A. D, 1784. 53 



A great variety of regulations were made for preventing fmuggling 

 in the procefs of diftillation, and in the removal and fale of fplritons li- 

 quors. An exemption from the excife duties, granted to the lands of 

 Ferintofh in Invernefs-fhire by the parliament of Scotland, M-as refumed 

 on payment of an equivalent to the proprietors. And feveral addition- 

 al duties laid upon rum of late years were fufpended for two years. 

 [24 Geo. Ill, Jejf. 2, c. 46.] 



Additional duties of zfy per pound of 24 ounces on raw filk, and of 

 2/ per pound of 16 ounces on throv/n filk, payable upon importation, 

 and of ^i : I : o per fodder or tun on lead, payable upon exportation, 

 together with a further charge of ten per cent computed on the amount 

 of thofe duties, were now impofed. At the fame time various bounties, 

 from \d to 2/8 per pound weight, were allowed on the exportation of 

 goods made of filk (except filk gauzes), or of filk mixed with other ar- 

 ticles,^ [24 Geo. Ill, feffl 2, c. 49.] 



The efl:ates in Scotland, which had been forfeited by the noblemen 

 and gentlemen engaged in the rebellion in the year 1745, were now 

 reftored to their heirs, they repaying the fums which government had 

 paid as debts upon them, when they were annexed to the crown. The 

 money, to be thus paid, was deflined to the patriotic purpofes of com- 

 pleting the regifter office for the reception of all the public records and 

 papers of Scotland, of completing the great canal between the Forth and 

 the Clyde, and of facilitating intercourfe in the Highlands by the con- 

 fl:rudlion of roads and bridges. For the regifter office ;i(^i 5, 000 were 

 allotted. ;^5o,ooo were added to the ftock of the proprietors of the 

 canal, who were reftrided from making any dividends till all their debts 

 are paid, including intereft on their own advances as well as on this 

 fum of ^^"50,000 ; after which the dividends arifing from it are appro- 

 priated to confi:itute the fund for the Highland roads and bridges. [24 

 Geo. Ill, fejp. 2, c. 57.] 



Four feveral adls were pafl^d this year for temporary prolongations 

 of the adt [23 Geo. Ill, c. 39] for preventing certain inftruments from 

 being required from veflels belonging to the United flaxes of America, 

 and vefting the king with powers to regulate the commerce with them. 

 [24 Geo. Ill, feff.i, CIS; M- 2, cc. I, 23, 45.] 



Notwithfl:anding the great improvements upon the roads, whereby 

 the feveral ftage coaches, diligences, carriage waggons, &c. had of late 

 years been enabled greatly to augment their fpeed in conveying paflen- 

 gers and goods, the pofi: flill continued to follow the old routine ; and 

 inftead of being, as it ought to be, the moft expeditious and fafefl con- 

 veyance, it was almoft the floweft and the moft liable to be robbed. As 

 a proof of this, it may be obferved, that the diligences between Bath 

 and London at this time ran the diftance in about feventeen hours, 

 while the poft took forty hours j and on other roads the difference in. 



