ditors who might refuse to accept the
interest thus reduced. The second subscription had the desired effect.
The three great companies acquiesced, and their example was followed
by the other scrupulous annuitants; the national burden was comfortably
lightened, and the sinking fund considerably increased, without
producing the least perplexity or disturbance in the commonwealth; a
circumstance that could not fail to excite the admiration and envy of
all Christendom.

{1750}

NEW MUTINY BILL.

The mutiny bill for the ensuing year was mitigated with an essential
alteration, relating to the oath of secrecy imposed upon the members of
every court-martial, who were now released from this reserve if required
to give evidence, by due course of law, in any court of judicature; and
whereas, by the former mutiny bill, a general was empowered to order the
revival of any sentence by a court-martial as often as he pleased, and,
on that pretence, to keep in confinement a man who had been acquitted
upon a fair trial; it was now enacted, that no sentence pronounced by
any court-martial, and signed by the president, should be more than
once liable to revisal. Colonel George Townshend, son of lord viscount
Townshend, who had equally distinguished himself by his civil and
military accomplishments, proposed another clause, for preventing any
noncommissioned officer's being broke or reduced into the ranks; or any
soldier's being punished, but by the sentence of a court-martial. He
gave the house to understand, that certain persons attended at the door,
who from the station of non-commissioned officers had been broke, and
reduced into the ranks, without trial, or any cause assigned; and he
expatiated not only upon the iniquity of such proceedings, but also
upon the danger of leaving such arbitrary power in the hands of any
individual officer. A warm debate was the consequence of this motion,
which, however, was overruled by the majority.

BILL FOR ENCOURAGING the IMPORTATION OF IRON FROM AMERICA.

Among other regulations made in the course of this session for the
encouragement of the British manufactures, a large duty was laid upon
Irish sail-cloth, which being sold at an under price, was found to
interfere with the same species of commodity fabricated in the island
of Great Britain; and, for the farther benefit of this last, the bounty
upon the exportation of it, which had been deducted from a defective
fund, was now made p