A. D. 1764 For charging on the finking fund certain annuities, and for confolidating fuch of the faid annuities as are granted for a certain term of years irredeemable. For granting, for a limited time, liberty to carry rice from his Majesty's provinces of South Carolina and Georgia, to other parts of America, on paying British duties. For raising money by loans or Exchequer bills. For preventing frauds committed by bankrupts, &c. For preventing inconveniencies arifing in cases of merchants, and fuch other persons as are within the ftatutes of bankrupts, being entitled to privilege of Parliament, and becoming infolvent. To encourage the cambrick manufacture in England. For exporting falt from Europe to Quebec, for a limited time. For granting a bounty on the importation of hemp, and rough and undressed flax, from his Majefty's colonies in America. For enabling his Majefty, with the advice of his privy council, to order the free importation of provifions from Ireland during the next recefs of Parliament, or as the neceffity of the time may require. For continuing feveral acts of Parliament, made for the encouragement of the whale fishery carried on by his Majesty's fubjects, particularly that on the coast of America. For establishing an agreement with the governor and company of the Bank of England, for raifing certain fums of money for the fervice of the year 1764. For preventing fuch paper bills of credit, as may hereafter be issued within any of his Majesty's colonies or plantations in America, from being made legal tender in payment of money. As we gave, in the preceding year, an abstract of the act for laying duties on cyder, &c. we think it neceffary to ftate, rather at large, the act which passed this feffion for explaining and amending it. "It is thereby enacted, that from and after the fifth day of July 1764, the time limited by the former act for payment of the duties, fhall be extended to fix months. "In lieu of the former compofition, officers of excife are authorised to compound with private families, at the rate of two fhillings per head, per annum, for each person of eight years old and upwards, in the lifts delivered in to them, which composition shall be renewed annually; and in cafe of an increase in the family during the year, an additional lift shall be given in, and two-pence per month paid for every person added during the subfifting unexpired term of such year. The compofitions shall be applied as the duties: other parts of the former act relating to compofitions, fhall continue in force. "Makers of cyder at other presses than their own, not being compounders, shall enter their names at the next office of excife, ten days previous to fuch making; together with the mills and owners thereof, and the cellars or ftorehouses for keeping fuch cyder, under a penalty for their using any unentered mill, ftorehouse, &c. twenty-five pounds. Officers of excife shall have free access to the faid mills, ftorehouses, &c. in the day time, to gauge the cyder, &c. and to make and report the charge, leaving a copy with the maker; who fhall pay the duty according to fuch charge. "Proprietors of cyder mills, &c. fo lent out, fhall not be obliged to give notice thereof. "Where the compounder intends to fell or difpofe of cyder, &c immediately from the mill, the officer fhall deliver to him blank certificates and counterparts for the purpose, to be filled up occafionally, which shall protect the removal of fuch cyder. The counterpart shall be A. D. 1764 filled up and figned at the fame time with the certificates, and fhall be returned to the officer, and a receipt shall be given him for the certificates. The certificates and counterparts not used, shall be produced when called for. The quantities fold and certified for, shall be verified on oath. Returns of the quantities difpofed of, as aforefaid, shall be made by the officers of excife to the commiffioners of excife, and the duties charged from the counterparts; a copy of which returns fhall be left with the maker, who fhall pay the duty accordingly within the fix months from thence. A maker of cyder or perry not complying with thefe regulations, or being guilty of any fraud, thall forfeit twenty-five pounds. Certificates for the removal of cyder from the mill, shall be in force but between the first of September and thirteenth of December, yearly. Blank certificates and counterparts fhall be delivered up within ten days after, on penalty of twenty-five pounds. "The penalty of obstructing an officer in his duty, shall be fifty pounds. If any officer of excise fhall refufe, or wilfully neglect to leave a true copy of his report in writing, or to grant a certificate for the removal of any cyder or perry, upon reasonable request made for that purpose, or if any maker of cyder or perry, authorised to compound, fhall offer to make fuch compofition, and if any fuch officer shall refuse or wilfully neglect to accept such compofition, he shall for each refusal or neglect, forfeit and pay the