interment of Proteftants fince the edict of toleration. A letter from Lisbon has the followin article. It is impoffible for me to defcribe the diftrefs of the poor in this country for want of bread; the profpect of a famine is alarming; we have only a little Indian wheat, which the poor ufed to be fed with, but the rich are now glad of it. Many ufeful reforms are making in Spain, among the most beneficial are the fuppreffion of the inquifition, and the admiffion of foreigners of all religions, not excepting Jews. A fire broke out near the mofque of the fultan Achinet, at Conftantinople in December laft, which reduçed ten palaces to afhes. The new grand vifier ordered the throats of ten or twelve perfons to be cut, on being accufed of having concealed combustible materials in different quarters of the city. Genoa. The government hath demanded of the chiefs of all the religious communities an exact state of all their effects, fpecifying the manner in which they became poffeffed of them, and their value. According to the last letters from Mentz, feveral Jew families from Minorca and Gibraltar, have demanded leave to fettle in that electorate, and establish trade and manufactures. This permiffion was not only granted, but they are declared exempt from all taxes for the fpace of thirty years, and are allowed to build a fynagogue. Letters from Paris fay, that fince the repeal of the penal laws against the Roman Catholics of Ireland, fcarcely an officer or private man have entered into the Irish brigades. Utrecht, Dec. 27. A refolution of their high mightineffes the ftates general, dated the 9th inftant, concerning the English packet-boar, the Dolphin, captain Flynn, which was ftopt by order of the province of Zealand, authorifes the college of admiralty of that province to admit the claim of the faid captain or his affigns, if they apply for it. The ftates general of Holland publifhed a placart, in which they offered a reward of a 1000 golden ryders (about 12,000 guineas) to any one, even an accomplice, who would difcover the author or authors of a libel, intituled, The true Caufe of the Decline of that Republic, in a Letter found between Utrecht and Amersfort, in which the princefs of Orange in particular was very much vilified: the fame placart forbad the reprinting of the faid libel on pain of paying a fine of 6,000 florins (about 5401.) Hague, Jan. 15. The three regiments, known by the name of the Scotch brigade, were actually under the command of the national troops of Utrecht. The officers had fix weeks given them to confider of a new oath, but the colonels commanddant demanded longer time. About fifty officers retired from that fervice, viz. fix or eight field officers, twelve captains, and thirty fubalterns. Thefe gallant veterans did not think it confiftent with their honour as British fubjects, to take the new oath lately ordered to be impofed, which was virtually to make them abjure their native country. Several of them arrived in Bristol, fully trufting to the refolution of the British cabinet council, who refolved, that they should be taken under his majesty's protection. The commanders of the three Scots regiments in the Dutch fervice, generals Houston, Stewart, and Dundas, were to enjoy their pay during life, without being obliged to fubfcribe the oath, or do any duty, on on account of their long and merito- and commanders, and 910 lieuterious fervices. New York, Jan. 2. Arrived the hip Duchefs of Gordon, captain Holmes, in 15 days, from CharlesTown, South Carolina. She failed from thence on the 19th ult. with a fleet, confifting of about 70 fail, 50 of which were bound for this port, having on board the foreign and provincial troops, under convoy of his majefty's fhips Affurance, Charles-Town, and Hound; the remainder, confifting of about 20 fail, parted with them off Charles-Town bar on the 18th, bound for England. On the 17th a fleet of upwards of 50 fail, with the British troops, and the principal part of the inhabitants of Charles Town, failed from thence to Jamaica. nants, which have been added there to fince the commencement of the war in 1776, exclufive of those kill ed, or died, in that period. Accurate ftate of the navies of Great Britain, France, Spain, and Holland, in commiffion at the end of the year 1782. Line fhips Gr. Brit. Fran. Spain. Hol. 105 89 5332 137 Large frigates 63 49 3 122 28 59 54 36 Sloops 217 Cutters 43 Armed Ships, The following are the names of the captains of his majesty's navy, killed fince the commencement of the war, with the names of each fhip they commanded, and on what fta tion they were. Weft Indies. Ŏf the fleet late under the command of the comte de Graffe, the following have been taken, funk, burnt, or destroyed:-Ville de Paris, 104 guns, fuppofed to have foundered; Hector, 74, fince foundered; Glorieux, 74, fuppofed to have foundered; Cefar, 74, fince burnt; Diadem, 74, funk; Caton, 64, taken; Ardent, 64, taken; Magnifique, 74, loft going into Bofton; Palmier, 74, foundered; Scipio, 74, driven on fhore by Torbay, Ld. Rob. Manners, Refolution, and burnt; Jafon, 64, taken in the Mona Paffage with the Caton; St. Efprit, So, condemned at Bofton.Total of fhips 12; ditto, of guns, 884. All this was the confequence of one fingle battle; in which alone the French loft within one as many capital fhips as in the whole of king William's war; for the lofs to France, during that period, confifted of two fhips of 104 guns each, one of 90, two of So, three of 76, one of 74, one of 70, one of 68, and two of 60. There are now on the navy half pay lift 243 captains, 172 mafters Ships names. Griffiths, Everett, Ruby, Eaft Indies. Stephens, Superb. Reynolds, Exeter. Europe. Pownall, Apollo. Macartney, Princefs Amelia. The number of prifoners of war in England, French, Dutch, Ame. ricans, and Spaniards, amounted to 4,160 men to be exchanged. 