should continue to be protected in the manner they are at present by the laws of Great Britain; and that it is just that measures should be taken by the Parliament of Ireland, for giving the like protection to similar rights and privileges in that kingdom.

18. That it is expedient that regulations should be adopted with respect to patents to be hereafter granted for the encouragement of new inventions, so that the rights, privileges, and restrictions therein granted and contained shall be of equal force and duration, throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

19. That it is expedient that measures should be taken to prevent disputes touching the exercise of the right of the inhabitants of each kingdom to fish on the coasts of any part of the British dominions.

20. That the appropriation of whatever sum the gross hereditary revenue of the kingdom of Ireland (the due collection thereof being secured by permanent provisions) shall produce after deducting all drawbacks, repayments, or bounties granted in the nature of drawbacks, over and above the sum of six hundred and fifty-six thousand pounds in each year, towards the support of the naval force of the empire, to be applied in such manner as the Parliament of Ireland shall direct, by an act to be passed for that purpose, will be a satisfactory provision, proportioned to the growing prosperity of that kingdom, towards defraying in time of peace the necessary expenses of protecting the trade and general interests of the empire.

VI.

THE BRITISH ACT OF TRADE BETWEEN IRELAND, THE COLONIES, AND AMERICA.

An Act to allow the trade between Ireland and the British Colonies, and plantations in America and the West Indies, and the British settlements on the coast of Africa, to be carried on in like manner as it is now carried on between Great Britain and the said colonies and settlements, 1779. Whereas by an Act of Parliament, made in the twelfth year of the reign of King Charles the Second, (intituled, an Act for the

encouraging and increasing of shipping and navigation), it is, among other things, enacted, that, for every ship or vessel which shall load any commodities, in that Act particularly enumerated, at any English plantation in America, Asia, or Africa, being the growth, product, or manufacture thereof, bond shall be given, with due surety, to the value of one thousand pounds, if the ship be of less burthen than one hundred tons, and of the sum of two thousand pounds, if the ship be of greater burthen; that the same commodities shall be brought by such ship or vessel to some other English plantation, or to some port in England or Ireland, or principality of Wales, or town of Berwick upon Tweed: and whereas, by another Act of Parliament, made in the twenty-second and twenty-third years of the reign of King Charles the Second, (intituled, an Act to prevent the planting of Tobacco in England, and for regulating the plantation trade), it was, amongst other things, enacted, that the word Ireland should be left out of all such bonds: and whereas, by several subsequent Acts of Parliament, made in this kingdom, which are now in force, the said enumerated commodities, and several other articles which are particularly enumerated in such subsequent Acts are to be carried to some other British plantation, or in some port in Great Britain only and whereas, by another Act of Parliament, made in the fifteenth year of the reign of King Charles the Second, (intituled, an Act for the encouragement of Trade,) no commodity of this growth, production, or manufacture of Europe, (excepting some particular articles which are enumerated in that Act, and in other subsequent Acts of Parliament which are now in force,) can be imported into any land, island, plantation, colony, territory, or place, belonging to, or in the possession of his Majesty, in Asia, Africa, or America, but what shall be bona fide, and without fraud, laden and shipped in Great Britain, in ships navigated according to law, and carried directly from thence, and from no other place or places whatsoever: and whereas, by another Act of Parliament, made in the fourth year of his present Majesty's reign, (intituled, an Act for granting certain duties in the British Colonies and plantations in America; for continuing

