A. D. 1769 The christenings, and burials within the bills of mortality of London and Westminster for this year, are as follows: 1770 - At Paris, the births amounted to 19,445; deaths, 18,427; marriages, 4,860. The number of foundlings received into the hofpitals there, were 6,426. The troops which were ftationed at Bofton had not produced thofe ends for which they had been fent thither; the colonies ftill continued their former refolution to oppofe British importations. Affociations were publicly formed for this purpofe; they met regularly, as if duly authorised by law; and appointed committees to infpect the cargoes of all veffels arriving from Britain. Severe cenfures were paffed upon all who refused to concur in those affociations ; and their names were published in the newspapers, as enemies to their country. In fome cafes, goods imported from Great Britain were immediately feized as foon as landed; and fecured in warehouses to prevent their fale; in other cafes they were re-shipped and sent back to Great Britain. Nothing, however, had yet been done in England respecting the affairs of the colonies; but a petition being, at this time, prefented by the American merchants, fetting forth the great loffes they had sustained by, and the fatal effects of the late laws, which, for the purpose of raising a revenue in the colonies, had impofed duties upon goods exported from Great Britain; the Ministry of Great Britain thought proper to bring in a bill to repeal fo much of the late act, as related to the imposing a duty on paper, painter's colours and glass; but in order to preserve the dignity of the legislature, and merely to fave the national honour, the duty upon tea was continued. Many strong arguments were produced in favour of repealing the act in toto; among which, it was insisted that the tax would amount to no more than fixteen thousand pounds; that to collect it, the whole eftablishment of cuftom houfes, &c. muft be continued, and that it would: be very naturally confidered in America, as an inlet to other taxes on the fame plan, whenever time and opportunity were more favourable than the prefent, for the British Miniftry to makefuch an attempt:-fubfequent experience too fully proved, that this mode of reasoning was founded in truth. The continuance of the duty upon tea, trifling as it was, excited difcontents in the colonies to a very violent degree, and their objections to it were precifely thofe which had been offered by the oppofition in Parliament; that it would be made a precedent,. upon which others of the fame nature, might in future be demanded. March 26.-At a general court of the Eaft India Company, at their house in Leadenhallftreet, the following queftion was determined by ballot: "That the dividend on the capital ftock of this company, for the half year, commencing at Christmas laft, and ending at Midfummer next, be at fix per cent." For the queftion, 139— -Against it, r.. The following order of the House of Commons appeared on the 27th of April, in the London Gazette. "Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do forthwith give notice, that the fum of 1,500,000l. capital flock of annuities, after the rate of 31. 10s. per cent. eftablished by an act made in the 29th: year. A. D. 1770 year of the reign of his late Majesty King George II. intituled, An act for granting to his Majefty the fum of 2,000,000, to be raised by way of annuities and a lottery, and charged upon the finking fund, redeemable by Parliament, and for extending to Ireland the laws made in this kingdom against private and unlawful lotteries,—will be redeemed and paid off on the 12th day of February next, after difcharging the intereft then payable in refpect of the fame, agreeable to the claufes and powers of redemption contained in the said act. Which order, thus fignified and published by me, is to be fufficient notice of the repayment of 1,500,000l. for which the faid annuities were established, and of the redemption of the annuities as are attending the fame. FLETCHER NORTON, Speaker. The following eftimate was this year published in France, of the produce of that part of the ifland of Hifpaniola, in the poffeffion of the French, and generally known by the name of St. Domingo. Sugar, two-thirds brown, 160,000 hogfheads, ten hundred weight each, at 151. fterling per hogshead, Coffee, 5,000,000 pounds, at 4d. per pound, Cotton, 8,000 bags, 300 pounds weight each, at 151. per bag, Indigo, 2,000,000 pounds weight, at 3s. per pound, Total, In the course of this year 3,890 fhips were cleared from Newcastle, of which 3,520 were coaftwife, and 370 for foreign countries. The grofs produce of the duty on hops for one year, ending the 5th of January, 1771. A. B. 1770 The following bills, relating to trade and commerce, received the royal affent in the courfe of this year: To continue an act for allowing the free exportation of tallow, hog's lard, and grease, for a further limited time. For better regulating the navigation of the river Trent, from Wilden Ferry, in the county of Derby, to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. For allowing the exportation of malt for a limited time. For repealing part of an act, for granting certain duties in the British colonies in America. To amend an act to make a navigable cut, or canal, from the Trent, at or near Wilden Ferry, in Derbyfhire, to the river Merfey, &c. To continue the terms and powers granted, for keeping in repair the harbour of Minehead in Somersetshire. To continue the duties granted for repairing the harbour and quay of Watchett, in the said 'county. To continue an act for encouraging the making of indigo in the British Plantations in America. To