fum of forty fhillings.” By the act relating to the British colonies, a duty of one pound two fhillings is laid on foreign clayed fugars, instead of five fhillings and fix-pence; a duty of fix-pence a pound on indigo, instead of two-pence; coffee two pounds nineteen fhillings and nine-pence per hundred weight; Madeira wine feven pounds per ton; Port and Spanish wines ten fhillings per ton; wrought filks, &c. and ftuffs mixed with filks, &c. two fhillings a piece; callicoes two fhillings and fix-pence a piece; cambrics three fhillings; French lawns three fhillings; coffee and pimento of the growth of the British colonies, coffee feven fhillings per hundred weight, pimento two-pence a pound; foreign melaffes and fyrups three-pence a gallon, inftead of fixpence, which was feldom paid. These duties are all to be paid into the Exchequer, and reserved for defraying the charges of protecting the British colonies in America. The act for preventing frauds and abuses in relation to the fending and receiving letters an packets free from the duty of postage, certainly merits a general recital. To raise this branc!. of the public revenue, by correcting its abuses, and bringing back the privilege of franking letters to its original defign, was the object of this excellent law. It appeared, on the examination of witneffes in the committee of the Houfe of Commons, that the poftage of franked letters amounted, one year with another, to 170,000l. And, among the various abuses of it, proof was given that franks were publicly fold at several of the coffeehouses in London. The preamble is as follows: "Whereas, under colour of the privilege of sending and receiving poft letters by members of Parliament, free from the duty of postage, many great and notorious frauds have been, and ftill are frequently practifed, as well in derogation of the honour of Parliament, as to the detriment of the public revenue; divers perfons having prefumed to counterfeit the hand, and otherwise fraudulently to make ufe of the names of members of Parliament, upon letters and packets to be fent by the poft, in order to avoid the payment of the duty of poftage: and whereas the allowance of fending and receiving letters and packets free from the duty of poftage, heretofore granted to, or customarily exercised by certain perfons, not being members of Parliament, in refpect of their offices, has not been fufficiently confined to fuch letters and packets only as relate to the business of their respective offices; and may, therefore, if contiG 2 nued, A. D. 1764 nued, without restrictions and limitations, be liable to great abufe: in order, therefore, to put the more effectual ftop to thefe and the like frauds and abuses, and, at the fame time, to afcertain, for the better guidance and direction of his Majefty's poftmafter-general, and the officers to be employed under him, in the performance of their duty, by what perfons only, and what regulations or reftrictions, the privilege or allowance of fending and receiving letters and packets free from the duty of postage, fhall thenceforth be exercised and enjoyed, &c." The principal clause of this act, which contains a variety of subordinate resolutions, enacted, "That no letters or packets fhall be exempted from postage but such as shall be sent from or to the King; and fuch, not exceeding two ounces in weight, as fhall be figned on the outside by a member of either house, and the whole of the fuperfcription to be of such member's writing, or directed to a member at his ufual refidence, or place where he shall then be, or at the houfe, &c. of Parliament. "Printed votes and proceedings in Parliament, and newspapers fent without covers, or in covers open at the ends, and figned on the outfide by a member, or directed to a member, according to notice given by him to the poftmafter-general.” These two claufes were properly inferted, that this act might not operate to the laying any restraint on fuch a profitable branch of revenue as the public newspapers, which it would otherwife have done. "Any perfon forging the fuperfcription of any letter or packet, &c. is adjudged guilty of felony; and the punishment of fuch offence, transportation for seven years.' It is fcarce neceffary to add, that a very confiderable and immediate addition was made by this falutary law to the public revenue. A debt contracted on account of the war ftill remained to be fatisfied. This the ministry. proposed to discharge to the amount of 2,000,000l. but at this moment there were 1,800,000l. in Exchequer bills, which were at fuch a difcount, as to have no fmall effect on the ftate of public credit. The Bank contract, however, being at this time in a ftate of renewal, the Treasury availed itfelf very prudently of fuch a favourable conjuncture, and ftipulated that this body should take a million of these bills for two years, at an intereft reduced by one-fourth; and, at the fame time, fhould pay a fine on their renewal, of 100,000l. This was reprefented, at the time, and