mporting, "That all sailors who should
take advance-money of the merchants, should be obliged to perform their
agreements, or be liable to be taken up by any magistrate or justice of
the peace, and deemed deserters, except they were in his majesty's ships
of war."

He was seconded by lord GAGE:--Sir, as this clause has no other tendency
than to promote the interest of the merchants, without obstructing the
publick preparations; as it tends only to confirm legal contracts, and
facilitate that commerce from whence the wealth and power of this nation
arises, I hope it will readily be admitted; as we may, by adding this
sanction to the contracts made between the merchants and sailors, in
some degree balance the obstructions wherewith we have embarrassed trade
by the other clauses.

Admiral WAGER replied:--This clause is unquestionably reasonable, but
not necessary; for it is to be found already in an act made for the
encouragement of the merchants, which is still in force, and ought,
whenever any such frauds are committed, to be rigorously observed.

Sir Robert WALPOLE then desired that the clerk might read the act, in
which the clause was accordingly found, and Mr. SOUTHWELL withdrew his
motion.

[Then the question was put, whether the bill "for the increase and
encouragement of sailors" do pass, which was resolved in the
affirmative, 153 against 79.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH 13, 1740-1.

[DEBATE ON THE BILL FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF MUTINY AND DESERTION.]

The house being resolved into a committee for the consideration of the
bill for the punishment of mutiny and desertion, and for the better
payment of the army and their quarters, etc. sir William YONGE desired
that the twentieth and twenty-sixth clauses of the late act might be
read, which were read as follows:

XX. It is hereby enacted, that the officers and soldiers, so quartered
and billeted, shall be received by the owners of the inns,
livery-stables, ale-houses, victualling-houses, and other houses in
which they are allowed to be quartered and billeted by this act; and
shall pay such reasonable prices as shall be appointed, from time to
time, by the justices of the peace, in their general and
quarter-sessions of each county, city, or division, within their
respective jurisdictions: and the justices of the peace aforesaid, are
hereby empowered and required to set and appoint, in their general or
quarter-sessions aforesaid, such reasonable rates, for al