into that port in one year.

It was about this time that the public botanic garden of Jamaica was
eftabliftied by the legiflature of that ifland, who were unwilling to be
outdone by the fmall ifland of St. Vincents, where the liberality and
public fpirit of General Melville, the governor-general of the Ceded
iflands, had eftablilhed an excellent public garden in the year 1768, as
has been related in its place.

In the year 1771 Colonel Lawrie, fuperintendant of the Mufquito
fhore, in conjunction with fome others, bought from the Indian chiefs a
trad of land, which, they fuppofed, contained a gold mine. In the
later end of that year he applied to adminiftration for protedion in
working the mine, and was aflured, that the more valuable it turned
out, the ftronger protedion flaould be afforded to him. Thus encour-
aged, he returned in the later end of the year 1773 with a number of
miners, and purchafed flaves to work the mine. But, owing, as is
alleged, to the mifcondud of the miners, the adventurers met with very
little fuccefs. And in the year 1779 the war with Spain fortunately

• This account is takeri from Raynal, {_f!i/l. by the Brilifh admiral on the flation, which will

f/jtl. el.polit. V. X, tab. i] wh.o may be prelumtd alfo be found, along with that of fome other years,

to be well informed upon the French fidicries. It under the year 1774.
Pilfers, however, from the general account given 3

A. D. 1773.

549

delivered Great Britain from the fatal confequence of poflcfling a colony
with a gold mine.

There belonged this year to all the ports of

England 7,568 veffels of the reputed burthen of 581,801 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,578 > - - _ _ 91,721

Total - 9,146 ----- 673,522

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

B

ritifli.

Fo

reign.

Total.

Vessels.
8,259

9.396

Tuns.

796.033
874,042

Vessels.
1,198
491

Tuns.

114,789

57.945

Vessels.

9,457
9.887

Tuns.

910,822

931.987

Inward
Outward -

The net amount of the cufloms, including the Wefl-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was, from the cullom-houfe in London - - ;iC2, 439,0 17 : i : 6
The cuftom duties of Scotland being entirely exhaufted in fifliery boun-
ties, drawbacks, &c. there was no money remitted this year from the
cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh.

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of this year
28,200 pounds of gold, value - - /^ir3i 7.645 : o : o

and no filver.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1 772 to Chriftmas 1 773 was as follows.

Imported into

1 Exported from

Countries, &c.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

Africa

^68,424 19

9

Ij^662,112 7 11

Canaries

10,635 11

9

1 43,889 10 1

a£l32 1 3

Denmark, &c.

71,044 4

0

^£"20,129

16

5

l0l,39<) 4 10

22,968 1 0

East countiy

164,337 12

2

6S,57I 19 8

East-India

1,933,Oq6 18

5

845,707 16 6

Flanders

79.957 1

4

1 ,006,601 6 7

France

44,464 1

3

2,411

15

6

2\i5.77Q 4 0

511,688 8 3

Germany

454,186 9

5

2(1,011

17

0

1,337,552 1 10

53,407 18 1

Greenland

17,644 14

10

2,345

18

2

28 10 4

Holland

411,642 6

0

105,973

16

3

1,873,860 14 5

372,535 6 3

Ireland

1,252,817 3

7

125,848

18

1

1,918,802 18 10

308,840 5 8

Mann

4,563 4

8

420

11

0

18,336 4 4

135 19 2

Italy

480,349 6

0

2,953

14

H

848,729 0 1

3,283 7 0

Madeira

2,499 0

8

13,118 14 7

201 2 7

Poland

5,332

7

1

335 15 5

Prussia

16,674

18

4

1,377 10 10

Portugal

349,214 13

4

12,817

3

4

522,379 10 1

404 1 4

Piissia ...

850,112 18

5

99,692

7

'A

196.229 1 3

12,273 15 6

Sp.iin

462,342 12

6

7.603

16

7(1

839,072 7 6

10.910 I 6

55<^

A. D. I

773"

Imported into

Exported from

Coontrifs fee.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

1 SCOTLAND

Straits

se7u 9 c

^63,098 0 9]

Gibraltar

i£l,293 1-

4

Sweden

I6l,603 16 )

4^22.920 0 5

36,308 0 0| 2,378 I6

10

Turkey

163,538 17 C

118,475 6 o|

Venice

1(H,Q03 10 7

9S,^71 4 C

Guernsey, kc.

55,795 15 IC

9^9 13 8

61,779 17 4

48 15

0

America in general -

525,028 17 1

240,591 10

4

Hudson's bay

8,943 4 2

6,467 9 fi

Newfoundland

68,OS7 n S

77,744 1 4

Cape Breton

0 16 e

964 6 4

1

Quebec

42,304 1 1 2

316,867 19 o|

Nova- Scotia

1,719 9 3

27,032 18 4

New-England

124,624 19 e

527,055 15 10|

New- York

76,246 12 C

289,214 19 7

Pennsyhania

36,652 8 g

426,448 17 3

Virginia and Mar)'land

589,803 14 5

328,904 15 8

Carolina

456,513 8 4

344,859 9 1

tJoorgia

85,391 1 8

62,932 K) 8

norida

7,129 13 0

51,502 7 2

West-Indies in general

115,147 5 5

67,909 17

2

Antigua

112,779 0 10

93,323 1 3

Barbados

168,682 6 ]

148,817 9 3

Bermuda

509 10 0

10,051 18 9

Dominica

248,868 16 5

43,679 12 7

Grenada

445,041 0 9

102,761 1 6

Jamaica

1,266,888 16 6

083,451 8 10

Montserrat

47,911 12 8

1-1,974 6 1

Nevis

39,299 7 6

9,161 14 8

St. Christophers

150,512 5 5

62,607 19 10

St. Vincents

145,619 0 2

38,444 4 5

Tobago

20,453 19 2

30,049 2 0

Ibrtola

49,000 5 2

26,927 3 3

New-Providence

3,379 11 4

2,132 16 4

St. Croix

6,706 8 5

1,248 3 (i

$t. Tliom.TS

271 14 3

St. Eustatliius

5,730 19 4

Foreign West-Indies -

35,941 "5 7

16,409 7 1

15,114 18 11

1,371 4

7

Imp. .nnd exp. of P-ngland

1 ,406,84 1 3 8

14,763,253 2 4

Imp. and exp. of Scotland

1,115,802 3 4

,115,803 3 4

1,612,177 15 101

,612,177 15 1

0

Total, Great Britain - 1

2,522,643 7 0

6,375,430 18 2

1774 — The Virgin iflands, though a part of the general government
of the Leeward iflands (fo called in refped of their fituation in relation
to Barbados) were hitherto without any regularly conflituted internal
government, the lieutenant-governor and council ading in a legiflative
and judicial capacity without any aflembly or jury. In confequence of
an application of the inhabitants, through the governor-general, to the
king, accompanied with an offer of paying the duty of four and a half
per cent on all their exported produce (as the other iflands of the go-
vernment do) they were now indulged with a houfe of reprefentatives
elected by themfelves, who held their firft meeting on the 1" day of
February 1774. In confequence of the eftabliflinient of a more regular

!

A, D. 1774. ^^i

government, the merchants of Great Britain have been encouraged to
give more liberal credits to thofe iflands, which have rendered them
more flourifhing.

In the year 1 769 the queftion concerning the duration of literary-
property, or the exclufive privilege which an author has in the fale of
his own works by himfelf or his aflignecs, was firfl agitated in a court
of law. And on the 20'" of July 1770 the lords commiflloners of the
great feal decreed in chancery, that the right vefted in the author, or
by him afligned to another, Ihould be perpetual ; and they ordered Mr.
Taylor, a bookfeller in Berwick, to account to Mr. Millar, a bookfeller
in London, as proprietor of Thonifon's Sealons, for the proceeds of an
edition of that work publillied by him.

This decree was thought decifive ; and the bookfellers of London
were thereby encouraged to lay out great fums * in copy-right, as it
feemed a fpecies of property fo well i'ecured by the laws. But the mat-
ter was not yet concluded. The queftion was carried before the houfc
of lords, by whom, after hearing many learned and keen arguments on
both fides, the former decree was reverfed. Literary property, there-
for, flands now, as formerly, upon the Itatute of the eight of Queen
Anne, c. 19, which vefts in the author, or his aflignee, an exclufive pro-
perty for fourteen years, after the expiration of which the author, if in
life, is entitled to a fecond term of fourteen years, at the end of which the
copy-right expires, and the right of publication is open to every body.

The bookfellers of London endeavoured to get this decifion of the
lords fet afide by a new act of parliament, but failed in their attempt.

As connected with this fubjed, it may be proper to anticipate, that
in the following year the univerfities of England and Scotland, and the
colleges of Eton, Weftminfter, and Winchefter, were empowered by
act of parliament to hold in perpetuity the exclufive copy-right of all
books bequeathed or given to them by the authors, unlefs exprefsly
given for a limited time ; fuch books, however, being printed only
at their own prefles, and for their own fole benefit and advantage, and
alio entered in Stationer's hall according to law — [15 Geo. lll\ c. 53,
pafl'ed 23'' May 1775.]

I will alio here oblerve, that, after a long conteft, it was decided in
the court of King's bench, (12"' June 1777) that mufic was to be con-
fidcred as literary property, and conf'equently protcded by the itatute
of (^icen Anuc.

The houfe of commons having gone into a committee of inquiry in-
to the ftate of the linen manufacture, f which (as related under the pre-
ceding year) was now very nnich declined, petitions were pirl'ented from

* Lord Lyttlcton in tlic liouL- i)f lonlj Hated «liii.li apptarid in cvuk-r.cc biforc llii* comniillif,
the aiiiouiil ot tlicm to be about jf6oc,oco. Iiavc jlic.idy been detailed utidcr tlic )car I 773.

f Some of the fad» icfpcdmg the linen trade, 10 whieh ni point of time tlicy belong.

552 A. D. 1774.

Norwich *, Birmingham, Sheffield, Wolverliampton, Waliiill, and Wed-
nefbury, againft laying any additional duties on foreign linens, the con-
fequence of which, the petitioners obferved, miift be fimilar impofitions
upon Britifli manufadures in other countries, whereby the trade and
manufadures of the petitioners, and the general commerce of Great
Britain, would be materially injured. Counter petitions, praying for
additional duties, were prefented from the linen manufadurers in the
north of England and Glafgow. I do not find, that the houfe of com-
mons came to any conclufion upon the linen bufinefs.

March — For the fupport of the fugar colonies in the Weft-Indies, the
merchants were allowed to export wheat, meal, flour, bread, bifcuit, and
ftarch made of wheat, not exceeding in the whole 2,000 quarters in a
year from the port of London, and other grains, peas, beans, malt, and
oat-meal, from other ports of Great Britain, on giving bond for due
landing at the deftined ports, unlefs at times when corn may be export-
ed with a bounty. The inhabitants of Guernfey, Jerfey, and Alderney,
were alfo allowed to (hip wheat, meal, bifcuit, &c. for the fifhery at
Newfoundland or other Britifh colonies in America, where the fifhery
is carried on. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 5.]

The ad for confining the importation of gum-fenega to Great Brit-
ain, and for laying a duty of 30/" per hundredweight on the exporta-
tion of it, being found to operate as a premium to fmugglers, who car-
ried it to Holland either dired from Senegal, or clandeftinely from Brit-
ain, the duty on exportation was reduced from 30/" to 5^, to take place
after the 5"" of April 1774. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 10.]

The ports concerned in the Newfoundland fifhery were permitted to
export limited quantities of bifcuit and peas for the ufe of their fiflieries,
though the general exportation of grain ihould be prohibited, on giving
proper bonds. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 11.]

In confequence of the outrage committed upon the tea Ihips in the
harbour of Bofton, an ad w^as pafTed, whereby all bufinefs of landing
and fliipping goods in the harbour of Bofton was fufpended after the
i" of June 1774, with an indulgence of fourteen days for vefl^ls then
in the harbour, excepting only military ftores for the king's fervice,
and fuel and viduals for the ufe of the inhabitants of Bofton from other
parts of America : and all charter-parties, bills of loading, and contrads
for (hipping goods for Bofton were declared null and void. [14 Geo.
Ill, c. 9.]

When the banking company, under the firm of Douglas, Heron, and
Company of Ayr, refolved to difcontinue their bufinefs, they foimd it

* Norwich is the chief feat and center of the goods, for w]\ofc fake tlie linen manufaiSlure has

hi^ht vooUen maiiufaiSure. Did the people of been bolftered up with bounties, and fenced with

Nonvich confidcr themftlves as not having a com- high duties upou foreiga linens ?
Bion taufe with the other manufa£\urers of woollen

A. D. 1774. 553

would be impoflible to call in their funds immediately without Ipread
ing great and general diftrefs throughout the country, and therefor
they had recourfe to other methods of railing money to difcharge the
demands upon them, as has been related under the year 1772. Being
defirous of putting the annuities they had then fold in a proper train
of redemption, agreeable to the contrad: with the annuitants, they call-
ed a meeting of them on the p* of February 1774, and made propofals
to cancell the annuity bonds, and fubftitute for them bonds of fifty
pounds each to the amount of the funis formerly Itipulated, to be ie-
cured upon fufficient unentailed eflates in Scotland, and to be paid in
London by four inftallments, (the laft of which was payable at Mid-
fummer 1782) with intereft at five per cent, and the bonds to be trans-
ferable in the manner of India bonds, exchequer bonds, &c. The an-*
nuitants having accepted the propofals, proper gentlemen were appoint-
ed to condud the bufinefs ; and the tranilidlion was fandioned by par-
liament. [14 Geo. HI, c. 21.]

In the courfe of the month of March there arrived at Cadiz a flota
from the Spanifh Weft-Indies with a cargo of filver together witli fome
valuable merchandize, to the amount of 26,319,436 crowns, of which
above 22,000,000 was lilver. It has been already obferved, that the
Spanifh importations of treafure are tor the benefit of the induftrious
manufaduring nations.

May — An ad was pafTed to prevent embezzlements in the important
manufadure of woollen cloth. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 25.]

The Hudfon's-bay company were allowed to export a limited quaji-
tity of grain for the fubfiftence of the people at their fidories, what-
ever the prices might happen to be. [14 Geo. Ill, c 26.]

The bank of Scotland, which was eftabliflied in the year 1695 with
a capital ftock of only /^ 100,000 fterUng (or ;(^ 1,2 00, 000 Scottilb *) hav-
ing proved very ufefiil to the country, and having ftood unftiaken dur-
ing the late convulfions of credit, the proprietors applied to ])arliament
tor liberty to double their ftock, which was granted. The old proprie-
tors were entitled to a preference during fix months in fublcribing for
the new ftock, fo as to double what they previoufly held ; and all the
qualifications for voting and bearing offices were now doubled. [14
Geo. Ill, c. 32.]

The Eaft-Inclia company being obliged by law to fell their teas with-
in three years tiom the time of their importation, and the quantity re-
maining in th'-'ir warchoufes on the 5'" of April 1774 being too great to
be confumed v.iihin the limited time, they were alloved fiv. years for
the difpofal of their Singlo, and four years for their Boheu, teas, to

* For fome time after the union of the king- cept in reckoning forvanti' wages, which, I bc«

(.loms accounts continued to be kept in Scotland licv-e, arc (lill paid in old Scottifli rooaey in foinc

in Srottini mimoy. But licforc ll>c miiidlc of the parti of the couuLry.
cigluccnth ci' i;ury il wta generally difufcd, ex-

Vol. III. 4 A

554 A D. 1774.

be computed from the time of their importation. The company were
by the fame ad obliged to keep a conftam fupply of teas at reafonable
prices to anfwer the confumption of Great Britain, on neglecS of which
the lords of the treafury may empower others to import teas from any
part of Europe. [ r 4 Geo. Ill, c. 34.]

The term afligned for keeping open the free ports in Jamaica * was
lengthened till the i« of November 1780, and thence, as ufual, to the
end of the next feffion of parliament. [14 Geo. 1 11^ c. 41.]

It being fufpeded, that a great quantity of filver coin, deficient in
finenefs or in weight, and purporting to be the coin of this kingdom,
was imported from abroad, it was enacted, that after the l*^ of June no
fuch coin fliould be imported ; and any fam exceeding five pounds
found in any vefl'el arriving in Great Britain, if found deficient in qua-
lity or weight, was ordered to be feized and melted down. It was alfo
enaded, that no perfon fhould be obliged to receive above twenty-five
pounds in filver money by tale, but only by weight at the rate of eji
the ounce, [i/^ Geo. Ill, c. 42.]

An ad was pafled for altering the conftitution of the province of
MafTachufets bay, by abolifhing the democratical part of it, and re-
ducing it more to a refemblance of the other colonies. [14 Geo. Ill,

c- 45-]

To reprefs the fpirit of gambling in infu ranees upon lives and events
wherein the parties have no real or pecuniary intereft, all policies for
fuch infurances were declared unlawful : and the holders of infurances
upon lives were entitled only to recover the value of the intereft they
really have in the hves infured. [14 Geo. Ill, r. 48.]

The commerce of Hull (or Kingfton upon Hull) being gjeatly in-
creafed, it became neceflary to eftablifh new quays, or wharfs, where
goods may be legally ftiippcd and landed. It was alfo propofed to dig
out a capacious bafon in the main land for the reception of the Ihip-
ping ; and the corporation of Hull, the brotherhood of fhipmafters,
and feveral other gentlemen, were formed into a company for carrying
on this new harbour f . To aflift a work of fuch utility, the king gave
a piece of crown land, and parliament granted fifteen thouiand pounds,
to be paid at certain periods in the progrefs of the work out of the cuf-
toms coUeded at Hull. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 56.]

All the ejufting law^s for the encouragement of difcovering the long-
itude at fea were repealed, and one new ad paflied, which empowered

* For fomc account of the trade liitherto car- being exempted from the fuiy of ftorms, and only

lied on at the free ports, fee above, p. 5^6. needing to have the dcpoiittd nnid i leaned out at

f This magnificent dock, liiiheito one of the times, will be kept iii repair at little expcnic, i£.

' l.irgeil in Britain, was cc.mj.lcted, and opened for compared with the lor.j; p:ers projecting into

the acmiffion of fliips on the 2 2^ of September llormy feas, which have been fo often dell roved

1778. It is of an oval figure, enclofcd by a «all, and rebuilt. It is v.'oilliy of remark, that docks,

or quay, all-around it, except the entrance, over fomcwhat fiuiilar, were ufed by the Carthaginians,
which there \f, a draw-bridge. Such a harbour

A. D. 1774. ^^5

the commiflioners of the longitude ftill to give rewards, not exceeding
;^io,ooo, for any improvement in that great nautical defideratum,
either by time keepers, or by folar and lunar tables, which ihall be
found by fatisfa6tory trials to be more perfedl than thofe already in
the poflellion of the public. They were alfo directed to give propor-
tional rewards for any other improvements in naval affairs. [14 Geo.
Ill, c. 66.]

June — The perminion of carrying rice from South Carolina, Georgia,
and the Floridas, to the fouthern parts of Europe and the Wefl-Tndia
iflands was prolonged till the year 1781. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 67.]

The moft defedive of the gold coins were already driven out of the
circulation by the fucccilive regulations for increafmg the fm.allefl legal
weight at which they fhould be allowed to be current, and that weight
was now fixed at five pennyweights eight grains for guineas, the fame
ftandard which has been kept up ever fince. On this occafion parlia-
ment determined, that all further lofs arifing from this lafl abridgement
of the allowance for wear Ihould be born by the pubUc, and for that
purpofe voted a fum not exceeding /^2, 500,000 to make good the defi-
ciency and recoinage of the light gold, which the officers of the reve-
nue were now directed to take in payment and convey it to the bank.
[14 Geo. Ill, c. 70.]

The exportation of tools and utenfils ufed in the manufadures of
cotton, linen, wool, and lilk, was prohibited under the penalty of ^^'200
to be paid by the fljipper, and ;^20o by the commander of the veflcl
receiving them onboard. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 71.]

Whereas a new manufacture of fluffs, made entirely of cotton fpun
in this kingdom, had lately been introduced, and fome doubts were af-
certained, whether it was lawful to ufe it, it was declared by parliament,
to be not only a lawful, but a laudable, manufadure, and therefor per-
mitted to be ufed, on paying three pence per fquare yard when printed,
painted, or ftained with colours. [i.| Geo. Ill, c. 72.]

All the laws hitherto made for guarding the excife duties payable by
diftillers being found infufficient, a new adl was pafled containing firidl-
er regulations. In the fame adt a remedy was provided againfl fraudu-
lent demands for the drawback of one third of the duty on Ibap, allow-
ed to manufadurers of woollen goods and bleachers of linen (who ufed
to reprefent the foap ufed by them as foreign) by limiting it, after the
24"" of June 1774, to one third of the duty on home-made foap. [14
Geo. Ill, f. 73.]

The duty on great raifins, being found difproportionately high, was
reduced to the fame rate that is paid upon other raifins imported. [14
Geo. Ill, c. 74.]

Parliament determined to pay off a million of the various three-per-
cent annuities, of which a miUion and a half was paid off in the year
' 4 A2

556 A. D. 1774.

1772, and in the fame manner, except that onlY;^88 was now offered
in discharge of >Cioo of the capital, for which redudion of the price
the ftockholders were offered fix lottery tickets for every £\ 00 of flock
at the price of /'12 : 10:0*. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 76.]

An ad was pafTed for the difcharge of infolvent debtors upon faith-
fully giving lip their effeds to be equally divided among their creditors,
without prejudice of mortgages and other fuch preferable fecurities.
By this ad it was declared, that freehold and copyhold eftates, »nd
money inverted in the funds or lent upon real fecurity, fhall remain
liable to the claims of the creditors of fuch difcharged infolvent debt-
ors ; but that their perfons, and their perfonal property acquired after
their difcharge, fhall be exempted. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 77.]

All the laws hitherto made for the regulation of buildings in London
and its vicinage being found infufficient, a very ample fet of re';ulations
was enacled, whereby all future buildings of whatever nature were to be
diftributed into feven claffes ; and giviAg very minute diredions for the
thicknefs, materials, &c. of everj- part of every wall in every clafs of
buildings v.-ithin the bills of mortality. By this ad the magiffrates are
direded to appoint furveyors, who are to fee that all buildings are exe-
cuted according to law. The ad alfo direds that ruinous honfes fliall
be pulled down; that fire-cocks (hall be placed in the water-pipes with
confpicuous notices of their fituations ; that fire engines, and a]fo pro-
per ladders to alhfi: people in efcaping from fire, fhall be kept in every
parifh : and it prefcribes rewards to be paid to the engine-keepers and
turncocks, who fhall be firfl, fecond, and third, in affording afliftance
when needed t- [14 Geo. ///,r. 78.]

The lenders of money on the fecurity of eftates in Ireland and the
colonies were now entitled to receive fuch rate of intereft, as is legal in
the countries where the eftates are fituated, though the mortgages are
executed in Britain, provided they be duely regiflered in Ireland or the
colony wherein the property lies. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 79.]

The province of Quebec was enlarged to its antient boundaries,
comprehending the vafl inland trad, which was exempted from the go-
vernor's authority in the year 1763, and alfo the country on the north

• See the ad 12 Ceo. II J, c 70. they happen, and liow httle damage they do in

f Quere, if an ni!l for cjaveitlng all terminable other towns, as crowded as London, where the

Icaies into perpetual leafes, for a fair equivalent, houfet are built upon freeholds or perpetual leafegj

would not be n.ore tflcCLUal in introducing a vo- I remember being told by a conliderable proprietor

luntary cuftom (for even in fuch matters cutlom of fuch houfes, that he never made any infurance

prevails) of creeling fafc and lubftautial buildings, upon his property ; and on my cspreffing my fur-

than all the compulfive laws that can ever b^ con- prife that he fiiouM nm fo great a riflt, he made

irived ? The materials are to be had in abundance it apparent, that it would not be eafy, for even a

with as eafy a freight as wc pay for coals, an ar- wilfid incendian,-, to damage any of his houfes to

tide of dayly confumption ; and furely no man the amount of jf 100.

would grudge a price for materials toeredl a houfe In June 1775 twelve people were buried in the

for the accommodation cf himfclf and his pofterity ruins of fomc houfes building in Chifwell ftreet,

doring feveral centuries. Obferve how frequent w-bich wete too flight tolUind till the tradefmen

sad dcftruflive fires are in London ; how feldom were done with them.

A. D.I 774' 557

fide of the Gulf of St. Laurence, which had then been detached from
it, and annexed to the government of Newfoundland, that the admi-
nifl:ration of civil government might extend to the numerous native-
French fettlers in the former, and that the fifhers in the laicr might
no longer be fubjeded to the Newfoundland regulations, which they
rcprefenred as inconfiflent with the nature of their fifhery. The Ro-
man-catholic fubjeds, faid to be in number about 65,000, were in-
dulged with the free exercife of their religion, fubject to the king's
fupremacy ; their clergy were authorized to receive their accuftomed
emoluments from their flocks ; and the antient French laws and cuf-
toms were reftored, except in criminal cafes. Several duties were alfo
laid by parliament upon licjuoi-s and melaffes, imported into the pro-
vince, for the fupport of the civil government of it. [14 Geo. Ill, cc.
83, 88.]

The privilege of naturalization having been abufed by many fo-
reigners, who obtained it merely for the fake of enjoying commercial ad-
vantages in foreign countries, which by treaties belong only to Britifh
fubjecls, it was provided by law, that henceforth no foreigner fhould
be entitled to fuch advantai^es, unlefs he has refided in Britain feveii
years after his naturalization. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 84.]

Among the ufual articles of expenditure voted by parliament this
year, there is the furri of /?2,50o to David Hartley Efq. to aflifl: him in
his experiments upon an invention for fecuring buildings and lliips
frorn fire. [14 G^o. Ill, c. 85.]

An ad was palTed for prolonging a confiderable number of commer-
cial laws relative to importation and exportation. [i/\.Geo. Ill, c. 86.]

The mayor and corporation of the city of London, whofe fupremacy
and confervancy of the River Thames is recognized to extend from the
city ftone above Staines bridge to a place called Kendall, Yenland, or
Yenlcet, in Kent, were empowered to improve the important inland
navigation of the river above London bridge. [14 Geo. Ill, c. 91. J

A number of ads, as ufual, were alio pafTed for the improvement of
feveral parts of London and other towns, for canals, drainings, and
other improvements.

Some merchants of Stockholm having entered into a company for
carrying on the whale filhery, the king of Sweden, in order to promote
an undertaking fo nfeful to his dominions, allifted them with an ::d-
vance of 500,000 dollars at an interell of three per cent.

The Eaft-India company received advice, that the Spanifli governor
of Manila had lent a melHige to Mr. Harbord to ditfire him to depart
from the new fettlement at Balambangan, and threatening, if he did
not immediately comply, that he would fend a fulficicnc force to dif-
lodge him, and dertroy his works. Jjulambangan is a fmall iHand ai
the north end of the great ifland of Borneo, which the company .k-

558 A. D.I 774-

quired from the kingof Sooloo (or Solor)in the year 1762, with a view
of eftablifhing on it a very capital entrepot for exchanging the produce
and manufadlures of Hindooftiin and Europe for thofe of China, Japan,
and the Oriental iflands. This fettlement gave great offence to the
Dutch and the Spaniards, and it was probably owing to their inftiga-
tions, that the ifland was fome time after attacked by the people of
Sooloo, and plundered of property to the amount of near a million of
dollars. The Eaft-India company's officers and people thereupon re-
tired with what effeds they could lave to I>aboan.

The herring fifhery was fo very abundant on the coaft of Fife this
feafon, that the fifliermen fold their herrings at the rate of a hundred
for three pence, and 4,000 for T,f6.

On Monday the fifth day of September a congrcfs of delegates from
twelve * Britifli colonies in America was held at Philadelphia. This
meeting of a general reprefentative and legiflative f body, eleded with-
out any authority derived from the Britifh government, may with great
propriety be called the commencement of the independent fovereignty
of the American flates, though the members of the congrefs flill pro-
feffed themfelves his Majefty's faithful and loyal fubjeds, in a ftrong
petition to the king, and in an addrefs to the people of Great Britain,
* their friends and fellow-fubjects.'

(September 22'') — One of their firft adts was a requefl to the merch-
ants and traders, that they would fend no orders to Great Britain for
goods, and fufpend the execution of all orders already fent, till the fur-
iher fenfe of the congrefs fhould be made public.

Odlober 2o"'~-Soon after they publifhed an ample and formal afTocia-

tion, wherein they refolved that after the 1" of December they would

import no goods whatever from Great Britain or Ireland, nor any goods
carried from Great Britain or Ireland to any other place, norany Eafl-India
tea from any part of the world, nor any melaffes, fyrups, paneles, coffee,
or pimento, from the Britifh Weft-India iflands, nor any foreign indigo.

that they would not after that day import, or purchafe, any llaves,

but wholely defift from the flave trade, and have no trading intercourfe

with any one concerned in it As the mofl effedual fecurity for the

obfervance of the non-importation, they refolved to ufe no tea on which
duty had been paid, and after the firll of March no tea whatever, and

to purchafe no goods imported contrary to the affociation In con-

fideration of the interefl; of their fellow-fubjedls in Great Britain, they
fufpended the non-exportation till the 10"' of September 1775, after
which day, if the obnoxious a6ts were not repealed, no merchandize
whatever was to be exported to Great Britain, Ireland, or the Weft-

♦ Georgia did not accede at the commencement nefs or zeal of obedience, beyond what was ever

of the revolution. paid to any laws enafted by the legally-conftitutcd

f Their advices, or recommodations, though not authorities.
formally calkd laws, were followed with an eager-

A. D.I 774- 559

Indies, except rice to Europe They alfo refolved to increafe the breed

of {heep, and encourage the manufadures of the country, efpecially
thofe of wool, to promote induftry and economy, and to difcourage
gaming, public amufements of every kind, and every fpecies of extra-
vagance, particularly, mourning clothes, gloves, and fcarfs, at funerals.

They refolved to hold up to public odium any one who fhould take

advantage of the fcarcity of goods to demand extravagant prices, or in
any refped infringe this refolution ; and that the manufadures of Ame-
rica fhould alfo be fold at reafonable prices In cafe of any cargoes

arriving between the i" of December and the i" of February 1775,
they direded, that, at the option of the importers, they fhould either be
fent back, flored by the committee of the town or county at the rifk
of the importer till the termination of the non-importation agreement,
or fold under the diredion of the committee, who in that cafe, fhould
pay the prime coft and charges to the importer, and beftow the pro-
fit, if any, for the relief of the fufferers by the Bofton port bill : but
after the i" of February no goods were to be received on any account.
— And they refolved to have no intercourfe with any province of Ame-
rica, that fhould refufe to accede to, or fhould violate, this aflbciation.

The congrefs made the following eftimate of the population of the
aflbciated provinces at this time.

MafTachufets bay 400,000 Maryland 320,000

New Hampfhire 150,000 Virginia 650,000

Rhode ifland 59*678 North Carolina 300,000

Connedicut 192,000 South Carolina 225,000

New York 250,000

New Jerfey 130,000 1,495,000

Pennfylvania with the! 1,531,678

lower counties on De- >- 350,000

laware J Total* 3.026,678

A commercial intercourfe was foon after opened by the Britiflx-Ame-
rican colonies with France and Holland, which, in confequence of re-
prefentations from the court of Great Britain, was prohibited by au-
thority, and connived at, in both countries.

Mr. Chalmers in his FJl'mn'.coftbeJlrengtbofGreat Britain [/>. 260, ed.
1794] reckons the (hipping belonging to the American colonies, now,
forming the United ftaies, which were entered in Britifh ports, to have
been 34,587 tuns on a:i average- of the years i 771-2-3-4.

The king in council had iffued letters patent on the 20"' of July 1764,

• It was nrtfiwards acknowlcgrJ, that this cal- the people of Georgia, atrountt on'y to 2,389.300,

culatiun w.is CDMfiilcrably exaggerated, governor of whom oi.ly aliout 1,700,000 were white people.

Pownal [ iT/i-r.or/a/, />. 122] ciliinatcs the whole It is not probahle tliat the i.ur.ibei of peoi.lc in the

numhiTolthccoloniftsthisyearat i-iiIy2,i4i,3C7 : Air.cric.in thtes was Lfs at the coudulio.i. tl(iri.

aud tl.c ctnfu: taltin in the year 17^2, i 'tl'ding btforr the hr^'ni;in^, cif tlie war.

56q a. D. 1774.

directing that the duty of four and a half per cent, which had been
granted under particular circumfbinces by the alTembly of Barbados *,
and had afterwards been extended to ihe neighbouring Brilifh iflands,
iliould be levied on the e>q5orted produce of the ceded iflands. This
was done upon the principle, that the crown poirefled an abfolute do-
minion over conquered territories. But the demand was oppofed by
the planters, who infifted, that, if any fuch dominion ever exifted, it
was relinquiflied by the proclamation, which invited Britifli fubjeds to
fettle the iflands, with the aflurance of enjoying the Britifli conftitution.
The difpute was at length carried to the court of King's bench, where
judgement was given againfl the crown ; and thenceforth thofe iflands are
exempted from a burthen, which lies hard upon all the other Britifli
Well-India iflands except Jamaica.

December 23'' — An act was pafled for permitting the importation of
Indian corn (or maize) on paying a duty of one penny per quarter, at
anv time when barley may be lawfully imported on paj-ing a duty of
twopence. [1 5 Geo. Ill, c. i .]

It was efl:imated that the poor's rate for England and "Wales, which
about the year 1685 was ;^665.362, and in Queen Anne's reign flood
about j^" 1 ,000,000, rofe to ;(r3, 000,000 about the year 1750, and was
the fame this year f.

About this time there was much talk of the flourifliing Itate of fome
manufadures lately eftabliflied in Spain, whereby fome millions of
piaflres were faid to be annually faved to that country. The horrible
power of the inquifition was greatly abridged in Spain this year, which
might render a refidence in that country more tolerable to foreigners,
who might be infl:rumental in promoting ufeful manufadtures ; but it
requires the experience of many years to alcertain whether the new
manufadtures of Spain will have much influence on the general com-
merce of Europe.

The king of Sweden this year impofed heavy duties on woollen cloths,
watches, and feveral other articles, which the Swedes ufed to get chiefly
from Great Britain. And he propofed thofe duties as a fund for efla-
blifliing and encouraging fimilar manufadtures in his own coimtry.

The king of Denmark went farther ; for he totally prohibited the
importation of woollen goods, giving as a reafon, that the manufadtures
of his own country were fully fufficient to anfwer the demand.

The trade with Portugal, ufually fo highly extolled, was now funk
down to lefs th in half of what it ufed to be formerly.

By the report of the Britifli conful at Hamburgh the merchandize
imported into that city from Great Britain, Ireland, and the Britifli

• For an account of the manner in which the f For the preceding years fee the elaborate

duty of four and a half per cent was impofed or work of Sir Frcderii: Morton Eden on The Jlate of

cjjt-iiiied, kc Ediuarclj's Hijh of the Wejl-Ind'us, the poor, V .\, fp. 2Z^, H^.
V.'\,l>-lll,fcconded. 3

A. D. 1774.

56'

colonies in the courfe of this year amounted in vakie to ^^879,762 : 6 : o
fterling.and the French goods carried to the fame city to 1,157,170: 8 :o
There arrived this year at Hamburgh 697 trading vefTels, of which 248
were Britifh. It is worthy of remark, that of 23 veflels from Shetland
with herrings, 19 were Danifh, only 2 Dutch, and only 2 Britifh ; and
of 52 whale ftiips from Davis's ftraits and Greenland, 45 belonged to
Hamburgh. There were 74 vellels from Ruffia and the Baltic loaded
with corn only.

The goods imported at Bremen this year from Great Britain and
Ireland amounted to - - /^i 62,561 : 11 ; o

and thofe from France, to - - 251,523 : 17.0

In the courfe of this year the following veflels pafled the Sound.

Total

Danifh

892

Pruflian

284

Portuguefe

2

Dutch

2,447

Ruffian

36

Lubeck

47

Englifh

2,385

Dantzick

194

Oftend

14

Swedifli

1,227

Roftock

59

Emden

207

French

39

Hamburgh

40

Oldenburg

0
0

Bremen

186

Spanifh

18

Co ur land

4

7,176

631

277 8,084

The induftrious trading town of Leeds was found by an exa61 enu-
meration to contain 8,041 men and boys, and 9,076 women and girls,
being 17,117 inhabitants in 4,099 families.

The great improvement of the cultivation of Jamaica will appear irora
a comparifon of the ftatement, already given, of its exports in the year
1768, with the following account of its exports in this year, which was
taken by Mr. Edwards from the official books in the ifland.

To

Great Britain \

and Ireland. J

North ■)

America. /

re *^ c.

76,344

"8,30-1 26,071

^4

^5

17,348
8,726

4.140
57,000

Ol,2(XJ

14,625

6y3

c «^

2,348
579

15,3 lb 2,y27

18

2,022

89

2.110

is

3,684
2,863

6,547

l,2S6i

26i

438 1,313

o ,%>

117,200

12,OfeO

12U,2,SO g,2iJ2

-a

X

656
8,636

It is proper to obferve, that the great dccrcafe in melafies (compared
with the exportation of 1768) may be afcribed, partly to a greater
quantity having been ufed in the diftillery, the quantity of rum being
larger this year in proponion to the fugar than in 1768, and perhaps,
partly to a more favourable feafon, which produces better fuirar, and.

Vol. m. 4 B "

562

A. D. 1774.

confequently, lefs melafles. The decreafe of ginger and cotton may be
owing to the planters of thofe fmaller articles engaging in fugar planta-
tions ; and as to the decreafe of the woods, it is to be confidered, that
they are chiefly obtained by clearing uncultivated land, and that, confe-
qupntly, the quantity of them mufl decreafe, as the cultivation of the
country advances. The whole value of the above produce, together
with fome fmaller articles not here mentioned, was eflimated at the cur-
rent prices to be two millions fterling.

The following retrofped of the fifliery and trade of Newfoundland
is extraded from the returns of the admirals commanding on that fta-
tion.

In the year 1769.
British fishing vessels
British sack vessels
American vessels
Bye boats
Boats of the inhabitants

1770.
British fishing vessels
Sack vessels
American vessels
Bye boats
Boats of the inhabitants

1771-
British fishing vessels
Sack vessels
Atr.erican vessels
Bye boats
Boats of the inhabitants

1772.
British fishing vessels
Sack vessels
American vessels •
Bye boats
Boats of the inhabitants

1773.
British fishing vessels
Sack vessels
American vessels
Bye boats
£oats of the inhabitants

1774.
British fishing vessels
Sack vessels
American vessels
Bye boats
Boats of the inhabitants

-d

1

.

0)

13

V.

bo

0.5

and
, an-
?a-
lue.

y5
>

C3

a

c

e3

n c c

n n OJ

a.

2 3

II
(3<c

C G

1^ X

Hi

Seal oil ;
oil, skins
teeth of SI
cows ; va

354

23,047

11,089

221,340

8631

£

117

12,071

1,232

120

8,706

727

«

>

919

7,641

429
1,333

3,147

93,220
263,464

446
l,226j

368

22,045

11,794

352,910

7221

123

13,363

1,298

138

6,086

781

>

649

13,657

444

3,865

1 1 8,768

536

1,229

277,820

1,334 J

369

21,954

11,9/6

236,080

779^

120

10,995

1,118

123

8,475

865

>

1,258

6,799

55Q

6,527

147,599

718
1,226 J

1,173

261,240

306

20,950

1 1 ,803

305,391

6511

146

14,508

1,344

138

6,767

760

>

734

14,091

605

7,251

155,847

890

1,330

298,605

1,254 J

262

18,855

9,408

262,925

8641

93

8,553

786

125

5,962

713

>

3.543

27,840

560

fi.io-

150,957

767 \

1,276

366,446

l,6l2j

254

22,182

7,836

237,640

6801

149

15,179

1,370

175

8,972

936

>

3,501

18,670

518

5,716

145.800

856

1,446

312,426

1,426

■d «>
I c =

.Q to "
O c ..

fa .s iJ

1,127

1,028

1,109

1,066

1,359

85

* The American vefTels were partly traders, and partly fifhers ; but the quantity of lifh, oil, &C-.
procured by them was not returned to the admirals, and is therefor unknown. 4

A. D, 1774,

5%

The number ol inhabitants remaining through the winter on the
ifland during thefe years was fometimes under 11,000, and never
amounted to 12,000; and the land cuhivated by them was only from,
one to two thoufand acres.

The following account, fhowing the ftate of the French fifhery at
Newfoundland, is alfo taken from the returns of the Britifh admiral
commanding on that ftation :

Hogsheads
of oil.

In the year 1769 .
1770-
1771-
1772.
1773.
1774.

Vessels.

Tun-

nage.

Boats.

Men.

Quintals

of fish

cured.

431

44,727

1,455

12,367

215,030

437

45,541

1,470

12,855

435,340

419

42,36()

1,327

12,640

239,864

330

37,257

1,46s

15,248

388,800

284

33,332

1,452

14,476

336,250

273

31,530

1,614

15,137

368,215

3,153
3,511
4,259
4,637
3,358
3,377

Bcfides the above numbers of quintals of fifh there were 470,000 fifh
by tale in the year 1769, and 470,000 alfo in the year 1771.

There belonged this year to all the ports of

England 7,559 veflels of the reputed burthen of 588,620 tuns,
and of Scotland 1 ,646 - _ _ _ _ 93,342

Total

9.205

681,962

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

B

ritifh.

Foreign.

T

Dtal.

Vessels.
8,587

96H

Tuns.
820,961
808,904

Vessels.

1,231
566

luiis.

135,476
68,980

\'csscls.

9,818

10,090

Tuns.

956,437

877.884

Inward
Outward

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was - - - - - ^^2,567,769: 17 : 3

being all from the cuftom-houfe in London, the Scottifti revenue of the
cuftoms being wholely employed in paying fidiery bounties, drawbacks,
&c.

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of this year
100,280 pounds of gold, value - - /^4,685,623 : ii : o

and no filver.

4B

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1773 to Chriftmas 1774, was as follows.

Imported into 1

Exported from

Countries, &c.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

1 ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

Africa

i£'56,503 8

7

^846,525 12

5

Caiiiuies

6,134 3

6

4vi,707 0

10

Denmark and Norway

101,5(X) Vl

10

££•27,984 15

9

193,103 9

6

i£23,269 17 5

East country

351,8'25 13

6

82,723 Tl

6

East-India

1,386,984 18

3

546,213 6

4

Flanders

120,013 15

6

917,490 4

2

France

68,202 7

7

5,864 n

1

197,189 10

6

226,461 15 9

Germany

791.324 3

11

35,404 11

8

1,572,611 10

11

45,534 8 5

Greenland

51,268 15

6

6,829 10

6

17 11

4

Holland

604,481 12

9

110,015 6

2

i,7S7.G6y 12

7

421,617 5 2

Ireland

1,447,497 6

10

154,744 12

0

2,105,826 15

5

232,078 15 0

Mann

7,419 1

8

84 12

3

24,960 15

1

158 1 0

Italy

736,5-1 19

11

302 12

8

739,847 11

11

9,054 6 0

Madeira

3,134 9

10

56 0

11

25,495 2

5

660

Poland

10,194 13

1

523 8 4

Portugal

371,247 12

7

20.306 11

0

558,158 14

11

791 13 3

Pnissia

20,849 12

0

114 2 6

Russia - t -

1,161, 283 18

6

149,124 16

1

254.622 13

7

7,402 4 7

Spain

582,902 18

5

10.785 4

2

969762 \Q

4

67,478 10 10

Gibraltar

20 2

5

3,536 4 1

Straits

443 13

0

192,745 4

10

Sweden

190,710 14

6

22,043 13

5

88,230 13

2

7,103 1 7

Tenerifte

209 3

6

Turkey

143,322 4

0

160,053 0

6

Venice

60,108 4

2

02,284 1

7

Guernsey, &c.

48,04g 10

2

730 9

3

73639 14

10

America in general -

504,572 18

7

260,033 6 11

Hudson's bay

13,446 12

1

4 961 4

5

Newfovuidland

46 234 1

5

77,363 4

4

Cape Breton

321 18

9

Quebec

74,123 8

3

307,635 10

5

K ova-Scotia

1,675 18

2

47,148 16

10

New-England

112,248 8

2

562,476 2

4

Ne\\-York

80,008 5

9

437,937 12

1

Pennsylvania

69,61 1 8

4

625,652 3

3

Maryland and Virginia

612,030 17

9

528,738 5

4

Carolina

■132,302 16

1

378,116 17

11

Georgia

67,647 8

5

57,51s 10

2

Florida

22,335 19

5

52,149 14

4

West-Indies in general

131,193 15

11

67,900 -1 0

\ntig\ia

327,094 0

1

109,055 15

4

Barbados

210,874 10

10

153,288 13

4

llermuda

3 6

8

10,089 7

7

Dominica

244,729 16

a

■16,952 3

5

(Jrenada

461.611 15

7

115,453 17

6

Jamaica

1,406,686 7

9

674,949 6

4

Montsen-at

67fi6\ 9

7

16,464 7

0

Nevis

92,656 7

10

17,S30 19

4

New- Providence

1,836 17

6

1,459 3

5

St. Croix

406 9

4

St. Flustathius

322 18

4

St. Christophers

2S8.278 12

2

99,044 4

]

St. Vincents

160,059 13

11

52,944 19

()

Tobago

45,038 3

&

36,681 15

')

Toitola

57,889 15

9

16,708 17

2

Bay of Honduras - -

25,253 19

/

3,250 19

r,

Musquito shore

8,694 9

8

10,359 7

6

Imp. and exp. of England

13,275,599 9

10

15,916,343 13

2

Imp. and exp. of Scotland

1.202,276 12

5

1,202,276 13

5

1,372,142 10

10

1,372,142 10 10

Total, Great Britain -

14,477,876 2

3

17,288,486 4

0

A. D.I 775' 5^5

1775 — The net duties, paid at the cuftom-houle of Dublin between
3" January 1774 and 3" January 1775, amounted to ;C352,309on goods
imported, and £2,g^i on goods exported, being in all ^^355, 260.

A new method of afcertaining the longitude by obferving the diftancc
of the moon from the fun with an inftrument invented by Meflleurs
Turnbull and Latimer was tried, and found to anfwer with the greatefl:
cxadnefs, lb that the longitude may be determined by it at fea at all
times when the obfervation can be made.

February 17'" — Low-priced wool-cards were permitted to be exported
to the Britifli colonies in America, notwithftanding the ad of laft feffion
againft the exportation of manufacturing utenfils [15 Geo. ///, r. 5.]

March 23'' — The free importation of faked provifions from Ireland
and the colonies in America was continued till the 30"' of March r 776 ;
and potatoes and all kinds of pulfe were now permitted to be imported
free from Ireland during the fame time. — [15 Geo. Ill, c. 7.]

March 30'" — The American colonics having refolved not to have any
trading intercourfe with Britain till their grievances fhould beredrefled,
the parliament, notwithftanding many and very ftrong petitions, from the
Weft-InJia planters (who dreaded the ruin of their eftates by the want
of theufual fupplies of American provifions and lumber) from the mer-
chants of London, and from all the trading and manufacturing towns in
the three kingdoms, paffed an ad to reftrain the people of Maffachufets
bay, New Hampftiire, Conncdicut, Rhode ifland, and Providence plant-
ation (which provinces pafs under the general name of New-England)
from trading to any other country, notwithftanding the indulgences
formerly granted with refpcd to fait for the fillieries, wines from Ma-
deira and the Wcftern iflands, and vidual and linen from Ireland. They
were alio deprived of the liberty of fending their fifliing velfels to the
coafts of Newfoundland, Labrador, or Nova Scotia, or in ftiort any part
of the coaft of North America ; and all fuch veflels were declared liable
to fei/.urc after the 20"' of July 1775, imlcfs provided with certificates
from the governor of the colony they failed from.

Veflels fitted out before the i" of July folely for the whale fidiery,
veflbls entirely owned in the ifland of Nantucket, and veflels fitted out
for catching mackerel, fliads, and alewivcs, owned in the towns of
Marlhficld and .Scituate, were exempted from the rigour of this ad. —
[15 Geo. III. c. lo.J

April 1 3'" — The reftridion laid by parliament upon the trade and
fiflieries of the New-Kngland provinces, was now extended to New jcrfoy,

Pennfylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Ciirolina [i^ Geo. Ill,

c. 18.]

But before the pafllng of thefe ads could be h.eard of in America,
the long-impending and threatening clouds had burft in deeds of open
hoftility, the event of which was to determine the fate of the colonies.

566 A. D. 1775.

i'hc former reftruining laws, which were expeifted to crurti the Tpirlt of
oppofition, had lerved only to add fuel to the fire, and inftead of divid-
ing the colonifts by the expedlation of advantages, which might accrue
to other places from the annihilation of the trade of Bofton, they excit-
ed a generous fympathy for the fufferers in, what was confidered as, the
sreneral caufe of America, with a determination to aflift them bv all
poflible means, and to fland or fall together. In fhort, the northern
and fouthern colonies, who had fcarcely ever before harmonized toge-
ther, were now knit into a band of brothers, prepared with the mofl
determined refolution to brave every ftorm of adverfity, and to run
every riik of life and fortune, in defence of the liberties and privileges
they claimed as their birthright. General Gage, the governor of Maf-
fachufets bay and commander in chief of all the Britifli forces in Ame-
rica, had for fometime thought it necellary to ad: in mofi: cafes as if in
tin enemy's country. The people on the other hand were bufily em-
ployed in learning the military exercife, and in procuring or manufac-
turing arms and ammunition of all kinds *. The fortification of Bof-
ton neck, and the feizure of the provincial ammunition and ftores lodg-
ed at Charleftown and Cambridge (both near Bofton) by General Gage,
and the feizure of the cannon belonging to government by the people
of Rhode-ifland, and of a fmall fort called William and Mary by the
people of New Hampfliire, accelerated that crifis, to which every adion
on either fide had for fome time been rapidly tending. At laft the appeal
was made to the fword in the celebrated fkirmifli at Lexington, wherein
above fixty men were killed on each fide, and about twenty Britifti fol-
diers were taken prifoners by the American militia (April 19"'). Imme-
diately afterwards the king's forces were befieged in Bofton, where they
fufFered great hardlhips for want of room, and for want of frefli provifi-
ons and vegetables, hitherto fupplied from the adjacent country f . The
military ardour fpread over all the provinces, and the army of The
United colonies j ftarted into exiftence, and was organized at the voice
of the congrefs, who now ifiiied a paper currency for the general ufe of
the whole confederacy, eftablifhed a general poft-office, and, in fliort,
aflumed all the fundtions of government. In the month of July the
province of Georgia joined the confederacy, which thenceforth took the

♦ Mr. Penn, proprietor of the province of Penn- the ciiftoms, who, when the harbour of Bofton was

fylvania, in his evidence before the houfe of lords fhut up by law, had removed to Salem, whence (the

on the lO'h of November 1775, faid, that they non-importation agreement rendering their refid-

had the means of cafting iron cannon in great ence unnecefTary, and the temper of the people

plenty in Pennfylvania, and that they had already rendering it unfafe) they returned to Bofton to be

caft brafs cannon, and made great quantities of under the proteftion of the army, and there ex-

fmall arms of a very good quality. hibited the fmgular fpedacle of a cuftom-houfe at

f To add to their hardships, a large reinforce- a port, where no (hips were permitted to enter or

ir.ent arrived to crov/d them through the fummer : clear out.

and what ought not to be omitted, they had the % That was the appellation then alTumed by the

company of the comraiflioners and other officers of confederated provinces.

A. D. 1775;

s^y

appellation of The thirteen United colonies. But the events of

the war which enfued, except as they affeded commerce and our re-
maining colonies (for the thirteen revolted colonies were in fadl from
this time completely detached from the Britifh empire) do not come
within the plan of this work, but belong to the province of the general
hiftorian.

As more fuitable to the nature of this work, it may be proper here to
take a review of the principal branches of the commerce of the Ame-
rican colonies before they were diflevered from the mother country, as
it may be ufeful for a comparifon with the commerce of the United
ftates of America in their independent condition.

The foil of the New- England provinces fcarcely furnifhes provifions
fufficient to fupport the inhabitants. Their induftry has therefor been
chiefly diredled to the fea, to fifliing, navigation, and the various branches
of bufinefs fubfervient to them. The cod, lalmon, mackerel, fturgeon,
and other fpecies of lifli, which frequent their coafts and their rivers in
prodigious fholes, aft'orded employment to great numbers in taking,
curing, and packing them. The New-Englanders alfo frequented the
banks and coafts of Newfoundland and the fifhing grounds in the Gulf
of St. Laurence as far as the coafts of Labrador. Belides their own fifli-
ing they procured from the Newfoundland fifhermen a part of the fifli
taken by them in exchange for rum of their own manufadure, and
other articles of American and Wefl-Indian produce*. The fifli, after
being forted in their harbours, were fhipped off to the countries, for
which each quality was befl: adapted. The befl were carried to the
fouthem parts of Europe, and the proceeds were generally remitted to
Great Britain in bills of exchange to pay for the goods they had occa-
lion for. A fmall quantity of the befl lllh was allb brought to Britain :
and the inferior forts were deflined to give a relifh to the plantains and
yams, which conftitute the principal part of the food of the negro llaves
in the Wefl-Indies. After the peace of 1763 they incrcafed their whale
fifliery in the feas between their own coafls and Labrador, in confe-
quence of the encouragement given to it by the great redudion of the
duties on their oil and whale fins (by the ad 4 Geo. Ill, c. 29) fo much,
that inftead of 80 or 90 floops, which had formerly gone upon the w'hale

• The following account of rum exported from the colonies now forming the United ftates (chief-
ly from Ncw-EnghnKJ) to the provinces of Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Newfoundland, affords a fpe-
cimeit of the extent of that trade during a few years preceding the revolution.

West-India rum, gallons
American rum, ditto

For this account I am indebted to Mr. Chalmci'i Oplnkns on Amerkjn inJe^nJcnct, p, I37.

1770

1 71 1

1772

177.)

.^2,7 1 2
5C)0,7IS

30,873
550,.5I4

47.73(3
520,525

50,7 16
(Kits .025

(i43,l()0

5S7.:)S7

508,201

058.741

568 A. D. 1775.

fifhery, they employed 160 in that bufinefs before the year 1775 ; and
the other branches of their fifhery increafed in the fame proportion.
In addition to the commerce fupportedby the produce of their tifheries,
they drove a very profitable circuitous carrying trade, which greatly en-
riched them, and fupplied moft of the money, which circulated among
them. Befides building veflels for the fervice of their own commerce,
they built great numbers, but of no very good quality of wood or work-
manfhip, for fale : and from the melalTes, which they brought in great
quantities from the Weft-Indies (chiefly from the French iflands) they
diftilled a kind of rum, which, though much inferior to that of the
Weft-Indies, was very acceptable to the Indians, who joyfully received
it in exchange for their furs and peltry. They alio found a great vent
for it among their own filhermen and others engaged in the Newfound-
land fifhery : and they carried confiderable quantities of it to Africa,
where they exchanged it for flaves, or fold it to the refident European
ilave-merchants for gold duft, ivory, woods, wax, and gums. The
candles made of fperma-ceti, furnifhed by their whale fifhery, formed
alfo an article of export to the amoimt of three or four hundred thou-
fand pound weight in a year, befides what were confumed upon the
continent. Their exports to Great Britain confifted chiefly of fifh oil,
whale bone (or fins), mafts and other fpars, to which were added feveral
raw materials for manufadures colledled in their circuitous trading voy-
ages, and a balance paid in foreign gold and filver coins. In fliort, their
earneft application to fifheries and the carrying trade, together with
their unremitting attention to the moft minute article which could be
made to yield a profit, obtained them the appellation of the Dutchmen of
uimerica.

New York, New Jerfey, Pennfylvania, and Delaware, have a much
better foil than that of the New-England provinces, and they produce
corn and cattle of all kinds in great abundance, and alfo hemp, flax, and
lumber ; to which may be added iron, pot-afhes, and pearl-afhes. Their
exports were corn of all kinds, flour, and bread, in great quantities ;
faked provifions of all forts; live ftock, including horfes, horned cattle,
hogs, and Iheep, and all kinds of poultry in great numbers ; flax, and
hemp ; boards, fcantling, ftaves,fliingles,and wooden houfes framed and
ready to fet up * ; iron in pigs and bars ; and vefl^els, fuperior in workman-
Ihip to thofe of New-England. Their chief markets for thefe commodi-
ties were the Britifh and foreign Weft-Indies, Spain, Portugal, the Weft-
ern iflands, Madeira, and the Canary iflands, whence they carried home
the produce of each country and bullion. Great Britain and Ireland
received from them iron, henip, flax-feed, fome lumber, and fkins and
furs the produce of their trade with the Indians ; together with fome
articles of their imports from other provinces and from foreign coun-

* I have been told, that the whole of the original honfes of the towa at Cape Nicola mole were
carried from Philadelphia. 3

A. D.I 775- 5%

tries which were raw materials for Britifh manufadures, and bul-
lion.

Maryland and Virginia almoft from their firfl fettlcment made to-
bacco the principal objedl of their culture, and it long continued to con-
flitute the mod valuable export of Britifli America. But the quantity
of tobacco was diminifliing in thefe provinces for many years before
the revolution, owing to the foil being cxhaufted by it ; and the plant-
ers had turned much of their tobacco land to the cultivation of wheat
and other grain *. Their tobacco could by law be exported only to
Great Britain : but their corn, flour, lumber, &c. were carried to the
Weft-Indies and clfewhere.

North Carolina produced alfo fome tobacco ; and it furniflied pitch,
tar, and turpentine, of which about 130,000 barrels were annually ex-
ported, whereof the greateft part came to Britain. The exports to the
Weft-Indies confifted moftly of fait pork, Indian corn, peas, &c. But
the foreign trade of this province was very trifling in proportion to its
great extent, and even to the quantity of its productions, and was moft-
ly in the hands of the merchants of the adjacent provinces of Virginia
and Sourh Carolina, and of the New-Englanders.

In South Carolina and Georgia rice and indigo were the ftaple ar-
ticles. The former grows on the marfliy grounds near the coaft, and
the later on the dry foil of the inland country. The planters had for
fome time applied to the culture of tobacco f ; and they made confider-
able quantities of lumber. Their exports confifted of thefe articles ;
and the merchants of Charleftown alfo fliipped fome flcins obtained by
trade with the neighbouring Indians, and part of the produce of North
Carolina.

The following accounts, copied from thofe of the cuftom-houfe for
years nearly preceding the revolution, will ftiow the ftate of the naviga-
tion and commerce of the colonies, which now compofe the United
ftates of America.

* Tlicfc two countries arc now next to Pcnnfyl- -j- It is only of Lte that the cultivation of the
vanin and New York in the exportation of flour excellent fpccics of cotton, which is now eiiricliinj
end corn. tlie pbntersot Georgia, was introduced.

Vol. in. 4. C

57*^

A. D. 1775.

An account of the number and tunnage of vejfcls built in the fcveral pro-
vinces under-mentioned in the years 1769, 1770, and 1 771.

New Hampshire
Massachusets bay
Rhode island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
Nortli Carolina
8outli Carolina
Georgia

Totals

1769

1770

1771

Square-rigged
vessels.

II

§

rt 0

11

(/3 en

SP

C

3

H

1.

is
IS

5"

en 5

c 0
CO 5!

5

16

29

2,452

27

20

3,581

15

40

'',991

40

^1

8,013

31

lis

7,274

42

83

7,70-1

8

31

1,428

lij

49

2,035

15

GO

2,148

7

43

1,542

5

41

1,522

7

39

1,483

5

14

955

8

10

9(30

9

28

1,698

1

3

83

2

70

14

8

1,46()

8

8

2,354

15

6

1,307

9

11

1,344

7

10

1,545

10

8

1,645

(i

21

l,2(jy

ti

15

1,105

10

9

1,678

3

9

007

5

125

8

241

4

8

789

3

52

3

4

560

2

50

3

57

2

4

543

1 113

276

1 20,001

118

282

20,610

128

291

24,068

An account of the tunnage of the fnpping entered inwards in the fcveral
provinces undermetitioned in the years 1769 and 1770.

New Hampshire
Massachusets
Rhode island -
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
Nortli Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia

Totals -

1769

1770

From
Great Britain
and Ireland.

Southern parts
of Europe, and
Africa.

British and

foreign

West Indies.

Continent of

America,
Bahama, &c.

From
Great Britain
and Ireland.

Soutliern parts
of Europe,
and Africa.

British and

foreign
West Indies.

Continent
of America,
Bahama, &c.

915

9^00

480

5,551

16/146

1,200

10,300

3,862

15,362

14,340

17,898

6,595

27,618

66,451

13,916

6,213

19,917

25,225

65,271

415

5,958

226

10,237

16,836

400

101

7.121

11,045

18,667

150

7.790

105

9,971

18,016

210

8,656

10,357

19,223

5,224

6,064

2,730

11,714

26,632

5,722

3,354

8,695

7,768

25,530

257

25

654

936

140

365

513

1,018

9,309

12,52!

10,745

12,453

45,028

7,917

15,010

15,883

12,091

50,901

15,466

4,533

4,095

6,574

30,688

13,693

5,005

5,093

6,686

30,477

20,652

11,612

4,600

10,373

47,237

21,236

4,403

9.547

9.617

44,803

6,415

6,702

700

9.259

23,076

6,202

440

5,930

8,391

20,963

15,281

6,8Q3

3,325

5,608

31,107

10,163

2,25e

10,588

Q,797

29,804

2,523

4,288

525

2,357

9,693

2,275

79^

4,6lb

2,226

9,914

00,710

C)4,9l6 34,151

112,369

332,14e

' 82,934

^7,7\'i

106,713 104,578

33 1 ,942

A. D.

1775'

57'

An account of the tujwage of the fhipping entered outwards in the fever al
provinces under-mentioned in the years 1769 and 1770.

1769

1

J 770

a .

larts

c.

ca.

■g ...i

■5 0 <45

c _.

lis

'lb
Great Bri
and Irclai

Southern
of Europ
and Afri

British a

forciv^

West Ind

Contine
of Anier
Baliamas,

,0

To
Great Br
and Irelj

Soutliern
of Euro
and Afr

Britisl

and fore

West Im

Contine

of Ame

Bahamas

2,822

170

12,87b

3,874

19.744

1,910

185

12,410

5,678

20,192

14,04-1

5,102

17.532

26,988

0:i,666

13,778

5,419

20,957

30,128

70,282

540

863

6,060

10,312

^7,17^

955

755

Q,119

12,172

20,661

580

200

9,201

7,9^5

17,966

426

180

9,923

9.734

20,263

6,470

3,483

5,466

11,440

26,859

7.357

3,018

7,005

9.273

26,653

555

538

1,093

648

533

1,181

7,219

12,070

11,959

11,738

42,986

7.999

11,395

14,839

15,421

49,654

16,116

6,224

3,358

5,298

30,996

17,967

5,337

5,118

5,052

33,474

24,594

7.486

11,397

8,531

52,(X)8

25,123

3,682

10,096

6,278

45,179

7,805

1,030

6,945

7,333

23,113

7.393

655

6,893

6,549

21,490

15,902

5,773

6,377

5,803

33,855

12,457

6,291

8,194

5,089

32,031

3,029

200

4,654

1,35^

9,241

3,460

320

5,179

1,645

10,601

99.121

42,601

06,382

101,19s

339,302

98,025

■■'.7,'i-'i7

108,15o'l07.552

351,6frl

New Hampshire
' Massachusets
Rhode island -
Connecticut -
New York
New Jersey -
Pennsyh-ania
Maryland
Virginia
Noitli Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia

Totals -

The entries of the fhipping employed in the Weft-India and conti-
nental trades are much iwelled by the frequent repetition of voyages in
the courfe of one year.

