poor, vagrants, treafons, felonies, riots, the prefervation of the game, &c., &c. and they examine and commit to prifon all who break or disturb the peace, and difquiet the king's fubjects. In order to punish the offenders, they meet every quarter at the county town, when a jury of twelve men, called the grand inquest of the county, is fummoned to appear, who, upon oath, are to inquire into the cafes of all delinquents, and to prefent them by bill guilty of the indictment, or not guilty; the juftices commit the former to gaol for their trial at the next affixes, and the latter are acquitted. This is called the quarter jeffions for the county. The juice of peace ought to be a perfon of great good fenfe, fagacity, and integrity, and to be not without fome knowledge of the law, for as much power is lodged in his hands, and as nothing is lo intoxicating, without thefe qualifications, he will be apt to make mistakes, and to ftep beyond his authority, for which he is liable to be called to an account at the court of king's bench. There are also in each county two coroners, who are to enquire by a jury of neighbours, how and by whom any períon came by a viclent death, and to enter it on record as a plea of the crown. The civil government of cities is a kind of fmall independent policy of itfelf; for all cities have by charter from the king, a jurifdiction among themfelves to judge in all matters civil and crimizal, with this refraint only, that all civil causes may be removed from their tourts to the higher courts at Westminfter; and all offences that are capital, are committed to the judges of the allize. They are conftituted with a mayor, aldermen and burgeffes, who together make the corporation of the city, and hold a court of judicature, where the mayor prefides as judge. They likewife, when affembled in council, can make by-laws for the government of the city. And here the mayor, allermen and common-council refemble the king, lords, and commons in parlia ment. The government of incorporated boreagh is much after the fame manner; in fame there is a mayor, and in others two bailiffs. All which, during their mayoralty or magiftracy, are juftices of the peace within their liberties, and confequently efquires. For the better government of villages the lords of the foil or manor (who were formerly called barons) have generally a power to hold courts, called courts leet and courts-baron, where their tenants are obliged to attend and receive justice. The business of court-leets is chiefly to prevent and punish nuifances; and at courts baron, the conveyances and alienations of the copyhold mitted to their eftates on a defcent or tenants are enrolled, and they are adpurchase. There are alfo high conftables appointed for the divifions called hundreds, and a petty conftable in every parish, whofe bufinefs it is to keep the peace, and in cafe of quarrels to fearch for and take up all rioters, felons, &c. and to keep them in the prifon or in fafe cuftody, till they can be brought be fore a juftice of the peace, and in this he is aflifted by another officer called the tithing man. 'Tis likewife the bufinefs of thefe officers to put in execution within their district, all warrants that are brought them from the justice of the peace. Befides thefe, there are courts of confcience fettled in many parts of England for the relief of the poor, in the recoexceeding 40s. very or payment of final debts, not for the confervation of the king's forefts, by common law. I come now to one The court of the ean marshal, or cerning the arms of the nobility and court of honour, judges of anyfuit congentry, and the earl mar fhal of Eng land, or his duputy, is the proper judge thereof. He is invefted with a power of ordering and determining all pedigrees, &c. making rules and dematters relating to arms, fupporters, crees for granting new devices of arms and and putting in execution the laws and ordinances relating thereto. The prefent State of the British Trade with Europe, Africa, and America. UR Spanish trade is every way courfe highly valuable; for, befides filver and gold, we receive from thence feveral articles of more value than even money: fuch as wool, rawfilk, the best iron, cochineal, indigo, barilla, and other articles that are extremely useful. But nothing that is more for luxury than fome cheap wines, raifins, cocoa-nuts, Seville. oranges and olives, if they can deferve to be fo thought. Our corn is never wanted in Spain but on occafions of dearth, which do not often happen. On the contrary, they generally fell much to the Portugueze, and fometimes export great quantities. Upon the whole we certainly receive a balance from Spain, and might a very great one, had we a better fyitem of commercial policy. Our Portugueze trade, once very beneficial, has of late become fo altered for the worfe, that the rates of exchange thew the fcales of intereft fo nearly poifed as almost to vibrate on the balance. While they have been favouring o. ther nations to our prejudice, and with the violation of a commercial treaty, in their needful fupply of manufactures, they have fo railed the prices of their wines on us, with the deprivation of rights by treaty, as nearly to double the