3. That a duty of 1 s. fterling money per gallon be laid upon all rum, or other fpirits, which fhall be imported or brought from any other of his majefty's colonies or dominions in America into the faid province.

4. That a duty of s. fterling money per gallon be laid upon all foreign brandy, or other fpirits, of foreign manufacture, imported or brought from Great-Britain into the faid province.

5. That a duty of 1 s. fterling money per gallon be laid upon all rum, or fpirits, of the produce or manufacture of any of the colonies or plantations in America, not in the poffeffion or under the dominion of his majefty, which fhall be imported or brought from any other place, except Great-Britain, into the faid province.

6. That a duty of 3 d. fterling money per gallon be laid upon all melaffes and fyrups, which fhall be imported or brought into the faid province in fhips or veffels belonging to his majesty's fubjects in Great-Britain or Ireland, or to his majesty's fubjects in the faid province.

By the first refolution of Jan. 27
By the fecond of ditto
By that of Feb. 1
By that of April 19
By the first of May 17
By third of May 19
By the fourth of ditto
By the fixth of ditto
By the first of May 26
By the fecond of ditto
By the third of ditto
By the fourth of ditto

7. That a duty of 6d. fterling money per gallon be laid upon all melaffes and fyrups, which shall be imported or brought into the faid province in any other ships or veffels in which the fame may be legally imported.

8. That the faid duties be levied and paid, over and above all other duties now payable in the faid province of Quebec by virtue of any former act or acts of parliament.

9. That a duty of 1 1. 16 s. fterling money be paid for every licence which fhall be granted, by the governor, lieutenant governor, or commander in chief, of the faid province, to any perfon or perfons, for keeping a houfe of public entertainment, or for felling or retailing wine, brandy, rum, or any other liquors, within the faid province.

10. That the faid duties to be raised in the faid province be applied, in the first place, in making a more certain and adequate provifion for the charge of the adminiftration of justice, and the fupport of civil government, in the faid province; and that the refidue of the faid duties be referved for the difpofition of parliament.

afcertained

}

386447 2-9

STATE

His Majefty's most gracious Speech to both Houfes of Parliament, on Thursday, January 13, 1774. My Lords and Gentlemen,

HE unufual, length of the

made me defirous of giving you as long a recefs as the publick fervice would admit. I have, therefore, been glad to find myself under no neceffity of calling you from your refpective counties at an earlier feafon; and I doubt not but you are now met together, in the beft difpofition, for applying yourselves to the dispatch of the publick bufinefs.

You wil!, I am perfuaded, agree with me in regretting, that the peace, fo long expected and to very defirable, is not yet effected between Ruffia and the Porte; but it is with real fatisfaction I can repeat, that other foreign powers continue ftill to have the fame pacifick difpofitions with myfelf. I can have no other with than to fee the general tranquillity restored: for the establishment, and fubfequent prefervation of which, no endeavours of mine, confiftent with the honour of my crown and the interefts of my people, fhall ever be wanting.

In this ftate of foreign affairs, you will have full leifure to attend to the improvement of our internal and domeftick fituation; and to

ferve your attention than the state of the gold coin; which I must recommend to you in a more particular manner, as well on account of its very high importance, as of the peculiar advantages which the prefent time affords, for executing with fuccefs fuch measures as you may find it expedient to adopt with refpect to this great national

concern.

The degree of diminution which that coin had actually fuffered, and the very rapid progrefs which the mifchief was daily making, were truly alarming. It is with much fatisfaction that I have feen the evil, in a great meafure, checked by the regulations made in the laft feffion of parliament. I truft, however, that you will not ftop here, nor think that you have difcharged your duty, either to your country or your fellow-fubjects, without ufing your beft endeavours for putting the gold coin upon fuch a footing, as may not only complete-. ly remove the prefent grievance, but render the credit and commerce of the kingdom fufficiently fecure from being again exposed to the like danger.

[R] 2

Gentle

Gentlemen of the House of

Commons,

I have ordered the proper eftimates for the current year to be laid before you; and rely on your readinefs to grant me fuch fupplies as fhall be found requifite in the pre

fent fituation of affairs.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The experience I have had of your paft conduct leaves me no room to doubt, either of your zeal or prudence, in your endeavours to promote the welfare of your country. You will not fuffer any parts of the public fervice to efcape your attention; but, various and extenfive as thofe are, you will be careful to felect, for your immediate deliberation, fuch of them as fhall appear to be most important: And you can propose no measures, that will ferve either to fecure or advance the happiness and profperity of my people, in which you may not always depend on my most hearty concurrence.

We cannot but exprefs our concern, that the peace, fo long expected, and fo very defirable, is not yet concluded between Ruffia and the Porte. It gives us, however, great fatisfaction to hear of the continuance of the pacifick difpofitions of other foreign powers; and we humbly beg leave to return your majefty our fincerest thanks for your majesty's most gra cious declaration, that no endeavours fhall be wanting on your part, confiftent with the honour of your crown, and the interefts of your people, towards the establishment and fubfequent prefervation of the public tranquillity.

