Or any perfon having occafion to confult or inspect any book, charter, deed, or other manufcript, for evidence or information, other than for ftudying, must apply for leave to the trustees. But if the cafe should require fuch difpatch as that time cannot be allowed for fuch application, the principal librarian, or A the under librarian officiating for him, may grant fuch leave.

No part of the collections belonging to the Museum must at any time be carried out of the general repository; except books, charters, deeds, or other manufcripts, to be made ufe of in evidence: and thefe must be B carried by the under librarian or affiftant of the department to which they belong, or by fuch other of the under librarians or a a fiftants, as the Trustees fhall appoint; and he muft attend the whole time, and bring it back with him; for which extraordinary trouble and attendance it is expected that a proper

fatisfaction be made him.

C

If any perfon fhall behave in an improper manner, and contrary to the rules prefcribed by the Trustees, and shall continue fuch misbehaviour, after having been admonished by one of the officers, fuch perfon will be obliged forthwith to withdraw from the Mu- D feum; and his name is to be entered in a book kept by the porter; who is ordered not to deliver a ticket to him for his admiffion for the future, without a special direction from the Trustees in a General Meeting.

Proceedings in the laft Seffions of Parliament.

Continued from Vol. I. p. 333.

Dec. 14. Thoufe and read, a petition of fe-
HERE was prefented to the

veral merchants, dealers in, and manufacturers
of filk, whofe names were thereunto fubfcribed,

41

fhipped in Holland and Hamburgh, for London, on any ship whatfoever, on or before the time limited by the faid act.

This petition was prefently referred to a committee, from which Mr. Nugent, the next day reported, that they had found the allegations to the faid filk was fince the expiation of the faid be true, and further, that the greatest part of

act, arrived in the river Thames; therefore a bill for allowing the importation of fuch fine Italian organzine filk into this kingdom, from any port or place whatsoever, as fhall have been fhipped on or before the time to be therein mentioned, was prefently ordered to be brought in, which paffed thro' both houfes without oppofition, and the act received the royal affent, Dec. 23; by which the faid importation was allowed, upon its being made appear by the bills of lading, and the oaths of the refpective captains, that the filk had been shipped on or before Nov. 30, 1757.

The annual bill, commonly called the mutiny bill, was by order brought in, and prefented Dec. 16; and having nothing new or extraordinary in it, it paffed thro' both houfes of courfe, and received the royal affent by commiffion, March 23, And the other annual bill for regulating the marine forces while on fhore, which was by order brought in, and prefented Feb. 3, likewife for the fame reafon paffed thro' both houses of courfe, and received the royal affent the fame day with

the former.

As

On Dec. 16, a committee was appointeft, to enquire what laws were expired, or near expiring, and to report their opinion to the house, which of them were fit to be revived, or continued. this is a troublesome affair confidering the number of temporary laws that have been paffed of late. E years, the committee did not make any report until April 12, when Mr. Bacon reported, that the committee had enquired accordingly, and had come to several refolutions, which they had directed him to report to the houfe, and, on the 18th, the faid report was taken into confideration, as it was likewife the next day, when of Flirt were agreed to by the houfe, and the three the thirteen refolutions of the committee, the ten laft were by inftruction referred to the committee of ways and means, as the laws they related to affected the public revenue. These last three were therefore, on May 2, taken into confideration by. the committee of ways and means, and adopted; and as to the ten firft it was ordered, that a bill, or bills, fhould be brought in pursuant to them, and that Mr. Bacon, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Charlton, should prepare and bring in the fame; but as two laws near expiring had flipt the obfervation · of the committee, therefore cn April 29, thefe gentlemen were inftructed to provide for continuing one of them; and the continuance of the other was, on May 1, provided for by an inftruction to the committee of ways and means, because it in fome measure affected the public revenue; and in pursuance of this and the other three refolutions next day agreed to, a bill, or bills, were on that day ordered to be brought in.

