The Lord Chancellor did alfo in the name of the A. C. Lords Commiffioners for Scotland, deliver to the 17061 Board the following Paper, viz.

Propofal for the effectual preventing the Exportation of Scotch Salt to England, or the Plantations, without paying the fame Excifes with which English Salt is charg'd, during the Exemption allow'd to Scotland from the faid Duty.

1. That no Salt be tranfported from Scotland to England by Land, under the Penalty of forfeiting the Salt and Horfes us'd in tranfporting it,and paying ten Shillings for every Bufhel of Salt fo tranfported, for which the Carrier, as well as the Owner, fhall be liable conjunctly and feverally, and the Carriers to be imprifon'd until the faid Penalty be paid.

2. That all Salt Water-born be enter'd at a Cuftom Office, and that before Shipping there be a Report made, expreffing to what Port the Ship or Veffel is bound; and if bound to any Port within Scotland,there fhall be fufficientSecurity given for the "Duty payable in fixMonths,with this condition,that in cafe a Certificate be return'd from the Col'lector or Collectors where the Ship or Veffel is 'bound, that the fame Quantity was truly, and without Fraud, found loaded at the faid Port or Ports, reafonable Allowance being made for wafte fince the Imbarkation; Then, and in that cafe the "Bond for the Dury to become void: And in cafe the faid Ship or Veffel be bound for England, or the Plantations, the Excife or Duty chargeable on "the like Salt in England shall be prefently paid in Money, and a Tranfire or Certificate fubfcrib'd by the Collector,expreffing the quantity of the Salt enter'd, and the Duty paid; and if any Ship or Vef fel load Salt on Board, and export the fame with out duly reporting, entring, or carrying the faid Tranfire or Certificate along with him, to be produc'd at the Port of Difcharge, the Ship or Veffel unloading fhall be confifcated, and the Mafter imprifon'd for three Months; and in cafe of any Fraud or Connivance in the Collector, or other Of 'ficers of the Cuftom-houfe, the faid Collector,,

other

A. C. other Officer, fhall be liable to pay a Year's Salary, 1706, and be depriv'd of his Office.

The Queen comes to the meeting.

Her Ma

jesty's Speech to

the Com

3. As to Provifions; All Fifhes or Flefh bar'rel'd for Exportation, are appointed to be packed and cur'd with Foreign Salt, without any mixture of Scotch or English Salt, by the Law of Scotland which Foreign Salt falls under the Regulation of "Foreign Trade, and there are no other valuable 'Provifions that can be exported from Scotland: and the Lords Commiffioners for Scotland are willing to agree to any further Propofal that fhall be made for preventing Fraud in exporting Scotch Salt, of Sal'ted Provifions.

The fame Day the Queen came to the Meeting, and being feated in her Chair, fpoke to the Lord's Commiffioners as followeth :

My Lords,

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Am fo much concern'd for the Union of the Two Kingdoms, that I could not fatisfy my felf with out coming before I went out of Town, to fee what millioners, Progrefs you had made in the Treaty, and to recommend very earneftly to you the bringing it to a happy Conclufion, with as much difpatch as the nature of it will admit, not doubting of the general Satisfaction which My Subjects of both King'doms will receive in finding you overcome all Difculties to attain fo great and publick a Good.

Sixteenth

Meeting,
May 23.

"The Lord Keeper defir'd to know of her Majefty, if She would be pleas'd to hear the Propofals made on either fide, and the Refolutions taken thereupon, read by the refpective Secretaries; which her Majefty was pleas'd to allow of, and the fame were read accordingly. This done, her Majefty went away, and the Lords Commitlioners adjourn'd to the 23d. of the fame Month, when the Lord Keeper, in the name of the Lords Commiflioners for England, deliver'd to the Board the following Anfwer to the Paper deliver'd by the Lords Commiflioners for Scotland the 21st. viz.

The Lords Commiffioners for England having confider d the Papers deliver'd by the Lords Commiflioners for Scotland on the 21ft. Inftant, and

being defirous to remove all Difficulties in this Treaty, return this Anfwer,

"That whereas the Lords Commiffioners for England have already confented, that the Kingdom of Scotland be exempted from the whole Duty on Stamp'd Paper, Vellum and Parchment till the 1st. of Aug. 1710. at which time one part thereof expires: The Lords Commiffioners for England dó now confent, that the Kingdom of Scotland fhall not be charg'd with the other part of that Duty during the continuance of that Duty by any Act now in Force.

And do agree, It was, and is the Intent of the Lords Commiffioners for England, That the Kingdom of Scotland be Exempted from the Payment of the Duty laid on Cynders, in fuch manner as the Lord Commiffioners for England have before agreed, that the Kingdom of Scotland be Exempted from the Payment of the Duty upon Coal and Culm.