we believe with great truth, as the most beneficial contract ever made with a corporation, whose vaft money trade is carried on upon the credit of government. For the remaining part of the Exchequer bills, new ones were ftruck. Government brought forward to the national fervice 700,000l. the produce of the French prizes taken before the declaration of war, and which the King had graciously beftowed upon the public. The faving of the non-effective was also at laft brought to account, to the amount of 140,000!. With thefe resources, aided by the land-tax, which feemed now to be fettled at four fhillings in the pound, with the malt tax, and two millions, being the overplus of the finking fund, and fome other particular favings, the before-mentioned debt of two millions was paid off, and an adequate provifion made for the fervice of the enfuing year, in all its establishments and contingencies, the whole amounting to between feven and eight millions. The employment of the overplus of the finking fund was justified by the public exigency,— by former precedents,—but principally on the credit of its being augmented by near 400,000l. A. D. 1764 in the fingle article of tea, from the wife measures which had been taken to prevent smuggling, and to enforce a ftrict and vigilant collection of the revenue. Upon the whole, this fcheme of ways and means, though it was very violently attacked by the party writers of the day, must be allowed to poffefs no inconfiderable merit. It was not attended by loan, taxes, or lottery; and if any little leaven of minifterial artifice is to be found in the bufinefs, the fituation of the country, and the temper of the public, may be offered in juftification of it. The fupplies granted by Parliament for the fervice of this year. December 5. Granted to his Majefty for the marriage portion of her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, For 16,000 feamen, including 4,287 marines, For land forces, including 2,739 invalids, amounting to 17,532 effective men; and for guards, garrisons, &c. For maintaining his Majefty's forces and garrifons in the Plantations, at Minorca, Gibraltar, &c. For the general and general staff officers in Great Britain, Upon account for the reduced officers of his Majefty's land forces and marines, Upon account of reduced officers difbanded in 1763, and to be difbanded in 1764, For allowances to feveral officers, &c. of the two troops of horse guards and regiment of horfe reduced, &c. &c. To defray the fubfidies due to the Duke of Brunswick, pursuant to treaties, For the ordinary of the navy, including half pay, &c. For carrying on the building of four houfes for the officers of the hofpital at Plymouth, On account of Greenwich Hofpital, For the charge of the office of ordnance, For fervices performed by the faid office, not provided for by Parlialiament in 1763, To the building and repairs of his Majefty's fhips, To enable his Majefty to fatisfy certain navy and victualling bills, To the commiffioners for paving the streets of Westminster, &c. For difcharging the Exchequer bills made out by virtue of an act passed last seffion, entitled, “ An A&t for raising a certain Sum of Money by Loans or Exchequer Bills for 1763, and for further appropriating," &c. and charged upon the first aids or fupplies to be granted in this feffion, 66 To replace to the finking fund the fum iffued thereout, for the half year's payment due September 29th, 1763, on the annuities after the rate of 41. per cent. per ann. granted in refpect of certain navy, victualling, Carried over, £• S. d. 80,000 o 832,000 0 617,704 17 107 372,774 6 4 11,322 7 3 30,188 18 125,455 13 0 2,605 15 0 43,901 3 73 398,568 11 9 3,000 10,000 173,080 8 6 52,359 8 I 200,000 O 179,229 6 6 1,800,000 o o 4,944,190 16 0% A. D. 1764 Brought over, and transport bills, &c. delivered in and cancelled, pursuant to an act To replace to the finking fund the fum paid out of the fame, to make - To make good to his Majefty certain fums, which have been advanced by his Majefty's orders, in pursuance of the addreffes of this Houfe, For the extraordinary expences of his Majesty's land forces, and other fervices, &c. not provided for by Parliament, Ditto, Ditto, On account of out-penfioners of Chelsea Hospital, To make good a deficiency in the fum voted last feffion, upon account of out-penfioners of Chelsea Hospital for 1763, For paying penfions to certain widows of reduced officers of land forces and marines, &c. Upon account, for the civil establishment of Nova Scotia, £. s. d. 4,944,190 16 0 69,671 1 2 41,223 1 6 36,699 15 4 7,350 0.0 823,876 12 2 102,459 193 61,088 4 O 103,794 2 18,331 17 11 1,696 0 O 5.703 14 11 4,031 8 8 5,700 0 O 5,700 0 Upon account, for the charges of the civil establishment of Georgia, &c. To be applied towards encouraging and enabling John Blake, Efq. To make good the deficiency of the grants for the service of 1763, To enable the commiffioners appointed by an act of the second year of For the cloathing of the militia, |