with no inconfiderable fhare of point and feverity, concluded with pronouncing the judgment of the court, which was to this effect;-that he fhould be fined in the fum of two thousand fix hundred pounds, and be confined in his majesty's court of King's Bench for fix months. Mr. B. was accordingly configned to the cuftody of the marshal, and convey ed to that priton. He bore this very heavy judgment with great fortitude and compofure.

23. His royal highnefs the duke of Cumberland, with his duchefs and retinue, fet out for Dover, to embark for Calais in their way to Paris.

A fire broke out at Mr. Cullen's, bifcuit-baker, near Wapping Old Stairs, which entirely deftroyed that and three other houfes before it was got under. Luckily the tide was up, and there was plenty of water.

25. W. Vaughan, the meffenger, feized in the King's Bench prifon, in the apartments of a bank rupt, the fum of 22251. in bank notes, concealed in the window-cafe or frames of the windows, from his creditors.

There have been added to the navy half-pay lift fince January laft, 31 poft captains, 10 mafters and commanders, and 23 lieu

tenants.

The Tees was fwelled fo high that there were two feet of water on the first floor of the houfes in Yarm. Many walls were washed away, and much damage done.

26. The two fheriffs and city remembrancer went from Guildhall to the house of commons, to prefent a petition of the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council, against the bill depending in parliament, intitled, a bill. for vefting the affairs of the Eaft India company in the hands of certain commiffioners

for the benefit of the proprietors and the public.

Two fmall islands have been dif covered to the fouth of Madagascar, and to the north west of the breaker known by the name of the Star. The fouthernmost of these islands is in 25 deg. 12 min. S lat. the nor thernmoft in 24 deg. 55 min. Between them and Madagascar is a channel of about two leagues in breadth and five and two-thirds in length. It is the more effential to be acquainted with them, as they are furrounded with rocks on a level with the water, to the breadth of three quarters of a league.

Verfailles, Nov. 26. The day before yefterday the Ruffian ministers prefented to our court a notification, in the name of her imperial majefty, of which the following is the fubftance, viz.

That her imperial majesty, their fovereign, had fent orders to her ambaffador at Conftantinople, to requeft of the divan, firit, a fair and open communication of their opinion relative to the taking poffeffion of Crimea, that the emprefs may judge for certain whether they are pleased or difpleafed on that head; and fecondly, whether the divan are inclined to conform to the last treaty of peace, by not stopping her fub. jećts from the free navigation of the Black Sea, &c. and that the em prefs may know the determination of the divan as foon as poffible, her majefty gives them 60 days to deliberate upon an answer; but at the expiration of that time, if the divan fhould not think fit to return any anfwer, or that they fhould use the leaft equivocation in their reply, her imperial majefty would be ob liged to ufe all the means the poffeffes to oblige the Porte to comply, being determined that her numerous forces fhould not be tame

Spectators

fpectators of the wavering proceed. ings of a power who might, when once her forces was divided, attack

them.

The fame notice was given to the court of London.

A melancholy account was received, that the city of Theffalonica, capital of Macedonia, a great magazine for the Levant trade, has been totally overthrown by an earthquake; in the lower part many French, English, and Italians are buried in the ruins. This difafter is more deftructive than that of Meffina. Warehoufes of all kinds of commodities, belonging to the merchants of Marseilles and London, are swallowed up.

The Dolphin man of war, of 44 guns, capt. Sutton, arrived from New York with feveral tranfports, &c. under convoy. The final evacuation of that city took place on the 26th of this month, when it was delivered up to the American governor, George Clinton, Efq. who took poffeffion of it in due form with fome companies of New York militia, amounting to about 550 men, which are to continue there as the garrifon, till further arrangements are made by the American govern

ment.

30. Was tried, before the earl of Mansfield, at Guildhall, two actions of infinite concern to inn-keepers: two travellers fued for the recovery of their loffes during one night's tay at an inn. The facts were thefe: when they were conducted to bed by the chamberlain, they defired to have a key to lock the chamber door: it was a two-bedded room, but the travellers chufing to lie together, there was one bed remained empty. In the morning one of the plaintiffs miffed three guineas, the other thirteen and a half. For the recovery of this money the actions were

brought. Mr. Bearcroft laboured hard for the defendant, upon the danger of giving a verdict against his client, on the evidence of one plaintiff in favour of another, by which mankind might be tempted to confpire together, and fabricate loffes which they never fuffered. He faid, in the prefent cafe, it looked as if one man had robbed the other.-The attorney-general proved the reputation of the plaintiffs to be above that fufpicion. Lord Mansfield faid, the law was clear, that an inn keeper was bound to keep his guests in fecurity. The circumftances for the confiderration of the jury were, whether the defendant was negligent, and the evidence of the plaintiffs to fupport each other's caufe material as to their credibility. The jury gave the tra vallers a verdict to repair their loffes.

