Majesty's subjects in the prosecution of those branches of commerce, which are in their nature and by usage free and unrestrained, provided they do, on their part, conform to such rules as shall be judged necessary for the benefit and advantage of the trade in general, and for improving the staple of a commodity so essential to the fisheries of this kingdom.

"HILLSBOROUGH."

APPENDIX N.

Isocrates Pamphlet on the Bahama Jurisdiction, p. 22-23.

"This petition of the Governor, Council and Assembly of Bermuda was received by his Majesty subsequent to the letter of Lord Hillsborough, dated July 20, 1768, and in consequence of it, Lord Hillsbrough writes the following letter from Whitehall, dated October 12, 1768, to Governor Shirley."

"Sir,

In my letter to you No. 8, I acquainted you that I had reason to believe from intelligence through different channels, that his Majesty's subjects of the Bermuda Islands, had been obstructed and restrained in the liberty they had long enjoyed, of collecting salt from the ponds in Turks Islands; and I signified to you his Majesty's commands, that you should not countenance any regulations that might have the effect to restrain any of his Majesty's subjects in those branches of commerce, that in their nature are, and ought to be free.

"Since the date of that letter, the truth of the intelligence I had received has been confirmed by advices from the Bermuda Islands; and enclosed I send you, by the king's command, the copy of a petition to his Majesty of the Governor, Council and Assembly of those islands on that subject, accompanied with copies of several depositions, transmitted at the same time, in order to verify the facts therein contained.

"HILLSBOROUGH."

APPENDIX 0.

An Act to prevent persons pretending or having pretended to be a minister of the Gospel or missionaries from any religious society whatever and not invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland from acting as preachers.

WHEREAS it is conceived extremely essential for the due preservation of order and good government as also for the better maintenance and support of the religious principles of the community of these Islands to exclude all persons pretending or having pretended to be ministers of the Gospel or missionaries from any religious society whatever and not regularly invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland from propagating any doctrine upon the Gospel or

otherwise :

We therefore Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects the General Assembly of these Your

Majesty's Bermuda or Somers Islands in America do most humbly beseech Your Majesty that it may be enacted And be it enacted by your Majesty's governor council and assembly and it is hereby enacted and ordained by the authority of the same that no person whatever pretending or having pretended to be a minister of the Gospel or missionary from any religious society and not regularly invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland shall be allowed to preach or propagate in these Islands any doctrine upon the Gospel by writing or printing or by speaking to teaching or in any wise lecturing or exhorting any public or collected audience whatever and that any person who shall violate or act repugnant to this law by preaching or propagating writing or printing or by speaking to teaching or in any way lecturing or exhorting any public or collected audience whatever as aforesaid shall be subject and liable to a fine of fifty pounds and to be imprisoned for the space of six months without bail or mainprize.

And be it further enacted and ordained by the authority aforesaid that every person or persons admitting or allowing in his her or their house or dwelling any person pretending or having pretended to be a minister of the Gospel or missionary from any religious society whatever and not invested with holy orders according to the rites and ceremonies aforesaid for the purpose of preaching or propagating any doctrine upon the Gospel by writing or printing or by speaking to teaching or in any wise lecturing or