76 A. D. 1785. 



tobacco fnould be imported in no veflels under feventy tuns burthen, 

 nor in quantities fmaller than 450 pounds, packed in one folid compact 

 niafs in each cafk or package, and into no other ports of Great Britain, 

 but London, Briftol, Liverpool, Lancafter, Cowes, Whitehaven, Hull, 

 Port-Glafgow, and Greenock. Tobacco maybe imported diredtlyfroni 

 the United flates of America, either in American or Britifh vefTels navi- 

 gated according to law. From any of the Britifh colonies it muft be 

 imported in Britifh vefTels only, and they may bring from the Britifh 

 colonies any American tobacco, which has been carried from the 

 United ftates to fuch Britifh colony in Britifli vefTels, The importers 

 have their option, either to pay down the duty, or to lodge the tobacco 

 in the cuftom-houfe warehoufe, and give bond for the whole duty pay- 

 able in twenty months, which may be cancelled by exportation of the 

 tobacco, or, if it fhould fo happen, by its being defhroyed by fire in the 

 warehoufe, while under the cuflody of the revenue officers. [25 Geo. 

 III,c. 81.] 



During this feflion acls were pafled for making two additional dry 

 docks and piers in the harbour of Liverpool (c. 15) ; for improving the 

 harbour of Sunderland and the navigation of the River Were {c. 26) ; 

 for improving the harbour of Yarmouth and the navigation of the rivers 

 running into it (c 36) ; and for maintaining and improving the har- 

 bour of Cromarty {c. 39). 



Several ads were alfo pafled in the courfe of the feflion for canals,, 

 roads, and other improvements. 



It has already been obferved, that many people on both fides of the 

 Atlantic forgot (or afFe^led to forget) that the independence of the 

 Americans neceflarily placed them in the fame fituation with other 

 foreign nations in refped to their intercourfe with Great Britain, and 

 confequently excluded them from the ports of the Britifh colonies. 

 The people of Bofion, however, were highly offended by the exclufion 

 from the ports of the Well-Indies, by the high duties on rice, oil, and 

 tobacco, and by the regulations for the Britifh fifheries in the American 

 leas. They were alfo greatly alarmed at the eftablifhment of Britifh 

 factors in their country (a meafure rendered necefTary by the enormous 

 deficiencies of fome of thofe, who afTumed the charader of merchants 

 in America immediately after the peace) and they prefented a petition 

 (22'' April 1785) to the congrefs for regulations to counterad thofe of 

 Great Britain ; w-hich was foon followed by an ad of the common- 

 wealth of MafTachufets (June 23"*) for the regulation of navigation and 

 commerce, whereby they prohibited the exportation of any Ame- 

 rican produce or manufadure from their ports in vefTels owned by 

 Britifh fubjeds after the V of Augufl; 1785, with a provifional excep- 

 tion in favour of thole Britifh fettlements, whofe governors fhould 

 reverfe their proclamations againft the admiffion of American vefTels in 



