min waiting at the door who could give the neceflary information relative to the propriey of the propofed bill.

Mr. Oliver Nugent, a merchant in Dominique, was accordingly called in and examired at the bar. The moft material part of ha evidence was, that the fugar islands in general, particularly the ceded islands, were in great want of money; that he knew of may applications for that purpofe; that he helf, he was forry to inform the Houfe, wa one of that number; that, without fome immediate aid of that kind, the improvenets that have been made in those islands t be loft, and the planters confequently ned, which must be a very great injury to the nation; that money might be easily procured at a very low intereft, both in Holland and Genoa, if the prefent bill fhould pafs; that the prefent rate of intereft in thofe plas t was from two to three per cent. while it was at least eight in the islands, and not to be procured on any terms; that the fum wanted would not in the whole exceed one million and a half he believed, nor would fuch a loan affect the stocks but in a temporry manner, nor would it lower their price, computing on the largeft fcale, above one and a half per cent. that the greatest part of he money to be borrowed would be procured in fmall fums, paid in by fubfcribers at perhaps 100l. or fo, to the different houses in Helland, and again lent out to the WeftIndia planters on a collateral fecurity of fome eminent merchant in London; that the Dutch, and other foreigners, when legally fecured, would be very well pleafed to have five per cent. for their money; that he knew of money being already procured in the fame manner by the planters in the island of St. Croix, and that the falutary effects aising therefrom were too notorious to require any proof; that the produce of the Weft-India iflands in general were evidently on the decreafe; for, by a paper which he had in his hand, it appeared by the Cuftomhoufe entries, that in fome preceding years the quantity of fugars imported annually has been from 100,000 hogfheads to 104,000, whereas in the last years it had come down to 93000 hogheads; that the great fcarcity of money, and difficulty in procuring it, might, he believed, be in a great meafure imputed to the late failures, and the very great fhocks which credit in general had fattained; that there could be no danger that foreigners would, by lending money in the manner now propofed, get the confignments from the West Indies into their hands, becaufe no perfon would be found to Join in a collateral fecurity, without having

the confignments both in regard of indemnity and emolument, &c.

(Mr. Nugent was ordered to withdraw.) Mr. Pultney.- -Sir, there are feveral other Gentlemen ready to attend; but, as their teftimony is the fame as what you have already heard, I will not trouble the House with any farther evidence. The intention of this bill is to procure money for the cultivation of the fugar lands at an easier rate than it can be obtained at prefent. Foreigners have hitherto been reftrained from lending money on account of the difficulty in recovering it. One of the objects of this bill, Sir, is to remove that difficulty, and enable them to advance their cash with fafety. They may now, indeed, bring actions at law, while the two nations are in amity. with each other; but, in cafe of a war, no actions of foreigners against the subject will ho'd good: Neither, Sir, can foreigners hold land here; and this is not peculiar to us, but in common in every other country. Now Sir, it is not meant to intrude on the ancient law of the land, but to fecure them by mortgage.— We have another kind of fecurity amongst us by bond in judgment; but this method is very difagreeable to the borrower, while that of mortgage is the moft convenient to both borrower and lender. In mortgages we have two methods of recovering, one by foreclosure, and the other by application to Chancery, for leave to fell the eftates and pay themfelves. This latter method I propofe foreigners should have under proper restrictions. Some objections have indeed been made, but they are very trifling. The most material are thefe, that it will reduce the price of fugars, and hurt the old planters. This, Sir, is very improbable; and, even if it was founded upon fact, not fufficient to destroy the bill. America, Sir, takes great quantities of fugar, and it is a growing country; befides, Ruffia imports large quantities, and are increasing in their demands every year. -The next objection is, that it will affect our flocks, by making foreigners, who hold large fums in them, fell out. This, Sir, is not probable.. You have already heard, the rate of intereft in Holland is from two to three per cent. on mortgages. In our funds they receive three and a half; and it is not likely they will leave their money at home at two per cent. and difpofe of that at a greater interelt! Befides, Sir, the mode of railing money in Holland will be by fubfcription. Some large houfe will open, and the leffer merchants will fubfcribe 100l. or 1000 gilders, for which bonds will be given; and thefe will be negociated like our India bonds. The