It muft be obferved, that the tunnage in all the above accounts is
taken from the regifters of the veflels, and about fifty per cent may be
added to it to find the real tunnage. [See Mr. Irving's letter in the
Journal of the houfe of commons, fejfion 1792,/. 353O

An account of the value, inflerling money, of the imports of the feveral pro-
vinces under-mentioned in the year 1 769 *.

?^. Hampshire-
Massachusets
Rhode island
Connertirut ,
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia -
N. Carolina
S. Carolina
Georgia

Totals

* Raynal has given the trade of all the Britilli and eiporli; from ami to Great Britain, or rather
continental cohmies in this year in a table at the he has ncglcrtcd to tianfpofe them from Sir Charles
end of the lall volume of his H'tjioire philof'jfihique, Whitworth's account ; and he has no account at
td, 1782 ; wherein be has tranfpofcd the import* all of the trade of the colonies with Scotland.

4 C 2 '■

From Great

From the South

From the

From Africa.

Totil.

Britain.

of Europe.
r 652 7 6

West Indies.
48,528 18 7

^

223,695 11 6

121,908 5 6

\ 2,580 19 6

I. 267 5 3

155,387 1 4
56,839 17 3
53,()93 17 3

190

0 0

V 56-1,034

3 6

75,930 19 7

14,927 7 6

97,420 4 0

097

10 0

1 88,976

I 3

326 18 2

1,663 19 9

i.9<»o

17 u

204,979 17 4

14,2-19 8 4

180,591 12 4

3()9,820

18 U

714,943 15 8

( 4,683 2 3
\ 9,442 2 4

32,197 13 (1
77,453 12 6

5,400
7.020

0 0
0 0

1 851,110

6 6

327,064 8 e

f 932 19 9
L 6,166 6 1

I0,(i03 13 3
(55,666 -1 H

1 ,080
124,180

0 0

10 0

} 535,714

2 3

58,3-10 19 4

547 7 7

9.407 9 9

1 3.440

0 0

81,735

16 8

1,60-1,975 11 11

76,684 9 1 1

789,754 4 5

) 5 1 ,098

od

2,623.412

6 3

57^

A. D. 1775.

Jn account of the value^in ilerViiig money ^ of the deports of the feveral provinces under-mentioned in
year i 769.

/^

JV. Hampshire"'
Masjacluivcts '
Khode ial.iiul
t'oiinccticut >
New York
\cw Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
N. Carolina
S. Carolina
Ucorgia

Totals -

To Great
Britain.

143,775 i2 9

113,333

28,112
7-59.961

405,014
82,270

8 8

6 9
5 0

13
2

To the soiuli

of Europe.

r 4(54 O

J 7ii,70l O

■) 1,440 11

I, 2,5(57 4

50,885 U

203,752 U

f 66,555 11

1 T-i,Q^5 3

f 3,238 3

1 72,881 9

614 2

1,531, .'iie 8 6 552,736 U 2

To tlie West

Indies.
40,43 1 8

123,3()4 O

65,206 13

79.395 7

66,324 17

2,531 16

178,331 7
22,303 Q
68,946 9

27.9-lt 7
59.814 II
13,285 15

To Africa.

9Q 11
9,801 9 1
7,314 19

1,313
560

71

619

2 6

9 9

15

16

717,910 3 7

'i'util.

550,089 19

231,906 1

2,531 16

410>7S6 16

\ 991,401 IS 6

I 569,584 17 3
96,169 19 4

20,2/8 5 1

2,852,441

yln account of the principal articles exported from all the Britijh continental colonies , including the ijlanJs
cfNe-wfoundland^ Bahama, and Bermuda, with the places to which they were fen t, and their official value at
the ports of exportation, during the year 1 770 *.

Species of mei'chandize.

Pot-ashes

Pearl-ashes

Spermaceti candles

Tallow candles

Coals

Caatoriiim

Fish, dried

Fish, pickled

Flax-seed

Indian com -

Oats

"Wheat

Peas and beans -

Ginseng

Hemp

Iron, pig

Iron, bar

Iron, cast

Iron, wrought -

Indigo

Whale oil

Whale fins

Lini^eed oil

Copper ore

Lead ore

Bread and flour

tun^

lb

chaldron-
lb
quintal;
bavrt-l'
bushel-

lb
tun^

lb
tun^

lb
tuns

To Great
Britain.

1,173

737

4,865

7,465

22,086

123

6,780

13.730

74,604
86

5,747
2,102

534,593

5,202

112,071

161

41

6

263

To Ireland.

450

450

25

305,083

150

149,985

267
85

22

3,583

To tlie south
of Europe.

14,167
1,630

431,386

307

740

175,221

3,421

538,56)

1,046

273

175

1 8,50)

To tlie West
Indies.

351,625

57,550

20

206,081
29,582

402,958
21,438

955
49,33

S

83

2631

23,449

To Africa.

Totals.

ica.

Quantity.

Value in sterlii
money.

>g

1,173

^35,191 13

7

737

29,468 10

7

7.905

379.012

23,688 4

6

240

59420

1,237 18

4

20

25 0

0

7,465

1,679 ^2

6

660 003

375,393 17

0

31

30,068

22,551 7

6

312,612

35,168 18

1

20

57S.349

43,3/6 4

3

24,859

1,242 19

0

851,240

131,467 0

10

50,383

10,076 12

0

74,604

1,243 8

0

86

12) 11

3

6,017

30,088 10

0

24,064

36,960 17

3

2

32 13

11

8

167 7

1

584,672

131,552 2

0

5 667

85,012 15

9

112,971

19.121 7

6

168

487 13

3

41

853 13

0

6

82 10

0

72

45,868

504,553 6

1

It is to be remembered that In the account I have given of the trade
of all the colonies, who have fince withdrawn their allegiance from
Great Britain, as alfo in the fubfequent one of the exports of the
whole colonies, the prices are rated by the official valuation, and confe-
q'lently are confidcrably under the real amount.

• In this account I have oniitttd the fradional parts of thequantitief.

which are of no ufe in a general view, but their value is retai.oed in the
totals. The attentive reader may find fomc difagreements between the
totals and the particular numbers, owing partly to the omiffion of the
fraftional parts, and partly to errors, which I faw, but had no meaas
of correfting.

A. D.

1775-

573

Species of nierchanJize.

Meal - bushel'

Potatoes -

Beet'and pork
Butter
Cheese

New-England rum
Rice

Rough rice
American loaf sugar
Raw silk
Soap
Shoes
Ship stuff
■ Onions
Pitch

Tar, common - -
Tar, green
Turpentine
Rosin

iOil of turpentine
Masts, yards, &c.
Walnut wood

barrels
lb

gallons

barrels

bushel;

lb

pair,
banols

value
barrels

tuns
value

Pine, oak, cedar boan'ii feel
tuns

Pine timber

Oak timber

Houses framed

Staves and heading

Hoops

Shook hogilieadd

'Catde

'Horses

Sheep and hogs -

Poultry

Furs

'Deer skins

Tobacco

Tallow and lard

'Bees wax

jPotal value of articles

■ shipped as American

[ produce

!Foreigii menliandize,

j mostly from the West

' indies

\ .

Total exports

N°,

dozens
value

lb
value

lb

To Great
Britain.

60()
541

8,265

7S,U5

6,53

15,125

195

11

3 ,013

*£lOo 15 11

G,OI3,5ip

10, ,5 82

3,710

4,921,020
18,912

:£9I,485 14 9

799.652

,^£■904,981 14 0

800

62,794

1,686,654 4 b

65,860 6 y

To Irclacd.

r.931

*£<) o 0
329,741

50
10

2,828,762

185

10,980
114,073 13 6

4,^8 5 10

To the south
of Europe.

244

45, 3K
3li,29t>

60C.

530

7.32;
^llO 13 -1

486,075
64
10

1 1680,40,'!

7,072

54()

50,520
685,920 6 4

5,991 17 1

To the West

Indies.

4,430

3,382

tuns 2,870

167,313

55,997

2,574

40,033

8,200

8,548

So,035

3.141)

640

^£"6,378 16 1

822

3,173

1,80/

28

30

2

35,922,168

31.5

144

KKi

11,116,141

3,817,899

62 ,09c)

3,184

6,692

12,797

2,615

J, 569 0 4

183,893

1,920

844,17s 1+ 9

1,752,514 11 3tll3,776 ly 4J0'91,912 3 5| 848,933 10 9l21,678 8 C*

To Africa.

300

292,966
117

1,500

1,000

57
134

62

Total

Quantity.

4,430
3,382

167,G13

349,281
1 50,529

10,646
541

86,585
3,149
7,9ti4

9,114

8 1 ,422

653

17,014

223

41

3,045

4,800'42,756,306
11,01)
3,674
I6;i
20,546,326
3,852,383
62,67s
3,184

8,500
30

P7

3 9

450

2 4001

21381 16 e

4,754 16 0 296 12 0

2,61.=

799.652

185,143

128,523

Value in sterling

money.

i£'443 O

126

66,035

3,491

933

21,836

340,692

615

332

541

2,164

3c)3

9,958

6,495

3,200

16
1

18
5
O

15

9

15
11
12
12
15

9

8

24,426 12

0

6

10

9

8
O

o

0

o

3
6
6
o

261

6,805

278

102

16,630

114

58,617

4,404

3,487

3,260
61,613 19

8,667 10"

7,834
14,328
60,228

4,478

1,177

91,485

57,738

900,637 18

3,857 2

6,426 3

4

12

15

10

O

15

15

14

8

O

15
O
O

19

1

14

19

O
O
O
O
0

o

o

11

10

o

5
8
O
O
O

o
o
9
7
I

11
o

3,356,159 10 3

81,554 17 O

3,437,714 7 a

574 A. D. 1775.

' The cafh, or fpecie, of the American ftates, previous to the non-
' importation ad, which took place in 1775, is computed to have been
* between two and three milHons *.'

The legiflature of Jamaica having in February 1774 laid a duty of
£2 currency, in addition to thofe already fubfifting, upon every negro
imported, the merchants of London, Briftol, and Liverpool, engaged in
the African trade, rook the alarm, and petitioned againft it.

It was alleged by the agent for the ifland, that they could find no
other means of raifing money fo ready, that the duty complained of was
in fad not paid by the importer, but by the ' conjumer ,'f and that the
flave-merchants never failed to charge the buyers with the duty in ad-
dition to the flipulated price of the flaves. In December 1774 they
laid a ftill higher duty of ^^5 on the importation of negroes above
thirty years of age, which was equal to a prohibition. This was repre-
fented by the agent, not as a meafure of revenue, but of felf preferva-
tion, being intended to check the exceffive importation of negroes,
which, fince the great demand occafioned by fettling the ceded iflands
had ceafed, was become an objed of terrible apprehenfion. He ftated
the number of negroes already in the ifland to be nearly 220,000 J, of
whom 52,500 were fencible men ; while the number of white people
of every defcription did not exceed 16,000. After confidering the ar-
guments on both fides, diredions were fent to the governor of Jamaica
to prevent the continuance of the tax.

Some time after a report was fent home from Jamaica, exhibiting the
number of negroes imported into the ifland, and alfo the number ex-
ported, from the year 1702 to 1775, both inclufive. In 1702 only 843
negroes were imported, and 327 were exported. There was then no
duty on their importation or exportation. In no other year is the num-
ber imported fo low as 2,200. In 1 719 a duty was impofed of 5/ a-
head, which next year was raifed to \of; and that fame year a duty of
20/" a-head was laid on the exportation of negroes. About this time
the annual importation was from five to above feven thoufand ; but it
increafed afterwards to eight or ten thoufand annually, and continued
fluduating nearly about thefe numbers till the year 1774, when the
heavy duty of j^2 : 10 : o took place, and then it rofe to the unexampled
number of 18,448, the number exported that year being only 2,511,
though a drawback of £1 was allowed on exportation. The whole
number of negroes imported from the beginning of 1702 to the end of

• I have copied thefe words from Lord Shef- real money in thofe dates was lefs in 1791 than in

field. \Obfcrvat\ons on the commerce of America, p. 1775?

ZlOyfixtb eJ.^ But Mr. Coxe fays, that eftimatcs, f Was this word happily, or unhappily, chofen ?
carefully made, appear to warrant a belief that the j If fo, above half the number of negroes im-
current fpecieof the United rtatesin theyear 1791 ported fnice the year 1702 (fee the next para-
was about feren millions of dollars, or a million and graph) mull have died without leaving progeny,
a half of guineas. IFieiu of the United Jlates, p. and all the ilFue of the wiiijle, or numbers cquiva-
35Z.J Can it be fuppofcd that the quantity of lent, mull have perifhed. 4

A. D. 1775. 575

1775 was 497,7.3!^ ; and the whole number exported during the fame
time was 137,114. The numbers imported in the fecond 34 years ex-
ceed thofe in the firft 34 by 38,751 ; and the numbers exported in the
later period were not equal to the half of what were exported in the for-
mer one ; a proof, according to the legiflature of Jamaica, that the Uip-
ply of the Spanifh market depended on the overflow of the Jamaica
market : and, as the large number imported in 1 774 were all fold with-
in the ifland, they were confident, that they had fully refuted the com-
plaints of the flave-merchants of England.

The king of PrulTia, having eftablifhed two annual fairs in new Pruf-
fia, gave orders to his fubjeds no longer to refort to the fairs of Leipfic.
He alfo built fome frigates, and, making merchant-men of them, fent
them to Spain for fait to be fold in new Pruffia and Poland. His op-
preflion of the unhappy city of Dantzik flill continued, and, in con-
lequence, the emigration of the inhabitants ; fo that the ruin of that
once flourifliing city was now nearly completed.

About the fame time theemprefs of Ruflia relieved her fubjecfls from
ieveral taxes, which were found oppreflive to trade. She alfo lent fome
fliips to a merchant, in older to commence a trade on the Black fea, as
fhe wifhed her fubjeds to carry on an extenfive trade upon that fea, the
climate of which is fo much more favourable than that of the Bal-
tic. But it is worthy of obfervation, that of the three leas, which now
wafh the fhores of her European dominions, that on the north coaft is
frozen up during a great part of the year ; and the other two are in-
land and land-locked, and, moreover, both have very narrow out-
lets, which are commanded by foreign powers, who may fometimes not
be dilpofed to be fo complaifant as the Porte was to the ten veflels,
which were fl;opped by the governor of the fort at the Dardanelles.

May — The fervants employed in the coal-mines and falt-works in
Scotland being, by the ftatute law, adftrided for life to the works to
which they belonged, and fuch a fpecics of flavery being deemed a re-
proach to a free country, it was enaded tliat after the i' of July 1775,
young people, who fhould learn thofe bufinelTes, fliould ferve a proper
apprenticefhip, and at the expiration of it be free ; and that the grown
people, already engaged in I'uch works, fliould be at liberty to leave
them after ferving faithfully during a number of years (from thne to
ten) proportioned to their ages, whereby the emar.tipation, though
complete, would be gradual, lb as to give no fudden fliock to the
works, or inconvenience to the proprietors. [15 Geo. Ill, c. 28.]

In order to encourage that great nurl'ery for hardy fcamen, the New-
foundland filhery, parliament oftercd premiums of ^^40 to each of the
firft 25 velfels, of £20 to each of the next 100 vellels, and of /^'lo to
each of the next too, which lliould on or before the 15 of July in each
year land on the coails of Newfoundland, bctwecu Cape l^iy and Cape

i7<>

A. D. 1775.

de Gar, a cargo of at lead 10,000 filli, and proceed to the banks for a
fecond cargo. The veflels muft be Briti(h-built, of fifty tuns bin-then
or upwards, belong to Great Britain, Ireland, or the iflands in Europe
fubjedl to the Britifh crown, and be navigated by not lefs than fifteen
men, three fourths of them befides the mafter being Britidi fubjecls.
Thefe bounties were to continue till the 1" of January, 1787. Alfo
vefTels, owned and nianned as above direded, and profecuiing the
whale-fifhery in the Gulf of St. Laurence, or on the coafts of Labrador
or Newfoundland, and catching one whale at lead, were allowed to im-
port their oil free of duty : and five premiums of >C5oo, /^400, ^^300,
^200, and £100, were allowed to the five veflels, which fhould bring the
greateft quantities of oil. The flcins of feals, caught by European Brit-
ifli fubjeds, were alfo admitted to be imported free of duty in {hips
legally navigated. To prevent fifliermen and artificers from being loft
to the kingdom by going from Newfoundland to America, the com-
mander of a vefiel carrying any fuch perfon to America was fubjeded
to a penalty of ;/(^200 : and further, to prevent the fifhermen from re-
maining in Newfoundland (where, as already obferved, they generally
became robbers or pirates) the employers are direded to retain a part
of their wages, to be paid them at their return home. By this ad the
bounties allowed to fliips employed in the whale filhery at Greenland or
Davis's firaits were extended to fliips fitted out from Ireland.* [15 Geo.

To lefl"en the importation of oil from foreigners, and alfo to guard
againfl: a deficiency of oil, an article fo neceflary in the woollen and
other manufadures, by encouraging the manufadure of vegetable oils
at home, it was enaded, that after the i" of Auguft 1775, whenever the
price of Britifli rape feed fliould exceed /;i7 : 10 : o per laft, it might be
imported from Ireland, on paying only one fliiUing per laft, inftead of
the former prohibitory duty, [i ^ Geo. Ill, c. 34.]

Thefe two ads were calculated to guard againft any deficiency of fifli
or oil, that might proceed from the interruption of the New England
fiflieries. But the fiftiery at Newfoundland muft have been defedive
this year by reafon of the dreadful ftorm, wherein eleven fliips, about a

* Previous to tlie pafTing of this a£l the Irifh been found by experience to be of the mod perni-

had fent (hips to Newfouiidlaiid, which the com- cious tender.cy ; lb much fo, that in pradice they

modores indulged vvith >, pcrmiffion to fifh, and en- have been generally diricgardcd, and never enforc-

tcred them in their rtpoi ts as Britifh veffcls. Being ed, except from neceffity ; and that they would

now rdievcd from the neccflity of courting fuch a gladly throw up the bounties, if they might be re-

prccarious indulgence, the Irifh, liberally fupportcd licved from the litigations, and other iiardihips, pro-

by their parliament, pufhed on their Newfoundland ceeding from this aft. Indeed the bounty appears

filhery to a great extent. (from an account made up in the comptroUer-ge-

Some of the merchants of Dartmouth and Poole, neral's office in the cullom-houfe, figncd by Mr.
deputed from the whole body of merchants engaged Powell 9"" July 1 784) to have been fo little attend-
in the Newfoundland trade, reprefented to a com- ed to, that only one inllance occurred of its being
mittee of the houfe of commons in the year 1793, paid in the courfe of nine years, which was only a
that the regulations and rtilriiftions of this aft had payment of ^40 at Exeter in the year 1778.

A. D. 1775. 577

thoufand boats, and a vaft number of lives, were loft; and alio by the
abfence of many velTels, which were obliged to leave the fifhing grounds
to return home in order to carry out provifionfor the others, they hav-
ing mofc unaccountably forgotten, that they could not now have any
fupplies from America.

For the encouragement of the manufacture of red, green, and blue,
leather, raw goats fkins were allowed to be imported in Britifli vellels
free of any duty for five years, to be computed from the ao'"* of June
1775- [15 Geo. HI, c. 35.]

In order to prevent the fmuggling of painted earthen ware, made on
the continent of Europe, all fuch ware, except galley tiles, was permit-
ted to be imported on paying a duty often and a half per cent ad
valorem. [15 Geo. Ill, c. 37.] ^^^

Along with the ufual articles of expenditure voted by parliament for
this year, we find an allowance of /?2, 145 to Murdoch Mackenzie for
engraving his nautical furveys of the weft coaft of Britain, Ireland, and
the Weftern iflands ; ^^3,71 1 : 15 : o to J. F. W. de Barres for engrav-
ing his furveys of the coaft of Nova Scotia ; ^^46,846 : 9 : 3 to the bank,
for the expenfe of receiving the deficient gold coin of the kingdom ; and
^(^22,824 : 19:0 for extraordinary charges incurred in the mint : alio
j^5,ooo for cleaning the channel and repairing the harbour at Barba-
dos. There was likewife the fum of/^880,000 voted for paying off one
million of the ihree-per-cent funds. [15 Geo. Ill, c. 42.]

The obligation, laid upon the Eaft-India company, to export the an-
nual quantity of Britifli goods, appointed by a former ad, to their fettle-
ments in India, was prolonged from the 29''' of September 1775 to the
29''' of September 1778. [15 Geo. Ill, c. 44.]

The Irifli were now allowed to clothe and accoutre that part of the
army, which is paid by them, though ferving out of Ireland, with the
manufadures of Ireland as well as thofe of Great Britain, and to export
fuch goods to the places where they fcrve. And for the encouragement
of the linen manufadure in Ireland, an additional bounty of 5/ per
hogftiead was allowed on flax-feed imported into Ireland during the
years 1776 and 1777. t'5 Geo. Ill, <:. 45.]

The prolperous manufaduring town of Manchefter being now fuffi-
ciently populous and opulent to lupport the expenfe or elegant and ra-
tional entertainments, a theatre was licenced there on tl»e fame footing
as other theatres. [15 Geo. Ill,.c. 47.] This circumftance, as an effed
of the fucccfs of perfevering indullry is not unworthy of a place in
commercial hiftory.

The circulation of notes under twenty lliillings, with certain condi-
tions and reftridions, being found a great hartlftiip ujion the lower clats
of manufacturers, labourers, and others, it was ordered by parliament,
that all fuch notes fhould be paid upon demand, notwiihftanding any
Vol. III. 4 D

578 A. D, 1775.

conditions contained in them to the contrary, and that no more fuch
fhoukl be iflucd *. [15 Geo. Ill, r. 5 1 .]

Mr. William Cookworthy of Plymouth having difcovered a metliod
of making an earthen ware from moor-flone, growan, and growan clay,
(foffilcs quite common in Devon-ftiire and Cornwall) poflefling the
beautiful colour, the fmooth grain, and the quality of fuftaining the
a(rtion of the flrongeft fire without fufion, which are the dirtinguifhing
charaderiftics of the genuine porcelain of China, had got the king's pat-
ent, for fourteen years from the 8'*' of March 1 768, for the fole making and
vending of porcelain fo manufadlured. He having difpoied of his patent
to Mr. Champion, a merchant in Briftol, the term was now prolonged
by parliament to the later for other fourteen years in order to encourage
the manufadure. [15 Geo. Ill, c. 52.]

Mr. James Watt, a merchant inGlafgow, having difcovered fome very
important improvements in applying fteam as a moving power in
machinery, had got the king's patent for fourteen years, not only for
England, but alfo for aril the colonies. But, finding the term of four-
teen years fcarcelv fufiicient to render his invention public, he applied
to parliament for a prolongation of his exclufivc privilege: and in con-
iidcration of the great utility of his invention in carrying on many great
and expenfive works, he obtained a renewal of his privilege for twenty-
five years from the date of the adl, and for all Gi-eat Britain and the
colonies. [15 G(0. ///, r. 61.]

The fmall harbour of MevagifTey on the fouth coafl of Cornwall being
very conveniently tituated for the pilchard fifhery, truftees were appoint-
ed to raife money, and build a pier for the protedlion of the veflels, and
to levy a tunnage duty for defraying the expenfe. [15 Geo. Ill, c. 62.]

There were alfo, as ufual, many ads for inland navigations, for the
improvement of towns and roads, and for inclofures, &c.

May 21" — On the death of Sujah Dowlah, nabob of Oude, a new
treaty was made with his fon Azuf ul Dowlah, whereby the Eaft-India
company added the province of Benares, with a clear revenue of
;(^240,ooo a-year, to their territorial acquifitions.

June — About 700 emigrants, moflly Highlanders, failed in four
veflels from ihe Clyde for America, being the lafl confiderable accef-
iion, in one embarkation, to the population of America. Soon after
all emigration to America, now a hoftile country, was prohibited by
authority.

Captain Cook failed on a fecond voyage of difcovery in July 1772,
having under his command the Relblution and Adventure, two fhips
particularly well adapted for fuch a fervice, and accompanied by offi-

* Sir George Savillc, wlien he brought in this the great injure' of the induilrious manui'adurcrs,
bill, obfervcd, that thtre were notes circulating in who were thereby totally deprived of the ufe of
York-fhire fronn five fiiiliings down to fix pence, to Clver money.

A. D. 1775. 579

cers, moft of whom were aftronomers and geographers as well as navi-
gators, and alio by Meflleurs Wales and Bailey as profefled aftronomers,
Meflieurs Forfter fenior and junior as naturalifts, and Mr. Hodges as
landfcape-painter. The objedt of this voyage was to deteruiine the long
contefted queftion, whether the unexplored part of the fouthern hemi-
fphere were only a vaft expanfe of water, or contained another conti-
nent, as fpeculative geographers had long fuppofed, from a prefumed
neceflity of a balance of land in the northern and fouthern hemi-
fpheres.

Befides difcovering and exploring many iflands in the fouthern
temperate zone, he made a complete circuit of the Southern ocean in
two fuccefllve fummers in thofe latitudes wherein the maps ufed to ex-
hibit their Terra aujiralis, or great fouthern continent : and three times
he went within the Antardtic circle (once as far as the latitude of 71"
10') which no navigator ever entered before, and, we may venture to
fay, no one will ever enter again. Having thusafcertained, to the fatif-
fadion of all mankind, that no land of any great extent can pollibly
exift in the fouthern polar regions, unlefs fo near the pole as to be
utterly ufelefs and inaccelTible, and alfo that the fouthern polar regions
are much colder, and the feas in them more incumbered with ice, and
that they are confequently lefs fit for the purpofes of cultivation or na-
vigation, than thofe of the correfponding northern latitudes, he arrived
in England in July 1775.

Wliile Captain Cook was employed in exploring the fouthern polar
regions, Mr. de Kerguelen, a French navigator, was alfo engaged in a
fimilar purfuit. In the beginning of the year 1772 he had foimd land,
fituatcd in 49" fouth latitude, and 69° eaft longitude from Greenwich,
whence he returned, rather precipitately, to France, where he was re-
ceived as a fecond Columbus, on the faith of having dilcovercd the cele-
brated Terra aiijlrnlh, the exiftence of wdiich was then almoft univerfally
believed. In the year 1773 he failed again with two (hips of war, carrying
64 and 32 guns and 700 men to complete his dilcovery, and to take,
polfeflion of the great Southern continent for the crown of France.
But alas ! the mountain of high expectation fcarcely brought forth a
moufe. The object of this unwieldy armament turned out to be an
ifland of no very great extent, and fo milcrably barren, that it produces
not a tree or flirub of any kind, and very little grafs. It has no human
inhabitants, and fcarcely any land animals : nor does the lea around it
appear to be more produdiive than the land. Kerguelen could not irj
either of his voyages even fuid anchorage tor his Ihips in any of the
numerous harbours of his land of promifc; and we are chiefly indebted
for our knowlege of its condition to Captain Cook, who vifited it in
his third voyage in December 1776, and who fays, that he fhonUl

4l)2

580 A. D. 1775.

called it the I/Iand of Defolntion, but that he would not rob Mr. de Ker-
guelcn of the honour of giving his name to it*.

Auguft 23** — In conlcquence of the war broke out in America, the
king in council prohibited gun-powder, arms, and ammunition, to be
exported, or even to be carried along the coaft, till the flrideft; inquiries
were gone through, and ample fecurity given for the true delivery of
them according to the profeffed intention of the fhippersf.

The prohibition immediately gave birth to a vaft number of ap-
plications, efpecially from the merchants concerned in the African
trade.

October 30''' — The board of trade having obferved, in confequence of
a petition from Liverpool, ' that gun-powder, arms, and ammunition,
''are eflential and commanding articles in the African trade,' and ' that
' both policy and juiHce require, that no reftridions fhould be put
' upon this trade, which are not eflentially necelTary for public fafety,'
propofed, ' that each {hip clearing out for the coafl of Africa for the
' purpofe of carrying on the trade for flaves, ivory, and gold, may be
' allowed to take onboard, as an aflbrted part of her cargo, as much
' gun-powder, and as large a quantity of trading guns if, piftols, cut-
' lafles, flinis, and lead balls, bars, and fhot, as the exporters fhall think
' necellary, provided that fecurity be given to the principal officers of
' the cuftoms of the port in which (he is fitted out, before the fliip pro-
' ceeds on her voyage, in treble the value of the articles fo exported,
' that the fame fhall be expended in trade upon the coaft.'

December 1 2^^ — The government of Grenada (or the Ceded iflands)
was again divided ; and Valentine Morris Efq. was appointed the firft
governor of S'. Vincents, now a feparate government ; Sir George
Macartney being appointed governor of Grenada, and the Grenadines
together with Tobago.

December 23'' — An act of parliament was pafled, whereby all inter-
courfe with the revolted colonies, (comprehending the whole extent of
the coafl from New Hampfhire to Georgia inclufive) was flridly pro-
hibited ; and all veffels, whether belonging to the revolted colonies or
to neutral nations, found trading to the coafts of America, were declared
lawful prizes to any fhip of war or privateer which fhould feize them ;
excepting only veflels in the fervice of government, or velTels duely
authorized to fail to fuch ports as were in the king's allegiance. [t6
Geo. Ill, c. s-}

' Whereas many advantages both to commerce and fcience may be

* See Cjoh's Third voyage, cc. v, vi. — Peroufc's ture, to be in force for fix months, had been ifTued

I'uyage, V. \, p. 259 of Englijh iranJlaUon, 1799. — 19"' October 1774.

I have not feeii the accou:iis piibliilKd by Kergue- J I'hefc guns are dated in the petitions to colt

Icn and his lientenant De Pages. from 5/6 to ifd, and are faid to be fit for no

t A precautionary proclamation of a fimilar na- other trade. »

A. D. 1775. 581

' expedled from the difcovery of any northern paflage for vefTels by fea
' between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,' a reward of/j20,ooo was
offered to the commander and feamen of any {hip belonging to his
Maiefty, or to the owners and company of any merchant fhip, which
fhould difcover luch a paflage to the northward of 52° of north latitude.
A reward of ^{^5, 000 was alfo offered to the firfl: fliip which fhould reach
the latitude of 89", fuch a near approach to the pole being confidered
as a very great advance to the defired paflage*. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 6.]

As the great trade, which the merchants of Glafgow carried on with
the tobacco colonies, was now to be interrupted, if not aboliflied, I here
infert a fliort view of their imports of that article in the courfe of this
year.

From Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina : Total.

40,854 ^ 15.040 i»249 57,143 hhds.

Their importations from Jamaica and the other fugar iflands were

4,621 hhds, 691 tierces, and 462 barrels, of fugar,
1,154 puncheons, and 193 barrels, of rum,

and 503 bags of cotton.

The whole of thefe imports employed about 6o,ooo tuns of fliip-
ping.

The fadors, whom the Glafgow merchants had efl;abliflied in Ame-
rica, by their prudent exertions, and the friendly terms on which they
generally were with the planters, had been enabled to make large re-
mittances to their conftituents, before matters were brought to the lafl
extremity. But very large fums ffill remained due, and as many of the
merchants had the greateff part of their fortunes embarked in that
trade, the event proved ruinous to fome of them, and would have been
more generally fatal, had not the great rife on the price of tobacco in
fome meafure made amends for the deficiency of their remittances, and
enabled mofl: of them to bear up againft: the general fliock.

Mr. Humphry Jackfon brought to perfedion a method of feafoning
timber for fliip-building, fo as to make it refifl: putrefaction and admit
no water within its pores, whereby fliips may be rendered not only
more durable, but alfo more wholefome to live in, and may carry a
greater burthen by being more buoyant: and fome fliips of war, built
of timber fo prepared, were found to pofl'efs all thefe qualities. About
this time alfo the method of laying the waves of the fea in a florm bv
the fiinple operation of pouring a little oil upon it, which had already
been known to illiterate people in various parts of the world, began to
attracl the attention of philofophers, by whofe writings it was made

• Tliis aft ivas pafTed in contcmplaiioii of C.ip- former aift of i8 d'o. IF, c. 17 .illowej the re-
tain Cook's tlilrd voy.igo of rlifcovcry, a brief ac- ward only to private lliips, and confined the fcarch
count of wliicli will be found in ilu tr.ir.f.iClions to Hudlon's bjy, where, it \v.is now known, ihert-
of the year 1780, when it was concluded. The was fcarcely a jioflibility of finding a pafT.vge.

582

A. D.

I775-

more generally known. Both thefe difcoveries may be of great fervice
in naval affairs.

The Britifh minifler at Hamburgh tranfmitted the following llate-
ment of the value of the Britifli and French imports at that city and
Bremen.

Hamburgh. Brfmen.

From Great Britain, Ireland, and 7 r c r ^ r.

-the Britifh Weft-Indies |>Ci.030,3i6 : 7:0^:224,645: 8:0

From France - _ _ 1,270,627:14:0 237,524:10:0

Of 768 trading veflels, which arrived at Hamburgh this year, 262
were Britifh ; and of the whole there were 242 from Britifli ports. It
is worthy of remark, that of 32 veflels, which arrived from Shetland
with herrings, there were 28 Danifh, 2 Prufhan, only 2 Dutch, and
none Britifh.

The following account of the quantity of Britifli-plantation fugar im-
ported into Great Britain, and of raw and refined fugar exported, dur-
ing the under-mentioned years, is taken from an account made up by
the infpedor -general of the cuftoms.

Imported.

Exjxirted.

Years.

Raw sugar.

Raw sugar

Reiined

sugar.

cwt. qr.

lb.

cwt.

qr.

lb.

cwt.

qr. lb.

1760

1,374,720 2

5

143,683

I

23

58,650

3 18

1761

1,491,3 17 3

16

3t)3,324

0

13

108,891

1 7

17C2

1,444,581 1

4

322 253

2

7

87,033

2 23

1763

1,732,174 1

5

413,199

3

22

102,514

3 ig

1764

1 ,488,079 0

15

197,579

0

25

1/6,302

3 23

1765

1,227,159 3

18

149,125

1

5

114,851

2 0

1766

1,522,732 2

19

129.236

2

4

27,602

0 10

1767

1 ,538,834 1

8

209,533

1

25

35,968

1 12

1768

1,651,512 2

14

227,193

3

21

39,273

2 27

1769

1,525,070 0

5

216,384

0

0

34,041

2 16

1-70

1,818,229 I

23

199,738

1

9

43,609

1 19

1771

1,492,096 2

24

193,859

1

1

55,210

0 13

1772

1 ,786,045 0

1

173,661

1

3

31,300

3 23

1773

1,762,38/ 3

15

186,649

3

19

29,543

3 26

1774

2,015,91] 1

15

223,254

1

27

34,089

0 14

1775

2,(X)2,224 3

8

345,012

2

0

69,790

3 20

Tobacco being an article of very confiderable importance to the com-
merce, and alfo to the revenue, of Great Britain, and the principal
article of the imports from America to this country, I have compiled,
from feveral official returns of the cuftom-houfes of England and Scot-
land, the following retrofpect of the imports and exports of Britifh-plan-
tation tobacco, and alfo of the grofs and net duties upon it received by
government, from the beginning of the year 1761 to the interruption
of the trade by the war.

A. D. 1775.

En'glano.

iinportcil
pounds.

expurtcd,
pounds

47,O0'.5,787..Jfi,-88,<lH
14,102,'lyli30,4'15,C)5J
jj,i;3,7.')240,g40,312

1761

176244

J 7O3 Ci J, 1 73 ,752'AO,C)40,3 1 2

1 764 54,433,3 1 8!.';4,058,336

1 765 48,300',5y3(3y, 1 2 1 ,423
1 76"d 13,307,453|32,()86,790
1 70739, 1 4O,6'3y'30',4OO,398
1 768 35,545,708j30,864,53(j
J 76933,784,208:23,7.03,272
1 7'<pD, 1 87,037^33, 238,43.

1 77 1 .08,079, 1 83 4 1 ,439,3 SO'
1 772J5 1 ,493,522 49,784,00(1
1773155,928,9.57150,349,907
1774'56,048,393 '44,829,835
1775 55,965,463 143,880,865

gross dut',',
J,'
1,225,67
1,148,502
1 ,697,'232
1,4)7,534
1,257,084

i,i'27,79ii
1,019,28/
925,0'0'9
h9>797
1 ,020,496
1,512,479
1 ,340,977

1,456,983

1 ,459,594
1,457,434

iUct duty,

£
267,626
199,389
6:i 1 ,079
0,765
239,197
208,76;
71,360
121,905

260,181
154,911
433,328
-14,519
145,780
292,150

Scotland.

imported

pounds.

24,0-18,380

,7,339,433
31,613,170
26,310,219
33,889,505
32,175,223
29,385,343
33,261,427
35,920,685
39,226,3.54
49,3 1 2, 1
43,748,415
44,485,194
40,457,589
55.927,542

exported,

pounds.

23,525,326

26,(51)4,999
iO,6l 3,^36
25,C)02, 1 70
133,379,201
31,72.3,205
28,871,522
32,483,543
34,714,630
38,498,522
1,488,681
42,806,548
43,595,102
39,533,552

46 48

gross duty,
s£
690.741
795,502

91 9<7 If)
765,498
986,092
936,131
854,893

967,()97
1,044,062

1,141,279
1,434,846
1,272,957
1,294,396
1,177,203

1,627,336

net duty,

je

15,219

18,751
28,944
11,817
14,850
13,074
14,812
22,516
34,863
21,078
23,901
27,406
25,899
26,887

The quantities and value of the produce of the French Weft-India fettlements ir
ported into fVance this year, and the number of fliips employed in the trade, whit
may be averaged at 300 tuns burthen, as alfo the quantities and value of the fan
produce exported from France this year, were as follows *.

Sugar, pounds
CofTee, pounds
Indigo, pounds
Cacao, pounds
Rocou or arnotto, pounds
Cotton, pounds
Hides, number
Tuvlle-siiell, pounds
Cassia tistula, pounds
Woods, poiuids
Small articles
Silver coin

I'ltal value -

biiips employed in car

r)ing the produce

each colony

""1

"7

France imported froui

Value

...

St. Domingol Martinique

Guadaloupe ,Cayenne

se.

123,067,370

24,443,858

18,838,600

4,000

61,849,381

1 9

45,933,941

9,088,96s

0,302,902

65,888

29,421,039

10 6

1,808,629

114,708

143,327

334

17,573,733

0 0

578,764

865,003

102,359

15,241

1,093,419

10 d

51,861

3tX),355

220,309

10 d

2,689 282

1,101,240

519,375

97,260

11,017,802

10 0

14,124

910

727

353

180,078

0 0

4,340

2,910

1 ,056

89,120

0 0

9,019

196,635

1,262

55,752

0 0

9 274,692

12,500

J 2,500

142,208

922,222
1,352,148

7 5
0 V

353

122

81

6

2,600.000

0 0

126,375,155

IS s

total ships

562

France
exported i
104

Value.
£ s.

7

6

1,130,638) 9.610,423 0

555,992 10

04,099,86^38,703,720 ;
50,058,246,23,757,464 1(

794,275

153,178

102,0! 1

568

100

120,759

4,180,820

95,838 5

255,027 10

5,112 O

1,000 O

32,0O4 13

4U8,355 2

73,425,538 9

• Tl'.is account is taken from the Tabic at the end of of tlic imports is i£s,6iCi,6T2 : 16:4!, and of the cxpoi
Raynal's fcvtnth voliiiiu-. He exchanges ^£21 : 10 : o .•£'3,263,356 : 12 : lol- lii-iling. »

Trench money for s£i llcrling ; and tlicnce llic tut:tl amount

:84

A. D. 1775.

Beficks thefe exports to the mother country, a confiderable quantity
of their produce, including, perhaps, the whole of their melafles, was
carried openly, or clandeftinely, to the BritiOi colonics in North Ame-
rica, in return for which the French colonifts received provifions, lum-
ber, and money. This trade was wholely carried on in American
vefTels.

There belonged this year to all the ports of

England 7,549 veflels of the reputed burthen of 605,974 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,559 ----- 91,330

Total - 9,108 697,304

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

B

ritifti.

Fo

reign.

1

'otal.

Vessels.

9.247
9.719

Tuns.

943,271
888,854

Vessels.
1,248
618

Tuns.

135.491
67.752

Vessels.

10,495

10,337

Tuns.
1,078,762
965,606

Inward
Outward

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was from the cuftom-houfe in London, - /^2,48i,o3i : 5 : y

The Scottifti revenue of the cuftoms was ftill fo much exhaufted in
paying fiftiery bounties, drawbacks, &c. as to leave no balance to be
remitted to the exchequer.

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
104,895 pounds of gold, value - - £/\.,goi,2iS : 17 : 6

and no filver.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1774 to Chriftmas 1775 was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark and Norway

East country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Portugal

Prussia

Russia - - -

Spain

Gibraltar

Straits

Sweden

Tcnerilfe

Turkey

Venice

Guernsey, kc. •

America in general -

Hudson's bay

Newfoundland

Quebec

Nova- Scotia

New-England

New- York

Pennsylvania

Maryland and Virginia

Carolina

Georgia

Florida

West-Indies in general

Anguilla

Aniigua

Barbados

Bermuda

Dominica

Grenada

Jamaica

Montserrat

Nevis

New-Providence

St. Croix

St. Christophers

St. 'i'homas

St. Vincents

Tobago

Tortoia

Honduras bay

Musquito shore

Falkland's islands

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and cxp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain -

Vol. III.

Imported into

Exported from |

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

^67,328 6

3

j6'786,i68 2

8

8,676 2

7

39,045 8

6

122,967 1

10

i£36,03G 7

6

220,838 14

5

-5^14,295 14 4

381,838 15

2

73,254 \6

9

1,091,845 18

4

1,040,642 2

2

103,991 13

b

973,353 13

4

67,481 15

5

5,638 5

7

258,157 11

7

246,297 2 9

660,763 4

5

22,864 15

4

1,545,014 5

11

67,352 14 0

22,224 15

8

2,834 0

9

11 5

9

513,561 16

6

131,414 13

5

1,887,400 U

6

329,944 2 9

1,486,325 3

6

137,694 14

1

2,169,608 18

3

283,063 8 5

10,316 15

11

101 17

9

21,043 9

9

16 16 0

816,1-1 7

11

22,948 6

0

1,003,528 4

7

4,539 1 0

2,221 11

11

6,022 10

8

22,064 7

5

1,758 13 2

367,093 4

1

10,811 0
1-5.540 16

2
3

632,989 4

8

1,142 11 4
127 18 6

1,016,280 10

8

136,337 4

8

213,121 19

5

3,678 13 8

564,386 6

0

12,893 11
43 18

9
1

1,205,215 2

^

46,274 6 1
5,338 8 U

4,723 6

5

33,578 6

11

237,041 17

11

41,962 15
82 17

9
0

110,001 4

8

3,608 8 2

168,882 12

9

226,997 1

4

88,412 12

10

79,118 8

2

34,837 17

7

779 6
540,860 6

9

5

03,489 12

9

112 10 0
41,637 4 5

7,412 0

0

5,653 17

6

50,331 16

2

123,067 4

5

74,212 14

9

472,368 4

8

«

2,622 11

5

56,306 7

0

116,588 1

4

71,625 4

0

187,018 4

5

1 ,228 2

6

175,962 17

1

1,366 8

0

758,356 11

0

1,Q21 11

5

570,549 13

6

6,245 9

6

103,477 1

3

113,777 15

10

21,504 19

6

136,520 18

4

65,254 7

10

83,220 2 0

1,797 1

I

353,503 4

0

168,092 1

9

112971 12

3

138,384 15

9

0 13

4

13,405 18

4

185,131 12

5

62,i>45 2

10

486,035 15

4

139,916 0

s

1,653,735 15

5

786,728 10

5

56,815 12

6

24,323 7

6

71,463 19

9

17.014 9

7

2,962 4

10

14,799 10

8

4,637 0

10

117 4

0

282,019 14

6

125,2(>4 9

6

1,346 10

5

1 ,2 1 H 3

10

104,199 11

6

69,246 14

11

75,9H4 6

0

30,332 10

/

64,526 7

10

34.524 14

0

43,180 6

4

3.639 4

9

7.849 18

6

13,639 6
6,335 17

3
0

13, .'",4 8, 4 67 10

11

15,202,365 13

10

1.267,388 6

3

1,267,388 0

3

1,123,998 0

'

1,123,998 0 0

14,815,855 17

2

16,326,303 14 4

4£

586 A. D. 1776.

1776 — About the beginning of the year 1776 a worthy citizen of Lon-
don, who had unfortunately failed in bufinefs fome years before, and had
now, by the blefling of God upon his honeft induftry, again got above
the world, called a meeting of his creditors, and honourably paid them
every fhilling he owed them. The name of this honed man, though
unknown to me, defei-ves to be enrolled in the temple of Virtuous Fame,
along with that of Sir Stephen Theodore Janflen, whofe condud I have
already gratified my feelings by makmg honourable mention of in the
tranfacftions of the year 1765.

The 20''' of January was the day appointed by the congrefs of Ame-
rica, if the obnoxious adls of the Britifli parliament fliould not then be
repealed, for difcharging all the officers of the cuftoms acling under
authority derived from the Britifh government, and for opening all
their ports to the fhips of all nations, who fhould be defirous of trading
with them, for the reception of all merchandize, except teas and the pro-
duce and manufacture of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Britidi Weft
Indies*. And, in order to encourage foreigners to refort to their ports,
they declared, that, in cafe of a reconciliation with Great Britain, they
fhould, notwithftanding, remain open to them for two years after it.

March 3^ — The illand of New Providence was taken by an American
fquadron, confifting of two frigates and five fmall veflels from Phila-
delphia, commanded by Commodore Hopkins, who immediately quit-
ted the place without leaving any garrifon to keep pofleflion, and car-
ried off the governor with him.

At a court of proprietors of Eaft-India ftock it appeared, that the
loan of ;^i, 400,000, granted by government to the company, was now
reduced to the fum of ^^420,000 ; and that the affairs of the company
were in general in a profperous condition.

Very different was the fituation of the Dutch Eaft-India company.
Their charter had expired in the year 1773, and the States-general had
then given them a fhort renewal of three years, in order to have time
to inveftigate the juftice of the plea fet up by the company for a dimi-
nution of the fum they ufed to pay for a renewal, on account of the
declining ftate of their trade. Having found upon an inveftigation,
that the company had adually fuftained very great lolTes, whereby their
circumftances and their trade were greatly reduced, the States-general
granted them a new charter for thirty years, on paying two millions of
florins (inftead of three millions paid for the former charter) and a year-
ly payment of 360,000 florins, which they were indulged with the li-
berty of making either in money or goods. Immediately after the
renewal of their charter the price of their ftock rofe nineteen per
cent.

* We (hall have occafion to fee, that thefe exceptions were not very ftrivSlly adhered to.

A. D. 1776. 587

March 25* — ^The permiffion to import cattle and falted provifions
from Ireland free of duty, which had hitherto been allowed by tem-
porary ads, was now made perpetual. But America, having become a
hoflile, if not a foreign, country, was now totally excluded from the
trade. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 8.]

The fre importation of tallow, hog's lard, and greafe, was prolonged
till the 25,h of March 1779. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 12.]

To accommodate the inland trade in iron, lime, potter's clay, and coals,
at Coalbrooke dale, which was frequently obftrucled by the infufficiency
of the ferry on the Severn at that place, trullees were appointed and
empowered to build a bridge over the river of caft iron or any other
material, and to take tolls upon it ; no ferry-boats being permitted to
ply within 500 yards of the bridge, unlcfs it fhall happen to be in a
dangerous condition. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 17.] This bridge of caft iron,
which was the firfl of the kind ever executed, has fince been followed
by feveral others.

Confiderable improvements in the conftruclion of engines for making
blocks, fheeves, and pins, for fliips, in iron, brals, and wood, having
been invented by Walter Taylor blockmaker in Portfmouth, he ob-
tained the king's patent for fourteen years, as ufual : and feveral im-
provements having been made after his death by his fon, a further term
of fourteen years was granted to him by parliament, to be computed
from the expiration of his father's patent. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 18.]

April a"* — It was now difficult to find feamen in fufficient^numbers for
the I'ervices of war and commerce ; and therefor merchant vcfTels were
allowed to carry foreign feamen for three fourths of their complement.
[16 Geo. III,c. 20.]

The corporation of Bofton in Lincoln-fhire, and a number of com-
millioners afTociated with them, were empowered to improve the har-
bour and town of Bofton, and to regulate the pilots. [16 Geo. Ill, c.

23-]

May — The fociety of merchant venturers of Briftol were empowered
to enlarge the floating dock, formerly made by theni, and to build a new
quay and proper warehoui'es for ftoring goods. Regulations were alfo
made to prevent combuftible articles lying too long on the quay, and
for other matters of harbour police. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 2^2,-^

Additional taxes were laid on wheel carriages (except hackney
coaches) indentures, bonds, newfpapers, parchment, playing cards, and
dice. And two millions were borrowed on the terms of £,'}']: 10:0
in the three-per-cent funds, and three lottery tickers, for every /Ti 00
paid by the fubfcribers. In this year's lottery the old plan was revived,
whereby the government retained the whole price of the tickets, and
paid an annuity on the amount of the prizes at the rate of three per
cent; fo that a prize of ^^ 10,000 w.is an income ot jCjOO a-yc:ir, or
3 4 £ 2

588

A. D. 1776.

worth whatever that income in the funds would fell for. [16 Gfo. Ill,

c. 34.]

The regulations for condu6ling the fifliery for pilchards in the Bay
of St. Ives, on the coaft of Cornwall, were fandhoned by parliament.
[16 Geo. IU,c. ^6.^

The filhcrics on the Banks of Newfoundland and in the Gulf of S'.
Laurence, having felt their fliare of the hardfhips which the American
war had brought upon all the iflands belonging to the Britifh empire in
the Atlantic ocean, the permiflion to export provlfions, contained in
the ad 14 Geo. Ill, c. 5 which was almofl confined to the fugar
iflands, was now extended to S'. Helena and the other fettlements be-
longing to the Eaft-India company, and for bifcuit and peas to New-
foundland, Nova Scotia, and Labrador. The exportation was permitted
till the 1" of January 1777, and was reflrided to the following ports and

quantities.

For the fugar iflands.

For the fiflKries of Newfound-
land, &c.

Wheat, wheat-flour.

Bifcuit.

Peas.

bread.bifcuit, &meal.

London _ - -

50,000 quarters.

850 tuns.

1,200 quarters

Briflol

20,000

650

850

Liverpool

20,000

150

130

Glafgow _ _ -

10,000

Poole - - -

-

600

600

Dartmouth

-

800

800

Topfliam and Teignmouth

-

1,000

1,200

Weymouth

-

60

120

Chefter _ - -

120

120

And the fupplies, allowed for the Eaft-India company's fettlements,
were not to exceed ic,coo quarters of wheat, meal, rye, &c. [16 Geo.
Ill, c. 37.]

The a6l [ 1 4 Geo. Ill, c. 77] for the dicharge of infolvcnt debtors was
renewed with fome additional claufes. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 38.]

A bounty of ^f per hogfhead was allowed on flax-feed from the
United provinces or Auftrian Netherlands, imported into Ireland, for
two years, to be reckoned from i" January 1776. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 41.]
This article had for many years been imported from Philadelphia to the
amount of about 300,000 bufhels annually. Since the American war
the Irifti have fallen into the practice of faving their own feed, which
they find anfwer very well.

The punifhment of tranfportation to America was changed to that of
hard labour in raifing fand, foil, and gravel, from the Ihoals in the River
Thames, for fturdy convids ; and to labour in confinement for female
convicts, and for fuch males as are incapable of hard labour. [16 Geo.
Ill, c. 43-] '

A. D. 1776. 589

It being found that a profitable whale fifliery may be carried on in
feas fouth of 44 degrees north latitude, premiums from ^Cioo to /^5oo,
to continue for eleven years, were offered by parliament to the five
fhips, owned, and carrying men and apprentices, agreeable to the regu-
lations enacfled for the Greenland fhips, fitted out after the i" of Au-
guft*, and returning to port before the 1" of November, which fliould
bring home the five largefl quantities of oil, each being the produce of
at leafi: one whale caught by them. [16 Geo. Ill, c. 47.]

Truftees were appointed to ered; a light-houfe, and to place land-
marks and buoys for the harbour of Cherter, and to regulate the pilots,
8cc. [i6G^o. ///, f. 61.]

Several ads for inland navigations, improvements of towns, &c. were
alfo pafled in the courfe of this feflion.

About the beginning of this year Meffieurs Blair and Irving had
lately begun to exprefs oil for the ufe of the woollen manufadurcs from
vegetables produced on the Mufquito fhore, in which country a form of
government fubordinate to that of Jamaica had been eftablifhed. But
their bufinefs was broken up on the 30'^ of April by a piratical feizure
of a velTel belonging to them, as fhe lay at anchor in the road of Black
river, by two Spanifh guarda-collas, who carried her to Porto-bello.

During the feflion of parliament the old eftablifhed merchants in the
American trade made loud complaints, that the fuppreflion of commer-
cial intercourfe with America was in a great meafure illufive, and that
the trade was only changed into a monopoly in the hands of a fet of
obfcure pretended merchants, who, by an abufe of the licences granted
for carrying out neceflliry flores and provifions for the army, and by
clearing out their vefTels for Bofton, Halifax, or Quebec, iv'itb liberty to
go to any other port in America, fent out large cargoes of all kinds of mer-
chandize, and managed their bufinefs with great fecurity under the
fheker of that very prohibitory ad, which they were fo grofsly violating.
The bufinefs was brought under the confideration of parliament ; but
from the public attention being taken up with the duchefs of ICingflon's
trial, or from feme other caul'e, the inquiry milcarried f .

Hitherto the American war, which, according to the predidions of
fome politicians, was to bring with it the utter ruin of the commerce
of Great Britain, was not found to be fo very diftrefsful to commerce,

• By tliat time the Greenland (hips arc gcncr- Thus this worthy gentleman behind the curtain,

ally returned into port. who was the teal exporter, (for the nominal mrrch-

■j- While this aflT.iir was under inveftigation, it ant was only his tool) not content with enjoying a

appeared, that one of thofc nominal merchants, great incom* out of the revenue drawn from the

who loaded no Icfs than five large (hips with valu- commerce of the country, wanted to cngrols and

able cargoes, had carried about a letter from a drain the very fountains, whence his emoluments

pcrfon, who filled a very confiderable office in the flowed, and whence he had derived the capital h?

fervicc of government, in order to obtain credit tor was now making fo bad a ufc of.
goods in the city, where he was utterly unknown.

590 A. D. 1776.

as even moderate men apprehended it would have been: and there were
many circumftances, which greatly alleviated the calamities, infeparable
from' a rtate of hoftility. Among the firil of thefe may be reckoned
the integrity wherewith many of the merchants in America difcharged
their obligations to their correfpondents here, before the total interrup-
tion of friendly intercourfe took place ; and the advanced prices, which
American produce fold for on the profped: of an approaching fcarcity.
The war itfelf, if it turned many fliips, formerly engaged in the Ame-
rican trade, out of employ, found employment for perhaps fully as
many in tranfporting the forces acrofs the Atlantic, with all their ne-
ceflliry ftores, including horfes, live cattle, flieep, and hogs, and even
hay for their fupport after being landed in America, fuel for the fires,
and, in fliort, every minute article of neceflary expenditure * ; fo that
the vefTels and feamen were ftill employed, though not, as formerly, in
advancing the commercial profperity of the nation. Another branch
of trade alfo took its rife in fome degree from this war. The American
whale-fifhers, when they found the whales fcarce in their own feas, ufed
to ftretch over to the coafl of Ireland, and often as far as Africa, Brafil,
and even the remote Falkland's iflands, in purfuit of the fpermaceti
whales, the moft valuable of the cetaceous tribes. That fifherj- being
given up in confequence of the war, many of the harpooncers were in-
duced to enter into the fervice of Britilh merchants, who fitted out vef-
fels for the Newfoundland and Southern wdiale fifheries. For the later,
which was quite a new bufinefs in this country, there were equipped
fifteen veflels of about 170 tuns, and each carrying four American har-
pooncers ; and though their acquifitions were only about forty or fifty
luns of oil for each veflTel, yet the fuperior quality, and the price of it
advanced by the war from ^^35 to i^'jo per tun, were fufficient to en-
courage the merchants to perlevere in the bufinefs f . To all thefe we
may add an increaled demand for goods in Ruffia and Turkey in con-
fequence of the recent peace between thofe empires, and alfo in Poland
in confequence of the pacification after the partition of that country.
Even the warlike preparations of Spain at this time againfi; Algier made
fome extraordinary demand for Britifli goods. Neither was the Ame-
rican trade totally lofi:. It was only diverted from the dired, into cir-
cuitous, channels, by which Britifh goods ftill found their way into the
territory of the United ftates. For the invitation given by the Ameri-
cans to'all the world to refort to their ports had no very great effedl up-
on any of the nations of Europe, except the French, who, in the hopes
of reaping golden harvefts from the fpoils of Britifli commerce, fitted

* Ilay, oats, and beans, for a fingle regiment \ We fliall hereafter have occafion to fee, that

of cavah-y, Ihut up in Bofton, arc faid to have cod the Southern whale fidiery has become an objeft

about ^2 2,0c o. Vegetables and vinegar, with ca(k3 of confiderable magnitude and importance as a

to pack them in, amounted to an equal fiim. nurfery for feamen.

A. D. 1776. 591

out fome hundreds of veflels for America : but fuch was the vigilance
of the Rritifh naval commanders, that, according to a French author,
fcarcely thirty of the whole of them returned to France, and thefe made
but very unprofitable voyages for their owners. IRaynal V. ix, p. 211.]
The trade carried on by the Americans, in their owti veflels, and en-
tirely at their own rifk, with the French, Dutch, and Danifh iflands in
the Weft-Indies, was more confiderable and had alfo a longer continu-
ance. The traders of thefe iflands, however, foon found, that the ar-
ticles of the fabric of their own mother countries, wherewith they hoped
to fupplant the Britifli manufaftures, were not fo acceptable in Ameri-
ca ; and that, notwithftanding the interdidion of Britifli goods by the
congrefs, they nmft be provided with Britifli goods, if they ex-
pedled to have American buyers *. Thefe iflands were therefor foon
filled with Britifli manufadures, which were exchanged for American
provifions, lumber, tobacco, and other produce, to the great emolument
of the dealers on both fides ; but with a very great additional expenfe
to the American confumer. And thus the Britifli manufadurers of
goods for the American trade were as fully employed as before ; and
only the freights were loft, which was the lefs felt, as fuch prodigious
numbers of merchant fliips were immediately taken up in the fervice of
government as armed fliips and tranfports, and the fwift-failing veflTels
were foon afterwards converted into privateers.

On the firft of May the regulation took place, which is ftill in force,
for limiting the fmalleft weight, at which guineas fhould pafs current,
to five pennyweights eight grains. But guineas coined prior to 1** Ja-
nuary 1772 were to be received inpayments to the revenue till the
19'** of Auguft 1776, though two grains lighter.

* The following extraft from Lord Sheffield's ' variety of channels, was fo gicat during the war,

Obfcrvatlcns on the commerce of the American Jlates • that the French miniller refidiiig at Philadelphia

[a. 10 of 2' eJ.'] contains fuch proofs of what I ' rcmonftrated againft it more than once, before

liave now advanced, that 1 think it proper to give ' the lead attention was paid to him by congrefs.

it here, though a little anticipated in regard to * An aft was then made, prohibiting the iiianii-

chronology, in his lordfhip's own words. ' failures of this country under certain penalties ;

' The following faft is a ftriking proof of the ' neverthelefs, they continued to be imported to

' fupcriority of our woollens to the French in the • fo great a degree, that a rcmonllrance from the

' opinion of the Americans. When France grant- ' court of France was prefented to congrefs,

'. cd a fum of money to congrefs for cloathing the ' threatening to withdraw their aid, if more elTec-

• American troops, Mr. Laurens junior was em- ' tual means were not taken to prevent the ini-
' ployed to provide it ; but, inllead of laying out ' portation of Brililh goods, wiiich, being accom-

• the money in France, he went to Holland, and ' p.iiiled with ftrong recommendations from Doc-
' bought Englilh cloths, and fecit them to Ame- ' tor Franklin and tlic other commilTioners in
' lica. The French miniller was inftrufted to • France, produced fome titeft. Some feizures
' complain to congrefs of this tranfaclion, f<> un- ' of Britilh manufacUircs were made, though im-

• grateful and injurious to France ; but Mr. Lau- « ported through Holland. This fe»crity took
' rens jutlified himfelf by faying, it was his duty ' place a little more than a year before the peace.

• to do the bed he could with the monty, and that • In fome inftances the goods feizcd were rctunicd
' the Englifh cloths, of equal price with the French, ' to the owners. Prior to this tlic fhopkeepers,
' were much better. And farther to (hew the pre- ' &c. ufed to advevtife as EngUlh goudi, what, in
' fcrencc given to Britilh manufadures in the Ame- • fad, were Dutch or Frentli munufadures, .in

• rican (l.ttes, we need only recolleft, that the im- ♦ order to rcconirocnd tiicm to the purchafer."
' portation of goods from this country, through a

^92 A. D. 1776.

The governor and leglflature of Bermuda, greatly alarmed at the
power exercifed in the Turk's iflands by the governor and legiflature of
the Bahamas, fent home a memorial, wherein they dated, that thofe
iflands, originally difcovered by their anceftors, had been occupied by
them for above a century without any interruption, except from hoftile
powers ; and that in the reign of Queen Anne the Spaniards, after tak-
ing pon^eilion of them, had been driven off by the Bermudians. They
reprefented, that, fince they had given up the culture of tobacco, which
could be more profitably raifed on the continent, they had no other
method of employing their people than in raking fait on Turk's iflands,
and that of 800 people, now refiding there for that purpofe, 750 were
Bermudians. That the pretenfions of Bahama to the fuperiority of
Turk's iflands were quite new, and the interference of any other legif-
lature than their own in a bufinefs hitherto carried on folely by them-
felves mufl: be ruinous to them and their families, and detrimental to
the northern fiflieries and the general commerce of the Britifli em-
pire.

