§ Mr. Bailliepresented a Petition from certain West-India Planters residing at Bristol, against the Sugar Refining Bill, in the prayer of which he entirely concurred.
§ Mr. Burgesaid, the petition was of importance, inasmuch as the Act afforded an indirect encouragement to the Cultivation of sugar in colonies whose slave 217 population was recruited by fresh importations.
An Hon. Membersaid, it had been the intention of the framers of this Act to give adequate protection to the West-India interests, but they were deceived by not obtaining accurate information respecting the strength and quality of foreign sugar; which it had been found produced a greater quantity of lump sugar than was supposed.
§ Petition to be printed.