and warrants, and the proceedings thereupon, were not authorized by law; but it is expedient, under the circumstances, that the same should be authorized by act of parliament; and it is also expedient that the importation of goods from countries from which the British flag is excluded, shall be allowed, for a limited time, in any vessels: be it therefore enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That all such importations, admissions to entry, warehousing for home consumption, or for exportation, and securing in warehouses goods of the produce, or manufacture of places within the limits of the charter granted to the East India company for exportation only; and also all importations and admissions to entry, and warehousing of goods and commodities from the dominions of the crown of Portugal, which have been made as aforesaid, before the passing of this act, whether under orders in council, or by warrants of the commissioners of the treasury, shall be deemed and taken good in law; and all persons concerned in advising, issuing, or carrying the same into execution, shall be and are hereby indemnified accordingly; any thing in any act of parliament to the contrary notwithstanding; and no vessels, goods or commodities which have been admitted to entry, or imported, or warehoused, or secured under any such order or warrant, shall be subject to any forfeiture, or the owner thereof be subject to any penalty by reason thereof.

11. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the importers, proprietors, or consignees of any goods or commodities that may have been, or which shall be brought into any port of the united kingdom, in any ship or vessel which shall have come in, in consequence of any warning under the said orders in council, or in any ship or vessel which shall have sailed from any port or place within the respective limits enumerated in his majesty's orders in council of the 25th day of November, 1807, before the respective days specified in the said order, on or after which days the vessels sailing from such ports or places, are to be deemed to have received notice of the aforesaid order of the 11th day of November, 1807, duly to enter and land any such goods or commodities, either

for the purpose of securing the same in warehouses for exportation or on payment of the full duties of customs. and excise due thereon, as the case may warrant; and that no ship or vessel so arriving as aforesaid shall be liable to forfeiture, or the owners or proprietors thereof to any penalty by reason of such ship or vessel not being built, owned or navigated according to law, or not being in any other respect legally authorized to import into this kingdom the goods or commodities of which the cargo shall consist, nor shall any goods or commodities being part of the cargo of any such ship or vessel so brought in as aforesaid, be liable to forfeiture, or the owners thereof to any penalty by reason of any such goods or commodities being in packages not allowed by law, or for being in any other manner prohibited to be imported into this kingdom, any law, custom or usage to the contrary not withstanding.

1. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for his majesty by order in council or license, and in Ireland for the lord lieutenant or other chief governour or governours, and the privy council of Ireland by order in council or license, when and as often as the same shall be judged expedient, to permit during the continuance of hos tilities and until two months after the commencement of the next session of parliament, any such goods, wares or merchandise as shall be specified in such order in couneil or license, to be imported into any port of Great Britain or Ireland respectively, from any port or place from which the British flag is excluded, in any ship or vessel belonging to any country, whether in amity with his majesty or not; any law in force in the united kingdom, or in Great Britain or Ireland respectively, to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

iv. Provided always, That nothing herein contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to exempt from seizure any goods or commodities which shall be unshipped, or attempted to be unshipped, for the purpose of being illegally conveyed on shore, or before due entry shall have been made thereof.

v. And be it further enacted, That this act may be altered, amended or repealed, by any act or acts to be passed in this session of parliament.

142

Mr. Canning to Mr. Pinkney.
[See Vol. vi. p. 41.]

ANNO QUADRAGESIMO OCTAVO

GEORGII III. REGIS.

CAP. LXXXV.

An Act to regulate the Trade between Great Britain and the United States of America, until the end of the next Session of Parliament. [June 23, 1808.]