July 4'*^ — The congrefs of America, laying afide all thoughts of a
reconciliation with the Britifli government, ifllaed a proclamation on the
fourth day of July, whereby they declared The United states of Ame-
rica free and independent, with * full power to levy war, conclude peace,
' contradt alliances, eftablifli commerce, and to do all other ads and
' things, which independent ftates may of right do.' This day forms a
new sera in America ; and from it the dates of all public papers are
dated in fuch a year of their independence, as kings date theirs by the
years of their reigns.

July The people employed by the manufadurers in the neigh-
bourhood of Shepton-Mallet in Somerfet-fliire, being offended at the
eredlion of fome machinery in that town for the abridgement of labour
in the woollen manufadure, afTembled in a riotous manner, and de-
ftroyed the obnoxious machinery, before they could be difperfed by the
military.

All enlightened writers on the fubjed of commercial and political
economy agree in the great advantage of the abridgement of labour,
even to the very people, who feel fome inconvenience on the firft. intro-
dudion of it, and have not fufficient fagacity to fee that the extenfion
of the manufadure mufl foon find increafed, and more profitable, em-
ployment for them all. It is machinery that produces the great works
of civiUzed nations with lefs manual labour than favage nations beflow
upon procuring a fcanty fubfiflence, which fcarcely keeps them alive.
It is machinery that enables the Britifli manufadurer to give higher
wages to his workmen than thofe of other nations do, while he fur-
niihes his goods fo much cheaper, and alfo better (for machinery works
with uniform regularity) that they obtain a decided preference in every

A. D. 1776. 593

country on the face of the earth, and render the commerce of Great
Britain the commerce of the world *.

It may be fuppofed to afford a fufficient proof of the profperous ftate
of Scotland, that money was now fo plentiful in that country, that above
half a million was about this time lent out at an intereft oi three per cent,
and more was ready to be laid out on good fecurity. As a further
mark of the profperity of Scotland, fome ftiares of the Royal bank flock
were fold at £215, the higheft price ever given before having been
j^20i. But it may be doubted, whether the depreflion of the rate of
intereft, and advance in the price of bank ftock, were not, at leaft part-
ly, occafioned by great fums of money, which ufed to give life to a vi-
gorous trade with America, being now for a time thrown out of em-
ployment, and, during the ftagnation, thrown into the hands of the
banks and bankers at three per cent, which they ufed to allow for mo-
ney payable on demand f .

Auguft I" — A hght-houfe was ereded on the Smalls, a dangerous
parcel of rocks in the Irifh channel, with a light fo well contrived as to
be clearly diftinguifhed at the diftance of nine leagues.

Auguft — It being difcovered that the Mediterranean pafTes, by which
Britifh vellels are exempted from the depredations of the piratical cruif-
ers of the ftates of Barbary, were frequently forged, they were all called
in by proclamation, that new ones of a different form might be iflued
from the admiralty ofHce, in order to remove any jealoufy, which the
Moors might conceive, of the property of their enemies being proteded
by the Britifh flag ; and probably to prevent the Americans from be-
nefiting by thofe in their pofleffion.

Odober 26" — Mr. Stuart, fuperintendant of Indian affairs in the
fouthern diftridl of America, complained, that the traders, who went
among the Indians, carried chiefly rum, and fcarcely any ufeful goods,
in confequence of which the Indians were naked, difcontented, and
wretched. Of 30,000 gallons of rum lately imported at Penfacola, not
one gallon was to be found in the ftores in three months.

The Emperor of Germany made a new attempt to eftablifli a trade
with the Eaft-Indies, whereof Oftend was to be the port, which about

* Much lias alfobecn faki, and written, by well- againd water mills and wind mills for grinding corn

meaning people a^ainll the ufc of machinery, which, inltead of hand mills, and againd the ufe of the

(hey fay, by enabling one man, or boy, or girl, to plough in agriculture, becaufc digging the ground

ill) the work of twenty, tlirows nineteen out of em- with fpades, would require more hands, as is well

ployment. In anfwer to this, it mull be ncknow- obfeivcd by Sir Frederic Morton Eden : and the

leged, that all luinian inllitutions arc liable to in- fame objeclions have repeatedly been m.ide jgainll

conveniencics : but the workmen generally do find canals. But canals and machinery will notwith-

cmployment, if willing, during the time of the hard- (landing continue to be encouraged by all wife go-

llilp confequent upon the firll introdutlion of a new vcrnments, efpecially in commercial nations,

piece of macliineiy ; and foon after, fometimes im- f Alter this time, many of the merchants of

mediately, they feel the great benefit of an incrcaf- Glafgow threw their capitals into manufactures:

rd demand. The fame objedlion i>< equally good but it rc<juirei time to eficA the change.

Vol. III. 4 F

594 A. D. 1776.

the fame time was improved by the addition of a magnificent wet dock
or bafm. He alfo commiflioncd Mr. Bolts, who had been in India in
the fervice of the Englifh Eaft-India company, to make commercial and
colonial fcttlements in Afia or Africa. Mr. Bolts, in conjimclion with
fome merchants of Flanders, fitted out a large fliip at Leghorn, well
armed, and loaded with a valuable cargo, and alfo carrying a body of
people fufficient to eftablifli a fmall fettlement. At Delagoa bay on the
eafl fide of Africa he fixed his refidence on a piece of ground purchafed
from the chiefs of the country. The principal article of trade in the
place is ivory ; but fugar-canes, cotton, rice, and all the tropical pro-
diidions grow luxuriantly. From this port he carried on a profperous
trade with India and the adjacent countries for about three years ; and
then the Portuguefe, who pretend to an exclufive right to the eaftern
coaft of Africa, found means to undermine Bolts's intereft at the Impe-
rial court ; the confequence of which was, that the colony and the
trade were given up to their mercy, and an armament, difpatched from
Goa, the principal Portuguefe fettlement in India, defl;royed their build-
ings, arid carried off their fiiipping and property of every kind.

November i' — The expenfes of the lord-mayors of London for
many years pafl had greatly exceeded the income attached to the office ;
fo that the gentlemen, who had fupported the dignity of the mayoralty,
had been from two, to near four, thoufand pounds out of pocket in the
courfe of the year. It was therefor refolved, that fome cafual emolu-
ments, which ufed to be paid to the lord-mayor, fhould henceforth be
paid into the chamber of London, and that one thoufand pounds a-year
fhould be added to the fixed falary.

The fatal effeds of American hoftilities were earlieft and moft fevere-
ly felt by the Weft-India colonies and thofe concerned with them. The
illands were greatly diftrefled by the failure of the accuftomed fupplies
of American provifions, and of lumber, almoft as efi^ential to them as
provifions. The infurance on homeward-bound Weft-India fliips rofe
to the enormous rate of tiventy-three per cent. Nor were the underwriters
at all benefited by thofe high premiums, for the lofles greatly exceeded
the proportion on which the premiums were calculated. A fleet of about
1 20 fail of fliips was loaded and ready to fail from Jamaica in July, when,
on account of fome difcontents among the negroes, they were detained
by the governor for about a month. The Americans were thereby
apprized of the delay, and with extraordinary difpatch fitted out a vail
number of privateers, wliich took a great number of them. Many fhips
from the other iflands alfo fell into their hands. And the whole value of
fliips and cargoes, taken by the Americans this year, was eftimated to be
confiderably above a million of money, exclufive of tranfports and ftore
fliips in the fervice of government. On the other hand the Britifli.

A. D. 1776.

595

cruifers made prizes of great numbers of fmall American veflels bound
to the foreign Weft-India iflandswith cargoes of provifions and lumber,
■which, though of trifling value, being carried into our iflands, afforded
them a feafonable relief, though by no means adequate to their wants.
The following retrolped of the Scottifli herring fifliery from the com-
mencent of the bounties fliows the flow progrefs it made during feveral
years, its rife to fome degree of importance, the rapid decline of it in
confequence of the protraded and irregular payment of the boimty,
and the good effed of the regular payment, which afterwards took
place, at a reduced rate of bounty.

Years.

1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758

i759
1760
1761
1762
1763
1764
1765
J 766
1767
1768

1770
1771

1-72

1773

1774

i;-5

1776

Vessels.

2
4
3
6
1
1

2

3

3

13

17

49

87

119

157

261

266
207

87

19

f summer fishing
" 1 winter fishing

294 {

Slimmer

inter
summer

inter
summer

nter -
summer

inter -
summer
winter -

Tunnage.

Men and
boys.

148

33

301

67

518

116

403

89

77

17

77

17

103

24

181

41

181

41

-

554

130

745

174

2,061

489

3,691

865

5,131

1 ,200"

7,056

1,651

12,476

2,881

12,633

2,918

9.692

2,241

3,969

924

861

201

4

210

47

25

1,039

236

95

4,029

949

74

3,373

-89

86

3,621

859

104

4,718

1,094

115

4,913

1,150

134

6,436

1,584

101

4,277

1,003

J 80

8,795

2,028

08

2,359

()70

226

11,334

2,695

Barrels of her-

rings tiiken.

213

a

0

424

■^i

519

564

3 r*

67

0

64

"'

317

245

4

3,080

b3
0

4,046

g

I2,949i

c^

3,054i

0

9,631

«

39.691

"%

21,146

28,328

-IP

15,629

^"g

1 9,289

1,8/3

1

385

Ir

2,447

8,4S9
13,759

1/M 97
24,959

1"^

r "
■' 9

25,134

H

31,459

13,396

}i

40,070

7,7-iii

}

44,115

Bounty.

5,140 10

0

9,228 17

0

12,828 0

8

17.642 5

0

31,190 15

0

31,584 10

0

24,232 2

6

9.924 7

6

2,154 15

10

2,01s 10

10

10,876 17

6

12,510 12

6

17.025 5

0

19,609 15

0

21,290 7

6

After this year the fifliery again declined as long as the war conti-
nued.

The Eaft-India company obtained by treaty a confirmation of the
property of the ifland of Salfettc, which their forces had taken poflef-
fion of in the year 177.3. Tt is a fertile illand, about 15 miles in length
and nearly as much in breadth, fcparated by a very narrow channel from
the ifland on which Bombay flands : and, as that fettlement had no ter-
ritory beyond the limits of its own fmall ifland, anil confcqucntly de-

4 F 2

596 A. D. 1776.

pended entirely on other places for its fubfiftence, it was a very conve-
nient acquilition.

This year Captain Forreft, an enterprifing navigator in the fervice of
the Eaft-lndia company, who had formerly explored the coafts of New
Guinea and many others of the remote Oriental iflands, eftablifhed a
plantation of nutmeg trees in Bunwoot, a fmall ifland near the capital
of Magindano, which the king of that great ifland beftowed upon the
company. The plants were brought by him from Manafwary, an ifland
near the coafl: of New Guinea, and the chief difference between the
fruit and the nutmegs monopolized by the Dutch, is that it is of a longer
Ihape.

September 22'' — The caifTe d'efcompte (office, or bank of difcount)
was this year eftablifhed at Paris by a fociety of bankers and others,
who fubfcribed a capital of twelve millions of livres. They propofed
to accommodate the public by difcounting bills at four per cent per an-
num, to deal in gold and filver bullion, to receive depofits of money
from fuch as chofe to lodge it with them, and to enter into no other
branches of bufinefs. The whole of the regulations for conducting
their affairs were thought to be very wifely planned ; and the inftitution
was fuppofed by the French to be a confiderable improvement upon the
bank of England. It was foon found, however, that the profits of dif-
count at four per cent, when the charges of management and fometimes
lofTes, were deduded, were by no means adequate to the amount of the
capital employed in this bank, and therefor they were empowered to
ifTue notes, the fum total of which was reftridted to the amount of their
capital ; and the partners, being moftly dealers in money, found no dif-
ficulty in giving extenfive currency and credit to their notes, which were
readily accepted by the public, as they could at any time be converted
into cafli.

The BritiOi and French imports at Hamburgh and Bremen in the courfe
of this year were in value as follows.

Hamburgh. Bremen.

from Great Britain, Ireland, and 7 r r r. c

the BritifliWefl Indies, |^974.442: j:o Lx^^Al^: y.o

from France, - _ _ 1,099,559 : 12 : o 307,580 : 15 : o

The Britifh cargoes carried to Hamburgh employed 226 veflels,
whereof 1 64 were Britifh, The French cargoes to the fame port load-
ed 192 veffels, whereof only 10 were French, and 20 were Britifh.

The French trade, notwithftanding the great inferiority of fhipping,
continued to have the aicendancy in thefe two cities, the later of which
belongs in fovereignty to the king of Great Britain. But with refped
to Hamburgh, the freights, if they are not included in this valuation,
mufl turn the fcale greatly in favour of Britain.

The emprefs of RufTia, poffefling the fpirit, as well as the dominions-,
of Peter the Great, was indefatigable in her efforts to improve and po-

A. D. 1776. 597

lifh the manners of her fubjeds, and to elevate her dominions to that
rank, among the commercial and maritime powers of Europe, which,
their vaft extent and refources feem to entitle them to. She projected
the union of the inland Cafpian fea, not only with the Baltic and the
Black fea, but alfo with the Northern ocean, by improving the naviga-
tion of the vaft rivers of her empire, and uniting them by canals, to be
executed upon a grand fcale ; and by the fame means fhe propofed to
extend her inland navigation from Peterfburg to the confines of China,
an extent of about 4,500 miles, with a portage of only 60 miles. Fully
fenfible that human induftry, and not merely a vaft extent of territory,
conftitutes the power and riches of a ftate, fhe ufed every means to in-
vite foreigners to fettle the bovmdlefs imcultivated, but fertile, tradts of
her empire, by religious toleration and other encouragements, in confe-
quence of which the banks ot the Wolga were now peopled by above
6,000 adventitious families. In order to render the communication
with China as convenient as pofliblc to the caravans, every encourage-
ment and alliftance were given to cultivate the defert lands, and ered
villages along the tradl of their long and tedious journey. The greateft
encouragement was alio given to fettle the ports of the new-acquired
territory on the coaft of the Black fea, and to profecute the navigation
of it and the Mediterranean, to which a free paflage through the Dar-
danelles was ftipulated in the treaty of peace with Turkey. And, after
the conclufion of a moft bloody and rancorous war with that empire,
a great RulTian mercantile houfe was ac'tually eftablifhed at Con-
ftantinople itfelf under the immediate patronage of the emprefs. By
thefe vigorous meafures has the commerce of Ruflia advanced to con-
fiderable magnitude ; and at this time the exports of that empire
were double the amount that they were twenty years before. Part
of the increafe however was owing to the revolution in America,
whereby Great Britain was obliged to return to the northern countries
of Europe for the fupply of naval ftores, which had for many years
been obtained from the American colonies : and part, alfo occafioned
by the fame event, was owing to the increafcd demand and greatly ad-
vanced price of tobacco in Europe, whereof great quantities grow in
Ruflia, which now began to export it to Lubeck and Holland, whence
a good deal of it was refliipped for France.

But the unfavourable nature and fituation of the very fmall portions
of navigable fea alligncd to that vaft en^plre by the diftribuiion of na-
ture, and the enflaved condition of the people, feem to oppofe barriers,
perhaps infurmountable, (or at leaft requiring the Libour and prudent
attention of ages) againrt the progrcfs of Ruflia towards a ftate of ag-
grandizement, in any degree proportionable to its extent, or even to its
population.

Mr. Spalding, a citizen of Edinburgh, received a handfome premium
from the iociety for the encouragement of arts, manufadures, and com-

59«

A. D. 1776.

raerce, for his great improvements on the diving-bell, whereby the div-
ers can lower themfelves down without fear of being overturned by
rocks or other impediments at the bottom, and can re-afcend to the fur-
face at pleafure : and they can alfo, when at the bottom, move to a con-
fiderable diftance from the fpot on which they lighted *.

A much more ufefiil and important difcovery was this year made
public in France by Mr. de Brofles, prefident of the parliament of Di-
jon. His granaries being infefted by weevils, he threw fome lobfters
among the wheat, the fmell of which, whether alive or dead (and the
more putrid, the better) is fo noxious to thofe infedts, that they imme-
diately come out of the corn, and leave the granary. The fimplicity of
this remedy puts it in the power of every farmer and dealer in com to
preferve from the depredations of devouring vermin a property, fo ex-
ceedingly valuable to the owner and to the community, fo very import-
ant in commerce, and fo efl'entially neceflary to the fubfiftence of man-
kind.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,7 84 veffels of the reputed burthen of 604,07 1 tuns ;

and of Scotland 1,640 _ _ - gi,^02

Total 9,424 _ 695,573

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain, from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages.

Inward
Outward

Britifh.

Vefftls. Tuns.
». 135765. 220
9,946872,108

I'oreign.

VelTels.
1,569

643

Tuns.
191,999

74.323

Total.

Veffels..

9.7°4
10,589

957.219
946,431

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was

from the cuftom-houfe in London ^2,460,402 11 2

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh 20,000 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain ^^2,480,402 11

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
107,145 pounds of gold, value /'5,oo6,350 2

and I o I pounds 9 ounces of filver, 3^5 ^

6
6

£5,006,665 II 0

* The ingenious author of thefe improvements fell a vidllm to his own art on the coaft of Ireland io
May 1783. 4

The official vaUie of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1775 to Chriftmas 1776 was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark and Norway

East Country

East India

Flandors

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Minorca

Poland

Portugal

Prussia

Russia

Spain

Gibraltar

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Guernsey, &c.

America in general

Hudson's bay

Newfoundland

Cape Breton

Quebec

Nova Scotia

New England

New York

Pennsylvania

Maryland and Virginia

Carolina

Georgia

Florida

West Indies in general

Antigua

Barbados

Bermuda

Dominica

Grenada

Jamaica

Montserrat

Nevis

New Providence

St. Croix

St. Eustathius

St. Christophers

St. Thomas

St. Vincents

Tobago

Tortola

Bay of Honduras

Mui<iuito shore

Falkland's islands

Imp. and exp. of Eiiglan(
Imp. and exp. of Scotlanil

Total, Great Britain

Imported into

Exported from

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

EKGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

^£'99,674 13

11

(£-170,779 1 1

4,428 17

10

37,96.9 I 2

103,029 'J

5

o£'l7,414

11

8

232,970 2 3

i£'20,239 18 3

240,658 19

4

60,293 0 5

1,408,077 13

7

726,398 8 5

107,633 4

10

1,038,483 1 0|

56,865 2

8

2,904

JP

6

178,319 0 10| 233,580 12 0

666,080 2

2

11,023

15

11

1 ,460,776 O 9

88,179 12 4

41,053 9

2

7,278

J

0

24 12 3

381,098 7

3

101,709

0

3

1,427,396 15 9

179,002 18 1)

1,5 16,532 1

10

1 36,078

13

0

2,178,227 17 3

279,890 15 2

6,473 18

4

"06

6

6

11,156 8 11

538 16 5

910,354 0

()

4,551

4

4

873,448 1 0

1,352 0 0

2,8/2 14

5

46

14

6

2-1,801 lO 0
M7 15 0

795 18 6

7.201

0

8

773 10 9

372,439 U)

A

21,760

12

2

530,784 13 1

1,507 4 1

22,152

0

1

1,392 2 6

1,077,355 0

11

166,975

7

2

249,381 14 8

2,492 8 8

561,071 11

0

12,747

12

9

I,i9i.'l77 19 3

18,426 9 4

95

15

7

747 8 C

2,876 5

6

24,337 18 6

248,836 6

9

24,860

19

9

113,131 10 4

1.957 7 1

249,738 3

5

215,756 4 1

46,293 5

1

64,824 5 11

33,040 4

7

625

3

7

58,373 6 9

1,803 10 10

95,596

1

2

71,559 15 1

6,634 12

3

5,778 2 5

50,442 3

1

130,280 4 1
164 11 0

54,925 13

4

446,92s 2 11

6,529 15

2

245,036 10 10

762 13

0

55,050 9 7

2,318 15

5

1,421 4

2

365 0 0

73,226 3

2

13,668 1

5

12,569 13

4

30,628 15

4

112,661

14

0

174,175 3 1

121,534 7 6

297,535 14

9

160,436 10 9

191,531 11)

1

142,134 11 6

238 1 I

•1

11,413 3 11

257,775 15

3

64,tiQ7 13 6

370,884 0

0

163,366 11 6

1,359,033 2

1

632,315 5 9

64,521 19

5

22,938 12 8

93,231 II

5

23,836 14 5

2,950 15

2

5,422 16 8

l6,'8()9 I

3

406 3 0

709 13

6

1 ,656 9 2

293,482 0

7

160,635 2 10

" 1 ,675 1 7

8

2,388 8 7

135.919 14

2

15,093 11 6

83,066 19

0

21,913 13 7

44,451 10

5

28,841 18 5

30,007 P

0

2,215 8 10

2,468 16

0

12,797 5 5

783 5

0

6

3-iI 16 6

11,6()6.754 14

1.1,729,731 7 "

746,680 2

7

1

746,680

2

/

1,0-25,972 10 11

1,025,072 10 II

1 12, 1-1 3,434 17

14.755.70:1 17 1'

6oo A. D. 1777.

1777, January 3'' — Tlie Eaft India company liaving now paid up the
whole of the money advanced to them by government in the year i 773,
together with the intereft on it, they were confequently at hberty, agree-
able to the adt of parliament, [13 Ceo. Ill, c. 64] to raife their dividend
from Jix to /even per cent : and they accordingly declared their half-
yearly dividend to be three and a half-^tr cent.

The French private merchants in Bengal had carried on their trade,
after the fufpenfion of their company's exclufive privilege, on paying the
fame duties which had formerly been paid by the company. But in
April 1776 the governor-general and council of Bengal direded their
revenue officers to charge them, as individuals, with four per cent on
the amount of their invoices, on all goods except foreign fait, on which
all perfons, whether companies or individuals were to pay 10 rupees for
every 100 maunds.

Mr. Chevalier, a principal French merchant, remonftrated againfl
this regulation, and urged that the duties of tivo and a balfpev cent had
been paid with great exadnefs by the French merchants at Chandena-
gore according to immemorial ufage and the privileges of their nation.
The other French merchants, and alfo the Dutch and Danifli private
traders, joining in the application, the governor-general and council de-
termined, as it was an objed of no great confequence, to let the goods
of French private merchants pafs on a duty of two and a half per cent,
ftill referving their right to four per cent, when they fhould think pro-
per to claim it (24'" March).

February 21" — Sir Jofeph Yorke, the Britifh ambaflador to Holland,
had prefented feveral memorials to the States-general, complaining of
the favour and countenance {hown by the Dutch to the Americans in
the Wefl-Indies : and he now again prefented one, complaining in the
ftrongefl terms of the governor of S'. Euftathius, a Dutch ifland in the
Wefl-Indies, who from his fort had returned the falute of an American
fhip, and infifling on a formal difavowal of fuch proceedings, and
the recall of the governor. In about five weeks thereafter the
Dutch ambaflador at London gave in an anfwer, wherein the States-
general exprefsly difavowed the condudl of their governor, whom they
had ordered home to lay an account of his condudl before them. They
alfo declared, that they had fent repeated orders to all their governors
in the Weft-Indies, enjoining a ftridl obfervance of their placards
againfl furnifliing military ftores to the Americans. The Dutch traders
in the Weft-Indies continued, notwithftanding, to pay no attention to
any orders, which they thought contrary to their own intereft. Neither
is it probable, that their government ever intended, that they fliould be
ftridlly obferved.

Mr. Hartley, having in April 1773 obtained the king's patent for
fourteen years for his invention of a method of fecuring buildings

A. D. 1777, 601

and {hips from fire, and having reprefented that he could not in that
period be reimburfcd the charges he mufl neceflarily be at, parUament
indulged him with a prolongation of it for thirty-one years from the
date of pafllng the adt ; exempting, however, from his exclufive pri-
vilege the king's dock-yards, rope-houfes, &c. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 6.]
(3* March.)

March 27'" — A permanent committee of the manufadurers of the
weft riding of Yorkfhire, Lancafliire, and Chertiire, was appointed to fit
at Halifax, to prevent frauds in combing wool, reeling yarn, &c.
[17 Geo. Ill, c. II.]

The O.&. to prevent frauds in the meafurement of coals was continued
to the i" of June 1798, and thence, as ufual, to the end of the next
feffion of parliament. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 13.]

An order of the houfe of commons enables me to lay before the
reader

An

Vol. 111. ' 4G

602

A. D. 1777.

^n account of the value^ as rated in the inJpe£ior''s books, of all the woollen goods
of all forts, viz. hays, cloths, cottons (or coatings), flannels, fcrges, fays, fluffs, fluffs
mixed, carpets, and worfiedfiockings, life, exported from England to all countries during
the following years.

Africa

Canaries

Denmark, &c.

East country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Holland - '

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Straits

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Guernsey, Sec.

Hudson's bay

Newfoundland

Cape Breton

Quebec

Nova Scotia
New England

New York

Pennsylvania

Maryland and Virginia

Carolina

Georgia

Florida

Antigua

Barbados

Bermuda

Dominica

Grenada

Jamaica

Montserrat

Nevis

St. Christophers

St. Vincents

Tobago

Tortola

New Providence

St. Thomas

Bay of Honduras

Musquito shore

Falkland's islands

Totals

1772

1773

1774

177,-.

1776

£167,571 10

3

223,362

B

2

178,542 11

11

177.132

16 11

68,507

13 (i

1S,395 7

t

24,669

5

0

29,151 6

3

23,415

4 2

25,692

0 (

2p,4l6 0

r

16,353

0

7

22,323 16

3

42,380

0 7

44,277

3 10

40,855 12

0

24,308

5

9

29,384 4

4

23,162

17 4

24,325

1 11

232,643 19

c

182,423

4

f>

148,021 17

6

104,472

13 8

99.1/2

19 8

203,p75 "7

t

212,828

14

6

195,699 13

4

258,022

7 7

252,075

2 7

2,990 7

c

2,660

12

2

1,306 6

6

16,460

17 10

813

10 0

253,847 16

11

249,696 17

11

277.507 10

7

304,560

16 10

312,759

17 1

411,140 3

5

361,424

5

4

381,912 11

5

397,413

12 2

388,917

19 5

169,044 17

i

209,167

15

6

2.53,806 10

IC

318,044

0 11

276,053

IS 8

l,8iX)

15

0

3,090 0

0

2,807

18 0

2,402

10 0

454,992 1

3

367,698

5

5

395,182 2

3

519,007

16 0

483,pnfi

5 1

3,726 17

t

4,449

15

0

10,169 9

4

5,809

9 7

2,716

5 0

500,298 3 3

11

408,270

17

6

428,811 12

11

448,078

13 2

350,104

17 10

53,01 1 1

1

71,027

15

11

59,817 13

1

48,576

4 8

58,852

7 2

552,575 7

6

579.373

2

5

655,318 14

3

667,6-1 S

3 0

659,119

7 7

110,811 1

0

50,799

9

4

134,694 1

8

28,111

6 6

21,668

6 9

8O9 3

c

75

1

0

6U 9

6

847

13 6

2,723

8 10

59,191 10

0

62,732

15

0

80,566 17

6

131,857

13 6

115,306

10 6

13,375 10

0

15,309

17

0

13,132 12

6

12,687

6 0

14,821

0 0

6,801 6

e

3,843

1

2

7,280 15

C

8,054

10 6

11,749

11 2

1,643 3

2

1,928

12

10

1,268 7

s

1.697

10 8

1,658

15 8

9,/ 5 I 5

3

4,538

3

5

5,066 18
43 12

4
6

5,231

12 5

6,153
6

16 11
9 0

64,045 1

3

106,237

18

1

100,887 15

4

171.782

1 6

200560

12 4

15,428 11

/

4,414

12

10

13,031 5

5

9.601

19 3

53,727

12 2

284,553 9

10

147,717

15

4

168,815 16

p

8,382

9 3

15,057

2 5

128,879 0

10

76,498

5

3

129,517 5

8

345

0 0

216,055 2

2

135,119

2

8

217,205 13

4

210

10 3

185,437 5

3

99.308

14

6

133,912 lo

]

5

18 0

84,226 11

10

73,403

18

9

91,361 1

0

1,100

2 6

26,492 0

3

16,982

15

3

14,627 3

p

30.719

11 3

17,357 5

0

20,7/8

2

0

23,122 11

7

22,518

3 4

42,366

14 0

11,219 16

5

8 355

0

11

10,870 11

11

14.328

13 10

19,931

2 6

11,968 1

1

18,417

9

5

11,7,37 5

6

15,208

14 2

7 9-05

4 1

1 ,9.99 0

9

1,189

15

1

972 14

5

2,255

14 0

2,230

3 5

3,007 3

'2

1,277

7

8

9,210 10

■i

3,521

9 0

1..076

1 4

]0,130 12

3

3,037

12

5

2,223 4

3

5,037

13 1

5,3 S4

14 2

63,841 16

r

68,219

18

2

66,128 17

6

80,403

8 6

68,925

15 6

1,512 3

0

505

9

8

483 8

4

2,207

11 4

1,947

5 0

1,050 IQ

4

1.018

0

0

1,471 16

4

1,728

16 1

2,422

16 0

7,488 U

]

4,164

0

0

7,516 1

&

7,274

12 3

12,924

9 1

1,271 2

6

4,302

0

5

3,460 0

k

8,167

13 2

2,440

18 3

1,990 4

0

226

14

0

2,218 16"

0

1,664

18 3

1,111

12 0

1,701 7

3

2,878

12

8

625 17

1,438

5 P

2,711

1 4

2 15

0

25

0

0

138 14

0

6,S0()
162

13 3
15 0

1,085

0 0

0 16

10

0

17

9

4 8

0

62

10 0

196 5

0

2,909

14

3

2,267 10

0

209

588

0 0

6 8

893

18 4

4,436,783 4

5

3.875,929 17

8

4,333,583 4

2

4,220,173

0 2

3,868,053

19 6

A. D. 1777. 603

Such was the value, according to the cuflom-houfe computation (and
it was confiderably more in reality) of what could be fpared from the
produdions of this mod important manufacture, befides fupplying the
home confumption of all England and Wales, and nearly the whole
home confumption, and moft of the exportation, of Scotland, which
later was much more confiderable before the American revolution, than
it has been fince. This capital branch of manufadlure is faid to give
employment to a million and a half of people in various parts of
England*.

April 24'" — Thehoufe of commons having required the lords of trade
to confider the ftate of the African trade, and the application of the
money allowed by parliament for the fupport and protection of it, they
made up a report, of which the following is nearly the fubftancc.

Their lordfhips find, that the proceedings of the African committee
previous to the year 1758 have been examined, and approved of

It appears, that fince that period the important trade for flaves, ivory,
and gold, in exchange for Britifli manufadures and India piece goods,
has altered greatly for the worfe. The price of Gold-coafl: flaves (the
raofl valuable fpecies of flaves) has increafed from £\^ to £2'] fl:erlingf ,
which is intolerably burthenfome on the Weft-India planters : ivory
has become fcarce, and confequently advanced in price ; and gold, in-
ftead of being imported in large quantities, as formerly, in exchange for
Britifli manufadures, muft now be carried out by the free merchants,
or purchafed on the coaft at an exorbitant rate, as no flaves can now be
procured without it J.

It appears, that the eftablifliments of governors and other officers at
tlie feveral pofts on the coafl of Africa, which are fupported at the na-
tional expenfe, \vith a \-iew to enable every Britifli fubjed to trade on
the coaft in a free and open manner, has been perverted to a monopoly,
utterly fubverfive of the intentions of parliament, and ruinous to the

• The large book, from wliich I Iiave com- fome other years, the vahie of woollens fhlpped
prefled and digcHed this account, Ihows, that now, from London was ^{^2, 247, 5 70 : 3 : O, and from the
as well as fornurly, a much greater value of woollen oiitports ^1,972,602 : 17 :2.
nianufaftures was fliipped from London than from It may be agreeable to fee tlie value of the ex-
all the outpotts of England. In the year 1775, ports of the fame fpecies of goods from England a
when the txcefs of London was much Icfs than in century earlier.

101698 from London ^^2,102,634, and from the outports ^^1,017,981 Total ^f^, 120,615

17CO 2,021,145 968,018 "2,91*9,163

1701 2,045,951 1,082,414 3,i2X,365

-J- Some of the witnenis dated the price to have been only ^10 for male (laves In the year 1748,
which in the year 1763 had advanced 10^^13. A chronological llatcment of the prices of that article
of trade will be found under the year 1788.

'f It was given in evidence by the flaving captains, that the bhiclc flavc merchants infilled on having
two ounces of gold, value jf 8 fin which of the currencies?) in the price of cver)-'nave. And, the gold
being all colleilted by the re'iuent governors and other ofllceis in their petty dealings with the negroes,
the captains arc obliged to purchafe it fiom them at any price liiey pleale to put upon it.

4 G 2

6o4 A. D. 1777.

free trade, by the governors of the forts, in conjunction with fome
people at home, one, or more, of whom have at the fame time been of
the very committee, which is authorized and fupported by parhameut
for the exprefs purpofe of corre6ling and reftraining abufes in the trade.

The governors carry on a continual petty retail trade with the negroes
in fpiritous liquors and tobacco, whereby they colled almofl all the
gold on the coaft. Part of that gold they pay to the commanders of the
Dutch forts for Brazil tobacco, an article nearly as indifpenfible as gold
in the purchafe of flaves.

The governors, availing themfelves of their refldence on the coaft,
and of the ufe of the ftores, flaves, and vefl^els, belonging to the public,
committed to their charge, have been enabled to engrofs more than one
half of the whole Britifh trade on the coaft*; and, if they are not
fpeedily put under proper reftridlions, they will foon effedlually exclude
every Britifh free merchant from any fliare in it, except in a dependence
upon them f.

By the pre-emption of the beft flaves, and by purchafing flaves from
the Dutch governors, they are enabled to difpatch their fliips with full
cargoes, while others, attempting a free and independent trade, are ob-
liged to lie a long time on the coaft at a vaft expenfe, before they can
complete their cargoes ; and are generally under the neceflity of having
recourfe to the governors at laft, and paying them an exorbitant price
for fuch flaves as they do not think good enough to be flapped on their
own account if.

Ships, with cargoes fuited to the African trade, are configned to the
governors by their partners here. Thefe fliips carry out, not only
Britifli goods, but alio great quantities of Dutch nianufaclures, to the
great prejudice of our own §. The inferior kind of rum, diftilled in
New-England, has been imported to the coaft in iuch abundance [I,
that in the year i 775 no lefs than thirteen ftiips from Bofton and Rhode-
•ifland carried off" from the Gold-coaft 2288 flaves, bought folely with
that article, and chiefly from the governors; and another ftiip from

* It was dated by the (laving captains, that the ing the black, chiefs and traders at the national

governors received their goods free of freight, and expenfe to turn the whole of the trade to their

ftorcd them in warehoufes built and kept Jip at the private ad»antage, whereby, they fuppofed, they

national expenfe, us they aifo lodged their flaves in might foon be enabled to engrofs the whole of it.
the Have-holes, of which iheie is one in every fort. | Genera! O'Hara, governor of Senegambia, in

■\ It was afTerte 1 in evidence, that the governors the year 1766 cllimated the damage done to iho

are exprefsly prohibited by their inilruftions from manufafturing intereft of Great Britain by the fal.-

having any concern in trade. But it may be alked of foreign mannfadures at the Britilh fettlemeiits

nn the ether hand, what could indnce them to in Africa to be confidetably above £ioo,coo

accept fuch offices, if their emoluments were tp be fterling annually,
confined to their falaries. |{ Lord Sheffield ftatcs the quantity of rum cai-

^ The commanders of the Having fliips declared, ried from North America to Africa, on the

that the more money government bellowed for average of the years 1768, I7f>9) 'TJO, to be

fopporting the freedom of the trade, the more the 2 to, 1 47 gallons. 3

governors were enabled to monopoliic it, by brib-

A. D. 1777. 605.

Rhode-ifland fold her whole cargo of rum to the governors for gold and
bills of exchange. The governors, having fuch a comm^ind of the
flave trade, have availed thenifelves of the fuperior character of the
Gold-coaft flaves by buying up others of inferior quality, and pafling
them upon unexperienced purchafers as Gold-coaft flaves.

By the returns of the flaves fliipped off from the coaft, which are
tranfmitted by the governors to the African committee, the annual ex-
portation of Gold-coaft flaves appears to have been almoft doubled in.
the laft fix years : but, notwithftanding the apparent authenticity of
thofe returns, the lords of trade are of opinion, that the merchants of
London, Briftol, and Liverpool, are warranted in aflerting, that the
trade for real Gold-coaft flaves is diminillied, the trade for ivory much
leflened, and the trade for gold totally loft ; that the Britifli "manufac-
tures have fallen greatly in value on the coaft, while every article of Afri-
can produce has rifen prodigioufly *.

Though parliament has actually made grants for the fupport of the
feveral forts on the coaft of Africa, amounting, from the year 1750 to
lyydjbothinclufive, to the furaof^343,40o,excluftveof/^i i 2,142 : 3 : 3
paid as a compenfation to the Royal African company for the furrender
of their charter, forts, and cffcCls ; yet all the forts, except Annamaboe
and Dixcove, are in a ruinous condition, and their ordinance totally un-
ferviccable. Nor do the forts, if really fortified, afford any protedlion
to the free merchant : but, being merely repofitories, or ftore-houfes,
for private trade, they operate to the extreme prejudice and difcourage-
ment of the general trade.

It appears, that the public money is every year inverted by the com-
mittee in goods fuitable to the African market, which are given to the
committee's governors and other fervants in payment of their lalarics
and other claims upon the public, and applied by them to the purpofes
of their private trade. Thefe payments being often advanced by the
governors out of their private ftores before the arrival of the ftore ihips,
they take the opportunity of putting off goods of a very inferior quality,
for which they charge the price of the beft. *

No lefs than three different currencies had been eftabliflied on the
coaft, and uied in the bool^s kept at the forts, to the utter fubverlion of
all perli)icuity in the accounts. The committee, fenfible of fo grols an
impropriety, (to call it no worfe) had ordered, that all accounts ftiould
be kept in one currency, called Companfs pay, which is ftated to be at a
permanent exchange of 50 per cent : but, notwithflanding that order, it
was difcovered by Mr. Camplin, the fccretary of the African committee,
that the governors ftill found means, by a ftroke of management in the

♦ Is not fiifli tlie natucal prucrcfs of r.ll tracte« ccntiuuc to be profeculeil, \vi!l a (kin, which is
between civili'/.cii niid uncivilizcJ nations i If tlic worth too dollars in China, cuntiauc lu be purckk'. -
fur trade on the noi th-wtll coaft of Atr.crica (hall td for a bit of iron hot>p r

6o6 A. D. 1777.

exchange, to convey into their own pockets one fifth part of the whole
of the public money. By thefe and other means the governors liave
made up accounts, whereby the committee, or rather the pubhc, appears
to be indebted to them ^(^i 5,962 : 3 : 5 fterhng, over and above the va-
lue of the public goods in the ftores, at the end of the year 1775 ; and
it is prefumed, that the debt is greatly increafed during the year 1776.

Upon the whole of the inquiry it appears, that the number of flaves
exported from Africa has greatly decreafed, and the price greatly in-
creafed * ; that the importation of gold, which was formerly at the rate
of 100,000 ounces annually, procured in exchange for Britifh goods
upon very profitable terms, is now annihilated ; and that, w'hile the trade
is thus going to ruin, the cxpenfe of fupporting it is increafed to an en-
orm.ous degree.

A reply to this report was prefented at the board of trade in July
1779, wherein the governors and other fervants of the African commit-
tee, fiationed on the coaft, endeavoured to repell the charges made
againft them.

April 30''' — The corporation of London, finding their operations in
improving the navigation of the River Thames above London cramped
by the interference of private proprietors of tolls, &c. applied to parlia-
ment, and obtained authority to purchafe all the private tolls, and to
take a moderate fimplified toll inftead of them, after the 1" of May,
from every barge in proportion to the tunnage and diftance. [17 Geo.
II/,c.i8.'\

The improvement of the ftreets and paflages, communicating with
the naval ftreet of Wapping, which was now regulated by parliament,
may, not improperly, be mentioned, as a proof of increafing and flour-
ifhing commerce. [17 Geu. Ill, c. 22.]

May 16'" — In order to prevent the frauds committed in the fale of
annuities for life by means of the fecrecy wherewith they ufed to be
tranfacled, a memorial of all the circumftances of every luch annuity
was direded to be regiftered in the court of chancery. All annuities
fold by minors are by this acfl, with great propriety, declared null and
voidf. [17 Geo. Ill, c 26.]

To encourage the exportation of tea to Ireland, the whole duty of the
cufl.om was allowed to be drawn back. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 27.]

In order to prevent frauds in the revenue of excife with refped to tea,
all perfons making counterfeit tea of leaves of floe, liquorifh, afli, elder,
&c. or of tea that has been ufed, are fubjedted to a fine of five pounds

• Is not the iiicreafe of price a natural confe- mod benevolent intentions, has been perverted by

quence of the decreafe of quantity ? Perhaps miftakes and violent mifconftruftions fo as to be

Africa begins to be cxhauflcd of its live (lock. made to holdout encouragement and protedlion

f This remedial aft, framed with the wifcft and to many infamous frai;ds.

A. D. 1777. 607

for every pound weight of fuch leaves fold by them, or found in their
pofTeffion. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 29.]

In confequence of the advantage refulting to the pubHc from fuppreff-
ing the circulation of notes for lefs than twenty fhilHngs, parliament
now determined to extend the reftridion to all notes drawn in England
for any fum under five pounds ; and all fuch were direded after the i"
of January 1778 to be made payable at twenty-one days after date, to
exprefs the name and refidence of the receiver, and to be transferable
only by an indorfcment, which fhould alfo contain the refidence, as well
as the name, of the indorfee : and the original drawing, and every in-
dorfcment, were required to be further authenticated by the fubfcrip-
tions of witnell'es. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 30.]

The dyers of Middlefex, Eflex, Surrey, and Kent, were relieved from
the hardlhip impofed on them by an ad of Queen Elizabeth, which pro-
hibited them from employing as journeymen any perfons, who had not
ferved an apprenticelhip of feven years ; and they were thenceforth per-
mitted to employ fuch journeymen as they thought proper. [17 Geo.
Ill, c. -^-i^^ This was a confiderable advance towards the emancipation
of handicraft trades from the fhackles of a miflaken feudal policy.

The ad for prohibiting the importation of foreign filks and velvets,
and for preventing unlaw^ful combinations of workmen employed in the
filk manufadure, was continued to the 14'^ of June 1782. [17 Geo. Ill,

Some new regulations were made refpeding the duties payable on
glals, and the materials for making it. [17 Geo. Ill, c. ■^p.]

June — The commanders of fliips in the Eart-India company's fervice al-
lowing goods to be received onboard their fhips, or delivered out of them,
at fea, were Tubjeded to a forfeiture of triple the value of the goods fo

taken onboard or delivered All commanders of Britifli or Irilh vcf-

fcls arriving at any port in the Baltic, where a Britifli conful rcfides, arc
direded to deliver to him manitefts Ipecifying the particulars of their
cargoes. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 41.]

The lizes of bricks and tiles were regulated by law; and all combin-
ations to advance their prices, or to engrofs them, were ftridly prohibit-
ed. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 42.]

Some new regulations were made refpeding the duties payable on the
importatioii of currants and raifins And tobacco-pipe clay was per-
mitted to be exported to the fugar colonics \ox the purpofe of cleanling
fugar, or making what is called clayed fugar. [17 Geo. HI, c. 43.]

The feveral ads — for encouraging the culture of indigo in the Britifli
colonies — for regiflering the prices, and the imports and exports of
corn — for regulating the duty on tanners' bark in proportion to the
prices — for allowing the exportation of timber, the produce of Donii-
nica, to any other Britidi colony — and for a bounty on the export.i-

r,o8 A. D. 1777.

tion of Britiih-made cordage, were all continued for different limited
times. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 44.]

Five millions of money were raifed this year by a loan at/ot/r per cent,
with an annuity of ten fliillings for ten years : and half a million more
by a lotterv, the fubfcriber of every ;iC''oo of the loan being entitled to
one lotterv ticket at >Cio- [^7 ^^^- ^^^' ^- 4^] -^7 thefe terms the per-
manent intereft on the real money borrowed is orAy four per cent : and,
A% there was no creation of fiditious capital, which makes a real high
intcrcfl appear a low one, this may be confidered as a good bargain made
■by the minifter for the public *.

The commilfioners of the longitude were empowered to be{low;(!5,ooo
in a reward, or rewards, to any perfons diicovering improvements re-
i"pe(3ing the longitude, or in any branch of navigation. [17 Geo. Ill, c.
48.]

Auctioneers within the bills of mortality were fubjeded to an annual
payment of twenty {hillings, and other audlioneers, of five fliillings,
for licence to carry on their bufinefs, after the 29''' of September
1777 : and at the fame time a duty was laid on all property fold
by audion. But from this duty were exempted, all property fold
by order of court; the fales of the Eafl-India and Hudfon's-bay
companies ; fales by order of the commiffioners of the cuftoms, ex-
cife, ordinance, navy, and the victualling office ; goods diftrained for
rent ; the effeds of bankrupts -, the produce of the Britifli colonies fold
within one year after their importation ; veffels and cargoes taken as

prizes ; wrecked goods ; and fales for the benefit of creditors By

the fame ad a great variety of new ftamp-duties were impofed upon
conveyances of property, policies of infurance, 84c. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 50.]

Strider regulations were enaded for fecuring the duties payable on
the manufadure of foap, and the importation of rum. [17 Geo. Ill, c.

The hat makers were relieved from the hardfhips of an ad of Eliza-
beth and another of James I, whereby they were prohibited from em-
ploying any journeymen, who had not ferved feven years as apprentices,
or any foreigners, and are direded to employ as many journeymen as
apprentices, if they offer themfelves. [17 Geo. Ill, c. sS-\ Another
ftep towards breaking the fhackles of feudal tyranny.

Penalties were enaded for the embezzlement of materials intrufted to
work-people in the manufadures of hats, wool, linen, filk, &c. [17 Geo.

Ill, est.]

The law afcertaining the property of engravings to their original au-
thors was corroborated. [17 Geo. Ill, c. 57.]

• The liigh iiitcrcil upon tlie real fum borrowed the holders of fome branches of the funds, in cafe

is not the only pernicious confequcnce of creating of paying off the debt, may demand, and aftually

a fiftitious augmentation of the capital. The no- receive above £200 for j^ 1 00 originally lent to the

r.iinal hundreds may become real hundreds ; and public.

A. D. 1777. 609

Several acfts were alfo paflTed, as ufual, for the improx^ement of various
parts of London, for building bridges, making canals, draining fens,
and dividing commons.

The company who eftabhflied the great iron works at Carron in Stir-
ling-fliire in the year 1760, had now brought their manufadure to
fuch a degree of perfection, that their exportation was at this time an
object of great national importance. Their great guns, which were caft
folid, and bored by a drill worked by the whole force of the River Car-
ron, were exported to Ruflia, Denmark, Spain, &c. : and the quantities
were fo confiderable, that the government was unwilling to let them be
carried in ordinary fliips, left they fliould fall into the hands of the
American cruifers. The company thereupon fitted out a ftout fliip of
their own, properly armed and manned, for the purpofe of carrying to
Spain 300 iron guns from three to twenty-four pounders. This is given
as a fpecimen of the cargoes fliipped by that great manufadturing com-
pany, who befides fupplying the demand in Britain, about this timefur-
nifhed many other cargoes of great guns to Spain, Ruflia, and other fo-
reign powers. The war alio greatly increafed the demand for their iron
ballaft, which was univerfally uied in the navy, and aUb in many mer-
chant Ihips. Their ftoves, which are now in every apartment all over
the kingdom, were at this time beginning to come into ufe.

In the year 1755 the corporation of Liverpool employed Meflieurs
Taylor and Eyes to iurvey the country, with a view to confider of a plan
for joining the River Trent on the eaft fide of the country with the Mer-
fea on the weft fide, whereby the navigable communication with Hull,
which by fea is a circuit of a thoufand miles, and in time of war with
France is peculiarly cxpofed to the enemy's cruifers, might be perform-
ed with eafe and fafety in a line of lefs than two hundred miles. In
the year 1758 the marquis of Stafford and Lord Anfon promoted an-
other furvey for the fame purpofe, which was executed by Mr. Brindley,
the fame heaven-taught engineer, who fhowed the world the wonders of
the duke of Bridgewater's canal. In 1766 this important canal was
-begun by Mr. Brindley ; and it was finiflied, after his death, by his bro-
ther-in-law, Mr. Henfliall, in May 1777, to the great joy of the whole
country. It has obtained the name of the Grand trunk navigation, be-
caufe it goes under ground at five places, the moft remarkable of which
is Harecaftle hill, where it extends 2,880 yards (above one mile and five
furlongs) under the mountain, the furface of which is more than 200
feet above it ; a work projeded and accompliflicd by the happy boldnefs
of Brindley's genius, after being ridiculed by other engineers as imprac-
ticable.

The main canal between the Trent and the Mcrfea was greatly im-
proved by the jundion of a branch, of 46 miles in length, extended to
the Severn at Bewdley in Worcefter-fliire, wliich conneds the three great

Vol. III. 4 H

6iQ A. D. 1777.

commerciul tovens of Briftol, Liverpool, and Hull, between which goods
can be conveyed without any trouble of unloading and refhipping. This
work was alfo planned and executed by Mr. Brindley.

To this later canal was foon after added another of 26 miles: and
thereafter fo many other branches were conneded with it, for extend-
ing the communication through a wide range of the country, that it
would be tedious to recount them all.

May 27'" — Meffieurs Clark and Berkenhout appHed to the lords of
trade for a reward for an invention, whereby they can dye cotton in
fcarlet and crimfon colours, both in grain : and their lordfliips recom-
mended their invention to the king, as worthy of a reward, in order
that it might be made public for the benefit and e.xtenfion of the ma-
'Aufachires of the kingdom.

Grenada, and fome of the other iflands in the Weft-Indies had for
feveral years been infefted with the carnivorous ants {x.\\e forinicte omni-
vora of Linnaeus) in fuch inconceivable numbers, that the furface of
the ground was often entirely covered with them, and carcafes of large
animals were reduced to {keletons with aftonifhing difpatch. The ra-
loon canes*, Hme trees, and, in general, all plants, which form a ftool,
or arched affemblage of roots, under ground, were totally deftroyed by
their burrowing under them : and fome planters were adually obliged
totally to abandon the cultivation of fugar, and put their lands in cot-
ton and other produdions exempted from the ravages of that tremend-
ous fcourge. Many attempts were made to extirpate them ; and Mr.
Phillips of Grenada, who had difcovered a powder to deftroy them, ap-
plied to the lords of trade for a reward, who recommended it to the
treafury to give him a proper recompenfe, in confequence of which, the
houfe of commons voted him a reward of ^^3,600 for his invention in
the year 1781 f. But as it was impracticable to cover the whole fur-
face of an ifland with his powder, and thofe ants, which were at a con-
fiderable depth under ground, were totally inacceffible by it, it was foon
found, that the operation of the remedy muft ever be too limited to
produce any important efFed: and thofe deftructive little animals con-
tinued to diftrefs and ruin the planters in feveral iflands, and particu-
larly in the French ifland of Martinique, till the year 1780 J, I ought

* Ratoon canes are thofe which fpring up from of Martinique, who, notwithftanding a moft dread-

the roots of the canes, after they are cut. The ful hurricane in the year 1766, had been eleven

ground, according to its ftrength, will prbduce ra- years fuffering from the deftruftion occafioned by

toons for more or fewer years, each fucceeding thofe vermin. But before that time Mr. Defvou-

year's ratoons, howtver, yielding lefs and lefs fu- ves, a planter of that ifland, had difcovered, that

gar. by burning the cane trafh in which the ants har-

■J- That is, after the ants in Grenada, then a boured, uiing plenty of manure, planting his canes

French ifland, were deftroyed by the aft of Pro- anew every year, allowing room for the free circul-

vidence in the hurricane of Oftober 1780. ation of air through them, and frequent weeding,

X According to Raynal, a reward of 666^300 he could obtain good crops of fugar. \.Hijl. phil.

livres had been offered in the year 1775 for the dif- et polit, F. vii,/. 70, ed. 1782-]
covery of a remedy againft the ants by the planters

A. D. 1777. 61 i

at the fame time to obfervc, that thofe ant:;, wherever they came, com-
pletely cleared the cane fields of rats, another dreadful kind of enemy
to the fiigar planters, whofe ravages, in canes devoured. or rendered un-
fit for making fugar, are generally reckoned at not lefs than a third of
the whole crop- Mr. Edwards has been informed, that they alfo remove
the blaft, which, after being long fuppofed a difeafe in the cane, has
been found to confifl of millions of animalcula, invifible to the naked
eye, which extrad the juices from the cane. [HiJI. of the Wejl-lndies, V.
u,p. 214, ed. 1794.]

The American cruifers now covered the ocean, and even infefted the
narrow feas of Great Britain and Ireland. Ships were taken in (Ight of
the land ; the communication between England and Ireland was inter-
rupted ; and a convoy was actually appointed for the protecf^ion of the
veffels bringing linen from Ireland, which had never been neceflary in
any former war. The city of Dublin was terrified, and its harbour fort-
ified : the coafts of England, Scotland, and Ireland were alarmed, and
fome places were even infulted and plundered. The citizens of Chefter
faw their fair poftponed, becaufe no linens were arrived from Ireland.
But another fight, not lefs melancholy than new to the prefent race of
Britifh merchants, was exhibited on the River Thames, which was cover-
ed with foreign vefiels, and particularly French ones, loading for vari-
ous parts of the world with Britilh cargoes, the fhippers of which were
now afraid to truft their property under the prbtedion of the Britifh
flag.

The American cruifers found fhelter, and alfo. Underhand, encourage-
ment, in the ports of France. However, partly in order to fave appear-
ances, but more to protracl the commencement of open hoftilities, for
which France was not yet fully prepared, an order was iflued by the
French government, in confequence of a remonftrance by Lord Stor-
mont, the Britifh ambaflTador, enjoining all the American privateers
with their prizes to quit the ports of France. But the order was fo uni-
verfally eluded, that it was evidently never intended to be enforced.

The Britifii and French imports at Hamburgh and Bremen in the
courfe of this year were in value as follows.

Hamburgh Bremen

From Great Britain, Ireland, and 7 /-oo. ^ r r o

the BrmOi Weft-Indies, |/;884.497 : H :o £97filC>:x%:o

from France - - 1,129,616:18:0 259,409: 5:0

The cargoes carried from the Britifli dominions to Hamburgh cm-
ployed 167 vcflels, whereof 135 were Britifli. The French trade to the
lame port employed 185 veflels; but only 13 of them were French.

The total number of veflels arrived this year at Hamburgh was
2,991, whereof 2,420 were fmacks and other finall craft from Holland.
Yuteland, Bremen, &c.

4 H2

6i2 A. D. 1777.

The following account of the gold coin circulating at the end of this
year is given by Mr. Rofe fecretary of the Treafury *.

' In the year 1773, previous to the ad 14 Geo. Ill, c. 70, the Bank
of England was authorized to buy up by weight certain light gold at
flandard price ; and, by fubfequent proclamations after the ad, to ex-
change other deficient coin, as was therein fpecified ; and it appears
by the books of the Mint, that the gold fo bought and exchanged
was received there between the 25'" of Augufl 1773 and 10'" of June
1777, amounting in flandard weight to 326,298 lb, 1 oz, 8 dwt, 4 gr,
value - - - - X;i 5,246,279

* In 1772 (the year preceding the com-
mencement of the great recoinage) the
Bank of ^ngland fent to the Mint, ingots
from foreign gold, in flandard weight
20,3371b; and, as no part of the money
into which it was coined, was ifTued from
the Bank before the recoinage took
place, its amount confequently made a
part of the new money produced within
the time of the recoinage, being - 950,245

• The Bank alfo fent to the Mint in-
gots from foreign gold, within the time
of the recoinage from the year 1773 to
the end of 1777, in flandard weight,
62,033 lb : the coin produced therefrom
made a further part of new money i(-
fued within the fame period, amounting
to - - - - - 2,898,491

' And there was alfo farther fent by the
Bank to the Mint, from 1 775 to the end
of 1 777, ingots from guineas (which ig-
norance or negled had prevented from
being brought in time to be exchanged
under the proclamations) making in
flandard weight 28,935 lb. This gold
was bought by the Bank, and fent to
the Mint, in ordinary courfe of coinage,
unattended with any other charge to the
public, and made a part of new money,

* Other accounts were publlftied about this time, gold coin exported, or clandeftinely mehed, in tke

which differ from that here given : but there can courfe of thefe years, which muft have fomewhat

be no rcafon to doubt of the fuperior aHthenticity reduced the amount of co-exifting gold money at

cf Mr. Rofe's. It may, however, be fubmitted, the end of the yean 777.
■vrhether fome allowance fiiould not be made for 3'

A. D. 1777.

' alfo iflued within the time of the recoin-

' age, in value - - - - 1,351,987

* Amount of new gold money at the end of 1777

' By eflimation of men converfant, from their habits
' and obfervation, to judge of the money in currency, the

* heavy gold coin remaining in circulation (i. c. guineas

* weighing 5 dwt, 8 gr, and upwards) was taken, on the
' lowed, at - - - - - -

' [Befides which it was underftood, that about two
' millions of light guineas had been taken out of circula-
' tion, and fent to America, which it is fuppofed, were

* brought back to this country after the war, but no cre-
' dit is taken for them here.]

• Makes the amount of gold money circulating at the
end of 1777 to be -

613

5,200,723
20,447,002

5,000,000

;C25,447.oo2'

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England - 7,575 veflels of the reputed burthen of 610,201 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,521 - - - 88,729

Total - 9,096 - - - 698,930

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain, from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

Britilh

Inward
Outward

VclTcls.

8,390

Tuns.

815.517
830.545

Foreign

Vcilels.
1,992

877

Tuns.

252,437
102,310

To tal

Vellels.
10,382

10,433

Tuns.
1,067,954
932,855

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft India four-and-a-
half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was from the cuftom-houfe in London - ^(^2, 199, 105 : 19 :4

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 30,000 : 0:0

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain X^2,229,i05 : 19 : 4

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
78,780 povmds of gold, value - - JC3}^^3>99S '• xo:o

and no iilver.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain frona
Chriftmas 1776 to Chriftmas 1777 was as follows.

Imported into

Ex])orlod from I

Countries, &c.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

L N G L A N n .

SCOTLAND.

Africa

^£"62,7^0 1 4

i^239.318 3

0

Canaries

3.379 -^ 2

18,0.-)5 17

8

Denmark and Norway

103,M7 10 7

^25,016 2 7

203,903 3

6

:5£'ll,220 11 7

East country

403,\m 7 1

85,521 10

2

East-India

1,334,321 14 p

785,833 2

3

Flanders

138/280 11 4

944,267 4

10

France

;i,4().'> 7 2

6,062 16 1

139,802 0

10

53,083 3 10

Germany

709,599 6 3

33,914 14 7

1,323,499 9

10

11,305 1 8

Greenland

50,337 )G 4

1,748 3 3

Holland

58i,6;}2 2 n

139,758 16 0

1 ,060,644 2

11

79.727 1 7

Ireland

1,. 502,893 7 1

150,139 9 11

1,931,800 14

1

269,887 14 1

Mann

6,ti98 6 6

246 7 10

23,835 3

3

846 10 0

Italy

774,099 9 9

6.53 5 8

846,160 2

4

2,775 2 0

Madeira

3,323 10 2

184 2 6

9,261 10

7

Minorca

53 1 10

Poland

12,979 1 Ifi

853 14 3

Portugal

382,708 8 5

21,873 1 3

554,449 8

2

2,021 16 10

Prussia

13,805 12 9

389 2 10

Russia ...

1,117,313 6 4

199.795 14 10

203,124 14

11

3,267 1 4

Spain

533,641 15 11

10,369 9 1

843,075 4

0

11,740 3 6

Gibraltar

105 7 7

343 2 6

StraiU

3,600 0 0

82,003 12

0

1

Sweden

206,034 1 11

27,484 13 I

69.98 1 6

6

2937 4 1

Tm-key

225,586 5 4

177.214 7

0

Venice

65,892 8 5

41,665 8

5

Guernsey, &c.

49,523 19 1

969 16 10

60,136 10

7

40 0 0

America in general -

11,277 2 3

256,169 6 0

Hudson's bay

8.243 4 4

6,043 4

0

Newfoundland

46,066 12 3

122,307 17

3

Cape Breton

567 18 5

Quebec

56,882 3 0

586,01 1 5

11

Nova-Scotia

6,030 5 4

934,164 3

9

New-England

1,879 11 6

New- York -

8,429 12 3

57,294 13

6

Pennsylvania

16 19 1

Maiyland and Virginia

58 711

Carolina

2,233 19 0

Florida

48,322 5 11

137,617 9

9

West-Indies in general

145,796 15 0

131,973 17 3

Antigua

134.061 13 0

114,028 0

8

Barbados

140,137 16 4

132,081 8

4

Bermuda

2,069 17 9

7,239 12

3

Dominica

177.397 17 5

47,230 12

0

Grenada

360,088 12 11

95,209 17

5

Jamaica

1,303,289 18 8

536,574 6

3

Montserrat

27,336 19 5

9.514 7

3

Nevis

45,142 3 0

12,268 0

C:

New-Providence

4,808 4 10

3,619 5

7

St. Croix

8,685 13 4

St. Eustathius -

1,632 5 4

720 10

6

St. Christophers

233,652 5 6

83,333 17

1

St. Thomas

4,748 3 2

St. Vincents

130,195 2 11

40,230 17

0

Tobago

42,680 7 0

21,853 1

8

Tortola

46,945 11 0

21/427 1

1

Honduras bay

27,744 7 8

490 3

4

Musquito shore

5,282 6 1

1,503 18

0

Falkland's islands

5,984 5 0

196 11

4

11,721,327 19 1

12,632,522 2

0

Prize goods •

120,249 14 2

20,841 5

8

Imp, and exp. of Englanc

11,841,577 13 3

12,653,363 7

8

Imp. and exp. of Scotland

802,253 12 11

803,253 12 11

837,642 15

2

837,642 15 2

Total, Great Britain -

12,643,831 6 2

13,491,006 2

10

* No prize goods appear by the cuftom-houfe books t o have been brought to account before this year.

A. D. 1778. 615

1778 — After the declaration of independence theCongrefs of theUnited
flates of America fent plenipotentiaries to feveral of the European courts
to alTure them of their determination to fupport their independence, to
foiicit the afliftance of Germany, France, Spain, and Pruffia ; and in par-
ticular to propofe to France a participation of the trade between the
United ftatcs and the Weft-India iflands ; and to concert with France and
Spain an arrangement for the divifion of the conquefts to be attempted by
the arms of the propofed alliance. According to the plan propofed by
them, Nova Scotia, Cape-Breton, and the half of Newfoundland (Canada
is not mentioned) were to be annexed to the United rtates ; the other
half of Newfoundland, with a participation of the fifhery in all the ad-
jacent Teas, was to be fecured to France, Britain being totally excluded ;
and the Britifh Weft-India iflands, to be reduced by the united forces
of France and America, were to belong entirely to France. Spain
was to have only the town of Penfacola ; and the free navigation of
the MifTifllppi was to be referved to the Americans.

