710 A. D. 1 782. 



May Stf* — ^The ifland of New Providence furrendered to the arms of 

 Spain : and the innrmerable ckifler of the Bahama illands, of which k 

 was the feat of government, and then alfo the only one containing any 

 confidcrable number of inhabitants, was comprehended in the capitula- 

 tion. Of all the numerous iflands and fettlements in the Weft-Indies, 

 colonized or conquered by Grtat Britain, there remained now only 

 lamaica v.iUi its dependencies, Barbados, Antigua, the Virgin ifland.s, 

 Anguilla, Barbuda, and Bermuda. 



May — The reduction of the bounty being found to diminifli the 

 number of velTcls employed in the Greenland whale filhery, it was again 

 raifed to forty fliillings a tun. And, whereas in time of war it is ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to procure the number of men required by the law, 

 the lliips were permitted to take in men, not exceeding two for every 

 fifty tuns of their burthen at Shetland, and to land them there on their 

 return from the filhery. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 19.] 



The ad, permitting the importation of tallow, hog's lard, and greafe, 

 free of duty, was continued till the 25'' of March 1785. [22 Geo, III, 

 c. 20.] 



Some regulations for preventing the fraudulent importation of foreign 

 fnuff, and to prevent fmuggling by veflels fitted out as privateers, were 

 enacted. [22 Geo. HI, c. 21.] 



The praclicc of ranibming fliips taken by the enemy being found 

 liable to great abufes, it was prohibited under a penalty of ;^500, and all 

 ranfom bills were declared to be null and void after a limited time. [22 

 Geo. Ill, c. 25.] 



An additional duty of four pence on every pound of tobacco, and of 

 eight perice on every pound of fnuff, imported, was ordered to take place 



after the i" of June 1782 The duties of cuftoms upon brandy and 



arrack were repealed, and a new duty impofed of ^8 : 8 : o with an ad- 

 dition of five per cent upon that duty, upon every tun, containing 252 

 gallons, of brandy, or fpirits entered under that name, imported from 

 any foreign country, and the fame upon arrack. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 28. J 



The Britiih planters in the iflands of S'. Chriftopliers,- Nevis, and 

 Montferrat, now living under the dominion of France, were permitted 

 to carry their produce to any part of the Britifli dominions in Europe 

 or America, and to pay only the duties payable upon the produce of the 

 iflands fubjed to Britain. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 30.] 



Tjie act [6 Geo. Ill, c. 22] for regulating the loading of fliips with 

 coal at Newcaftle and Sunderland, being found beneficial, was pro- 

 longed till 1^'^ March 1789. [22 Geo. HI, c. 32.] 



Inland bills of exchange, prom>ifibry notes, and other notes not pay- 

 able on demand, were fubjeded to flanip duties*. [22 Geo. III., c. 33. J 

 This regulation made a confiderable addition to the income of the pofl- 



• Asthofe (lamp duties were afterjcards augmented, it Is nerdkfs to take further notice of them here. 