Your majesty may be affured, that we entertain the juftest sense of your majefty's paternal care, in recommending to your parliament to make ufe of this feafon of tranquillity for improving the commerce and revenue of the kingdom, and in pointing out to us particularly the neceffity and great national advantage of putting the gold coin on fuch a footing, as may completely remove the prefent grievance, and fecure the credit and commerce of the kingdom from being again expofed to the like danger: The wifdom and goodness of your majefty, on this occafion, appear in fo confpicuous a light as cannot fail to fill our minds with the deepest gratitude, and raife in us the ftrongeft defire of employing our utmost ef forts for fuch falutary purposes.

Animated with every fentiment of duty to your majefty, and zeal for the publick welfare, we will take under our moft ferious confideration the important objects to which your majesty is directed

our attention.

His Majesty's most gracious Answer

My Lords,

I thank you for this loyal addrefs. Nothing can give me greater fatisfaction than thefe affurances of your duty and affection.

You may always depend upon my hearty concurrence in every measure that contributes to the improvement of commerce, and the true intereft and profperity of my people.

your generous concern for the happinefs of mankind.

We are truly fenfible that it is our duty, as it fhall be our care, to employ the leisure which the ftate of foreign affairs allows us, in attending to our internal and domeftic fituation: And we cannot but acknowledge your majesty's great wifdom, in recommending and pointing out to our ferious confideration the ftate of the gold coin of this kingdom, as well on account of its very extenfive impor

Moft gracious Sovereign,

Wtiful and loyal fubjects, the

your majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great-Britain in parliament affembled, return your majefty our most humble thanks, for your majesty's most gracious fpeech from the throne.

Permit us, Sir, to affure your majefty, that we fincerely regret that the peace fo long expected, and fo much defired, is not yet effected between Ruffia and the Porte; but, at the fame time, we beg leave to exprefs the fatisfaction we feel, in learning that other foreign powers continue ftill to have the fame pacifick difpofitions with your majesty: We acknowledge, with the utmoft gratitude, the affurance which your majefty has been pleafed to repeat to us, that you have no other with than to fee the general tranquillity reftored and preferved, confiftently with the honour of your crown, and the interefts of your people; and we conder this gracious declaration of your majefty as a fresh inftance of your majefty's paternal care for the welfare of your fubjects, and of

which the present time affords, for conducting and executing with fuccefs any measures touching this great national object: we faw, with the deepeft concern, the difficulties and diftrefs in which the nation was on the point of being involved, by the very alarming degree of diminution which this coin had actually fuffered, before the evil was checked by the regulations made in the last feffion of parliament; and we beg leave to affure your majefty, that, impreffed with a juft fenfe of our duty to our country and our fellow-fubjects, we will exert our beft endeavours to accomplish the great work of putting the gold coin on fuch a footing, as may not only completely remove the prefent grievance, but, as far as the nature of the cafe will admit, render the credit and commerce of the kingdom fecure from being again expofed to the like danger.

Your faithful commons will, with the utmost chearfulness, grant to your majesty fuch fupplies as fhall be found neceffary in the prefent fituation of affairs: And your majefty may be affured, that, animated by your recommendation, [R] 3

and

The neceffity of providing fome effectual remedy for the great and manifold mischiefs, both publick and private, arifing from the impaired fate of the gold coin, induced me, at the opening of the feffion, to recommend that important object to your confideration: in the feveral measures you have taken for the redress of thofe evils, you have fufficiently manifefted, as well your regard to the general credit, and commercial interefts, of the kingdom, as to the immediate eafe and accommodation of my people.

The very peculiar circumstances

of embarraffment in which the province of Quebec was involved, had rendered the proper adjustment and regulation of the government thereof, a matter of no fmall diffieulty. The bill which you prepared for that purpose, and to which I have now given my affent, is founded on the cleareft principles of juftice and humanity; and will, I doubt not, have the best effects in quieting the minds, and promoting the happiness of my Canadian fubjects.

I have long feen, with concern, a dangerous fpirit of refiftance to my government, and to the execution of the laws, prevailing in the province of Maffachufet's Bay, in New England. It proceeded, at length, to fuch an extremity, as to render your immediate interpofition indifpenfably neceffary; and you have, accordingly, made provifion as well for the fuppreffion of the prefent diforders, as for the prevention of the like in future. The temper and firmness with which you have conducted yourfelves in this important bufinefs, and the general concurrence with which the refolution of maintaining the authority of the laws, in every part of my dominions, hath been adopted and fupported, cannot fail of giving the greatest weight to the measures which have been the refult of your deliberations. Nothing that depends on me fhall be wanting to render them effectual. It is my most anxious defire to fee my deluded fubjects, in that part of the world, returning to a fenfe of their duty, acquiefcing in that just fubordination to the authority, and maintaining that due regard to the commercial interests of this coun

trys