WHEREAS it is expedient to permit goods, wares and merchandise being of the growth, produce and manufacture of the United States of America, to be imported directly from thence into Great Britain, in British or American ships or vessels, subject to such duties only as are payable on the like commodities when imported from other foreign countries; may it therefore please your majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from and after the end of the present session of parliament, it shall and may be lawful for any person or persons, to import into Great Britain directly from any of the territories of the United States of America, in British built ships or vessels, owned, navigated and registered according to law, or in ships or vessels built in the countries belonging to the United States of America, or any of them, or in ships or vessels taken by any of the ships or vessels of war, belonging to the government or any of the inhabitants of the said United States, having commissions or letters of marque and reprisal from the government of the said United States, and condemned as lawful prize in any court of admiralty of the said United States, of which condemnation proof shall be given to the commissioners of his majesty's customs, or any four or more of them, in England or Scotland respectively, and owned by the subjects of the said United States or any of them,

and whereof the master and three fourths of the mariners at least are subjects of the said United States, any goods, wares, or merchandise, the growth, production, and manufacture of the said United States, which are not prohibited by law to be imported from foreign countries, and to enter and land such goods, wares, and merchandise, upon payment of the duties, and subject to the conditions and regulations herein after mentioned; any law, custom, or usage, to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

11. And be it further enacted, That all such goods, wares, and merchandise imported into Great Britain, either in such ships or vessels, or in British built ships or vessels, owned, navigated and registered, according to law, shall and may be entered and landed upon payment of such duties of customs and excise, and no higher, except as herein after is provided, as are payable on goods, wares and merchandise of the like denomination or description upon their importation into Great Britain from any other foreign country; and in cases where different duties are imposed upon goods, wares, and merchandise of the like denomination or description, imported from different foreign countries, then upon payment of the lowest duties which by law are now required to be paid on the importation of any such goods, wares, or merchandise from any other foreign country: provided always, that where any goods, wares, or merchandise are imported from the said United States, in any ship or vessel not being British built, owned, navigat ed, and registered according to law, such goods, wares, and merchandise shall be subject and liable to the duties due and payable on similar articles when so imported from any other foreign country.

11. And be it further enacted, That any tobacco, being the growth or production of any of the territories of the United States of America, may be imported into Great Britain in British or American ships or vessels, owned and navigated as herein before required, upon payment of the same duties of customs and excise as are now paid on tobacco imported by British subjects from any British colony or plantation in America ; and that any snuff, being the production and manufacture of any of the said territories, may be imported into Great Britain in manner before mentioned, upon payment of such duties of customs and excise, as snuff, being the production or manufacture of

Europe imported from Europe, is subject to, and may be warehoused and again exported, such tobacco and snuff to be subject respectively, nevertheless, to all and singular the regulations, restrictions, penalties, and forfeitures relating to the importation and exportation thereof, or in any other respect relating thereto, of an act made and passed in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of his present majesty, entituled," An act for repealing the duties on tobacco and snuff, and for granting new duties in lieu thereof;" and of another act, passed in the thirtieth year of his present majesty's reign, entituled, "An act to explain and amend an act, made in the last session of parliament, entituled "An act for repealing the duties on tobacco and snuff, and for granting new duties in lieu thereof;" or of any other act since made relating thereto: provided always, that such tobacco shall be accompanied by a manifest as by law required.

Iv. And be it further enacted, That all goods, wares, and merchandise, so imported from the United States of America, shall, upon the exportation thereof from Great Britain, be entitled to the same drawbacks as are by law allowed upon the exportation of goods, wares, and merchandise, of the like denomination and description when exported from Great Britain; and that there shall be allow.. ed and paid the same drawbacks and bounties on goods, wares and merchandise, exported from Great Britain to the territories of the said United States, or any of them, as are allowed by law upon the exportation of goods, wares, or merchandise, of the like denomination or description, to any of the islands, plantations, or colonies, belonging to the crown of Great Britain, in America: Provided always, that nothing in this act contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to repeal or in any wise to alter the duties of package, scavage, balliage or portage, or any other duties payable to the mayor and commonalty and citizens of the city of London, or to the lord mayor of the said city for the time being, or to any other city or town corporate within the kingdom of Great Britain, or to repeal or in any wise to alter any special privilege or exemption to which any person or persons, bodies politick or corporate, is or are now entitled by law, but the same shall be continued as heretofore.