A. D. 1766 "XVI. British merchants, who fhall hire or employ domeftics, fhall, in this particular, be obliged to conform themselves to the laws of this empire. And Ruffian merchants fhall be equally obliged to do the fame in Great Britain. XVII. In all law-fuits, and other proceedings, the British merchants fhall be amenable only to the college of commerce, or to that which thall hereafter be established for the adminiftration of justice between merchants. But, if it fhould happen that the British merchants fhould have law-fuits in any place at a distance from the above-mentioned college of commerce, both they and the adverse party fhall prefer their complaints to the magiftrate of the faid towns; with this provifo, however, that the British merchants fhall have the right to appeal from the fentence of the magiftrate, and to demand that of the college of commerce, if they find themselves aggrieved. The Ruffian merchants in the dominions of Great Britain, shall, in their turn, have the fame protection and juftice, which, according to the laws of that kingdom, are granted to other foreign merchants, and fhall be treated as the fubjects of the moft favoured nation. "XVIII. The British merchants in Ruffia, and the Ruffian merchants in Great Britain, fhall not be obliged to fhew their books or papers to any perfon whatever, unless it be to make proof in the court of juftice; ftill lefs fhall the faid books or papers be taken or detained from them. If, however, the cafe fhould happen, that any British merchant becomes bankrupt, he shall be amenable at St. Petersburgh to the college of commerce, or to that which fhall hereafter be established for the administration of justice in mercantile affairs; and in other remote towns, to the magiftrate of the place; and he fhall be proceeded against according to the laws that are or fhall be made for this purpofe. Nevertheless, if the British merchants, without becoming bankrupt, refuse to pay their debts, whether to the treasury of her Imperial Majefty, or to individuals, it fhall be lawful to lay an arrest upon part of their effects equivalent to their debts; and, in cafe thefe effects fhould not be fufficient for difcharging fuch debts, they may themselves be arrested and detained in cuftody, until fuch time as the greater part of their creditors, as well with refpect to number, as to the value of their refpective demands, have confented to their enlargement. With regard to their effects laid under arreft, they fhall remain as a depofit in the hands of those who fhall be named and duly authorised for that purpose, by the greater part of their creditors, as is above specified; which delegates fhall be obliged to appraise the effects as foon as poffible, and to make a juft and fair diftribution of them to all the creditors, in proportion to their respective demands. The fame procedure shall, in like cafes, be observed towards the Ruffian merchants in the dominions of Great Britain, and they fhall be there protected agreeably to the regulations made in the preceding article. "XIX. In case of complaints and law-fuits, three perfons of fair and unblemished character among the foreign merchants, fhall, with a proper regard to circumftances, be named by the college of commerce; and where there is no fuch college, by the magiftrate, to examine the books and papers of the parties; and the report they fhall make to the college of commerce, or to the magiftrate, of what they shall find in the faid books or papers, fhall be held a good proof. "XX. The commiffioners of the customs fhall have the charge of examining the fervants or clerks of the Ruffian merchants, when they caufe their goods to be entered, whether they have, for that effect, the orders or full powers of the mafters; and if they have not fuch, they fhall not be credited. The fame conduct fhall be obferved towards the fervants of the British merchants; and, when the faid fervants, having the orders or full powers of their mafters, fhall 3 A. D. 1766 fhall cause their goods to be entered on account of their masters, these last shall be as refponfible as if they themselves had caufed them to be entered. All the Ruffian fervants employed in the fhops fhall likewise be registered, and their mafters fhall answer for them in the affairs of trade, and in the bargains which they make in their name. "XXI. In cafe the Ruffian merchants who are indebted to the British merchants withdraw from the places of their abode to other parts or diftricts, the college of commerce, after complaints fhall have been made to them on the subject, and proofs of the debts have been adduced, fhall cite them three times, allowing them a fufficient space to appear in perfon; and if they do not appear within the term prescribed, the faid college fhall condemn them, and shall fend, at the expence of the plaintiff, an exprefs to the governors and waywodes, with orders to put the sentence in execution, and thus