coaft of them. Yet we have been fo impolitic as to fuffer thofe treaties of alliance to fubfift, though they expofe us to the demands of fuch fuccours as we have often experienced to be enormously expenfive, without any reciprocal obligation on them. The equivalent for this protection was our exclufive right to import woollen manufactures into that kingdom, which was implied by the treaty of Q. Anne, and heretofore fo understood, nay made evident by their custom-house regulations, woolen goods not being allowed entry from any other dountry. But : be invaded, in favour of the Dutch, who have no fuch commercial treaty with them and fince, in practice at leaft, in favour of the French, who have no exifting treaty with them whatever, and who grant them no kind of equivalent, as we do exprefsly, by ftipulation, in the duties on their wines. What motives a fucceffion of administrations may have had for fuffering every ftipulated condition in our favour to be openly violated, without formally renouncing the conditional burthenfome ties on us, in favour of Portugal, they themselves must best know: but it may be faid, with great truth, that fome of them ought long ago to have been made anfwerable for fo doing to the juftice of their country. It is ridiculous any longer to pretend, that we have any treaties in force with Portugal, but fuch as are entirely to our national prejudice and it will be as infamous as injurious, to fuffer thofe any longer to continue unannulled. We are not in want of means for taking full fatisfaction, as well as greatly ferving ourselves, by the effectual humbling of Portugal, and therewith awing other powers, if we were animated by the fpirit that did fo much honour to Cromwell's time, and occafioned the oldest treaty existing at prefent between the two crowns. But why that treaty, and alfo thofe of Charles the fecond and Queen Anne have not been kept in full force, it is to be hoped will fpeedily be made a fubject of parliamentary enquiry. At prefent, the Portugueze trade is no object to this country and therefore a needless regard for it should ne The late imprisonment of a British merchant at Lisbon, was in direct violation of a right etablished by treaty, and which was expressly explained, confirmed and enforced by a law made in Portugal for that purpose above an hundred years ago. It is as impolitic as ridiculous to oblige people to pay brokages, because they operate as taxes on confumers. But the truth is, our trade in Portugal will not bear paying brokage now, so small are the profits made in it. Here we do not oblige the agents of their wine-company, or any others of them who are in trade, to pay brokages, though no treaty that we know of jiipulates any privileges for them in England. longer longer be fuffered to hazard any future inconvenience, or burthen, from engagements of alliance. It formerly was fuppofed to be in our favour to the amount of between four and five hundred thousand pounds per annum: but the fchemes of the + Conde de Oeyras have proved equally fatal to the interests of both kingdoms, how ever they may have ferved to cram his own coffers. The whole of their colony trade, and much of their home, has been converted into hurtful monopolies and iniquitous jobbs, contrary to every principle of found policy; while the kingdom has been ruining, and the colonies oppreffed and difgufted, by mischievous regulations, and taxations that are enormous. Our trade with Italy in general may be at present in a small degree gainful, but far less fo than heretofore. Some of our imports from thence are likewife advantageous, particularly raw-filk and pot-afhes. Their oil too may be confidered as a neceffary article. It has long been acknowledged our Turky trade was on the decline; and of late it has become fuch, that the company has requested and received parliamentary aids. This article is placed here, as the metropolis of that empire is in Europe. Our carrying trade, by mercantile fhipping in the Mediterranean, was formerly confiderable and lucrative, as well as greatly ferviceable by the employ of leamen. At prefent it may be confidered as almost totally loft: owing perhaps to burthens on navigation, and abufes in granting Mediterranean pasfes. The making of Minorca a free port, under an effectual civil government, might prove of effential fervice to the kingdom, as we fee the good effects that have refulted to France from a like measure at Marseilles; for by that means they acquire almost the whole trade of Barbary and the Levant. Our Barbary trade is quite infignificant. That of Senegal, Goree, and Guinea important. In return for our manufactures, fpirits, arms, ammunition, toys, utenfils, India goods, and other commodities, we receive gold, gums, elephants teeth, bees-wax, and other ufeful articles. This trade likewife furnishes a fupply of negroes to our Weft-India and North-American colonies, as well as for fale to the colonists of other nations. It is at prefent perhaps not in an improving ftate: but it is certainly very advantageous, though principally applied to the leffening of the Weft-India balance against us. The imports from, greatly overbalance the exports to, our Weft-India iflands, fo that not only