A- D. 1753. 303 



other, in every houfe in Dublin, then this increafe amounts to 32,000 

 perfons in forty-two years time. 



The increafe of Manchefter, Sheffield, Birmingham, Froom, Leeds, 

 Briftol,Liverpool,Glafgow,&c. has proceeded principally from ourgeneral 

 increafe in manufadures and foreign commerce ; Dublin partly by that, 

 and alfo by the great refort to it, as being the feat of government, and 

 by the increafe of luxury in an enormous degree. The other places, by 

 their woollen, linen, andiron, &c. manufactures; and from the vafl 

 increafe of the foreign trade and navigation of Briftol, Liverpool, Hull, 

 Glafgow, &c. 



In the compafs of this fame year 1753, there entered the port ot 

 Marfeilles i264fhips. 



And into the port of Cadiz about 1 100 fhips.* 



1754 — The year 1754 gave birth to one of the noblefl defigns for 

 the improvement of the general commerce of Great Britain which 

 could poflibly have been devifed, viz. the voluntary fociety for the en- 

 couragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce ; its fole objedl be- 

 ing purely and mofl difinterefledly the improvement of ingenious and 

 commercial arts, for exciting emulation and induflry, by honorary and 

 pecuniary rewards. It was fet on foot by means of the late Lord Folk- 

 flone. Lord Romney, the late reverend and excellent Dr. Stephen Hales, 

 and a few other private gentlemen : and as there were already two fo- 

 cieties of a limilar kind in Scotland and Ireland, this fociety confined 

 its premiums folely to that part of Great Britain called England, and 

 to our own colonies, plantations, and fettlements, in America, Africa, 

 and Afia. This noble fociety immediately began to advertife premiums 

 for the encouragement of young people of both fexes in the arts of 

 drawing and defigning ; for the encouragement alfo of our planters in 

 America in raifing all the rich and pretious productions of Spanifh and 

 Portuguefe America, as well as of Afia and Africa. Its utility fudden- 

 ly began to be fo well perceived, that many noblemen and eminent 

 gentlemen, merchants, traders, &c. became members and fubfcribers 

 to it, to the number of confiderably above 1000 perfons. Their pre- 

 fent conllitution confifts of one prefident, eight vice-prefidents, a fecre- 

 tary, and a regifler, annually eled;ed. Every jierlon dcfiring to be a 

 member, mull be propofed by fome member at one meeting, who muft 

 give in his name, &c. figned by himfelf, and muft be balloted for at a 

 fucceeding nieeting ; and if two thirds of the laid meeting be for ad- 

 mitting him, he fliall be deemed a perpetual member, on payment of 

 twenty guineas, or elfe a fubfcribing member, on payment of any year 



• In April 1753 tlif dividend of llic bank of which thrjr cotilinutd till Oftobcr 1764. [y^ifouut 



Engbnd was reduced (rom Jivf lo four ami a half infcrled in the appendix to jlllardyce't jidibeft to the 



per cent, per (innum ; the lowed rate at which the proprietors of the luiii. 2 M. 

 dividends of the bank have ever been, and at 3 