fhall oblige the debtors to pay the fums specified. "XXII. The brokerage shall be settled with justice, and the brokers fhall be refponfible for the qualities of the goods and fraudulent package; and fhall be obliged, after fufficient proofs produced against them, to make up the loffes to which they have given occafion. "XXIII. A regulation fhall be made to prevent the abuses that may be committed in the package of leather, hemp, and flax; and, if any difpute happen between the buyer and the feller concerning the weight or the tare, the commiffioners of the customs fhall determine it according to equity. "XXIV. In order the more effectually to encourage and promote the trade of Great Britain, it is agreed, that, for the future, the English woollen cloths hereafter specified, shall not pay any greater duties on entry than are settled in this article: viz. English cloth for the use of the foldiery, shall pay, in rixdollars, only two copecs, or pennies, for every arfheen, or 714 yards, as a duty on entry; coarse cloth of the county of York, known in the Ruffian tariff by the name of Coftrogy, shall only pay two copecs for every arfheen: broad flannel fhall only pay one copec per arfheen; narrow flannel shall only pay three-fourths of a copec per arfheen, all as duty on entry. And in every thing that regards the impofts and duties payable on the importation or exportation of commodities in general, the subjects of Great Britain fhall always be confidered and treated as the most favoured nation. XXV. The peace, friendship, and good understanding fhall continue for ever between the high contracting parties; and, as it is customary to fix a certain term to the duration of treaties of commerce, the above-mentioned high contracting parties have agreed, that this treaty fhall continue for twenty years, counting from the day of figning; and after the expiration of that term, they may agree upon the means to renew and prolong it. "XXVI. The prefent treaty of navigation and commerce fhall be approved and ratified by his Britannic Majefty and by her Imperial Majesty; and the ratifications, in due and lawful form, fhall be exchanged at St. Petersburgh, in the space of three months, or fooner, if poffible, counting from the day of figning. "In witnefs whereof, we, the under-figned, in virtue of the full powers granted to us by his Majesty the King of Great Britain, and by her Imperial Majefty of all the Ruffias, have figned the present treaty, and thereto fet our feals. Done at St. Petersburgh, this 20th day of June, 1766. A. D. 1766 At this period, addreffes from the cities of London, Bristol, and Norwich, as well as other confiderable corporations, &c. were prefented to his Majefty on the high price of corn; in confequence of which, three royal proclamations were iffued as follow: The first, dated September 10, for putting the laws in execution against forestalling, regrating, and engroffing, &c. The fecond, dated September 26, for laying an embargo on all fhips laden, or to be laden in the ports of Great Britain, with wheat or wheat flour, to be exported to foreign parts, and to continue the fame to the 14th of November following. The third, of the fame date, for prohibiting the diftillation of fpirits from any wheat, wheat meal, wheat flour, &c. to the 14th of November. The city of Norwich, in the inftructions it transmitted to its reprefentatives in Parliament, on the dearness and scarcity of provifions of all forts at this time, ftated, "that unless fome "method could be difcovered to restrain this growing evil, it would prove fatal to the woollen "manufacture, which," these inftructions add," had not been preferved without the greatest "difficulty." On the meeting of Parliament in November, the two Houfes addreffed the Throne on the occafion; in confequence of which, his Majesty was pleased to iffue another proclamation for continuing the embargo already laid on the exportation of corn, &c. for which acts of indemnity alfo paffed to fuch perfons as carried the above orders of council into execution. The following is a correct account of the number of fhips, which were entered inwards and cleared outwards during this year, from the ports of Liverpool and Bristol, including only one arrival for the fame veffel: The following bills, among feveral others, received the royal affent in the course of this year. To prohibit, for a limited time, the exportation of corn, &c. For allowing the free importation of oats. To continue an act for allowing the free importation of Irish provifions, for a further limited time. To make a navigable cut or canal from Little Gevendraeth river in the county of Caer. marthen. For repealing the American ftamp act. For fecuring the dependency of the colonies to the British crown. For regulating the duties on the importation of Ruffia linen. For regulating pilots in the port of Liverpool. For repealing certain rates and duties on cyder and perry, and for