A. D, 16(30. 491 



ac^s being made without the bifhops, and the parliament being diflblved 

 the 20th of December 1 660, the next parhament thought fit to re-enacl 

 them all. [13 Car. II, c. 14.] 



By a refolution of a committee of the Britifh houfe of commons, on 

 the 28th of March 1735, it appears that the privilege enjoyed by mem- 

 bers of parliament of franking their letters, was co-eval with this eftablifh- 

 ment, viz. ' it is the opinion of this committee, that the privilege of 



* franking letters by the knights, citizens, and burgefTes, chofen to re- 

 ' prefent the commons in parliament, began with the creeling a poft- 



* office within this kingdom, by ad of parliament. And that all letters, 



* not exceeding two ounces, figned by, or dn-eded to, any member of 



* this houfe, during the fitting of every fellion of parliament, and forty 



* days before, and forty days, after every fummons or prorogation, 

 ' ought to be carried and delivered freely, and from all parts of Great 



* Britain and Ireland, without any charge of poftage.' 



Soon after the reftoration of Charles II the French began to invade 

 the ifland of Newfoundland, till then folely polTefTed by England. They 

 firfl fettled on the fouthern coaft of it, by the help of their colony in 

 Canada, and flrongly fortified therafelves at Placentia, where they con- 

 tinued to encroach on the Englifh in the wars of King William and 

 Queen Anne. 



It is certain that there is a vafl profit accruing to the public from the 

 Newfoundland fifhery. It breeds great numbers of excellent feamen. 

 It keeps up a great number of fhipping. It employs many various 

 trades. It perhaps gains us almoft L4oo,ooo per annum increafe to the 

 national flock of treafure, from Portugal, Spain, and Italy, to which 

 countries mofl of the fi(h is carried ; what is fliipped for Britain and 

 Ireland being but inconfidcrable, when compared with what is fent to 

 thofe countries ; and fome alio is fent to the fugar iflands. Computa- 

 tions have been made, that a fliip of 1 00 tons uiually carries to market 

 as much fifh as yields L3000, of which L2000 is faid to be clear gain ; 

 which fhews, that the fiOiery is of all trades the moll; profitable. There 

 were ufually two different ways of conducting that trade. Some vidual 

 and man their fliips from Poole, Dartmouth, Biddeford, and other weft- 

 ern ports, and refort early to the banks of Newfoundland, to fifli on 

 their own proper account. Others fail diredly to the land, and pur- 

 chafe their cargoes of thofe fifliers, or elfe of the inhabitants from off 

 their ffages. The banks are vaft flioals, or fubmarine mountains, to 

 which the cod refort in infinite numbers. 1 rain-oil is drawn from 

 their livers in conliderable quantities. On thofe banks, and on the coafts 

 of Newfoundland, there have been feen 600 or 700 vefTels of difierent 

 nations fifhing at the fame time. 



This year Sir Thomas Modyford, an eminent planter in the ifland of 

 Barbados, after acquiring a vail fortune there, removed to Jamaica, 



3 0.2 



