A. D. 1789. 189 



The temporary a<5t of lad feffion for regulating the flave trade was 

 renewed for another year (till i" Auguft 1790); and fome additions 

 were made in order to prevent the abufe of turning off the feamen in 

 the We{l-"''ndies, or treating them barbaroufly and ftarving them, in 

 order to force them to defert their veffels and forfeit their wages ; one 

 of which was, that the wages due to deferters flrould not, as formerly, 

 fink into the pockets of the owners, but be paid to Greenwich hofpical. 

 A form of the prefcribed articles and mufter-roll were annexed to the 

 adl. The former contained an obligation to pay the wages in fterling 

 value *, a table of the provifions and liquor to be ferved to every man 

 onboard, a flipulation for a compenfation in money in cafe ot a necef- 

 fity for the crew to go upon ihort allowance, and an obligation upon 

 the commander to hire the natives to procure wood and water for his 

 veflel on the coaft of Africa f , and to have proper awnings to proted 

 the men from the weather. Alfo, in order to prevent the fhip from 

 running away from fuch of the men as may happen to be on Ihore in 

 the Weft-Indies, the commander is obliged to loofe the fore top-fail 

 and fire a gun, as a fignal for failing, four-and-twenty hours before he 

 adually gets under w-ay J. [c. 66] This ad, with the articles and 

 mufter-rolls, was renewed annually till the year 1799^ when a perman- 

 ent ad:, with fome new regulations, apparently eftablilhed the flave trade 

 as a regular and lawful branch of commerce. 



The ads of parliament for preventing the fraudulent trade in tobacco 

 had been attended VN^th little fuccefs : but it was expeded, that that 

 trade, which was now the principal objed and dependence of the fmug- 

 glers §. would be thrown entirely into the hands of the fair traders, if 

 the manufadure of it were fubjeded to the vifitation of the officers of 

 excife. The confolidated duties upon tobacco and fnuff were therefor 

 divided, and the greateft part put under the management of the com- 

 milfioners of excife. It v/as cnaded that the goods might be lodged in . 

 warehoufes immediately on their importation, and the whole of the du- 

 ties might remain unpaid, till they fliould be taken out. As a further 

 curb upon fmuggling, tobacco and articles manufadured from it, are 

 not permitted to be imported from any part of the w^orld but America 

 (with an exception in favour of tobacco the produce of Spain, Portugal, 

 and Ireland), nor in vefiels of lefs than 120 tuns burthen, nor in pack- 



* It was but a poor excufe to fay, that pay- the middle in the water of the river?, were the 



inent in the provincial c>,rrcncy, inftead of fter- principal caufcs of the difeafes and mortality of 



ling, was agreeable to the articles ; becaufe, though the Itaruen in that murderous trade, 

 the men had even read, or heard, I he articles, maiiy ^ It is necefiary for the reader to remember, 



of them did not know the difference between iler- that flave (hips carry out more than twice as many 



ling money and provincial currency. — Forms of men as are necefiary to work them on the home- 



the old articles may be feen in the Rcpirt of the ward paflRge. 

 piivy louncil on the Jlave trade. f Mr. Pitt dated the quantity of tobaceo an- 



f It appeared on the evidence of the furgeons, nually fmr^j^led iulo this country to be about 



that thefe fervices, requiring the men to be up to feven milhoiio of pounds. 