appropriate a fund for granting to his Majefty additional duties on certain foreign linens imported, and for establishing a fund for encouraging the raifing and dreffing hemp and flax. To continue an act for granting a bounty on British and Irish linens exported. VOL. IV. S For de premidle a broad on a fugged, dar am der or the previa an sti e fenera comes of Car 2/rain ..se of pure and manera aag, or vic se, vies of the peace for ses sung a Great Ent. L are remind her pare Jon verder besten ser se ata o diretam so se mate wear of the press ***, ***, sandey, da, and seanu foule mara ma ket-towns w He re petre conors, * Soy ftus 1. be proper, not sering en nan tas, for more am in, and to angone a proper garfon to lend the fame to a pe lon to be appoland to race them, and in cate fich perlon fan te, acgjeét alasury, sesome Measate of performing any ruhces đến ng for the county, may appo, se acender to the near quarter feffor, at wala the juices maya, mená em faci appointment, or on le ar sier. ** By** púê, the mea.-wigher of the any of London are to take an account of the prices at 1..e markers, within the land sing, and return the average weekly to the perisa appointed to reOn 19 the lame. "I he jyfices for each county fhall cante allo a fandard Wincheffer buffel of eight gallons to be kept at every market town, from whence fich returns fhall be made, and fach returns thall be the average prices by the cañomary meature of each refpective market; and allo by that “By nhí đê, the Lord High Trafarer is empowered to appoint a És perion to receive the returns at the I realory, and to enter them fairly in a book kept for that purpose, and all exports and imports of grain from and into Great Britain, with the bounties paid and received turreon, to be tranfinitted annually to the fame perfon, and registered in proper books by the perfon appointed to receive the returns of the prices from the feveral counties. It was enaûted to continus in force for feven years.” To explain and amend feveral acts, for providing a public reward for difcovering the longitado at fea. A bill to prevent delays of juftice, by reafon of privilege of Parliament. I hough this bill appears, at the firft view, to be a mere practical alteration in law procefs, a little further examination will difcover it, in its confequences, to operate very powerfully as a commercial advantage, and on that account we fhall give a fhort abftract of it. "It is thereby enacted, that from the 24th of June in this year, any perfon may, at any time, commence or profecute any action or fuit, in any court of record, or court of admiralty, and in all caufes matrimonial and teftamentary, against any Peer or Lord of Parliament of Great Britain, or against any of the knights, citizens and burgeffes, and the commiffioners for thires and burghs of the Houfe of Commons of Great Britain, or against their menial or other fervants, or any other perfon entitled to the privilege of the Parliament of Great Britain; and no fuch action, fuit, or any other procefs or proceeding thereupon, fhall at any time be impeached, ftayed, or delayed, by or under colour or pretence of any privilege of Parliament. "It is neverthelefs provided, that nothing in this act fhall extend to fubject the perfon of any Lord or Member of Parliament to be arrested or imprifoned upon any fuch fuit or proceeding: by this act, however, obedience may be enforced to any rule of his Majesty's courts, against any perfon entitled to privilege of Parliament, by diftrefs infinite; and the iffues arifing from fuch diftrefs may be fold, from time to time, for the payment of the plaintiff's cofts, &c." A bill for the better regulating perfons employed in the fervice of the Eaft India Company. For A. D. 1770 For compleating the navigation of the river Swale, from its junction with the Ure to Merton bridge, in Yorkshire. For making a navigable canal from Leeds to the fea bank, near the North Ladies Walk, by Liverpool. For extending the like liberty to the exportation of rice from Eaft and Weft Florida, to the fouthward of Cape Finisterre, in Europe, as is granted to Carolina and Georgia. To continue an act for allowing the free importation of falted provifions from Ireland, and from the American colonies, for a further limited time. SUPPLIES granted by Parliament for the year 1770. For 17,666 land forces, &c. For maintaining garrifons in the Plantations, Gibraltar, &c. For the difference of pay between the British and Irish establishment of five battalions, &c. For the pay of the general and staff officers, &c. For defraying the charge of full pay for one year, for certain reduced officers, For the penfions payable to widows of certain reduced officers, On account of the reduced officers of his Majefty's land forces and marines for the year 1770, For allowances to certain officers and gentlemen of the two reduced troops of horse guards, &c. For the charge of the office of ordnance for the land fervice For defraying the expence of fervice performed by the office of ordnance for land fervice, not provided for by Parliament in 1769 s. d. £. 624,992 O 2 383,248 1 11 For 16,000 feamen, &c. For the ordinary of the navy, 406,380 13 11 Towards building, repairing, &c. of ships, &c. - 283,687 o o Towards the extraordinaries of his Majefty's land forces, &c. not pro To the African Company, for maintaining forts, &c. on the coast of Towards affifting the inhabitants of Barbadoes in defraying the expence To make good to his Majefty the like fum which has been iffued, in pursuance of addreffes of the House of Commons, S 2 112,423 4 7 4,800 0 4,750 3,086 O 4,239 O 5 1,885 4 5,550 1,800,000 13,000 0 O 5,000 o o 13,100 0 0 |