1753.

Summary of the laft Seffion of Parliament. 465

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B

be graciously pleafed to give directions,
that there should be laid before that houfe,,
the printed acts of affembly paffed in the
ifland of Jamaica from 1681, to 1737,
inclufive. The 23d Mr. John Pitt, (from
the commiffioners of trade and planta-
tions) prefented to the houfe, purfuant
to their addrefs to his majefty of March
24, 1752, a report prepared by the faid
commiffioners, in pursuance of the faid
addrefs, relating to the prefent state of
the inland of Jamaica, and alfo copies of
feveral accounts relating to the trade of
the faid ifland, and of feveral late as
paffed there, for encouraging white peo-
ple to come over and fettle in that island,
&c. as an appendix to the faid report;
and alfo at the fame time he prefented to
the houfe the printed acts addreffed for as
above. All which were ordered to lie upon
the table. The 27th the faid report, &c.
were referred to a committee of the whole
houfe ; and Mr. alderman Beckford
moved for an addrefs to his majesty, that
he would give directions for laying before
the houfe, a copy of the addrefs to his
majefty, from the council and affembly
of the inland of Jamaica, reprefenting to
his majesty the ftate of the faid ifland;.
in which motion he was feconded by Sir
Francis Dahwood, but the fame being
objected to by the lord Dupplin, Charles
Townshend, Efq; Sir William Yonge,
Robert Nugent, Efq; Edward Elliot, Eiq; D
and Henry Pelham, Efq; the question
was carried in the negative. March 8,
the house refolved itfelf into the faid
committee, and next day the refolutions
of the fame being reported by Mr. John
Pitt, and agreed to by the house, were
as follow, 1. That the peopling the island
of Jamaica with white inhabitants, and E
cultivating the lands thereof, is the most
proper measure for the fecurity of that
ifland, and for increafing the trade and
navigation between that island and Great-
Britain, as well as to and from other parts
of his majesty's dominions. 2. That the
endeavours hitherto ufed by the legislative
of the island of Jamaica, to encrease the
number of white inhabitants, and to en- F
force the cultivation of lands, in the man-
ner which may conduce beft to the fe-
curity and defence of that ifland, have
not been effectual for thefe purpofes.
Thefe refolutions being thus agreed to,
Mr. Pitt, by direction from the committee,
moved for leave to bring in a bill for the
better peopling the inland of Jamaica G
with white inhabitants, for encouraging
the cultivation of lands at prefent unculti-
vated in that ifland, and for making a pro-
per diftribution of fuch lands; which be-
ing agreed to, the faid Mr. John Pitt,
October, 1753

Mr. Hume, Mr. Charles Townshend, M Ofwald, and the lord Dupplin, were ordered to prepare and bring in the lame. The bill was accordingly prefented by the lord Dupplin, May 9, when it was read a first time and ordered to be read a fecond time, and to be printed; but was carried no farther during laft teffion.

Feb. 23, there was prefented to the. houfe and read, a petition of the merchants and dealers in linen, of the city of London, whofe names were thereunto fubfcribed; alledging, that the act paffed in the 18th year of his majesty's. reign, for prohibiting the wear and importation of cambricks and French lawns, and further explained and enforced by a fubfequent law, had by long experience, been found ineffectual, to the great detriment of his majefty's revenue, and the lofs of this branch of trade to the fair merchants and dealers, and putting it into the hands of fmugglers and unfair traders; therefore praying the house. to do therein as to them fhould feem meet. This petition was referred to a committee of the whole houfe; and feveral accounts relating to the importation and exportation of cambricks being called for and referred to the faid committee, the house refolved itself into the fame, March 23, and directed Sir William Calvert, their chairman, to move for leave to bring in a bill, for the more effectual preventing the fraudulent importation of cambricks and French lawns, which he did the 27th, when it was granted, and Sir William Yenge, Mr. alderman Baker, and he, were ordered to prepare and bring in the fame, which was the more furprising, as it had from experience been found to be impoffible to prevent the importation of cambricks and French lawns from other countries under different names, and ftill more im. poffible to prevent the confumption. However, a bill was prepared as ordered, and prefented by Sir William Yonge, April 17, when it was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time. The 19th it was read a fecond time, and committed to a committee of the whole houfe for the Wednefday fe'nnight following. But by this time the linen-drapers having feen the bill, had taken the alarm, therefore on that day there was prefented to the house and read a petition of the merchants and dealers in linen of the cities of