And as to the Scheme propos'd by the Lords *Commiffioners of Scotland, for fecuring that the Duty on Salt now payable in England be collected in Scotland after the Union, as to all Salt exported from that Kingdom in Kind or Provifions; the 'Lords Commiflioners for England have thought it neceffary to receive fome Information concerning that Matter, from the Officers principally concern'd in the Management of that Duty and until the 'the Lords Commiflioners for England can be fatisfy'd concerning the fufficiency of thofe or other 'Methods for the end propos'd, they conceive they cannot properly enter, with the Lords Commifhioners for Scotland, on the Confideration of the time to which the Exemption of Scotland from that Duty fhall be limited.

"And as to the Duties which may be laid on by the Parliament of England, before the Meeting of the Parliament of Great-Britain, for the Service of the Year 1707. The Lords Commiflioners for England do agree, that the Kingdom of Scotland fhall not be charged with thofe Duties, upon this • Confideration, that the Parliament of Scotland dó "make the neceffary Provifion for the publick Charge and Service of the Year 1707. in that Kingdom 'provided, that if the Parliament of England fhall D think

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1706.

1705.

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A. C. think fit to lay a further Charge on the Customs, or thofe Exciles, of which the Lords Commisfioners for Scotland have agreed to bear equal BurC dens, in fuch cafes, the Lords Commisfioners for England propofe the Kingdom of Scotland be liable to the fame Cuftoms and Excifes, having an Equivalent to be fettled by the Parliament of GreatBritain: And as to the Queta of a Land-Tax for the Kingdom of Scotland, propos'd by the Lords Commisfioners for Scotland, the Lords Commisfioners for England do agree, whenever the Sum of 19977631. 8. s. 4 d. fhall be enacted by the Parliament of Great Britain to be rais'd in England on Land, and other things ufually charg'd in Acts of Parlia ment for granting an Aid to the Crown by a Landthe Kingdom of Scotland fhall be charged by the fame Act with the further Sum of 48000!, as the Quota of that Kingdom to fuch Tax, and fo proportionably for any greater or leffer Sum rais'd on the Kingdom of England by any Tax upon Land, and other things ufually charg'd together "with the Land.

Seventeenth

tax,

The next day the Lord Chancellor, in the Name of the Lords Commisfioners for Scotland, deliver'd to Meeting, the Board the following Paper;

May 24

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The Lords Commisfioners for Scotland are very fenfible of the Care which the Lords Commisfioners for England have taken, to remove Difficulties in this Important Article, concerning common Taxes and Impofitions; And their Lordfhips 'doubt not that the Joint Defires and Endeavours of the Lords Commisfioners for both Kingdoms, will bring this Treaty to a good and speedy conclufion in every Point.

And as to the Particulars contain'd in the Anfwer given in by the Lords Commissioners for Enggland the 23d. Inftant, the Lords Commisfioners For Scotland do accept the faid Anfwer as fatisfying, as to the Exemption of the Kingdom of Scotland, 'from the Duties on Stampt-Paper, Vellum and Parchment, and upon Cynders; and as to the Queta of Land-Tax for Scotland.

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And as to the Article concerning the Salt, the • Lords Commisfioners for Scotland are very well fatisfy'd, that the Lords Commissioners for England

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take

take what time they judge needful for informing A. Č. themfelves, and preparing the most proper Methods 1706. for fecuring what their Lordships propofed; the Lords Commisfioners for Scotland being very ready to concur on their part.

And as to the Duties which may be laid on by the Parliament of England, before the Meeting of the Parliament of Great-Britain, the Lords Com misfioners for Scotland do understand, that the faid Anfiver is intended by the Lords Commisfioners for England, as an Agreement to the Propofal made by the Lords Commisfioners for Scotland, That, that Kingdom might remain exempted from all other Duties laid on by the Parliament of England before the Union, except thofe confented to: And 'the Lords Commisfioners for Scotland do agree that all neceflary Provifion fhall be made within the Kingdom of Scotland, for the Charge and Service of that Kingdom, during the time that fhall inter vene before the Meeting of the Parliament of Great-Britain.

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And whereas the Lords Commisfioners for Eng Land do propofe, that if the Parliament of England fhall think it to lay a further Charge on the Cu ftoms, or thofe Excifes of which the Lords Com misfioners for Scotland have agreed to bear equal Burthens, in fuch cafes the Kingdom of Scotland be lyable to the fame Cuftoms and Excifes, having an Equivalent to be fettled by the Parliament of Great-Britain, the Lords Commisfioners for Scot land do confent in the Terms propos'd.

And feeing the Adjusting of the Equivalent, and fettling the Endurance of the Exemption from the Duty on Salt may require fome time, the Lords Commisfioners for Scotland are ready, either to proceed on thofe Matters, until they be fully adjusted, or to enter on the confideration of the Conftitution of the Parliament of Great-Britain, 'the Refervation of Laws and Judicatures, or any other remaining Head to be treated on, as fhall be agreed by the Lords Commisfioners of both Kingdoms, while in the mean time the Committee is preparing what lies before them.

The 25th of the fame Month, the Lord Keeper, Eighteen:h in the Name of the Lords Commisfioners for Eng- Meeting, Land, May 25!

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