provision for fortifying the said harbour, a bill was brought in to
explain, amend, and render more effectual, the act of the last session
relating to this subject; and, passing through both houses, received
the royal assent without opposition. By this act several engineers were
added to the commissioners formerly appointed; and it was ordained
that fortifications should be erected at Peter-church-point,
Westlanyon-point, and Neyland-point, as being the most proper and best
situated places for fortifying the interior parts of the harbour. It was
also enacted, that the commissioners should appoint proper secretaries,
clerks, assistants, and other officers, for carrying the two acts into
execution, and that an account of the application of the money should
be laid before parliament, within twenty days of the opening of every
session. What next attracted the attention of the house was an affair
of the utmost importance to the commerce of the kingdom, which equally
affected the interest of the nation, and the character of the natives.
In the latter end of February complaint was made to the house, that,
since the commencement of the war, an infamous traffic had been set
on foot by some merchants of London, of importing French cloths into
several ports of the Levant, on account of British subjects. Five
persons were summoned to attend the house, and the fact was fully
proved, not only by their evidence, but also by some papers submitted
to the house by the Turkey company. A bill was immediately contrived for
putting a stop to this scandalous practice, reciting in the preamble,
that such traffic was not only a manifest discouragement and prejudice
to the woollen manufactures of Great Britain, but also a relief to the
enemy, in consequence of which they were enabled to maintain the war
against these kingdoms.

The next object that employed the attention of the commons, was to
explain and amend a law made in the last session for granting to
his majesty several rates and duties upon offices and pensions. The
directions specified in the former act for levying this imposition
having been found inconvenient in many respects, new regulations were
now established, importing, that those deductions should be paid into
the hands of receivers appointed by the king for that purpose; that all
sums deducted under this act should be accounted for to such receivers,
and the accounts audited and passed by them, and not by the auditors
of the i