86 A. D. 1720. 



Irifh peer, with many eminent gentlemen and merchants, petitioned the 

 king, that they might be incorporated for purchafmg and improving 

 forfeited and other eftates in Great Britain : for granting annuities for 

 Hves ; and for infuring Uves : feeing (continues this petition) this 

 ^vill unite, by interefl:, many of the king's fubjeds againfl; the pretender 

 and his adherents forever. In order to which, feveral of the petition- 

 ers have fent perfons into Scotland for purchafing the forfeited eflates 

 there, and have fince, by a voluntary fubfcription to the governor and 

 company of undertakers for railing the Thames water in York-build- 

 ings, raifed a joint flock of Li, 200,000 fterling : upon the credit of 

 which eflates they propofe to grant annuities for, and to infure on, lives, 

 for the benefit of fuch of his majefty's fubjeds as are ftraitened in their 

 fortunes by the redudion of interefl : but they did not defire any exclu- 

 five charter. The fame day alfo, another fet of gentlemen in vain 

 petitioned for the very fame purpofe. 



When thofe petitions for infurance, &c. came to be referred to, and. 

 confidered by, the crown lawyers, they were oppofed by counfel on the 

 •other fide, the grand fifhery fcheme alone excepted, viz. the infurance 

 petitioners, by the numerous friends of the private infurers, and by the 

 amicable fociety for a perpetual infurance on lives, with benefit of fur- 

 vivorfhip ; which fociety, their counfel fet forth, was incorporated in the 

 5th year of Queen Anne, (1706) conflituting any number of perfons, 

 not exceeding 2000, to be a body politic, for raifing a joint flock, for 

 the relief of widows and orphans, by granting policies on lives, with 

 annual payments during fuch lives ; on the deceafe of which lives a cer- 

 tain fum is paid as a dividend to the proprietors of fuch policies; and 

 alleging, that thefe petitions for infurances would prejudice their interefls. 



The petitioners for purchafing the forfeited eflates were adviled by 

 counfel to withdraw their petition, as they might fafely tranfad all they 

 wanted to do, by virtue of the powers of a charter of the 27th of King 

 Charles II, for raifing the Thames water in York-buildings ; which 

 charter thefe petitioners had purchafed of the old patentees for L7,oco, 

 together with all the benefits of a private act of parliament of the 2d of 

 William and Mary, for incorporating the proprietors of the water-works 

 in York-buildings, and for encouraging, carrying on, and fettling, the 

 laid water-works. 



The two firfl; petitions for infurance were, as already noted, approved 

 of, and the crown lawyers reported, that a fifiiery charter, under proper 

 regulations, might be very beneficial to the nation. The fifhery had 

 been farther favoured by a refolution of the houfe of commons, on the 

 27th of April 1720 ; that the undertaking propofed to be carried on by 

 the aame of the Britifh fifhery, wherein the lea ports and royal burghs are 

 concerned, may be fuccefsfuUy carried on, and thereby prevent great 

 fums from going annually out of the nation ; may fecure a valuable 