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next objection, Sir, is, that it will encourage the intereft to be spent out of the kingdom; —endoubtedly it wil; and is it not fo at prekent? Another objection is, Sir, that as collateral fecurity is required, the large houfes will engrois all the bufinefs of commiffions. They will certainly have more, and they always had; therefore no confiderable difference will be made by this bill.The Jaft objection is, that it will encourage finuggling, as the borrower, being at the mercy of the lender, will be obliged to take in contraband goods belonging to the Dutch, and carry them to the Weft-Indies. This, Sir, is very easily answered. In the first place, Sir, the planter will fcarcely borrow 15 or 20,000l. to pay back in a year. The way I imagine it will be is for ten years certain at leaft, and during that time the borrower is as independent of the lender as if he did not owe him one farthing. Therefore, you fee, Sir, this objection is of no confequence at all; for, at the expiration of ten or fifteen years, the planter may pay off the mortgage. Thele, Sir, are the feveral objections which have been urged against the bill; and which, I think, I have andwered to the fatisfaction of the Committee. I had the honour of making this motion two years paft, and it was left by a mall majority. Since the great injury credit has of late received, I conceive this bill to be doubly necellary, as the present farcity of cash prevents the planters from proceeding; and, if they are not enabled to go on, the confequences will be very fatal to them and the mother-country. It was my intention to have made this motion, even if this confusion had not happened; and I hope the Committee are fauifhed of the propriety and expediency of it. I therefore move, Sir, that it is the opinion of this Committee, that a bill to encourage foreigners to lend money on the eftates of British fubjects in the Weft-Indies, and to enable them to recover, by application to the Court of Chancery, under proper reftitions, their property, would be highly beneficial to this country, and contribute to encourage and extend the cultivation of lands in the fugar islands.

Mr. Dowdeswell.-Sir, I rife up to fecond the motion of my honourable friend. He has entered fo minutely into it, and anfwered the feveral objections fo particularly, that I have nothing farther to fay at prefent. The utility of this bill is very plain. It is, Sir, to fupply a body of people with money at an eater rate than it can be had at present; and it is founded on the true princi⚫s of commerce. I fhall therefore content

with merely feconding it, fince my

honcurable friend has fo ably and fully ftated it; referving what may be further faid, fhould any other objections be made. The motion was agreed to without oppofition.

On Monday January 25, after the feveral orders of the day were read, reported, and gone through, Mr. Mackworth moved for leave to bring in a petition from a set of Gentlemen to incorporate themselves into a body for the carrying on the manufature of plateglafs, which was agreed to in general, though the mode was objected to; Mr. Cowper and Mr. T. Townshend having feverally remarked, that there was a ftanding order of the House of last year, whereby it was directed, that in all matters of this nature the facts should be laid before a Committee appointed for that purpofe, previous to their being stated to the Houfe.

Mr. Mackworth readily acquiefced to this, and begged the indulgence of the Houle for a few minutes, in order to acquaint it with the refons on which the prefent petition was founded. He faid, that to the mode in which this manufacture had been conducted for a number of years there were many folid objections; that, from those, he fhould now felect but two, omitting the reminder for the future progrefs of the propofed bill; namely, the very advanced price of plate-glafs, by which the purchafers were confiderably injured, and the great quantities of glafs of certain dimenfions, which were obliged to be imported from foreign parts, particularly from France. That fome of thefe were fold for the extravagant fum of four or five hundred pounds per plate. That the monopoly in the first instance, and the large fums loft to the nation, were matters of very ferious public confideration, both in point of national improvement and revenue. That a matter of fo much impertance, howsoever defirable it might be, was nevertheless attended with great difficulties in the execution, without the prayer of the petition were granted; for, as large fums would be required to be expended in the courfe of the undertaking, fo it was but reasonable that the fubfcribers fhould be fecured in fuch a manner, as to avoid any involuntary rifque more than the amount of their fubfcriptions; the contrary of which was known to be the cafe in many late inftances. That, befices this, it would be neceflary to impower t promoters of this defign with a liberty to make fuch bye-laws as might be requilite { » carry on their bufinefs on a rational, orderly, and equitable footing. That the idea of tl: intended bill was taken up ftrictly conformable to thefe two points; that is to fay, an