reprefenting, that in confequence of an act paffed
laft feffion, for the importation of fine organzined
Italian thrown filk, until Dec. 1, 1757; the
petitioners gave orders to their correfpondents
abroad, to fend large quantities of fuch filk thro'
Germany, to Hamburgh, and Holland, which,
in the common courfe of things, might probably
have arrived at London, before the said act expi-
red, if the carriage had not been protracted by G
the great rains and inundations in Italy and Ger-
many, in the months of Auguft and Sptember
laft, which rendered the roads for many weeks
unpaffable, fo that by unlucky accidents on shore,
and ftorms and contrary winds, after the filk was
fhipped, it could not poffibly arrive within the
time limited by the faid act; and alledging, that
unless the faid filk be admitted to an entry, the H
petitioners would be great fufferers, the manufac-
ture greatly prejudiced, and the good end and pur-
pofe of the faid act, in a great measure fruftrated;
therefore praying leave to bring in a bill, for al-
lowing the introduction of all fuch fine Italian
organzine filk, as fhould appear to have been
VOL. II. January 1759.

It would have been tedious to have given at full length the refolutions of the expiring laws comG mittée ;

mittee; but the fubftance of them will beft appear from an abstract of the laws that were continued or made perpetual in purfuance of their refolutions, or the instructions confequent thereon, as follows.

Acts made perpetual in pursuance of their refolutions.

1. An act of the 13th and 14th of Charles II. for preventing theft and rapine, &c.

2. An act of the 9th of George I. for punishing perfons going armed in difguife, &c.

3. A claufe in an act of the 6th of George II. to prevent the breaking down the bank of any river, &c.

A

4. Another claufe in the faid act, to prevent B the malicious cutting off hop binds, &c.

5. A claufe in an act of the 10th of Gorge II. for continuing an a&t, &c.

6. Several claufes in an act of the roth of George II. for punishing perfons setting on fire any mine, &c.

And by the inftruction of April 29, the temporary part of the act of the 20th of George II. C for taking away the bereditary jurifdiftions in Scotland, which relates to the power of appealing to circuit courts, was made perpetual.

Acts continued in purfuance of their refolutions.

1. An act of the 12th of George II. for granting liberty to carry fugars, &c. until Sept. 29, 1764, and to the end of the next feffion of parliament.

2. An act of the 5th of George H. to prevent frauds by bankrupts, for the fame period.

3. An act of the 8th of George I. for encou raging the importation of naval flores, &c. for the fame period.

D

4. An act of the 19th of George II. for pre- E venting frauds in the admeasuremeat of coals, &c. until June 24, 1759.

And to this continuing act was added a perpetual claufe for preventing the ftealing or destroying of madder roots, by an instruction given, May 25, to the committee upon the bill.

Then in purfuance of the three laft refolutions of the faid committee, referred to, and adopted by the committee of ways and means, the following acts were continued, viz.

1. An act of the 9th of George II. for encouraging the manufacture of British fail-cloth, untill Sept. 29, 1764.

both houses, and received the royal affent at the end of the feffion; and from the inftructions of April 29, and May 1, we may obferve one among the many advantages that arife from our having the votes printed and published; for if any ufeful expiring law fhould escape the notice of this committee, upon reading their resolutions,

fome man who is perfonally interested in the fur

ther continuance of that law, will take notice of the omiffion, and apply for an instruction to have it continued with the reft; fo that it can rarely happen that any temporary law, which experience has fhewn to be useful, fhould ever, while it is thought fo, be allowed to expire; whereas, notwithflanding the utmost care, this might often happen, if the votes were not regularly printed and published.

