66 A. D. 1718. 



adventurers in the ftock of this company, already arri\ed at the pnc* 

 of 120 per cent. 



It was found, that the allowances granted by former laws relating to 

 the duties on fait, upon exportation of fifh, much exceeded the duty it- 

 felf on the fait tiled in curing the fifli ; for remedy whereof, it was now 

 enabled, [5 Gl-o. I, c. 18J that the curers of filh for exportation, inftead 

 of all former allow^mces, fliould be permitted to ufe either foreign or 

 Britifli fait, without paying any duty, excepting the cuftom on importa- 

 tion of the foreign fait ; and that fait intended to be ufed in curing fifl), 

 fhould be warehoufed, and the proprietor fhould make oath of the 

 quantity, and that it is intended for curing fifh for exportation only : 

 and after the fifliing feafon, the remaining fait to be again v/arehoufed, 

 and the proprietor to give aii account of the quantity of fifh exported, 

 on which the fait was ufed, and the remaining fait to be delivered over 

 to other perfons, for the fame end : perfons not giving true accounts- 

 upon oath, forfeit L40, &c. then follow the allowances to be made by 

 eoUedors of the fixlt duty to the exporters of fifli, vi?j. on pilchards, cod, 

 ling, and hake (wet or dry) fa'.mon, white and red herrings, and dried 

 fprats, certain allowances therein fpecified, either by the barrel or the 

 hundred weight, or clfe by the number o^ fifh, with their fize, &c. 

 needlefs herein to be fpecified ; it not being our intent to particularize 

 every law relating to the regulation of merchandize, but only to take 

 notice of any great or remarkable alteration, like this of the allov.'ances 

 on flilted fifl> exported. 



17 19. — The iiland of St. Lucia in the V/eft-Indies has at fundry 

 times been inhabited by both Englifh and French planters at the fame 

 time : about this time the Marefchal d'Eirees f'ent a colony thither, but 

 Hur ambaflador at Paris rcmonflrated againfl: it with fuch fpirit and luc- 

 cefs, that the French court fent orders to evacuate th:it iiland for the 

 prefent. 



For the farther execution of Law's wicked fcheme of drawing in tire- 

 numerous proprietors of the national debts of France to be paid with 

 the Mifilfippi ftock iind royal bank notes, he was in the beginning of 

 the year 171 9 made diredor general of that bank, in the fame year 

 creating, in different months, no fewer than 1000 millions of livres, 

 . (i. e. between 40 and 50 millions fterling) in new bank notes ; lefs (fays, 

 the royal arret) not being fufhcient for the various operations of the 

 royal bank ; though in tad this lum was more than all the banks in 

 Europe could circulate. 



In the meantime, ftill the more to inveigle mankind. Law perfuaded 

 the regent to unite the French Eafl-India company to this new Miflifippi 

 or wellern company. The preamble to this edicl fliews the very bad 

 itate of their Eait-India company's affairs, viz. that nolwithflanding the 

 lums of money, fliips, &.c. beftowed on the Eaft-India company from 



3 