Died fuddenly in Dublin, Mifs Clancy, daughter of the late William Clancy, formerly one of the moft confiderable merchants in Dub lin. The circumstances of this lady's death are very extraordinary: on the morning of her decease the told the family he had paffed a most dif agreeable night, having dreamed that her eldeft fifter (a widow lady who refides in France) was dead, and that her ghoft had appeared to her, to warn her of an immediate diffolution: at first fhe refufed to credit the ghoft, declaring her health to be very good, but the apparition perfevered in afferting, fhe had but a few hours to live. This dream affected her much, but the was rallied out of her fears. She paid fome morning vifits, and then retired to her devotion. At dinner the was very cheerful, but fuddenly dropped her knife and fork, com, plained of a violent pain in her head, and infantly expired. — At Liverpool, in her 114th year, Mrs. Sarah Holmes, in Frederick-street,

widow of the late Mr. James Holmes, farmer. She was married at 48, and had fix children.-At Peterborough, in the alms-houfe, Mr. Hawkins, aged 109.

DECEMBER.

3. The report was made to his majefty in council of the convicts under fentence of death in Newgate, when ten were ordered for

execution.

4. Christopher Arkinfon was expelled the houfe of commons for perjury.

5. A caufe of very great importance to the proprietors of the fugar eftates in our itlands, came on to be heard before the Barons of the Exchequer, on a feizure of a very large quantity of fugar imported from the island of Tortola, with a certificate that the fugar was of Britifh produce; when after a long examination of witneffes on both fides, and pleadings of the most eminent counfel, it clearly appearing to the fatisfaction of a fpecial jury to be of foreign produce, and not British, a verdict for condemnation was accordingly given.

9. The following convicts were brought out of Newgate, and, after about half an hour fpent in prayer, were executed on a gallows erected upon a platform oppofite the prifon, viz. John Burke, John Wallis alias Fox, Richard Martin, Frances Warren alias Ballinger, George Morley, Samuel Wilfon, John Lawler, Wil. liam Munro, William Bufby, and Francis Burke. They were attended by the two fheriffs, under fheriffs, &c. with a number of conftables. The whole of the building was hung with black. The unhappy fufferers all behaved very penitently. Flufbing, Dec. 9. When the tide was very high, a fifh of an enor

mous fize was discovered near Dombourg, behind the caftle of Wefthaven. Its length was 84 feet, its diameter 26, and its tail was fix feet in breadth. It had a hole on the top of its head, and 48 large teeth in its mouth. When it was left dry, it made a great noife, and ftruck the fand fo forcibly with its tail, that it was not poffible to come near it at first. After the head had been cut off, the fish was opened, and in its belly a young fifh was found, that weighed 112 pounds, which was carried to Middlebourg. The body of the large fifh yielded 2070 pounds of fat; its weight was upwards of Sooo pounds, and its frout alone weighed 230 pounds.

10. The feffions began at the Old Bailey.

12. The following motion was moved in the houfe of commons,

That a committee be appointed to confider of the expediency of purchafing the late Sir Gregory Page's houfe and offices on Blackheath, with the garden and fifty-fix acres of land, for the purposes of a royal military academy-and the fame, upon the question put, was agreed to by the house.

13. From about ten o'clock in the morning, to one o'clock midday, the city of Amfterdam was inveloped in fuch a thick fog, as was never remembered to have been feen by any man. Every thing was in confufion, as nobody could diftinguifh the road they walked in. Many unhappy accidents happened. Several perfons and fome carriages had the misfortune to fall into the canals. As yet we have not learned all the fatal confequences of this accident, but it was feared that af Holland has been in the fame fitua tion.

16. Mr. Afhworth, against whom a verdict was obtained the last York

affizes,

affizes, in an action brought against him by one James Deans, as a common informer, upon the ftatute of ufury, for taking more than intereft upon difcounting bills, having paid the fum recovered against him, 390l. petitioned the lords of the Treafury to procure for him the remiffion of the half of that fum, which the king was intitled to under that verdict, fetting forth the circumftances of his cafe, and how fevere and rigorous the verdict was thought by all who heard the caufe, and referring them to the judges who tried it, for the truth of the facts alledged in his petition; upon which the Lords of the Treafury, in a few days afterwards, having fatisfied themselves of the hardship of Mr. Afhworth's cafe (and no doubt view ing the profecution and verdict in its proper light) ordered the king's moiety of 390l. to be immediately returned to him, which the mafter of the Crown Office, when he paid the money, declared, was the first inftance he ever remembered of the penalty being returned to the party himfelt!

