lo A. D. I 710. 



difficult, that great numbers of ftrangers and others have frequently lofl 

 their lives with fhips and goods, for want of proper land-marks, buoys, 

 and other directions into ir, and more efpecially for want of a conve- 

 nient wet-dock or bafon therein, the parliament laid a duty, for 21 

 3'ears from midl'ummer 1710, on the tonnage of all fliips ti-ading to 

 and from Liverpool to any part of Britain arc! Ireland, as well .as to and 

 from foreign countries, for making a wet-dock, &c. And it has fully 

 anfwered the ends thereby propofed, the wet-dock in particular, having 

 been long fince completed, to the great emokunent of that moft mer- 

 cantile and opulent town, which has long ago become the third port 

 (after London and Briftol) of Great Britain, whether the number of its 

 ftout merchant fliips, or oif its opulent and reputable merchants be con- 

 fide red. 



Under the year 1 704 we have briefly laid open the proceedings of 

 Sir H. Mackworth and his tools, of the mine-adventurers company, to 

 the great hurt of many perfons and families : the proprietors and credi- 

 tors of that company having this year petitioned the houfe of commons, 

 a committee of that houfe was appointed to niake ftrid inquiry into 

 the fame. The refult was, that it appeared they had loft L88,ooo by 

 banking, and had fquandered away great fums on Sir H. Mackworth's 

 other projeds. Therefor the houfe of commons, on the 31ft of March 

 I 710, refolvcd, neviine contradicente, that it appears to this houfe, that Sir 

 Humphrey Mackworth is guilty of many notorious and fcandalous 

 frauds, and indirect practices, in violating the charter granted to the 

 faid company, in breach of his truft, and to the manifeft: wrong and op- 

 preflion of the proprietors and creditors of the company. And the like 

 is voted againil William Sheres, the company's fecretary, and Dykes, 

 their treafurer. And that a bill be brought in for preventing them 

 from leaving the kingdom, or alienating their eftates. This arch hy- 

 pocrite, pretending great zeal for religion, and the tory party, was 

 thereby fcreened from any farther cenfure or fuflfering by the new mi- 

 niftry, who, foon after this, got into power : and the bill was dropt by 

 the adjournment of parliament. And, notwithflanding all the difgrace 

 thrown upon Sir Humphrey Mackworth, he had the effrontery to appear 

 again at the head of this company with new propofals, in the year 1720, 

 though then, and ever fince, little better than a mere bubble. 



The ftatute intilled ajfiza pains et cervifitt, i. e. for fettling the aflize 

 of bread and ale, [51 Htn. III^ being now obicure, and alfo become 

 ethervvil'e imprad;icable for modern times, the poorer fort of people, 

 more efpecially, had fmce been deceived and opprefTed by an almof!: 

 total neglect, in many places, of the due aflize and realbnable price of 

 bread ; for remedy thereof, and that a plain and conftant rule and me- 

 thod might henceforward be duely obferved and kept, in making and 

 afl^ziiig the feveral forts of bread made for fale, it was now enad;ed. 



