43 to 12*. The minority lords on this occafion likewife entered a very strong proteft †, in which they affigned, among other reasons for their diffent from the bill, that after the profcription of the port of Bofton, the disfranchisement of the colony of Maffachusett's-bay, and the variety of provifions which have been made in the feffion for new-modelling the whole polity and judicature there, this bill is an humiliating confeffion of the weakness and inefficacy of all the proceedings of parliament, by supposing that it may be impracticable, by any means which the public wisdom could devife, to obtain a fair trial there for any who act under government. By the bill therefore it is virtually acknowledged, that the British government is univerfally odious to the whole province; and that it is, or may become, hateful to all the Colonies: which is to publish to all the world, in terms the most emphatical, the little confidence the fupreme legislature reposes in the affections of fo large and fo important a part of the British empire. The bill therefore amounts to a declaration, that the two houses of parliament know no means of retaining the Colonies in due obedience, but by an army rendered independent of the ordinary courfe of law, in the place where they are employed. They likewife diffent, because they think that a military force fufficient for governing upon this plan, cannot be maintained without the inevitable ruin of the nation and lastly, because the bill feems to be one of the many experiments towards an introduction of effential innovations into the government of the empire. On the day that this bill paffed the house of Lords, the firft lord of the treasury entered on the annual business of * May 18, 1774. The protesting lords were Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Ponsonby, Rockingham, Portland, Craven, Leinster, Manchester, finance in the lower houfe. Twenty thousand feamen had been voted for the year 1774, including four thousand three hundred and fifty-four marines, the expence of which was ftated to be 1,040,000l. The ordinary of the navy, and building, rebuilding, and repairing fhips, amounted together to 864,9171. A navy-debt of 200,000l. was alfo dif charged. The land forces for Great-Britain, Guernsey and Jerfey, amounted to eighteen thousand and twenty-four effective men, including one thousand five hundred and twenty-two invalids; the expence of which was rated at 638,6301. The whole amount of military establishments in Africa, North America, and Europe, the out-penfioners in Chelsea-Hofpital, penfions to officers widows, ordnance and ordnance-debt, including the above fum, was 1,532,8141. The extraordinaries of the army amounted to 288,0301. A million of 3 per cent. annuities was discharged and annihilated, at 88 per cent. no one person to subscribe to a larger fum than 50001. ftock*. For calling in and recoining the deficient gold' 250,000l. The miscellaneous fervice was stated at 60,251 1. t A million of Exchequer bills was paid off. *The fame ftocks were felected on this occafion as in the year 1772, when a million and half was paid off, (fce page 74) viz. annuities confolidated by act of parliament of the 25th, 28th, 29th, 32d and 33d. years of George II. and feveral fubfequent acts, payable and tranferable at the Bank. Alfo annuities confolidated by acts of the 25th of George II. and the 5th of George III. called reduced annuities, payable at the fame place. Likewise old and new South-Sea annuities. The price which the stock negotiable at the Bank bore in May 1774, was 861, that at the South-Sea Houfe 842, the difproportion varying only a quarter per cent, from what it was two years before; during which time stocks had fallen more than 2 per cent. The douceur of fix lottery tickets was worth 31. Thefe terms were better to the fubfcribers by one per cent. than the former. The particulars of which were as follows, viz. New roads and bridges in the Highlands of Scotland £ 6998 Το off. The whole amount of the fupplies was given in at 6,159,6611. The ways and means for providing this fum were as follow. The land-tax and malt-duties ftood as in former years, the amount of both of which was rated at 2,250,000l. The balance from the finking-fund on the 5th of January 1774, after it had yielded the fum charged thereon last year, was 113,190 1. The quarterly produce of the finking-fund, ending the 5th of April, 1774, amounted to 619,3031. One million two hundred and fifty thousand pounds was raised by Exchequer bills. A lottery, confifting of fixty thousand tickets, was diftributed among the holders of the million of ftock paid off, in the proportion of fix tickets for every 100l. ftock, to be paid for at the rate of 121. 10s. each ticket. Six hundred thousand pounds was diftributed in prizes, the full amount of which was to be paid in money on the first of March 1775, The fum of 150,000l. was gained by the lottery, which does not appear to be brought in aid of the supply. The produce of the finking-fund was anticipated 2,080,6961*. To the Truftees of the British Museum 2000 2085 Civil Establishments in Africa, and in Nova Scotia, Georgia,} 23,568 Eaft and West Florida To David Hartley, Efq; towards defraying the charge of his experiments to afcertain the practicability and utility of preferving buildings and fhips from fire For maintaining and fupporting the British forts and fettlements on the coaft of Africa } To make in purfu-} ance of addreffes of the houfe of Commons Befides which, the intereft of annuities created in 1758, for the payment of which no fund was established by par- 2500 13,000 10,100 £ 60,251 43,645 * Which was 269,110l. lefs than the preceding year; a fum fomething more than equivalent to the increase of Exchequer bills. Fifteen. Fifteen thousand pounds was voted of the money receivable in the current year, on the duties and revenues directed by parliament to be reserved for defraying the neceffary expences of defending, protecting, and fecuring the British Colonies and Plantations in America; for making good fuch part of the fupplies as had been granted to his majesty for maintaining forces and garrifons in the plantations, and for provifion for the forces in North America, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the Ceded Islands for the year 1774. The overplus of grants for the fervice of the year 1773, being 126,981 1. was applied to the prefent fupply*. The fum of 90,9361. was produced by certain duties, favings, and monies not applied, which were repaid into the Exchequer. The ways and means were stated to amount to 6,546,1081. and to exceed the fupplies by 386,447 1. Towards the close of the feffion, the house of Commons took into confideration the ftate of the gold coin. Some regulations refpecting which had been made in the preceding feffion, and by a royal proclamation which had been iffued for that purpose. Evidence was given at the bar by fome of the officers of the Mint, and a gentleman from the Bank, which went to prove the vast quantities of gold coin which had been diminished, and many refolutions were agreed to by the house. The deficient coin was called in, without any lofs being fuftained by the holders, and a recoinage took place. The whole amount of the gold coin brought into the Mint, in confequence of the various regulations made in the years 1773 and 1774, amounted to upwards of twenty-three millions. We are told by a celebrated calculator, that in February 1772, four and a half per cent. might be got by melting heavy guineas; gold * The excefs had been computed at 559,1491. in coin not being permitted to be exported to any large amount, whilft bullion was under no prohibition. What encouraged this kind of traffic was, that the balance of trade had been generally against us ever fince the conclufion of the last war, arifing from the increase of luxury and the national debt; for by the latter, large fums were annually fent out of the kingdom in payment of intereft. The fame writer gives it as his opinion, that enough had been done to restore the gold coin by the first coin act, and that all which was afterwards done, has been nothing but a preparation of the coin for melters and exporters. A bill had paffed the house of Lords with little notice, and but weak oppofition*, for the purpose of "making more effectual provifion for the government of the province of Quebec, in North America," and was brought to the commons on the 18th of May. On the second reading it was very strongly opposed. By his majesty's proclamation, dated 7th of October 1763, the countries, territories, and islands, ceded by the peace, were declared to be formed into four distinct governments, viz. Quebec, Eaft Florida, Weft Florida, and Grenada, by virtue of letters patent, under the great feal of Great-Britain; and the refpective governors were vested with exprefs power and direction, that as foon as the ftate and condition of the faid Colonies would admit thereof, they should, with the advice and confent of the members of their refpective provincial councils, fummon and call the general affemblies, within the faid governments, refpectively, in fuch manner and form as is used and directed in thofe provinces and colonies in America which are under * It was carried forty-one against fifteen. the |