A, D. 1734. 203 



broker or agent for procuring fuch bargain, who fl)aU hereafter keep a 

 book or rcgiller, to be called the broker's book, wherein all fuch bar- 

 gains fliall be regirtered ; and by his neglecting fo to do, he fliall incur 

 the penalty of L50. Nothing herein, however, fliall atfecl contrads for 

 any flocks made with the privity of the accountant-general of the court 

 of chancery, nor prevent any perfon from lending inoney on any pub- 

 lic joint flock, or other public fecurities, on the redelivering thereof on 

 repayment of the money lent, [7 Geo. II, c. 8]. Notwithflanding this 

 flrid law, we have reafon to believe, that, even to our own time, there 

 are many fuch illegal bargains flill carried on, to the undoing of many. 



By a ftatute [2 Geo. II, c. 22] it was made felony to fleal bonds, notes, 

 or other fecurities, for payment of money ; and it was now farther 

 enaded, that perfons convicted of forging, altering, or counterfeiting, 

 the acceptance of any bill of exchange, or the number or principal funi 

 of any accountable receipt for any note, bill, or other fecurity, for 

 payment of money, or delivery of goods, fhould fuffer death as felons. 

 [7 Geo. II, c. 22]. 



On the 28th of March 1734, a general court of the South-fea com- 

 pany, upon the repeated reprefentation of Sir Thomas Geraldino, the 

 Spanifli agent at London for the affairs of the affiento trade of that 

 company, concerning the bad management of their fadors, unani- 

 moully agreed to empower their court of directors to ])refent an humble 

 addrefs to his majefty, defiring his royal confent to difpofe of the trade- 

 and tonnage of the company's annual fliip. 



In Boyer's Political flate of Great Britain, for the month of Septem- 

 ber this year, we find the following view of all the coinage of gold and 

 filver in the tower of London, fmce the accefhon of George II to the 

 throne, viz. 



In gold, 43,940 pounds weight, which, at I44 : 10 per pound, makes 

 in tale Li ,955,330. And in filver, only 8742 pounds weight, which, 

 at L3 : 2 ])er pound weight, makes in tale L27,ioo : 4. 'A very fmall 

 ' fum,' lays our author, ' in proportion to that coined in gold ; and feems 

 ' to be an evident proof that the current value of the two metals is not 

 ' juffly proportioned in this kingdom, nor is indeed in any other part 

 ' of Europe, as appears by the great profit that is to be got by carrying 

 filver to the Eall-Imlies and felling it for gold.' With this author's 

 leave, what he remarks concerning carrying filver to India, would hap- 

 ]K'n though the proportion between gold and filver, in all parts of 

 Europe, were ever fo juflly afcertained ; filver there being a mere com- 

 modity, or merchandize, and highly prized as fuch. 



Great coniplaints came over from Nova-Scotia at this time, and par- 

 ticularly from the Britifli fettlement at Canfo, a place of great conl'e- 

 tjuence to our filhing trade in tliofc parts, that though the late king had 

 fent thither four companies of foldicrs, yet there had been no money laid 



C c 2 