the far greater part of the returns of our Guihea trade ftop there, but gold from hence has become one of the most profitable commodities which can be fent to fome of our fugar iflands. Where it travels to from thence, may perhaps be worthy of enquiry. There is however another kind of trade profecuted in the West Indies, which returns us fome bullion, but not in the degrees *At the time of our entering into engagement for the fupport of Portugal, during the last war, the late Mr. Charles Townshend, then fecretary at war, fent for the writer, to learn from him the fate of our trade with that kingdom; who, though unapprized of the business, and of courfe greatly unprepared for giving the information required, did align reasons for fuppofing, to the time of the great earthquake, our balance bad been as is here mentioned. That opinion be published immediately afterwards in a speculative way, with the grounds on which he framed it. The merchants upon the Exchange acknowledged it to be just and the parliament agreed with them in opinion thereon. Soon after, he wrote publickly likewife against our entering into engagements for the support of Portugal, till grievances and injuries were redrejed in that kingdom, by the refloration of privileges and due oljervance of treaties; but bis admonitions were disregarded. What the effects of that Portugueze war were, fuch as it was, by greatly adding to our burthens, accele rating the peace and clogging conditions in our favour, we have experienced to var cof, and may have cauje long to lament. The firength and value of Portugueze friendship and gratitude we have likewife fince jufficiently difcovered. † A minifter, whom many here have often greatly applauded, either at the expence of their candour, or to the great expojure of their ignora ice. it it was used to do: and most of the profits made by Weft India planters are fuppofed to be spent in England. Was that not the cafe, in the prefent state of things, our trade with the fugariflands would quickly prove our ruin. Yet it may be apprehended too great a portion of the gains of planters become invested in land-property here, which forms fuch an increafing influence, as may threaten in time to make the mother country not only greatly tributary, but even fubfervient to the interefts of the fugar islands. Our North-American trade hitherto has been extremely valuable. What it may hereafter prove, time only can difcover. It is my with not to inflame, diffenfions about matters of right, concering which it must be ever danger ous to give caufe for enquiries. To reftrain a people from getting money, and, at the fame time, to claim a right of taxing them, without their own con fent given, would be reducing them to fo abject a condition as must be to. tally incompatible with every right idea of conftitutional freedom. Away then with the tea-duty: and let us ceafe combating against reason and natue. Could we compel them to acquiescence, we fhall leave jealoufy and anger to rankle for ever in their hearts, which will always obftruct our intereft, and muft accelerate feparation; an event to be foreseen by every man of understanding. Let us content ourselves with obtaining all the wealth they can acquire, by better means than taxation, which is through the channel of commerce. They are taxed in our commodities, and fupport our population by their dealings with us, which is the great fource of our power. We have been colonizing mad with regard to North-America: the quick peopling of which continent has been made too much our object. Time and nature will too foon render them fuperior to our controul. Sir William Petty was, in his time, for inviting the New-Englanders to return, from rightly confidering home-population to be our true national object: and Mr. Trenchard made a jeft of the fuppofition, that they would continue longer dependent on us than neceffity compelled them to be, for no other reafon than because their grandmothers and ours had been formerly acquainted. It is our policy to let them be divided by rival interefts and religions, as they will be, and ever were, till we indifcreetly furnished them with a common caufe for union. Let us, in fine, think like men, and forbear to act like wilful women. Of what importance is a preamble that must prevent an act from being confidered as constitutional, and therefore, on all occafions, to be refifted? From this brief view of the state of our commerce it must appear, that the European balance is almoft every where against us; that the African balance, in our favour, is funk in that to our prejudice with the Weft Indies, and that thefe deficiencies could not have been fupplied by our gains from NorthAmerica, as will hereafter be made still more evident. THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY. Tis with infinite pleasure that the Benevolent Society can inform their readers that during this last year, their labours for the advantage of, at leaft, the youthful part of the community, have been very fuccefsful; they have now several schools, of which they have undertaken the perpetual fuperintendance, and in order to excite a worthy emulation in their pupils, it was early determined, as they believe has been