any emergency. Such a plan, properly
regulated, would have been a great advantage to commerce, which is
always distressed by the practice of pressing seamen; and at the same
time, a great security to the kingdom in dangerous conjunctures, when it
may be necessary to equip an armament at a minute's warning. The house
of commons being moved upon this subject, agreed to divers resolutions
as a foundation for the bill; but the members in the opposition
affecting to represent this measure in an odious light, as an imitation
of the French method of registering seamen without their own consent,
Mr. Pelham dropped it, as an unpopular project.

Information having been received that the French intended to settle the
neutral islands of St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent, and Tobago, in
the West Indies, the nation had taken the alarm in the beginning of
the year; and a motion was made in the house of commons to address his
majesty, that he would be graciously pleased to give directions
for laying before the house copies of the instructions given to the
governors of Barbadoes for the last ten years past, so far as they
related to these neutral islands; but whether the minister was conscious
of a neglect in this particular, or thought such inquiries trenched upon
the prerogative, he opposed the motion with all his might; and after
some debate, the previous question passed in the negative. This was also
the fate of another motion made by the earl of E----t for an address,
entreating his majesty would submit to the inspection of the house all
the proposals of peace that had been made by the French king since the
year which preceded the last rebellion, to that in which the definitive
treaty was concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle. This they proposed as a
previous step to the parliament's forming any opinion concerning the
utility or necessity of the peace which had been established. Violent
debates ensued, in which the opposition was as much excelled in oratory
as out-numbered in votes. Such were the material transactions of this
session, which in the month of June was closed as usual with a speech
from the throne; in which his majesty signified his hope, that the
parliament, at their next meeting, would be able to perfect what they
had now begun for advancing the trade and navigation of the kingdom. He
likewise expressed his satisfaction at seeing public credit flourish at
the end of an expensive war; and recommended unanimity, as the surest
b