6. This being Twelfth Day, the fame was obferved as a feftival by the royal family at Windfor. 8. A (A3) 8. A chapter of the Bath was held at St. James's, when general Grey was invested with the infignia of that order. 10. The bank of Scotland offered 4,000l. for 12 months, free of intereft, to the magiftrates of Aberdeen, to purchase corn for the relief of the poor; and 1,000l. for the charity workhoufe at Stirling. 11. The king fignified his pleafure to the lords commiffioners of the admiralty, that the uniform clothing worn by the flag officers of his majefty's fleet, fhould be altered in the manner mentioned at the foot hereof; and that commodores having captains under them, the first captain to the admiral of the fleet, and firft captains to admirals commanding in chief fquadrons of 20 fail of the line or more, fhall be diftinguifhed by wearing the fame frock uniform as rear-admirals. Such flag officers, however, as were provided with the uniforms were permitted to wear the fame till the end of the prefent year. UNIFORMS of the Flag-officers of his majesty's fleet to be hereafter as follows: FULL DRESS. Admiral's. A blue cloth coat, with white cuffs, white waistcoat and breeches; the coat and waistcoat to be embroidered with gold, in pattern and description the fame as that worn by the generals of his majesty's army; three rows of embroidery upon the cuff. Vice-Admiral's. Ditto, with embroidery the fame as that worn by lieutenant-generals; two rows of embroidery on the cuff. Rear-Admiral's-Ditto, with embroidery the fame as that worn by major-generals; one row of embroidery on the cuff. Buttons the fame pattern as are now in ufe. UNDRESS. Admiral's-A blue cloth frock, with blue cuff and blue lappels; em broidered button-holes like those now in ufe, from the top to the bottom of the lappel, at equal distance, and three on the cuff. Vice-Admiral's-Ditto, with button-holes three and three. Rear-Admiral's.-Ditto, with button-holes two and two. Plain white waistcoats & breeches. Buttons the fame pattern as before worn. Edinburgh, Jan. 13. The direc tors of the Royal Bank made offer to the magiftrates of 5000l. fterling, free of interest for 12 months, for the purpose of purchafing corn for the relief of the poor. 15. The feffions began at the Old Bailey. 16. The report was made to his majefty, of the convicts under fentence of death in Newgate, when John Johnfon, John Lawfon, John Booker, Thomas Crowder, John Fitzgerald, William Woods, and Thomas Cope, were ordered for execution on the 22d inft. 17. Daniel M'Ginnis was tried for the wilful murder of John Hardy, hatter, in Newgate-ftreet, where Mr. M'Ginnis lodged, by stabbing him in the left breast, with a fhort tuck, or bayonet, which entered his heart. This unhappy accident was occafioned by fome water thrown out of Mr. M'Ginnis's window, on Mr. Hardy's fky-light, who going up ftairs to remonstrate with Mr. M'Ginnis, words arofe, which proceeded to this fatal extremity. Mr. M'Ginnis had a moft excellent character given him as a quiet, harmlefs, inoffenfive, and humane perfon, by gentlemen of great rank. The feflions ended at the Old Bailey. After the trials ended, the court paffed paffed fentence on the London convicts, viz. on two the fentence of tranfportation to America, feven to hard labour in the houses of correc tion, five imprisoned in Newgate, and five to be whipt. 18. The feffion ended on the Middlefex fide, when 10 convicts received judgment of death; 8 fentenced to be tranfported to America; 20 to be kept to hard labour in the houfe of correction; 2 to be imprifoned in Newgate; and 21 difcharged by proclamation. This being her majesty's birthday, the fame was obferved as ufual. 