already mentioned, that medals fhould be prefented on New-Years-day to thofe who could prove themfelves most perfect in any of the accomplishments of the fair fex, or that had most eminently diftinguished themfelves by the propriety, the ingenioufness, or the generofity of their conduct. The a'ternate amufements of these little feminaries, for thefe feminaries know nothing of tasks, are reading the best English authors in hiftory, both naturai and political; and the belles lettres; mutic; tranflating from the French by the ftricteft grammatical rules; geography, and the various operations of the needle. Inftead of idle tales and fabulous impreffions, their minds, from the firft dawning of reafon reafon, are usefully cultivated; and all that curiofity peculiar to infants, and meant for the purpose of pleatingly en. larging their knowledge, fo happily gratified and fo happily directed, that they enquire only to be improved and reflect only to be delighted. The Benevolents are far from intending to make a parade of their wifdom,or their merit upon this occafion; but as education is the grand axis of human actions, and as it is to a proper or an improper mode that we owe the chief beauties, or the chief deformities in the conduct of each individual, they cannot but be of opinion, that they ought to communicate an humble hint to their cotemporaries, which is all they have in view when communicating their plans of operations; and as it remains with their readers either to adopt or reject what they have perfuaded themfelves is not without utility, they must hope that the charge of arrogance or felf-fufficiency will never be brought against them. The great error of families in general is the apprehenfion of hurting their children's vivacity or fatiguing their memories, when not employed upon trifles; but it is not the matter, it is the method, that conftitutes the grievance whatever exercife or purfuit we are particularly fond of, would become the fevereft of tasks, if once they were to contract the air of business or compulfion. The infant mind is ftill lefs fufceptible of pride, though fubject to its little petulances; all that is neceffary, therefore, is, that chearfulness fhould go hand in hand with inftruction; that fo much affiftance hould be given, as to prevent the fenfe of difficulty, and fo much concealed as to keep the curiofity in full vigor. Not an object of fight but is capable of information to the young and intelligent; for the world is no lefs replete with wonders to the infant imagination, than to the eye of the adult juft emerging from a itate of confined blindness. We well know that all knowledge is derived from fenfation and reflexion; we first confider the thing fimply, then are naturally led on to confider its ufes, and from feeling the power we poffefs of combining and feparating our ideas in one inftance begin to comprehend the poffibility of the fame power in every other refpect, and as every whole has Jan. 1771, its parts, fo, if happily directed in our firft enquiries, and firit ftudies, all that we learn afterwards is only a more clear extenfive and entertaining conception of things, by the pleafanteft and eafieft gradations. Inftead of which our children have fcarcely attained their ninth year before they find they muft unlearn whatever they have taken the pains to learn; it is true the improbable tales they have read, have aufwered mama's defired purpofe, the bringing them forward in their reading; nor does the once fufpect that it is with an equal degree of mortification and aftonifhment that they difcover, that their beloved hero Tom Thumb is a mere creature of the author's brain, and all the noble exploits through which they have traced him altogether improbable, abfurd and irrational; on the contrary were they to be told, not as pieces of hiftory, but little detached ftories, the most remarkable events during each fucceeding reign of our Briti mon archs; if,from playing with the diffected maps, they were taught the different form and ituation of every British county; and if they were incited to literary refearches confiftent with their age, capacities and inclinations, refpecting the natural productions, curiofities, manufactories and regulations of thofe counties; need I ask how much more profitable and pleafing, than all that fund of the marvellous and the ridiculous by which their judgement is miled, and their expectations expofed to difappointment. Mr. Locke tells us of a lady, who taught her fon hiftory and geography from the Dutch files once fo much in fashion, for ornamenting the fides of chimnies; the boy could tell, before he was even able to fpeak without lifping, by their different habits, to what country and nation the penciled travellers belonged; to what provinces they were trading, and at what markets they had purchafed their commodities what particular foils were moft favourable to the cultivation of thofe commodities; by what hands they were manufactured, and in what state imported and exported by the feveral nations under the fun; what kind of animals were moft in ufe, or other modes of conveyance according to the cuftoms or fites of the countries; what were their peculiar religious cere D monie |