292 A. D. 1794. 



as he reprefented in a petition to the hoiife of commons (31" March 

 1794), the work is performed in a fuperior manner, and the intereft of 

 the manufadure is greatly promoted. 



The wool-combers, in the ufual fpirit of jealouCy manifefted by moll 

 work-people againfl the ufe of machinery for abridging labour, pre- 

 fented a great number of petitions to parliament, fetting forth, that 

 their bufinefs differed from mofl: others wherein machinery had been 

 introduced, in that it was impoffible to increafe the quantity of the raw 

 material along with the increafed power of working it up: and they af- 

 ferted, that their numbers were fully adequate to work up all the wool 

 of the fort fit for combing, that could be procured. 



On the other hand it was alleged, not only by the inventors of the 

 machinery^ but alfo by the proprietors of four large manufattories in 

 Nottingham and York-fliire, that the wool-combers were very feldom 

 willing to work half of their time, whereby the manufadure had been 

 greatly injured ; that the ufe of the machinery afforded a remedy for 

 that evil, and would alfo tend to promote an increafe in the quantity of 

 wool and of mutton ; and therefor they prayed, that parhament would 

 not facrifice fuch important interefts to the licentious difcontents of the 

 wool-combers. 



February 20"" — The firll ad of the legiflature in the year 1794 was 

 to raife.the fum of ^Ti 1,000,000 by a loan, the fubfcribers to which re- 

 ceived, for every /^i 00 paid in by them, /^ 100 in the three-per-cent 

 confolidated fund, ^^25 in the four-per-cent fund, and a terminable an- 

 nuity of 1 1/5 for 66": years. [34 Geo. Ill, c. i.] The capital of the 

 debt thus created amounted to /^i 1,000,000 in the three-per-cents, 

 ;:(^2,750,oooin thefoar-per-cents,andanannualchargeof/^62,79i : 13:^1, 

 payable till January i860. 



February 31" — Several additional duties of excife were impofed on 

 the various kinds of home-made fpirits. \c. 2] 



Additional duties of excife were alfo impofed on foreign liquors im- 

 ported, viz. on bandy lo^^per gallon; on rum or other fpirits, the pro- 

 duce of the Britifh plantations %d ; on all other foreign fpiritous liquors 

 lod, and on fuch as are above proof the above duties are doubled. [<:. 3] 

 The temporary duties, lately impofed on fpiritous liquors and fugar 

 for the purpofe of paying off certain exchequer bills, were now made 

 perpetual, [r. 4] 



March i" — The French government having required all merchants, 

 bankers, and others, pofTefling property in any foreign country, to give 

 an account of it, the parliament, in order to prevent the French pro- 

 perty in Great Britain from being taken from the proprietors, and em- 

 ployed in fupport of the war, enaded, that no perfon fliould by any 

 means pay any money for the ufe of any perfon refiding in the French 

 dominions ; and that the property fhould be preferved for the proprie- 



