in
all probability, exasperate them into open sedition. They observed, that
while it was exacted in England, a great number of merchants sent their
ships to Ireland, to be victualled for their respective voyages; that
since it had been abolished, many experiments had been successfully
tried with salt for the improvement of agriculture, which would be
entirely defeated by the revival of this imposition. They suggested
that the land-tax was raised at a very small expense, and subject to no
fraud, whereas that upon salt would employ a great number of additional
officers in the revenue, wholly depending upon the ministry, whose
influence in elections they would proportionably increase. They even
hinted, that this consideration was one powerful motive for proposing
the revival of an odious tax, which was in effect an excise, and would
be deemed a step towards a general excise upon all sorts of provisions.
Finally, they demonstrated that the salt-tax introduced numberless
frauds and perjuries in different articles of traffic. Sir Robert
Walpole endeavoured to obviate all these objections in a long speech,
which was minutely answered and refuted in every article by Mr.
Pulteney. Nevertheless, the question being put, the minister's motion
was carried in the affirmative, and the duty revived; yet, before the
bill passed, divers motions were made, and additional clauses proposed
by the members in the opposition. New debates were raised on every new
objection, and the courtiers were obliged to dispute their ground by
inches.

{GEORGE II. 1727-1760}

MR. PULTENEY'S NAME STRUCK OUT OF THE LIST OF PRIVY-COUNSELLORS.

The pension-bill was revived, and for the third time rejected in the
house of lords. A bill for the encouragement of the sugar colonies
passed through the lower house with great difficulty, but was lost among
the peers: another, for the better securing the freedom of parliaments,
by further qualifying members to sit in the house of commons, was read
the third time, and thrown out upon the question. A committee had been
appointed to inquire into a sale of the estate which had belonged to the
late earl of Denventwater. It appeared by the report, that the sale
had been fraudulent; a bill was prepared to make it void; Dennis Bond,
esquire, and Serjeant Birch, commissioners for the sale of the forfeited
estates, were declared guilty of notorious breach of trust, and expelled
the house, of which they were members: Geo