em altogether free from material objections,
some of which were of an alarming nature. The power vested by law in
the crown over the militia, is even more independent than that which it
exercises over the standing army; for this last expires at the end
of the year, if not continued by a new act of parliament; whereas the
militia is subjected to the power of the crown for the term of five
years, during which it may be called out into actual service without
consent of parliament, and consequently employed for sinister purposes.
A commission-officer in the militia may be detained, as subject to the
articles of war, until the crown shall allow the militia to return to
their respective parishes; and thus engaged, he is liable to death as a
mutineer, or deserter, should he refuse to appear in arms, and fight in
support of the worst measures of the worst minister. Several merchants
and manufacturers of silk offered a petition, representing, that
in consequence of the act passed in the last session, allowing the
importation of fine organzine Italian thrown silk till the first day of
December, in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven, they
had given orders to their correspondents abroad to send large quantities
of such silk through Germany to Hamburgh and Holland, which, in the
common course of things, might probably have arrived in London before
the act expired, if their carriage had not been protracted by the great
rains and inundations in Italy and Germany, in the months of August and
September last, which rendered the roads for many weeks impassable; that
from unlucky accidents on shore, and storms and contrary winds after the
silk was shipped, it could not possibly arrive within the time limited
by the act; and unless it should be admitted to an entry, they, the
petitioners, would be great sufferers, the manufacturers greatly
prejudiced, and the good end and purpose of the act in a great measure
frustrated; they, therefore, prayed leave to bring in a bill for
allowing the introduction of all such fine Italian organized silk as
should appear to have been shipped in Holland and Hamburgh for London,
on or before the first day of December. The petition being referred to
a committee, which reported that these allegations were true, the house
complied with their request, and the bill having passed, was enacted
into a law in the usual form. A speedy passage was likewise granted to
the mutiny bill, and the other annual