20. Captain Chriftie, late captain of the Hannibal man of war, arrived in a Danish veffel from India, and brings an account of the lofs of the Dartmouth East Indiaman, captain Thompson, having upwards of 150,000l. in fpecie on board, befides a valuable cargo. By the fame channel we alfo learn, that Sir Eyre Coote had taken the field with fix months provifions, in order to oppofe the operations of Hyder Ally, and the French troops; and that the French fleet under M. Suffrein had fuffered fo much in the late engagement with Sir Edward Hughes, as to be under the neceffity of quitting his former station, and return to Mauritius to refit. Sir Edward Hughes was refitted at Trincomalè, and was to fail in a few days in queft of the French fleet if in the narrow feas. The French had loft 1,200 men in the action and by fickness, alfo near 1,000 of thofe landed on the coaft. The preliminary articles of peace between Great Britain and France, and Great Britain and Spain, which were figned at Verfailles on the 20th inftant, by Mr. Fitzherbert, his majesty's minister plenipoten tiary, and the minifters plenipoten tiary of the courts of France and Spain. Vide State Papers. Preliminaries with the fates general of the United Provinces were not yet figned; but a cellation of hoftilities between Great Britain and that republic was agreed upon. As many people are unable to form an adequate idea of the extent of the diftricts ceded in America, because the geography of that immenfe country is not well known. It will not be amifs therefore to com. pare the districts ceded, with countries with which we are more acquainted. The following measurements are made with the greatest accuracy: The river Ohio is navigable from Fort Pitt to its mouth, which is a length of 1,164 miles The lands on the banks of the Ohio, and between the Allegany mountains, the lakes Ontario and Erie, and the Illinois and Miffifippi rivers, contain 233,200 fquare miles, which is nearly equal to Great Bri tain and France, whofe contents are only 235,237 fquare miles The lands between the Illinois, lakes Huron and Superior, and the Miffifippi at the Falls of St. Anthony, contain 129,030 fquare milés, nearly equal to Great Britain and Ireland, which contain only 131,800 fquare miles. The lands from St. Anthony's Falls to the South line from the Lake of the Woods to the head of the Miffifippi, contain 59,000 square miles, which is more than all Hols land, Flanders, and Ireland, which contain only 57,908 fquare miles. -East Florida alone contains 35,000 fquare miles, and is nearly as large as Ireland, which has only 35,400 fquare miles The United States of America contain 207,050 fquare miles, nearly as large as all Germany, Fian. (A 4) ders ders, Holland and Switzerland, which contain 207,483 square miles. 21. The parliament met accord. ing to adjournment. The Pruffian envoy extraordinary made strong reprefentations in the name of the king his master to the British miniftry, concerning the cap. ture of a Pruffian fhip; and demanded the immediate release of the fhip, and the reftitution of the effects taken on board her. 22. The following malefactors were brought out of Newgate, and conveyed to Tyburn, where they were executed according to their fentence; viz. John Booker, William Woods, John Fitzgerald, John Johnfon, John Lawson, and Thomas Cope. 23. Dr. Franklin fent to South Carolina nine vine dreffers from Burgundy, and 12,000 fets or plants of vines to try whether those plants would thrive there. Deal, Jan. 23. Twenty thoufand pounds in fpecie was brought on fhore, taken out of the Oafte Emes, capt. Laud, a Dutch fhip, from the Texel, bound to Batavia, under Ruffian colours, which run on the Goodwin Sands. 24. Notice was fent from the Admiralty to Sir James Marriot, the judge of that high court, to confirm no more warrants of letter of marque for réprifals upon the enemey. 27. The Highland, or 77th regiment quartered at Portfmouth, which was ordered to embark for the Eaft Indies, mutinied, and prevented their embarkation. 28. A proclamation was iffued by the lord lieutenant of Ireland, fig. nifying, that the parliament of that kingdom, be further prorogued to Tuesday the 25th day of March next. 29. A caufe was decided in the court of King's Bench, of the ut moft confequence to traders, as it decided a matter much queftioned. An eminent tradefman brought an action against Lady Lanffor goods had and delivered. She pleaded her being a femme covert : the cafe was, that her husband, lord Lanf, had parted from her, allowed her a feparate maintenance, and was now fettled on his estate in Ireland. The question therefore was, whether under thefe circumftances, the plea of coverture was to protect the lady from arrest and judgment; Lord Mansfield mentioned the cafes where the plea of coverture was and was not valid. It was not valid where the husband was exiled by the laws of his country, because the creditors could not purfue him for the debt of his wife. It was not valid where, by a difcovery of infidelity to his bed, they had been separated by the laws of their country. But the present was a new cafe. They were parted by confent. The hufband was in Ireland, and the lady refided in England on a fe parate maintenance. It was impoffible for the creditor in England, by the laws of that land, to recover his debt from the husband in Ireland, and therefore, in equity, the wife was confidered as as a femme fole. The caufe was decided against lady Lanf, with costs of fuit. 31. His majesty in council was pleafed to iffue his royal proclamation for difcontinuing the bounties to feamen and landmen. A deputation from the body of Quebec merchants, prefented a memorial to the earl of Shelburne. Admiral Pigot, commander in chief of his majesty's fhips at Barbadocs and the Leeward Islands, by his letter to Mr. Stephens, dated at Barbadoes, on the 9th of December, gives an account, That he arrived at that ifland on the |