A. D. 1766. 447 



Perfons, who had incurred penalties inflided by the ftamp aft, were 

 indennnified ; and all deeds, &c. upon undamped paper, which by that act 

 ought to have been on ftamped paper, were declared valid. [6 Geo. 

 JII,c.5o.] 



Tnftead of the duties formerly paid on goods imported into the Brit- 

 ifli continental colonies, the following were now to be levied, viz. 

 On meladL's and fyrups *, per gallon, wine meafure, ^^o o i 



Coffee of the Britifli plantations, per cvvt. - 070 



Pimento of ditto, per pound, - - - 000^ 



Foreign cambrics and lawns, per piece of 13 ells, - 030 

 Britifli coffee and pimento, imported into North-America, and imme- 

 diately warehoufed for exportation within twelve months to Great Britain 

 or a Britifh colony, were exempted from paying any duty. The fame 

 indulgence was extended to foreign fugars, coffee, and indigo, with the 

 further liberty of carrying the fugar to any part of Europe fouth of 

 Cape Finifterre. — Foreign cotton and indigo were allowed to be carried 

 to the Britifli Weft-India illands in veflels navigated according to law, free 

 of any duty: and cotton might alfo be brought in BritiOi vefTels fro'.n any 

 place whatfoever free of duty f . By this adl: all fugars brought to Britain 

 from the northern colonies were reputed as French, and charged with 

 duties accordingly. [6 Geo. Ill, c. 52.] 



In the fame lelhon of parliament many afts were palTed for improv- 

 ing harbours, making canals (the chief of which will be noticed at the 

 times when they were completed and rendered ufeful to the commerce 

 of the country) widening and improving roads, and dividing commons. 

 Although the axe of deftrudion feeraed to be laid to the root of the 

 fifhery of Scotland by the failure of the payment of the bounty in 

 the month of January, fome branches of it were this year profecuted 

 with conliderable r])irit and fuccefs. On the weft fide of the country 

 fome fifhing banks, formerly unknown, or forgotten for ages, were dil- 

 covercd, where cod were found in fufHcient plenty to load all the New- 

 foundland fleet. In the neighbourhood of the Orkney and Shetland 

 idauds new banks of cod and ling were alfo difcovcred. And on boili 

 fides of the country the people were now greatly improved in the :nt 

 of curing the fifh. What a dreadful misfortune to the public, as well 

 as to the peo])lc more immediately concerned, that their career fhould 

 be arrefted, when they had juft attaircd to a degree of perfedion in a 

 bufinefs fo eminently capable of augmtuting the wealth, and Ihpport- 

 ing the maritime power, of the Britilli empire. 



* When tlic duty on n.chnis iinportcil itilo fee the bad policy of ciico'.ir.igiiig iinii;;!;!!"^ I>r 



America was fixpi-ncc .n g.illoii, it produced j/','2,ooo hi^li duties. It is Certain that a great part even 



a year, liy lowering M U) <"ic penny, the amount of the low duty was evaded. 



was ro'fed \.a j['i-j,coo. [^Lord ShrffieU's Oifi.r- \ The wilV policy <if encourap'njj manufa^iirct 



valions en the cainmrrce of ^Imer'ica, f>. lid, Ji.\:h hy lieein;; llic materials of tlicni from all rcllraintt 



eJ.'\ It is probable, that the quantity imported and bnrthina is better uiidtrllobd now than it wa* 



was little, if at all, incrcafcd ; and thence wc may iu former ago. 



