ing February; and that as the courts of London and Madrid
had agreed that the term of three years stipulated for finishing the
commission should be computed from their first meeting, a perfect
account of their proceedings could not as yet be laid before the house
of commons. A bill had been long depending for granting encouragement
to the sugar colonies in the West Indies; but, as it was founded upon
a prohibition that would have put a stop to all commerce between the
French islands and the British settlements in North America, it met
with a very warm opposition from those who had the prosperity of those
northern colonies at heart. But the bill being patronised and supported
by the court interest, surmounted all objections, and afterwards passed
into a law. While the commons deliberated upon the supply, sir Robert
Walpole moved, that five hundred thousand pounds should be issued out
of the sinking fund for the service of the ensuing year. Sir William
Wyndham, Mr. Pulteney, and sir John Barnard, expatiated upon the
iniquity of pillaging a sacred deposit, solemnly appropriated to
the discharge of the national debt. They might have demonstrated
the egregious folly of a measure, by which the public, for a little
temporary ease, lost the advantage of the accumulating interest which
would have arisen from the sinking fund, if properly managed and
reserved. All objections vanished before the powers of ministerial
influence, which nothing now could check but the immediate danger of
popular commotion. Such hazardous interposition actually defeated a
scheme which had been adopted by the minister, and even before its
appearance alarmed all the trading part of the nation.

THE EXCISE SCHEME PROPOSED.

The house having resolved itself into a committee, to deliberate upon
the most proper methods for the better security and improvement of
the duties and revenues charged upon tobacco and wines, all the papers
relating to these duties were submitted to the perusal of the members;
the commissioners of the customs and excise were ordered to attend the
house, the avenues of which were crowded with multitudes of people;
and the members in the opposition waited impatiently for a proposal, in
which they thought the liberties of their country so deeply interested.
In a word, there had been a call of the house on the preceding day. The
session was frequent and full; and both sides appeared ready and eager
for the contest when sir Robert