A. D. 1792. 235 



were made liable to fuch punifhraent as the courts may think proper to 

 inflid. [c. 44.] 



' For the better adminiflration of juftice in the ifland of Newfound- 

 * land and the iflands adjacent,' a court of criminal and civil jurifdidion 

 was eftablifhed with powers to take cognizance of all crimes committed 

 in Newfoundland, or on the iflands and feas reforted to for the fiiliery, 

 and alfo of all civil caufes. [c. 46.] 



For the encouragement of the leather manufadures, the black-oak 

 bark, and red-mangrove bark, were permitted to be imported in cafks 

 containing not lefs than 150 pounds net weight, on paying a duty of 

 two pence per hundredweight, [c. 49.] 



The coafting trade was reheved from the neceflity of taking out co- 

 quets and giving bonds of fecurity, except in cafes of goods prohibited 

 to be exported, and goods liable to duty, return of premium, &c. Com- 

 manders of coafting veffels muft give a bond (which needs no ftamp) to 

 land no goods contrary to law. The bond, called the llle-of-Mann bond, 

 was abolifhed. Corn, malt, meal, and flour, are permitted to be fliifted 

 from coafting vefl^els in the Rivers Forth and Clyde into lighters, and to 

 be conveyed by the Forth-and-Clyde canal to any port or creek upon 

 the canal or upon either of the rivers, under certain regulations, [c. 50.] 



The adl refpeding ftamp duties upon written agreements was explain- 

 ed fo, that letters fent by the poft, containing agreements between merch- 

 ants or other perfons upon bulinefs, fhall be binding upon the contradl- 

 ing parties, provided they ufually refide, and are actually at the time of 

 making the agreement, at the diftance of fifty miles from each other. 



In the courfe of this {effion Jive hundred and nineteen petitions were pre- 

 fented to parliament by civil, religious, and learned, communities in 

 England and Scotland, praying for an abolition of the flave trade ; and 

 eleven of them prayed for an immediate abolition of it. Neverthelefs, 

 the annual continuation of the ad for regulating the flave trade was 

 pafl^ed, as ufual. [c. 52.] 



The laws for fecuring the duties payable on the importation of for- 

 eign printed or ftained paper hangings being thought infufficient, the 

 revenue ofl&cers were direded to put upon each piece a ftamp certifying 

 the quantity and the payment of the duty. [c. 54.] 



The finking fund eftabliftied in the year 1786 had already been pro- 

 dudive beyond expedation, infomuch that on the j"' of April this year, 

 when its operation for fix years was complete, the commiflloners had 

 bought in j^9,44i ,850 of the capital of the national debt. It was now, 

 however, thought proper, that, befides that general provifion for buymg 

 up the national debt, there fliould be a particular provifion made for the 

 gradual extindion of any futitre debts to be created. For that purpofe -" 

 Mr. Pitt, the firft lord of the treafury and chancellor of the exchequer, . 



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