Though the French were exceedingly eager to enjoy the trade with
America (of their fuccefs in which, as we have already feen, they had
little reafon to boafl) the government, not being fnfficiently prepared
for war, or perhaps not fully determined how to ad *, were very referv-
ed and dilatory in formally acknowleging the independent fovereignty
of the United ftates, while remonflrances on our fide upon their partial-
ity to the Americans, and temporizing anfwers on theirs, fpun out the
time till the French Newfoundland fleet got lafe into their ports, and
their marine forces were brought to a ftate fit for the commencement
of hoftilities : and then a treaty of friendftiip and commerce, and an-
other of alliance, with the United ftates of America were figned on the
fame day at Paris (6'"' February).

By the firfl of thefe treaties

Articles 2, 3, 4,) The contrading powers engaged to treat each-other
as the moft favoured nation in all commercial arrangements, in pay-
ments of duties, and in all privileges and immunities, in the ports of
the French dominions in Europe, and in thofe of the United flates.

6, 7) The king of France engaged to proted the veflels and effeds
of the Americans in his ports, and on his coafts ; and that his ftiips of
war ftiould proted the American traders upon the Ocean, lo far as they
Ihould keep company with his fliips. And the United flates promifed
equal protedion to the vefTels and effeds of the French.

8) The king promifed to ule his intercft with the emperor of Mo-
rocco and the other piratical Moorilh governments of Africa, to ab-
ftain from molefting the American trade.

9) Both parties agreed to abftain from the filliing grounds belonging

* There is good reafon to believe that the king was dragged iato the war, againft \m own juJgt-
mcnt, by thofc about him. -

6i6 A. D. 1778.

to the other, provided no other ration fliould have the indulgence,
which they hereby agreed to withhold from each-other.

10) The French were to retain all the rights to the Newfoundland
filLery, conferred upon them by the treaties of Utrecht and Paris.

11) The fubjeds of either power were to enjoy all the privileges of
fubjedls, and be exempted from the burthens impofed upon aliens, in
the dominions of the other.

29) Either pov/cr had the right of maintaining confuls, vice-confuls,
agents and commiflaries in the ports of the other.

30) The king of France promifed to allow the Americans one or
more free ports in Europe, to which they might bring all the commo-
dities of the thirteen ftates, and alfo the free ports already opened in
his Weft-India iflands.

The other articles are filled with regulations for the examination of
vefTels bound to the ports of powers at war with either of the contrad-
ing powers, and for pafTports to proted; their veflels in cafe of fuch a
war, an enumeration of the goods to be confidered as contraband and
liable to confifcation, regulations for prizes taken by the cruifers of
either power, for the treatment of wrecked vefTels, &c.

By the other treaty it was provided, that ' in cafe Great Britain in
' refentment of that connection and good correfpondence, which is the

* objed of the faid treaty [of commerce] ftiould break the peace with
' France, either by dired hoftilities, or by hindering her commerce

* and navigation,' his Majefty and the United ftates fliould make it a
common caufe, and aid each-other with their councils and forces, in
order to maintain effedually the abfolute and unlimited independ-
ence and fovereignty of the United ftates. The northern parts of Ame-
rica and the Bermuda iflands, if conquered by the allied powers, were
to be annexed to the United ftates ; and any of the iflands in, or near,
the Gulf of Mexico, to be taken from Great Britain, were to belong to
France. Neither party was to make peace without firft obtaining the
confent of the other, nor without an exprefs acknowlegement from
Great Britain of the independence of the United ftates. And both
agreed to fulfil the conditions of the treaty without any claim for com-
penfation on either fide, and to admit into the alliance any other
powers, who might have received injuries from England. Such were
the firft of the treaties between powers feparated by the Atlantic ocean ;
treaties, which were in a fliort time to I'pread the flames of war from
America to every quarter of the globe.

March 1 3'" — The French government, having now decifively chofen
their ground, in a few weeks lent a declaration to the Britifli court, giving
notice of the treaty of friendfliip and commerce with the United ftates of
America, but without faying a word of the treaty of alliance ; profefling,
neverthelefs, a determination to cultivate the good underftanding fub-

A. D. 1778. 617

fifting between France and Great Britain, and hoping his Britannic
Majefty would equally avoid every thing that might tend to interrupt
their harmony. The declaration concluded, however, with an afTur-
ance, that the king of France was determined toproted the lawful com-
merce of his fubjeds, and to maintain the dignity of his flag, and had
in confequence taken eventual meafures in concert with the United
ftates.

Immediately after this declaration, which was virtually u declaration
of war, the Britifli ambaflador was recalled from France, and the French
arabadador left London. The French laid an embargo on all fliips in
their ports, and, in return, an embargo was laid on all the French fliips
in the ports of Great Britain, which were, however, very few, moft of
them, in apprehenfion of fuch a meafure, having previoufly failed.

February 1 1'" — In a committee of the houfe of lords upon the flate
of the nation, the lofl!es fuftained by the war with America were ftated
as follows.

There were 733 veflels taken by the Americans, of which 47 had
been releafed, and 127 retaken. The value of the remaining 559
appeared, from the examination of merchants, to be at lcafl^2,6oo,ooo;
and the lofs in falvage, intereft on the value of the caj-goes, and lofs
of markets, on the retaken fliips muft have amounted to a very con-
fiderable fum. Of 200 fliips, annually employed in the African trade
before the commencement of the war, there were not now abovt
40, whereby there was a deficiency of 160 fliips, which, valued on an
average at ^{"9,000 each, made a diminution of /^i, 440,000 annually
in that one branch of trade*. Infurance to the Weft-Indies and North
America was raifed from 2| to 5 per cent with convoy, and to 15
per cent, if without convoy and unarmed, though in general no infur-
ance at all could be made on fliips in fuch circumftances. Seaniens
wages were raifed from £ i 10 o to/? 3 5 o per month ;
Potaflies, - - -080 — 3100 per cwt ;
Sperma-ceti oil, - 35 o o — 70 o o per tun;

Tar, - - - 070 iioo per barrel;

and fugars, and other Weft-India commodities, as well as all kinds of
naval ftores from North America, greatly advanced. The number of
American privateers, of which authentic accounts were received, was
173, which carried 2,556 guns, and near 14,000 men. Of thefe 34
were taken, which carried 3,217 men.

In order to comfort the nation for thefe lofles, it was urged on the
other hand, that the lofles of the Britifli merchants were not fo great as

* With grcit deference to llie high authority, year 1777 (tlie year to wliich the (l.itemciit muft

from which tl.i; ilatcinent is derived, it may here be finniofcd to refer) vvcro jS.and th.»t thecargoei

be obfcrvcd fium later and more coricft iitcounts, of fucli tlu'ps, on an avcMgc of fcveral years, were

that in tlie year 1771, whci tlic African trade was under ;^4,930. The numbers of (liipi, &c. will be

at its greatcll liciglil, the rtiijjs fitted out for it ftated more fully under llie year 1788.
from Britain w\rc onlv \(j2, thjt the ft^ips in lie

Vol. III. 4 I

6i8 A. D. 1778.

they were Hud to be, and that thofe of the Americans were ftill greater ;
that 904 vefTels had been taken from them, which at the very moderate
valuation of ;^2,ooo each, would amount to ^1,808,000*; and if to
that fura the value of the fifheries, of which the Americans were now
deprived f , were added, it would appear that this country was already
benefited £2,200,000 by the war, and that the advantages flowing from
the war would be ftill greater in future.

March — ^The permiffion to employ foreign feamen onboard mer-
chant fliips, in a proportion not exceeding three fourths of their whole
complement, was prolonged till the 25'" of March 1779. [18 Geo. Ill,
c. 6.]

The mercantile city of Briftol, which had hitherto been without a
theatre -royal, had now one licenced by parUament. [18 Geo. Ill,
c. 8.]

In a few days after the treaties with America had been concluded at
Paris, a conciliatory plan was propofed in parliament, which, it was
hoped, would detach the Americans from their -new allies, and induce
them to return to a connedlion with the mother country, which (hould
be much more favourable to them than their former condition. In
purfuance of this meafure, the ad [14 Geo. Ill, c. 45] for altering the
conflitution of the province of Maflachufet's bay was totally repealed.
[18 Geo. Ill, <:. II.]

And the Britifli legiflature now declared, that ' the king and parlia-
' ment of Great Britain will not impofe any duty, tax, or aflelTment
' whatever, payable in any of his Majefty's colonies, provinces, and
' plantations, in North America or the Weft-Indies ; except only fuch

* This reafoning puts one in mind of the (lory f The mod important confcquence of the ex-
of the attorney, who, when his chent complained pulfion of the American fifhermtn from their pro-
that he was reduced to his laft guinea by his law per employment was, that almoli all the men, and
i"uit, comforted him with the afTurance that his ad- all the fall-failing veflels, were immediately, and of
verfary was reduced to his laft farthing. But, neceffity, employed in privateering : and the con-
_c;ranting that the ruin of fifherman, merchants, fcquence of that was, that 1,095 Briti(h vefTels, and
?.nd (hip-owners, in America were an advantage to the cargoes of 13 more, were in the courfe of the
this nation, it was furely no recompenfe to the in- war carried into the filhinpr ports of Bofton, Salem,
dividual fufferers in Britain ; nor could the value Beverly, Newbur)-port, Marble-head, Gloucefter,
of the American prizes be near fo high as it was Haverhill, and Ipfwich, in the middle diftrift of
calculated. None of them were of very great va- MafTachufet's bay, as appears by the records of the
lue ; and a very great proportion of them were maritime court, befides what were carried into
fmall floops and fchooners, worth lefs than jfsoo other ports, and thofe that were retaken, which
for velTel and cargo. As to the filberies, that of are eftimated to have been above half as many as
Newfoundland and Labrador was fcarcely at all were earned into port by the captors. At leaft
iiicreaftd by the expulfion of the Americans from 550 fail were computed to have been taken by the
it, becaufe men could not be found to catch the piivateers belonging to the other two diftridli of
quantity of fi(h, which the American fi(hermen MafTachufet's bay ; and thofe belonging to the
ufed to catch : the Southern whale fifhery, being filhing ports of the other New-England govern-
yet in its infancy, produced but a mere trifle ; nor ments were equally fuccefsful in deftroying the
does it at all follow, that if there had been no war, Britifh commerce. Infinitely better had it been
that fifhery could have remained exclufively in the for the Britifli merchants, if the hoflihties of thofe
hands of the Americans, as it cannot be fuppofed men and vefTels had ftill been directed againft whales
that the Britifh merchants would have abflaiued and cods. \?>cc. Coxc^s View of the UniuJJIatti of
from it merely in complaifance to them. America, p. l^yl

A. D. 1778.

19

* duties as it may be expedient to impofe for the regulation of com-

* merce ; the net produce of fuch duties to be always paid and applied
' to and for the ufe of the colony, province, or plantation, in which
' the fame (hall be refpectively levied, in fuch manner as other duties
' collected by the authority of the refpedive general courts, or gen-
' eral affemblies of fuch colonies, provinces, or plantations, are or-
' dinarily paid and applied.' The duty payable upon tea in North
America (by ad 7 Geo. Ill, c. 46) was alfo repealed [18 Geo. Ill,
c. 12.]

Moreover parliament empowered the king to appoint five commif-
fioners to go to America, and there to treat with any perfons whatfoever
concerning the redrefs of any grievances exifting, or fuppofed to exift,
in the government of the colonies, or the laws of this country refpedl-
ing them, and concerning any aid to be furnifhed by any of the colonies
for the common defence of this realm and the dominions thereunto be-
longing. Thofe commiflioners were authorized to order a ceflation of
hoflilities, to fufpend the operation of any law relating to America paff-
ed fince the 10'" of February 1763, to grant pardons, and to cftablifli
government in the king's name. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 13,]

In confequence of this adt five commiflioners were appointed
(April 13"'), who finding the congrefs firmly determined againfl; en-
tering into any negotiation with them, which fliould tend to efla-
blilh a dependence of the colonies upon Great Britain, foon return-
ed home.

A new adt was pafil'd, permitting the exportation of limited quanti-
ties of corn, &c. for the ufe of the fifheries at Newfoundland, Nova-
Scotia, and Labrador, from the following ports, viz. *

London, _ - _

Briftol,

Poole, - - -

Dartmouth,

Topfham and Teignmouth,

Barn fla pic,

Liverpool,

Weymouth,

Cheftor,

[l8 G^o. ///, r. 16.]

The duty of one halfpenny on every chaldron of coals fliipped at
Newcaftle and Sunderland, impofed for the improvement of the harbour
of Scarburgh , and alfo fome duties on the trade of that port impolld

• The fpccificatioii of thcfe quantities of proYifion* may fcfTC to ftiow the proportion of the
fifhing trade of cacli of ihc tuvvni.

4la

Wheat-floiir,

Peas,

Biscuit,

1,400 qrs.

900 qrs.

850 tuns

900

800

800

3,200

1,300

1,400

2>45o

950

1,000

2,400

1,200

I, too

400

150

'5°

300

150

150

200

120

60

300

120

100

620 A. D. 1778.

for the fame purpofe, were prolonged for twenty years, to be comput-
ed from 24}^ June 1783. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 20.]

Six millions were raifcd by a loan, for which the fubfcribers received
a permanent intereft of j^3, together with a terminable annuity of
f.2 : 10 : o for thirty years, or, in the option of the fubfcribers, for
life, for every ;^ioo paid in ; with a privilege to the fubfcriber of ^^"500
to have four tickets at ;(^io each in a lottery, by which the further fum
of ;(r48o,ooo was to be raifed. And, in order to guard againft the many
frauds and abufes pradlifed in the negotiation of lottery tickets, it was
now enaded, that office-keepers felling (hares of tickets, which they
were not poflefTed of, fhould fufFer three months imprifonment, and
pay a fine of £$00* ; that every office-keeper fhould pay ^'50 for a
licence, to be in force for one year; that no fmaller (hare of a ticket than
a flxteenth {hould be foldf ; that all fhares of tickets fliould be ftamped
by an officer appointed by the lords of the treafury : and all fchemcs
grafted upon the lottery were declared unlawful, and prohibited J. [18
Geo. Ill, c. 22.] In confequence of this act the number of dealers in
lottery tickets was reduced to fifty-one for all England ; whereas in
the preceding year there were above four hundred lottery offices in
and about London only. There was flill, however, much room left for
reform in lottery tranfactions.

April 16'" — Tobacco, which had been exported from Britain, was
allowed to be re-imported in the original package, if not manufadured,
though it had been fold abroad, paying duty as on the firfl importation:
and tobacco, produced in the ifland of Dominica, was admitted to entry
on the fame terms as tobacco produced in North America. [18 Geo.
Ill, c. 24.]

By an ad for impofing duties on dwelling houfes, the warehoufes and
other sbuildings ereded for carrying on manufadures or trades were ex-
empted from the duties, [18 Geo. Ill, c. 26.]

* When fucli tickets proved blanks, their price before me) that offered three-hundredth (liares at

vas clear profit to the office-keepers : and, as on one fliilling each.

the other hand they tlicreby oblryed themfelves to J Bcfides miniature lotteries with (hilling tick-
pay the prizes out of their own pockets, the ad- ets, there were tickets ilTued by publifliers of lady's
venturers fometimes faw the cup of their good for- pocket books, almanacks, fong books, and maga-
tune dafhed from their lips, when they thought zines, who all had agents all over the three king-
'hemftlvcs fure of it. One ofHcc-keeper at York doms, and alfo by bakers, dealers in potatoes, pen-
became bankrupt for a large fum, in confequence ny-barbers, S:c. promifing certain fums to their cuf-
of having fold feveral copies of cnc number, which tomcrs, if their numbers fliould turn out confider-
unfortunately for him, and indeed for all concerned, ablepri7.es in the lottery. But all thefe projec-
came up a prize of ^([20,000. tors wifely excluded the fmall and middling prizes

•f Before this regulation took place, fixty-fourth (almoft the whole in point of number) as beneath

fnares were fold in ever)- office, which brought a the attention of the adventurers : and accordingly

lottery adventure within the reach of all, who could it frequently happened, that their agents in the

by any means command five fhillings. And there country towns accounted to them for feveral hun-

was at leaft one office in the year 1777 (whofe ad- dred tickets, without having one prize to retain for

vcrtifement upon the cover of a magazine is now their own neighbours, who had bought the fwindl-

fng tickets from them.

A. D. 1778. 621

An additional duty of ;^8 : 8 : o per tun was laid on all French
wines, and of f\/^ 14 : o per tun on all other wines. [18 Geo. Ill, c.

The duties, formerly collected for improving the harbour of Rye in
Suffex, were continued for twenty-one years. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 32.]

The corporation of the Trinity houfe was empowered to rebuild and
maintain the light-houfe on the rocks called the Smalls, in S'. George's
channel, (firfl: eredled in the year 1776) and to levy a fmall tunnage
duty on all veflels benefited by the light. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 42.]

Several ads, which were near expiring, were continued, as follows.

The act for granting an allowance on the exportation of Britifh-made
gun-powder, continued to 29'" September 1785.

The adt for the encouragement of Britifh-made fail-cloth, continued
to 29'" September 1785 *.

The act for carrying Britilh fugars from the place of their growth in
Britilh-built veflels, navigated according to law, directly to foreign parts,
continued to 29"" September 1785.

The ad for punifhing perfons going armed in defiance of the reve-
nue laws, continued to 29"" September 1785.

The adt prohibiting the irnportation of light filver coin, &c. continu-
ed to i" May 1783.

The ad for allowing a bounty on flax-feed imported into Ireland,
continued to i" January 178c.

The ad for the better regulation of pilots conducting veflels into the
Thames, continued to 25"' March 1792.

The ad for allowing the exportation of wheat, 6cc. to the fugar colo-
nies, S'. Helena, India, and the flflieries of Newfoimdland, Sec. continu-
ed to 1" May 1779. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 45.]

The city of London was empowered by various ads to borrow feveral
fums of money for the purpofe of completing fume public works, wid-
ening flreets, and making other improvements. [18 Geo. Ill, cc. 48-51 ,

71.73. 77. ^^/^?y-] ^ . r. ...

Among the articles of the expenditure of the public money this year

we find ^' 1 05,227 : 8 : 3 for defraying the cxpenfe of recoining the de-
ficient gold money. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 54.]

May 28'" — When the Navigation ad [12 Car. II, c. 18] was palled,
the advantages lecured by it to the natiomd commerce were extended
to Ireland as well as to England. But, by a reftridion, which was now
fligmati/ed in parliament by Mr. Burke as ' a left-handed policy,' and
afterwards by Lord North, as ' narrow prejudice and blind policy,' the
Iridi were foon deprived of the commercial benefits refulting from this

• Ptrliaps wc may afcribc to the continued cii- there wiro i i,5So p cc-s in the year 1774 ; 6,757
couragomiiit of thole ails the following r.ip'd »tc- jiitces in 1775 ; 2,659 P-'ccs in 1776; I,3':^5 F''ccc»
crcafe of the iiiipoitaiion of fail-cloth from Riilli.'. :' 111 1777 ; .nnd 4- 1 pieces in 1778.

622 A. D. 1778.

famous ad, and placed, with refpe(n: to commercial liberty, almoft in the
fituation of foreigners. The commercial diftrelles luffered by Ireland from
thofe reftriftions, it was now aflerted, had rendered that country incap-
able of fupporting the great expenfes attached to the government of it,
and called aloud for relief. On the firfl; introduction of a propolal in
parliament for the relief of Ireland (April 2'') the motion, which was
made by adminiftration, had the uncommon good fortune to be alfo
cordially fupportcd by the principal members, and the greateft number,
of the oppofition, as a meafure, not only of juftice, but alfo of prudence
and real policy. It was obferved, that the reftrictions upon the com-
merce and manufactures of Ireland, which originated in a great degree
from a zeal for promoting the profperity of the favourite woollen ma-
nuf\6ture of England, had produced efFeds diametrically oppofite to the
intentions of thofe who planned them, and driven the Irifli into a ne-
ceffity of exporting their wool, in a manner too open to be called clan-
defline *, to the rivals of England, who bought it up with the greateft
avidity at a higher price than was given by the Englifli manufadurers,
and were, notwithftanding, enabled, principally by the cheapnefs of
their living, to underfell us in foreign markets. The bufinefs being
thus brought into parliament, the further confideration of it was pofl-
poned till after the Eafter holidays, when, from fuch an harmonious
commencement, it might have been expected to go fmoothly through
the parliamentary forms: but the event was very different.

During the recefs a ftrong oppofition was induflrioufly formed againft
the Irifh bills ; and mofl of the commercial and manufaduring com-
munities in Great Britain, forgetting that reciprocity and competition
ferve to animate, inftead of injuring, commerce and manufadtures, efpe-
cially thofe intended for foreign confumption, were fomehow made to
apprehend, that whatever fliould be granted to the Irifh muft be taken
from them, and were thereupon ftlrred up to petition ftrenuoufly againft
any indulgence to Ireland, which, they alleged, would be enabled by
the low price of labour, and the low rate of taxes f , to underfell and ruin
the Britifh manufadurers. In the midft of this buftle and alarm, which
infeded almoft all ranks of people to a degree that pofterity would, per-

* Similar caufes produce fimilar effcfts. Doc- orlylq/'each on an average to the revenue, while

tor Aiulerfon was informed in the year 1784, that thofe of Britain paid a^2 each; and tiience the Irilli

they had begun to fmuggh" wool to France from toi'.!d afford to work, fo much cheaper than Britifli

the Weftern iflanda of Scotland : and lie obfci ves, workmen. If as great a proportion of the people

that all the fmuggling trade now carried on iu Brit- were employed in profitable labour as of the people

ain is believed to owe its foundation to the fmugg- ot Britain, that argument might have its full weight;

ling of wool. He moreover afcribes tlie degencr. but it needs noL be dtmonflrated, that the payment

•ated quality of our wool, and feveial otiier bad con- oficymay be a greater hardfliip upon one man,

fequences, to the fevere laws againft the export- than that of £z is upon another : and it was well

ationofwool. \_^nderfon's PreJ'enlJlate of the Heb- obferved by Mr. Burke upon this occafion, that

rides (Wcjlern illands),p. 121.] « taxes muft follow wealth, not precede it.'

f It was Uiged that the people of Ireland paid

A. D. 1778. 623

haps, fcarcely credit if it were to be enlarged upon, the city of London
had the honour to maintain the fuperiority of its charadter, remaining
unmoved by the clamour, and taking no concern in oppofing the eman-
cipation of Ireland.

Without entering into thequeftion, whether the capacity of executing
work cheaper be a fufficient reafon for tying up the hands of thofe, who
can furnifli a commodity on the lowed terms, in order to tax ourfelves*
with a monopoly for the benefit of thofe, who are already in poflefTion
of a manufadurc, for which they make the public pay great prices ; or
into the queftion, whether the higheft prices are not generally given to
workmen by thofe manufadurers, who from the greatnefs of their capi-
tals, the fuperiority of their machinery, the privilege, conferred by the
greatnefs of their bufinefs, of felefting their cuftomers, and other ad-
vanta^^es infeparable from the eftabliflied poffeflion of a trade, are en-
abled to underfell their poorer and younger competitors in bufinefs ;
and confequently, whether the propofition, that lower wages will in-
fallibly, and in all cafes, produce cheaper goods, be not fallacious ; it is
fufficient to relate, that after a keen altercation in parliament, and hear-
ing counfel, and examining evidence, on various parts of the bufinefs,
the friends of Ireland thought proper, at leaft for the prefent, to give up
fome part of their demands ; and

The Irifli were allowed after the 24"" of June 1778 to export to the
Britiih fettlements in America and Africa the produce and manufadures
of Ireland, with the exception of wool and woollen manufadures of
every fort, cotton manufadures of all forts mixed or unmixed, hats,
glafs, hops, gun-powder, and coals. They were alfo allowed to export all
kinds of I3ritini goods lawfully imported, except woollen goods and
glafs ; and they were moreover allowed to export foreign goods legally
imported by certificate, except linens. But they were prohibited Irom
exporting iron, and iron wares, till the Irifli parliament fiiould lay a
prefcribed duty on them ; and they were in like manner enjoined to
charge duties and taxes on all their manufadures, equivalent to thofe
paid on fimilar manufadures of Britifii fabric, whether on the raw ma-
terials or finiflied goods. Veflels, owned by the Irifli, were intitled to
receive the bounties for fidieries of every kind ; and veflels, built in Ire-
land, were thenceforth to be conlidered as Britifli-built veflels. [18 Geo.

JII, c. SS-]

Cotton yarn, fpun in Ireland, was alfo allowed to be imported into
Great Britain free of duty. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 56.]

All fugars, fliipped from any Britifli colony, without a proper certi-
ficate of their being the produce of the colony at wliicli they are fliip-
ped, were made liable to pay duty as foreign fugars. [18 Geo. Ill, c. 58.]

• Only oiurdvcs ; Tor foreigners will pay no attention to our laws, but buy v here they can le
ilitapcll fcived. *

624 A. D. 1778.

A projier harbour on the fouth fide of the Murray tirth being much
wanted for the protection of veflels navigating the northern feas, and
the mouth of the River Findhorn being efleemed a commodious place
for that purpofe, Mr. Munro of Novar undertook to erect and main-
tain the neceflary buildings, on being empowered by parUament to re-
ceive a fmall duty from vefTels ufmg the harbour, and goods landed in
it. [18 Geo. HI, c. 70.]

June 23'' — In the light-houfe at Ipfwich a trial was made of a new
improvement in the manner of conftruding lights for the benefit of
veflcls at fea, which confifis in reflecting the light of a great aflemblage
of lamps from about a thoufand fmall mirrors; and it was foimd to
produce the appearance of a vaft globe of fire, when obferved at fea in
the night.

The Eaft-India company raifed their annual dividend to eight per cent,
at which rate the Midfummer dividend was paid.

The moft anxious apprehenfions were entertained for the fafety of
two fleets of Eafl-India fhips, which could not pofllbly be fufficiently
prepared for war, and alfo of two fleets of Wefl:-India fliips, now on
their way home, which together confl:ituted a great proportion of the
Britifli trade, were of a prodigious value, and were all now in danger
of running into the arms of the enemy ; for the Channel was at this
time covered by a French fleet, the frigates of which were very numer-
ous beyond the ufual proportion, and very widely difperfed ; while the
Britifli fleet, commanded by Admiral Keppel, was placed between them
and the coafl: of France. This pofition of the two fleets, and the preval-
ence of the wefterly winds, might have enabled the French frigates to
pick up our fhips, even in fight of the Britifli admiral, who would have
been unable to go to their afliftance. But happily all thofe apprehen-
fions were removed by the confequences of the engagement between the
two fleets, after which the French immediately retreated in the night to
the harbour of Breft (July 27'") : and though they afterwards jjut to fea
again, they fliill evaded coming to adtion, and fpent the feafon in cruif-
ing on the coafl of Spain to no vifible purpofe. In the meantime Ad-
miral Keppel, having lefi: two fhips of the line to protect the homeward-
bound trade while he refitted his fleet at Plymouth, was very foon at
fea again, and rode triumphant in the Channel during the remainder of
the feafon, whereby the fiiuation of the floating property of the two
countries was entirely reverfed. All the Britifli fliips from every quar-
ter of the world arrived in perfedt fafety ; and a very great number of
the French fliips fell into the hands of our cruifers *. Thus the adHon
of the 27"'' of July, though not decifive with refpedl to the contending

* The damage fuffcred by the French commerce on this occaflon is eftimated by Raynal at
from 80 to 100 millions of livres. \_HiJl. phU. tt polit. V. ix, f. 216.] -

A. D. 1778. 625

fleets engaged, was prodinflive of all the beneficial confequences which
the moft complete vidlory could have conferred, with refped to the
commercial profperity of this kingdom.

The duty of four and a half per cent on all dead produce fhipped
from Barbados and the other fugar colonies, except Jamaica and the
Ceded iflands, having ever fince the firfl commencement of it in the
year 1663 been paid in kind, a collector of the cuftoms in one of the
iflands, in his great regard for the intereft of the crown, refufed to re-
ceive the fugars, &c. as formerly, alleging that the worfl: produce was
given in payment of the duty. The planters thereupon refufed to fhip
any produce ; and fo the matter refled till the arrival of Admiral Har-
rington, who carried over orders to receive the produce according to the
old eftablifhed cuflom.

From the very commencement of the troubles in America the Dutch,
as T have already had occafion more than once to obferve, had taken
every opportunity, compatible with their charaderiftic national cau-
tioufnefs, to enter into commercial engagements with the Americans.
Soon after the French concluded their treaties with them as indepen-
dent dates, the politics of that nation fo far prevailed in Holland, that
Mr. Van Berkel, confelor and penfionary of the city of Amflerdam,
which is well known to influence the whole Dutch confederacy, com-
miflioned Mr. Neufville, a merchant of that city, to draw up, in con-
cert with Mr. Lee, the commiflioner from the American congrefs, a
flcetch of a treaty of amity and commerce, in order to eftablifli, as Mr.
Neufville exprefles it, the union of the T'zventy Jiates, (i. e. the Dutch
feven and the American thirteen) and, as they wiflied rtill to keep it
fecret, thofe gentlemen met at Aix-la-chapelle, where they figned the
treaty (September 4"'), the fubftance of whicli is as follows.

After premifmg that their conncdion fliould be eftabliflied on the
bafis of perfect equality and reciprocal utility, and that each party
fliould be at liberty 10 admit other nations to a participation of the ad-
vantages now agreed upon to be mutually enjoyed by the contracting
powers, it proceeds to ftipulate, that

Article 2) The Dutch fliould pay only the fame duties in the Ame-
rican ports, that the Americans themfelvcs pay, and fliould alio enjoy
equal privileges with them, as well in palluig between the diflfcrent
ftates, as when bound to other parts of the world.

3) The Americans fliould enjoy all the lame advantages in the ports
of Holland.

4) The fubjccls of cither power were to have perfe(5t freedom to tra-
vel in the territories of the other, coiiformuig however, to the laws of
the country.

5) The fubjeds of both fliould have liberty to import in their vcfllls
;ill kinds of goods not particuhulv prohibited; to open warchoufes for

Vol. in. ' 4 ^

626 A. D. 1778.

dilpofing ot their gooik by wholefale ; to purchafe all kinds of goods
not particularly prohibited ; smd to carry them wherever they pleafed.

8, 9) The Dutch engaged to proted the vellels and efteds of the
Americans in their ports and on their coails ; and that their fhips of
war £hould proted the American traders at fea, fo far as they fliould
keep company with them. And the United ftates promifed equal pro-
tedion to the veflels and effiids of the Dutch.

10) The Dutch promifed to ufc their intereft with the emperor of
Morocco, and the other piratical Moorifli govermnents of Africa, to ab-
ftain from molefting the American trade.

ri 27) The next feventeen articles contain regulations for prefer\'-

ing rhe property of the deceafed ; for the condud of merchfints, com-
manders of vefibls and feamen ; for examining veflels at fea, and how
to proceed with refped to contraband goods ; for fhips of war and pri-
vateers with refped to veffels taken or retaken by them ; for the treat-
ment of velfels wrecked, 8cc.

28) The veflels of either power were at liberty to liavigate to and from
all ports whatfoever, not excepting thofe of rhe enemies of the other
power, and freely to carry the property of fuch enemies, and alfo their
jxirfons, except only their military forces, as pafl^engers.

29) In the enumeration of goods, which might be freely carried
bv the vefl^els of either power to a nation at war with the other, except-
ing only to towns befieged or blocked up, are not only wool, filk, &c.
and the goods manufadured from them, gold and filver, corn, and
other articles of provifions, but alfo fhip timber, fails, canvafs, and
whatever is not formed into thefhape of warlike weapons.

30) In cafe of either of the powers being engaged in war, the vefl"els
belonging to the other were to be furnifhed with annual paflports and
certificates.

34) Each power agreed to receive confuls, commiflaries, &c. appoint-
ed by the other.

So very clofely was this treaty conduded, that the Britifli miniftry
got their firfl: knowlege of it by a copy found in the pofl^efllon of Mr.
Laurens, when he was taken at fea in his paflTage from America for Hol-
land in September 1780.

The ifland of Dominica, ever fince the year 1766, when its harbours
of Prince Ruperts bay and Rofeau (the name of which General Mel-
ville, the firfl Britifli governor-general, changed to Charlottetown) were
declared free ports, had enjoyed a confiderable fliare of commercial
profperity from the refort of French and Spanifli veflels, which brought
mules, cattle, indigo, cotton, and bullion, in exchange for negroes and
Britifli manufadures. Its produce was alfo confiderably increafed,
thovigh not in the proportion that might be inferred from the cuftom-
houfe accounts of the imports from it, a great part of which muft be
allowed to be the produce of foreign iflands brought into its free ports.

A. D. 1778. 627

The fituation of it between the French iflands of Guadaloupe and
Martinique, both in fight, renders it a pofl of |great importance in time
of war ; and accordingly no pains nor expenfe were fpared in fortifying
it. But fortifications and guns are of no avail without men. The
whole military force fl:ationed in the illand confided oi Jix officers and
ninety-four privates, when it was attacked by the marquis de Bouille,
the governor-general of Martinique, (7''' September) with a large fleet
of frigates and privateers, carrying above 2,000 regular troops befides
a crowd of vohmteers. After a gallant defence by the few foldiers and
the Britifh part of the militia (for the French inhabitants difappeared
during the attack) the ifland fubmitted to the marquis, who granted
very liberal terms of capitulation, whereby the inhabitants were allow-
ed to retain their religion and civil government, and all their property
on the ifland of every kind, which privilege was alio extended to the
abfent proprietors.

The neighbouring iflands muft^ have immediately followed the fortune
of Dominica, had not the opportune arrival of Admiral Barrington pro-
teded them, and checked the career of the French for the prelent.

September, Odober — The acquifition of Dominica by tlie French
was fully balanced by the heavy lofles fuftained in their floating com-
merce in confequence of their fleets relinquifliing the protedion of it.
Among the prizes taken from them about this time, the mofl; import-
ant were the Modefte from China, loaded chiefly with tea, and valued
at ^^00,000, taken by the Porcupine floop of war ; the Gafton, alio an
Indiaman, taken by two privateers of Liverpool, and eftimated at
;,(^50o,ooo, the moft valuable part of the cargo of another India-man,
which was wrecked, being onboard her in addition to her own ; be-
fides about tony fail of Weft-India fliips with valuable cargoes, eftimat-
ed on an average worth ;(^ 15,000 each *.

In the Weft-Indies the lofs of Dominica might have been fully compenf-
ated by the acquifition of S'. I.ucia. Since the peace of 1763, where-
by the pofl^eflion of that ifland was confirmed to France, it had been
cultivated with confiderable fuccefs. It contained fifty-tlu-ee fugar
plmtations, befides a very great number of fettlcments in coffee, cacao,
and cotton: and its population confifted of 2,300 white people, 1,050
free people of colour, and 16,000 negro flavcs. Of the produce export-
ed, amounting to 3,000,000 livres (/^i 33,333 : 6 : 8 fterling) in value,
about two thirds went into the hands of the Americans, Uritifli, and
Dutch, in payment of their commodities and manufactures, and the
remainder was fcnt to Martinique, whence it was fliipped tor France.
But it was fuppofed capable of raifing produce to the amount of nine
or ten millions of livres .annually, if fully cultivated. Such was the Ifland
of S'. Lucia, according to the Abbe Raynal, [T. vli, />. 50J whole

• So covered was llic fca at thii lime by Biilii'.i cruUkii, t)'« * L;lJoii packet was bujrJcdl.r
abo»e forty of tlicm in tlic coiiirc ol'lirr fhort ^.^nige.

» 4 K 2

628 A. D. 1778.

account of a French colony may be prei'umed to be corred, when it
was reduced (December) by Admiral Barrington and General Mea-
dows : and the amount of its imports to Britain during the war fliows,
that, if it had remained under the Britifh dominion, a proper applica-
tion of capital and induftry could foon have rendered it one of the moft
important of our Weft-India iflands after Jamaica.

While thefe various operations of war were going forward in the
Weft-Indies, the planters and merchants concerned in the profperity of
oxu- fugar colonies made frequent and earneft applications to the mini-
ftry for a naval force to be lent for the protection of their property.
To thefe they conftantly received palliative anfwers, but no pofitive
aflurance of relief, the whole naval force that could be fpared from
home fervice, being, in truth, engrofled by the hoftile operations
againft the American ftates. So, finding no profpe6l of help from that
quarter, they defifted from further application, after defiring the firft
lord of the admiralty to remember, that they had difcharged the duty
they owed to themfelves and to the public, by warning him of the great
danger to which the vaft Britifti capital, employed in the cultivation of
the iflands, was expofed by the total want of a protedting force, and the
hoftile preparations going forward in the French and Spanifli iflands.
They next addrefled (16"" December) a petition to the king, as the con-
Jiituticiial guardian of tbe property of all his fubjeSis, wherein they repre-
fented to him, that by the privation of the wonted fupplies of provifions
and lumber from America, the iflands were reduced to a fcarcity of
food almoft approaching to famine, and their eftates were in abfolute
want of many articles eflentially neceftary to their culture, whereby
their produce was greatly diminiflied ; that their property to a very
great amount had been taken by the enemy upon the feas ; that their
applications to his minifters had been without effe6l ; that the war of
defolation, declared by the commiffioners againft America, would pro-
bably provoke retaliations, in the courfe of which the unproteded fugar
iflands might be ruined, even by a fmall armament, conduded by peo-
ple perfedlly well acquainted with every part of them ; and that I'uch
calamities muft greatly affed his revenue and maritime power, and alfo
the manufadures, commerce, and wealth, of his fubjeds in general.

In the meantime the Dutch were in great hopes, that, by virtue of
their profefl^ed neutrality they fliould be enabled to recover their for-
mer pre-eminence as the general carriers and fadors of Europe. But
great numbers of their veflels being feized by the Britifli cruifers, as
having PVench property and naval ftores onboard, the Dutch merchants
and owners of vefl^els made heavy complaints to the States-general, that
their ftiips loaded with mafts, planks, hemp, and other articles from
the Baltic, and even ftiips loaded with other kinds of goods, bound to
France, were feized and carried into Britifti ports. In confequence
of their complaints the Dutch ambaflTador at London prefented a me-

A. D. 1778. 629

morial to the king, wherein he remonftrated againfl the detention of
their veflels, and demanded their reieafe (September 28'"). In reply,
the earl of Suffolk informed him, that the king had given orders, that
all the Dutch vcffels loaded with unexceptionable cargoes Ihould be re-
jeafed, and the naval commanders fhould be directed not to interrupt
their Lnvful commerce; and that the naval ftores, which were feized,
fliould be paid for at a fair valuation, together with the freight, and a
reafonable allowance for expenfes and damages (Odober 19'").

Notwithflanding the flattering pidure of the profits and advantages
accruing to the nation from the war, drawn by fome fpeakers in parlia-
ment in the beginning of this year, the calamities infeparable from a
flate of warfire, which the bullle of preparations at the commencement
of it had in a great meafure kept out of fight, and the rapid fortunes
made bythofe, who were drawing great emoluments out of the national
purfe, had varnifhed over with an impofing glare of profperity, were
now too generally and feverely felt by the commercial part of the com-
munity in the lofs of their veflels, and the derangement and ruin of
their trade. Hence the number of bankruptcies this year role to the
unprecedented number of 675, of which there were 83 in the one
month of November ; confidcrably more than twice as many as there
were in a year at the beginning of this century : and the excefs would
be fiill greater, if we could compare the amount, as well as the num-
ber, of the bankruptcies at the beginning of the century with thofe of
this year. It has been aflumed as a maxim, that a great number of
bankruptcies is a proof of the greatnefs of commerce, and that the in-
creale of the one keeps pace with the extenfion of the other. But the
events of this year furnilh at leafl: one exception to that rule ; for the
exports of it appear to be above five millions ihort of thofe of the year
1774, during which there were only 360 bankruptcies*: and a confider-
able part of the goods now exported were carried, not into the ports they
were configned to, but into American and French ports, by pri/-e-mallers.

This year the legiflative afiembly of Jamaica granted an exclulive pat-
ent to Mr. Samuel Sainthill for introducing the ufe of clarifiers in the
procefs of boiling fugar f.

For ages after the dilcovery of the art of printing there was no per-
fon in this country capable of making good types for the printers, and
they continued to be imported from Holland, Germany, &c. till Gallon
arofe, who firfl: attempted with fucccrs to make elegant types : and thofe
of his manufacture loon obtained luch a character, that the continent

• See Mr. Chalmers's Tabic of bankruptcies provcmcnt to his friend John Prociilus Baker Efq',

during this century in iiis FJlimate of the omf.ini- whofe J^ffiiy on lie art of mailnj mufavaJo fu^-ir,

livejlrength cf Grtal Britain, />. xlvi, eJ. 1794. piibiilhca in the year I 77 J, tic fayi, is ' a pcr-

f For a dclcriplian of the clarilicr and the ufc • forinancc, that, for ufcfui knowlcd^je, luciJ or-

of it, tlie reader is referred to the llijhry of the ' dcr, and elegance, both in oirau^niciil and com-

lyejl-fnclies, V. ii, /. J25, rd. 1794, by Mr. Ed- ' pofitiun, would liarc done huuuur to the fiill

^yards; who afcribes the wi^jVu/ luciit of the iin- ' wuicr of tiic age.' \

630 A. D. 1778.

of Europe, inftead of fupplying us with that moft important article,
imported the types of his founding. Mr. William Caflon, who furvived
his father about twenty years, and died this year, carried the art to dill
higher perfedion. But he was not the only man, who improved upon
his father's art, which foon fpread into various parts of thefe kingdoms,
and was carried to great perfedlion, efpecially by Mr. John Bafkerville*
of Birmingham and Meflieurs Foulis of Glafgow : and it is likely to
flourifh as long as a tafte for literature ihall continue to adorn the na-
tion. It is owing to the improvements of thofe friends of their coun-
try, that printed books come now to be confidered as an important Brit-
ifli manufafture, and conftitute a very great article of exportation.

The Britilh and French imports at Hamburgh and Bremen in the
courfe of this year were as follows.

Hamburgh. Bremen.

From Great Britain, Ireland,") ,, c c ^ n c

and the Britilh Weft-Indies I ■^^''25.426 16 o ^182,906 3 o

from France _ _ _ 810,217 14 o 211,412 12 o

The cargoes carried from the Britifh dominions to Hamburgh em-
ployed 131 veflels, whereof 87 were Britifh. The imports from France
to the fame city employed 143 veflels, of which only two were French.

This is the firft time for feveral years that the BritiQi imports at Ham-
burgh exceeded thofe of the French, who thus appear to have begun
immediately to feel in their commerce the effeds of the war, they very
wantonly plunged themfelves into. Unfortunately in fuch cafes the au-
thors of the war are exempted from feeling the calamity, which falls
entirely upon thofe, who had no hand in the pernicious policy whereby
they are ruined.

It may be obferved, as a proof of the increafing opulence, as well as
luxury, of the kingdom (for luxury cannot exift without opulence) tJiat
the duty upon coaches, which in the year 1774 produced ^^42,000,
arofe this year to the fum of ;{'i 17,000 ; whence it appears, that 23,000
coaches were now kept. The increafe of coaches was not, however,
quite in proportion to the increafe of the duty, becaufe additional du-
ties were laid on in the year 1776.

The Eaft-India company had not been wanting in their preparations
for the expected war with France. So prompt, decifive, and fecret, were
their meafures, and fo peculiarly fortunate were they in a rapid con-
veyance of their difpatches, that their forces appear to have attacked
the French factories at Chandenagore, Yaman, Karical, and Mafulipa-
tam, and taken fome French velTels in the Ganges, lb early as the be-
ginning of July. Afterwards their troops under the command of Gen •

* After the death of Mr. Bafkerville in the where, it is faid, they have expended a hundred

year 1775 his heirs wilhed to difpofe of his types ; thiufnnd pounds (Qiiere, if French, or Britilh, mo-

and, (Iraiige to tell, they couM not find a pur- ney ?) in printing tlie works of Voltaire. \_Hut-

chafer for them in Britain. At length they were ton's H't/l. of Birmingham, p. 123, cd. 1795O
fold for ^£'3,700 to a literary fociety in Paris,

A. D. 1778.

631

eral Munro, in conjundion with the few Britifli fliips of war in thofe
feas, commanded by Sir Edward Vernon, reduced Pondicherry, the
chief fettlement of the French, after a fiege of nine weeks (16"' Odober).
By thefe events the power and commerce of the French were extinguifti-
ed in India.

The following is an account of the net produce, in French money,
of the public fales at L'Orient of merchandize imported by the fubjeds
©f France, who engaged in the Eafl-India trade after the fufpenfion of
jhe French Eaft-India company in the year 1769*.

Years.

Merchandize imported from

Total

India.

China.

Uie isles of France
and Bourbon.

sales of the )'ear.

3,-71

^3,256,620 a 5

j^5,173,713 13

4

3^1,906,171 8 11

sSlO,336,50-l 4 8

17/2

9,180,129 17 3

4,699.843 2

7

1,468,173 16 10

15,348,146 16 8

t773

8,711,734 9 11

. 5,822,047 IS

0

650,128 15 6

15,183,911 3 5

1—4

8,-175,691 14 4

8,375,808 7

5

563,904 14 3

17,615,404 16 0

i;7.'3

10,906,21s 17 1

10,912,593 12

0

507,769 11 6

22,326,582 0 7

1/76

19,402,422 1 10

6,504,327 17

6

1,019,329 16 6

26,926,079 16 0

1777

16,616,961 14 6

10,110,327 4

0

782,475 14 0

27.509,764 12 6

1778

9,561,869 19 0

4,300,303 5

e

164,021 14 0

14,026,194 J 8 6

SO, 111,648 16 4
■ ^=

56,09S,U(;3 15

4

7.061,0p5 11 8

140,272,588 3 4

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 7,368 veflels of the reputed burthen of 606,150 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,617 - _ - - 94,915

Total 8,985 701,065

There were entered this year at all the ports of Great Britain, from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

Inward
Outward

Bn'tilh.

Vcffcls.

6,378
7,687

Tuns.

7CI.735
732,558

Foreign.

Tuns.
199-365
93,778

Total.

VdTcls
8,120

8,485

Tuns.

901,100

826,336

VclYch.

1,742

798

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this
year, was

from the cuftom-houfe in London
and from the cuilom-houfe in Edinburgh

;^2,i42,68i 2

20,000 o

Total net revenue of the cufloms of Great Britain ;{'2, 16 2,681 2 o

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
7,500 pounds of gold, value - - ^350,437 10 ^

and no filvcr.

• This accoiinC is taken from Raynal, wlio mny Fiance, while they involved all matters of finance
be depended upon for hia llatements uf French in impencti^blc myiUry, did not fupprefs, nor locL
commercial accounts; as the old government of up, ufiicial ;>ccoui'.'ib ct ctn ir.irc.al !; dis.

The ofHclal value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1777 to Chriflmas 1778 was as follows.

Countries, &c.
Africa
Canaries

Denmark and Norway
East cotintry
East-India
Flanders
France
Germany
Greenland
Holland

Ireland - -

Mann
Italy
Madeira
Majorca
Poland
Portugal
Prussia
Russia
Spain
Gibraltar
Straits
Sweden
Turkey
Venice

Guernsey, &c.
yVmerica in general
Hudson's bay
Newfoundland
Cape Breton
Quebec
Nova Scotia
New England
New York
Pennsylvania
Carolina
Florida

West-Indies in general
Antigua
Barbados
Bermuda
Dominica
Grenada
Jamaica
Montserrat
Nevis

St. Eustathius
St. Christophers
St. Thomas
St. Vincents
Tobago
Tortola

Bay of Honduras
Musquito shore
Southern fishery

Prize goods

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. of Scotland

Total Great Britain

Imported into

KNGL* ND.

4,901

88,8 If)

310,30(5

1,526,130

71,355

23,260

588,198

35,358

346,357

1,360,688

12,123

395,742

1,593

16

19
4
8
10
15
14
14
11
18

7

8

12

16

4

0

11

5

7

2
2
0
0

9
II

10
6
8

987.674
415,702

2,176

223,155

148,919

53,409

49,145

6,589
45,550

73,430

5,329

371

16,192

56

1,073

48,236

160,635

80,008

4,130

162,408

374,689

1,372,677

45,725

73,636

2,093

223,690 13

404 8

112,252

95,284

61,840

44,003

6,620 19

2,049 1'^

SCOTLAND.

i£20,189 I 5

340,576 14 9

7
1

7
12

1

16
18

10
14

4
18
14

4

5

18

7

11
2

2
11

6
10

8

I

7

6
4
1
1

0
9

7

8

1

10

9
1
3
7

15

6,145

10,383

2,750

107,434

121,468

180

1.917

/
0
1

s

3
4
1
11
1
9
7
4
5
6
O
6
0

10,086,536 8 3
206,707 9 8

10,293^243 17 11
740,6...'i 3 1

11,033,898 1 0

5

4

O

17

17

6

11

648 12

9.989 6

25,264 10

11,950 18

115,565 18

9.427
o

1,952
32,891

Exported from

18
1

18,541 13 5

ENGLAND.
^154,086 1

81,840 13
163,655 10

73,110 3
1,199.827 12
1,077,982 17

29,411 16

1,214,929

258

1,390,174

1,470,671

25,779

555,632

23,083

243,951 14 C

19
12

7
18

1
18

O

10
4
0
6
4
3
7
7
o

5
2

4

430,936 16

194,915
980,352

70,568
82,282
50,128
31,063
54,586

8,196

133,577

42

555,061

18
18

3
14
19

9

4

13

13

0

1

25,914

22,833

32,305

1,174

3,935

2

2
1

9

1

11
101

6

11

332,1561 0 0

26,449 2 8

7,537 6

64,165 8 1

107,344 12 8

106,641 4

14,584 10 8

31,813 5

85,629 3

486,870 4 6

8,893 16 6

20,020 12 2

1 .453 ^0 O

75,544 15 0

18
5

15

14

2

JO

SCOTLAND.

s£6,2Sg 12 5

3,881 15 5

78,665 2 11

345,960 14 2

290 14 8

578 6 9

182 1 8

7.818 11 9

3,849 16 1 J

1,221 14 2

725 0 C
120,542 8 8

740,654 3 1

i 1 ,507,525 4 6
43,544 18 0

11,551,070 2 6
702,620 4 7

12,253,890 7 1

132,808 5 1

702,820 4 7

A. D. 1779. 6^^

1779, February 5"" — ^There being a great fcarqity of Italian organzined
filk, which is indifpenfibly neceflary for the warp in filk manufadures,
the importation of the proper kinds of it, from any port, and in any
veflels whfitfoever, was permitted till twenty days after the commence-
ment of the next feffion of parhament : and it was ordered, that all filk,
imported in confequence of this permiffion, {hould be entered in the cuf-
tom-houfe at London, wherever it might be landed. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 9.]

March 16''' — The permiffion to navigate nierchant fliips with foreign
feamen for three fourths of their complements was continued till the
25"' of March 1780. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 14.]

Seven millions were raifed this year by a 'loan, for which the fub-
fcribers received a permanent intereft oi ^'^, together with a terminable
annuity of ^(^3 : 15 : o for twenty-nine years, or in their option for life,
for every >Cioo paid in ; with a privilege to the fublcriber of ;iriooo to
have feven tickets at ^^lo each in a lottery, by which the further fum
of /,'490,ooo was to be raifed. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 18.]

April 1" — Several acts which were near expiring, were continued for
limited times, as follows.

The aft 8 Geo. T, &c. for encouraging the importation of lumber,
&c. from the Britifh colonies in America, continued to 29'" September

i7«5-

The act permitting rum to be landed before the excife duty is paid

down, continued to 29"' September 1785.

The aft permitting the importation of tallow, lard, and greafe, free of
duty, continued to 25"' March 1782.

The aft for regulating the fees of cuflom-houfe officers in America,
continued to i'" Augufl 1782.

The aft permitting the exportation of wheat, &c. to the fugar iflands,
Eafl-lndia, Newfoundland, &c. continued to i"' May 1780.

And at the fame time rum, or fpirits of the produce of the Britifh
fugar colonies, fhipped as flores onboard vefTels bound to foreign coun-
tries, in cafks containing not lefs than 100 gallons, was allowed the fame
drawback of duty, as if fhipped as merchandize*' [19 Geo. Ill, c. 22.]

A new duty of five per cent on the former duties of cufloms and ex-
cife was laid on all articles liable to them, with fome few exceptions.
[19 Geo. Ill, c. 25.]

The adventurers in the herring fifliery on the wefl coafl of Scotland
were fo much diftrefTed by the increafed prices of barrels, fait, naval
ftorcs, and Teamen's wages, thefe articles having advanced fince the
commencement of the war frona 100 to 400 per cent, that the bufmel's
had been rapidly declining fmcc the year 1776*. But thefc were not

• For its increafe after the commencement of fiHicry, was raifed hy it from having only 4 fmall
tlic reduced bounty, regularly paid, fee above, p. Ycflcls and 3,oco or 4,000 inhabitants in the year
595. Campbtlitown, tlic thief rcudczvoui of die I' SO, to the poflcirion of 6i llout vclTcls carrying

Vol. 111. 4 L tj^

634 A. D. 1779.

the only obftrudions to the fuccefs of that important nurfery of feamen,
and fource of opulence. The ad, [11 Geo. Ill, c. 31] by which the
bounty was reduced to thirty (hillings per tun, obliged the bulles to be
at the place of rendezvous on or before the 22'^ of June for the lummer
fifhing, and on or before the 1" of Odober for the winter fifliing. And,
as if the reftridions of the ac^ had not been fufficiently opprelfive, the
officers of the revenue at Edinburgh declared, by a very aftonilhing
conftrudion of the ad, that, if they failed before the 22'' of June, or
i"ofOdobcr, they fhould forfeit all title to the bounty, for that the
words 0.7 OJJ before mufl be underflood to mean on and kot before*.
The owners of the bufles, after having in vain remonftrated with the
commifTioners upon the obvious meaning of the words, applied for re-
drefs to parliament, who, as the former ad for the bounty was now ex-
pired, continued the fame bounty of thirty fliillings per tun for feven
years more, to be computed from the 22" of Odober 1778, and left it
to the fifhers to be at the rendezvous at any time between the i" of
Auguft and the 1" of Odober. To the former places of rendezvous
there were now alfo added Stornoway in the ifland of Lewis, and Siran-
rawer in the fouth-weft corner of Scotland f. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 26.J

An embargo had been laid in the year 1776 on the exportation of
faked provifions from Ireland, in the apprehenfion of the French fur-
nifhing themfelves with a ftock of Irifh provifions for vidualing their
fleets in the impending war ; and it was flill in force. The French
fleets, however, were not difappointed of provifions. Neither did the
French Weft-India iflands fuffer any inconvenience from the want of
Irifli provifions, the American market being open to them. But it was
a grievous, and a ruinous, difappointment to the Irifli to have their
ftores filled with beef, pork, butter, &c. which were periihing on their
hands. Their difcontent was almoft converted into indignation by a
belief, which prevailed very generally among them, that the meafure
did not originate from the profefled motive, but from a defign of giving
enormous lucrative contrads to minifterial favourites. Neither was the

750 men, and a population of above 7,oco iiiliabi- fjhery, whence it is extrafted by tliat zealous

tants in tbc year 1777. But that increalc ii a friend of the fidieries, Mr. John Knox, whofe r/Vw

fmall objtft, in point of national utility, when cf the Britjjh empire mzy he cQa{\A\.cd. hy the. vezA-

compared with the increafe of fcaraen produced by cr, who wilhes to fee a fuller account of the na-

the bounty, it being calculated, that two thirds of ture of tlie fifheries, and the hardlliips that prevent

the feamen who laan the (hipping of the Clyde, their fuccefs, than my bounds will admit of.
btfides a confidi-rable proportion of thofe in the ■\ But experience has proved, that even tliefc re-

veflels belonging to Liverpool, Brillol, and even laxed reftrictions are incompatible with tlie fuccefs

London, and great numbers in the navy, have been of the fithery, which without any limitation of time

bred in that fifhery. or place, fliould be free to follow the (holes of the

* Though I have myfclf feen, and alfo fuffered herrings, which, as Mr. Knox has well obferved,

by, as grofs perverfions of law, yet I think it ne- pay no regard to a&s of parliament, and are, perhaps

cefiary to fupport my account, of what may fecm more irregular on the wefl coall, than in any other

improbable, by faying, that this ftrange mifcon- place, owing, apparantly, to the changes of winds,

ftruftion is pofitively alTcrted in the printed Memo- currents, &c. in a lea fo remarkably crowded v\'ith

rial of the adventurers of the BrliiJ}} ■while herring iflands.

A. D. 1779. 6^s

diftrefs likely to be fliort or tranfient. The northern parts of Germany,
and alfo the neighbouring countries, were already attempting to avail
themfelves of the opportunity thrown into their hands, and of their
low prices of cattle and labour, fo as to get pofleflion of the provifion
trade : but, though they made great efforts, and fpared no expenfe in
obtaining curers and fait proper for the bufmefs, the cargoes they fent
to France were found to iland in no degree of competition with the
Irifh provifions. The Irifh, however, could not fail to be much alarmed,
when they fuw the main rtaple of the trade of the greateft part of their
country * in danger of being annihilated. Nor was the condition of
the northern part of the illand, the feat of the linen manufadure, much
better, the exportation of ihat article having been greatly reduced by
the war. In addition to thefe grievances, many of their veflels were
taken by the enemy, the lofs of which, though not of fo great a value
as thofe taken from Britain, fell heavier upon a country pollefled of lefs
capital. Thefe derangements of the commerce of Ireland were attended
by their never-failing confequences, a flagnation of credit, and the dif-
miflion of many thoufands of workmen, who, with their families, were
reduced to a ftarving condition. Though the charity of the higher
ranks was fo very liberally exerted on this occafion, that, it is laid,
twenty thoufand poor people were dayly fed in the one city of Dublin,
yet that was only an alleviation, which could not poflibly be permanent,
and the poor people were ftill unhappy : for it is not gratis food, but a
capacity to buy their own food by means of fufficient employment, that
can give iubftantial relief to the labouring part of the community, and
make them feel themfelves comfortable and happy.

It was reprefented in parliament, that, if the grievances of Ireland
lliould not be fpcedily redrelled, that country would infallibly be depo-
pulated ; that the people, aduated by the impuHe of the tirfi: law of na-
ture, would emigrate to America, where their countrymen already
formed a principal ])art of the armies now combating againll the mo-
ther country ; and that, when that event lliould take place, the exports
of Great Britain muft be abridged by confidcrably more than two mil-
lions a-year, befidcs the lofs to be fuflained by the failure of Iriih rents
fpent in iMigland, and the drains by penfions, finecure places, law-
fuitR, and journies of bulinefs and pleafure.

The clamour, which had laft year been fo violent againll admitting
the Irifli to a participation of commercial privileges, had now in a
great meafure lubfidcd. But ftill there were fome petitions prefented

• The m.igiutude of the Irilli provifion trade lioni on IrelanJ, p. 97, ei!. 1785.] Cork, to he

may be jiidpecl of from the duty of one penny per fure, is the chlet feat of the provifion trade ; but

head on all cattle entciin^ the gales of Cork there .ire feveral other towns, whicli do a vaft deal

amountinj; to [,f>oo yearly, whence the number ap- in it.

peats to be 144,000. \^LorJ ShrJiiLPt OJferva-

4 L 2

6^6 A. D. 1779.

againfl: it, and particularly from Glafgovv and Manchefter. The friends
of Ireland in the Britilh parliament at iirfl; propofed a free and general
exportation of all kinds of goods, except the woollen manufadure, ' that
article being reckoned too fiicred to he yei meddled with;' but they
found it necelTary to contradl their views, and they only demanded per-
miflion to carry fugars from the Weft-Indies diredly to Ireland. But
the minifter, who had hitherto kept himfelf neutral, I'uddenly declaring
himfelf againft the motion, the degree of relief granted to Ireland fell
greatly fhort of what was generally expeded. The three following ads
may be confidered as favourable to that country.

April i" — The bounties allowed by former ads on the exportation of
Britifla and Irilh linens, the property of perfons refiding in Great Britain
or the American colonies, were continued to the 24"' of June 1786;
and perfons refiding in Ireland were now entitled to receive the bounty
on Irifli linens exported from Great Britain, though their property at
the time of exportation. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 27.]

May 18"' — The ad of 12 Car. II, prohibiting the culture of tobacco
in England and Ireland (enaded for the encouragement of the culture
in America) was now repealed with refped to Ireland, ' as it is of the
' greateft importance to the ftrength and fecurity of thefe kingdoms,
* that every attention and encouragement fhould be given to fuch of
' the produce and manuflidures of the kingdom of Ireland, as do not
' materially interfere with the commercial intereft of Great Britain.'
But the tobacco, produced in Ireland, was allowed to be exported only
to Great Britain, and in calks of not lefs than 450 pounds, under the
fame duties and regulations as American tobacco. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 35.]

As ' a means of introducing trade, manutadures, and induftry, in
Ireland, the following bounties were granted on the importation ot
hemp, the growth of that kingdom, viz.

from 24'" June 1779 to 24 June 1786 - ;^8 1

thence to - - 24 June 1793 - 7 V fterling per tun :

and thence to - 24 June 1800 - 6j

and the importers were obliged to make an offer of all fuch hemp to
the commiflioners of the navy, and not to fell it to any other perfon till
twenty days after making fuch offer. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 37.]

But the Irilh do not fcem to have felt themfelves very much grati-
fied by thefe ads, efpecially with fuch clogs annexed to them : and they
foon after renewed their demands more ftrenuoufly than ever.

French wines, as well as other foreign wines, were allowed to draw
back the whole duty on being exported to any of the Britifh colonies
in America, or to the Eaft-Indies. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 41.]

June i" — As doubts had been entertained, whether goods, manufac-
tured in foreign parts of Europe from raw materials, the produce of
Afia, Africa, or America, might not be imported into Britain, it was

A, D, 1779, 637

now declared, that do fuch goods could by any means be Imported,
except the oils of cloves, cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg. [19 Geo. Ill,

c. 48.]

The pilchard fifliery having of late been fo abundant *, that the
demand in the foreign markets was infufficient to take off the quant-
ity prepared for exportation, it became an objeft of confequence to in-
creal'e the home confumpt. For this purpofe the duty on fait ufed in
curing pilchards was entirely taken off; and inftead of it a duty of 5/27
was laid on every barrel containing 50 gallons of cured pilchards to be-
confumed at home. [19 Geo. Ill, c. 52.]

The duties payable on the exportation from Great Britain of cotton
wool, the growth ot the Britifli colonies, were taken off. [19 (?(?<?.

ni^css.-]

June 14"' — The Ealt -India company having now difcharged their debt
of X^ 1, 400,000 due to the public, and reduced their bond debt to, or
under, £1 ,500,000, the public became intitled to a participation of the
territorial acquifitions and revenues lately obtained in India. They
were, however, continued entire to the company by parliament till the
5"* ot April 1780, they being reftrided from making any dividends
above eight per cent during that time. The company were moreover
direeled to prefent a ftate of their affairs every half year to the lords of
the treafury ; and they were prohibited from accepting bills trom India
for above /!"3oo,ooo, exclufive of certificates for ^8,000 each to the
commanders of their fliips, without the confent of the lords of the
treafury. [19 Geo. Ill, r. 61.]

