172 A. D, 1731. 



nations, lliall be imported into Britain or Ireland, or any of the king's 

 dominions in America, under forfeiture of lading, (hip, and furniture. 



II) Aiders, aflifters, and receivers, in landing any fuch foreign fu- 

 gars, &c. to forfeit triple the value thereof. 



III) The onus prohandi, or proof that the fugar, &c. fo feized, was the 

 •produd of the Britifh plantations, fhall lye on the proprietor of fuch 



goods. 



IV) Mafters of fhips, taking in, at fea, or in any creek, harbour, or 

 other place, any fuch foreign fugar, &c. in order to be landed in Great 

 Britain or Britifli America, fhall forfeit L200. 



V, VI) The mafter of every fhip loading fugars, &c. at the Britifli 

 fugar colonies, bound to any other part of the king's dominions, fhall, 

 before he fails, deliver to the coUedor of the port a true account of his 

 lading, and take of him a certificate thereof, with the merchant's name 

 who fhipped them, and of him to whom configned ; and, when arrived 

 at his intended port, fhall take an oath and fign a true manifefl of his 

 lading. 



Vil, VIII) And whereas great numbers of horfes, and great quanti- 

 ties of lumber have been exported from our continental colonies to the 

 foreign fugar colonies, whereby they are enabled more eafily to carry 

 on their fugar plantations ; none fuch (hall be tranfported hereafter to 

 thofe foreign colonies : and when any fuch goods are to be fhipped from 

 the continental colonies, the mafler fhall give a bond for L500, that they 

 fhall not be carried to any foreign fugar colony, &o. 



IX, X) Governors, cuftom-houfe officers, &c. conniving at any fraudu- 

 lent importation of foreign fugars, &c. to forfeit L300. 



XI) Nothing in this aft fhall extend to reftrain the ufual importation 

 of fugars from the dominions of Portugal. 



Let us next, as briefly as poffible, hear the allegations on both fides 

 for and againft this bill. 



In fupport of the bill, it was urged, both within doors and In fundry 

 pamphlets and newfpapers, that the northern colonifts had fupplied the 

 FrenchandDutch fugar colonies with fhipping.provifions, horfes, and lum- 

 ber, ever fince the peace of Utrecht, and that trade not only made thofe 

 necelTary commodities cheaper to them than they could have them any 

 where elfe, but alfo obliged the importers to take in payment great quan- 

 tities of French and Dutch fugars, rum, and melalfes, to the infinite de- 

 triment of the Britifli fugar colonies ; and, what is flill more grievous 

 and detrimental to the public, that Intercourfe affords our northern co- 

 lonies an opportunity of being fupplied with French European mer- 

 chandize which are prohibited by law. 



The quantity of fugar now made in America being greater than Eu- 

 rope can confume, it is of confequence to us not to give foreigners a pre 



