of the military stores, slaves, and vessels belonging to the African
company, so as to make a faithful report of these particulars, with all
possible expedition.

SCHEME FOR IMPROVING THE BRITISH FISHERY.

The ministry having professed an inclination, and indeed shown a
disposition, to promote and extend the commerce of the kingdom, the
commons resolved to take some steps for encouraging the white fishery
along the northern coast of the island, which is an inexhaustible source
of wealth to our industrious neighbours the Dutch, who employ annually
a great number of hands and vessels in this branch of commerce. The
sensible part of the British people, reflecting on this subject, plainly
foresaw that a fishery, under due regulations, undertaken with the
protection and encouragement of the legislature, would not only prove
a fund of national riches, and a nursery of seamen, but likewise in
a great measure prevent any future insurrections in the Highlands of
Scotland, by diffusing a spirit of industry among the natives of that
country, who finding it in their power to become independent on the
fruits of their own labour, would soon enfranchise themselves from that
slavish attachment by which they had been so long connected with their
landlords and chieftains. Accordingly, a committee was appointed to
deliberate on the state of the British fishery; and upon their report
a bill was founded for encouraging the whale fishery on the coast of
Spitsbergen, by a bounty of forty shillings per ton for every ship
equipped for that undertaking. The bill having made its way through both
houses, and obtained the royal assent, the merchants in different parts
of the kingdom, particularly in North Britain, began to build and fit
out ships of great burden, and peculiar structure, for the purpose of
that fishery, which ever since hath been carried on with equal vigour
and success. Divers merchants and traders of London having presented to
the house of commons a petition, representing the benefits that would
accrue to the community from a herring and cod fishery, established
on proper principles, and carried on with skill and integrity, this
remonstrance was referred to a committee, upon whose resolutions a
bill was formed; but before this could be discussed in the house,
the parliament was prorogued, and of consequence this measure proved
abortive.

ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE COMMERCE TO HUDSON'S BAY.

The next regulation proposed in