In confequence of the great increafe of fmuggling, and of the peti-
tions prefented to parliament by the dealers in tea, fpirits, &c. of Lon-
don and many other places, it was cnaded, that all fpiritous liquor, im-
ported from any part of Europe in any calk or velfel containing lefs
than 60 gallons, (except an allowance of two gallons each for the fea-
men) fliould be forfeited, and alio the veflel importing it, of whatever
burthen flie (hould be. All veflels, not of above 200 tuns burthen,
found hovering within two leagues of the coaft, and having onboard
tea, brandy, &c. were made liable to forfeiture. The commanders of
veflels, not being Eafl-India fliips, having onboard 100 pounds of tea,
or more tlian 100 gallons of foreign fpirits in caiks holding under 60
gallons, over the ajlowance of two gallons for each feaman, were made
liable to a penalty of ^^300. Foreign thread lace was required to be
fealed at each end of the piece by a cuflom-houfe officer, and all fo-

• So wonderfully great are the fwarnis of pil- edyrr(Ti/Ao«/5rii</A9r/7vfl<£f, eacli of which was eft im-

chards, lliat llic c.ii>lurc of otic day ia fieqiiently a aled lo contain 35,000 fi(h, which bnnjjs the whole

prodigious great objcft. In S'. IveVb.iy ab many of ihc fiHi taken at once to the allonifiuiig number

were taken at once on the j'" of Odoberi 767,38 fill- of 245,000,000

638 A. D. 1779.

reign lace, not having fuch feals, is liable to forfeiture. [19 Geo. Ill,
c. 69.]

Among the various articles of the public expenditure of this year,
the only one to be noted here is a grant of ^{"5, 000 to MefCeurs Berken-
hout and Clark of Leeds for difcovering to the public their improve-
ment in dying. [19 Geo. Ill, c.'j\.'\

Several ads were paffed, as ufual, for draining fen lands, and for
making and improving canals and roads, &c.

March 3'' — The commander of a flaving veflel from Liverpool was
profecuted by the African committee, as a warning to their other com-
manders, and fined ^^500, for having fold a free negro, whom he had
hired as a failor, for a flave in the year 1774, and who by the exertions
of his friends in Africa had been redeemed from flavery in Jamaica,
and now appeared in court again ft his kidnapper.

On the 16'" of June the marquis de Almadovar, ambaflador from
Spain, delivered to Lord Weymouth, one of the fecretaries of ftate, a
declaration of war againft Britain by his fovereign, who, after fome he-
fitation, was now prevailed upon to join with France and America in
their efforts to humble the power, and ruin the commerce, as well as
difmember the empire, of Great Britain. The marquis at the fame time
informed Lord Weymouth, that he had orders to return immediately
to Spain.

The three-per-cent confolidated funds, which are ufually confidered
as the ftandard for the value of all the others, and which had been at
657 in April, immediately funk to 60, though the real value, as the
dividend wanted but a few days of being due, was now about one half
per cent more than in April. Such was the confequence of the com-
mencement of the Spanilh war upon the funds, or ftocks, as they are
more generally, though lefs properly, called.

As an inftance of the greatnefs and promptitude of the mercantile
maritime force of this country, when it is thought expedient to turn it
afide from the purpofes of commerce to thofe of warfare, I fhall here
obferve, that the one port of Liverpool, between the 26"" of Auguft
1778 and the 17"' of April 1779 fitted out no lefs than 120 privateers,
meafuring 30,787 tuns, and carrying 1,986 guns and 8,754 men, moft
of which were thips of from 14 to 20 guns, though fome of them car-
ried even 30, and a few only 10 or 12 guns. It is worthy of remark,
that the fleet, which England oppofed to the invincible armada of Spain
in the year 1588, and which excited the aftonifhment of Europe, though
it carried almoft twice as many men, meafured (or was computed at) but
1,198 tuns more than this fleet of Liverpool privateers * ; the number

* For this accuraie account of the Liverpool privateers I am Inutbted to the iaduilrious refearch
of Mr. Chahncrs. {_EJltmateof the Jlren^lb of Great Britain, p. i^O, ed. i']C)^'] 2

AD. 1779. 639

of which, we may believe was fbon confiderably augmented, if we con-
lider how popular a Spanifli war is at all times with our feamen, and
how eafily fhips fitted for the flave trade can be converted into fliips of
war.

The homeward-bound Weft-India fliips were aflembled about the-
middle of June at S'. Chriftophers in order to fiil thence under convoj-
for England. But Admiral Byron, the commander of the Britifli fleec
in the Weft-Indies, confidering how great a force the French then had
in thofe feas, and that another French fleet was alfo upon the way from
Europe, concluded that it would be extremely dangerous to detach a part
of his fleet to convoy the trade home, as it would be in the power of the
French admiral to fend off a force fufficicnt to overtake the Weft-Indi:i
fleet, or intercept the fliips of war on their return from efcorting them,
and alfo to overpower that part of his fleet which he fliould retain, as
there was no port in the Weft-Indies capable of proteding them againft
a force fo far fuperior, and he therefor determined to convoy the
merchant fhips a confiderable part of the way with his whole fleet. But,
as no human prudence can at once guard againft every difafter, it ap-
peared, that the fafety of this very valuable fleet of merchant fliips was
purchafcd at the expence of expofmg our Weft-India fettlements to the
enemy ; and two valuable iflands were immediately loft.

That part of the ifland of S\ Vincents, occupied by the Britifli fettlers,
at this time contained 61 fugar plantations; and it had 500 acres in
coffee, 200 in cacao, 400 in cotton, 50 in indigo, and 500 in tobacco,
befides grounds for raifing yams, plantains, and other articles of pro-
vifion. About one third of the ifland was now acknowleged to belong
to the Caribs, or Charaibes, the indigenous proprietors of the whole.
But many unwarrantable attempts were faid to have been made by fome
of the planters to expell thofe people from their poflefllons, which in the
year 1772 brought on a petty fanguinary war (to the great difcontent
of the officers and foldiers employed in it, who execrated it as a difgrace
to their profefllon) which was terminated by an infincere peace in
February 1 773. It was, perhaps, owing to the refentment ftill felt by
the natives for this invafion of their property, that the ifland, though
garrifoned by feven companies of regular troops, now fell, an unrefift-
ing prey, to lb fmalla force as 450 men from Martinique, led by a lieu-
tenant of the French navy ; as the Caribs, who immediately joined the
French, were believed by fome to have invited the attack * (June 1 9'").
The French officer granted liberal terms of capitulation, modeled upon
thofe of the marquis dc Bouille on the furrender of Dominica.

The comte d'Eftaing, the French admiral, being reinforced by the
arrival of the fleet expected from France, now faw himfelf the unrivaled

* It ought, however, to be remembered, that the French were their anticnt friends, with whoc
they had formerly had much intcrcourfc, and whofe language many of them had learned.

640 * A. D. 1779.

mafter of the Weft-Tndia feas : and, indeed, the fate of the iflands feem-
ed to be in his hand. His firft objedt was Grenada, which he at-
tacked with no lefs than twenty-five fhips of the hne and ten frigates,
together with 5,000 foldiers. To that vafl force the iflund could only
oppofe 90 foldiers, 300 militia men, and 1 50 feamen drawn from the
merchant fhips. But this handful of men adted the very reverfe of the
conducl of the people of S'. Vincents, and, notwithftanding the enorm-
ous fuperiority of the enemy, made a brave defence. Their bravery
was unavailing, and Lord Macartney, the governor, was obliged to fur-
render to the irrefiflible power of the enemy (July 2*).

Grenada at this time contained 106 fugar plantations, worked by
18 293 negroes, from which in the year 1776 there were exported

14,012,1157 pounds of mufcavado 7 c^ r ^ cr

9,273,607 pounds of clayed \ -3^285,764 pounds of fugar,

and 818,700 gallons of rum.
The other articles of produce exported that year, were
1,827,166 pounds of coffee,
457,719 pounds of cacao, or chocolate nuts,
91,943 pounds of cotton,
27,638 pounds of indigo,
and fome fmaller articles, the value of the whole year's exports at the
ports offliipping being eftimated at ^600,000, exclufive of any charges.
The number of white people, which in the year 1771 was above 1,600,
had decreafed in 1777 to 1,300, and the negro flaves were in all about
35,000 ; befides whom there were free people of colour to the number
of, probably, about 1,000 *.

No attack was made upon any of the other iflands at this time.
D'Eflaing, after feeing the French homeward-bound merchant fhips
clear of the greatefl danger, left the Weft-Indies, and went with the
moft of his fhips to North America, where he accompliflied nothing
worthy of his great force ; and foon after he abandoned his American
allies, and went home to France, the ifland of Grenada being in fad the
only conqueft achieved by fo mighty an armament.

July 15"' — In compliance with a mefHige from the king, the lords of
trade direclcd that the fum of ^13,000, granted by parliament for fup-
porting the fettlements on the coafl of Africa, fhould. be invefted. in
1 applies fuitable for the fervice of the year i 780 ; which, on their ar-
rival in Africa, fhould be appropriated to defray all charges incurred
after the 1" of January 1780, including the falaries of the leveral
officers, &c. for that year : but that no part of it fhould be expended
in fatisfying any debts incurred, or alleged, to be incurred, previous to

• The crops and population of the lefler dependent iflands, called Grenadines, are included in this
flcitement. 4

^ fe. A. D. 1779. 641

that period. And they recommended the appointment of an agent, or
agents, to be refidcnt on the coafh in order to fuperintcnd and controul
the expenditure of the pubUc I'upphes.

July — I have already given an account of the commencement and
progrcfs of the great canal betv^''een the Forth and the Clyde till the
year 1775, when the fubfcribers, having expended all the funds they
were enabled by parliament to raife, were obliged to defill *. A mc-
* morial from the convention of the Royal burghs of Scotland was now
prefentcd, by their agent Mr. George Chalmers merchant in Edinburgh,
to the lords of trade, as the guardians of the trade of the empire,
wherein, after rtating that the company, who had fubfcribed for carry-
ing on the canal between the Forth and the Clyde, had carried it as far
as Glafgow, fo that vellels fit to navigate the open feas could now pro-
ceed from any part of the eafb fide of Britain to that city, they repre-
fented, that in fb doing they had not only exhaufled the whole of their
fubfcription funds, but alio incurred a heavy debt ; that for four years
paft ' this great national work, the noblell and molt ufcful that ever
' was undertaken in any country, in rcfpccl that other inland naviga-
* tions are only for carrying lighters (fo far as the memoriaiiils know f)
' but this is alio for veflels fit to navigate in any open fea,' had been
entirely at a Hand ; and that the tolls now taken on the canal were
found to be too heavy for bulky goods of fmall value.

There was given in to the board at the fame time a recommendation
by a great number of noblemen and gentlemen of Great Britain and
Ireland, wherein they fubmit to the miniflry the propriety of govern-
ment taking up this great objetfl, in which they affert that England
and Ireland are fully as much (and probably even more) interefted as
Scotland ; as, if it were completed from fea to fea, it would fhorten
much of the coafling, and part of the foreign, navigation, which in the
^ ^ winter is impracticable, and in time of war extremely hazardous in all
'" feafons, whereby much time, and great expenfe and lofs, may be avoid-
ed, to the great advantage of the general commerce of the three king-
doms. They add that an aid of ^^70,000 from the public would com-
plete the work in about two years, and would alio enable the proprie-
tors to reduce the tolls on bulky goods ; and that the three kingdoms
would be more than compeniated in one year of war for the whole liim
now required ;[..
¥ Augufl — The combined fleets of France and Spain, confifling of
"* above fixty Ihips of the line, with a proportionable attendance of fri-
gates, being, perhaps, the moll powerful allcmblage of warlike fhips

«

Sec iiljovc, J). 477, fo iiitercfting t» the Brin'lli cmpiie (for the bfnc-

f Tlic Glouci-fltr ctual, wl.lth carries (hips of fits of lliis canal are not local, like tliolc of others)

30c tuns, was not bcyun till the yc.ir i:i;j. was accomplilhcdby the patriotic atteation of Mr.

X It was ill the year i 784 that this great objeft, Dundas.

Vol. III. 4 M

642 *', A. D. 1779. >

ever colledted in one fleet, rode mafters of the Channel for a few days :
but they made no attempt upon the land, and did fcarccly any harm
upon the water, being obliged by the very fickly condition of their
feamen to return almoft immediately into port. Moft providentially
a very valuable fleet of about two himdred veflTels from Jamaica got
fafe home a few days before the Channel was covered by the formid-
able armada of the enemy, and eight homeward-bound Eaft- India flups
with rich cargoes, got intelligence of the danger, and made for Lime-
rick in Ireland, where they arrived fafe.

The Eaft-India company, with a liberality of patrlotifm worthy of
the greatefl commercial company that ever exifted, and at a time too,
when they had fcarcely emerged from very great embarrafl'ments in
their own concerns, gave a large bounty for railing 6,000 feamen for
the public fervice ; and they moreover made a noble addition to the
navy of three complete fhips of 74 guns each, which were called by th«
appropriate names of Bombay-cajile, Carnatic, and Ganges. Their ex-
ample was followed by feveral other communities, both in railing men
and building fhips, according to their abilities.

September — The Spanifh governor of Louifiana, having been very
early apprized of the commencement of hoftilities, immediately feized
an armed floop and fome fmall veflels carrying troops and provifions ta
the Britiflipofts on the River Mifliffippi, after which he found it an eafy
matter, with a very fuperior force, to compell their fmall garrilbns to
furrender prifoners of war.

This acquifition of territory, no advantage to a nation already pof-
fefling more lands than people, was more than balanced by the value of
a number of very rich Spanifli veflels, which fell into the hands of fome
£ngli{h privateers ; among which may be noted, as the moft confider-
able, a Spanifli fliip of war from Manila to Cadiz, taken by the Ama-
zon of Liverpool and the Ranger of Briftol, and fuppofed the richefl:
prize ever taken fince Anion's capture of the galleon in the South fea ;
the Nueftra Senora de Piedad of 600 tuns, and carrying 16 guns and
70 men, taken by the Dart of Dartmouth of lefs than 200 tuns, and
carrying 14 guns and 60 men, with a cargo confifting of goods to the
value of about ^80,000, befides gold and filver in ingots to a great
amount, and coined money to the amount of 181,066 dollars : alfo
another fliip, ftill larger, from the Havannah to Cadiz, valued at
jC200,coo, taken by the Antigallican.

^ September 23'* — The general aflembly of Pennfylvania by a folemn act
deprived the family of Penn of the property of the foil of that province,
and placed it, with certain reftridions, under their own diredion,as they
thought the polTeirion of fuch a vaft property now inconfiftent with the
fafety of the commonwealth. At the fime time they ordained a compenfa-
tion of ^('i 30,000 fterling to be paid to the proprietors, by inftallments of

"- "k A. D, 1779. 643

not lefs than ^15,000, nor more than ;^2o,ooo, a-year, to commence at
the end of one year after the conclufion of the war. Thus was a landed
eftate (I might almoft fay a territorial fovereignty) which, confidering
the extent and rapidly increafing value of it, was perhaps the mofl va-
luable ever pofleffed by any fubjed, transferred, after a pofTeflion of
above ninety-nine years, from a private family to be the property of
the ftate *.

The relief afforded to the commerce of Ireland by the laft feflion of
parliament was fo flir fhort of the demands and expedlations of that
country, that the fpirit of difcontent was little or nothing abated.
Meetings were held in Dublin, and afterwards in other places, at which,
after branding the oppofition to the complete emancipation of their
commerce as not only illiberal and unjuft, but alfo impolitic, they en-
tered into refolutions neither to import nor confume any articles of
Britifh produce or manufacture of any kinds, which could be produced
or manufactured in Ireland, till a more enlightened policy in Britain
fhould abolifli the reftraints on the trade and manufactures of Ireland.

While the afKiir was thus refumed with increafed ardour by the Irifh
and their friends in this country, the oppofition to it became much
fainter on the fide of the Britifh manufacturers : and in the meantime
an unintentional combination of circumftances gave a new acceflion of
force to the refolutions and demands of the Irifh, which could not very
eafily be refifted. A confiderable part of the army ftationed in Ire-
land had been drawn off to be employed in America ; whereupon many
noblemen, gentlemen, farmers, merchants, and traders, had formed them-
felves into volunteer afTociations for the defence of the country againft
invafion ; and their number foon increafed to about 42,000 men, well
armed and difciplined, among whom there was no diftinCtion of reli-
gion, whether proteftant or catholic, and fcarcely any diftinCtion of
perfons, men of title and fortune ferving in the ranks along with their
tenants and dependents. It was impoflible that fuch a body of men,
deeply interefted,as they were, in the prolperity of their country, fhould
not feel their own power and importance ; and they refolved, not only
to repell foreign enemies, but alfo to aflert their right at home, and to
command that freedom in trade, which, they faid, had, as in the cafe of
America, been denied to their humble folicitations. The matter was
now become too ferious to be trifled with ; and the recent example of
America convinced the adminiftration and parliament of Great Britain,
that no time was to be loft in giving real and effectual fatisfaCtion to fo
refpeCtable and powerful a body of fuppliants. The Britifli parUament

• Bcfldcs the compenfation allowed to them by their late tenants, or v.TfTals, the family got an allow*
ance of ;^4,coo a-ycar ffom the Britilh revenue, which was ftcured by art of parliament, 30 Geo. III.
•c. 46.

4 M2

644

A. D.

1779.

accordingly prefented an addrefs to the king (May 11'*'), praying him
to confider the diftreflcd condition of the loyal and well-deferving people
of Ireland, and to order fuch information to be laid before them, as
might enable them to promote the joint profperity of hisfubjedls in both
kingdoms. But the feflion was clofed foon after witho\it any thing
being done in the affair ; and the Irifli, who apprehended, that they
were trifled with, were in as bad humour as ever.

Oclober 12"* — Such was the fituation of affairs, when the Irifh par-
liament met, who immediately addreffed the king with a declaration
that nothing fhort of a free trade could fave Ireland from ruin : and
then, in order to fhow, that they were truely in earnefl, they paffed the
money bills for fix months only.

November 25'" — The Britifh parliament met for the winter ; and
very foon after fevere cenfures were thrown out in both houfes upon the
miniftry for endangering the lofs of Ireland, as they had already accom-
plifhed that of America, by delaying to grant what it would no longer
be in their power to withhold, whereby they were now reduced to a nc-
ceflity of yielding, as a matter of right, much more than would have
been thankfully received as a favour, if granted with a good grace at a
proper time. At laft the minifler was roufed to take up the bufinefs in
earnefl ; and in his fpeech upon the occafion in the houfe of commons
(December 13'^) he gave the following hiftorical retrofpecfl of the en-
croachments upon the commercial liberty of Ireland.

' Before the reftoration the Irifh enjoyed every commercial benefit
and advantage in common with England. The commerce, import
and export, was held ecjually by both kingdoms till the reign of
Charles II. Even the act of navigation, the great foundation of our
plantation laws, put England and Ireland upon exadt terms of equal-
ity ; nor was it till two years after, that the firfi: commercial refl:ri(flion
was laid upon Ireland, and that not directly, but by a fide-wind, and
by dedudive interpretation. When the ad firfl paffed, there was a
general governing claufe for giving bonds to perform the conditions
of the ad : but when the ad was amended in the 15"' of Charles the
Second, the word Ireland was omitted ; from whence a conclufion was
drawn, that the ads of the two preceding parliaments, iz"', 13'", and
14"', of Charles II, were thereby repealed, though it was as clearly ex-
prelled in thole ads, as it was poflible for words to convey, that fhips
built in Ireland, navigated by the people thereof, were deemed Britifh,
and qualified to trade to and from the Britifh plantations ; and that
fhips built in Ireland, and navigated by his Majefty's fubjeds of Ire-
land, were intitled to the fame abatements and privileges, to which
importers and exporters of goods in Britifh-built fhips were entitled.
However, Ireland had been as much excluded from trading with the
Britifh colonies as France, Spain, or any other foreign nation, in the

A. D. 1779.

645

' way of a dired export or import trade, excepting in a few trifling in-
' fiances. Some of the reflraints refpedting Ireland in the reign of

* Charles II were fuppofed to have originated in a diflike or jealoufy of
' the growing power of the then duke of Ormond, who, from his great
' cflate and poflt;ffions in Ireland, was fuppofed to have a perfonal in-

/ terefl in the profperity of that kingdom. So far, indeed, was this
' fpirit carried, whether from perfonal enmity to the duke of Ormond,

* from narrow prejudices, or a blind policy, that the parHament of Eng-

* land pafled a law to prohibit the importation of Irifh lean cattle *.'

The minifler proceeding in his hiftorical narrative, obferved, that in
the year 1692 f the parliament of England recommended to the king a
kind of compact between the two kingdoms, whereby England fhould
exclufively enjoy the woollen manufadure, and Ireland fhould exclufive-
ly enjoy that of linen. Ireland accepted the terms, and in confequence
of the compad abflained from the woollen manufadure, and even, by a
temporary ad, laid a duty equal to a prohibition on the exportation of
wool and all kinds of woollen goods If.. England however did not ab-
flain from the linen manufadure, but carried it on to fully as great an

* So the profperity of a grent nation was ap-
partT.lly the fport of private rekntiiunt, or, what
is'falfely called, politics. The law againlV import-
ing lean cattle miift, however, have been a real be-
i.tfit to the Irifh, unlefs the enemies of Ormond
could at the fame time have deprived them of their
excellent pallurcs for feeding and fattening their
cattle, and of fait for curing llie fielti of thtm. It
turned out in faft alfo a benefit in another way, as
it roufed their attention to other articles of com-
merce ; for, as wc are told by the biographer of
Ormond,

' The Irldi till then had no commerce but with

< this kingdom, and fearce entertained a thought of
' trafficking with other countries. They fupplied
« us with their native commodities, which made
• work cheap, and carried off our artificial ones to
» a value which exceeded that of their own ; fo that
' they were rather impoveriflied than improved by
« the traffiek. The linglifli were undoubtedly the
' gainers by this mutual trade, from which they
' now fo wantonly cut thenifelves ofl by foi bidding
' the principal part of it, and rendering liie reft im-
' practicable. They foon felt the confeijuence of
' this unhappy ftep : the Iiiih, forced by their nc-
' ceflitiis to be indullrious, fct themfelves to im-
' prove tiicir own nianufaiJtures, and carried their
' trade to foreign parts, trom whence they brought
' thofe commodities wiileh tliey ufcd to take trom
' liiiglaiid. In this com. try tlic price of meat rofe
« coiifiderably as foon aslheaCt palfed, even befoie

' the end of this fcfTio-i of parliament (which broke
' up on Feb. 9) the price of labour and rate of

< wages were thereby enhanced ; and the wool of
' Ireland, wiiich never before had any vent but in
« England, being now carried abroad, fcrei^ntrs

' were thereby enabled to fct up wooileir manufac-
' tures, and by the chcapncfs of labour in their
« countr)-, underfell us in that mod beneficial
' branch of our commerce. The Englilh have
' fincc fufficiently felt themifchiefs of this procted-
« ing ; which were in truth obvious enough to be
' forefecn at that time by a man of common under-
' /landing, but it will puzzle llie wifell to find a
' remedy to remove them, now they liave adlually
' happened. It would be well, if any experience
' could make them wifer, and difpofe them to treat
• Ireland better.' ICarlc's I.ife of Ormomie, y.\\,p.
337. See alfo the following pages for the com-
mencement and progrefs of fome of the manufac-
tures of Ireland. — And fee LjrJ She(fulJ'i Ohfcrwi-
liins on ihe trade of Ireland, p. 149, third ed.'\
■j- The date ought to be 169S.
X The Irifli parliament impofed an adJitioitjl
duty of 20 per cent ad valorem on the exportation
of broad cloths, and 10 percent on ferges, baize,
kerfeys, and other new drapery, frizes only excepted
(and to thtm alfo it was aftcnvaids extended)
which was in cflert a prohibition. The corrfe-
cpreirces wctc, that the woolUn manufadure of Ire-
land for ixportatlon was entirely dedroycd ; fevcial
ihoufand manufacturers left the kinr;dom ; fomc of
t!re fuulherir and wellein dillriias were almoft de-
l)opulated ; arrd the whole kingdom was rciluced
to the utmoll poverty aird dillrefs. [J.urnj/j aj^
the Irijh boufe of commons, 1772,/*. 40c, «W 1774,
/». 362.] Such were the fVuits of baiiilhing a rra-
tural manufacture of native materials, and forcibly
iirtioducing a manufacture from foreign nialcfra!»,
the fiipply of whieh muft depend uporr the plealurc
of rival, or perhaps lioHne, nutiorii.

646

A. D. 1779.

%

extent as Ireland, and moreover, without confulting the parliament of
Ireland, pafled an ad [10, 11 Will. Ill] making the heavy duties on the
exportation of Irifli wool, Sec. perpetual; by which, and fome others
that followed it, the woollen trade of Ireland was annihilated *. He
ftated the exports from Britain to Ireland upon an average of fix years,
1 766- 1 772, at fomewhat above two millions annually, and in the fuc- ,
ceeding fix years, extending to 1778, about as much more, whereof
nearly one half was Briti(h manufadure or produce, and the remainder
certified articles, whereof this country was the medium of conveyance.
Of thefe exports the woollen goods amounted only to about /^2oo,ooo a-
year ; fo that it would be very bad policy to rifle an export trade of na-
tive produce to the amount of a million for the fake of an export of
woollens to the amount of /^200,ooo f . He obferved, that the woollen
trade of Ireland, though freed from all the refl:raints it had hitherto
been ftiackled with, muft long continue in fuch a ftate of infancy, as
would render it impofiible for that country to compete v/ith England
in foreign markets, feeing that now, notwithftanding the low rate of
wages in Ireland, Englifh fine cloths, though loaded with the various

* ' The woollen manufa£lurers of Ireland, who, ' might be fmuggled from both iflands. The

• or their anceftors, came chiefly from England, • foundations of manufaftures were laid, or they
' now emigrated from Ireland ; certainly, however, ' were p.tjmoted, highly to the prejudice of Eng-
' in fmaller numbers than were at the time repre- ' land : and thus fome return was made for the

• fented. In their refentment and necellities many ' manufactures ellablifhed in the Britifh dominions
' of the proteftants moved to Germany, many of ' by the equally wife [revocation of the] edift of
' the Roman catholics to Spain, and others of each " Nanti.' [_Lord SLfficU's Olfcrvations on the trad:

• defcription to France, where they received en- of Ireland, p. 151 eJ. 17S5.J
' couragement, and (hewed the way how our wool

\ The amount of the trade between Great Britain and Ireland, according to the Britifli cuftom-
houfe accounts, may be feen in the annual accounts of imports and exports, by which Britain appears
to draw almoft every year a very confiderable balance from Ireland. But it is necelTary to obferve,
that the linens, which generally conftitute above one half of the whole imports from Ireland, are there-
in rated at %d a yard, rather lefs than one half of their true average value, which mull necclTarily pro-
duce an error, or falfification, of very great magnitude. In the Irifli cutlom-lioufe accounts the liners
are rated from l^dto 17//, which, though Hill under the truth, turns the balance in favour of Ireland
to a very confiderable amount. The following is the Irifti account of the trade with Great Britain in
anoll of the years referred to by Lord North. ^

1769
1770
1771
1772
1773
1/7-1
1775
1776
1777
177

Ireland exported to Great Britain ;

^2,266,151
2,-108,838
2,514,039
2,405,507
2,178,664

2, n 7,695

2,379,858
2,551,211
2,552,296
2,718,145

whereof inlinens,!

a^l,237,121

1,458,543
1,435,110
1,387,584
1,542,748

and in linen yam.

£^1/5,166
183,592
216,915
178,190
168,653

Ireland imported from Great Britain ;
whereof in woollen goods.
^1,776,996

1,878,599

1,806,732

1,566,623

1,679,212

1,711,17-1
1,739,543
1,875,525
2,233,192
2,076,460

..1

358,408

The year 1777 is noted for the uncommonly great amotint of the importation of Britiih goodo,
which in confequence of non-importation agreements and other circumftances, fell off very much in the
enfuing years. [^Lai'd Sheffield's Obftrvatkns, pp. 8, 160, 276, 284..]

-**►

*

^ A. D. 1779. 647

charges of land and fca carriage, infurance, fadorage, Sec. were fold
cheaper than thofe of their own manufadure. He obferved, that the
Jinen maniifadure of Ireland, however profperous it might appear, was
Hill capable of ^reat improvement ; and he oppofed the idea of abolifh-
ing the bounty on Iri(h linens, becaule it appeared, that the Britifli
bounty was a great encouragement to the Irifh linen manufadure, and
the amount of it was trifling, being little above ;(^ 13,000 in the higheft
years.

Previous to an ad of 19"" George IT Ireland imported glafs from other
countries, and alfo manufadured fome of the coarfer kinds. That ad^
which prohibited the Irifh from importing glafs from any country but
Britain, and grievouHy opprelTed the manufadure of glafs in Ireland,

ought to be repealed The propofition of allowing Ireland a free

trade to the colonies, which had been fettled, and reared to their prefent
flate by Great Britain only, could upon no account be claimed as a
matter of right, but mnll; be received as a mere favour * : and the
minifter declared it as his opinion, that fuch a permiflion, accompanied
by a ftipulation for equalizing duties upon imports and exports, would
be no lofs, but an advantage, to Britain, as it would convince the Irifli
of our fincere defire to render them wealthy and happy : and they, when
reftored to their former good humour, and united to us by friendship
and interefl, would be again, as they have heretofore been, the bell cuf-
tomers of this country.

December 23'' — In purfuance of this manifeftation of liberality, the
ads of 1 1 ' ' Will. Ill, and the 1 9'* Geo. II, which prohibited the Irifh from
exporting their own woollen manufadures and glafs ware, were repealed.
[20 Geo. III,c. 6.]

Alfo, the many ads, by which the commerce of Ireland was fettered,
were fo far repealed, that all goods, which may be legally imported firom
the Britifli fettlements in America and on the coaft of Africa to Great
Britain, may in like manner be imported diredly from thofe fettle-
ments to Ireland. And all fuch goods, as may be legally exported from
Britain to the Britidi fettlements in America or Africa, may in like
manner be exported from Ireland to the fame places, on condition that
duties, equal to thofe paid in Britiili ports, be impofcd by the Irifli
parliament on the imports and exports of Ireland f. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 10.]

At the fame time the permiflion to import Italian organzined filk was
further, continued till the 25'" of March 1781. [20 Geo. HI, c. 4.]

• Might not the Irifli allege, lliat tliey ajfo great proportioD of the planters, probably above a

could have planted colonics in the wcftcrn worlil, tliird part of t!ic whole, arc Irilli, or of Irillv

as well 83 fend out their cmigrante to llrciigihen origin.

the armies of every Roman- catholic country in f Some further relaxations of the rcftrainta or\

Europe? Ab it is, the ifland of Montfcrrat is n- the trade f Irclajid were cnadcd in the enfuing

titcly occupied by planters of Irilli origin, the dc- fpring, aa >^iU be related iu due lime,
'cenilei.ts of the original fculers; and ia Juuiitiua a i

648 A. D. 1779.

The Britilh fettlers on the Mufquito fl)ore having, by a memorial to
die lords of the trcafury in March 1779, requeued permiffion to import
lugar and rum produced on their plantations without beln;.; fubjected to
the duties payaoie upon foreign produce ; and the law, which fubjecled
them to thofe duties, having been intended merely to guard againft
foreign fugars being fmnggled from the Britilh- Atnericnn province-; lying
north of the Gulf of INIcxico, it was thought iuf^ aud proper that the pro-
duce of the Mufquito fliore fhould he exempted froui the operation of that
law : and therefoi:

The rigour of the aft 18 Geo. Ill, c. 58 was fnftened, and fugar ac-
tually the growth of any of the Britifh fu;^ar colonies, though i?nported
into Britain from other Britiili colonies, was adiniited to entry without
being charged with a foreign duty. [20 Geo. 11/, c. 7.]

The northern ports were now indulged in building a few fhips for the
navy. Several fhips of war were built in the River Were. J he Syren,
a frigate of 32 guns, built at Newcaftle, and the Fury, a Ihip of 16 guns,
built at Leith, were launched in the courfe of this year, 'fhe Fury was>
1 believe, the iirfl; fliip for the navy built in Scotland fmce the acce/Iion
of Jame? VI to the crown of England,

The invention of extracting tar from coals may be confidered as a
fmall mite of alleviation of the multiplied calamities flowing from the
American war. The failure of the fupply of tar from America put the
proprietors of a manufacture of lamp-black at Briftol upon making ex-
periments on the oil extraded from pit-coals in their works ; and they
found, that, by different degrees of boiling, it could be brought to the
confluence of tar, and alfo of pitch. The tar, befides being much
cheaper, proved more efficacious in preferving the bottoms of fhips from
the worm than vegetable tar. Moreover the coal, after the tar is ex-
traded, becomes excellent coak, whereby a great faving is made in many
manufadures, for which coal ufed to be charred on purpofe, in which
operation the valuable tar was totally loft in fmoke, as it is in a great
meafure in our common fires This invention has been greatly im-
proved, fo as to make the coal produce oil, volatile fpirits, and varnifh,
as well as tar, pitch, and coak, by the earl of Dundonald, a nobleman,
who devotes his time, his fortune, and his great knowlege in chymiftry,
to advance the national profperity, and improve the condition of the
people in his neighbourhood.

Before the war flax-feed ufed to be a confidcrable article in the im-
ports from America, efpecially to Ireland. The annual quantity on an
average of the years 1768, 1769, and 1770 was

to Great Britain 1 2,436 bufhels * ,

to Ireland 255,851

268,287 at 2/3 amount to - £3^>'^3^ '• 5- 9^ ^

A. D. 1779. 649

After the commenceraentof the w^r the Irifh preferved the feed of their
own flax, which was found to anfwer fo well as to render them more
independent of foreign flax-feed than they had hitherto thought them-
felves. Before the war England imported flax-feed from the continent
of Europe, chiefly Holland and Ruflia, the average quantity of which
in the years 1772, 1773, and 1774, was above 102,000 cwt. value
£2^g,S6g : and in the years 1777, 1778, and 1779, the flax-feed import-
ed from thofe countries continued the fame, viz - — ^^239, 869 5 3
The quantity imported from them to Scotland in the

fame years averaged _ _ _ - - 186,941 18 6

being above 4,000 tuns _ _ - - _ ^(^426,811 3 9
[Lord Sheffield's Obfervations on American commerce, p. 116, ed. 1784.]

That branch of architedtural engineering, which is appropriated to
the accommodation of fliipping, was carried to great perfecflion in
Sweden by Mr. Tunberg, who conflruded a grand bafin at Carlfcroon,
containing twenty-four docks for the reception of fliips, in any one of
which they may lie either dry or afloat, as the bufinefs of the veflels in
each of them may require.

In the courfe of this year 1,651 Britifli veflels, 2,075 Dutch, and not
one French one, pafled the Sound. So completely was the French trade
with the Baltic annihilated by the war, at leafl; as to the carriage, which
was entirely transferred to the Dutch.

There were at this time no lefs than 1,104 empty houfes within the
city of London, as appeared by the returns of the deputies of the feveral
wards ; and their annual rents were eflimated at £'2.6,^']$, which is furely
rating them very low, being under ;;^24 a houfe.

The following is the quantity of coals imported into London fmce
the year 1773, when the importation, as already related, was fo uncom-
monly great.

1776. . 700,207

1 777.. 694,437

1 778.. 647, 361

1773 ..624,781 chaldrons
1774.-623,727
1775.. 672,785

1779 ••587.895

The magnitude and importance of the cotton manufadures of Great
Britain render every information which marks their progrcfs interefl:-
ing. I have therefor extraded, from feveral official papers, laid before
the houfe of commons at various times, the following concife account of
the importation of the raw material in the under-mentioned years, during
which the manufacture, compared with its prefent extenflon, may be
faid to have been in its infancy.

Vol. TTT. ' 4 N .

650

A. D. 1779.

There were imported into

ENGLAND. ]

SCOTLANn.

Cotton of

Cotton of

Cotton of

Cotton of

the British

foreign

Total,

the British

foreign

Total,

colonies ',

growth,

colonies.

growth,

pounds.

pounds.

pounds.

pounds.

pounds.

pounds.

1708

3,294,297

836,504

4,130,801

n4,9i6

259

115,175

176P

3,23-1,652

1,171,403

4,406,055

119,659

1,988

121,647

1/70

2,S38,8l6

773,000

3,572,416

106,042

420

100,462

1771

2,177,071

370,335

2,547,456

86,991

1,232

88,223

177^

3,103.400

2,204,012

5,307,412

106,883

10<),883

1773

2,290,33 1

615,458

2,905,789

86,785

20,295

107,080

1774

2,OS4,758

2,622,523

5,707,281

77-692

79,680

157,572

177'^

2,7'i6,29S

3,967,436

6,693 734

98454

98,454

1776

3,325,010

2,891,237

6,216,247

113,850

113,850

I7r7

4,041,109

2,995,996

7,037,105

220,400

27,102

247,502

17/6

4,514,430

1,726,681

6,541,111

17"9

3,917,332

372,154

4,289,486

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 6,955 veflels of the reputed burthen of 574,620 tuns ;

and of Scotland 1,521 _ _ _ 88,321

Total 8,476 662,941

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain, from,
and to foreign countries, and including repeated voyages.

B

•itiih

Foreifjii

Total

Vcllcls.

5.362
6,832

Tu.is.

583.704

642,981

V ellcls.
2,213
1,306

Tuns.

240,296

149,040

Vcilcls.

7o75
8,138

I'uns.
824,000
792,021

Inward
Outward -

The net amount of the cufloms, including the Weft-India four-and-a-
half-per-cent'duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year, was
from the cuftom-houfe in London ^^2,502, 273 19 8

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh there was nothing remitted
this year, the whole cuftoms of Scotland being paid away in fiftiery
bounties, drawbacks, &c.

There were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
36,300 pounds of gold, value ^1^1,696,117 10 o

and ^2 pounds of filver, 254 4 o

^^1,696,371 14 o

* The infpeclor general has claffed St Croix, St Euftathius, and St Thomas, along with the BritiHi
Weft-India iflands in this account.

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1778 to Chriftmas 1779 was as follows.

Imported into

Exported from

Countries, &c.

ENGLAND.

SCOTL.^ND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

Africa

^33,960 16 c

^159,217 19

*•
/

Canaries

2,091 15 ;

17,494 7

61

Denmark, &c.

73,171 13 i

i£l8,lll 3 0

150,615 2

4

i6'6,26o 18 6

East country

201 ,p82 8 t

50,326 7

o|

East-India

716,323 9 IC

1 703,191 14

4

Flanders

524,413 10 ;

1,041,721 4

4

France

12,972 1 2

2,812 18

0

Germany

552,604 19 2

12,357 3 0

1,263,515 7

2

32,036 7 7

Greenland

23,620 15 I

7.77(> 9 y

124 16

C

Holland

517,170 17 4

131,016 8 3

1,250,015 13

.<]

85,476 7 0

Ireland

1,384,117 15 4

163,061 6 7

1,359,415 2

1

280,538 17 I

Mann

15,252 14 10

2,059 3 6

20,407 4

3

766 14 10

Italy

47,477 18 7

307,548 17

1

2,627 10 0

Madeira

3,03] 5 2

18,719 ]

11

Poland

11,134 i3 1

1,944 8 0

Portugal

285,334 3 10

10,411 6 5

647,813 19

9

1,745 4 9

Jlussia ...

1,201,377 14 4

145,978 17 6

306,072 15

11

23,966 9 0

Pnissia

8,072 4 3

60 0 0

Spain

220,748 5 3

3,369 * 1

599,765 17

0

700

Gibraltar

50 0 0

Straits

1,547 2 G

4,534 1

0

Sweden

252,431 4 2

21,471 13 7

108,403 4

7

3,027 5 9

Turkey

1,474 12 6

22y 19

0

Venice

78,532 3 2

29,465 14

11

Guernsey, &c.

76,799 18 4

1,304 S 5

54,117 13

11

351 18 10

America in general -

38,952 10 1

235,875 13 11

Hudson's bay

5,116 15 7

5,447 6

0

Newfoundland

65,725 10 8

87,947 8

-11

Cape Breton

22 8

0

Quebec

61,924 12 7

521,240 6

10

Nova-Scotia

1,956 8 2

227,181 12

2

New-England

807 10 10

New- York

14,861 19 6

349,712 T

2

Pennsylvania

56o 13 9

Carolina

3,732 8 9

Georgia

607 7 1

85 4

2

Florida

23,80^1 19 0

128,311 14

11

West-Indies in general

199,695 16 5

1 62,329 6 0

Antigua

85,957 5 11

90,110 I

0

Barbados

145,293 12 6

140,170 12

5

Bermuda

9,292 2 10

27,463 6

8

Grenada

317,965 1 7

42,268 8

10

Jamaica

1,458,764 6 6

484,365 10

10

Montscnat

62,204 13 2

9.132 13

2

Nevis

57,92a 6 2

I6,0i3 2

3

New- Prov idence

1,256 6 8

632 IS

1

St. Croix

283 11

3

St. Eustathius -

1,813 16 5

14,474 2

11

St. Christophers

320,639 11 9

11 8.747 6

4

St. Lucia

18,839 1'^ 1

14,210 10

9

St. Vincents

103,399 8 4

6,228 19

8

Tobago

45,502 6 7

10,867 8

8

Tortola

•14,879 7 10

44.135 0

6

Bay of Honduras

I0,6()b 1 6

2,066 19

11

Musquito shore

48 12 3

1,030 18

6

Falkland's islands

3,400 0 0

Southern fishery

3,267 10 0

9,0(t6,740 13 4

10,437,729 1

4

Prize goods

"1,563,751 12 2

2,255,700 9

9
1

Imp and exp. of England

IO,660,4f/2 5 ti

12,693,429 U

Imp. and exp. ol Scotland

jj^.-r-i 7 11

774,772 7 n

6:17.273 1

3

837,273 1 3

Total, Great Britain -

ll.U5,2/)4 13 5

1.-!, 530,702 12

4

4 N 2

652

A. D. iTfcio.

/

1 780 — Atier a long feries of altercations with the Dutch by remon-
rtrances on both fides, they ftill infifting on their right, as a neutral nation,
and more efpecially in virtue of the marine treaty of the year 1674, to
carry fupplies for the French, and the Britifh fhips of war ftill feizing
their veflels loaded with ftores for France, wherever they found them, the
Dutch determined to protect their navigation by an armed force, and
lent Admiral Byjand with five fhips of war to convoy a fleet of mer-
chant ihips. I'- January — Near Portland they were met by Commodore
Fielding, who requeiled the admiral's permiffion to fend his boats to
examine the merchant iliips, which was retuled. He notwithftanding
fent his boats, which were fired upon by the Dutch, whereupon Com-
modore Fielding fired a (hot ahead of the Dutch admiral, who im-
mediately fired a broadfide. Commodore Fielding returned the com-
pliment, and the Dutch admiral, without further coniefl, ftruck his
colours. All the merchant fhips, that had naval {lores onboard, were
Taken pofTeflion of; and the commodore gave notice to the Dutch ad-
miral, that he was at liberty to hoifl his colours and profecute his
voyage. He hoifled his colours, but infilled upon keeping by his convoy ;
and accordingly he attended the fleet into Spithead. The merchant
fhips, that wiere detained, were all condemned as legal prizes. The
Dutch were now more incenfed than ever, and exclaimed, that, in de-
fiance of treaties, their property was feized to a very large amount, and
alfo their flag grofsly infulted * : and they vehemently demanded im-
mediate fatisfaclion in a tone that made it very evident, that Holland
would foon be added to the confederacy againfl Great Britain. The
Britifh court, however, were fo far from yielding any thing to their
clamours, that they foon after iflued a proclamation, whereby all foreign
vefTels, found affifting the enemy with warlike flores, were declared law-
ful prizes to thofe who fhould feize them (21"^ January).

The beginning of this year was diflinguifhed by the fuccefles of Ad-
miral Rodney againft the Spaniards. Having fallen in with a convoy
of fixteen fhips from S'. Sebaflians, bound for Cadiz under the protec-
tion of feven fhips of war from 64 to ic guns, he took the whole of
them, not oneWthe men of war or merchantmen efcaping {S^ January).
Of the later, twelve were loaded with wheat and flour, three with naval
flores, and one with tobacco. And foon after this important capture
he engaged the Spanifh fleet, confifling of ele%-en fail of the hne and two
frigates, whereof he took fix fhips of the line (16^^ January-). The refl,
except one fhip of 70 guns, which blew up, made their efcape.

• It was xr'rth a verr bad grace that the Datch the moft glaring partiaL'ty, they threateiKd to

pretended to vicdlcatc their ofBcioufnefs in the fer- punifti by feverc penalties a:;y oce of their fubiects,

TJce ot France upon the principle of onlinijted ffho (hould ufe that freedom of commerce in fup-

freedom of ccmiDcrce, while a the faice time, -sriih plying the garrifon of Gibraltar with pronGooi.

A. D. 1780. 653

The great force, which the French now had in the Weft-Indies, could
not fail 10 be very alarming to all who were interefted in our remaining
]X)fl'effions in that part of the world. The planters and others concerned
in the ifland of Jamaica, as being the moft numerous and confiderable
body, therefor prefented a petition to the houfe of commons (10''' Fe-
bruary), and another to the houfe of lords (21" February), wherein
ihey rcprekntcd, that that ifland, one of the moft valuable of all our
foreign poflLftions, with the profperity of which the intercft of Great
Britain is intimately and infcparably conneded, was totally deftitute of
defence, and owed its being now a Britifti colony to the mere accident
of the forces of the enemy being directed to another object : that the
l)lanters of Jamaica, confidering the diftrefles brought upon them by
I he v.':\r, had gone far beyond their abilities in taxes and contributions
paid both in Jamaica and in Britain, and alfo in very burthenfome per-
fonal fervices. They complained of the neglect of their petitions by the
miniftry ever fince the year 1773, and, having affirmed that they and their
interefts were worthy and deferving of proteclion, they concluded by
demnnding it as their undoubted right *.

Every wellwiflicr to the profperity of the Britifli empire will approve
of my paying a tribute of refpedl to the memory of Mr. David Loch,
inerchant in Edinburgh and afterwards general infpedor of the fiftieries
of Scotland, who finiflied his ufcful life this year (February 21"). This real
patriot, whofe ruling palfion was zeal for the welfare of his country, exerted
himfelf ftrongly in promoting the improvement of Scotland, and efpe-
cially the increafe and improvement of the breed of ftieep, and the pro-
fecution of the woollen manufacture, which very many natural advan-
tages evidently point out as the proper ftaple of Scotland. He infifted,
that the extenfion and fucceis of the woollen manufadure in Scotland,
inftead of being, as fome narrow-minded people fuppofe, injurious.
to England, would greatly promote the general welfare of the united
kingdom, and be the fureft means of fubduing the competition of the
French and Dutch. He afferted ' tliat millions of additional Iheep may

* be raifed without encroaching upon a fingle acre of land capable ot

• bearing corn, or rearing black cattle :' and his public-fplrited advice
produced a great augmentation in the breed of that valuable animal in
Scotland, and particularly in the Highland diftricts. Tlius it is in the
power of one patriot to increafe the happinels of millions. The con-
queror has for his objedt the empty aggrandizement of his own name at

• It is worthy of remark, tliat at the very time with warlike (lore>, under the command of Colonel

ihefc petitions were prcfciitcd, a military force, Polfon and Captain (now Lord) Nciron, failc-J

confiilnig of about 500 regulars bcfidcs volunteers, from Jamaica on an expedition ag.iinll ilic Spii.'iijli

and fcveral fmall fliips of war and tranfports, with Matu>

a

go'jd train of artiJIcry, and foitably provided

654 ^^' '^' 1780.

the expenfe of the ruin of milUons. So oppofite are thefe two chn-
nidters *.

March 2i« — ^Twelve millions were raifcd for the fcrvice of govern-
ment by a loan, the fublcribcrs to which received an annuity of £.i\,
with a terminable one of ;^i : 16 : 3 to continue for eighty years, for
every/?! 00 paid in, together with a privilege of having four lottery
tickets at /?£0 each for every fubfcription of £1 ,CiOO ; the whole funi
to be railed by the lottery being ^^480, 000. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 16.]

The leveral a6ts, which prohibited carrying gold or filver coin to Ire-
land, were repealed. The Irilli were allowed to import foreign hops,
aud to receive a drawback of the duty on Britifh. They were alfo
allowed to become members of the Turkey company, and moreover to
carry on a direct trade between Ireland and the Levant fea in the fame
manner as the Turkey company of England had hitherto exclufively
done. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 18.]

Several ads which were near expiring, were continued as follows.

The ad: for fecuring to the Eafl-India company the exclufive trade to
India, and preventing Britifli fubjeds from trading thither under foreign
colours, continued to 25"^ March 1781.

The ad for importing fait from Europe to Quebec, continued till
24'h June 1785.

The act for permitting the free importation of raw goat-fkins, continu-
ed till 20''' June 1785.

So much of the ad for allowing the exportation of limited quantities
of wheat to the fugar iflands and other places, as relates to the fugar
iflands, continued till i" May 1781.

So much of the ad 17 Geo. Ill, c. 43, as relates to the exportation
of tobacco-pipe clay to the fugar iflands, continued till 24'h June 1783.
[20 Geo. Ill, c. 19.]

The liberty of navigating Britifh fliips with foreign feamen, not
€xcceeding three fourths of their complement, was prolonged till 25">
March 1781. {loGeo. Ill, c. 20.]

April — The chevalier de Pinto, the Portuguefe amballador, prefented
fome memorials complaining of infradions of the treaties between
Britain and Portugal, and remonftrating againft an additional duty pro-
pofed to be laid upon Portugal wines. The feveral articles of his com-
plaint were found to be frivolous, or unfupported by proof: and with
refpcd to the propofed duty on wine, it was anfwered, that, as the wines
of France would be affeded by it in the proportion, ftipulated in the

* The reader may compare Loch's EJfays on the of Scotland ctnifdered, 8^" Ed'm. 1733, written by

trade, commerce, nr.anuj'aaures, and Jijher'tes, of Scot- Mr. Lindfay, alfo a merchant in Edinburgh and a

land, 8.0 .\din. 1773 and 1778, with the fpecious, friend to the profpcrity of his country, when the

but miftaki.u (ik t ill-intended) arguments for pre- inftilled rage for the linen manufaClure was in its

ferriiig tht linen manufacture, urged in The interejl youth and grtatefl vigour.

A. D. 1780. 655

commercial treaty with Portugal, his nation could have no juft caufe of
complaint.

Soon after the Europeans began to trade to China, the emperor
eflabliflied a co-hong, or company of merchants, confiding often hongs,
or mercantile houles, and inverted them with an exclufive privilege of
tranfacling all bufmcfs with the Europeans, who were not permitted to
deal with any other Chinefe merchants, unlefs with their confent. The
co-hong were made conjundly refponfible to the government and to the
foreign merchants. They fixed the prices of all goods, imported or to
be exported, and regulated the terms of all trade with foreigners: and
it is faid, they were never known to abufe fo extraordinary a power. In
the beginning of the year 1771 the co-hong was difix)lved : but the
officers of government at Canton declared, that no foreigner ihould do
any bufinefs but with the ten houfes formerly incorporated in the co-
hong, or fuch perfons as fhould be recommended by one of them, or by-
one of the three principal linguifls ; and that if they dealt with any other
perfons, the government fhould not be anfwerable for any lofles they
might fufiain by trufi;ing Chinefe traders.

The ten hongs now firove to fupplant each-other in the favour of the
officers of government : and the property of Britifh fubjecls was laviihed
in bribes (called prefents) to thofe officers, who confequently protected
their favourite hongs againfl the complaints of the Europeans. As thofe
complaints v,-ere very freqtient, the hong merchants procured a declara-
tion from the officers of government at Canton, that they would in ^
future receive no memorial or petition from any European, but luch
as fhould be prefented by a hong merchant. The Britifh merchants at
Canton, finding themfelves thus fhut out from all pollibility of obtain-
ing redrcis there, tranfiiiitted rcprefentations of the large amount of
Britifh property, thus circumflanced in China, to their creditors in
London and INIadras. The creditors in London applied to the directors
of the Eafl-India company, who thought that the debt due to the Britifh
fubjeds in Canton ought, on account of its great amount *, to be con-
fidered as an obje(5l of national concern. On the application of the
creditors in Madras, the commander of the Britiih tLet in the Indian
feas, lent a frigate to Canton two years fuccellivcly to demand jufticc
for the Britifh fubjedts in the name of his Britannic majelly. This
reiterated demand procured a curious mode of fettling the affair. The
debts due by two of the hong merchants being adjuflcd, with intereft to the
end of the feafon 1779-80, were found to amount to about /,'40o,cod.
One half of that large flim was entirely lopped olTj and payment of the
remainder was ordered to be made in ten years by annual mflallments,

• A letter from Canton, dated 15" January ihc creditors in 1778 ftateJ it at ^i,300,coo : anH
1780. Hatid the amount of tlie debts to be Mi. Smith's account of (lie dcLt3 railed the to' a!
3,8o8,C75 dollar* : the memorial for the ageuts of to jf j.oijj^Cj (lerling.

656 A. D. 1780.

but without any intereft. The funds for the payments were not drawn
from the efFeds of the two hongs, who were the defaulters, nor from
the exchequer of Chhia, nor from any pubHc or private Chinefe pro-
perty ; but from a new tax, laid, for the purpofe, upon the European
trade with China. The Chinefe government, I believe, juftified the
meafure by a law of the empire forbidding foreigners to make any loans
(which might perhaps be extended to giving credit in commercial
tranfadions) to any fubjed of China : and thence they even claimed a
merit of generofity to the individual fufferers in doing what they did.
With refped to the debts due by another of the hongs, amounting to
near ^^400, 000, a promife was made, that they iliould be put in a train
of fettlement, after the others fhould be paid off. But as to the debts
due by the reft of the bongs, no kind of promife of any fatisfadion
whatever could be obtained.

Upon this tranfadion a committee of the Eaft-Tndia company re-
marked, that, ' It may appear extraordinary, but it is no lefs true, that
' the company have fuftained great injury from individuals having be-
' come the creditors of the Chinefe.' It may be added, that it was at
leaft as extraordinary, that the Europeans fhould have been better ufed
in their commercial concerns by a company polTeiling an exclufive
monopoly, than by the partners of that company competing individually
for the advantages of their trade.

April 17'h — ^The king publilhed a declaration announcing, that the
Dutch, by their negled or refufal of furnilliing the fuccours ftipulated
by treaty, had deferted the alliance between Great Britain and the
republic ; and that thenceforth they Ihould be confidered as in the
fituation of a neutral power, not privileged by treaty, .and all the
advantages granted to their navigation and commerce in time of war
by the marine treaty of the year 1674 fhould be fufpended till further
orders *.

* The truth is, that the marine treaty of 1674 ' ^^''^ States to places under the obedience of the

appears to have been very loofely drawn up. The ' enemies of his faid Majcfty.' It was upon

third article, which declares what goods are to be this article that the Dutch founded their claim to

efteemed contraband, includes only artillery, am- an ahfolute freedom of commerce. But there was

munition, arms, armour, foldicrs, horfcs, and their a fccrct article, which exprefsly prohibited the

furniture : and the fourth article fays, that ' all fubjefts of either povej- from furnifhing any fliips,

« provifion vvhicli ferves for the nourifhment and foldiers, feamen, -vlduals, money, injlruments of

' fufttnaiice of life ; likewife all kind of cotton, luar, &c. to the ene;nies of either party. And

' hemp, flax, and pitch ; aid rrpcs, faih, and this article, fo contradiftory to the other, was

' anchors ; alfo marts and pla.iks, boards and what the Britidi ambaflador infifted on in his re-

« beams of what fort of wood foever, and ail uther monftrancc to tlie States-general, and was made

' materials requifite for the building or repairing the rule of conduA for our naval commanders, who

» (hips' ♦ (hall be wholly reputed amongft free would, no d>^ubt, conlider the materials of (hips as

' goods, even as all other wares and commodities, the moft important injlrumenti of war. See Chal-

' which are not comprehended in tl.e next pre- mers's ColleBion of Ircattcs, V. i, pp. 178, 179, or

* cedent article ; fo diat the lame may be freely Anderfon's brier account of this treaty under the

• tranfported and carried' ' by the fubjefts of the year 1674. a

A. D. 1780. 657

May 4'" — The diuies upon pot-a(hes and other aflies, imported from
the continent of Europe, and ufed in manufadures, being found to be
a difcouragement to fome manufactures, were reduced to 2f. on pot-
afhes and pearl-afhes, and Gd. on wood and weed afhes, per hundred-
weight of 1 1 2 pounds. The a6l to continue in force till 31'' May 1783.
[20 Geo. Ill, c. 25.]

The trade of Aberyftwyth being confiderably increafed, and larger
veflels being employed in it than formerly, a number of gentlemen of
the neighbourhood were incorporated for the purpofe of deepening and
improving the harbour. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 26.]

The iflands of Grenada and the Grenadines being now under the
dominion of the French, an act was pafled, proteding the property of
the Britilh fubjeds of thofe iflands, fhipped onboard neutral veflels for
neutral ports, againfl: being taken by Britifii fliips of war or privateers,
provided the whole cargo was taken in at the iflands, and the certificate
aitefled by any five of a number of gentlemen named in the ad.
[20 Geo. Ill, c. 29.]

An additional duty of eight guineas was laid on every tun of French
wine or vinegar, and of four guineas on the wines and vinegars of other
countries. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 30.]

A great proportion of the Britifli mercantile fliipping being at this
time withdrawn from the purpofes of trade by being converted into
tranfports or privateers, it became almofl; impoflible to find veflels fuf-
ficient to export the corn, which was now very plentiful, that were legally
qualified to receive the bounty allowed on the exportation of it. It was
therefor enaded, that half the bounty fliould be allowed on the ex-
portation of corn in neutral veflels preceding the 25''' of March 1781.
[20 Geo. Ill, c. 31.]

When the American colonics withdrew their allegiance from Great
Britain, and the eflabliflied form of government was confequcntly dif-
folved, thofe, who fucceeded to the adminiflration of affairs, either
wanted fu/Hcient energy, or were uiawilling to run the rilk of givin-^-
offence to the people by enforcing the colledion of taxes fufficient to
defray the public charges, and provide for the redemption of their bills
of credit. Thefe by the extraordinary charges of the war increaled to
an amount fo difproportionate to the funds for their redemption, that a
depretiation of their value foon took place, which, though fmall at the
beginning, increafed with fuch alarming rapidity, that at this time yor/y
paper dollars were given for one filver one. Indeed, it was dillicult, or
rather impoflible, to fix any flandiu'd of value for them ; fo that no man
could know what he was doing in money matters, or could carry on
trade with any certainty or regularity, fuch money being no longer
a ftandard, whereby the value of any property or labour could be
afcertained.

Vol. III. 4 O '

658 A. D. 1780,

Notwithftanding the embarrafTments infeparable from the degrad-
ed ftate of the continental currency, the council and aflembly of Maf-
fachufets bay incorporated The American academy of arts and Jciences
for promoting improvements in agriculture, arts, manufadures, and
commerce, and every art and fcience tending to advance the intereft,
honour, dignity, and happinefs, of a free, independent, and virtuous,
people (May 4'*"). Even if fome of thefe expreffions might be afcribed
to oftentation and the eagernefs of the citizens of a young flate to make
a parade of their independence, yet a friend of mankind muft be pleafed
to fee the arts, which polifh and improve human nature, and which
generally (brink from the rude blafl: of war, attempt to raife their heads
amidfl its ftorms and ravages.

June a^-Sth — The metropolis was in the greatefl: danger of utter de-
ftrudion by conflagration. A mob, fuppofed to confift of about 50,000
perfons calling themfelves the Protejlant ojjbciation, after prefenting to the
houfe of commons a petition, faid to be ligned by above 100,000 people,
praying for the repeal of an adt, which the more liberal policy of the
prefent age had induced the legiflature to pafs, for moderating the hard-
ihips impofed upon the Roman catholics by an ad of King William III,
proceeded to demoHfli the Roman chapels, not fparing thofe of the
foreign ambafladors, kept the whole town in terrors, and trampled
under foot all law and authority. In refentment for the imprifonment
of fome of their companions, they fet the gaol of Newgate on fire, and
gave liberty to the prifoners of all defcriptions. Many of thefe im-
mediately took advantage of the general confufion to fet open fome of
the other prifons ; and then, reinforced by the abandoned inmates of
them, demolilhed the furniture, and every other kind of property they
could lay their hands on, belonging to Lord Mansfield, Sir John Field-
ing, and other magiftrates who were obnoxious to them. They threat-
ened to deflroy the bank, the inns of court, the palaces, and the arfenal
at Woolwich ; and they adually fet fire to the King's-bench and Fleet
prifons, New Bridewell, and many houfes in various quarters of the
town. The bank, the royal exchange, Gildhall, the inns of court, the
pod-office, S'. James's park, Hyde-park, and many private houfes, be-
came camps or garrifons for the army and militia, by whofe exertions
the rioters were at laft fupprefl'ed, after keeping the town in rhe moll:
defperate ftate of anarchy and diftrefs for a whole week. Such were the
unhappy effects of religious bigotry and intolerance.

June — Tobacco, the produce of the American colonies now at war
with the mother country, ufed frequently to be bought at the neutral
iflands in the Weft-Indies, and carried thence to fome of the Britifli
iflands, where it was refliipped for Britain. As it was thought advan-
tageous to receive it, even with the load of all the circuitous freight,
infurance, &c. the doubts, which had arifen concerning the legality of

A. D. 1780. 659

fuch importation, were removed by parliament, and the tobacco im-
ported in Britifli veffels admitted to entry during the prefent hoftilities
on payment of i— penny per pound of additional duty. [20 Geo. Ill,

c- 39-]

An a6l was pafled, for laying feveral additional duties on goods carried
from Britain to the illand of Mann ; for allowing a drawback on teas
carried to it; for allowing veffels, not under 70 tuns*, carrying her-
rings from Mann to Madeira and the Mediterranean, to import wines
of any country, except France, direcfl to Mann ; and containing alfo
feveral other regulations for the trade and filhery of that ifland.
[20 Geo. Ill, c. 42.]

The na\'igation adt was fo far difpenfed with, that every member of
the Turkey company was allowed to import into Great Britain or Ire-
land in neutral veffels the goods ufually brought from the Turkifli
dominions till the i" of June 1781 ; the danger of capture being fo
great, that the trade could not otherways be carried on. Cotton,
imported in foreign veffels, was made liable to a duty of 1-/3- penny per
pound, without being entitled to any drawback on exportation. [20
Geo. Ill, c. 45.]

