st for the protection of the country.
lie proposed further the abolition of all fees on commerce with our
colonies, and the removal of the duty payable on the transfer of any
share in a ship, or of a whole ship, from one person to another. There
was still another mode by which he proposed to relieve the shipping
interest. This consisted in a reduction of stamps for bonds, required
from exporters of certain goods to be delivered at certain places, from
forty shillings to four shillings. He also proposed to apply the same
principle to Custom-house debentures, or documents given by way of
security to those who were entitled to drawbacks. As conducive to
the same end, he further proposed an alteration in the system of our
consular establishments, granting instead of fees a regular salary to
the officers who superintended them, retaining only certain fees,
which were to be small, for acts which were extra consular. Though some
members of the house expressed an apprehension that these changes might
prove injurious, yet in general they were acceptable both to parliament
and the country. The resolutions in which they were embodied were
adopted unanimously; and they were afterwards carried into execution by
bills framed in conformity with them.

SURRENDER, OF THE CHARTER OF THE LEVANT COMPANY.

Connected with the above changes was the surrender of the charter of
the Levant Company. That company was established by royal charter in
the reign of James the First, when considerable privileges were bestowed
upon it. Thus they were allowed to appoint all the consuls in the
seaports in the Levant; to levy duties on all English ships for the
maintenance of their consuls; and to exercise a certain jurisdiction
within the territories of the Ottoman Porte. These powers and trusts had
been exercised by the servants of the company with general fidelity for
two centuries; but, considering the state of the countries in which
the company's consuls resided, in apolitical point of view, it was now
deemed expedient that the public servants of this country in Turkey
should hold their appointments from the crown. A meeting of the company
was called in consequence of a communication from the ministers; and
Lord Grenville, the governor, having proposed the surrender of their
charter, the company acceded to it; and an act of parliament was
subsequently passed for carrying that surrender into effect.

REPORT OF TREATIES.

During the month