granting other duties in lieu thereof. For the improvement of tillage. To explain an act for the improvement of tillage fo far as relates to the city of London. VOL. III. N To For improving and preferving the navigation of the river Stort in the counties of Hertford and Effex. For redeeming certain confolidated annuities; with refpect to navy, victualling and transport bills. To make a navigable cut or canal from or near Wilden Ferry in Staffordshire, to communicate with the river Merfey, in Lancashire. To make the river Soar navigable from the river Trent, to or near Loughborough in the county of Leicester. To make a navigable cut from the river Severn, between Titton bridge, in the county of Worcester, to communicate with a canal intended to be made between the Trent and Merfey. For better regulating apprentices and journeymen. To regulate the loading of fhips with coals in the ports of Sunderland and Newcastle. To prohibit the importation of foreign wrought filks and velvets for a limited time, and to prevent unlawful combinations of workmen employed in the filk manufacture. To prohibit the importation of foreign mitts and gloves. To prevent the fraudulent marking of frame work, knitted ftockings and pieces. For extending the duties on houfes, windows, &c. For eftablishing four free ports in the British West India Islands. For repealing certain duties on goods in the colonies, and alfo on Eaft India goods exported from Great Britain, and for granting other duties in lieu thereof. For laying additional duties on fpirits. For amending an act relating to wines imported, and for fecuring the ftamp duties for copies of court rolls, &c. For laying an additional duty on the importation of filks, crapes, and taffeties, and for allowing the exportation of gums to Ireland. For making the Chelmer navigable from Malden to Chelmsford. For allowing the exportation of falt from Europe to Quebec. For amending the act for regulating buildings and preventing fires. For explaining the act to prevent frauds in the admeafurement of coals. To continue an act for the importation of falted beef, pork, bacon, and butter from Ireland, &c. To amend an act for regulating certain duties in the British colonies and plantations, and alfo the duties upon certain East India goods exported from Great Britain, and for granting other duties instead thereof, and for further encouraging, regulating, and fecuring feveral branches of the trade of this kingdom and the British dominions in America, as relates to the exportation of non-enumerated goods from the British colonies in America. For allowing the importation of wheat and wheat flour from the American colonies, for a limited time, free of duty and another for oats and oatmeal, rye and ryemeal. The fupplies granted by Parliament for this year, were as follows: For 17,306 land forces, and for defraying the charge of his Majesty's guards, garrifons, &c. For the general and general staff officers, £. S. d. 832,000 o o 605,608 12 9 11,291 8 61 896/20 A. D. 1766 Brought over, For the maintenance of forces and garrifons in the Plantations, Africa, For the fame fervice, out of the monies remaining of the grant made in the preceding feffion, For the difference of pay between the British and Irish establishments to certain troops, &c. For penfions to the widows of reduced land and marine officers, For defraying the charge of full pay to officers reduced with the tenth For the out-penfioners of Chelfea Hofpital, To the office of ordnance for land fervice, For fervices performed by the office of ordnance for land fervice, not provided for by Parliament in 1765, To the trustees of the British Museum, For the ordinary of the navy, including half pay to fca and marine officers, To the building and repair of fhips, docks, wharfs, &c. For the extraordinary expence of land forces, &c. incurred to the 24th of January, 1766, not provided for by Parliament, Out of the favings arifing from the pay of the land forces in the hands To replace to the finking fund the like fum paid out of the fame, to To replace to ditto the like fum iffued thereout for paying certain annuities, which were granted in refpect of navy, victualling and tranfport bills, &c. by an act of the third of George III. To replace to ditto, the like fum iffued thereout for paying the charges To replace to ditto, the like fum paid out of the fame, to make good For fundry expences for Nova Scotia in feveral preceding years, not For the civil establishment of Georgia, and incidental expences, Ditto of Eaft Florida, Ditto of West Florida, For general furveys in North America, £. s. d. 1,448,900 I 3 2 392,183 6 51 2,321 13 10! 7,993 II 1,614 O 138,674 0 5,7 8 6 8 109,875 16 8 180,445 19 3 35,061 6 2 2,000 O O 412,983 6 3 277,300 o o 404,310 16 63 74,777 14 O 1,000,000 800,000 o 45,561 7 101 139,342 2 4. 4,898 14 9 29,211 12 6 4,866 3 5 8,0c8 12 ́3,986 0 5,250 0 5:300 1,784 4 N 2 Carried over, 4,093,468 14 8 |