In the feffion of parliament 1755-6, an ac was paffed. for improving, widening, and enlarging the paffage over and thro' London Bridge, by which the city of London was impowered to improve, widen, and enlarge the fame; and for defraying the charge thereof feveral tolls were granted for every carriage and horfe paffing over the fame, and for every barge and veffel with goods paffing thro' the fame. Thefe tolls were levied from and after June 24, 1756, but in the laft feffion, on Jan. 25, there was prefented to the house, and read, a petition of the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, in common council affembled, reciting the faid act; and alledging, that the toll for loaded veffels, or other craft, paffing thro' the arches of thefaid bridge, being by the faid act directed to be paid every time they pass thro' the fame, and the tide being generally very strong at fuch times, it was fo extremely difficult, efpecially in the night time, to take an account of fuch vefiels, or craft, that the petitioners, tho' they had been at a very great expence in endeavouring to find out a method of afcertaining the fame, were unable to do it, by reafon whereof, and of the difficulties, under the act of recovering fuch tolls, the collection thereof was fo very precarious, that they had produced from F Midfummer, 1756, to Chriftmas then laft, no more than 8701. tho' eftimated at the grofs yearly fum of 16451. or thereabouts; and that the charges of the works judged neceffary for the improvement of the faid bridge, including the temporary bridge then already erected. and the purchases to be made, would amount to a very confiderable fum of money, which the petitioners would be obliged, from time to time, to borrow at intereft, in purfuance of the faid act; and in regard the faid money could not be borrowed upon the fole credit of the toll for paffing over the said bridge, and as the faid toll for pafing thro' the arches was an ineffectual toll, and the perfons who might be inclined to lend the faid money at a moderate intereft, could not have the full benefit of the fecurity intended thereby, without the further affistance of parliament; therefore praying that leave might be given for bringing in a bill, for explaining, amending, and rendering the said act more effec

2. An act of the 4th of George II. for granting an allowance upon British made gunpowder, for G the fame period.

3. An act of the 6th of George II. for encouraging the trade of the fugar colonies, &c. untill Sept., 29, 1761.

And by the inftruction, given May 1, to the committee of ways and means, was continued, fo much of the act of the 15th and 16th of George II, to empower the importers of rum, &c. as relates to the landing it before paying the duties, &c. until Sept. 29, 1764.

Thus it appears, that in confequence of the refolutions of the committee for enquiring what laws were near expiring, there were no lefs than three bills brought in last feflion, which paffed

H

Proceedings in the laft Seffions of Parliament,

tual, in fuch manner as to the house should feem

meet.

This petition was presently referred to a committee; from which Sir John Philipps reported on Feb. 2, that they had examined the matter thereof, and had directed him to report the fame, whereupon leave was given to bring in a bill as prayed for.

A

43.

cellor of the Exchequer (by his Majefty's command) acquainted the houfe, that his majefty, having been informnd of the contents of the faid petition, recommended it to the confideration of the houfe. Upon this the petition was referred to the confideration of the committee of supply; and the faid petition, prefented January 25, with the report of the committee thereupon, having likewife, on April 19, been referred to the faid committee of fupply, it produced the resolution, of this laft committee, which was next day agreed to by the house, as before mentioned.

This affair having thus taken a different, and a more agreeable, as well as a more reasonable. turn, the committee to whom the faid bill had been committed, were, on April zr, difcharged from proceeding upon the fame, and the bill was committed to a committee of the whole house for the Wednesday following, with an inftruction to make provifion in the faid bill, pursuant to the faid refolution of the committee of fupply.

March 13, the bill was prefented to the houfe by Sir John Philipps, read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time: The 17th, it was read a fecond time, and committed: And, on the 22d, there was prefented to the house, and read, a petition of feveral perfons whofe Dames were thereunto fubscribed, being owners B of barges and other erat occupied on, or navigating the river Thames, on behalf of themselves and others; taking notice of the bill depending, and alledging, that if the fame fhould pass into a law as it then stood, it would be extremely injurious to the petitioners in particular, and to the publick in general: and there-Accordingly, on the 26th, the houfe refolved fore praying to be heard by themselves or counsel against fuch parts of it as might affect them. Which prayer was accordingly granted; and, April 4, the committee were ordered to admit council to be heard in favour of the bill, and against the faid petition.

