A. D. 1747. 259 



qualifications of flieriffs and their deputies, circuit courts, and appeals 

 therefrom in certain civil caufes, and to fines, &c. [20 Geo. II, c. 43.] 



This excellent ftatute may, not unfitly, be termed a new ma^na char- 

 ta to the free people of Scotland, who, from this time (though per- 

 haps not merely or folely in dired confequence thereof, but alfo from 

 other concurring caufes) have undoubtedly moll vifibly increafed in 

 conmierce, manufactures, wealth, and general induftry, to a degree faid 

 to be almolt amazing, to fuch as, afi:er fome year's abfence, have lately 

 vifited that part of the united kingdom : fo great is the influence of li- 

 berty in fivour of induftry and commerce. 



It having been found by experience that the tenure of lands in Scot- 

 land by ward-holding, and the confequences of the fame, being the 

 cafualties of ward-marriage and recognition, had been much more bur- 

 denfome and prejudicial to the vaflals by that tenure than beneficial to 

 the fuperiors, it was abolilTied by the 5cth ftatute of the fame i'eflion, 

 for taking away the tenure of ward-holding in Scotland, 8cc. which en- 

 acted, ' that the fame be converted into blanch-holding and feu-hold- 

 ings, &c. to be farther regulated, with refped to the recompenfe, hv 

 the court of fefilon in Scotland,' &c. This ad feems to have been all 

 that was wanting for completing the freedom of vaflals in Scotland *. 



The European fliips at China this year were 8 Englifli, 6 Dutch, 4 

 Swedifli.and 2 Danilh ; in all 20. France being at war with Great Bri- 

 tain, there were no French fliips there this year. 



The planters in the Knglilli fugar colonies, in the infancy of thofe 

 plantations, had cultivated confiderable quantities of indigo, as being 

 always a great merchantable commodity, whereby their mother-coun- 

 try was then well fupplied therewith. Some authors have related, that, 

 in the ifland of Jamaica, indigo was produced in fuch abundance, efpe- 

 cially in the parifli of Vere, that 300 coaches have been feen at that 

 parifli-church on Sundays. But a tax of ^yf^ pc pound weight being 

 laid by the legiflature on indigo, the planters of Jamaica dropped the 

 cultivation thereof entirely ; and though the parliament atterwards re- 

 pealed that duty, yet a manufadture once loft is not ealily regained, 

 more efptcially in a country fo expenlive as Jamaica is. Yet what that 

 people were not able or willing to eftec\, has at length been broi:ght to 

 bear by the iiiduftrious planters of Carolma, greatly to their honour, 

 and, we hope, to their future great benefit. In fucceeding times the 

 other Weft-India iflands found that the fugar-cane was beyond all other 

 things the moft gainful ; and therefor they alfo gradually dropped iho 

 cultivation of indigo. Neverthelefs, the French iflands in the nei;-h- 

 bourhood of ours, inftead of following that example, went on with an- 



* This ytar the dividend of the bank of England wmj reduced from^iv and a halj'xojive per ecnt 

 per annum. [ Auount infertcJ in the appenaiK to Allardyu's Addrejt to the pr-.p: etort oj the bant.] M. 



■> Kk.2 