Such places in America as were under the protedion of the Britifli
arms were allowed to have a free commercial intercourfe with Great
Britain, Ireland, or any of the colonies acknowleging the fovereignty of
the mother country. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 46.]

Lord North made a motion in the houfe of commons, (21" March)
that notice fhould be given to the Eaft-India company of the intention
of parliament to pay off the capital ftock or debt of ^^4, 200,000, to-
gether with the intereft upon it, due by the public to the company, on
the 5''' of April 1783 agreeably to the power of redemption in the acl
of parliament, and the ftipulation of three years' notice; after which the
company's exclufive privilege would expire. He faid, he had expeded,
that the company would have made fome fuitable offer of terms for the
renewal of their charter ; but, though the time was fo near, when it
would be neceffiry for government to give notice of repayment, no pro-
pofal had hitherto been offered on the part of the company, which came
near to the expedtation, or right, of the public, who were entitled either
to the whole of the territorial acquificions and revenues, or, if the com-
pany were permitted to retain the monopoly of the trade, to a partici-
pation of the profits.

The terms propofed by the minifter for a renewal of the company's
exclufive privilege were, that they fliould pay down ;{^i, 000,000, and
alfo account to the public for three fourths of all the furplus of the
profits of their trade above a dividend oi eight per cent, which they were

* Till now no vcfTcU under loo luns could import wines into the ifland.

4O 2

66o

A. D. 1780.

never to enlarge. By this propofal it is evident, that the company were
to ftand to the rifk of all lofl'es without any adequate profped of profit
(for it is to be obferved, that £8 was only the bare intereft at five per
rent upon the average price, which ;i(^ioo of India flock fold for about
this time, and lofTes in trade might reduce the dividend flill lower) while
the public, without running any rifk at all, were to have, what would
in general be, the largefl fhare of the profits.

In the courfe of the invefligation of the Eaft-India company's affairs
upon this occafion, the following eflimate was made of the ftate of their
joint property, or ftock.

Original ftock * ^^3, 200,000

Bonds and other debts i ,800,000
Netfurplus efl;ate,after-j

deducTiing original !

flock, as well as f ^' '

debts J

/^20,000,000

Property m India, 7 r

above i ^ j' >

Debt due by the 7

, ,- •' J- 4,200,000

public 3 ^'

EfFeds in England, 7 o

atleaft | ^'^^^'^

,000

,000

;^2 0,000,000

From this flatement it was afTerted, that, in the event of a dilTolution
of the company, every fhare of /^loo original flock would be worth
much more than ^^500 f .

The final fettlement of the bufinefs of the charter was poflponed for
the prefent by a temporary ad of parliament, whereby

July 3'* — The Eafl-India company were allowed to retain the entire
revenue arifing from the territorial acquifitions in India, though their
debt to the public of /^ 1,4 00,000 was paid off, and their bond debts
reduced to, or under, '/^i,5oo,ooo, till the 5''' of April 1781, and till
then to make dividends not exceeding elgM per cent per annum ; the
furpl us revenues and profits being referved for the difpofal of a future
agreement between the public and the company, who are laid under the
fame reftriclions with refpect to accepting bills from India, the govern-
ment of their fettlements, fubmitting the ftate of their affairs to the
lords of the treafury, and the difpofal of their funds, as by the preced-
ing ads (13 Geo. Ill, c. 64. — 19 Geo. III^ c. 61) with the exception of

• The fubfcribed (lock was ;f3, 200,000. But
rll the inftallments paid in by the fubfcribers
ami unted only to 87! per cent, being jf 2,800,000;
and the (lock-holders are dill hable to a call
for the remaining ia| per cent, amounting to
j(,.)00 000. [^Account prefented by the company to
pi.rUamcnt, in 1784.]

•f But by another (latement, laid before the
Ci mpany on the 9"" November, the net balance of
their dock in England, India, and China, was only

/C5>9^3>^'7> exclufive of their poiFtfTions abroad
and at home, their forts, their houfe in Leadenhall
ftreet, warehoufes, &c. all which were valued at
above jf7,coo,ooo morcj their whole property of
every kind being by this edimate fomewhat undtr
jf 13,000,000, inftead of ;^' 18,200,000. It is
evident that the valuation of many branches of
their property can only be made by arbitrary
edimation.

A. D. 1780. 66 r

being Indemnified for expending a large fum in building three Ihips of
74 guns tobe prefented to the public. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 56.]

The company were alfo indulged with time for receiving the draw-
back on the exportation of feme coffee, imported in the year 1775,
beyond the period limited by law. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 58.]

The ufe of copper fheathing being now univerfal in the navy, that
metal came to be confidered as a part of military ftores, and as fuch,
it became an objed of the attention of the legiflature, that it fhould be
carefully guarded againft the rifk of capture by the enemy. The ex-
portation of it, and even the carriage of it by water from one port of
Britain to another, were therefor flridly prohibited. [20 Geo. Ill,

c- 59-]

The whale filhery in the Greenland feas, and that in the Gulf of
S'. Laurence, being under different regulations, the latitude of 59° 30
was fixed as the legal limit between them. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 60.]

For the advantage of trade and the honour of this kingdom, the re-
wards held out for the difcovery of the longitude, or improvements in
the calculation of it, were continued. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 61.]

Among the articles of public expenditure the only one meriting to be
noted here is that, which gave /^i 0,000 this year, inflead of the cuflom-
ary ^^5,000, to the Levant, or Turkey, company. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 62.]

July 4''' — As fome counterpoife to the unfriendly operations of the
Dutch and the apprehended effeds of the Northern armed neutrality, a
negotiation was entered into with the king of Denmark for an explanation
of the 16'^ article of the treaty of alliance and commerce between Great
Britain and Denmark in the year 1670, wherein the fpecies of goods,
prohibited to be carried by the fubjedts of either of the contracting fo-
vereigns to the enemies of the other had been fuperficially defcribed
under the general name of contrabanda. It was now agreed that, beiides
all kinds of artillery, ammunition, arms, armour, foldiers, horfes and
their furniture, they fhould alfo include, under the denomination of
contraband, timber for fhip-building, pitch, tar, rofin, copper in Iheets,
fails, canvafs, cordage, and in general every article ufed in fitting out
iliips ; excepting only iron in a rough flate, and fir planks. But it
was exprefsly declared, that fifli and meat, whether frefh or faked, grain
and flour of all kinds, oil, wine, and all other articles for the nourifli-
ment and fuflenance of life, fhould be freely carried to any port be-
longing to the enemies of the other party, provided it is not in a flate
of blockade *.

July 17"^ — The parliament of Ireland, having refolvcd to encourage
the cultivation of flax and the manufadure of linen in their own coun-
try, repealed the bounties payable on the importation of flax-feed, and

• The original is publilhcd by Mr. Chalmers io bit CollcBion rj ireatict, V. i, /. 97.

662 A. D. 1780.

applied the annual average amounts thereof, together with that of a new
duty now laid on lint-feed oil imported, to encourage the growth of flax-
feed and hemp-feed in Ireland, and alfo to give bounties on the export-
ation of certain fpecies of Irifli linens to Africa, America, Spain, Por-
tugal, Gibraltar, and Minorca ; and to Iriili fail-cloth exported to any
place except Great Britain. It was faid that native feed was found to
be better and more certain than that which is imported, and it was
evidently the inierefl: of the Irifh to give every reaionable encourage-
ment to the internal produdion of materials, on which their ftaple
manufadhire depends, and to which their foil and climate are peculiarly
fuitable.

In the courfe of an examination into this fubjed; by the lords of trade
it appeared, that the Britifh bounties given on the exportation of Irifli
linens had operated in the following proportions.

In 1743, the firil year of the bounty, the Iri(h Unens exported from
England were - - 40,907 yards

1753 - - 1.039.967

1763 - - 2,588,564

1773 - - 2,832,246

It may be obferved that the increafe was aided by enlarged duties
on foreign linens, which took place during that time ; though fuch
duties are faid to have operated to the prejudice of our own woollen
trade by inducing foreign powers to lay reciprocal burthens and re-
flridtions on our manufactures.

The whole Irifh linens imported into London and the out-ports of
England v.ere in 1 743 - 6,418,375 yards

1773 - 17,876,617

The total valu« of linens exported from Ireland, was

in 1741 - - ' ;^48o,5i6

1751 - - 751.993

1761 - - 803,258

1 771 - - 1,691,787

and it is eflimated, that about feven eighths of the whole quantity ex-
ported comes to Great Britain.

That this great increafe was more owing to the fyflem of bounties
and duties, than to the general increafe of our trade, appears from the
decreafe of the imports and exports of foreign linens at the fame periods
in London and the out-ports of England, which were as follows.

Imported. Exported.

18,584,503 ells in 1743 9,894,837 ells.

8,954,649 1773 4.385.276

decreafe 9,629,854 * 5.509.561

A. D. 1780. 66^

The exports of Britifti linens entitled to bounty were

in 1743 - - 52,779 yards

1753 - - 641,510

1763 - - 2,308,310

1773 - - 3,279.808

befides which the increafe in the exportation of the finer linens, not
entitled to bounty, has been nearly as great in value, though not in
quantity *.

Upon the whole, the lords of trade gave it as their opinion, that the
bounties propofed by the Irifh parliament for encouraging the growth
of flax-feed and hemp-feed in Ireland ' cannot afFedl the interefls of the

* linen trade of this kingdom, and are, Jo far as bounties may in any cafe

* be expedient, wifely and providently applied by thefe new provifions to

* promote the intereft of the Irilh linen trade.'— -that the expenfes upon
the importation of Irifh linens to be exported from Britain amount to
5^ per cent, and that confequently, the bounties being equalized in the
two kingdoms, the Irifh exporter will have an advantage of 54. per cent
over the Britifh exporter : but the long credits to be given in foreign
markets, the uncertainty of returns, the inability of the IriQi merchant
to affort his cargoes with the vaft variety of manufactures and foreign
goods to be found in England, together Avith the difficulty of diverting
any trade from its accuftomed channel, will long bear hard on the ad-
venturers ; though an exifting operative advantage in favour of any
branch of trade mufl in all probability ultimately effect: its eflablifh-
ment. Should any inconvenience to the trade of Great Britain proceed
from the expedled fuperiority of the export linen trade of Ireland, they
obferve, that, notwithftanding the combined operation of bounties and
duties, amounting to near 15 per cent, the foreign manufacturers are
ilill enabled to keep up a competition, efpecially in the finer linens;
and that a fmall redudion of the duties would therefor bring them as
cheap as ever to Great Britain, and with advantage to the revenue.

* It might probably, too, obtain in return a larger confumption of
' woollen manufactures and other goods upon the continent of
' Europe.'

' Having obferved, that our fyflem of linen bounties and linen

* duties, though pojjibly in many cafes exceptionable in the great fcale of com-
' mercia/ policy, has proved an effential encouragement to the Irifh Itaple/
they fay, ' we think it right to add, that it has alfo been the means of

• For a more particular account of the linens land, and thofe moRIy of the fincft quality. The

annunlly cxpoilcd from liiiglaiid to the end of the lords of trade have reckoiud the home coiifumpt

year 1771, Sec. fee above, p. 515. It ia worthy as tit leiift tour fifths. In the copy of thit Report

of obfcrvalion, that, from a ounparifon of the publi(hcd by Lord ShcfTK-ld in his Obfetvatior.s .a

Englifh imports and exports of Irilh linens, it ap- the trade ot Ireland the number of yards of Biitilli

pears, that four fifths, or pcrliapi feveii eighths of bounty linen exported in 1773 is 5,i35,266 ; ap-

the whole were confumcd by the people of Eng- paremly a typoj^raphical eriui.

664 A. D. 1780.

' Jorcing forward an extenfive linen manufadurc in this kingdom,
' though Jlni^glltig nridtr a great difadvantage as to the growth andjupply of
' the raw material *.'

Anguft 8'" — Tile outward-bound fleets for the Eaft and Wefl Indies,
under the convoy of a fiiip of 74 guns and two frigates, were met by
the combined fleets of France and Spain, which almofl furrounded
them. Our (hips of war efcaped: but five Eaft-India fliips and forty-
feven Weft- India (hips were taken. The fhips and their cargoes were
of fuch value, thai, it is fuppofed, fo rich a capture was never before
made upon the ocean ; and it certainly was one of the fevereft blows,
that ever the commerce of Great Britain fuftained.

In the fummer of 1776 Captain Cook failed on a third voyage of dif-
covery in his former fhip the Refolution, accompanied by the Difcovery,
which was commanded by Captain Gierke. In this, as in the furmec
voyages, the officers were men of icience, as well as navigators : and, in
addition to the naval eftablilhment, Mr. Bailey again embarked as aflro-
nomer ; Mr. Webber, a German artift, was engaged as painter ; and
Mr. Anderfon, who had already made the circuit of the globe as fur-
geon of the Refolution, took upon him the obfervations in the depart-
ments of natural hiftory and philology. The chief objed of this voyage,
befides the improvement of the geography of the globe for the fervice
of navigation and commerce, was to explore the north-weft: coaft of
America, and, if poflible, to return home by the fuppofed north-weft
paflage, or by the fea which feparates the north part of the continent
of America from Europe and Afia. Another objed of the voyage was
to fupply fome of the iflands of the Pacific ocean with feveral kinds of
ufeful animals and vegetables, which, if they are allowed to multiply,
will add, not only to the comforts of the iflanders to whom they are
given, but alfo afford reftorative nourifliment to fuch navigators, as
opening views of commerce may afterwards induce to refort to thofe
iflands.

After vifiting fome of his former difcoveries and feveral new-found
iflands in the Pacific ocean, he arrived on the weft coaft of America in
the latitude of 44° ^^ north, whence he ranged along the whole of that
extenfive coaft, and having furveyed every opening which promifed any
probability of a pafilige to the Atlantic, he at laft arrived at the ftrait
which feparates America from Afia, pafled through it, and failed in the
Frozen ocean, till the accumulation of ice rendered a farther progrefs
impracticable. After his return from the Frozen ocean, in order to pafs
the winter in a temperate climate, this moil illuftrious navigator, un-

* Notwithftaiiding the ftvere cenfures thrown me to fee, the idea, I ventured to fuggeft in a note

ou-t in the houfe of commons by Mr. Burke in p. 517, fupported by the judgement of men of

a'Jainft the lords of trade for their deficiency in i'uch eminent abilities, as thole who then compofed

conimercial knovvftge, it is no fmall fatisfadlion to that board. *

A. D. 1780. 665

fortunately for the world, loft his life at Owhyhee, one of the iflands
difcovered in this voyage, by the hands of the natives, with whom he
had previoufly been on the moft friendly terms. After his death
Captnin Gierke made a fccoud attempt to penetrate the Frozen ocean,
and met with a fecond repulfe from the ice ; which is a fufficient proof,
that, though there is no reafon to doubt that there is a fea unobftrucled
by land between the old and new continents, yet the prodigious mafles
of ice, which arc Icarcely ever thawed, oppofe an everlafting bar, as in-
fuperable as the moft folid mountains of rock, to the efforts of the
navigator.

In ranging along the coaft of America Captain Cook difcovered
Nootka found, fince become famous from the difputes with Spain con-
cerning it, and as being the earlieft, and principal, feat of our fur trade
on that coaft, the flrft fruits of which were gathered in this voyage.
And during the courfe of the voyage plans for the moft advantageous
profecution of that lucrative trade were projeded bv Captain Cook, and,,
after his death digefted and matured by Captain King *.

At the Rullian harbour of S'. Peter and S'. Paul on the eaft coaft of
Kamtfchatka, where the navigators were treated with the moft generous
hofpitality by Colonel Behm the governor, the officers, and inhabitants,
they obfervcd, that, even in that remoteft corner of the habitable earth,
the manufadurcs of this country made a principal part of their im-
ported conveniencies f .

The two Hiips having loft both their captains, arrived in Britain
under the command of Meflieurs Gore and King, who had embarked
as tirft and fecond lieutenants of the Refolution, in the month of
Odober 1780.

This brief account of Captain Cook's laft expedition ought not to be
clofed without making honourable mention of the liberality and gener-
ofity of the Frtnch government, and, in imitation of them, of the
Spaniards and Amcricuns, who gave orders to all their ftiips of war and
privateers, in cafe of meeting v/ith the two weather-beaten ihips which
had tor fo many years encountered the hardOiips of every climate, by
00 means to offer to moleft them, but rather to give them every
friendly afliftancc in their power. Such condud is a itriking mark of
the diftindion between the humanized warfare of modern enlightened
nations, and the indifcriminate maifacrea of the barbarians of former .-

• See Cock't Third voya^t, F. ii, />. 401;^ iii, P'h'ihfnfhinil ir.mfa^lci.! ) we learn, tli.U Mr. Boglv,

/■• -i.}*^' ^ yvliCJi ?.t the court of tlie Lama of Thibet, in the

■\ Captain King <]weJb witli grc« fatisfa£lion interior part of Afia, f;uv there many European

on the plcafing ide.is of home excited in him by pifturis, luoking-glolfcs, and trinkets of gold,

the light uf au ohl pe«Hr fpoon with the word lilvtr, aiij (Ucl, chiefly Englllh, whicli he liad re-

Landon (lamped 011 the back of it. Int'etd thrtc ccived hv irean» of the 'I'aitar fiibjcitln of Ruflia,

is fcartcly any p.\rt ci the woild, to which Biililh and pariicularly a (Jrahani's ripcatin-r watch,

pianiifacliircg have not found tluir way. Fiom which had been litad, rs they faid, for fon;:

Mr. Su-waii'j IcltT fo Sir John Pringic (in llic lime.

Vol. III. ' 4. P

666 . A. D. 1780.

ages. And fuch was the honourable teftimony of applaufe beflowed by
foreigners upon the Britiflt voyages of fcience ; voyages, wherein (hips
of war were employed, not for the deftrudion, but for the general ferv-
ice, of mankind ; and which conferred a dignity on all concerned in
them, not excepting even thofe who embarked in the lower ftations,
feveral of whom were fo flir ennobled by having failed under Cook, that
they afterwards became principals in fcientific refearches in every
quarter of the globe.

No man ever extended the fcience of geography, that fcience fo
fundamentally and efTentially ufcful to exteniive navigation, more than
Cook, or was a greater ornament to it. To him we are indebted for
the difcovery, or the improved knowlege, and accurate pofition, of
mofl of the iflands, which have lately been added to the geography of
the world, whereby our modern navigators are emboldened to double
the formerly-tremendous Cape Horn, and traverfe the vafl Pacific ocean,
with lefs danger than their predeceflbrs of the fifteenth century incurred
in llretching acrofs the Bay of Bifcay ; and alfo for the chief informa-
tion refpeding the manners and language of that widely-difperfed race
of people, who occupy the innumerable iflands fcattered between the
eafl coafl of Africa and the weft coaft of America ; an extent of more
than half the circumference of the globe. To him we are indebted for
the complete and final decifion of the grand queftion, which for ages
had agitated the minds of fpeculative philofophers and clofct voyagers,
upon the necejfary exiftence of a great fouthern continent : and in his
laft voyage the repeated difappointment in attempting to navigate the
oppofite polar feas, together with the then-afcertained vicinity of
America and Afia, very nearly amounted to a demonftration, that the
long-looked-for northern paflage is equally vifionary. ' The method,
' which he difcovered, and fo fuccefsfully purfued, of preferving the
' health of feamen, forms a new aera in navigation, and will tranfmit
' his name to future ages amongft the friends and benefadors of man-
■' kind. It was referved for Captain Cook to fliew the world, that
' voyages might be protraded to the unulual length of three, or even

* four, years in unknown regions, and under every change and rigour

* of cUmate, not only without afteding the health, but even without

* diminifhing the probability of life in the fmalleft degree*.' If he
had never conferred any other benefit on mankind, for this alone

His namejlmll live as long as the ocean Jljall be navigated.

* Thefe are the words of Captain King, who to his other great and uftfiil talents, making a very

wrote the remainder of the voyage, contained in refpeftable figure as an author. And here it is

the third vohune, after the death of his rcfpeclcd proper to obferve, that the account of the laft

commander. The account of the preceding part voyage in three volumes quarto, with a fplendid

of the voyage, contained in the two firll volumes, accompaniment of illuftrative and ornamental

is written by Captain Cook himfelf ; as is alfo the plates, was publilhed at the national expenfe, as a

account of his ftcond voyage, publilhed in two pubUc tribute of refpcft to the memory of the

volumes quarto. Thus we find Cook, in addition worthy commander.

A. D. 1780. 667

As being connected with Captain Cook's lafl: voyage, I have deferred
till now the meniion of two attempts to find a paflage from Baffin's bay
to the weflward. The firfl: was conduced by Lieutenant Pickerfgill in
the armed brig Lion during the fummer of 1776 ; and the fecond was
undertaken by Lieutenant Young in the fame veffel in the following
fummer: and the obje6l of both was to endeavour to penetrate to the
Pacific ocean, in hopes to meet with Cook coming from it. It is al-
mofl: needlefs to add, that neither of thefe voyages produced any dif-
covery.

0(ftober 3'' — It pleafed God to vifit the fugar colonies with one of the
moft tremendous hurricanes that had ever afflided the Weft-Indies. In
Jamaica it attacked the leeward (or weftern) end of the ifland in con-
junction with an earthquake and an inundation of the fea, which with
one fudden fweep carried away the whole town of Savanna-la-mar (a
place of confiderable trade) fo completely, that fcarcely a veftige of a
building was to be feen after the retreat of the water *. In the whole
of the two weftern parifhes of Weftmoreland and Hanover, and in the
adjacent parts of S'. James's and S^ Elizabeth's, very few houfes, trees,
or plants of any kind, were left ftanding. Many white people and
negroes, and vaft numbers of cattle, perifhed, and thofe who furvived
were deftitute of ftielter, clothing, and food. General Bailing, governor
of the ifland, as foon as he knew of the defolation, aftembled the mer-
chants of Kingfton, who, with a generofity worthy of the charaders of
Britons and Weft-Indians, immediately fent a fupply of neceflliries, to
the value of /^io,ooo to the relief of the unhappy fufferers. In the
parifti of Weftmoreland, which comprehends Savanna-la-mar, the dam-
age was computed by a committee, appointed for that purpofe, to
amount to/^950,000 Jamaica currency (^^678,571 : 8 : 7 fterlingf.)

Odober io"'-ii"' In Barbados the hurricane deftroyed almoft every

houfe in Bridgetown, which was juft recovering from the effects of two
dreadful fires, and alfo moft of the houfes in the fmaller towns and on
the plantations all-over the ifland. All the fruits of the earth of every
kind were deftroyed. Nearly one half of the cattle, 2,033 Aaves, and a
great number of white people and free people of colour, were killed.
The whole, damage done to the property in the ifl:md was ftated ac
;(^I,320,564 : 15:0 fterling. The ftiips at anchor fortunately got out
to fea. One good confequencc refulting from this calamity was, that

* It may be nccclTan- to obfcrvc, to tliofc who publifticd his Hlllory of the Wcft-Indics (1793):'

have never fceii any lioufcs but fiich as are built Savanna-la-mar was fo far recovered as to contain

with ftoiic or brick, that the town was built en- from 60 to 70 houfes.

tirely of wood ; fo that the houfes were as liable f The fufferers of Jamaica and Barbados alfo.

to be floated oil from the ground on which they got fome relief from parliament in the enfuing

ftood by an inundation, as vefTels lying aground are year, as will be obferved in its place.

hy the flowing of tlie tide. — When Mr. Edwarda

4 r 2,

668 A. D. 1780.

the negroes were thenceforth treated with more tendernefs, and feveral
machines for abridging their labour were introduced *.

In Tobago the hurricane was but (lightly felt, and did no great
damage.

In Grenada, now under the dominion of France, it made great de-
folation : and it alfo produced fome benefit as an alleviation of the
calamity. The devaftations committed in this ifland by the carnivorous
ants, and the ineffedual attempts to deftroy them, have already been
related (p. 610). They had lately decreafed in confequence of the
decreafe of the canes, their principal Ihelter, as many of the planters
had been compelled by their ravages to abandon the cultivation of
fugar. But their complete extermination was now effedled by the hur-
ricane, which tore up the trees, canes, and other plants, uirder which
they burrowed, and let the water in upon them, which drowned them
all. Thus did a dreadful fcourge operate in fome degree as a blefling
by relieving the ifland from the continual ravages of thofe invincible
vermin f .

All-over the Weft-India feas vaft numbers of (hips of war and mer-
chantmen belonging to different nations were loft. Of the crews of two
of our frigates wrecked on "the coaft of Martinique only thirty-one men
efcaped alive, and they were immediately fent to Commodore Hotham
at St. Lucia by the generofity of the marquis de Bouille, who declared,
he could not confider as prifoners of war men whom the fury of the
elements had thrown defencelefs upon the ftiore of his government.

The powers of Europe had long beheld with eyes of envy and
jealoufy the naval fuperiority of Great Britain ; and they hoped, that
the feceflion of the revolted colonies of Am.erica, and the alliance of
France and Spain with them, would be fully fufficient to humble the
power of this country, which ftood unfupported by a fingle ally. But
when it appeared, that the maritime force of Great Britain alone was
^capable of maintaining the arduous conflid; againft the fleets of France,
Spain, and America, and that even the Britifli privateers conftituted a
naval force fufficient to curb the attempts of the fubjefts of the neutral
powers to eonvey warlike ftores to the enemies of Great Britain, a plan
was formed for a more extenfive, and more powerful, oppofition to,
.what was called, the maritime tyranny of Great Britain.

Ruflia is a vaft empire, v/hich can pour forth a moft formidable
army, but which the hand of Nature has fliut up from ever becoming
a maritime power, or having any immediate conne6lion with the ocean,
except in the frozen regions of it, and the almoft-unnavigated northern
extremity of the Pacific. Neverthelefs, the emprefs of Ruflia, whom

* Sec the anfwera from Barbados in the Report CafllcsEfq'. in « letter to General Mclvi'ie F. R. S.
af the privy council vpon tbejlatie trade. in \ht Philofoph> TrcinfaSions, F. Ix.NX,/. 346.

\ Sec Olfervathnt on the /ujar ants bj John

A. D. 1780. 669

Great Britain had numbered among the friendly powers, and whofe
fubjedts certainly derived a principal part of their commercial emolu-
ments from the trade of this country, now took it upon her to didate
a new code of maritime laws, very unfriendly to the interefts and power
of Great Britain, and, in fhort, to ailert the empire ot the fea.

The emprefs having previoufly fecured the concurrence of her neigh-
bours (for fhe was not willing to expofe herfelf fingly to the refentment
of Great Britain, however encumbered already with powerful enemies)
illued a declaration (February 26"^) addrefled to the courts of London,
Verfailles, and Madrid *, wherein* after the ufual preliminary profefTions
of juiUce, equity, and moderation, her ftridt regard for the rights of neu-
traUty and the liberty of commerce, fhe complained, that her fubjeds
had been often molefled in their navigation by the fhips of the
belligerent powers f ; and flie proceeded to lay before all Europe the
principles adopted by her, which fhe found ' contained in the laws of
' the primitive people,' and are comprifed in the following points.

I) That neutral fhips fhall enjoy a free navigation, even from port to
port, and on the coafts, of the belligerent powers.

II) That all effeds, belonging to the fubjecls of the faid belligerent
powers, fhall be looked upon as free onboard fuch neutral fhips, except
only fuch goods as are flipulated to be contraband.

III) That her Imperial Majefly, for the proper underftanding of this,
refers to the articles X and XI of her treaty of commerce with Great
Britain J, extending her obligations to all the other belligerent powers*

IV) That in order to determine what charaderizes a port blocked up,
that denomination fhall not be granted, but to fuch places, before which
there are adually a number of enemy's fhips flationed near enough to
make its entry dangerous.

V) That thefe principles fhall ferve as rules in the judicial proceed-
ings and fentences upon the legality of prizes.

And then, after announcing, that fhe had ordered a confiderable part
of her naval forces to proted the honour of her flag, and the fecurity
of the commerce and navigation of her fubjeds, againfl whomfoever,
without, however, deviating from the ftrideft neutrality, moderation,
and impartiality, flic concluded by inviting the belligerent powers to
contribute to the accomplifhment of her llilutary views, and to give
inflrudions to their courts of admiralty and commanders, conformable
to the above principles ' drawn from the primitive codes of peoples.'

The new code of maritime laws was fpeedity communicated to all the
courts of Europe. It was graitly applauded by the kings of France and

• It is not unrcafonablc to fiippofe, that it was ment, that not a fiiiglc Ruflian fliip had ever been

prccoiictitcd xviih tlie courts ol Verfailles and detained by any of our criiifiTS.
Madrid, mid [jiobiibly alfo wiiii the Dutcli. J For thrfc article* fee the account glna of lh:i'

f W'c inu!l fuppofc, that (he only mcaiied, that treaty in p. 449.
ihcy were e xamiiiri It was decUred in parlia-

670 A. D. 1780.

Spain; and a civil anfwer, with profcflions of frienclfhip, wns returned
by the king of Great Britain. The king of Denmark fent declarations
to the courts of London, Verfailles, and Madrid, wherein he adopted
ahnofl the very words ufcd by the emprefs : and the king of Sweden
fent a fnnilar declaration to the fame courts, and alfo, in concert with
the emprefs, improved the plan of an alliance comprehending the three
northern powers, and inviting the acceflion of all others, the operations
of which, they declared, were to be confined to the fea, and were to be
enforced againft all nations, who fliould prefume to violate the articles
agreed upon by the contrading powers, who immediately put in com-
miflion a very refpedable fleet confifl;ing of above eighty fliips of war.
Such was the commencement of the armed neutrality, which hence-
forward detached a naval force to protect each fleet of the merchant
fhips belonging to the powers united in the confederacy. And it was
not long before a new phoenomenon appeared on the fouth coafl; of
England. A Ruflian fquadron of five fliips of the line and a frigate
adually arrived in the Channel, in order to give efficacy to the regula-
tions of the emprefs and her allies, or, indeed, to rule the Britifli fea.

The Dutch muft have been very well pleafed to behold thefe pro-

-eeedings of the northern powers, as they were at leaft as much inter-

efl:ed in the object: of their alliance as any of them ; yet, fuch is the

chara6leriflic tardinefs of their refolutions, that they did not accede to

the armed neutrality till the 20"" of November.

The treaty between the American fl:ates and the Dutch, figned in
September 1778, which had ever fince been moft cautioufly kept fecret,
was accidentally difcovered by the capture of an American veflel,
(September T780) onboard which Mr. Laurens, late prefident of the
congrefs, had taken his pafllige in the quality of ambaflador to the
States-general. A flrong memorial was thereupon given in to the
States-general by the Britifli ambaflador (November 10'''), demanding
that an exemplary punifliment fliould be inflided on the penfionary
Van-Berkel and his accomplices, as diflurbers of the public peace, and
violators of the rights of nations. But the States-general being in no
hurry to comply with the ambaflfador's demand, the Britifli government
immediately dgiermined on hoftilities ; and a manifeflo was publiflied
(December 20 h), which, after charging them with many acts of enmity,
gave notice, that'' fuch vigorous nieafures, as the occafion fully jufti-
' fies,' fliould immediately be purfued. Accordingly commifllons of
reprifals againfl: the Dutch were ifTued at the fame time. All their
veflxils in our harbours were detained : and in a few days, many of their
fliips, imapprifed of the commencement of hoftilities, were taken in the
adjacent narrow feas.

Thus was Great Britain involved in hoftilities with no lefs than four
£rcat maritime powers, each one of whom pofl'efl'ed a greater marine

A. D. 1780. 671

force than any other nation in the world unconneded with the war ;
while even thofe called neutral nations kept up a very confiderable
navy with defigns at befl: not friendly to Great Britain. And all this
formidable combination (for fuch it may be juftly called) of all the
fhips of the Ocean did not fliake the maritime power of this one
ifland.

Mr. Alexander Fordyce, in a petition to the lords of the treafury,
reprefented, that he had invented a method of extracting from fea and
rock fiilt a marine acid and a mineral or fofFile alkali of the nature of
barilla, fit for the purpofes of foap-makers, bleachers, calico-printers,
and glafs-makers : that he had eftabliOied a manufaclure at South
Shields, and propofed to eftablidi another on the weft coaft of England,
if government would exempt him from the very heavy duty payable on
fait, for which he adduced feveral precedents in fimilar cafes. But he
alleged, that it would be utterly impoflible to carry it on, if the fait, of
which three tuns are expended in procuring one tun of pure alkali, is
loaded with a duty of 800 per cent above the price of fait in France, or
even in Ireland, in both which countries the price of labour is much
lower than in England. He ftated the value of foreign alkali annually
confumed in the manufadures of England and Ireland at /?400,ooo *,
befides what is expended in Scotland, and was confident, that the whole
of that fum might be faved to the kingdom by enabling him to carry
on his works free of the duty ; but that the whole advantage muft be
utterly loft, if the exemption is denied to him, as he muft be ruined, if
he were to perfift in it on fuch difadvantageous terms.

In the year 171 2 the port of Harwich had only three fiflaing fmacks
of about 30 or 40 tuns burthen, carrying in all about 20 men and boys.
In a few years after the perfevering exertions of Richard Orlibar, the
owner and mafter of one of them, in extending his voyages to the
Cromar and Dogger banks, encouraged them to attempt to come in for
a ftiare with the Dutch in the fupply of frefli fifli at the London mar-
ket. About the year 1 770, by means of an Englifliman who had been
in the Dutch fidiery, they acquired the method of ufing long lines in
the winter. By the fucccfs attending thefe improvements the fiihing
fmacks of Harwich gradually increafed in number and fizc ; and this
year there were Jeventy-two of from 45 to 55 tuns, carrying on an
average 4 men and 5 or 6 apprentices each f. It is computed that they
fupply the metropolis with about 2,000 tuns weight of cod, haddocks,
wliitings, holibut, ikaie, and coal-filh, frefli or faltcd. They complain
of the reftridions and duties upon fait, which frequently oblige them
to throw away their fifli rather than cure them, and of the charges at

• In tlic cudom-h, iifi: hooks the value is dated + Tlic fiHiery declined from llic year 17S0;
to be /'350,0c o ; and it p.iys on entry « duty of .Tiul in I 7*?5 tlie nnmbtr of fmacks was rcdurcd
about /,'i 1,1 ifi. 1 to 53^

672

A. D. 1780.

the coaft-oflice in London. The Dutch rival them in the fupply of
the London market with 40 or 50 veflels from 30 to 70 tuns, and by
long experience they have attained the art of feeding the market with
fuch nice and fparing exadnefs, as enables them to keep up a continual
exorbitant price.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England - 6,689 veflels of the reputed burthen of 534,512 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,493 - _ * 84,341

Total

8,182

618,853

Tliere were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain, from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages.

B

ritirti.

Foreign. j

Total.

Vessels.

5.170
7.443

Tuns.

574.934
731,026

Vessels.
2,015

1.395

Tuns.

228,496

154. Ill

Vessels.

7.185
8,838

Tuns.
803,430
885,137

Inward
Outward

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was from the cuftom-houle in London - ;^2,7 12,920 8 o

and from the cuftom-houle in Edinburgh - 1 1,000 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain X^2,723,920 8 o

There was no money coined this year.

The official value of the Imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1779 to Chriftmas 1780 was as follows.

Countries, &c.

Africa

Denmark, &c.

East country

East-India

Flanders

France

Germany

Greenland

Holland

Ireland

Mann

Italy

Madeira

Poland

Prnssia

Portugal

Russia

Spain

Straits

Gibraltar

Sweden

Turkey

Venice

Guernsey, Sec.

America in general

Hudson's bay

Newfoundland

Quebec

Nova Scotia

New England

New York

Pennsylvania

Carolina

Georgia

Florida

AVest-Indies in general

Antigua

Barbados

Bermuda

Grenada

Jamaica

Montserrat

Nevis

St. Christophers

St. Vincents

Tobago

Tortola

New Providence

I5ay of Honduras

Mus(]uito ■.hore

St. Croi.v.

St. Eustathius

Cura(,ao

St. Lucia

Foreign West-Indies

Kortliem fishery

Suutticrn fishery

Prize goods

Imp. and exp. of England
Imp. and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain

Vol. III.

I

mported into

Kxported

from

ENGLAND.

SC0TL.\.ND.

ENGLAND.

SCOTLAND.

s€2i,68g

0 7

^£195.907 14

C

86,731

4 4

^£"24,842 8 10

156,125 19

6

i£22,125 2 6

299,832

4 g

60,285 18

3

970,726

9 7

1,116,341 11

4

873,160

12 11

1,535,849 4

10

4,283

4 3

5,744 0

0

685,110

5 0

10,423 8 1

1,017,820 2

7

11,513 4 3

38,158

17 8

1 ,440 0 0

165 0

0

643,327

15 3

117,095 10 1

1,151,064 14

0

95,239 1 2

1,549,387

11 3

194,030 6 5

l,g30,338 7

4

398,046 4 3

12,970

3 6

'2,734 15 7

20,194 8

c

SS4 0 3

80,405

6 3

1,704 10 2

312,600 3

2

3,437 9 0

2,612

5 4

11,225 14 I
7.214 9 6

51,907 15

5

904 11 8
73 0 0

522,893

18 2

28,608 15 1

459,673 16

10

1,520 18 7

1,150,429

12 11

203,423 8 5

161,031 10

5

7,098 19 4

86,398

9 4

469 19 3

1,662

19 10

8,533 0

3

46 5 5

46,836 17

7

651 17 4

144.160

17 1

21,194 0 6

40,678 10

5

1,270 13 1

2,463

6 0

1,797 11

7

85,526

17 7

28,864 10

11

130,867

7 3

3,808 8 4
83,913 i3 9

70,037 10

2

1,485 17 4
254,386 0 11

15,017

10 4

3,622 10

4

100,257

4 5

102,040 13

6

3,498

3 4

4S6,419 17

1

777

11 6

244,158 6

4

32

2 7

15,532

9 3

496,602 7

5

36

19 4

7O8

4 0

236,940 16

2

2,251

6 4

91,888 4

8

16,486

8 0

165,421 4 2

54,760 13

2

296,357 14 2

57.120

5 6

106,703 19

3

120,384

1 6

254,847 18

5

1,229

13 If!

15,556 IS

9

25,063

4 7

1,541.575

3 11

728,659 10

11

44,696

1 2

11,075 4

5

45,79(>

2 8

17,745 3

2

323,445

5 5

207,562 14

8

7

4 4

7^,927

5 3

27,916 U

0

49,023

6 5

25,379 4

9

4(X)

8 .1

14

1 V

1,527

3 0

152 7

3

7,688

13 1

118,249 17
1.760 7

8
6

137,200

19 3

25,130 2 ()

53,977 13

6

7,04 1 4 V

525

14 u

1 ,79a

2 0'

9,9S,J,838

5 1

11,667.417 8

0

82M,401

2 .S

929,721 1

8

10,812,239

7 9

I2,()96.I38 9

S

902,727

0 2

902,727 0 2

l,Ut)2,U39 2

10

l,002,03y 2 11

11.71 1,066

7 11

11,698,177 12

_6

40.

'74

A. D. 1780.

The foreign trade in corn is by fome thought the moft important of any, as producing great
funis, which are acquired wholely from the fertiUty of the earth and the labour of the people ;
while others confidcr any attempts to extend it beyond the natural limits, which are regulated by;
the abundance ot one country and the deficiency of another, as prejudicial to the general iutereftsi
of both the exporting and importing countries. As it is at any rate an objeel of confiderablel!
importance, and that in more than one point of view, I fhall here exhibit the progrefs of this
very precarious trade in tables of the quantities of grain exported and imported fincc the com-
mencement of the corn regifter, which are taken from accounts made up in the cullom-houfei
by order of parliament.

:<

"Wheat and lloiir
Barley and malt
Oats and oatmeal

Beans

Peas

Barley and bear
Bear and meal . .

Rye

Indian com . . . .

"Wheat and flour
Barley and malt
Oats and oatmeal

Beans

Peas

Barley and bear

Rye

Indian com ....

.Buck-wheat . . . .

"Wheat and flour
Barley and malt
Oats and oaljneal

Beans

Peas

Barley and bear

Rye

Indian com ....
Buck-wheat ....

'Wheat and flour

Rye

Barley and malt
Oats and oatmeal

Beans

Peas

Indian corn ....
Buck- wheat ....
Barley and bear

Exported from

E.VGLAND.

British,
quarters

] 0,080
3 1 , 1 (5o

13,34.5
3,;0i

6,g5g

13,789

23,511

13,321

3,775

7.637

2,445

]8,fi;i

10,733

4,430

15,171
1,43-1
2,410

16,286
9,-143
3,211

Foreign,
ijuarters.

Nil

1

I
I. Nil

!> Nil

820

25

797

10;

1 ,880

50

Bounties and
drawbacks paid.

se s ,

6,170 7 6

Nil

Nil

■ 5,961 12 0

SCOTLAND.

BritisI
luarters.

203

H,86(

3

3

2,82(,

1,^

242

100

IS

3(

122
(I

495

Bounties and
drawbacks paid,
^ s c

Nil

}"

Nil

61 11 10

IniporteJ into

ENGLAND.

Quarters.

2,50(

22b

108,072

6;

64

2,179

23,134

2,107

70,542

469

1

4,790
3
1

50,3 1 2

51,221

234,366

49,858

3,254

9.253

6,322

53

269,235

41,427

155,148

312,908

16,401

2,780

Duties received.
se s d

y 13,170 2 1

> 2,393 6 10

•f. Duty free

■ 12,379 4 3

SCOTLAND.

Uuarter.-

14,255

2,340

961

36,277

4

1

6,545

95,088
4,002
4,002

12,695
2

19.914

86,.59l
2,505
2,70£

4

16,360

Duties received
547 3 11

}

} 1,372 14 11

> Duty free

> 1,336 11 8

* When foreign grain is imported, and not sold, it is permitted by act of parliament to be warehoused without paying duty ; and if
exported again, it is here arranged under the title of foreign to distinguish it from British,

A. D. 1780.

675

- Wheat and flour

Rye

Harley and malt
Oats and oatmeal

Beans

Peas

Indian com . . . .

Wheat and flour

R>e

Barley and malt
Oats and oaimeal

i xporied from

UritUh,

ENGLAND.

I Foreign

SCOTLAND.

luarter^.l-iuariers

00
.1^

I Indian corn . . . .
L Bailey and bear

r Wheat and flour

Rye

Barley and malt
Oats and oatmeal

"{ Beans

Peat

Indian corn . . . .

Barley and bear

Buck-'.vheat . . . .

' Wheat and flour

Rye

Barley and malt
Oats and c/atmeal

Beans

Peas

Barley and bear

' Wheat and
wheat meal
Wheat flour . . .

Rye

Barley

Malt

Oats

Oatmeal

Beans

Peas

Barley and bear

}

f Wheat

Wheat flour

Rye

Barley

Malt

Oats

Oatmeal

Peas and beans ,

Barley and bear
LBiscuitj cwl.. . .

28,34b
2,471
45,454
22,593
14,07i
4,717

174,041
10,3(X

J2y,io-l
2i,y3C

33,33b
0',5G2

79.120
719

132,513

16,8-4

22,449

6,929

02,649

251

5,C>40

3,773

343

212

4,323

32,4G7,T

030

2,160;

8,6b6; y
7,t)Oo

8,043
1.957

Bounties and I British,
drawbacks paid, 'quarters

5,014

227

47i'

1 2,50;

7, -192

6,742

8

124,69&

13,077

1,089

17

100,820

1,391

2<'),810

8,043

17.767

3,(^62

y.3£'9

6,221

155,003

49, 1 So

3,102

4,()48

74,2b7

11.291

2,475

19,075

13,130

63,240

136,939

6,305

32,950

135,077

8. 904

916

16,071

7,781
1,705

37

2,5b3

5,635

2;

6,384

5,106

7.067
932

2,40;

8,720
449

.•.,4b8

drawbacks
1,798 16 8

bounties
7,842 10 11

drawbacks

yeo 8 0

botuities
50,925 7

drawbacks
102 1 10

bounties
43,250 O ;

drawback-s
244 8 6

bounties
,101 16 3

drawbacks
97 1 2

bounties
51,349 2 0

40

2(.'

119
3

Bounties and
drawbacks paid.

d

^

NU

1

drawbacks
29 17

Iwuntiet
70,483 13 5

3,247

42:

4,365

543

543

4,428

2,652

3,645
7,233

4i2

422

6,0S8

3,205

021
27,690
653
653
795

250
9,239

3,022
219

2,638'

} 8!»7l
937'|J

773 1

15,101

bounties
1,322 13

2,4 1, >
3,330
4,(k)0
1,38(1
18,700
12,013

Imported into

KNGLANn.

Quarters.

Duties received.

^ s <

544,641;

33,574

120,332

283,827

29,862]

11,275,

9,638,

bounties
)> 2 420 15 10

bounties
3,704 11

3,157 0 0|

bounties
7,232 3

iCOTLAND.

. 18,442 18 2

,. t 3,658 5 5

233,069

18,454

7,.0S1

306,155
35, ij;

28,702

10

106,394

9.32

42,514

199,080

30,103

27,768

3,50b

1,103
1.693
7,Ob5

331,858

14,591
29,154

1,66
1,37b

352

M»9.904

612I

25,133

■ 8,835 13 9

4,890 3 7

2,649 18 7

lO.OO'r 0 II

4(^2

Uuartt■l^.

16,347

13,119

100,115

1.657

1,65b

430

Duties received.
£ i d

1,355 1 5

479
4,859

12

254

291

200
l,4<iO

425

15,984

873

4.66;

2t4

30 12

0 14 p

14 3 9

>. 189 lb a

00 11 o

676 A. D. 1 78 1

1781 — In the beginning of the year 1781 Mr. Necker, direclor-gencral
of the finances of France, laid before the king his celebrated work, en-
titled * Compte rendu au roi,' being an account of his adminiftration of
the finances of that kingdom.

In the later end of the year 1776 that great financier and honefl
ftatefman was placed at the head of the finances of France, which he
found greatly deranged, the receipts of the treafury being twenty-four
millions of livres (above one million fi:erling) fliort of the ordinary ex-
penditure *. In the following year the French were bufily preparing
for war; and in the year 1778 they were adually engaged in it. Not-
withftanding the extraordinary expenfes unavoidable in fuch a ftate of
affairs, Mr. Necker found means to make the king fenfible of the force
of that greatefl: of all maxims of finance, that EcoNO^ry is the sukest
SOURCE OF ABUNDANCE f. And, in confequcnce of the adoption of fo
falutary a maxim, the French revenue, from being unequal to the ex-
penditure in time of peace, was fo greatly improved, that in the year
1780, while war was raging, there was an excefs of 10,200,000 livres
above the expenditure, [Compte rendu, p. 10] which of courfe was pro-
ductive of great advantages in the negotiation of loans, the value of
the funds, &c.

Such a fyfiiem of economy, if perfevered in, would have raifed the
finances of the kingdom to a very high pitch of profperity and credit.
The effeds of it were fo important, that fome of our flatefmen, in their
fpeeches in parliament, profefled their apprehenfions of greater danger
to this country from the improved ftate of the finances, than from the
cflforts of the armies and fleets, of France. But, if we were in any
danger from the reformation of the French finances, it was not pro-
bable that it would laft long. For the man, who fets himfelf to check
corruption, and to prevent peculation, muft foon fall a vidim to the
interefted malice of fuch a hoft of peculators, of corrupters and cor-
rupted, as he incenfes againfi; himfelf by his virtuous endeavours to
ferve the country, to which he has devoted the fervices and the ftudies
of his life. Asa reward for rendering the greateft fervice to the nation,
Mr. Necker was difmifled from his office ; and the revenue reverted to
its former ftate of corruption and peculation.

The ftate of the commerce, current money, and population, of
France, as given by Mr. Necker, may be confidered as more im-
mediately connecled with the nature of this work. The annual aver-
age of the imports he ftates at 230 millions, and that of the exports at
300 millions, of livres. He eftimates the current money of the king-

* Mr. Necker [^. 27] ftates the annual charge all the penfions given by all the other fovereignj

under the name of penhons only (and there were of Europe amount to half the fum.

many gratuitous payments tinder other names) at ■\ ' Non inteliigunt homines, quam magnum

nventy-eight millions of livres: and he doubts if ' veftigal fit parfimonia,' fays Cicero, a great

a ftatefman of antiquity.

A. D. 1781. 677

dom to be two thoufand millions of livres (above eigbty-feven millions
Jlerling) in coin * ; and the yearly coinage of money to be forty or fifty
millions of livres. And he eftimates the population at twenty-four
millions of fouls. [Compte rendu, pp. 54, 68, 74.]

The war with the Dutch appears to have funk, the price of the three-
per-cent confolidated funds, which fince the commencement of the war
with Spain were between 60 and 62, down to 57^. The depreflion in
the other branches of the funds was, as ufual, in proportion to that in
the three-per-cents.

The Dutch iHand of S'. EuHathius (called by feafaring people Statia)
is not above fix miles long. It confifls of two hills of rock, with very
Uttle foil upon them, and has not a fmgle rivulet or fpring of frefti
water ; fo that it is not worth occupying for any purpofe of cultiva-
tionf or comfortable refidence. Yet the wonderful induftry, and com
mercial fpirit of the Dutch have made it a mofl valuable poileflion, and
of at leaft as much importance as any other of the windward iflands in
the Weft-Indies. By giving the greateft poftible accommodation to all
Grangers, of whatever nation, this barren ifland foon became an univer-
fal repofitory for the produce and manufactures of every quarter of the
globe : and, as the Dutch were not fo often engaged in hoftilities as the
other maritime powers of Europe, the feafon of war has at all times
been their peculiar and richcll harveft. There the Americans with
their cargoes of provifions, tobacco, lumber, and naval ftores, the French
with their wines, brandies, and manufadures, the Britifli with their in-
numerable manufadures, and the merchants and planters of almoft all
the neighbouring iflands, Spanifli, French, &c. flying with their pro-
duce to elude the grafp of monopoly, or fliun tlie dangers of warfare, as
well as the Dutch, whofe ftores were filled with every defcription of the
commodities and manufadures of all the world, met as in a great fair,
and without any reftraint, or taking the fmalleft concern in the quarrels
in which their refpedive fovereigns might happen to be engaged, tranf-
aded their fales and purchafes in this xx\.\t\y free port and general maga-
zine of all nations. Hence an ifland, which produces almoft nothing,
ufed to fliip more produce for Europe than many of the tertile lugar

* Nccker [p. 6fe] fays, ' II n'cil aucunc con- was worthy of being tia:ifoiIl'cd cnlire. If the

' quoit, il nVll aucunc alliance, qui puilTe val<>ir a kinj^, to wliom it was addrcffu!, Iiad rcgulalid lii»

» votrc MajcH^ cc qu'cllc pourra lircr un jour du conduct by fucli maxims liis country mi^lit tlitu

' devcloppcir cut lie IcTproprcs forces. LVfTor dc liave enjoyed pcjce with a nu>(l flourillim^ con>-

* I'agricultureel dcl'mduftricpar hibonne reparti- meice; and he might have been rtill hMiig a.id
' lion dc8 impots, TclTor du credit par la fapc reigning. M. de la Place, and fome other cal-
' adminillratioM dcs linancis, voila tout ce qui culaturs, about the lame time calculated the popu-

* manque a la puilTancc d'un royaunve, qui con- lation of France at confidcrably above t«cuty-fivc

* tient vingt-quatrj miliions d'anics, et deux mil- millions. [Man. Jt I'lictJemif, A. JK \~^i,

* liards d'argcnt monnoye.' A prodigious fum ! /-fi^.V]

but the character of the man docs not allow us to t I'hert are, however, t«-o or thiee plantal oi:i

impute any pait of it to gafconadc. This fen- in the valley between the two hill-, wlti<.h piohu-e
tence, containing fo much wifdom in fo few words, a fmall quantity of fuj^r.

678 A. D. 1781.

colonies in us neighbourhood ; a prodigious ftream of wealth floxved in
upon the Dutch, through whole a,7ency moft of the hufinefs was tranl-
aded ; and money was plentier there than in any other of the Weft-
India iflands.

The great accommodation, which the trade of S'. Euftathius afforded
to the enemies of Great Britain, pointed it out as the firft object to be
attacked by tl'.^ Britilli forces after the commencement of hoftilities
againft the Dutch. And accordingly Admiral Rodney and General
Vaughan with a great force inverted the ifland (February 3"*), which,
being totally unprepared with any means of defence, was immediately
furrendered at difcretion. Above 156 velTels, many of them richly
loaded, were found in the bay, befides a Dutch frigate of 38 guns, and
five veflels of from 14 to 26 guns. The ftores on the ifland were full
of produce and goods of all kinds; and the very beach was covered with
hoglheads of lugar and tobacco. Every fpecies of property found on
the ifland, whomfoever it belonged to, was made prize of, to the
amount, as was eftimated, of above three millions fterling ; a meafure
which afterwards became the fubject of fevere animadverfion in parlia-
ment. The conquerors, by keeping the Dutch flag flying, entrapped
17 more veffels, which quietly and fecurely failed into their pofleflion.
Moreover, having learned that a rich fleet of about 30 large fliips had
failed for Europe under the convoy of a Dutch fliip of 60 guns only two
days before their arrival, the admiral dilpatched Captain Reynolds with
three ftiips in purfuit of them, who next day (February 4'') came up
with them, and took the Dutch fhip of war with every one of her con-
voy. At the fame time three large fltips from Amfterdam with naval
ftoi-es of all kinds were alio taken by the fleet, and fent to the royal
dock-yard at Antigua.

When the Britifh forces arrived off S'. Euftaihius, a detachment was
fent to reduce the Dutch ifland of Saba (the inhabitants of which had
little concern either in commerce or warfare, being gardeners and
planters of cotton) and the ifland of S'. Martin's alfo belonging to the
Dutch ; and both furrendered at difcretion (February 5''').

March 14" — The Dutch continental colonies of Demararay and Ifl"e-
quibo (called by feamen Ifacape) on the coaft of South America, were
alfo reduced to the dominion of Great Britain by Admiral Rodney and
General Vaughan. All the floating property *, and the property of the
Dutch Wefl:-India company, were feized ; but the inhabitants of thefe
colonies were more favourably treated than thofe of S'. Eullathius, and
permitted to retain their property on the land. Berbicia, another

* A coiifiderable number of Dutch merchant lur.y ; and as they had no commiflions to aft
{hips had been taken by fome Britiib privateers in againft the Dutch, their priz<;s became a droit of
the river Demararay before the capture of the co- the admiralty.

A. D. 1 78 1. 679

Dutch fcttlement on the fame court, was aUo taken, together with feveral
veflels, by two privateers.

Admir,il Rodney, from the information of the Dutch colonifls, ftated
the annual produce of Dcmararay and llfequibo to be lo.cco hogflieads
of fugar, and rum in proportion; 5,000,000 pounds of coffee; 800,000
pounds of cotton ; befidcs cacao and indigo : and he gave it as his
opinion, that in tb.c hands of Great Britain they miglit foon be brought
to produce a vail deal more, and might employ more ihips, and yield
more revenue, than all the Britifli Weft-hulia illands.

This rapid career of conquefts at the commencement of the war with
the Dutch was mofl diftrelling to all the enemies of Great Britain, who
ufed to find every tiling necellary for carrying on their warlike oper-
ations at S'. Euftathius ; and it was abfolutely ruinous to the Dutch, and
alfo to vail: numbers of nicrchants in the Wcil-hidies belonging to the
other nations concerned in the war, as it overturned the whole lyrtem
of their commerce in that quarter of the world.

March 16''' — The fmall French ifland of S'. Bartholemew was alfo
reduced by the Britifli forces at the fame time. It was of little con-
fequence in p. commercial view, (its only produce being a Imall quantity
of cotton) unlefs in depriving the French privateers of the Ihelter,
which, according to Admiral Rodney's difpatches to government, they
ufed to fuid there.

The whole property of every kind found upon the ifland of S'. Eufta-
thius having been feized upon the furrender of it, it was fold by order
of the admiral and general by public auclioii, which commenced on the
i^'"" of March, and laded till the beginning oi May, advertilement hav-
ing been previoufly made in the neighbouring iflands, that all purchalers
Ihould have whatever they bought properly lecured to them, and Ihould
be allowed to fliip their goods either in Britifli or neutral bottoms, and
either for Britifli or neutral ports. It was aflerted, that the goods were
fold for about one fourth of their value ; and Mr. Burke alleged in the
houfe of commons, that by means of thole lules the French and Ameri-
cans were fupplied with Acres from S'. Euflathius fifty per cent cheajxrr
than they could formerly have had them from the Dutcli, and iliat
thereby the profelfed purpofe of the rigorous proceedings againfl the
inhabitants of the ifland was direclly counteracled.

The merchants of S'. Chriflophers, as foon as they lieard of the
indifcriminate confifcation of private property in S'. Euflaihius, much
of vvhich belonged to themfelves as proprietors or confignees, had pre-
fented a memorial to the two commanders, reclaiming their property ;
which being refufed, they tranfmitted by the liands of Mr. Glanville,
the folicitror-g(ineral of their ifland, a lecond very llrong memorial and
remonftrance, ' for themlclves, and as agents and factors for many of
' the mofl commercial houfes in Great Britain and Ireland,' wherein

68o A. D. 1781.

they reprefented, that the property belonging to themfelves and their
correfpondents m Great Britain, for whom they were agents, which was
fairly bought under the fandion of afls of parliament, was forcibly
taken from them, without permitting them even to mark or number
the packages, or to know in what veffels they were to be flnpped, while
infurances were already made at home on Ihips, which were engaged to
cany the goods to Great Britain. They therefor gave notice to the
commanders, that they fliould hold them accountable for all damages to
be fuftained in confeqnence of the detention of their property and the
annullment of their infurances, and fhould feek redreis for their dam-
ages from the laws of their country: and they demanded permiflion for
their partners and factors at S'. Euflathius to afcertain the amount of
their goods (hipped off under their authority. They alfo warned their
excellencies ot the fatal confequences of fetting fuch an example to their
enemies, who by the fate of war might become mafters of the Bricifh
iflands ; that the confequence of fuch a mode of warfare mufl: be the
ruin, not only of every one concerned in the iflands, but alfo of their
generous creditors at home, who were fo liberally fupporting the ex-
penfe of the war by fubfcriptions. And they held up as a warning and
example to them the conduct of the comte d'Eftaing at Grenada, who
by ifluing edidls to forbid the payment of debts due in Great Britain,
though he feized no private property, drew upon himfelf the univerfal
deteftation of the enlightened people of France, in confequence of
whofe remonftrances, carried to the throne of an abfolute monarch,
his conduct was feverely reprobated, his edids were refcinded, and the
Britilli inhabitants of Grenada were put upon the fame footing with the
French fubjeds.

Admiral Rodney gave a very brief anfwer, fignifying, that he had not
leifure to perufe the memorial ; that he was furprifed that Britilli fub-
jeds fhould lodge their property in an ifland, where, they muft know,
it was to be applied to the fervice of the enemies of their country ; and
that he confidered every thing on the ifland as Dutch, and was firmly
refolved to treat it as Dutch.

April 6"" — The merchants in Britain were too deeply interefl;ed in
the property feized at S^ Euflathius to fit down unconcerned fpedators
of the event. They commenced adions againft the commanders *, and
they alio prefented a petition to the king in the following words f .

♦ After litigations, protrafleJ through ftveral but every fcntence of this petition is fo full of

years, the admiral and general were call ia many commercial argument and comnitrtial facls, tliat

itn'tsfor heavy fums. I thought, I could not do jullice to it, or to the

f I by no meani approve of a large book, and reader, without giving it entire,
very fcldom load my work with long tranlcripts :

A. D. 1781. 681

* TO THE king's MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

* The petition of the Wejl-India planters and merchants mojl humbly P)ewetb,

* Tliat your petitioners have very confiderable property, and debts
due to them in the feverai iflands in the Weft-Indies fubjecl to the
crown of Great Britain, as alfo in the iflands of Grenada, the Grena-
dines, Dominica, and S'. Vincent, which liave in tlie courfe of the
prefent hoftilides fallen under the dominion of France.

' That they have always conceived it to be a maxim among civihzed
nations, eflablifhed in humanity and found policy, ' that war fhould
' be carried on with the leafl poflible injury to private property found
' in any countries or towns, which may be invaded or conquered ;' the
happy effeds of which wife principle your petitioners have hitherto
experienced in the fecurity of their eftates and eflecls from rapine
and plunder, which have been reciprocally difcountenanced by the
governors in the Wefl-Indies, as ruinous to individuals, and pro-
ductive of no decifivc advantage to any of the fovereign ftates con-
cerned.

* Your petitioners are therefor ferioufly alarmed at the general feiz-
ure, made by the commanders of your Majefty's fea and land forces,
of goods, merchandize, and fpecie, found in the iflands of S'. Eufta-
tius and S'. Martin, on their furrendering without refiftance, and at
difcretion, to the faid commanders; humbly conceiving, that the in-
habitants of places which fubmit to the will, and furrender themfelves
to the difcretion, of an invading enemy, immediately upon fuch lub-
mifl^on become the fubjeds of that fovereign, or (late, to whom the
vidorious army belongs ; and confequently by their allegiance are
entitled to fecurity in their perfons and property ; it being as repug-
nant to policy as humanity to permit one clafs of fubjecis to plunder
another, the trader having an equal claim with the foldier to the pro-
tedion of government.

' Your petitioners humbly beg leave to reprefent to your Majefty,
that thofe Dutch iflands did belong to a fovereign ftate, by whofe au-
thority and permiflion they were made, and have ever fuice been, yr<?tf
ports; and that they have been recognized as fuch by Great Britain
and all the other maritime powers of Europe, who have polleirions in
the Weft-Indies.

' That Great Britain, in particular, has never interdidcd, or pro-
hibited, to her fubjeds the trade of thofe Dutch iflands, but has on
the contrary permitted the exportation of great quantities of various
articles of goods of the growih, produce, and manulidurc oi iliis
country, which have been regularly, and opcnlv, entered out at the
feverai ports of this kingdom for the faid Dutch iflands.

Vol. III. 4 R

682 A. D. 1781.

* That an a<fl* was pafTed lafl ftilion of parliament for removing any
* legal doubts arifing out of the Navigation aft, refpecfling the importa-
tion of tobacco of the growth of the colonies in North America,
which, having efcaped Britifh capture, had been imported from the
colonies in rebellion into thofe Dutch iflands, declaring and enacSling,

that fuch tobacco might be legally imported from thofe, or any other
neutral iflands, into any Britilh ifland, and from thence into Great
Britain ;' by which ad the trade to the faid iflands of S'. Eufl:atius
and S'. Martin, which had always been in many refpedts legal, be-
came an objed of public encouragement, by being extended beyond
what the flri(5l conftnidion of law feemed formerly to authorize.
' That fince the pafling the faid adt, and even before, during the
prefent rebellion, a great part of the tobacco, abfolutely neceflliry for
the confumption and revenue of Great Britain, has been imported
through that channel to the manifeft benefit of the navigation of this
kingdom : for, if the market had not been fupplied by thofe means,
there would have been an indifpenfable necefllty for admitting
tobacco from Holland, after having been carried thither from thofe
iflands in Dutch veflels ; and Great Britain would, confequently, have
been deprived of the profit arifing from the long navigation of that
bulky commodity.

