178 



A. D. 1732, 



The manuflicture ot hats being long fince brouglit to perfection in 

 England, and great quantities thereof annually exported to foreign parts, 

 and particularly to the Britifli American plantations, till of late years, 

 that great quantities of hats have been made in the northern planta- 

 tions, and from thence exported to foreign markets, which were here- 

 tofore fupplied therewith from Great Britain, for remedy thereof it was 

 enaded, that no hats or felts whatever (hould be exported from any of 

 the plantations to foreign parts, nor be loaden on any horfe, cart, or 

 other carriage, with that intent, under forfeiture thereof, and of L500 

 for every fuch offence, and aiders or abettors therein forfeit L40, and 

 ^uftom-houfe officers, permitting entries of fuch hats to be made, 

 forfeit their office and L500. None are permitted to make hats in the 

 colonies, but fuch as have ferved an apprenticefliip thereto of feven 

 years ; and no mafter to have at any time above two apprentices, nor 

 employ any negro in that manufadure. [5 Geo. II, c. 22.] The con- 

 veniences, in point of cheapnefs, which the Americans have beyond 

 their mother country, by the plenty of beaver, hare, ccney-wool, and 

 many other furs, gave them fuch advantages, that had they not been 

 thus reftrained, they would foon have fupplied all the world with hats. 

 And as our people are continually increaiing in thofe plantations, we 

 can fcarcely too often inculcate the opinion of knowing and inteUigent 

 men, that nothing will be able to prevent thofe people from manufac- 

 tures interfering with ours, but their being conftantly employed in raif- 

 ing naval flores, and other rough materials for our own manufadtures, 

 fuch as filk, flax, hemp, iron, &c. * 



Confiderable quantities of coffee being by this time produced in, and 

 imported from, Jamaica into Britain, the legiflature, for its encourage- 

 ment in our Britifli plantations, reduced the inland duty thereof coming 

 from thence, (but of none other) from 2/ to iy5 per lb. weight. [5 Geo. 

 II, c. 24.] It feems that the French at Martinco, Hifpaniola, and at the 

 Iflc de Bourbon near Madagafcar, had fomewhat the ftart of us in this 

 new produdion, as had alfo the Dutch at Surinam ; yet none fuch as yet 

 comes up to the coffee of Arabia, from whence all the reft of the world 

 originally had theirs. But m length of time, our people, as well as thofe 

 of other nations, may bring it to perfedion, whereby our colonies will 

 be the better enabled to takeoff more of our product and manufactures, 

 while we fhall fave a great deal of the price we now pay for the coffee 

 of the Eaft. 



The South-fea company again ventured to fend out their remaining 2 1 

 fliips on the whale fiflicry. It was the laft attempt they made for recover- 

 ing to Great Britain that valuable branch of trade, as finding themfelves 



* What did ihofe knowing and intelligent men propofe that the Americans fhould do, when theii 

 increafcd populatiiin (hould produce mere filk, flax, hemp, iron, &c. than could be fold as rough raa. 

 urials ? M. z 