17. The feffions ended, when 24 convicts received judgment of death, 30 were fentenced to be tranfported to America, 13 to be imprisoned fhort terms in Newgate, 25 kept to hard labour in the houfe of correction, of whom feveral were whipped, 21 to be whipped and dif charged, and 22 difcharged by proclamation. Befides the twenty-four unhappy objects who were capitally convicted this feffions, there were no fewer than 90 offenders caft for mple felonies! A circumftance, we are affured, never before known in the annals of the above court.

The India bill was thrown out of the house of peers by a majority

of 19.

The following are copies of the important refolutions carried in the houfe of commons.

Refolved,

That is now neceffary to declare, that to report any opinion, or pretended opinion of his majefty, upon any bill, or other proceeding depending in either houfe of parlia ment, with a view to influence the votes of the members, is a high crime and mifdemeanour, derogatory to the honour of the crown, a breach of the fundamental privileges of parliament, and fubverfive of the conftitution of this country. Refolved,

That this houfe will, upon Monday morning next, refolve itfelf into a committee of the whole house to confider of the ftate of the nation.

Refolved,

That is neceffary to the most ef fential, interefts of this kingdom, and peculiarly incumbent on this houfe, to purfue with unremitting attention the confideration of a fuitable remedy for the abufes which have prevailed in the government of the British dominions in the East Indies, and that this houfe will confider as an enemy to his country, any perfon who fhail prefume to advise his majefty to prevent, or in any manner interrupt, the discharge of this important duty.

19. His majefty fent, between twelve and one this morning, to lord North and Mr. Fox, to defire they would fend their feals of office immediately.

Since his prefent majefty's acceffion to the throne in the year 1760, there have been ten administrations, including the prefent new one. The. duke of Newcastle's continued from Oct. 1750, to May 20, 1762; the earl of Bute's, from May 1762, to

April 1763; he was fucceeded by Mr. George Grenville, who ftaid in till July 1765; when he was fucceeded by the marquis of Rockingham, who, in August 1766, refigned on account of having difcovered a fecret mover behind the throne, greater than the throne it felf: he was fucceeded by the duke of Grafton, who continued to the 28th of January, 1770; when lord North ftepped into the political faddle, and kept it no fewer than twelve years and two months; the marquis of Rockingham came again into power in 1782, but died foon; the earl of Shelburne fucceeded in 1783, and continued only a few months; the duke of Portland then fucceeded, but refigned this month, when Mr. Pitt fucceeded.

24. His majefty went to the houfe of peers, and gave the royal affent to the following bills: the malt bill-land-tax bill-Eat India payment bill-American trade bill Irish poftage bill-Splitnerberg's naturalization bill-Tournay's naturalization bill-Borrowftownefs canal bill-and fome road bills.

The speaker, attended by almost the whole houfe of commons, attended at St. James's with the addrefs, when his majefty, being feated on his throne in the drawing-room, the fpeaker read to the king.

The Address of the House of Com

mons.

That his majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great Britain in parliament affem bled, think themfelves bound in duty humbly to reprefent to his ma jefty, that alarming reports of an intended diffolution of parliament have gone forth.

That his majesty's faithful commons, in trufting to the crown that juft and legal prerogative, and fully confiding in his majesty's royal wif

dom and paternal care of his people, for the most beneficial exercife of it, defire, with great humility, to reprefent to his majesty the incon veniencies and dangers which ap pear to them, from a confideration of the ftate of the nation, likely to follow from a prorogation or diffo lution of the parliament, in the prefent arduous and critical conjunc ture of public affairs. The main tenance of the public credit, and the fupport of the revenue, demand the most immediate attention. The diforder prevailing in the government of the East India company's finances, from the preifing demands on them, require a no lefs immediate fupport and affiftance from par liament.

. That his majesty's faithful com mons are at prefent proceeding with the utmoft diligence upon thefe great objects of government, as recommended to their attention by his gracious fpeech from the throne, but which inuft neceffarily be fruf trated and difappointed by the delay attending a diffolution, and most efpecially the affairs of the East Indies, by the affembling of a new parliament, not prepared, by previous enquiry, to enter with equal effect upon an object involving long and intricate details, which his majefty's faithful commons have inveftigated for two years paft, with the most laborious, earnest, and unremitting attention.

That his majesty's faithful commons, deeply affected by these important confiderations, impreffed with the higheft reverence and affection for his majesty's perfon and government, and anxious to pre. ferve the luftre and fafety of his government, do humbly befeech his majefty to fuffer his faithful com mons to proceed on the business of the feffion, the furtherance of which