* That fince the commencement of the American rebellion the faid
iflands of S'. Euflatius and S'. Martin have been frequently of the
mofl eflential fervice to the Britifli Leeward iflands, particularly in
the years 1777 and 1778, when the iflands of Antigua and S'. Chrifto-
pher would have fuffered all the miferies of adual famine, had not
they drawn from S'. Euftatius thofe fupplies which they formerly re-
ceived from North America.

' That fince the capture of Grenada, the Grenadines, Dominica, and
S'. Vincent, thofe iflands have been principally fupplied with the
fevcral necelTaries for their confumption, and for the cultivation of
their plantations, through the medium of S^ Euftatius, and that many
Britifli fubjeds, having property in thofe captured iflands, have been
obliged to eftablifli houfes in the faid ifland of S\ Euftatius, for the
exprefs purpofe of fupplying thofe iflands, and have ordered various
articles to be fliipped for S'. Euftatius from Great Britain, as well as
from Holland f .

' That the great want of plantation ftores and other neceflaries in
thofe captured iflands has alfo obliged many of the planters to fliip
fj-om time to time a great part of the produce of their plantations
to S'. Euftatius for the purpofe of purchafing fuch plantation ftores
and neceflaries.

* 20 Ceo. Ill, e. 39.
f Set the aanual table* of importe and exports fmce the commencement of the war.

A. D. 1781. 683

* That many of your Majefty's faithful and loyal fubjeds, on the
faith of Great Britain having recognized the trade, have fettled as
general traders in thofe Dutch iflands, and have confiderable property
in goods, merchandize, and money, in the faid illands ; and that
others of your Majefty's mod faithful and loyal fubjeds, as agents for
the Dutch, as well as Britifli, merchants in thole iflands, have fhijjped
confiderable quantities of goods and merchandize on account of ihe
faid merchants.

* That thofe Dutch iflands, particularly S'. Euflatius, have therefor
been, and ought to be, confidered as free ports, open to all the world,
where the fubjeds of all flates in amity with Holland were equally
welcome, where the goods imported by the hand of commerce were
at open market, ready to be fold to the bell; bidder, without favour
and afFedion, without any partial, or political, attachment or predi-
ledion to any of the powers at war, without regard to any other ob-
jed than that of mercantile protit, which is the faring and foul of all
commerce whatever ; and that the value of the laid iflands to that
fovercigri power to which they belonged, as well as to your Majefty's
fubjeds and other nations, confifted in their being univcrfal opjn
marts, and not in the inconfiderable produdion ot their foil.

' Your petitioners humbly beg leave to reprefent to your Majefly,
that, as a very confiderable part of the property found in thofe Dutch
iflands mufl: neccflarily belong to many of your Majefly 's moft faith-
ful and loyal fubjeds, from the caufes above flated, fo there are like-
wife others of your Majefty's fubjeds refiding in Great Britain and
the Britifli Leeward iflands, who arc large creditors of the Dutch and
Briiilh merchants in thofe Dutch illands, not only on account of goods
and merchandize openly and avowedly Ihipped by them, as the agents
of the faid merchants, but alfo in refpcd ot dealings and engagements
antecedent to, and unconneded with, the trade carried on by fuch
their debtors in thole iflands.

' With refped to the property found in the faid iflands belonging to
the fubjeds of the ftates of f loUand, or any other of your Majefty's
enemies, your petitioners, having already ftated what they humbly
conceive to be the humane and political pradice ot war, feel them-
felves impelled by the principle of gratitude to prefent to your royal
view the condud of the commanders of the French king's forces, and
of the court of France, in the cale of the conciueft of the illands of
Grenada and the Grenadines.

' When the ifland of Grenada, after having made a zealous, but un-
fuccefsful, defence againft the enemy's force, furrendered at dilcre-
tion, there was no plunder allowed, except on the Holpital hill, which
was taken by ftorm, and where the fmall efteds, that were lodged,
ncceilarily fell in furore bdli to the firft of the aHailanis who could lay
4 4 R r

684 ^- ^' lySi'

their hands upon them. The goods and merchandize in the town of
S'. George in that ifland, to a vciy large amount, not merely in-
tended tor the ufe and conlumption of the ifland, but for the general
market of the Weft-Indies, remained untouched ; and every fpecies
of property whatever was left inviolate, even the goods upon the keys
and beach in various parts of the ifland.

' There were indeed certain ordinances ifllied by the French govern-
or on taking pofl^ellion of the faid ifland, by which the produce of all
plantations belonging to abfentees was to be fequeftered until a peace ;
and the payment of all debts due to your Majefty's fubjeds, refiding
in any part ot your Majefty's dominions, was prohibited under pain
of military execution. But, on the application of the parties inter-
efted to the court of France, thofe ordinances were immediately
revoked by his Moft Chriftian Majefty, and all perfons whatever,
whether prefent or abfent, were fecured in the full poflellion of their
eftates and t ffeds ; his Moft Chriftian Majefty, having been pleafed
at the fame time to exprefs his difapprobation of thofe ordinances,
as tending to injure civil contrads, which are founded on the law of
nature, and which form the moft facred bond of fociety, being the
principal fource of that reciprocal communication and intercourfe
fubfifting between the fubjec'ls of all nations; to which contrads, and
to private property in general, the practice of war, among civilized
ftates, has ever had the moft tender regard.'

' Your petitioners, likewife, with pleafure refledl, that your Majefty,
in the very beginning of your reign, gave a ftriking example of cle-
mency upon the capture of Dominica, the inhabitants of which ifland
were fettled there againft exprefs treaties, unacknowledged by any
fovereign, profefljng neutrality, yet exercifing hoftilities againft your
Majefty's fubjeds ; and, when fummoned to fubmit to your Majefty's
arms, not only refufed to furrender, but, provoking an aflault, were
reduced fword in hand. — Yet by your Majefty's wildom and gener-
ofity, the inhabitants of that ifland were preferved in the pofl'efllon
of all their property.

' Your petitioners do not conceive, that thofe defencelefs Dutch
iflands were furprifed, and taken pofleffion of, by your Majefty's arms
for the fake of inglorious fpoil, but merely with a view to great poli-
tical objeds in conduding the prefent hoftilities againft the combined
enemies of Britain, by depriving them in future of the convenience
and advantage of thofe marts. They have ever confidered Great
Britain as priding herfelf in ads of generofity and humanity, not lefs
than in brilliant atchievements of valour in war : and they are con-
fident, that your Majefty will not permit the Britifli name to be
ftained by a departure from that line of condud, which has hitherto
fo peculiarly charaderized this nation, and her facred regard to the-
rights of mankind. *

A. D. 1781. 685

* They beg leave to repeat to your Majefty, that the confifcation of
' private property in thofe Dutch iflands would grievoufly affect many
' of your MajeHy's mod: fliithful and loyal fubjects, who have traded
' there under the fandion of our laws, or who are creditors of merch-

* ants in the faid iflands ; and at the fame time to ftate to your
' Majefty their apprehenfions, that fuch a meafure, fo far as it would
' injure the property of the fubjecls of the enemy, muft neceffarily tend
' to increafe the calamities of war, by exciting defperate refiftance, by
' exafperating our foes againft the trading inhabitants of thofe iflands
' which may hereafter be obliged to fubmit to their arms, and by

* eftablifhing a prcedatory fyftcm, deftrudive and ruinous in its con-

* fequences to individuals, and of no folid benefit to the feveral ftates

* concerned.

* Your petitioners, therefor, do moft humbly, but fervently, pray,

' that your Majefty will be gracioufly pleafed to take the premifes
' into your ferious confideration, and remove the apprehenfions of
' your petitioners by adopting fuch meafures on the prefent

* occafion, as to your Majefty in your great wifdom, juftice, and

* clemency, fhall feem meet.

' Signed by order, and in the name, and on the behalf, of the Weft-

' India planters and merchants,

' William Crichton,

4 T , A -1 /■ -o, ' Chairman of the general meeting

' London, April 6, 1781. , u- r • 1 u r r ,

' i- ' ' 'oil this ipecial buhnefs.

The Portuguefe, after ftridlly prohibiting the importation of cotton
goods from Britain, now refufed to admit woollen goods and printed
linens from Ireland ; a meafure, which was fulpeded by the Irifti to
have originated in England.

March 12"" — The regulations concerning the admiffion of prize goods
into the kingdom being now extended to prizes taken from the Dutch,
fome others were enaded, refpedling the fale of, and duties upon, Kaft-
India goods condemned as prize in the port of London ; for permitting
the purchafers of prize goods condemned abroad to import iuch goods
into this kingdom, as well as the captors , and for rcducijig the duties
on foreign prize tobacco. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 5. J

The permilfion to import Italian organzincd filk was prolonged till
the 25'" of March 1782. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 6.]

The permiflion to navigate merchant ftiips with foreigners for three
fourths of their complement was alio prolonged for the fame time.
[21 Geo. Ill, c. I I.J

March 22" — Twelve millions were raifed this year for the Urvicc of
government by a loan, and /"^So.ooo by a hntery. The terms of the
loan were >C 1 50 in the thrce-per-cent confolidated fund, and £2^ in the

686 A. D. 1781.

four-per-cent confolidaletl fund, for every ;i^i 00 paid in; with a pri-
vilege to the fubfcribcrs of /^ 1,000 to have four lottery tickets at /^lo
each.

By this bargain, to fay nothing of the douceur (or in the jargon of
flock-jobbing the bonus) of the lottery tickets, the real permanent in-
tereft payable for the money borrowed was Jive and a half per cent, be-
fides the charge for management ; and the capital of the debt created,
inftead of tivelve millions, was twenty-one millions, which may adually
require twenty-one millions to cancell it. The terms of the loan were
feverely animadverted upon in both houfes of parliament ; and it was
affirmed by fome members, that the minirter's friends were enabled to
pocket nine or ten per cent on the fums affixed 10 their names the very
next day, without advancing one penny. Such high interefl with
government fecurity evidently makes it extremely difficult, if not quite
impoflible, for individuals to borrow any money vpon legal iuttnjl, either
for the extenfion of commerce and manufadtures, or the improvement
of agriculture.

March 29"' — The difcounts, hitherto allowed on the duties payable
on the importation of foreign goods, were now repealed ; and addition-
al duties were impofed, of i-^^ on every pound of tobacco, and 4/8 on
every 112 pounds of fugar, together with a further charge of five per
cent upon thele additional duties. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 16.]

The additional five per cent was alfo extended to moft of the excife
duties. [21 Geo. Ill, c. ly.]

April 11"'. — Flax and flax-feed were allowed to be imported into
Great Britain and Ireland in neutral velfels from the 20''' of April 1781
till the termination of the war.

The king of Pruffia having joined his fmall maritime force to the
armed neutrality, which, upon his acceflion to it, comprehended all the
powers, whole dominions border on the Baltic fea, a new article was
thereupon added to their maritime code, declaring, that the Baltic fea,
on account of its inland and inclofed fituation, ought to be preferved
free for the fafe navigation of the (hips of all nations, and that no war-
like fhips, belonging to the belligerent powers or their fubjeds, (hould
be permitted to enter it, with a view to commit hoftilities agaiiifl the
fubjeds of any flate whatfoever. The king of Great Britain fo fixr
approved of the refolution of the northern powers, as to iflue a pro-
clamation (April 21"), prohibiting all Britifli fliips of war and privateers
from molefting any velfels in the Baltic fea.

The freedom of navigation was a moft important objed to the nations
fituated on the fhores of the Baltic, who were reaping fuch a golden
harveft from the heavy expenfes of the belligerent powers, as they had
never at any time enjoyed before. Ttie oak forefts of Great Britain
are very from being fufficient to fupply the building yards in time of

A. D. lySr. 687

war ; France and Spain have almoft no building timber ; and Holland
has none at all. Therefor almoft all the oak timber confumed in the
fleets of the European belligerent powers, and alio the marts, yards,
iron, hemp, and lail-cloth, were brought from the countries bordering
on the Baltic, where they were bought with ready money, the inhabit-
ants ot thole regions not being lb far advanced in the improvements,
or the corruptions, of civilization, as to require many of the fine manu-
factures or the luxuries of the more poliflied nations of Europe *.

May a** — A great number of vefiels loaded with the plunder of
S'. Euftathius, which were on their way home under the convoy of four
fhips of war, were met by a French fleer, which took all the merchant
fhips except nine. The fliips of war, which had onboard moft of the
treafure, made their efcape.

May Q'*" — Penfacola, the capital of our new province of Wefl-Florida,
was befieged by the Spanilh governor of Louifiana, and, after a gallant
defence by Governor Chefler and General Campbell, was obliged to
furrender to the fuperior force of the enemy, who granted the garrifon
honourable terms, and treated them u-ith great generoflty.

June 2 ' — The illand of Tobago was attacked by the French forces
commanded by the marquis de Bouille and the comte de Graflc.
Governor Fergufon and the planters, with the help of a few regular
foldiers, and fome failors, and a few negroes, the whole number in arms
being only 427 men, made a gallant defence, which they kept up from
the 23" of May to the 2"^ of June, when they furrendered the ifland to
the very fuperior force of the enemy f. The marquis, with his ufual
generohty, granted the inhabitants the fame liberal terms he had grant-
ed to thole of Dominica. And thus was this line ifland, after being
brought from a wildernefs to a ftate of liigh cultivation by the eft'orts
of Britifli induftry and capital, transferred to the dominion of France.

May iS'i' — The duties upon paper were repealed; and new duties, to
be rated according to the value and lize of the paper, were eflabliflied.
[21 Geo. in, c. 24.]

The ad of lafl fefllon, \c. 45] allowing the members of the Turkey
company to import their goods in neutral bottoms, and laying a duty
on cotton imported in fuch vellels, was prolonged till the end of the war.
[21 Geo. III^ c. 26.J

•• The Jraiii of monfy occafiontj by ihrfc im- of citir imports and cxporti'wilh Rudia, Swedtii,

portaciuni was felt, for fome years aftir tlic war, Poland, and PiulTi.i, or tlic countiici coitiptchcnd-

in Fratici: ; and llity were actually prupofinjr in ed under the name of the Eall country, during

the year 17H4 to make a law for coiiiin;^ the fdvcr the war.

plate belonging to private ■iidiudualt into mnuy, t A refledion was thrown out bv Admiral

and to prohibit the walle of gold in vjildinij and R(>dncy in pariraincnt, that the gun», lie liid fciit

ornaments. The quantity of money, feni from to Tobago in the- preceding year, \tcre allouctl to

Britain for the prodjce of ihofo coUiitries, may be h'e unmounted. It ought to be len.cmbcrci', liov« •

iudged of by runuing the eye ov:r the accounts evi-, thit r""'. an- of n > ufc »".)ijiit ;i.r' .

688 • A. D. 1781.

For the fame reafon the produce of the Portuguefe colonies was
allowed to be imported in Portuguele veflels from Portugal, or from
the iflands of the Azores and Madeira. Wool of all forts, linen yam,
barilla, and ie'uit's bark, wert; alio allowed to be imported in any-
neutral bottonis, on paying alien's duty, during the war. [21 Geo. Ill,

c- 27.]

The foll'^'winy; a "^s were continued for limited times, viz.

The free ports :n Jamaica (thofe of Dominica being fhut) were con-
tinued open till i" November 1787.

The free importation of fago powder and vermicelli from the Britifh
colonies in America was continued till i'" December 1796.

The free imp.irtation of rawhides from Ireland and America was con-
tinued till 1" June 1786.

The commercial intercourfe with fuch places in America, as were
under the protedion of the Britifh arms, was prolonged till 1" June
1782.

The adt for preventing frauds relating to the cuftoms was prolonged
till 29'" September 1788.

The ad to prevent the danger of infedion by fmuggled goods, and
fubjeding copper ore produced in the Britifli colonies to the regulations
provided for other enumerated commodities, was continued till 29"'
September 1788.

The ad for encouraging the growth of coffee in the Britifh colonies,'
except that part of it which relates to foreign coffee, was continued till
24'" June 1788.

The ad for preventing frauds, committed by bankrupts, was pro-
longed till 29'" September 1785.

So much of the ad for permitting the exportation of wheat, &c. to
certain foreign fettlements, as relates to the fugar colonies, was con-
tinued till i" May 1782.

The ad prohibiting copper from being exported, or even carried
along the coaft, was continued till 1" April 1783.

The drawback allowed on rum, fhipped as ftores, was continued till
1" April 1783.

And the ad for allowing a bounty on the exportation of corn in neu-
tral vellels was continued till 25"" March 1782. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 29.]

Verdigris ufed formerly to be made nowhere in Europe but in the
fouth parts of t'rance : but for fome years paft MefTieurs Bindley and
Maud had produced, from their works at Newham in Gloucefler-fhire,
verdigris, which upon trial by chymifts, coach-painters, paper-flainers,
hatters, and others, was found in all refpeds equal to the befl French
verdigris. In the year 1763 Mr. Bindley had received a premium of
/^50 from the patriotic fociety for the encouragement of arts, manufac-
tures, and commerce, and alfo in 1764 another premium of ;,{'ioo, as an

A. D. 1731. 689

encouragement for introducing in Britain the manufacture of fo valuable
an article, without which, it is afTerted, that not a fingle hat can be
dyed. Therefor, in confcquence of the manufadure being now fully
eftablifhed at home, parliament laid a duty of 3^'-^ per pound on com-
mon verdigris, and i ,-'- (hilling on the chryftallized, to be paid on import-
ation, without allowing any drawback on re-exportation. [21 Cn. II f,
c. 32.J

June 1 9'" — In compliance with the application of leveral manufac-
turers, the exportation of all machines, tools, and utenfils, ufed in the
woollen, cotton, or filk, manufactures, or of any models or plans of fuch
machines, &c. was moft flriclly prohibited: and the cuftom-houfe of-
ficers allowing fuch to be fliipped, and alfo the commanders of velTels tak-
ing them onboard, were fubjeded to heavy penalties. [2 1 Geo. Ill, c. 37.]

The owners of veflels being liable to lole them for acts of fmuggling
committed by the commanders or feamcn, it was enacted, that everv
mafter or commander of a veiTel, concealing uncuflomed goods onboard
his veffel, fhall forfeit to the owners all his wages and triple the value of
the goods fo concealed : and mates and feamen fhall alfo forfeit their
wages, and ten fliillings for every gallon of fpirits concealed by them
over the quantity allowed by law. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 39.]

July 5"' The rewards offered for any improvement in the method

of afcertaining the longitude, or other improvements ufeful to naviga-
tion, were further continued by parliament. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 52.]

This year the Levant, or Turkey, company received an aid of/?8,ooo
inflead of the cuftomary ^{'5,000, from the public. And, in compliance
with the petitions of the planters and merchants concerned in the iflands
of Jamaica and Barbados, and alfo of the lord mayor and corporation of
the city of London, parliament granted j^8o,oco for the relief of the
fufferers by the dreadful hurricane of Lift October in Barbados, and
/'40,ooo for thole in Jamaica, wlio had fulYered by the fame calamity :
and they ordered, that both fums ihould be paid free of any deductions
of taxes or icc^. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 57.]

As the charter of the bank of England was to expire in the year
1785, that company made a propofal to lend the public two millions for
three years at an intereft of three per cent, one million to be paid on
the 15'" of November next, and the other on the 15"' of February 1782,
on condition of obtaining a renewal of their privilege ot excluhvc bank-
ing and other advantages, to be continued to them till the 1" of Augull
1812, and a notice of twelve months after that time ; upon which no-
tice, and the payment of the UKiney advanced to the public being com-
pleted, the bank may be dillblved. Thcfe conditions were approved
of, and ratified by parlianient. [21 Gfo. Ill, c. 60.]

July 18'" Orehillia weed .and cobalt were permitted to be imported

free of duty in Britifli, Irifli, or neutral, veflels during the war. And

Vol. III. 4 •'>

690 A. D. 1 781.

fugars produced in the colonies of Demararay and Iflequibo (or Ellc-
quibo) lately taken from the Dutch, were allowed to be imported as
Britifh fugars, notwithftanding the act, [6 Ceo. Ill, c. 52] which con-
fidered as foreign all fugars imported from the continent of America.
[21 Geo. Ill, c. 6 2.]

The Eaft-India company made up an account of the profits of their
trade and territorial revenues to the i" day of March 1781, whereby
there appeared a balance, after paying X^400,ooo to the public accord-
ing to agreement, of ^(^288,025 : 17 : 10. This fum they were after-
wards authorized to pay in dividends to the proprietors of the ftock :
but they chofe rather to employ it in their trade ; and they have kept
a diftind account of it under the title of l^be company's Jeparate fund,
which they have annually credited with intereft.

The fcrvants of the Eaft-India company had engaged in hoflilities
with the Mahrattas, a fierce and warlike nation of freebooters, whom
the Moguls, when in the zenith of their power, had never been able
to reduce to their dominion. At the fame time they were alfo at war
with Hyder Ally, a prince of capacity and power, beyond any that had
ever appeared in that part of the world. In conjundtion with thefe two
great powers, almoft all the lefler princes of Hindooftan were confeder-
ated againft the interefts of the company ; and they were, moreover,
aflifted by the French, of whom Hyder had a confiderable number in
his own army. Hyder defeated a BritiQi army commanded by Colonel
Baillie (10'" September 1780), over-ran the whole country belonging to
the company and their allies, and (31" Odober 1780) took the city of
Arcot, the capital of a nabob, who had long been very clofely allied with
the prefidency of Madras, whereby he threw the whole of the company's
affairs in that quarter into the utmoft confufion and diftrefs, which were
not a little aggravated by the diifenfions, which at the fame time dif-
traded the counfels of that prefidency. In lliort, from the concurrence
of fo many difafters, many people were induced to think the fituation
of the company'^ affairs utterly defperate. Sir Edward Hughes gave the
firft turn to this run of adverlity in India, by deftroying feveral warlike
veffels belonging to Hyder in Mangulore, his principal port (8'" Decem-
ber 1780). And afterwards Sir Eyre Coote, having arrived in March
178 1 with a fmall reinforcement from Bengal, and alTumed the com-
mand of the army, the affairs of the company began to put on a more
profperous appearance. That able commander regained feveral of the
places, which had fubmitted to Hyder, and with a very inferior force
defeated him in a great pitched battle on the 1" of July 1781 ; after
which fuccefs continued to fmile upon the arms of the company through-
out the remainder of the war *.

* It appears, however, very probable, that and by their hoflilities, with the European powers,
the princts of Hiudooftai), by their alliances, will in time become maflcrs of the European art

A. D. 1781. 691

The company's fervants at Bombay in the mean time dircded an ex-
pedition againftthe Dutch, by which they were expelled from their fac-
tories at Baroach near Surat.

The fervants of the company in the fupreme prefidcncy of Bengal,
though they found means to keep actual warfare at a diftance from their
own refidence, were very far from being in a ftate of tranquillity. The
reader will recoUecl that in the year 1773 the Britifli Icgiflature eftablifli-
ed a fupreme court of judicature in Bengal, co-ordinate with, and inde-
pendent of, the governor-general. That court in a great meafure fuper-
feded the authority of the mayor's court of Calcutta, the judges of
which, being gentlemen in the company's fervice, not bred to the prn-
feflion of the law, were fuppofed incompetent to the difcharge of fuch
duties ; though, as they regulated their proceedings by the cAabhflied
laws and cuftoms of the country, and with the afliftance of the native
raagiftrates, their decifions had generally given much fatisfadion. The
new eftablifhment was undoubtedly intended, and was alio confidcred
by moft people, as a meafure of humanity as well as policy, calculated
to protect the natives from the oppreflion of the company's fervants, to
conciliate the jarring interefts of the natives and Europeans, to adminii-
ter impartial juftice to all, and to guard the company's revcnuet; and
commjrcefrom the depredations of their own fervants. Perhaps, if the
change had been effected gradually, and with great addrefs and mildneis,
it might have been produdive of fome of the benefits cxpecled from it;
though even that is very doubtful. But the eftabliflnnent was fuddcn,
and the operations of the court were reprefcnted, as rigorous and fevcre
in the extreme, by great numbers of petitions, which were repeatedly
received at home, but which had not hitherto met with much attention.

Of the petitions fent home this year complaining ot the condud
of the judges and their adherents, one was llgned by Mr. Hartings,
the governor-general of the Britilli fettlemcnis in India, and by
the members of the fupreme council ; another by 648 Britifh lub-
jedls in Bengal, Bahar, and OrilTa ; and a third, written in the Perf-
ian language, and addreiled to the king, by the natives of the pro-
vince of Patna. In thefe petitions and other communications it was
aflerted. that the condudl of the judges was calculated, not to con-
ciliate, but to exafpcratc ; not to introduce order and regularity, but to
fubvert the eftablilhed fimplc and iuitable laws, which had been re-
vered and underftood by the civilized and polilhcd anceltors ot the na-
tive Hindoos, probably, for ages before a human footlUp had prefied
the ibore of Britain, and to fubditute in their place the unknown laws
of England, the incomprehenfible diftindion between law ami equity,
and the endlefs intricacy, the fidions, and the perplexing jargon of the

of war : and then it will l)c iinpolTiblc for .^ lund- fifty tiinci their picfcnt mimbfr, lo ktcp (o roan>
fill of (Iraiigtri, ihougli tlitv were auiTmcr.tfd to millions of the natives in fubjcd^ion.

4.S 2

692 A. D. 1781.

EngliHi courts, with all their ruinous train of extorfions, opprcfTions, de-
lays, quibbles, and abufcs ; though at the fame time they rcfufed to
Britifh fubjeds the benefit of that glorious boaft of the Englilh law, the
trial by jury. The judges were moreover accufed of invading the privi-
leges of the governor-general and council, which were clearly defined
and limited by ad of parliament, and by the king's letters patent ; of
llretching their pov.er in a mofl arbitrary manner to many perfons and
adions beyond the extent of their commiflion, (which was at leaft fuffi-
cienily ample) and of bringing before themfelves trials for adions of
times long bypafl. Of many ads of enormity, with which they were
particularly charged, I fhall only mention that, which was moll inftru-
mental in bringing matters to a crifis between the governor and the
judges. The officers of the court, ading under the authority of the
judges, had cruelly abufed and infulted a native prince (zemindar) tri-
butary to the company, polluted the private apartments of his women,
and prophaned the temple of his religious worfhip, without making the
fmallell allowance for the national cuftoms and religious prejudices,
which none of the fervants of the company had ever prefumed to viol-
ate, and which even the furious bigotry of the Mohamedan conquerors
had refpeded. The natives, who are remarkable for their ftrong at-
tachment to their hereditary princes, even in their prefent flate jf hu-
miliation, flew to the rcfcue of his family from violation and rapine.
The bailiffs were reinforced with a frefli gang of eighty-fix armed men :
and the feizurc, begun in the name of juftice, ended in battle and
bloodfhed. It is proper to obfer\'e, that the zemindars are by no means
amenable to Britifli laws, and, indeed, have no further connedion
with the company than to pay them the fixed rent or tribute, formerly
paid by their ancefl:ors to the fuperior princes of the country. The
governor-general and council, thinking it incumbent upon them to pro-
ted their tributary princes, and convinced that fuch excefTes threatened
the very exiflence of the Britifh power and influence, confidered it to be
their duty to oppofe by force the proceedings of the fupreme court. And
then was exhibited to the afl:oniflied natives the fpedacle of a large gang
of Britifli officers of the court and their troop of followers carried pri-
foners to Calcutta by a miUtary force, fent after them by the Britifli
governor, or, in fliort, of a houfe divided againfl: itfelf, which cannot
fland, and afl order and government fubverted and buried under an-
archy and irreconcileable pretenfions. Indeed, fo wretched was the
flate of the country, as it was reprefented in the petition of the natives,
that many had flown from their native country ; and they declared, that,
if they could obtain no redrefs, all, who had the means, would abandon
their deareft connedions, and fly wherever they could ; and thofe, who
had no ability, would lay themfelves down in refignation, and hope for
rehef in death. * After this, let the foil of this country remain, and the

A. D. 1781. 693

* court of JLiftice ! let the court of juftice remain upon the earth, or the
' earth cover it !'

The gov<;rnor and council declared in their petition, that, if they had
not adcd as they did, the interefls of the Eaft-India company, and'thofe
of the Britifh nation, infeparably conneded with them, mull have been
abfolutely ruined. And, as they had been compelled by the urgency of
the cafe to take fteps, which were irregular, they requefted an act of
indemnity for themlelves and others, who had adcd under their au-
thority.

It was very evident to every perfon, that fuch a ftate of affairs m
Bengal, wherein neither the European nor the native inhabitants could
pofTibly know, to which of the two contradictory powers, both of whom
they were bound by law to obey, they fhould yield obedience, covdd
not continue long : and it was univerfally agreed, that a change was in-
difpenfibly necellary.

In the meantime the attention of the minifter was turned upon the
agreement to be made with the company for the renewal of their char-
ter, which was now approaching to the end of its term. But the con-
ditions he propofed were ftill thought fo exorbitant by the company,
that there appeared no prolpecl of any cordiiil accommodaiion taking
place : and it was even repeatedly propofed in their meetings, that,
rather than comply with fuch demands, they fhould difpofc of all their
property at home and abroad, diflblve their partncrlhip, and rell their
claims on the decifion of a court of juftice.

May 23'' — When the confideration of the renewal of the charter
was again refumed in the houfe of commons. Lord North ftrenuouHy
infifletl, that the company Ihould pay to the public ^^600, 000 as a com-
pofition for three fourths of the furplus of the net revenues over the
dividend of eight per cent, which, he alleged, belonged to the public.
But Mr. llulley made it apparent, from a ftatement he laid before the
houfe, that the commercial and territorial revenues taken together, upon
an average of fi.xteen years pafl, had amounted only to fixteen per cent,
ulne of which proceeded from the company's commerce, and conlequent-
ly there were qx\\^ fcven remaining of that part of the profits, to which
the public could form any prctenfions.

July 18"' — After many debates in parliament, and in the India houle,
the affairs of the company at home and abroad were fettled by two ads
of parliament in the following manner.

It was agreed, that the Eaft-hidia company Hiould pay into the ex-
chequer the fum of ;^400,ooo by four inflallments in the courle of tliis
year, as a full compenlation for all claims the public might have upon
ihem from the time that their bond debt was reduced to /. 1,500,000 to
the 1" of March 1781. The company's exclufive trade, and the pof-
feiTion of their territorial acquifiiions, were thereupon continued to

3

694 ■^' D. 1781.

them till the 1" day of March 179T, and thereafter till parliament give
three years' notice of an intention to difcontinue them, and pay ofFtlie
capital or debt of /'4, 200,000 due to the company, with all arrears of
intereft, &c. and, after a termination of their exclulive privileges, they
are to have a right to remain a corporation, and to trade with their
joint ftock, in common with other Britifh fubjecls. The public were
henceforth to receive three fourths of the annual furplus of the net pro-
fits and revenues of the company, which fhould remain above eight per
cent computed upon their capital ftock of ^(^3, 200, 000. The remain-
ing fourth, together with money to be allowed them in confideration of
vidfualing his Majefly's fhips in the Eafl-Indies, they were allowed to
apply in enlarging their dividends, fo as the augmentation fhould never
exceed one per cent in a year, nor altogether ever rife above twelve
and a half per cent, the bond debt being alfo limited never to exceed
^i, 500,000.

In order to afcertain the amount of the proportion of revenue payable
to the public, the company were directed to prefent annually to the
lords of the treafury a babiuced ftatement of their accounts, with an in-
ventory of their flock in hand, debts, &c. and diftinguiftiing the flate of
their ftock at each of their fettlements in India, made up to the 4"" day
of March in every year, and figned by two of the directors; and alfo to
fubmit to the infpecSion of the fecretaries of ftate all letters and orders
to be fent out to India. They were alfo to lay copies of the accounts
before the general courts of proprietors.

It was alio fettled by this ad, that the company fhould pay in India
two lacks of current rupees annually to the king for every regiment
confifting of one thoufand men, employed in India at their requeft,
over and above the extraordinaries now paid by them, and reckoning
from the embarkation of the regiments to their return to Britain : and
that they fhould fupply ail the vidlualing for his Majefty's fliips, em-
ployed in India at their requeft, from the 5'" day of July 1782, till the
termination of the war, one fourth part of the expenfe of which fhould
be returned to them by government : provided, that the three fourth
parts of the vidlualing, to be defrayed by the company, do not difablc
them from making dividends of eight percent; in cafe of which the
part of the expenfe to be defrayed by the public muft be enlarged fo as
to admit of the company making fuch a dividend, unlefs the whole is
found inadequate to it. But after the peace the whole expenfe of fuch
vidualing falls upon the company. And they are alfo obliged to buy,
and carry out, all fuch naval and military ftores for his Majefty's iTiips,
as fliall be required by the commiflioners of the navy, for which they
are to be repaid by the treafury the principal part of the coft in forty
days after delivering the account, and the remainder after certificates are
obtained of the ilores being furnifhed to the king's fhips in India. The

A. D. 1 78 1. 695

company are alio to lupply all neceflary ftores for the repair of the
king's fhips in India, for which they are to be paid during the war : but
after the peace fuch ftores are to be fupplied at the company's expenfe.

The company were, as before, reftridled from accepting bills from
India for more than ^300,000 in one year, befides the uiual warrants of
;^8,ooo to the commander of each of their ftiips, without the permiflion
of the treafury.

Doubts having arifen, whether, in confequence of great number-> ot
foreigners being proprietors of India ftock, the fhips in the company's
fervice could be abfolutely confidered as Britiih veflels, it was declared
by this act, that all their fliips are confidered as Britiih Hiips within the
true intent and meaning of the ad.

The governor-general and council of Bengal were continued in office
during the continuance of this ad, vmlefs removed by the king : and,
in cafe of death or refignation, the dircdors may appoint fuccellbrs to
them with his Majefty's confent.

As fome compenfation for the reftraints now laid upon the company,
the prohibitions againft Britifli fubjeds being in any way whatever con-
cerned with foreigners in India were made ib ftric't, that even lending
money, diredly or indiredly, to any foreign European was declared
unlawful. [21 Gfo. ///,<:. 65.]

The doubts and difficulties concerning the authority of the fupreme
court in Bengal having been found produdive of much difleulion be-
tween the judges of it and the governor-general and council, and of
many evils to the inhabitants ; and it being ' expedient, that the lawful
' government of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Oriila, fliould be
' fupported, tliat the revenues thereof fliould be collcded with ceriaintj,
' and that the inhabitants fliould be maintained and proteded in the
' enjoyment of their ancient laws, ufages, rights, and privileges,* it was
enaded, that the governor-general and council of Bengal fhould not be
fubjed to the jurifdiclion of the fupreme court for any thing done in
their public capacity, nor any other perfon for any thing done by a
written order from them ; that the fupreme court fhould have no jurif-
didion in matters of revenue (except to punifh moderately any abufe or
extortion committed in the collet'"lion of it), nor any authority over any
perfon by realbn of his being a landholder or farmer of lands. Among
a variety of regulations for the proceedings of the court, it was ordered,
that caiifes between the Mahomedan or Hindoo inhabitants of Calcutta
fliould be tried by ihcir own laws, and, if the parties were of ditfereni
religions, by thole of the defendant ; and that what is allow.ible by their
laws fliould upon no account be adjudged to be criminal, though it
might be lb by the law of England. Finally, the governor-general, the
council, tlu- advocate-general, ami all perlbns ading under their order.?,
were indemnified for any thing done in rcfiftauceto the authority of the

696 A. D. 1781.

fupreme couft between the 1" of January 1779:01(1 the 1" of November
1780. [21 Geo. Ill, c. 70.]

Commodore Johndone was fent out with a fquadron of fhips to attack
the Dutch fettlement at the Cape of Good Hope, and alfo to convoy the
outward-bound India fhips. When lying in harbour at the Cape de
Verd iflands, where he had put in for refrefhments, he was attacked by
a French fleet under Mr. de SuiTrcin, whom he beat off. But, as they
j;ot before him to the Cape, the obje6t of his expedition was thereby
fruftrated. However, in Saldanha bay (July 21") he furprifed five
homeward-bound Dutch India ihips of about 1,100 tuns, and carrying
from 20 to 24. guns, w^hich were immediately fet on fire by the Dutch :
but four were faved from the flames, and brought off. Whereupon he
direded his courfe homeward with his prizes, the number of which was
augmented by an outward-bound Dutch India fliip, taken by one of
his fquadron ; and the fliips of his convoy proceeded on their voyage
for India.

Augufl: 5"' — The firft general engagement between a Britifli and a
Dutch fleet, which was maintained with great bravery on both fides,
and without a decifive vidtory on either, was attended with a circum-
flance very advantageous to the commercial interefts, as well as the war-
like operations, of this country ; the fafe arrival of above a hundred
fail of merchant fliips from the Baltic with naval flores and other goods,
under the convoy of Admiral Hyde Parker, which he, having the ad-
vantage of the wind, detached from his fleet before the engagement.
The Dutch Admiral Zoutman had alfo a fleet of merchant fliips under
his prote6lion, which likeways got fafe into port. But there was this
important difference in the circumftances of the two fleets. The Britifli
fliips had completed their voyages, and brought their cargoes fafe into
port : the Dutch by putting into port were dilappointed of their
voyages ; and their country was difappointed of the naval flores, they
were deftined to bring home.

The loffes fuftained by the Dutch in confequence of the capture of
S'. Euftathius were feverely felt, not only by thofe who were fettled on
the iflaiid, whofe moft extenfive and lucrative trade, confifting moftly of
confignraents, was thereby aboliflied, but alfo by almoft every perfon in
the mother country : for the Dutch being a nation confifling almofl en-
tirely of people engaged in trade and manufactures, or dependent upon
them, there can fcarcely be an individual in fuch a community unaffect-
ed by a fevere blow upon any particular branch of their commerce.
Hence arofe a great clamour againft the partizans of the French intereft,
who w'ere charged with having unneceflarily involved the nation in a
war with their antient and natural allies and beft cuftomers. The pro-
vince of Zeland even went fo far as to prefent, in a corporate capacity,
a memorial to the States general, earneftly requefting that a negotiation

A. D. 1 78 1. 697

fhould immediately be entered upon for the reftoration of peace. That
province was particularly engaged in commercial connections with Bri-
tain; and it was faid that near two thoufand * Britifh traders a(fliially
refided in Middleburg, the capital, befides great numbers in the other
towns of it.

But the French intereft prevailed ; and all the efforts of the people to
induce their high mightinefles to feek for peace were ineffectual. In
the meantime applications were made by the Dutch government to the
northern powers, their late aflociates in the armed neutrality, alleging
their acceflion to that confederacy as the principal caufe of Great Bri-
tain entering into war with them, and therefor claiming their afTilkncc.
But, however defirous thofe powers might be of procuring unlimited
freedom to the commerce of their own fubjedts, and even of contribut-
ing to the humiliation of the naval power of Great Britain, they were
by no means willing to draw upon themfelves the adual hoftility of that
power. The emprefs of Ruflia fent orders to her ambalTador at London
to offer her mediation, and alfo fent Prince GaUitzin as her envoy-ex-
traordinary to the States-general to acquaint them of her kind inten-
tions in their favour. The king of Sweden in like manner fent offers
of mediation in favour of ' a nation entirely commercial,^ and alfo com-
plaints of the hardfliips fuflained by the commerce of the neutral na-
tions, and by his own commercial fubje£ls in particular, which mud be
increafed and aggravated by the further extenfion of the war.

The offers of both thefe powers v/ere refpeclfully received bv the
Britifh court. The Ruffian otler of mediation was accepted, in cafe the
Dutch were really delirous of returning to a ftate of amity with Great
Britain : and the Swedilh ambaffidor was informed, that the preferva-
tion of public tranquillity was the firrt: objed of his Majefty's care. But
it was obferved, that the condud of the Dutch was very different t'rom
that of a nation merely commercial : for they had refufed to fullill
their engagements with Great Britain, and had moreover, with themoft
glaring partiality, given every affiftance to the enemies of this country.
Neverthelels, his Britannic Majefly had ftill expreffed ' the mod earncR
' defire to bring back the republic to that fyftem of clofe union, effica-
' cious alliance, and mutual proteclion, which has fo much contributed
' to the prolperity and glory of the two Ihues.' And the ambaffidor
was civilly informed, that the emprefs of Rullia being jirior in her offer,
his Majefty would not fo far deviate from the refpcd due to herhnperial
Majelly, as to affociate ' to her mediation any other, even that of an allv
' the moft refpeclable, and for whom the king cniertaiui. the molt lin-
' cere friendihip.'

Thefe negotiations were not attended with any faccefs. But ihcy arc
worthy of our notice ; bccaufe they fliew (as I had occafion to obfcrvc,

• I fliouM fiippd'e, tills nu'iibcr may lisvc comprclitndcJ tlic fjmilici of the tra<icr$, including ihcir
cU-rks, and rvcn their tnciiial fcrvants.

Vol. ni. + T

698 A. D. 1781.

of the Rhodians in the antient part of my work) how much the intereft
and the fafciy of a nation, whom others confider as merely commercial,
engage the attention and goodwill of their neighbours.

The emperor of Germany wifely kept clear of the war, and embraced
the favourable opportunity to promote the improvement of arts, manu-
fadtures, and commerce, in his dominions. He alfo gave a free toler-
ation of religion through all his territories, and in many other refpeds
confiderably curtailed the papal power. He traveled all-over his do-
minions, that he might fee with his own eyes the condition of his fub-
jedls ; and, when he was at Bruifels this fummer, he admitted all peti-
tioners to his prcfence, and, diverting himfelf of all pomp, allowed every
one to tell his own tale in his own way to xht father of the people. Upon
that occafion he alfo eftabliflied regulations for the improvement of the
inland navigation of the Netherlands, and on the 11'" of June he de-
clared Oftend a free port.

Odober 9"' — The armed neutrality, which already comprehended
Ruflia, Sweden, Denmark, andPruffia, (the Dutch being no longer neu-
tral) was now flrengthened by the acceffion of the emperor, though
we are not told with what proportion of maritime force *.

September — The combined fleets of France and Spain, to the number,
as was faid, of forty-nine fail of the line, cruifed for fome time at the
mouth of the Englifh channel, where they hoped to intercept our rich
homeward-bound fleets from the Weft-Indies, and alfo a large outward-
bound fleet, which, they knew, was foon to fail from Cork. Their
great number enabled them to form a line, or bar, from Ulhant quite
acrofs to Silley, fo that they were confident, that no vellel going in or
out could efcape them. Admiral Darby, who was then at fea with
twenty-one fail of the line, was indebted to the accident of receiving
notice of their fituation by a neutral vefTel for not fiilling into their
hands, to avoid which he put into Torbay, where his fleet was increafed
to thirty fhips of the line, with which he proceeded to fea on the 14'"
of September, his orders being to proted the homeward-bound merchant
fhips at all hazards.

In the meantime an invafion was apprehended in the fouth of Ire-
land. The unfortified harbour of Cork could not protedl the rich fleet
of fliipsin it, and the vaft ftores of provifions colleded in the warehoufes
would be a moft defirable prize to the enemy. The military forces in
Ireland were therefor marched to the defence of that city ; and thelrifh
volunteers made an offer of their fervices, wherever they fliould be
wanted.

While preparations to wdthftand their attack were going on at Tor-
bay, and in Ireland, a council of war was held onboard the combined
fleet, wherein fome of the admirals propofed to attack Admiral Darby

* It is fcarcely worth while to take notice of a treaty between Ruflia and Portugal, whereby tlis
later acceded to the armed neutrality, in February 1783, when the war was at an end.

A. D. 1781. 699

while lying at anchor, and they aflerted, that the total deftrudtion of his
fleet, which muft be inevitable, would at once ruin the naval power of
Great Britain, and put an end to the war. But it was contended by
others, that the Britifh fhips were fo ported that they muft have a very
great advantage over thofe of the combined fleet, the ihips of which
could only follow each-other in a line, whereby each one muft be ex-
pofed fingly to the fire of many of the enemy'.s fliips ; and that the cap-
ture of fuch a large merchant fleet, which, there could be no doubt,
muft fall into their hands, an unrefifting prey, would be a much fcverer
blow upon the refources of Great Britain. The later plan was adopted,
and they drew off" from Torbay, leaving Admiral Darby at liberty to
proceed to fea, thus exhibiting an additional proof of the inefficiency
almoft infeparable from the operations of confederated forces. But, be-
fore he left Torbay, it pleafed the Almighty to emplov the elements to
fight for the prefervation of the Britifli commerce more elfedually than
any human force could have done. In the beginning of .September the
weather became fo ftormy, that the combined fleets, which were in
many refpecls in very bad condition, and crowded with fick men, were
obliged to abandon their towering hopes of deftroying the maritime
power, or the commerce, of Great Britain, and feek for fafety in their
own ports. And thus the French and Spaniards, after having a fecond
time filled the entrance of our channel with fleets, which feemed to
defy all power of refiftance, returned home, without accompliffiing the
fmalleft objed of advantage to thcmielves, and on the prelent occafion
without fo much as taking a fingle prize. The whole of the Weft- India
fleet, which was fo providentially detained later than was expeclcd, ar-
rived fafe in a few weeks after.

September 23'' — At a meeting of the proprietors of bank ftock it was
determined to raife their dividends from Jive and a half to fix per cent, and
alfo to make an addition of eight per cent to their capital ftock by four
inftallmcnts, to be completed by the 15'" of February 1782, whereby the
capital of the bank was increated from ;^ 10,7 So, 000 to ^(^i 1,642,400.

November 26'" — The marquis de Bouille with about 300 foldiers, at-
tended by three frigates, and fome Imall vellels .as tranlports, landed at
an unguarded bay in S'. Euftathius, i'urpriled Colonel Coekburn with
his garrilou of 723 men, and imniediately got pofll-fiion of the illand.
The marquis that fame day rertored the Dutch inhabitants to the civil
government of the ifland, and allhred them, that the French fliould keep
jjoflcllion, only till a Dutch garrifon could arrive to take charge of the
ilkmd, which he had reconquered nuMcly in hieudlliip to ihem. He alfo
reftored a large fum of money, which was found in the government
houfe, to fuch of the inhabitants as could jirove their right 10 it. —
The ifland of S'. Martin followed the fate of S'. Euftathius now. as it
had done in the beginning of the year. And thus ended our tranhiory
pofleflion of thofe iflands.

■• 4T 2

700 A. D. 1 78 1.

December 12"" — Admiral Kempenfelt fell in with a French fleet with
a great number of tranfports under convoy : and, though the French
were greatly fuperior to him in force, he took fourteen of the tranf-
ports ; and five more of them were taken fome days after by two fhips
of his fquadron. The prizes were filled with foldiers, artillery, and
ordinance ftores ; and the capture may be confidered as an event of im-
portance in commercial hiftory, as it was probably the means of faving
fome of our remaining pofTeflions in the Wefi:-Indies, perhaps Jamaica
itfelf, from falling into the hands of the enemy.

Such was at this time the glut of Britifli manufadures, and of import-
ed goods in general, in the few ports of America, which were under the
Britifli dominion, owing to the exceflive fpirit of adventure *, and pro-
bably alfo to the large fales of goods greatly under value at S'. Euftathius,
that fpeculators, efpecially in New York, found, they could employ their
money much more advantageoufly in buying goods on the fpot, which
were every day felling under their original coft, than by importing them.

The antient colony of Barbados contains only 106,470 acres of land,
and it has at all times been more populous than any other of the fugar
iflands, and, perhaps I might add, more populous than mod parts of
Europe, exclufive of great towns. About the year 1670 it is faid to
have had 50,000 white, and above 100,000 black, inhabitants; but
from the following enumerations, it will appear that thefe numbers
nuifi: have been greatly exaggerated.

The population of Barbados was in

Wliiie inhabitants. Free people of colour. Slaves. Total.

1676 - 21,725 - - - 32,473

J712 - 12,528 - . _ 41,970

1748 by a Uft - 15,252 107 47.025

Thefe numbers being made up for the purpofe of taxation, flaves
under age were exempted, and the lifts were further falfified by conceal-
ments. Governor Grenville reported the real numbers in i 748 to be

25,000 white and - - 68,000 flaves.
In i768they were 16,139 448 - 66,379 " 82,966

»773 - 18,532 - ._ - 68,548

From the apparent carelefs manner, in which thefe accounts, at leafl:
the earlier ones, have been made up, little dependence can be placed
upon them for judging of the progreflive ftate of Barbados. The exports
of fugar, the principal ftaple of the ifland, will furniflia better ftandard.
According toPoftlethwayte, there were in the year 1736

22,769 hogflieads containing 295,997 cwts.
and on an average of eight
years 1740-1 748 they were
only i3>948 209,220

* See the exports to New York, &c. in the tabic at the end of tliis year.

A. D. 1781. 701

The principal fourcc of the opulence of tlic ifland being in a progredive
ftate of decline, owing to the ftrength of the foil being exhaufted, and
the inhabitants being ftill too numerous (though great numbers had
emigrated to other iflands) to be all employed in, or comfortably fup-
ported by, the cultivation of the foil, it became an objed of ferious at-
tention to difcover other means of cmplovment and fupport. Therefor
feveral gentlemen of the ifland this year eftabliflied afuc'uiyfor the encour-
agement of arts, matiiifaciiires, mid commerce, in Barbados : and they advert if-
ed premiums — for the manufadure of lace from the fibres of the cabbage-
tree leaves, filk-grafs, or plantane ftalks — for the greateft quantity of all
thefe fibres prepared in a proper ftate for manufacturing — for the great-
eft quantity of cotton yarn fit for weaving — for knit cotton ftockings,
and ufeful fabrics woven from cotton — for mufquito nets made from any
native material — for the difcovery of valuable native dye ftuffs — and for
the beft horfe bred in the ifland.

Money, however, appears to have been continually becoming more
plentiful in Barbados ; as a proof of which, the legal intereft, which be-
fore the year 1668 was 15 per cent, was, after fuccelTive reductions
fettled in 1754 at 6 per cent : and Governor Cunningham in his official
letters, aflerted, that it was now in contemplation (probably in confe-
quence of the large fum granted by the Britifti legiflature to the fufferers
in the late hurricane) to reduce it to 5 per cent, a rate of intereft below
the legal ftandard of any of the foreign dominions fubjcdt to the crown
of Great Britain, even including Ireland.

The following enumeration of the houfes chargeable with the window
tax in each of the counties, or ftiires, of England and Wales, in the
years 1750 and 1781, is taken from the accounts made up at the tax
office.

Bedford - -

Berks

BLickingham

Cambridge - -

Chester . _ _

Cornwall

Cumberland

Derby

Devon . _ _

Dorset . . -

Durham - - -

Essex _ - -

Gloucester

Hampshire - -

Herttord

[n 1750

In 17S1
5,300

6,80'2

9,762

8,277

10.687

8,670

9.334

9,088

16,006

17,201

1 4,320

15,274

ii,9i»

13,419

13,912

14,046

30,t).»()

28,612

11,711

11,132

10,475

12,418

lp,075

18,380

J 6,251

14,950

18,045

15,828

0.251

8,62s

702 A. D. 1 78 1.

In 1750

In 1781

Hereford

8,771

8,092

Huiitiiigdon _ _ _

4,3(J3

3,847

K.i.t

30,029

30,973

L.incastcT

33,273

30,956

Leicester _ _ -

12,937

12,545

Lincoln

24,999

24,591

Middlesex, with London and Westminster

71,977

74,704

Monmouth

4,980

4,4 54

Norlolk - - -

20,697

20,056

Northampton

1 '2,4 04

10,350

Northumberland

10,453

12,431

Nottingham - - -

1 J,OOJ

10,872

O'ford

10,362

8,698

Rutland _ _ _

1,873

1,445

Salop

13,332

12,895

Somerset _ _ -

27,822

26,407

Stafford

15,917

.16,483

Suffolk

18,834

19,589

Surrey, with Southwark

20,037

19,381

Sussex _ _ ,

11,170

10,574

Wiuwick _ _ _

12,759

13,276

"Westmoreland

4,937

6,144

Wilts

14,303

12,856

"Vl (ircester _ _ -

9,07

8,791

lork

70,816

76,224

"Anglesey -

1,334

2,264

Brecknock _ _ _

3,234

3,407

Cardigan _ _ » -

2,542

2,444

Carmarthen - - -

5,020

5,126

Carnarvon - - :<

2,366

. 2,675

in

r

Denbigh - - -

6,091

5,67s

Flint

3,520

2,990

Glamorgan - - -

6,290

5,146

Merioneth _ - -

2,664

2,972

Montgomery _ _ _

4,890

5,421

Pembroke

2,803

3,224

_ Radnor - - - " -

2,425

2,076

729,048 721,331

Of the chargeable houses in 1781, there were reported to be

having under 10 windows - - - 497,801

under 20 windows - - - 171,177

above 20 windows - - - 52,373

721,351
The cottages, or houses not chargeable were - - - 284,459

Total houses and cottages in 1781 . _ - 1,005,810

A. D. 1 781, 703

Bat the accuracy of thcfe accounts, though official, has been qucftion-
ed by fome writers of eminence, who have beflowcd great attention on
the fubjed. And, indeed, it ftrikes one at the firft glance, that a de-
creafc is ftated in fome counties, where there ought certainly to be an
increafe. Lancafliire in particular is here llatcd as having fallen off.
But it is unqueftlonable, that the two rapidly-increafing towns of Liver-
pool and Manchefler with their thriving dependencies, fituated in that
county, have greatly augmented their number of houfes between the
years 1750 and 1781 ; and it is equally certain, that the county in
general has been in an advancing ftate of population and profperity. It
is not to be fuppofed, that Wiltfhire, Somerfet, and Gloucefter-fliire, the
feat of the flourifhing and increafing woollen manufaclure, can be de-
clining in the number or goodnefs of their houfes ; or that Surrey,
wherein a collection of buildings, which, if remote from London, would
be reckoned a large town, has within that time ftarted up inS'. George's
fields only, befides the vaft numbers of other new buildings, the effects
of the growing opulence of the capital, could have fewer chargeable
houfes in 1781 than in 1750, On the other hand, we canfcarcely lup-
pofe, that fome counties have advanced fo very much as appears by thefe
accounts, e. g. Weftmoreland, Anglefey, Sec. But there feems very
good reafon to believe, that, upon the whole, the number of chargeable
houfes (that is, houfes of the better fort) inflead of decreafing 7,697
throughout the whole kingdom of England and Wales, has more pro-
bably increafed as many in thofe thirty-one years. Sir Frederic Morton
Eden has with laudable patriotic induflry collected the numbers of
houfes and people in a great number of towns and pariflics, in ninety of
which, whereof he has obtained the numbers of the charged and
exempted houfes, the charged are 24,464, and the exemj)ted 30,005 :
and thence he infers, that the whole number of exempted houfes in
I'^ngland and Wales muft be confiderably above 900,000, or above three
times as many as were returned ; and that the whole population mufl
be near to nine millions. And Mr. Chalmers, from comparmg the
proportion of the charged and exempted houfes in the year 1690, con-
cludes, that the exempted houfes in 178 1 could not be fewer than
865,000, making in all 1,586,000 houfes, inhabited by about eight mil-
lions and a half of people. Upon the whole it is very evident, that the
exempted houfes are much more numerous than they appear in the ac-
count, and that any cftimatc of the population or condition of the
country, founded on the returns of the furveyors of the Ivuile and win-
dow duties mull be very fallacious. [Sec Cbalmers's l'.i]::K.:tf, c. \i —
Eden's State of the poor, V. iii, p. cccli.]

I have now before me ci)pies of accounts of the uuiuIkts ol houlcs in
England and Scotland, made up at the olVue f' ' ■; 2T,^ j ..1 .ivr
1 78 1, which, enumerating the inhabited and cli.i; ..oulesi

with the cottages, in each county make the whole nun^ber of both dc-
fcriptions in England, including Wales and Berwick upon Tweed, to be

704

A. D. 1781.

only 952,734; and the chargeable houfes in Scotland, the cottages
being entirely omitted, to be only 17,734.

The following comparative enumeration of the chargeable inhabited
houfes in the principal cities, towns, and villages, is taken from the fame
accounts ; and as the fubjedts of it lie in a narrower compafs, we may
fuppofe it more corredt than that of the counties,

London, city

Westminster ancMlberty 17,013

Marylebone

Chelsea

Kensington

Pancras

Islington

Hackney

Soutliwark.

Deptford

Greenwich

•

Bristol - 3947

S'. Philip and Jacob 555

Liverpool f

Plymouth - 1510

Stoke Damerel 1151

Manchester f

Oxford and University

Norwich •

Birmingham

York

Newcastle upon Tine

Sheffield

Bath - 1173

Walcotand suburbs 786

Cambridge and University 1,925

Leicester

Nottingham

Leeds

Exeter

Hull and county

Derby

Whitehaven

Chester

Ipswich

Dover

Lincoln

Shrewsbury

Coven tiy

* Much more might be comprehended under the general appellation of London '.n the largeil extent
of the narr.e : bui it is iir.pcfiible to draw the line, where the towr, ends and the country begins. In-
deed, the villages, and even the roads, for ten miles in every direction, may almoft be conCdered as parts
of the town, being filled and iupporttd by the overflowing opulence of the capical.

f f The whole houfes in Liverpool were reckoned iii 1773 - 5,928, and in 1783 - 6,819

and in Manchefter witii Salford - - 4,268 6,178

Thefe numbers prove the truth of the obfeivation upon the incrcafed numbers of Lancafliire. [6'«
CLilmtrs's EJl'wmts,p. 2 1 8, cd. 1794.]

4: So long ago as 1722 there were 5,975 families within the city of Edinburgh ; and in 1791, when
many had removed to the fubuihs (or the lake of more room, there were 6,434 families within the
city, and 12,220 in the iuburbs, being in all 18,654 families, txclulive of the luhabitaiits of the caiUc
and of the hofpitals. {Sinclair's Slatylkalnrcovvt of Scothr.d, V. vi, ^. 560.]

^ By an enumeration in 1785 the inhabited houl'es in Glafgow, excliilive of the fubuibs, were
found to be 9,102. By anotiier (numeration in 1791, which is believed to have been very accurate,
they were incrtafed to 10,291. [^Sinclair, V. v,/>. 510.J 3

16,332

Canterbury

881

Edmundton

474

17,013

Gloucester

841

Peterburgh

473

3,664

Colchester

828

Boston

469

610

Hereford

610

Wisbech

469

700

Salisbury

804

Mitcham

462

1,273

Sunderland

792

Haltwesel

455

S28

Chatham

765

Newbury

453

1,168

Maidston

727

Faversham

452

12,120

Northampton

706

Grantham

451

926

Worcester

721

Ramsgate

450

1,555

Woolwich

600

Macclesfield

449

Wolverhampton - "

683

Wandsworth

- 449

56,189

Yarmouth

682

Darlington

444

} 4,502

Benvick upon Tweed

678

Leominster

444

Reading

672

Halifax

440

3,974

Lynn

^62

Loughburgh

440

} 2,661

S'. Edmundsbury

648

S'. John's rn Thanct

- 440

WaJsall

644

Tiverton

435

2,5ip

Scarburgh

628

Stockton

431

2,316'

Chichester

621

Kingston - '

431

2,302

Winchester

613

Carlile

430

2,291

Croydon

612

Carmarthen

430

2,285

Stockport

12

Ludlow

430

2,219

Rochester

607

Windsor

- 428

2,092

Lancaster

004

Lichfield

407

} 1,959

Deal

600

Sandwich

400"

Shiels

57s

Bradford, Yoikshire

- 403

ity 1,925

Stanford

576

Preston

402

1,561

Whitby

548

Hexliam - -

402

1,533

Wakefield

544

Hertford

- 401

1,529

Newark

538

Gravesend

401

1,474

Southampton

535

Richmond

400

1,370

Folkstone

- 533

1,358

Poole

523

Edinburgh, city J

2,017

1,298

Donca<:ter

514

Glasgow §

1,005

1,244

Alnwick

513

Aberdeen

449

] ,244

ManstielJ

510

Duudoe

419

1,103

Warwick

495

960

Tavistock

4^9

Al\ other towns were

rated at

904

Vv'arrington

479

fewer than 40O inhabited and

S9O

Brentlbrd

477

chargeable houses.

A. D. 1781.

705

The following enumeration of the Bririfh and Dutch fliips, which pafl-
cd the Sound to, and from, the Baltic lea in the years 1780 and 1781,
fliows very ftrongly the efiecl of the war upon the commerce of the
Dutch, and efpecially their carrying trade, the favourite branch of it ;
and it alio accounts for the anxiety e.xprefl'ed by the northern nations
for an unlimited freedom of commerce.

Britilli (hips. Dutch (hips.

1780 _ _ _ 1,701 - - 2,058

1781 - _ - 2,001 - - 9

And not one French veflel entered the Baltic in thefe two years. But
the French trade was carried on in neutral bottoms. And many of the
Dutch merchant fliips continued in the trade under Imperial, Swedifh,
Prulhan, and Danirti, colours. Some Britifh veflels alfo, in order to
leflen the expenfe of their infurancc, procured neutral papers during the
war.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 6,567 veflels of the reputed burthen of 540,909 tuns,
and of Scotland 1,489 - - - 85,537

Total

8,056

626,446

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain, from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

B

ritifli.

Foreign. 1

1

otal.

Vessels.
4.715
(^,939

'I'uns.
503.872
608,319

Vessel*.

2,io8
1,5^4

Tuns.

262,594

70.775

Vessels.
6,823
8.503

J uns.

766,466

679,094

Inward
Outward

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Weft-India four-and-
a-half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of this year,
was from the cuftom-houfe in London - >C->73'.428 7 10

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh - 60,000 o o

Total net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain /^2,79i,42S 7 10

There were coined in the mint in the courfe of the year
18,765 pounds of gold, value - - /"«7<5,794i2 6
and 20 pounds of lilvcr, - - -

62

X"87^.«56

Vol. III.

4U

The ofFiciul vul
Kllhriftmas 1780 to

L12 of the imports and exporis of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1781 was as follows.

Countries, Sec.
Africa

Denmark find Norway
East countiy
East-India
•Flanders
France
Germany
Greenland
Holland
Iceland
Ireland
Marm
Italy
Madeira
Poland
Pnissia
Portugal
Russia
Spain
Gibraltar
Straits
Sweden
Turkey
Venice

Guernsey, Sec.
America in general
Hudson's h;(y
Newfoundland
Quebec
Nova Scotia
New England
New York
Carolina
Georgia
Tlorida

West-Indies in general
Antigua
Barbados
Bermuda
Jamaica
Montsenat
Nevis

New Providence
St. Christophers
St. Eustathius
St. Lucia
St, Martins
St. Thomas
Tobago
Tortola
Demararay
New Orleans
Southern fishery
Prize goods

{mp. and exp, of Englantl
Imp and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Britain

Iniiinritrd into

Kxpiii iL'd from |

E.NOLAM).

SCOTLANI>.

ENULANn.

6C,0TLAND.