London and Westminster, and borough of Southwark, whofe names were thereunto fubfcribed, on behalf of themselves, and all other the merchants and dealers in linen within Great-Britain; alledging, that fhould the faid bill be paired into a law,

Nan

it would lay very great hardships and
difficulties upon the fair trader, without
reftraining the infamous practice of fmug-
gling, or the feveral other illicit means,
by which the acts for prohibiting the im-
portation and wear of cambricks and
French lawns had been hitherto eluded;
therefore praying to be heard by their A
counfel against the faid bill; and it was
ordered, that they should be heard by
themselves or counfel upon the report;
after which the house refolved itself into
a committee of the whole house upon
the faid bill, as they did alfo the next
day, when the report was ordered to be
received upon that day fe'nnight. In the
mean time petitions to the fame effect B
with the laft, were prefented against the
bill, from the merchants and dealers in
Jinen of Bristol, Reading, Preston, and
York; and when the report came to be
received, May 17, fuch strong reasons were
given by the petitioners counfel and wit-
neffes against the bill, that it was re-
committed for that day month, and fodropt. C
March 27, a motion was made and
leave given to bring in a bill for taking
and registering an annual account of the
total number of people, and of the total
number of marriages, births, and deaths,
and alfo of the total number of poor re-
ceiving alms from every parish, and ex-
traparochial place in Great Britain; and

D

it was ordered, that Mr. Potter, Mr.
Grenville, the lord Strange, the lord Hillf-
borough, the lord Barrington, the
Ford Duppiin, Mr. Charles Yorke, the
lord advocate of Scotland, and Mr. Of-
wald, fhould prepare and bring in the
fame. Accordingly the bill was prefented
to the house by Mr. Potter, March 30,
when it was read a firft time, and or- F.
dered to be read a fecond time; and a mo-
tion was then made, that the faid bill
be now printed; But upon the question's
being put, it was carried in the negative.
April 2, it was read a fecond time and
committed to a committee of the whole
house for the Friday following, which
order being put off till next day, the
house then refolved itself into the the faid
committee; and Sir William Calvert, the
chairman, reported the bill with the a-
mendments, when it was ordered, that
the report should be taken into confide-
ration upon the Monday fe'nnight follow-
ing, and that fuch a number of copies of
the bill, with the amendments, fhould
be printed, as fhould be fufficient for the G
ufe of the members of that house. Accord-
ingly on Monday April 16, the faid report
was taken into confideration, as it was alfo
on the 18th and 19th, during which time
feveral debates enfued, and great oppo

tion was made to this bill, but at laft

F

the bill with the amendments was ordered to be ingroffed. May 1, the bill was ordered to be read a third time on the Friday following, which order was put off until May 8, when the order of the day being read, a motion was made, that the bill be now read a third time, which being oppofed, a long debate enfued, wherein lieut. gen. Oglethorpe, Mat, Ridley, Efq; Thomas Pitt, Efq; William Thornton, Efq; Thomas Whichcot, Efq; Robert Vyner, Efq; col. Haldane, and Humphry Sydenham, Efq; fpoke against the motion; and Thomas Potter, Efq; the lord Barrington, George Grenville, Efq; Charles Yorke, Efq; and the lord Hillsborough, for agreeing to it. At last the question was put and carried in the affirmative by 57 to 17; whereupon the bill was read a third time, claufe added by way of rider, and several amendments made to the bill, after which the queftion was put and agreed to for its paffing, and Mr. Potter was ordered to carry the bill to the lords, and defire their concurrence, which their lordfhips did not think fit to grant, and cenfequently the bill was loft.

We come now, according to our ufual method, to give fome account of the moft remarkable affairs of laft feffion, in which fome bill feemed defigned, but none actually brought in the first of which was a motion made, Feb. 1, for an inftruction to the committee of the whole house, to whom it was referred to confider further of ways and means for raifing the fupply granted to his majefty, that they fhould have power to confider of the aft of the first year of his majesty's reign, for prohibiting the importation of wins in flasks, bottles, or small cafks, fo far as the faid act relates to the prohibiting the importation of certain wines in flasks or bottles. The defign of this motion was to have given liberty to import Burgundy and Champaign wines in flaks or bottles, as they are apt to be spoil'd when imported in large cafks; but as it would have been a lofs to our own glafs manufactures, which now pay a heavy duty, the question after fome debate was carried in the negative, by 141 to 76; and the principal fpeakers were lord Hillsborough and Henry Fox, Efq; for the motion; and Robert Nugent, Efq; the lord Luxborough, and Charles Cocks, Efq; against it; Henry Pelham, Efq; who likewife fpoke, having declared himself entirely indifferent.

