2i8 A. D. 1738. 



mortality ; 3dly, the latewurs in Germany and America have undoubt- 

 edly carried a'.vay fonie thoufands of our lower people, vagrants, &c. ; 

 ladly, it is much to be fufpedled, as elfewhere noted, that the company 

 of parifli-clerks of London, either have not fufficient powers by law, or 

 elfe do not exert thofe powers, for enabling them to be more exadt in 

 their weekly bills. 



1739. — We have already briefly related the barbarous and illegal cap- 

 tures of our Britifh merchant fhips on the high feas of America by the 

 Spanifli guarda-coftas, or vefl'els pretending to be fuch. Thofe grievances 

 were loudly complained of by our merchants, and thehoufe of commons 

 addrefTed the king for obtaining due fatisfadion of the court of Spain. 

 Moreover, the Britiili houfe of peers came to the following refolution, 

 viz. that the Spaniards fearching our fliips on the open feas, under pre- 

 tence of their carrying contraband or prohibited goods, is a violation 

 of the treaties fubfifting between the two crowns. Hereupon, the 

 flrongcfi: remonftrances being made to the Spanifh court, the king 

 acquainted his parliament, that he had concluded a preliminary conven- 

 tion with Spain, ftipulating, in fubftance, 



' I ft. That immediately after the figning thereof, two plenipoten- 

 tiaries on each fide fhould meet at Madrid, finally to regulate the ref- 

 pedive pretenfions of the two crowns. 



' 2dly, Until the limits of Florida and Carolina can be adjufted, 

 things fhall remain there in their prefent fituation. 



* ^dly. His catholic majefty fliall caufe to be paid to his Britannic 

 majefty L95,ooo fterling, as a balance admitted to be due to the 

 crown and fubjeds of Great Britain, after dedudion made of the de- 

 mands of the crown and fubjeds of Spain, to the end that the above- 

 mentioned fum, together with the amount of what has been acknow- 

 leged on the part of Great Britain to be due to Spain on her de- 

 mands, may be employed by his Britannic majefty for the fatisfadion 

 and payment of the demands of his fubjeds upon the crown of Spain. 

 But this reciprocal difcharge fhall not relate nor extend to the differ- 

 ences fubfifting between the crown of Spain and the South-fea com- 

 pany, nor to any particular or private contrads between either of the 

 two crowns, or their minifters, with the fubjeds of the other, or be- 

 tween the fubjeds of the one crown with thofe of the other. 



' 4thly, If it fhall happen that, inconfequence of orders difpatched 

 by the court of Spain, any part of the value of certain fhips taken 

 from the Englifh, and included in the forefaid L95,ooo, be already 

 paid, the fame fhall be deduded thereout. 



' I ft: feparate article. The faid L95,ooo fhall be paid by his catholic 

 majefty at London, within four months after the ratification of this 

 convention. 



* 2d feparate article. The 3d article fliali not extend to fhips taken 