£36,386 8 10

/?3 12,822 7 IC

*

04,639 • l<

^28,191 19

0

172,012 19 (t

^35,01 111 1

447,845 S t

80,8 18 19 3

2,526,339 2 2

51)5,131 18 2

1.204,860 4 .'

45,303 19

4

1,068,383 11 3

56,452 6 10

l,C)Of) 14 4

873 12 0| 1

6l7,lSJ 6 /

26,6:9 2

6

1,000,078 11 2

26,458 11 U

28,25.5 13 1

8,291 13

3

100,048 IS 11

13,563 8
465 I

5
3

:)I3,4P7 7 H

1,133,835 15 ■-'

19-). 685 13

0

1,760,539 19 1

305,167 111)

11,204 17 U

802 6

0

19,413 19 9

1,818 J8 t

133,645 18 (

262,760 7 4

2,433 8 2

24,000 9 U

7,3S9 19

0

161 6 1

9,648 11

0

82 5 4

355,723 3 0

14,614 10

b

523,493 7 3

673 14 0

1,206,806 18 7

209,325 1

8

137,967 6 7

5,915 5 ()

114,492 7 2

99^ 2 4

3,550 5 6
6,165 10 0

212,414 10 11

13,793 ;

11

62,510 8 10

4,79-3 13 7

24,180 2 6

1,562 K) 10

37,035 12 3

17.319 16 3

94,876 7 2

5,443 0

6

75,79s 13 11

17,285 5 i

49,826 19

2

183,620 10 i

14,763 17 0

6,229 3 5

fi 1,593 18 40

74,091 4 3

48,547 17 11

422,807 13 6

4,023 10 6

32,474 10 ]

2,068 6 0

2,904 18 5

502,977 5 8

*

94,363 8 2

330,347 2 16

506 5 0

14,058 19 0

30,715 5 1

16,446 9 1

169,375 11

1

141,220 9 t

152,445 4 2

65,223 11 2

81,177 13 11

152,681 6 10

2,673 14 Q

2,346 3 6

869,751 14 lb

442,695 5 2

56,402 10 8

14,707 12 6

83,513 8 2

22,63-1 11 2

3,553 16 2

1,776 15 10

385,527 17 10

133,312 15 0

5,159 17 1

453 8 5

103,565 19 0

89,394 3 0

28,010 4 3

4,127 15 3
26,606 12 If

29,330 2 b

14,442 17 10

70,960 0 10

33,438 0 9

20,232 19 6

4,473 13 e

98 17 4

4,151 0 0

1,087,928 18 &

806,564 1 .5

11,918,991 9 0

10,509,186 10 10

803,870 12 10

803,870 12

10

763,109 9 0

763,109 9 0

12,722,862 1 IC

11,332,295 19 10

A. D. 1782. 707-

1 7S2 — The city and Fortrefs of Ncgapatnam, belonging to the Dutch on
the coafts of the Carnatic in tlie foutli part of Hindoo flan *, were taken by
Sir Edu-ard Hughes and Sir Hedlor Munro (12"* November 17B1) : and
this conquefl: was immediately followed by the retreat of Hyder's troops
from the neighbouring country, belonging to the company and their
ailies. From Negapatnnm Sir Edward proceeded to the coaft of Ceylon,
where he alfo took the Dutch fettlements and forts at Trincomalee (Jan-
uary 1 1 "'). Two buttles were fought in the early part of this year by the
Britifh and French fleets in the Indian fc.is, which both termin:ited to
the advantage of the Britilh, as did alfo moft of the many battles on the
main land with Hyder Ally : and there were feveral viciflltuJts of fuc-
cefs and defeat in the enfuing part of the feafon, none of which w.-rc of
Inch importance as to merit particular notice in commercial hiftory.
But in the profecntion of thofe hoftilities the provinces, which were the
theatre of the war, were ruined by pillage and extortion ; the agricul-
ture, the manufadures, and commerce, of the country were almoii an-
nihilated f : and the whole conduct of the war, with refped to the un-
happy natives, was equally repugnant to the principles of lound policy
and to the commercial intcrefts of the Eaft-India company.

The Dutch Eaft-India company, who were for a longtime rhegrcateO:
and mofl powerful mercantile aflbciation that had ever appeared in th.-
world, had hitherto continued tolerably profperous, notwithflandmg the
general decline of the tafte for fpices in Europe, and the relaxation of
economy and condud in their fervants in India. But their recent mis-
fortunes in India gave fuch a check to their commercial profperity,
that they mufl have been brought to the verge of ruin, if the States-
general had not given them the mofl liberal fupport by loans to a very
large amount.

In the weftern hemifphere a continued feries of misfortunes attended*
tiie pofledlons of Great Britain in the beginning of this year. The mar-
quis de Bouille and the conue de Grain: took the fmall, but fertile, ill.md'
of Nevis (January 14""); after which they attacked the larger and more
valuable neighbouring ill.ind of S'. Chriflophers, which, after a'g.iUant re-
fiflance, was alio obliged to lurrender (February 13") ; and the irtand of
Montferrat fhared the fame fate. The French comniand<}rs-gr:;»ited thofc
in:inds the moft liberal terms, wliereby their projK'riies, their religious-
and civil liberties, aiid, in a great mcafure, even their forms of gcu'ern-
ment, were preferved to the inhabitants. In the meantime a French ■

• I am aware that the ffrcat extent oi coaatrj large .icceputio.':, ii is genera'lj, Lut improperly, .

foulh uf the River N^rbii Jja ii not properly aii)' cxU'iiJcd to.

part of Hinduodaii } and iliat the prop.-r jjfiicr.d f 'I'htfc mifcr!!.} wcte foUuMc "

latnc oX the w'nulc peiiiiifula (if a nuifs of land, fu drcjdfai famine, whcrcbr 5OC1CC0

formed, can lie callc
jil ai.tlq'iity Z?.-.. j.v.

part of Hinduodaii } and iliat the prop.-r jjfiicr.d f 'I'htfc mifcr!i.s wcte foUuMcJ br • ' '

latnc oX the whulc peiiiiifuIa (if a niafs of land, fu drcjdfai famine, whcrcbr 50c, cco people ati 1 1

fariiicd, can l>c called a pcuiiilula) lias been fru.n to have perilhcd in lii.- Iciiilu{ict ul the s.>n.^..

" Bill J ufc ;hc ;ia:ne I.i t.'ic JlaI thwic of llyJcr .\!;y.

X

4U J

708 A. D. 1782.

fquadron arrived at Demararay, and took pofleflion of that place and
Ilfequibo, together with feveral Britifli vellels (January 31").

February 31 — Jamaica, though it was not attacked by any hoftile
force, fuftered feverely from a fire, whereby Kingfton, the principal
commercial town in the Britifli Weft-hidies, loft houfes, ftores, and
merchandize of all kinds to the value, as was eftimated, of half a million
of money.

In Europe Britain loft the ifland of Minorca, which, after a long and
obftinate defence by General Murray, furrendered to the united forces
of France and Spain (February C"").

February — The month of February in this year may be noted for the
loweft price, at which the funds of this country have ever been fold,
prior to the great deprefllon in the prefent war with France, the three-
per-cents having been as low as 53I,

March — The permiflion to import Italian organzined filk was further
continued till the 25'" of March 1783. [22 Geo. I//, c. 7.]

The fum of thirteen millions and a half was raifed for the public fer-
vice by a loan, to which was attached a lottery for the further fum of
p{?405,ooo. The fubfcribers received ;^ 100 in the three-per-cent confol-
idated fund, and ^^50 in the four-per-cent confolidated fund, together
with a terminable annuity of 17/6 for feventy-eight years to be com-
puted from 5"" January 1782, for every /^ 1 00 fubfcribed ; and more-
over three lottery tickets at the price of /^lo each for every ^r,oDO fub-
fcribed, the number of tickets on this occafion being only 40,500.

The following a6ls were continued for limited times, viz.

The ad; for encouraging the manufadure of fail-cloth in Great Bri-
tain, continued till 29'" September 1788.

The ad for encouraging the manufadure of filk in Great Britain,
•continued till 24'" June 1788.

The ad for allowing the free importation of cochineal and indigo,
continued till 29'" September 1788.

The ad prohibiting the importation of foreign editions of books,
originally compofed and printed in Great Britain, continued till 29""
September 1788.

The ad for fecuring the duties on foreign fail-cloth, continued till
24" June 1788.

The ad for allowing the bounty on corn exported in neutral veflels,
continued till 25''' March 1783.

The ad for allowing the exportation of provifions, merchandize, &c.
to the ports in America, which were under the protedion of the Britifh
army, continued till i" June 1783.

The ad prohibiting the tranfportation by water of copper in bars or
flieets, contuiued till i" May 1783.

A. D. 17S-1 709

The act for allowing the exportation of wheat to the Britiih fugar
colonies only, continued till 1" May 1783. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 13.]

The ad, allowing merchant ihips to have foreign feamen for three
fourths of their complement, was alio continued till 25 '' March 1783.
[22 Geo. Ill, c. 16.]

April 12' — In the Weft-Indies a general engagement took place
between the Briiifli fleet commanded by Admiral Rodney and the
French fleet commanded by the comte de Grafle. The battle, which
began in the morning, was kept up the whole day with unremitting
fury on both fides, and terminated in the evening by a complete vic-
tory gained by the Britifli fleet. One French fliip of the line was funk,
and five were taken, one of which, called the Villc de Paris, was a pre-
fent made by the city of Paris to the king at the expenfe of ^(^176, 000 :
fhe carried 1 10 guns, and was efleemed the finefl: fhip that ever fwam
upon the ocean *. The comte de Grafle, who was onboard her, confe-
quently augmented the fpleudour of the vidory by the capture of the
commander-in-chief. As the whole train of artillery, intended for a
grand attack upon Jamaica, was onboard the fliips which were taken,
this vidlory mayjuitly be confidered as having efl;'ecled the fafety of that
important colony, and alio as having given a complete check to the
career of French conqueft in the Weft-Indies, where for fome time paft
almoft every event had been adverfe to the intereft of Great Britain.
And it was not lefs critically fortunate to the reputation and intereft of
the admiral, as it prevented him from being fuperfeded in the command,
and from being fubjedled to a rigorous parliamentary inquiry refpecting
the tranfactions at S'. Euftaihius, and alfo procured him the thanks of
both houffs of parliament, together with a peerage accompanied by a
penfion to himlelf and his heirs.

April 22'' — After Mr. Adams had fpent a whole year in foliciting the
Dutch to acknowlege the independence of the United rtates of America,
and to enter into an alliance with them, as the republic in the whole
world moft fimilar to their own, in religion, in manners, and even in
the events by which both had obtained their independence, they at laft,
with their national dilatorinels of confuhation, publicly received him as
ambaflador from the United Hates, whole independence they only now
acknowleged ; though they had from the beginning of the conteft
covertly, and for fome time paft overtly, done all in their power to allift
them againft Great Britain. It is worthy of remark, that the public re-
ception of the American ambaflador took place at the very time, when
propofals for a feparate peace with the Dutch, under the mediation of
Rulfia, and admitting a free navigation on the full principles of the
armed neutrality, were offered by Great Britain.

• Tills proud troriiy of ilic Biitifli vidory was loft at fca. But aiiuthcr fljip of rqii«l magniiuJc
\\.i9 imincdiatcly buili lo caiiy licr name. »

710 A. D. 1 782.

May Stf* — ^The ifland of New Providence furrendered to the arms of
Spain : and the innrmerable ckifler of the Bahama illands, of which k
was the feat of government, and then alfo the only one containing any
confidcrable number of inhabitants, was comprehended in the capitula-
tion. Of all the numerous iflands and fettlements in the Weft-Indies,
colonized or conquered by Grtat Britain, there remained now only
lamaica v.iUi its dependencies, Barbados, Antigua, the Virgin ifland.s,
Anguilla, Barbuda, and Bermuda.

May — The reduction of the bounty being found to diminifli the
number of velTcls employed in the Greenland whale filhery, it was again
raifed to forty fliillings a tun. And, whereas in time of war it is ex-
ceedingly difficult to procure the number of men required by the law,
the lliips were permitted to take in men, not exceeding two for every
fifty tuns of their burthen at Shetland, and to land them there on their
return from the filhery. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 19.]

The ad, permitting the importation of tallow, hog's lard, and greafe,
free of duty, was continued till the 25'' of March 1785. [22 Geo, III,
c. 20.]

Some regulations for preventing the fraudulent importation of foreign
fnuff, and to prevent fmuggling by veflels fitted out as privateers, were
enacted. [22 Geo. HI, c. 21.]

The praclicc of ranibming fliips taken by the enemy being found
liable to great abufes, it was prohibited under a penalty of ;^500, and all
ranfom bills were declared to be null and void after a limited time. [22
Geo. Ill, c. 25.]

An additional duty of four pence on every pound of tobacco, and of
eight perice on every pound of fnuff, imported, was ordered to take place

after the i" of June 1782 The duties of cuftoms upon brandy and

arrack were repealed, and a new duty impofed of ^8 : 8 : o with an ad-
dition of five per cent upon that duty, upon every tun, containing 252
gallons, of brandy, or fpirits entered under that name, imported from
any foreign country, and the fame upon arrack. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 28. J

The Britiih planters in the iflands of S'. Chriftopliers,- Nevis, and
Montferrat, now living under the dominion of France, were permitted
to carry their produce to any part of the Britifli dominions in Europe
or America, and to pay only the duties payable upon the produce of the
iflands fubjed to Britain. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 30.]

Tjie act [6 Geo. Ill, c. 22] for regulating the loading of fliips with
coal at Newcaftle and Sunderland, being found beneficial, was pro-
longed till 1^'^ March 1789. [22 Geo. HI, c. 32.]

Inland bills of exchange, prom>ifibry notes, and other notes not pay-
able on demand, were fubjeded to flanip duties*. [22 Geo. III., c. 33. J
This regulation made a confiderable addition to the income of the pofl-

• Asthofe (lamp duties were afterjcards augmented, it Is nerdkfs to take further notice of them here.

A. D. 1782. 71 1

■office by ;t1>olii]iing the piaclicc (^f drawing bills on the paper of tiic
letters, winch accomprmied them.

June i<) " — Tobacco, the growth of the Britifli plantations, was per-
mitted to be imported during the continuance of the war, from any
port of America, the Weft-Indies, or Europe. [22 Gcc. Ill, c. 38. J

Tn order to put a flop to the violence and outrages frequciitly com-
mitted by riotous and ill-difpofed perfons, the crime of entermg lioufts
or lliops, and cutting or deflroying woollen, fdk, cotton, or linen,
goods, or any tools or utenfils ufed in fpinning, preparing, or weaving,
fuch goods, was made felony without benclk of clergy. [22 Geo. Ill,
<•• 40.]

Tickets for the lotteries elbiblilbed by the parliament of Ireland were
permitted to be fold in any part of Great Hritam, except the univcrfities
of Oxford and Cambridge, under the lame regulutions with rei'ped to
licences, fliares, &.c. which are enatled for conducling the bulinefs of the
Britilh flate lotteries. [22 do. III., c. 47.]

The aflairs of the Eaft-Indiu company were now become almoft as
mucli the f«bje£t of parliamentary dilcullion as the national income and
expenditure. Mr. Henry Dundas, the lord advocate of Scotland, who
liad examined the aflairs ol" India with uncommon induftry and acute-
nefs, declared in the houfe of coir.mons, that ilie revenue of the pre-
fidency of Bombay fell Ihort of its civil and military inveftments
/^200,oco annually, which deliciency was made up by Bengal ; that the
revenue of the prelidency of Madras, though in the four years of peace
between 17C7 and 1779 it had exceeded nearly one half as much as the
expenfes, had not been equal to the civil and military invellments
during the eight years of war; and that even in Bengal, the mofl fertile
and lucrative of the Britilli i)()ili;irions in India, tlie expenles of the war
with the Mahrattas threatened a partial, if not a total, fufpenfion of the
inveflments for England. He condemn-ed the thirll for conquefts and
frantic military exploits, too often difplayed by our governors in India,
who, he laid, inftead of acting as the faithful ilewards of a commercial
comp.any, were too apt to fancy themfelves Alexanders or Aurengezebes,
and he hinted the propriety of placing the management of the territor-
ial polIMTions under the diredlion of the crown. The iioufc of com-
mons afterwards refnlved, ' that the orders of the court of directors of
' the Eaft-India company, which have conveyed to their fervants abroad
' a prohibitory condemnation of all fehemes of conqucfl and cnlarge-
' ment of dominion, by prefcribing certain rules and boundaries for the
' operation of their militRrv force, and enjoining a (IricI adherence to .1
' fyllem of defence upon the principles of the treaty of Ulahabad, were
' founded no Icfs in wifdom and policy, th:m in julbee and moderation -,'
and that the many dtvialions from thole orders, and the unnccelFary
interferences m the alYairs ol the native princes had been produdivc of

712 A. D. 1782.

fuch prejudice to the intcrefts of the company and to tlicir influence
in the country, as could never be compenfatcd by the temporary fucccfs
rf any plan of violence or injufiice. The commons in their refolucions
alfo cenfured fome parts of the conduct of the dirednrs of the Ea(l-
Indla company, as well as that of their fervants and agents; and they
declared, that Mr. JIaftings the governor-general, and fome others of
the company's fervants, ought immediately to be recalled from India.

May At the very time when thefe harfli meafures againfl: Mr. Haft-

ings were refolved upon in parliament, he appears to have performed
the moft eflential fervices ia India by diffolving the grand confederacy
of princes leagued againfl: the company. He had already found means
to detach a branch of the Mahrattas from that confederacy by means of
a treaty of peace and alliance entered into with them on the 13"' of
October 1781 by Colonel Muir. And now another treaty was con-
cluded with the principal Mahratta flate, which was conducted on the
part of the company by Mr. David Anderfon, upon liberal principles on
both fides, whereby

Articles, i, 2, 17) The company agreed to reflore the countries,
forts, &c. lately taken from the Mahrattas, excepting the iflands of Sal-
fette, Elephanta, Corranja, and Hog ifland.

3, 4) The polfeflion of Baroach, with a territory of three lacks of
rupees, had been ceded to the company by a former treaty ; but they
now relinquifhed their claim to the territory, referving only the city.

9) The pefhwa of the Mahrattas engaged to oblige Hyder Ally to
evacuate the territories of the company and their allies.

11) It was agreed, that the veflels of each party fhould have free
accefs and protedion in the ports belonging to either.

I 2) The company were to enjoy the privileges of trade as formerly
in the Mahratta territories, and agreed to grant equal freedom of trade
to the Mahrattas in their territories.

13) The pefhwa engaged to fuffer no other European nation to be
eftablifhed in his territories, or thofe depending upon him, the fettle-
ments of the Portuguefe being, however, underflood to remain upon
their antient footing.

This treaty was figned on the 17"" of May 1782 by Mr. Anderfon,
and confirmed on the 6'" of June following by Mr. Haflings the
governor-general, and Meffieurs Wheeler and Macpherfon members
of the council, at Calcutta.

The people of Ireland had obtained from the Britifli parliament fome
liberal conceflions refpeding the freedom of their commerce. But
thev were not fatisfied with enjoying as a favour, liable to be refumed
by the fame power which granted it, what they confidered as their in-
herent right ; and they proceeded to declare, that no parliament, but
their own, fhould have the power to legiflate for Ireland. The majority

A. D. 1782. 71J

of the members of the Irifh legiflature {hewing, however, lefs ardour for
their emancipation from the controul of the Britifh parliament, than
the people at large thought they ought to do, the volunteer affociations
determined, that the people of Ireland fhould not be trifled with by
thofe ' who pretended to be their rcprefentatives ;' and at a meeting
held at Dungannon (February 15''' 1782) the rcprefentatives, delegated
from 143 corps of the volunteers, refolved, ' that a claim of any body

* of men, other than the king, lords, and commons, of Ireland, to make
' laws to bind that kingdom, is unconftitutional, illegal, and a gricv-
' ance ; that the powers exercifed by the privy council of both king-

* doms, under colour or pretence of the law of Poynings, are uncon-
' ftitutional and a grievance ; that a mutiny bill, not limited in point

* of duration from feflion to feflion, is unconftitutional and a griev-
' ance ; and that the ports of Ireland are, by right, open to all foreign"
' countries, not at war with the king, and any burthen thereon, or ob-
' firucftion thereto, fave only by the parliament of Ireland, is uncon-
' flitutional, illegal, and a grievance.' They further declared, in anfwcr
to thofe who had aflerted, that volunteers, as fuch, had no right to give
their opinions on political fubjeds, ' that a citizen by learning the ufc
' of arms does not abandon any of his civil rights :' and they made
known their determination to ufe all conflitutional means to obtain a
fpeedy and effedlual redrefs of their public grievances.

On this fide of the water the bufmcfs was alfo taken up with fincere
intentions of giving all pofliblc fatisfadion to Ireland, which, ' being a
' part of the Britifli empire, is entitled to the full and equal participa-
' tion of all the benefits and all the immunities enjoyed in England, and

* which are confonant to the principles of the Britifh conftitution.'
An ad was accordingly paffed (June 21'), whereby the ad of the
fixth year of King George I, for fecuring the dependence of the king-
dom of Ireland upon the crown of Great Britain, with the feveral
matters and things therein contained, was totally, and immediately,
repealed. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 53.]

The parliament of Ireland, as a tcfiimony of gratitude to the Icgif-
lature of Great Britain, immediately voted twenty ihoufand men for
the Britifh navy : and in their addrefs to tlie king they declared their
confidence, that the independence of the legillature of Ireland, both as
to internal and external objeds, would be inviolably maintained.

July A petition having been prefented to p:irliamcnt by the calico-
printers, wherein they fct forth, that the Eafi-India company had i.akcu
advantage of tlie improvements, introduced into their bufincfs fome
years ago, in printing upon engraved plates of copper and other metals,
by fending out plates and workmen to ihcir fcitleiueuis in India, where
the low price of labour enabled them to print iheir calicoes much
cheaper than the petitioners were able to du j and th.u great quantities

Vol. III. 4 X

714 -A. D. 1782.

of fuch printed goods verc imported, and, it being next to iinpoflible
to diftinguifh them from Britifli printed goods, the petitioners were in
danger of being ruined, and the trade and revenue of the kingdom
were in danger of being greatly injured. It was thereupon enad-
ed, that whofoever fhould entice any workmen employed in ])rint-
ing calicoes, cottons, muflins, or linens, or in making blocks, plates,
or utenfils, for fuch nianufadhire, to go beyond the fea, Ihould be
punifhed by a fine of ;{^50o, and alfo be imprifoned for twelve months ;
and, in cafe of a fecond offence, the fine and imprifonment fliould be
doubled. Any perfon found guilty of exporting blocks, plates, or uten-
fils, for the printing bufinefs, is alfo liable to a fine of ^"500 ; and com-
manders of vefiTels, knowingly fuffering fuch blocks, Sec. to be re-
ceived onboard their vefl^els are fubjeded to a penalty of £100. [22
Geo. Ill, c. 60.]

An additional duty of three pence per pound, with five per cent on
the amount of the duty, was impofed on white, or manufactured, bee's
wax imported. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 61.]

An addition of five per cent, upon all former duties upon goods
imported, exported, or carried by coafting navigation, and alfo upon
the excife duties, with fome exemptions, was voted by parliament. [22
Geo. Ill, c. 66.]

An ad was paffed to prevent his Majefl:y's enemies from being fup-
phed with fhips or veflels from Great Britain. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 71.]

The prohibition of importing foreign filks and velvets [Ad 6 Geo. Ill,
f. 28] was prolonged till 14"" June 1788. [22 Geo. HI, c. 72.]

The ad, of the twelfth year of Charles II, againft cultivating tobacco
in England, was now declared to extend to Scotland. But, as feveral
people in Scotland, after the interruption of the American trade, had
planted tobacco *, all fuch tobacco, already cured, or now grou-ing, was
direded to be entered before the 20''' of Auguil: 1782 at the neareil
cufl:om-houfe, and the duties payable on the importation of American
tobacco, to be paid for it. The Scottifh tobacco was not permitted to
be carried by land into England, but might be carried thither by
water : and no drawback of duty was allowed on the exportation of it.
[22 Geo. III. c. 73.]

As the drugs, produced in Hungary and Germany, ufed in times of
peace with the Dutch to be imported from Roterdam, fuch drugs were
now permitted to be brought from any port in the Auftrian Nether-
lands or Germany in Britilh-built vefl'els, and to be confidered, with
refped to the duties, as brought from the place of their growth. Wine
and organzined filk, the produce of Hungary, the Auflrian dominions,

* Some tobacco was alfo planted in the county of Cork in Ireland, and the crop was worth ^^40 per
acre. \_Lord Sheffield' t cori/idcratlont on ^meritan trade, p. lc6, Jix:/) ft/.] 3

A. D. 1782. yi^

or any part of Germany, were permitted to be fliipped at any port in
the dominions of the emperor of Germany or the houfe of Auftriu, fub-
jed to the duties payable on Rheniih wines and Italian filks. Timber
and fome other articles were alfo permitted to be imported from any
part of Europe in veflels belonging to the iiibjecfls of the fovercign of
the country, whereof the articles are the produce, though fucli country
may not have been under the dominion of fuch fovercign, v.hen the
Navigation adl was pafled in the reign of Charles II. All goods imported
under this a6t in foreign veflcis, or being tlie property of foreigners,
were ftill lubjecl: to alien's duty. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 78.]

In the beginning of the year 1780 Lord Shelburne (now marquis of
Lanfdown) in the houfe of lords, and Mr. Burke in the houfe of com-
mons, made motions for a thorough reform in the national expenditure.
The later, in a powerful fpeech, laid down as fundamental rules — that

all unnecefllxry and opprelfive juriididions fhould be aboliihed all

public eftatcs, lield for the purpofe of creating influence rather than
adding to the revenue, fhould be difpofed of — all offices oi little or no
utility fliould either be I'uppreiTed, or ingrafted upon others — all offices,
which obflrud the views and operations of the general fuperintendant
of finance, fhould be aboliflied — an invariable order fliould be cflablifh-
cd in all payments, to prevent partiality — every eflablifhment fliould
be reduced to certainty in all its parts — all fubordinate treafuries, as the
nurferies of mifmanagement, and as perplexing the public accounts,
ought to be abolifhed.

Of all the branches of INTr. Burke's vaft plan of reformation, tlic one,
which chiefly concerns this work, was the abolition of the board of
trade and plantations. Mr. Burke afferted, that that board had never
been of any fervice to the commerce of this country, and, whenever
they interfered, their injudicious tampering had been prejudicial ; that
they had never been of any ule to the plantations or colonies. New
England, Virginia, ^md all our wealthy colonies in the Weft-Indies, were
fettled before their eflablifhment : Pennfylvania and Carolina were
fettled after the extindion of the firft, and before the formation of the
prefent, board, during the whole exiftence of which only Georgia and
Nova Scotia were fettled ; two colonies which had coft more, and were
lefs produdive, th^tn imy of the others*. He rcniarkcil, that, however
ready adminiftration might be to defend the board ol trade and planta-
tions, they were very cautious of employing them. They were not
confulted on commercial points of the greateft importance ; nor did
any of the innumerable regalations for trade originate with that board.
Not one of the Eaft-India bills w.is pl.mncd there. The board had no

* Mr. Burkf forgot CanaJ.i, ilic mo rioriJat, llru;tion« drawsi np by llic board of tra \t ; and
and ihc four Ceded il1and<s, whicli were" formed of Uiclc, the tllaiid< »eiy (oou Lccainc r^uaUc aod
into pro»iiice» after the peace of 1 763 under in- produiflive culonies.

4X2

7i6 A. D. 1782.

concern in any of the commeixial adls, fuch as they were, which were
prekides to the American war. When commiflioners were font out to
negotiate a peace with America, and an entire new commercial fyfltrnv
was in contemplaiion, the board of trade were not confulted on that
occafion, nor on the important clianges made in the commercial fyflem
by the laws, which allowed Ireland to enjoy a free trade. A member
of parliament, who was a lord of trade, vindicated the utility of the
board: he appealed to their records, conlifling of 2,300 volumes of in-
terefting and important papers : and he adduced the names of Locke,
Addifon, Prior, Lord Molefworth, Charles Townfend, and many other
refpecftable charaders, who had been members of the board, as proofs
of its importance. But thefe arguments were ridiculed by Mr. Burke.
And the fpeaker of the houfe of commons declared, that the board
was not only ufelefs in its fundions, but raifchievous in its efFe(fls
in regard to influence ; for he confidered it as efficient in no other
refpect*.

Mr. Burke's plan of reform was rejected in the feffions of 1780 and
1 78 1. But now, himfelf and his friends being in office, he again called
the attention of the legiflature to his propofals, which were more fa-
vourably received; in confequence whereof, on the fecond day of May
1782 the lords commiflioners for trade and plantations feverally re-
ceived an official letter from the earl of Shelburne, one of his Majefty's
principal fecretarics of flate, informing them, that his Majefty had no
flirther occafion for their fervices as lords of trade, — By this notification
the bufinefs of the board of trade was difcontinued, although it was not
aboliflied till the ad of parliament for that purpofe pafled on the 11'" of
July following, when

The office of third fecretary of flate, or fecretary of flate for the
colonies, the board of trade and plantations, the lords of trade and
police in Scotland, the principal offices in the board of works, and fome
others of the inefficient offices, were fupprefled ; and a new and eco-
nomical plan was adopted for conducing feveral branches of the public
expenditure. The duty and authority of the board of trade were

• On ihe otlier fide of tlie qiiedion. Lord * derfland, the concerns of commerce.' — ' Boards

Sheffield, whofe opinion in commercial matters, ' of treafiiry and admiralty, comparatively, are of

will certainly be thought worthy of attention, fays, ' little confequence, the bufinefs of the commiffion-

' It is a moll extraordinary circumllance, that a ' ers or lords, except the firll lord, being nearly,

' nation, w hich ftates itfelf to be commercial, ' no more than officially to fign their names. If

' Ciould not have a miniftcr, or board, or perfoo • the board of trade gave improper influence,

* whatever, who neccffarily attends, and applies to, * (which few people feem now [1783] to think
' comprehends, or confidcrs, the Hate of com- ' it did) or was improperly filled up, the objeftions
' merce.' ' A committee of the privy council ' might have been removed, without the ftrangeft

• may now and then fpare a moment to try a ' negleft of our colonies and commerce by the
' plantation caufe : but it is an infnlt to the under- ' abolition of the only board, which could be ufe-
' ftanding of any man acquainted with this country ' ful to both.' [_Oh/crvalioiis on the commcrctef the
' to fay, that the privy council will ever form or American Jlates, p. 261, Jixlh edition.'^

' follow any fyftem, examine into, and really un-

A. D. 1782. 717

transferred to :x committee of the privy council, who are to act with-
out falary, fee, or pcnfion : and any pubhc money, wliich was under
the management of tlie lords of trade and police in Scotland, was
transferred to the management of the convention of royal burghs.
[22 Geo. IJI,c. 82.]

Several confidcrable improvements in Ix>ndon and the fuburbs, and
in other cities and towns, as alfo improvements of roads, and otlier
matters of police throughout the kingdom, were carried on under the
fan(5lion of ads of this feffion of parliament.

In the beginning of this fummer the emperor of Germany, being
defirous of promoting the commerce of Triefte, the mod confiderable
of his two ports in the Mediterranean, advanced four millions of florins
to the merchants of that place to enable them to extend their com-
mercial enterprifes to Afia and Africa, and alfo to America.

In the courfe of this fummer the Spaniards were driven from every
one of the ports, which they had fortified on the Mufquito fliore in order
to harafs the Britifh fettlers.

Auguft — Two of the fmall fettlements belonging to the Hudfon's-
bay company, called Fort Prince of Wales and Fort York, were in-
vaded by a French armament, confifling of one ihip of 74 guns (the
only ftiip of the line, that ever was in Hiidfon's bay) and two frigates
of ^6 guns each, with 250 foldiers, 40 artillery-men, cannons, mortars,
&c. and commanded by Mr. Peroufe, who was afterwards loft in a
voyage of difcovcry in the South fea. Againft fo very formidable an
attack the company's few fervants had no defence, and cunfcquently
fubmitted at difcretion. Mr. Peroufe, according to his orders, de-
moHfhed the forts, M-hereby the company loft property to the amount,
as is faid, of /^soo.ooo ; and then he retired, having firft humanely
landed arms and provifions for the defence and fupport of fome ot the
company's fervants, who had fled into the woods on his approach.

The Dutch were deprived of Accra, Commcnda, and moft of their
other trading pofts, or forts, upon the wcftern coaft of Africa by Britifli
ftiips of war m the courfe of this year.

The king of France having advanced to the congrefs of the United
ftates of America,

from 28'" FcbriKiry to 1" November 1778 - 3,000,000 livrcs,,

from 10'" June to 21" December 1779 - 1,000,000

from 29"" February to 27"' November 1780 - 4,000,000
from 15'" February to 15'" November 1781 - 4,000,000
and from 10" April to 5" July 1782 - 6,000,000

the congrefs ftood bound to pay the whole fum of i8,oco,ooo

with intereft at five per cent to the king's banker at Paris on the l" of

January 1788. But the king, defirous of Ihowing kindncfs to hi«;

7i8 A. D. 1782.

American allies, inftead of requiring the payment in one funi on a
fixed day, propofed that it fliould be repaid in equal annual inftallments
in twelve years, to begin the third year after the peace, with Uberty for
the congrefs to pay the debt fooner, if convenient for themfelves : and
he made them a prefcut of all the intercft, due, or accruing, till the day
of the date of the treaty of peace*.

The king was alio fecurity for 10,000,000 livres, borrowed for the
congrefs from the Dutch on the 5''' of November 178 1 with intereft at
five per cent, to be repaid by inftallments commencing on the 5''' of
November 1787. And the whole of both debts was acknowleged in a
treaty or contradl, figncd by Dodlor Franklin, as ambafllidor for the
United fiates, on the 16"" of July 1782, and confirmed by the congrefs
in January following.

It was not till the 8'" of Odober, that the Dutch finally completed
with fome very trifling alteration, and publicly confirmed, the treaty
with America, which had been fecretly negotiated in the year 1778.
As a brief extradt of that treaty has been already given, it would be
fuperfluous to repeat it here f .

The nation being very clamorous for peace, and the events of the war
having fufficiently convinced the advocates for the fubjugation of Ame-
rica, that there was no probability of their objedt being accomplifhed,
the parliament empowered the king to negotiate for a peace with the
Americans : and Mr. Grenville was fent to Paris, fully authorized to
treat with all the powers allied againfl Great Britain, and particularly
to offer a preliminary and unconditional acknowlegement of the inde-
pendence of the American ftates. The commanders in America were
alfo directed to notify the pacific difpofition of the Britifh government
to the American congrefs, who, however, declared, they would liften to
no propofals for a pacification, but in conjunction with, and with the
confent of, their allies. In truth, all the belligerent powers were now
tired of the war. The French, though they had taken many of our
Weft-India iflands, had no reafon to congratulate themfelves upon the
fuccefs of their interference : their commerce had fufFered feverely ;
many of their merchants were ruined ; and even the national credit
began to ftagger under the weight of their own expenfes and the fup-
plies to America. The Spaniards found themfelves totally difappointcd
of their expedations in every inftance, except the conqueft of Minorca ;
that of Florida and the Bahama iflands being no advantage to a nation,
who already had too many unproductive diftant fettlements. The
Dutch had at leaft as much reafon to be tired of the war as any of their

* In the year 1 792 the United ftates had paid f Tlie chief difference is in the arrangement of
all the inftallments that were due, and alfo, to ac- the various artickr, apparently with a view to
commodate the French, who were then in want of make it appear ditf<;rent from the original,
money, a part of that which was not yet due.
l_C3xi's Fit-TV of tki Uniserijlaler, p. 364, 370.J

A. D. 1782. 719

allies, as they had acquired nothing, but loft many of iheir moft valuable
trading fettlements, and almoft all their trade, which, to u nation pof-
fefling lb little land, is their all. This unfortunate war had likeways,
by expofing their internal weaknefs, and by obliging theni to rely on
the afliftance of France, funk them into the condition of a province of
that kingdom, and thrown them down from the rank they had hitherto
held among the powers of Europe. Perhaps America, tliough the firfl
caufe and principal theatre of the war, fuftered in moll; refpe«5ts lefs than
any of the other belligerent powers. The Americans li:id no dillam
territories to proted, or to lofe : and, though deprived for a while of the
uie of fome of their towns, they in fact loft not an inch of ground. The
enormous expenfe of the armies, fent over to fubdue them, in reality
enriched them with a profufion of hard money, infinitely beyond what
was ever feen in the country before : and their merchants were great
gainers by the flour, provifions, and lumber, they were allowed, when
the Spanilh colonies began to feel the hardfhips of the war, to carry to
the Havanna, for which they got principally gold and filver in return *.
But a long continuance of the war muft have alfo become very diftrcfT-
ing to America. The cultivation of the foil required the whole labour
of a people, not yet fulTiiciently numerous to Ipare great numbers from
produdive induftry, and whofe export trade confifted moftly of rough
produce, or fuch as had undergone only the firft ftage of manufadure.
Therefor, in fuch a community the long-continued iupport of a great
army muft have become productive of ruinous confequencts. The
fplendid and decifive vidory gained by Rodney lin the Weft-Indies,
and the brilliant defence of Gibraltar by General Elliot, we may pre-
fume, had their ftiare in dilpofing to peaceful counfels the enemies of
Great Britain, who, alone, and unallied, had fuccefsfully oppofed her fleets
to thofe of all the principal maritime powers of the world, while her com-
merce, if compared with that of her enemies, might be laid to be but
little deprefled. Peace being thus the with of all parties, the pro-
vifional articles for a treaty with America were figned at Paris on the
30'" of November ; and from that day, though the diplomatic formal-
ities fj)un out the negotiations for many months, the war may be laid
to be at an end.

It has already been obferved, that during the American war the quant-
ity of Britifli goods, really carried to, and conlunied in, America, was
not very much diminlflied by the interruption of the dired intercourle
with that continent, [ice above, p. 591J But belidcs the goods, which
the Americans obtained by the circuitous trade of the neutral iflands,

• So lucrative was tills tradf, that, if hdlf ihcir iflands were indebted for a cun(idetable part of

vffTcls were taken, they were (till able to carry it their fupplies from ttie year 1 780 till the leimina-

on with very great advaata^'e. Ii wjs to the t.ip- tion of the w jr.
lUres of fonie of thofe veffeli, that our WcC.-India

720 - A. D. 1782.

what they got by the capture of Britifh veflels, and what were fmuggled
into the revolted territories from Nova Scotia, (the exports to which will
be found by the annual accounts of imports and exports to have in-
creafed prodigioufly after the commencement of the war) from New
York, and from Carolina and Georgia when in pofleflion of the Britifli
troops, * many fliips, which cleared for New York and Halifax at the
' ports of London, Briflol, Liverpool, and thofe of Scotland, and Ire-
' land, went at great ri(k, and in the face of the adt of congrefs, diredly
.' to (the United ftates of) North America. One fliip in particular,
' loaded with Britifh goods, cleared from London for New York, but
' went diredly to Bofton ; the cargo was fold wholefale for 270 per cent
' profit — what did the confumer pay, who bought the articles by re-
' tail ? Several cargoes, that went to the American ftates, were paid
' for in ready money before their departure from England; and all
* this happened, when the markets of France, Holland, &c. were open
■* to them.' [Lord Sheffield's Obfervations on jlmerican commerce, p. 250,
fixth ed.']

Neither was the quantity of American produce, which found its way
into the ports of Great Britain, fo very much diminifhed, as might have
been expeded, when the Americans declared the ports of their country
open to all the world, and the Britifh vclfels, which ufed to have u
monopoly of the carrying trade, were excluded from them. Confiderable
quantities of tobacco, the principal commercial article of American pro-
duce, were imported into Britain from the Dutch ifland of S'. Eufta-
thius, till the commencement of hoftilities with the Dutch, and the fub-
fequent capture of the ifland, fhut up that free port. After that it was
imported by the medium of the Danifh ifland of S'. Thomas : but a
much greater quantity found its w^ay into the Britifli ifland of Tortola,
which in the courfe of this year fhipped almoft a half of all the tobacco
that came into the ports of Great Britain *.

It is proper here alfo to take notice of a very profitable clandcfline
•trade, which was faid to be carried on, and, I beheve to a very confider-
able amount, by fome people, within the towns occupied by the Britifh
forces in America, and others, conne6ted with them in the revolted
ftates, by preconcerted friendly captures of veiTels to be met with at a
certain time and place, whofe cargoes, confifting frequently of provi-
fions, fometimes of tobacco, &c. came to a mofl excellent ready-money
market by being fold at vendue (audion) as prizes. Articles of provifions

* The tobacco imporud this year was, in England - 7,203,262 poimda

in Scotland - 2,624,807

9,828,065

of which there came from T( r.ola, to England - 3>^74»9^9

to Scotland - 1,505,057

4.779>966

The remainder, partlj' produced in, and partly fmuggled into, Carolina and Eall"^ ____^

Florida, paitly the produce of capture, or fmuggled into the Well-India iflands, and > „
partly imported from the continent of Europe, was * J i' 'f > j

82,20o inhabitants, being 34 thoufandth

A. D. 1782. 721

efpecially fold at monftrous prices, in confequcnce of tlie very crowded
ftate of the towns, which had almoft no back country, acknowleging the
Britifh government, to fupply them.

An eftimate was made, by order of the cougrefs, of the numbers of
inhabitants in the United ftates, in order to proportion the afTeflments
upon each ftate, which was as follows.
New Hampftiire

parts of the whole.
Maflachufets bay
Rhode ifland
Conne<Sicut
New York
New Jerfey
Pennfylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia

350,000

50,400

206,000

200,000

130,000

320,000

35. coo

220,700

400,000

200,000

170,000

25,000

147

21

86
84
54-

15
92

167

84

71
I r

Total of inhabitants ofl

all ages, colours, and [-2,389,300 * - - 1,000

conditions, J

December 23" — The harveft having been dreadfully deficient this
year, the parliament allowed the importation of all kinds of grain, upon
payment of low duties, which was to continue till the 25'''of Auguft
1783 in England, and till the 25'-' of September 1783 in Scotland.
[23 Geo. Ill, c. I.]

A view of the increafe of the Scottilh herring fiflicry from the year
1 75 I to the year 1776, has already been given ; and the decline of it
after that year has alio been noticed [pp. 395, 633.) The following
view of its declining ftate during the war, and alio of the exportation ot

• Thij eftimate was cenfured as too high by
Lord Sheffield, who obfcrvcs, that the bell ac-
counts Hate the number of whites in the American
ftates as not exceeding 1,700.000 [^Ceii/ltJfralioKi
OH tin commerce oj America^ p. 2^i),Jixlh eJ-^ He
docs not fay any tliiii<j of l!ic nu:nbcr of negro
(laves: but if tlic cAiinatcd proportion of jo ne-
groes to 1 1 wliites be nearly true, it makes the
total number in the eftimate corrcfpond very well
with that number of whites. Mr. Coxe (hows,
apparently upon good ground*, that the eftimate

Vol. III.

wau rather under, tiiao above, the truth: and
Mr. Jeffi iTon makes !t CKCCtdingly prob.ible, that
the number in Vir^nnia this year was $67,614, of
whom 170,76* were flarci. Succeedin); enumcra*
tiooi, mure accurately taken, Ihow, th" •' - "jm-
bcrs have increafcd in all the dales ■ '^i-

ing ni]>idity. [^^ee Ccxr'i yirw ■•' • . ... ",

pp. 197, z'^:3.~']cff.rjtm'i Xk/o fi. 14J.

— See alfo Talham'i Pofits.jl .: rt^;- r/ iiilmJ
n.n-i^.uioH, p. 36.]

4 V

722

A. D. 1782.

herrings and cod from Scotland, is taken from the official accounts,
made up in the cuftom-houfe at Edinburgh by Mr. Boyd, examiner of
fait and fifhery accoimts.

Years

Busses.

wnnagc.

men.

Barrels of]

herrings

taken.

Exported

\

Herrings

Cod 1

red,

white.

total

cwt.

bar.

number.

bar.

bar.

barrels.

liundreds.

17/7

240

11,727

2,600

43,313

800

41,2174

42,0175

12.302

441

17/8

220

10,S77

2,504

40,958

843

35,620

36,463

8,727

iiq

^779

206

10,191

2,343

29,367

334

32,110

32,444

6,583

63

1780

181

8,963

2,061

19,885

119

25,122

25,241

13,703

6

789

1781

136

6,449

1,49^4

16,593

190

14,0824

14,2724

14,435

16

1782

14;

7,291

1,667

13,457

12,522i

12,522t

14,038

I84i

144

Bounties

paid

to busses, and

on exportat

on

offish.

25,104

8

1

22,475

18

4

20,600

17

0

19,058

i.Q

11

13,746

0

t

14,414

12

10

It mufl be obferved that the numbers of barrels taken, here flated,
include only thofe taken in the fir ft voyage in each feafon, called the
bounty voyage. But, as the bufles often made a fecond, and fometimes
even a third, voyage, and as the herrings taken in thofe after voyages
are believed to be, one year with another, equal to thofe taken in the
bounty voyages, the real quantity of herrings caught and cured by the
bufles may be fairly eftimated at double the quantity here ftated. The
number of herrings taken by boats, and confumed frefli, or flightly
faked, in the country, of which no account is taken, muft alfo be pro-
digioufly great ; efpecially v^'hen an extraordinary plenty, and confe-
quently low price, encourages the cadgers (higglers) to carry them as
far as poffible into the inland parts of the country.

The precarious nature of the fifhery appears very ftrongly from the
great inequality of the exportation from the fame port. Campbelltown,
which in the year 1755 exported 24,436 barrels, and has been generally
one of the chief ports of Scotland for the exportation of herrings, ex-
ported this year only 396 barrels. Stranrawer in the year 1758 export-
ed 13,121 barrels, and has in fome years exported none at all. Cod is
chiefly exported from Shetland, next to which Campbelltown, and of later
years fometimes Stornoway and Aberdeen, have been the chief filhing
places for the exportation of cod *.

The exportation of falmon, which formerly ufed to be a very con-
fiderable branch of Scottifli trade, is now almoft entirely annihilated by
the demand for the confumption of London : and it is thought that the
method of conducing the fifhery in the rivers is annually diminifhing
the breed of falmon.

The following view of the trade of England in herrings and cod,.

Thtfe comparative remarks are tr.ken from Mr. Boyd's account,, which is too bulky to bo

inf(.rt-.d tnlire,

A. D. 1782. y21

during the fame years, is extraded from accounts hid before the houfe
of commons.

Cod IjToUl of bounties

exported Jpaid on vessels,

cwt. Jand on exp<irta-

ion of herriDgs

nd codf.

Year

Herring

s

1

e\i>ortt'<l

consunjed at home

red.

while,

total

red.

wliite,

barrels.

bancls.

barrels.

thousands*.

barreli.

1777

12,115

11,7754

23,890'

12,898,357

0.705

1778

12,7034

11,738

24,4414

11,235,909

5,814

1779

18,942i

ia,!329

32,7714

19,327,045

8,352

1780

24,OS3 ;

7,6974

31,781

13,3.50,544

3,744

J781

19,386

12,513

31,899

I2,7(iy,7b0

4,394

1782

21,091

14,2684

35,3594

12,y44,l30

1,563

3.473

4,024

«

0

3,530

3,666

4

6

495

3,563

15

0

4,130

3,925

10

0

0,905

4,493

12

6

1,341

3,970

10

0

The fifliery of pilchards on the coaft of Cornwall is alfo a confider-
able objed, affording employment to above 3,000 filhermen belides the
feamen employed in carrying the fifli to foreign markets, which are
chiefly the ports in the Mcdiicrrancan, and in importing fait, ftaves, and
other materials for the fifliery, and four or five thuufand people em-
ployed in the bufinefles conneded with it on lliore. Pilchards are fo
much in requefl in the Italian flates, that the orders from them for
lead, tin, copper, leather, &c. have been often conditional, that if fuch
a quantity of pilchards could not be lent, the other articles could not
be received : and the Venetian government allowed Britiih veflels im-
porting a certain proportion of pilcluirds to take in currants at their
illands, though the carriage of that fruit was reflricled to their own
veflels. The annual export of this fifli on an average of ten years
1 747-1756 was about 30,000 hogflaeads ; but it had now declined to
I 2,000 or 13,000.

The herring fifliery on the Y;i:uioulh coafl has alfo declined very
much. At this time it employed only 94 vellels ; whereas in the year
1760 it employed 205 of from 30 to 100 tuns, and gave employment
to about 6,oco men, women, boys, and girls, belides 30 or 40 veflels
from Folkflonc, Haflings, &c. which have now deferted it entirely.
For about twenty years preceding 1 760 the annual capture of herrings
on the Norfolk coall was above 47,000 barrels, of which alxnit 38,000
were exported. The fifliery, which the jx-o|)le of Yarmouth, witlj the
afliflanee of the Shetland filhermen, uled to carry on, in about two
hundred veflels of from 40 to 60 tuns, in the neighbourhood of Iceland,
where the cod moft ialeable in the Spanifli and Italian markets are

• The numbers here given arc the total* of each
year, aicorJiiiE to the account made up a: t!ic
fait <illice in July 1784 by oulcr of the uommitiec
of tiie houfe vi commons. Uut ihcy appear un-
accountably gfcat, btinij, i:idcpiMidtnt nl the bar-
rels, far beyond a thoufand rc«i herring;? for ever)-
pcrl'on, young and old, in all E'ljlar.d and W'alcj ;

whereat, I thii.k, ti may be doubted, whether
every individual, one with another, cunfun.rs
twenty red hcrtiiig* in a year, (luerc, if for
ihiuj'.iiiJi «e Ihoulil not rcail liaglr Irrriaj^t ?

t For the furrs in ihij e-ohinm I am indebted
to Doctor Ai.dcrfoii. Sec hi« SliUc »/ lit Htbnjr.
(\^ vllcru illands) /. 44''.

724

A. D. 1782.

caught, has been annihilated by the operation of the fait laws. Several
gentlemen from Yarmouth informed the committee of the houfe of
commons that they would willingly revive that fifhery, if it fhould be
relieved from the oppreflion of thofe laws.

In confequencc of the liberal encouragement, given to the fifheries
by the parliament of Ireland, [fee above, p. 405] the herring fifhery of
that country was now confidcrably advanced. The Irifli, however, ftill
continued to import herrings to anfwer the gi^eat demand for the Weft-
Indies. The following is a view of the progrefs of their trade in that
article.

Annual average number' of barrels'^
from 1756 to 1/(54 i. e. before >
the bounty J

D^ from I7tj4 to 1773
D". from 25'" March 1763 T
to 25'" March 1767/
D\ from 25'" March 1779"!
to 25"" March 1783 J
In the year ending 25" March 1773
of which there were for tlie West- \
Indies J

Imported.

Iron) Great

from the

Total.

Biiiain.

East country.

23,201

1,847

25,048

16,657

25,365

42,022

32,824

12,277
4,324

Exported.

4,672

24,273
48,48 li
35,960

Such have been the decreafe of the imports, and the increafc of the
exports, fmce the commencement of the public encouragement.

The other articles of fifh exported from Ireland to any amount, in the
year ending 25'^* March 1783, were - cod 272 barrels,

hake 1,367 cwt,
and falmon 253 tuns.

In the year 1780 the herring filhery in Loch Swilly employed
130 bounty veflels, which expended 1,708 tuns of fait, wherewith they
cured, by computation _ _ _ 51,240 maize*.

In the fame feafon 71 vefTels from Liverpool and Mann

purchafed in the fame loch - - 39,000

for making red herrings, at 10^ per hundred,

amounting to £^,^25.
In 1781 there were 147 bounty veffels in Loch Swilly,

which expended 1,914 tims of fait, and cured 57,420

And 117 veifels from Liverpool and Mann bought 49,950

for which they paid ;^i 2,487 : 10:0.

The total taken in the two years - 197,610 maize,

or 98,805,000 herrings, befides what were ufed frelli in the adjacent
country. ,

* A maize contain: joo hcrnngs. 5

A, D. 1782. «25

A great proportion of the herrings imported from Scotland i;. con-
fumed in the country, being preferred on account of their fuperior
curing ; the reft are repacked in Irifh barrels of 28 gallons for exporta-
tion. Thofe from the Eaft country, which ufed to be fold in Irtrland
fo low as 14/ a barrel, are alfo repacked for exportation to the Weft-
Indies in Irifli barrels *.

The Irifh have great advantages in the herring fifhery. The arrival
of the herrings, fo precarious upon the extenfive weft coaft of Scotland,
is certain on the north-weft coaft of Ireland ; and they fwim dole to
the Ihore. The fiftiery is free from reftriclions, and the adventurers
either fifli thcmfelves, or purchafe from the fiftiers, as they find moft
convenient, whereby they are often enabled to complete their loading
in two or three days, and to make feveral trips during one lifliing fea-
i'on, which generally lafts fix weeks, or two months. And thus thev
can obtain a much greater quantity of filh in the fame fpace of time,
and alfo run their cargoes much earlier to a market, than the Britifli
fiflierman, who is tied down by reftridive laws to lofe a grd.t deal
of time, and fupport a very heavy expenfe, tluit he may be entitled to
the bounty.

The certainty, and great abundance, of herrings have induced many
of the filliermen of England and Scotland to prefer the Irifti filhing
grounds to thofe of their own coafts. But there is an unneighbourly
jealoufy upon the fubjedl of the fiftieries between the Irifli and the Scots,
greatly againft the true interefts of both. There are furely lierrings
enough in the fea for both: and, if the fiftiery is v/ifely and har-
monioufly conduded, markets may be found, notwithftanding the
decline of popery, fufficient to employ the induftry of both to great
advantage.

Upon the whole, the Irifli fiftiery may be confidered now as but in
its infancy. But if Nature and the legiflature ftiall continue to favour
it, as they have hitherto done, it muft undoubtedly in a few years fur-
mount all rivallhip, at Icaft in Great Britain, unlefs an entire new fyfteni
of fiftiery l;iws fliall be adopted.

As the fifti trade of Ireland was formerly fo much connected wiili
that of Sweden, it may be proper here to give fdmc account ot the
later. For above twenty years paft about 200,oco barrels had been
annually cured on the Swedifti coaft in the neighbourhood of Gotten-
burgh. The exports from thence to Ireland, which ufed to be very
confiderable, were now, as we have juft feen, greatly reduced by the
improved ftate of the Irifh liftiery. Several cargoes of Swedilh herrings
were fent to S'. Eullathius in the years 1779 ;uid 1780, wiieucc they
found their way into the various fugar iftands. In the French Wcft-

•

The Icgnl mcafure of lien inj; barrel* in Britain i« ji gallons} and it appear* to be the fame in
'SwcJtn ; but tlic inforroution rcfpeCling their mtafure varies.

726

A. D. 1782.

1775

1776

1777

1779

178O

1781

25,830"

56,400

19,207

7,313

13,243

6,27t.

l.^^l

5,826

20,849

7,281

2,700

300

4.267

5,413

8,369

12,615

24,225

41,552

37,091

64,465

58,069

44,747

80,474

20,627

23,272

37.075

40,485

28,778

29,250

94,593

128,467

132,0-16

135,085

106,664

136,649

Indies they were not admitted, and few went to France. The principal
markets were within the Baltic fea, as will appear by the following

j4ccount of exports of herrings from Gottenburgb

in the years

To Cork and otlier ports in Ireland
Madeira, and the West-Indies")

(chiefly S'. Eustathius) J

France and the Mediterranean
Different ports iu tlie Baltic not "»

subject to Sweden J

Different ports of Sweden

Totals of barrels measuring 321
gallons*, and containing about >
900 herrings each J

So fuperabundant was the capture of herrings on the Swedifh fliore,
that it exceeded every poflible demand for them ; and they were ob-
liged to boil many millions of them for oil, one barrel of which was
obtained from eighteen barrels of herrings. In the year 1781 they
exported to the Baltic, Holland, and Spain, 14,542 barrels of herring
oil of about 42 gallons each ; and from 1,000 to 1,500 barrels were an-
nually confumcd in the country. But the herring oil is greatly inferior
to whale oil, or even liver oil, and is liable to congeal in cold weather
to a confiftence fomething like honey f .

The herring fifliery of Holland, once fo pre-eminently great and
flourifliing, employed now only 200 bufles of about 26 tuns burthen.

The French for fome few years part had caught fome herrings of an
inditfcrent quality upon their own coalt, part oi: which they dried for
the Mediterranean trade, but the greateft part was fliipped for their
Weft-India fcttlements.

The war was of fome fcrvice to the city of Dantzik in reviving its
commerce. In the courfe of this year 549 veflcls failed from that port,
many of which were employed to great advantage in carrying timber
for the ufe of the Britifli navy ; and 502 arrived, not one of which was
under Dutch colours, though many of them were, probably, Dutch
property.

* So the fizf of tlio banrl is lialcd by the an- t!on, was prohibitfd by an edliS from the ktnjj.

thor ol ihis ; ii'.)rmatioii. Jim f:oi'i a niiiTihev of The oil-maktts rcmonHruttd, ynd were pcririr.'.'.-d

othci ai.thDiiiios t!ic S\\ tdiiii barrels apjxar to to make funic experiments, wh'cli, as tlicy allc^-ed,

toiitalii thirlyjix <;aIloiis. proved, tliat tlie tilhety wa'- iin])n)ved by throwing

f The oil-mukeis iilcd to throw the rcfi;ft of the refiife into the fea. Stront;-,, t!iat it ilioiiUi

the herrings ii:to tlie fea, which pnirtice, being not occur to tlitni, liow v.aluj'uk- fo vaft a quantitv

thoughtprejiidici.il to tl.e filhcry .ind to naviga- of animal fubftance mull be as a manure !

The official value of the imports and exports of Great Britain from
Chriftmas 1781 to Chriftmas 1782 was as follows.

Countries, &:c.
Africa
Canaries

Denmark and Norway
East country
East-India
Flanders
France
Germany
Greenland
Holland
Iceland
Ireland
Mann
Italy
Madeira
Poland
Pioissia
Portugal
Russia

Spain •

Gibraltar
Straits

Sweden »

Turkey
Venice

Guernsey, Sec.
America in general
Hudsons bay
Newfoundland
Quebec
Nova Scotia
New York
Carolina
Georgia
Florida

West Indies in general
Angiiilla
Antigiia
Barbados
Bermu<Ia
Jamaica
Monticrrat
Nevis

New Providence
St. Christophers
St. ('roix
St. Kustathius -
St. Lucia
St. Martins
St. 'I'lioinas
'I'objgo
'J'ortola
Deniararjy
New Orleans
Southern fishery
Prize goodj

Imp. and exp. of Kngland
Imp. and exp. of Scotland

Total, Great Brituin

Import

ed into

Exported trom

ENCL.^ND.

SCOTLAKB.

ESGLAND.

6COTI.ANl>.

^£68,4-5 16

5

j£'35 1,734

18

5

1,341 12

11

73,038 9

2

«^3 1,640 10

7

164,732

2

4

/£34,575 11 A

332,-38 7

2

130,524

7

t

626,319 8

5

1,467,844

10

11

1,083,092 6

5

92,300 4

2

2,069,983

7

1

65,559 8 2

4,783 13

6

8,153

11

2

524,882 14

2

13,636 15

8

1,549,745

11

8

19.-117 17 2

39,536 I

2

1,420 16

0

91

4

0

2,485 12

7

6,522 6
37 10

6
0

90,933

17

4

1,348,510 11

10

149,889 19

4

1,715,839

0

7

201,192 19 IC

15,644 9

6

253 4

0

28,059

12

b

176 19 1

177,608 8

8

498,163

10

4

975 0 t

3,867 7

6

12,695 13
14,803 5

9
10

50,256

13

2

43 11 C
3,325 2 2

280,654 14

6

8,657 13

1

687,324

11

10

2,800 15 1(1

1,185,844 14

4

203,804 14

8

196,577

9

10

11,165 8 8

144,541 12

5

21

2

4,046

19

4

344 3

4

9,451

10

0

163,219 7

11

22,699 12

0

50,083

2

7

7,629 18 C

41,325 10

7

4,243

3

0

53,540 16

4

42,113

4

0

69,684 10

9

7.171 1
110,637 10

1
5

87,809

1

10

1,782 0 "2
73,311 4 0

6,801 18

8

8,188

8

11

68,825 4

10

125,388

16

5

144,291 7

10

496,579

8

3

2,!)43 5

10

7 1 ,505

5

2

7,690 3

2

186,242

4

5

14,182 4

2

69.712

15

8

6,S04 1

10

339

15

0

30,935 13

(,

132,791 18

5

4,707

0

11

231,702 17 K

-18,239 18

C

5,297

/

2

231,019 5

5

131,438

9

2

»76,9<)9 2

5

201,314

13

5

880 15

11

16,649

9

8

1,157.121 0

11

670,669

7

/

47,695 14

9

428

14

lU

47,386 16

9

4,387

2

5

1,034 14

4

248,916 0

4

23,304
850

17
0

8
(

7.637 18

7

258,141 16

11

139,853

6

9

40,58(> 16

)

442

7

5

3,052 10

5

222,632

10

/

•J.tlX) 7

10

1,893

5

10

161,388 1

'2

92,720

12

0

47,013 1

4

4,426 11

U)

14,318

3

1

9-» 5

0

521,007 3

1

663,069

7

9

9,532,6<XJ 19

j^

12,355,750

0

1

8(K(,02l 15

8

S09,O2l 15

8

O.'.3,708

13

10

653,708 13 1(1

l(>,.M 1,028 |-,

4

n.fWfi.i.'s

I.I

1 1

728

A. D. 1782.

There belonged this year to all the ports
of England 6,495 veflels of the reputed burthen of 537,257 tuns;

and of Scotland 1,441 . . _ 78,024

Total

7.936

615,281

There were entered this year in all the ports of Great Britain, from
and to foreign countries, including repeated voyages,

Inward
Outward

Britirtl

VeflVli

4,652

6,973

Tuns.
496,907
625,731

• orcipn

VclFcls.
2,582

2,3M

Tan,.
280,346
225,781

1-

Total.

(Tels.

7.234
9.287

Tuns.

777.253
851,512

The net amount of the cuftoms, including the Well-India four-and-a-
half-per-cent duty, paid into the exchequer in the courfe of the year, was
from the cuflom-houfe in London X^2,8oi,563 o 9

and from the cuftom-houfe in Edinburgh

6o,OGO o o

^ Total ,net revenue of the cuftoms of Great Britain ;^2, 86 1,563 o 9

Tliere were coined at the mint in the courfe of the year
14,940 pounds of gold, value ^^698,074 7 c

and no filver.

Ji-.ND OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

^

ItMVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIimARY

Los Ani;i'U's
Tlii

is hook is l>l L oil (lie tasi ilaii- slaiiiiicd^bvlpM'nr- MDH

, — — — UiSbHMhb&'l'KJJ

AP-R3 127
MAR 819T8

OlSCHARGE-URl

JUL 13 1981

Form L'J-Series 444

^ 0CT30i981

M 0 1 m

II III I I I 1 1 I

3 1158 0026