Feb. 15, there was prefented to the house and read, a petition of feveral perfons employed in the business of framework knitting in the town of Nottingham,

in

1753. Summary of the laft Seffion of Parliament.

467

felves or counfel, in order to exculpate themselves from the charge contained in the faid petitions, and that the house would be pleafed to give leave, that a bill might be brought in for regulating the faid trade, in fuch manner as to the house should feem meet. This petition was likewife referred to the faid committee, and the petitioners to be heard by their counsel, if they thought fit; as were alfo the other petitioners, if they thought fit; after this feveral other petitions were prefented, fome in favour of, and others against the company, and all referred to the faid committee, whofe report was made by Mr. Thornton, April 13, and taken into confideration by the houfe the 19th, when the following refolutions of the committee were agreed to, viz. 1. That the by-laws of the company of the framework knitters, incorporated by a charter, bearing date, Auguft 19, in the 15th year of the reign of king Charles II. are injurious and vexatious to the manufacturers, and tend to the difcouragement of industry, and to the decay of the faid manufacture. 2. That the powers granted by the faid charter, are hurtful to the trade, and tend to a monopoly. 3. That the carrying on vexatious profecutions against any perfon, male or female, for exercifing the art and mystery of framework knitting, is hurtful to the manuᎠ fa&ure, and destructive to the trade of this kingdom. Thus this affair ended for laft feffion; and it was certainly a very ticklish affair; for in all countries that have been famous for manufactures, they have laid their manufacturers under fome certain regulations, and fubjected their manufactures to a review before they were allowed to be expofed to fale; but the great difficulty is to prevent an oppreffive or corrupt ufe being made of the power by thofe who are intrufted with the making of this review, or establishing or altering thofe regulations. In this country we have no proper court for this purpose; therefore the power of reviewing or regulating any manufacture will always, we fear, be made a bad ufe of; and yet it is of the most dangerous confequence to the credit of a manufacture, to leave every manufacturer at full liberty to work up his manufacture after what manner he pleases.

in behalf of themselves, and all other perfons
employed in the faid trade; fetting forth,
that the company of frame-work knitters
of the city of London had made certain
by-laws, by which, against all reason, and
contrary to the liberty of the fubjects of
Great-Britain, they invefted themselves
with a power of laying fuch taxes upon A
themselves as might greatly assist them in
carrying into execution their pernicious
Tchemes of extending their jurifdiction over
the whole kingdom, and establishing in
themselves, a power of fearching all places
belonging to the members of the faid fo-
ciety, or any ufing the faid mystery, and
moreover endeavouring to monopolize the
Bending of frames for hire; and alledging, B
that these, and other oppreffions, under
which the manufacture laboured, from
this company, it was feared, would great-
ly affect the trade of this kingdom, unless
the poor manufacturers meet with the
protection and affiftance of the house;
and therefore praying the house to take
thefe matters into confideration, and grant C
the petitioners, and the faid trade in ge-
neral, fuch relief as to the house should
feem meet. At the fame time there was
another petition to the fame effect pre-
fented from the inhabitants of Guildford,
Godalmin, and places adjacent, and a
third from thefe and feveral other places
in the county of Surrey; all which were
referred to the confideration of a com-
mittee, at which all that came were to
Have voices, The zoth, another petition
to the fame effect with the former was
prefented from Nottingham, and refer-
red to the fame committee; and the fame
day, there was prefented a petition of
the mafter, wardens, affiftants, and fo-
ciety of frame-work knitters, and alfo of E
divers hofiers, dealers, and manufacturers
in the faid trade, living and refiding in
and about the city of London, taking
notice of the faid petitions, and fetting
forth, that the petitioners were incor-
porated by a charter of king Charles II.
by virtue whereof they had from time to
time made fuch orders and by-laws, as
to them appeared beft calculated to ad- F
ance and improve the faid manufactury,
and (as they hoped to make appear to the
houfe) without fuch intentions or effects
as were alledged in the faid petitions;
and alledging, that the faid manufacture
is of the utmost importance to the trade
of this kingdom, and that fome further
regulations were neceffary to be made G
therein, for reftoring the credit thereof,
which had of late years very much de-
creased in the most valuable and effential
branch; and therefore praying, that fuch
of the petitioners as were members of the
Laid company, might be heard by them-

and

March 7, there was prefented to the house and read a petition of the feveral brewers, diftillers, dyers, woolftaplers, fellmongers, tanners, hatmakers, other manufacturers, refiding within the borong of Southwark, whofe names were thereunto fubfcribed, in behalf of themfelves, and the rest of the inhabitants