and amending, and making perpetual, an Act passed in the sixth year of the reign of his late Majesty King George the Second, (intituled, an Act for the better securing and encouraging the trade of his Majesty's Sugar Colonies in America ;) for supplying the produce of such duties, and of the duties to arise by virtue of the said Act, towards defraying the expenses of defending, protecting, and securing the said colonies and plantations; for explaining an Act made in the twenty-fifth year of the reign of King Charles the Second, (intituled, an Act for the encouragement of the Greenland and Eastland trades, and for the better securing the plantation trade); and for altering and disallowing several drawbacks on exports from this kingdom, and more effectually preventing the clandestine conveyance of goods to and from the said colonies and plantations, and improving and securing the trade between the same and Great Britain); it is amongst other things enacted, that any officer of the customs may stop any British vessel arriving from any port of Europe, which shall be discovered within two leagues of the shore of the British colonies in America, and take from thence and seize, as forfeited, any goods (except salt, wines, horses, victuals, and linen cloth, as therein particularly mentioned), for which the master shall not produce a docquet or clearance from the collector or proper officer of his Majesty's customs, certifying that the said goods were laden on board the said ship or vessel in some port of Great Britain: and whereas, by another Act of Parliament, made in the seventh year of the reign of King George the First, (intituled, an Act for the further preventing his Majesty's subjects from trading to the East Indies under foreign commissions; and for encouraging and further securing the lawful trade thereto; and for further regulating the pilots of Dover, Deal, and the Isle of Thanet), it is amongst other things enacted, that no commodity of the growth, product, or manufacture of the East Indies, and other places beyond the Cape of Good Hope, shall be imported or carried into any land, island, plantation, colony, territory, or place, to his Majesty or the Crown of Great Britain, belonging or which should hereafter belong to his Majesty, his heirs and successors, in Africa

or America, but such only as shall be bonâ fide, and without fraud, laden and shipped in Great Britain, in ships navigated according to law and whereas, it is expedient to allow the trade between Ireland and the British Colonies in America and the West Indies, and the British settlements on the coast of Africa, to be carried on in like manner, and with equal advantages to his Majesty's subjects in Ireland, as it is now carried on between Great Britain and the said colonies and settlements; may it therefore please your Majesty, that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that any goods, wares, or merchandize, of the growth, product, or manufacture of the British Colonies or plantations in America, or the West Indies, or of any of the settlements belonging to Great Britain on the coast of Africa, and which by any Act or Acts of Parliament, are required to be imported from such colonies, plantations, or settlements, into Great Britain; and also any other goods, which having been in any way legally imported into the said colonies, plantations, or settlements, may now or hereafter be legally exported from thence for Great Britain, shall and may be laden in, and exported from such colonies, plantations, or settlements, respectively, and in like manner imported directly from thence into the kingdom of Ireland; and that any goods or commodities of the growth, production, or manufacture of Ireland, or of the growth, production, or manufacture of Great Britain, legally exported from thence into Ireland, or of the growth, production, or manufacture of any other part of Europe; and any goods or commodities of the growth, product, or manufacture of the East Indies, or other places beyond the Cape of Good Hope, which are now required by any Act of Parliament to be shipped or laden in Great Britain, to be carried directly from thence to any British Colony or plantation in Africa or America; as also any other goods, wares, or merchandize, which now or hereafter may be legally shipped or laden in Great Britain, to be carried directly from thence, and imported into any colony or plantation

in America or the West Indies, or into any British settlement on the coast of Africa; shall and may be shipped and laden at any port or place in the kingdom of Ireland, and exported directly from thence, and in like manner imported into any British Colony or plantation in America or the West Indies, or into any British settlement on the coast of Africa; anything in the said herein before recited Acts, or either of them, or any other Act or Acts of Parliament made in Great Britain, or any usage or custom, to the contrary notwithstanding; subject nevertheless to the conditions herein after expressed.

Provided always, and it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the importation and exportation allowed by this Act shall commence from and as soon, and shall have continuance so long, and in such respective cases only, as the goods, or any of them, which are hereby allowed to be imported from the said colonies, plantations, or settlements, into Ireland, or to be exported from Ireland into the said colonies, plantations, or settlements, shall be liable, by some Act or Acts of Parliament to be made in the kingdom of Ireland, to equal duties and drawbacks, and shall be made subject to the same securities, regulations, and restrictions, in all other respects, as the like goods now are, or hereafter may be, liable and subject to upon being imported from the said colonies, plantations, or settlements, into Great Britain, or exported from thence to such colonies, plantations, or settlements respectively; in the consideration of which equal duties and drawbacks, due attention may be given to, and allowance made for any duty or imposition, or any part of the same, which shall be retained in Great Britain, or not drawn back, or not compensated by bounty in Great Britain, upon the export of any such goods, wares, or merchandize, from thence to Ireland, as also for any duty paid on importation of such goods, wares, or merchandize respectively, be not exported from Ireland with less incumbrance of duties or impositions than now do, or hereafter shall, remain upon the like goods when legally exported from Great Britain.

And it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that, during the continuance of this Act, so much of the herein