A. D. 1780. 66 r 



being Indemnified for expending a large fum in building three Ihips of 

 74 guns tobe prefented to the public. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 56.] 



The company were alfo indulged with time for receiving the draw- 

 back on the exportation of feme coffee, imported in the year 1775, 

 beyond the period limited by law. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 58.] 



The ufe of copper fheathing being now univerfal in the navy, that 

 metal came to be confidered as a part of military ftores, and as fuch, 

 it became an objed of the attention of the legiflature, that it fhould be 

 carefully guarded againft the rifk of capture by the enemy. The ex- 

 portation of it, and even the carriage of it by water from one port of 

 Britain to another, were therefor flridly prohibited. [20 Geo. Ill, 



c- 59-] 



The whale filhery in the Greenland feas, and that in the Gulf of 

 S'. Laurence, being under different regulations, the latitude of 59° 30 

 was fixed as the legal limit between them. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 60.] 



For the advantage of trade and the honour of this kingdom, the re- 

 wards held out for the difcovery of the longitude, or improvements in 

 the calculation of it, were continued. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 61.] 



Among the articles of public expenditure the only one meriting to be 

 noted here is that, which gave /^i 0,000 this year, inflead of the cuflom- 

 ary ^^5,000, to the Levant, or Turkey, company. [20 Geo. Ill, c. 62.] 



July 4''' — As fome counterpoife to the unfriendly operations of the 

 Dutch and the apprehended effeds of the Northern armed neutrality, a 

 negotiation was entered into with the king of Denmark for an explanation 

 of the 16'^ article of the treaty of alliance and commerce between Great 

 Britain and Denmark in the year 1670, wherein the fpecies of goods, 

 prohibited to be carried by the fubjedts of either of the contracting fo- 

 vereigns to the enemies of the other had been fuperficially defcribed 

 under the general name of contrabanda. It was now agreed that, beiides 

 all kinds of artillery, ammunition, arms, armour, foldiers, horfes and 

 their furniture, they fhould alfo include, under the denomination of 

 contraband, timber for fhip-building, pitch, tar, rofin, copper in Iheets, 

 fails, canvafs, cordage, and in general every article ufed in fitting out 

 iliips ; excepting only iron in a rough flate, and fir planks. But it 

 was exprefsly declared, that fifli and meat, whether frefh or faked, grain 

 and flour of all kinds, oil, wine, and all other articles for the nourifli- 

 ment and fuflenance of life, fhould be freely carried to any port be- 

 longing to the enemies of the other party, provided it is not in a flate 

 of blockade *. 



July 17"^ — The parliament of Ireland, having refolvcd to encourage 

 the cultivation of flax and the manufadure of linen in their own coun- 

 try, repealed the bounties payable on the importation of flax-feed, and 



• The original is publilhcd by Mr. Chalmers io bit CollcBion rj ireatict, V. i, /. 97. 



