2i6 A. D. 1737. 



ing near to thofe fhoies renders them liable to be fufpected of carrying 

 on a contraband trade with thole American ])roviiiccs of Spain, the 

 trade to which is abfolutely and moft ftridly confined to Spaniards folely. 

 And there is fcarcely any doubt that our floops, &c. from Jamaica, 

 and fomc other Britifli colonies, fometimes run the hazard for the fake 

 of gain, and therefor ought to fubmit to the confequences. So, on the 

 other hand, it is notorious, that the Spanifli guarda-coflas (or guard 

 fliips) frequently exceeded their commiflions, by fearching, plundering, 

 and often fei/ing, Britilh {hips failing on the American leas, even though 

 not fo near their fliores as to give any fuipicion of clandeftine trade, and 

 though not loaded with the produce of the Spanifli-American provinces ; 

 but only perhaps having a few Spanifli pieces of eight, or a fmall par- 

 cel of logwood, or other Spanifh- American merchandize, found in fiich 

 fhips, the firfl; being the only coin in our ifland of Jamaica, and the two 

 lad the produce of that illand. In fhort, thefe mutual Qpmplaints in a 

 few years brought on the war between Great Britain and Spain ; and 

 although the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in the year 1748, feemed to ter- 

 minate that affair, yet it was but barely to feem to do it ; and a new 

 and more diftindl or explicit treaty feems flill to be wanting, if intend- 

 ed by either party, for that point, and alfo for our logwood trade in the 

 bay of Campeachy. To thefe complaints of our merchants an anfwer 

 was indeed given in Jtme 1738 by the court of Spain, wherein mod of 

 the grievances and violences were promifed to be redreffed ; and the 

 refl were referred to the inquiry of the Spanifh governors in America, 

 who were very incompetent judges thereof, as being parties to many 

 of thofe violences, and many of them privately partners in the guarda- 

 coftas. And thus it remained, till repeated injuries obliged his Britan- 

 nic majefty to declare war againfl Spain, after having in vain tried by 

 an amicable convention, in the year 1739, to preferve peace. 



There were chriftened in London in the year 1737, 16,760 fouls; 

 buried 27,823. Increaled in the burials this year 242. 



I yog. — One million of the capital flock of the bank of England was paid 

 off, being a moiety, and farther part, of the two millions capital, created 

 by an ad of the third year of King George 1. So that the capital flock of 

 the bank of England was hereby reduced to L3, 875,027 : 17 : 10, 

 L5 00,000, other part of the faid two millions having been paid off by 

 an adl of the firfl year of King George II, for granting an aid to his 

 majefly, by fale of annuities to the bank, &c. 



Sir William Keith, (in his Hiftoty of Virginia, p. 1 74, publiJJjed in 1738) 

 gives the following account of the revenue of that colony, as it then 

 flood, and is eflabliflied by adls of their aflemblies, viz. 



' The annual receipt of quit-rents, at a/llerling per 100 acres, being 

 <■ the revenue of the crowTi, paid into the receipt of the king's pri- 

 4 



