A. D.I 775' 5^5 



1775 — The net duties, paid at the cuftom-houle of Dublin between 

 3" January 1774 and 3" January 1775, amounted to ;C352,309on goods 

 imported, and £2,g^i on goods exported, being in all ^^355, 260. 



A new method of afcertaining the longitude by obferving the diftancc 

 of the moon from the fun with an inftrument invented by Meflleurs 

 Turnbull and Latimer was tried, and found to anfwer with the greatefl: 

 cxadnefs, lb that the longitude may be determined by it at fea at all 

 times when the obfervation can be made. 



February 17'" — Low-priced wool-cards were permitted to be exported 

 to the Britifli colonies in America, notwithftanding the ad of laft feffion 

 againft the exportation of manufacturing utenfils [15 Geo. ///, r. 5.] 



March 23'' — The free importation of faked provifions from Ireland 

 and the colonies in America was continued till the 30"' of March r 776 ; 

 and potatoes and all kinds of pulfe were now permitted to be imported 

 free from Ireland during the fame time. — [15 Geo. Ill, c. 7.] 



March 30'" — The American colonics having refolved not to have any 

 trading intercourfe with Britain till their grievances fhould beredrefled, 

 the parliament, notwithftanding many and very ftrong petitions, from the 

 Weft-InJia planters (who dreaded the ruin of their eftates by the want 

 of theufual fupplies of American provifions and lumber) from the mer- 

 chants of London, and from all the trading and manufacturing towns in 

 the three kingdoms, paffed an ad to reftrain the people of Maffachufets 

 bay, New Hampftiire, Conncdicut, Rhode ifland, and Providence plant- 

 ation (which provinces pafs under the general name of New-England) 

 from trading to any other country, notwithftanding the indulgences 

 formerly granted with refpcd to fait for the fillieries, wines from Ma- 

 deira and the Wcftern iflands, and vidual and linen from Ireland. They 

 were alio deprived of the liberty of fending their fifliing velfels to the 

 coafts of Newfoundland, Labrador, or Nova Scotia, or in ftiort any part 

 of the coaft of North America ; and all fuch veflels were declared liable 

 to fei/.urc after the 20"' of July 1775, imlcfs provided with certificates 

 from the governor of the colony they failed from. 



Veflels fitted out before the i" of July folely for the whale fidiery, 

 veflbls entirely owned in the ifland of Nantucket, and veflels fitted out 

 for catching mackerel, fliads, and alewivcs, owned in the towns of 

 Marlhficld and .Scituate, were exempted from the rigour of this ad. — 

 [15 Geo. III. c. lo.J 



April 1 3'" — The reftridion laid by parliament upon the trade and 

 fiflieries of the New-Kngland provinces, was now extended to New jcrfoy, 



Pennfylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South Ciirolina [i^ Geo. Ill, 



c. 18.] 



But before the pafllng of thefe ads could be h.eard of in America, 

 the long-impending and threatening clouds had burft in deeds of open 

 hoftility, the event of which was to determine the fate of the colonies. 