But before any report was made from the committee, the temporary bridge, as it was D called, was burnt down; and therefore, April 14, there was prefented to the house, and read, a petition of the Lord-mayor, aldermen, and commons of the city of London, in commoncouncil affembled, taking notice of the bill depending, and alfo of the petition against it: and alledging, that the petitioners, in pursuance of the

E

powers given them by the faid act, had then F already taken down many of the boufes on the faid bridge, and had directed thofe that were then ftanding, to be taken down with all convenient fpeed, in order to lay two of the arches of the faid bridge into one, for the improvement of the navigation of the river Thames; and did, at a very great expence, erect a temporary wooden bridge, to preferve a public paffage to and from the faid city, till the faid arch could be compleated; which temporary bridge being entirel y confumed by fire, the petitioners must neceffarily rebuild it with the greatest expedition, at a further confiderable expence; and that the fum neceffary for carrying on, and compleating this great and ufeful work, including the re- G building of the faid temporary bridge, was eftimated at about 80,000l. and as the improving, widening, and enlarging London-Bridge, was calculated for the general good of the public, for the advancement of trade and commerce, for making the navigation upon the river Thames more fafe and fecure, and would tend greatly to the prefervation of the lives of many of his majefty's fubjects, paffing over and under the faid bridge; therefore praying the house to take the premiffes into confideration, and to grant the petitioners fuch relief, as to the house fhould feem meet.

As foon as the petition was read, Mr. Chan

H

itself into a committee of the whole houfe upon the faid bill, went through the fame with feveral amendments, and ordered the report to be received the next morning, when it was accordingly received, and the bill, with such amendments as were then agreed to, was ordered to be ingroffed, being now entitled, a bill for applying a fum of money granted in this feffion of parliament for rebuilding London-Bridge; and for rendering more effectual an act paffed in the 29th of his prefent majefty's reign, entitled, An at to improve, widen, and enlarge the Paffage over and thro' London-Bridge.

Thus the bill was made ready for the third reading, and defigned to enforce the payment of moft of thofe heavy duties which had been impofed by the faid act of the 29th of his prefent majefty, which would have been extremely burthenfome to trade, especially to that of all our fouthern counties, and even to those of the northern that have any bufinefs in the Borough. But, on May 3, the ferjeant at arms having been first ordered to go with the mace into the fpeaker's chambers and the rooms adjacent, and fummon the members there, to attend the fervice of the houfe, there was, upon his return, prefented to the house, and read, a petition of feveral merchants, tradefmen, and other inhabitants of the borough of Southwark, in Surry, whofe names were thereunto fubfcribed, taking notice of the 15,000l. granted towards the repair of LondonBridge, which, they alledged, they had been informed, was intended to make the faid bridge free for all his majafty's fubjects paffing over and under the fame, and that the petitioners were in hopes of being partakers of this publick bounty and generosity; but hearing that the bill then depending in the houfe, was confined to the tolls granted for repairing the faid bridge, by an act of the 29th of his prefent majefty's reign, the petitioners begged leave to reprefent to the house the hardships which they, and all traders, would continue to labour under, by being obliged to pay the faid toll; and further alledging, that the

G

peti

fuch relief therein, as to the houfe fhould feem

As foon as this petition was read, the bill was read a third time, and a claufe was added by way of Ryder, and feveral amendments were made by the houfe to the bill, the faid petitioners having fo far prevailed, that by the bill, as now amended, none of the tolls impofed by the faid act of the 29th of his prefent majefty, were to be exacted any longer than until the Midfummer then next enfuing, And the bill being thus amended, it was relolved, that it fhould pafs, and ordered, that Sir John Philipps should carry it to the lords for their concurrence, which they granted without amendment; and the bill being thus returned to the commons on the 23d, it received the royal affent by commiffion, on the 9th of June.

From the foregoing account of this affair, it feems probable, that the parliament has now, at laft, refolved to have the improving, widening, and enlarging the paffage over and through LonC don-Bridge, carried on at the publick expence; and indeed it feems neceffary that it should be fo; efpecially as it will hardly coft a fourth part of what the parliament granted, for carrying on and compleating the building of the bridge at Westminster.

[To be continued in our next.]

POETRY.

POETRY.