^oo A. D. 1794. 



encifted, that the underwriters to a policy of infurance on a flave veflei 

 fliall not be liable (whatever the terms of the policy may be) to pay any 

 lofs by the natural death, or ill treatment, of Haves, or any damage fuf- 

 tained by reflraints and detainments of the princes or people of Africa, 

 where fuch damage Ihall appear to have been occafioned by the aggref- 

 fion of the commander or any of the feamen of the flaving vellel for 

 the purpofe of procuring flaves. \_c. 80] 



For the purpofe of effeding a more diredt communication between 

 Briftol and Bath and London than that by the canal between Lechlade 

 and Stroud water, a canal was projeded to extend from the River Ken- 

 net near Newbury in Berk-fhire to the River Avon at Bath. The capital 

 ftock, as fettled by the ad of parliament was ^420, 000, with liberty to raife 

 /^ 1 50,000 more, if neceflary, by mortgage, or by new lliares. \_c. 90] 



It is worthy obfervation, that, from the commencement of the fellion 

 of parliament in the year 1790 to the conclufion of the feffion in 1794, 

 no fewer than 81 acls were paffed for navigable canals and improvements 

 of inland navigations, whereof 25 were in the year 1793, and 20 in the 

 year 1794. Mr. Phillips, in his Hi/lory of inland navigation, obferves, 

 that the capital flocks of the canals, for which acts w^ere paffed in thefe 

 two years, amounted to /^5, 300, 000, all expended at home among the in- 

 genious, the induftrious, and the labouring, members of the community, 

 for the purpofe of improving, and enriching, not only thofe parts of 

 the country through which the canals pafs, but the whole kingdom, and 

 augmenting the general mafs of our commerce. Many of them are 

 additional branches, or extenfions, or amendments, of canals already 

 projeded or executed. But it would be tedious to particularize them ; 

 and the principal ones are already noticed, or will be noticed at the time 

 of completing them. It feems not at all improbable, that canals will 

 in a few years be almoft as numerous as turnpike roads, as their fuperi- 

 ority over them is fo very obvious for affording a cheap and eafy con- 

 veyance for heavy goods, many kinds of which could not be conveyed 

 at all by land carriage. 



In this feffion a bill for abolifhing that branch of the flave trade, 

 which fupplies foreign colonies with flaves, w\as paffed in the houfe of 

 commons : but it was thrown out in the houfe of lords by a majority 

 of 45 againfl 4. 



Augurt i" — The commiffloners for advancing exchequer bills in fup- 

 port of commercial credit reported to parliament, that the whole 

 number ot applications made to them for afliftance was only 332, the 

 knowlege that loans could be obtained having in feveral inftances fuf- 

 ficed to render them unneceffary, infomuch that the total of the fums 

 applied for was confiderably {hort of that allowed by parliament, be- 

 ing only /^3, 855, 624. Of the applications 238 were granted, amount- 

 ing to ;^2,202,ooo ; there were withdrawn 45 for fums amounting to 

 ^(^1,215.100 ; and 49 were rejeded for various reafons. The whole 

 fum advanced was repaid ; a confiderable part before it became due, 



