lth. Other precautions were taken
to guard against contagion. An act of parliament had passed in the
preceding session, for the prevention of infection, by building
pest-houses, to which all infected persons, and all persons of an
infected family, should be conveyed; and by drawing trenches and lines
round any city, town, or place infected. The king, in his speech at
opening the session of parliament on the nineteenth day of October,
intimated the pacification of the north, by the conclusion of the treaty
between Muscovy and Sweden. He desired the house of commons to consider
of means for easing the duties upon the imported commodities used in
the manufactures of the kingdom. He observed, that the nation might be
supplied with naval stores from our own colonies in North America; and
that their being employed in this useful and advantageous branch of
commerce, would divert them from setting up manufactures which directly
interfered with those of Great Britain. He expressed a desire that, with
respect to the supplies, his people might reap some immediate benefit
from the present circumstances of affairs abroad; and he earnestly
recommended to their consideration, means for preventing the plague,
particularly by providing against the practice of smuggling.

DEBATES IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ABOUT MR. LAW.

One of the first objects that attracted the attention of the upper house
was the case of John Law, the famous projector. The resentment of the
people on account of his Mississippi scheme had obliged him to leave
France. He retired to Italy; and was said to have visited the pretender
at Rome. From thence he repaired to Hanover; and returned to England
from the Baltic, in the fleet commanded by sir John Norris. The king
favoured him with a private audience; he kept open house, and was
visited by great numbers of persons of the first quality. Earl Coningsby
represented in the house of lords that he could not but entertain some
jealousy of a person who had done so much mischief in a neighbouring
kingdom; who, being immensely rich, might do a great deal more hurt
here, by tampering with those who were grown desperate, in consequence
of being involved in the calamity occasioned by the fatal imitation
of his pernicious projects. He observed, that this person was the more
dangerous, as he had renounced his natural affection to his country, his
allegiance to his lawful sovereign, and his religion, by turning Roman
catholic. Lo