At the commencement of the year 1781 many of the Loyalist refugees who came to Halifax after the evacuation of Boston by the British Army, had left the town, and the price of provisions was beginning to come down. The constant influx of strangers, however, from the revolted colonies, with the prisoners taken in the prizes brought into the port by the privateers and ships of war, tended again to augment the population. Captains of men-of-war, when vessels were in port, in order to fill up their complements of men, undertook to impress in the streets of the town without authority from the civil magistrate. On the 6th January an armed party of sailors and marines assisted by soldiers and commanded by naval officers, seized in the streets of the town, some of the inhabitants and several coasters belonging to Lunenburg, who had come up in their vessels to sell their produce; bound their hands behind their backs, carried them through the streets and lodged them in the guard houses, from which they were conveyed on board the ships of war in the harbour. The Grand Jury were in session at the time and presented the outrage to the Sessions, who requested the Governor, Sir Richard Hughes, to interfere. The Governor issued his proclamation declaring all such impressments, without the sanction of the civil authority, to be illegal and an outrageous breach of the civil law, and calling upon all magistrates, etc., to resist such proceedings and to bring the offenders to justice. It does not appear, however, that the proclamation was sufficient to procure the release of the unfortunate coasters. The names of the Grand Jury on this occasion were William Meaney, William Graham, Robert Kitts, Peter McNab, John Boyd, William Mott, William Millett, junior, John Moore, William Carter, James Creighton, John Cleary, Richard Jacobs and Charles Hill. On the 13th January, this year, died Malachi Salter, Esq., aged 65 years. He was one of the first members of Assembly for the town. His colleague in the representation was Joseph Fairbanks. Mr. Salter came from Boston to Halifax, very soon after the town was commenced, and carried on business as merchant. He is said to have visited Chebucto Harbour while engaged in the fishery, several years before the arrival of Cornwallis in 1749. The old building at the corner of Salter and Barrington Streets, formerly the residence of the late Hon. William Lawson, afterwards owned by John Esson, was originally built by Mr. Salter, and was his residence for many years. This is one of the oldest houses now remaining in Halifax. It received improvements, and was enlarged by Mr. Lawson, about 60 years ago. The School Lottery, before mentioned, was carried on this year. It was divided into two classes. The first to consist of 5000 tickets, at 20s. each, was advertised on the 25th September. The highest prize was £2000. The prizes in all came to £4,250, leaving a balance of £750 for the purposes of the school.