A. D. 1782. 717 



transferred to :x committee of the privy council, who are to act with- 

 out falary, fee, or pcnfion : and any pubhc money, wliich was under 

 the management of tlie lords of trade and police in Scotland, was 

 transferred to the management of the convention of royal burghs. 

 [22 Geo. IJI,c. 82.] 



Several confidcrable improvements in Ix>ndon and the fuburbs, and 

 in other cities and towns, as alfo improvements of roads, and otlier 

 matters of police throughout the kingdom, were carried on under the 

 fan(5lion of ads of this feffion of parliament. 



In the beginning of this fummer the emperor of Germany, being 

 defirous of promoting the commerce of Triefte, the mod confiderable 

 of his two ports in the Mediterranean, advanced four millions of florins 

 to the merchants of that place to enable them to extend their com- 

 mercial enterprifes to Afia and Africa, and alfo to America. 



In the courfe of this fummer the Spaniards were driven from every 

 one of the ports, which they had fortified on the Mufquito fliore in order 

 to harafs the Britifh fettlers. 



Auguft — Two of the fmall fettlements belonging to the Hudfon's- 

 bay company, called Fort Prince of Wales and Fort York, were in- 

 vaded by a French armament, confifling of one ihip of 74 guns (the 

 only ftiip of the line, that ever was in Hiidfon's bay) and two frigates 

 of ^6 guns each, with 250 foldiers, 40 artillery-men, cannons, mortars, 

 &c. and commanded by Mr. Peroufe, who was afterwards loft in a 

 voyage of difcovcry in the South fea. Againft fo very formidable an 

 attack the company's few fervants had no defence, and cunfcquently 

 fubmitted at difcretion. Mr. Peroufe, according to his orders, de- 

 moHfhed the forts, M-hereby the company loft property to the amount, 

 as is faid, of /^soo.ooo ; and then he retired, having firft humanely 

 landed arms and provifions for the defence and fupport of fome ot the 

 company's fervants, who had fled into the woods on his approach. 



The Dutch were deprived of Accra, Commcnda, and moft of their 

 other trading pofts, or forts, upon the wcftern coaft of Africa by Britifli 

 ftiips of war m the courfe of this year. 



The king of France having advanced to the congrefs of the United 

 ftates of America, 



from 28'" FcbriKiry to 1" November 1778 - 3,000,000 livrcs,, 



from 10'" June to 21" December 1779 - 1,000,000 



from 29"" February to 27"' November 1780 - 4,000,000 

 from 15'" February to 15'" November 1781 - 4,000,000 

 and from 10" April to 5" July 1782 - 6,000,000 



the congrefs ftood bound to pay the whole fum of i8,oco,ooo 



with intereft at five per cent to the king's banker at Paris on the l" of 



January 1788. But the king, defirous of Ihowing kindncfs to hi«; 