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of

A

of the faid borough; fetting forth, that
the petitioners were frequently obliged
to receive in payment from their corre-
fpondents and chapmen large quantities
of halfpence, and that the petitioners had
fately met with great loffes and incon-
veniences, by means of an extraordinary
circulation of bafe metal, made in the
form of halfpence, of which the peti-
tioners had then in their hands to a confi-
derable amount; and therefore praying
the house to take the premiffes into their
confideration, that the making of the faid
bafe metal into the form of halipence, and
their currency, might be prevented for
the future; and that the petitioners might
have fuch other relief in the premiffes, B

This

as to the houfe fhould feem meet.
petition was ordered to lie upon the table,
and not taken up again during the feffion;
tho' there feems to be at prefent no proper
law against counterfeiting copper money;
for the penalty is but 51. and feeins not to be
recoverable unless it can be proved, that
the defendant has coined at least a pound C
weight; nor is there any penalty upon
the perfon that utters the fame, knowing
it to be counterfeited; therefore we can-
not wonder at fuch quantities of counter-
feit copper money being iffued, confi-
dering the profit that may be got thereby.

and the price of fugars at the British fugar colonies is more than double the price of what it is at the French fugar colonies; and that the exceffive gain of the British planters, by a deficient importation (all toraign fugars being excluded by cuties, which amount to a prohibition) may be a temptation to them to forbear breaking up more land for fugar plantations, elpecially in the island of Jainaica, where the petitioners are infornied large tracts of land, fit for that purpose do remain uncultivated; and that the common people of England are deprived of one of the conveniences of life, by the prefent high price of fugars, and the petitioners of the benefit of fupplying them therewith, and thefe who can afford it, are obliged to pay double the price which the rest of Europe do for the fame commodity, and that there is no poffibility of exporting either Mufcovada fugar, or refined, to any port in Europe, not even to Ireland, the prices here being much higher than in any other part of the world, for which reafon the traders in Ireland have made ufe of the liberty they have of importing fugar from Portugal; and that the very great difparity of the price of fugar here, and in France, Flanders, and Holland, is a frong temptation to fmugMarch 20, there was prefented to the 'gle fugar from thence, to the great in house and read, a petition of the fuga D trader; and the petitioners are creally jury of the government, and of the fair refiners, grocers, and other dealers in fugar, in the cities of London and Weft- informed, that large quantities of reminfter, and the borough of Southwark, 'fined fugars are fmuggled into Scotland, whofe names were thereunto fubfcribed, and that in other parts of the kingdom fetting forth as follows, viz. That the French fugar loaves are fold at a much price of Mufcoyada fugar is become ex- lower price than they can be afforded by cetively high, owing to a deficient imour own refiners; and that the deficient portation from our fugar colonies in importation of fugar is of great detriment America, notwithstanding the affurances to the manufacture of refining fugar, given by the planters, in the year 1739, wherein a great number of families, in of a much greater fupply, when the almost every part of the kingdom, are now legiflature indulged them the liberty of concerned, and a great number of hands fending their fugars directly to any fo- employed, and which gives employment reign port fouth of Cape Finifterie; and and maintenance to many other manufac that ever fince Lady-day 1749, the fugar turers, and pays confiderable taxes to the planters have received for their fugars a government for by the prefent icarcity much higher price than what they did they are deprived of fugar to refine (nor for many years before the commenceF can the common people afford to pay ment of the late war; and notwith@tanding for refining a commodity already fo d-ar) thefe encouragements, instead of increaf- to their great lofs, being obliged to very ing their plantations, and fending home a large expences, even when they have so larger produce, they have decreased in employment, and to the lofs of all the fe their importation ever fince the year 1759, who depend on their manufacture, and upon an average, very confiderably; and by the prefent immoderate price, can that the planters are greater gainers by have no hope of exporting any part of a fmall importation than a large one, but G their produce, which when they were the navigation, the revenue, the peti- enabled to do, their labour and expence tioners, and the confumers of fugar, are was repaid them by foreigners, and degreat fufferers; and that the foreign mar feats the wife intentions of the legiflature kets are fupplied with fugar from the in granting a bounty upon the export of French at less than half the price it is here fugar refined in Great-Britain; and that fold for, exclufive of all duties paid here;

the