induced him to engage in the prefent task; and he is perfectly well qualified to execute it. The fpecimen before us of his undertaking will be allowed to be exceedingly curious. The firft number throws great light on jefts, tournaments, and chivalry. The fecond includes the life of Sir Thomas Wyat the elder, and feveral interefting papers that have relation to him. It is with real pleasure, that we pay the tribute of approbation to the tafte, the industry, and the beautiful talents of this lively, acute, and delicate writer, and moft intelligent antiquary.

The Anchoret: A Moral Tale, in a Series of Letters. 3 Vols. 12mo. 75. 6d. New. berry.

There is little in thefe volumes that can entertain or inftruct. Their author has no genius, a fmall degree of knowledge, and a heart nowife capable of delicate fenfations.

Epigrams of Martial, &c. with Motto's from Horace, &c. tranflated, imitated, adapted, and addressed to the Nobility, Clergy, and Gentry. With Notes Moral, Hiftorical, Explanatory, and Humorous. 12mo. 35. 6d. fewed. Wilkie.

We fhould pity thofe readers who can find a pleasure in perufing this performance. It is deftitute of every kind of merit.

Youth, a Poem. By Hall Hartfon, Esq. 4to. 25. Griffin.

This author has talents for defcription; and, if he does not rife to the highest poetical merit, it must yet be acknowledged, that he approaches to it.

Redemption: A Poem. By Henry Brooke, Efq. 4to. 15. 6d. White.

with harmony and the most claffical purity of design and expression.

Poems, by the Earl of Carlisle. 4to. is. Riley.

These pieces are in imitation of the manner and merit of the late Mr. Gray. They are expreffive of genius, and difplay the fpirit of poetry; but copy, at a great distance, the fire, the imaginary, the variety, and the enthusiasm of the bard their author would refemble.

Confcience; an Ethical Effay. By the Rev. J. Brand. 410. 15. Becket.

This author difplays fome acquaintance with morals, and is a friend to virtue; but he is by no means a favourite of the mufes.

The origin of the Veil; a Poem. By Dr. Langhorne. 4to. 15. Becket.

The obfcurity of this poem detracts from its merit. The ftory wants intereft, and the piece is planned without accuracy. The poet promiles a great deal, and performs little.

A poetical Epifle, to Chriftopher Anftey, Efq; on the English Poets, chiefly thoje who have written in blank Verfe. 410. IS. Wilkie.

In this epiftle, we are entertained with candid and juft criticism, delivered in a ftrain of very claffical poetry.

An Introduction to the Study of the Hiftory and Antiquities of Ireland: in which the Allertions of Mr. Hume and other Writers are accurately confidered. Illufirated with Copper-plates. Also two Appendixes: Containing 1. Animadverfions on an Introduction to the Hiftory of Great Britain and Ireland, by J Macpherfon, Efq. 2. Obfervations on the Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland, by Sir John Dalrymple. By Sylvefter O'Halloran. 4to. 12s. on Boards. Murray.

This work will be acceptable to thofe who have a tafte for inquiries into history and antiquities. The fubject is important; and the materials, furnished by the author, are certainly ufeful and inftructive. His opinions are fometimes fingular; but this ought to be no objection again them, if they are well fupported. He has oppofel

the