their speaker, to his Majefty, who was graciously pleafed to approve their choice.

24th. A great mortality prevails among the Ruffian failors at Portsmouth; where many of them have been on board four months, and now begin to ficken fo falt, that it has been determined to land them by turns: and Hilfey barracks are allowed them for that parpole. It is faid, that not lefs than ten die daily.

About half an hour after 26th. ten, a fire broke out in the flax warehouse belonging to Mr. Thomas Steele, on Bennet's-hill, near Paul's-wharf, oppofite the place where the dreadful fire happened, at the oil warehoufe in Thames-reet, a few months ago. The flames were fo rapid, that it entirely confumed the warehoufe, with feveral dwelling-houfes between that and St. Peter's Hill; St. Peter's church alfo caught fire feveral times, but was preferved by the activity of the firemen ; and the whole fire was got under by one o'clock, there being luckily plenty of water, and great aftance inflantly ready. As few perfons were in bed, when the fire broke out, happily alfo no lives were loft.

His Grace the Duke of 28th. Grafton refigned his poft of firft lord of the treasury, to the aftonishment of the whole nation. The caufe is variously reported: some say, to avoid being refponfible for measures he might not wholly approve others, that a great perfonage was difpleafed with the hafty difmiffion of Lord Cn, before another fit perfon was thought on to fucceed him. Be that as it may, Lord North was immediately appointed in his room;

and his Grace continues fteady in fupport of the measures of govern

ment.

The river Rhone, in France, fwelled higher than has been known in the memory of man.

29th.

His Majesty went to the Houfe of Peers, attended by his Grace the Duke of Ancaster, and Lord Bruce, and gave the royal affent to the bills which were prepared.

Dr. Mufgrave was heard before the H. of Cns, relative to the information he had to produce on the fcore of the late peace; and what he then delivered, was voted in the highest degree frivolous and unworthy of credit.

This night it lightened fo furprizingly in this city, that the oldest perfons living, do not remember their ever having feen it equalled before, even in the hottest featon,

This day a petition from the city of Coventry, was prefented to his Majefty.

An earthquake, in the island of St. Maura, in Greece, has lately deftroyed 700 houfes; most of the inhabitants were buried under the

ruins.

From St. Chriftopher's we learn, that on the 24th of October, feven members of the general affembly of that ifland, having, on fome debate, quitted the house in an abrupt and indecent manner, were ordered into the cuftody of the ferjeant at arms: that on their refufal to make fubmiffion to the houfe, they were committed to the common gaol, where they were confined; five days after which, they were expelled the houfe, and difcharged from their imprisonment: that on their coming out of prifon, a great concourie of people affin[F] 3

bled

bled in the pasture, where a large bonfire was made, in which they burnt two effigies: and that on the 17th of November, came on the election of four members for the parish of St. George's, Baffeterre, in the room of the expelled members, when the fame gentlemen were re elected without oppofition. to the great joy of the freeholders, who gave an elegant entertainment on the occafion.

The general affembly of North Carolina was diffolved three days after its meeting in November last, by his Excellency William Tryon, Efq; the governor.

The distemper among the horfes rages with great violence; in the neighbourhood of Camberwell, Peckham, Dulwich, &c. no lefs than 50 have lately died. The distemper among the horned cattle has only been heard of in and near Westminster.

Died lately, at Leeds in Yorkfhire, one Mary Denton, who lived in an alms-houfe there; her employment ufed to be to carry out meat for the butchers, for which the received one half-penny a turn; after her death there were found, fewed up in her cloaths, one hundred Queen Anne's guineas. At Tregony in Cornwall, Mr. Richardfon, aged 102. In Cornwall, Mr. George Wil

liams, aged 109.

In Effex Street, White Friars, Mrs. Jackson, aged upwards of 100. At Rainford in Lancashire, Jofhua Bibby, in the 105th year of

his age.

Fitz-William

Teller

Abingdon

Earl of Bucks 1

Tankerville

48

Laft

Laft week two tranfports arrived at Spithead from Petersburgh, with near 700 Ruffians foldiers on board. We expect three more tranfports daily from the above place with 8 or 900 men more. We hear the Ruffians are to be encamped on the South-Sea common. There are in Haflar's hofpital upwards of 400

fick.

3d.

A great riot happened this day at Chirk in Denbig fhire, to oppose the execution of the militia act in that county. Near 300 countrymen, armed with clubs and pitchforks, affembled at the meeting of the justices, and drove away the conftables, who were about to deliver in their lifts; and after infulting the gentlemen prefent, and breaking the windows of the houfe where they met, difperfed without further damage.

The Supporters of the Bill 7th. of Rights met at the London Tavern, when Serjeant Glynn, the chairman, acquainted the fociety, that a remittance of 1500l. had been paid into the hands of Sir Thomas Hankey and Co. bankers in Fenchurch-street, for the use of the fociety, by order of the affembly of South Carolina, who had voted that sum.

Her Grace the Dutchefs of Northumberland refigned her office as one of the ladies of the bedchamber to the Queen. And the fame day her place was fupplied by the Countess of Holderness.

This morning the parish church of Fordingbridge, Hants, was much damaged by a tornado, which entirely ftripped the lead off the north fide of the roof of the middle aifle, from the tower even to the weft door; the gust of wind was fo furious that the fheets of lead,

weighing in the whole upwards of two tons, were many of them rent like paper, and all carried away with great velocity entirely over the faid roof, and falling on the op pofite fide, carried with it feveral yards of the parapet wall.

One of the patriotic sheriffs declared in a great affembly, that he fhould refule to pay the land-tax in a county that was not reprefented; and it is faid he will certainly try the confequence of abiding by the refolution.

A moft fplendid entertainment was given at the Man- 9th. fion-houfe, by the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, at which a numerous and brilliant affembly of the first quality in the kingdom were prefent. The ball in the evening was opened by the Duke of Devonshire and the Lady Mayores. The dancing continued till twelve, when a very grand fupper was ferved up in the Egyptian Hall, with a fine deffert, and a curious piece of confectionary. After fupper, part of the company went into the ballroom, and continued dancing till near five o'clock on Saturday morning; at which time the whole company departed, highly fatisfied with the elegancy of the entertainment, the order and regularity with which it was conducted, and the polite behaviour of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayorefs. There were prefent the Duke and Dutchess of Portland, the Duke and Dutchess of Richmond, the Duke and Dutchefs of Bolton, the Duke and Dutchefs of Queensbury, the Duke and Dutchefs of Manchefter, the Duke and Dutchefs of Northumberland, Earl Temple, Earl of Suffolk, Lord Camden, Lord Lyttelton, General Paoli, the Ruffian ambasador, Lord

[F] 4

George

George Sackville, and many other noblemen; alfo Mr. Juftice Willes, Sir George Savile, Edmund Burke, Efq; and feveral other members of the Houfe of Commons, and their ladies. The following aldermen were also prefent, Sir Charles Afgill, Sir William Stephenfon, Sir Robert Kite, Samuel Turner, Efq; Brafs Crosby, Efq; Thomas Halifax, Efq; James Townsend, Efq; and his lady, John Sawbridge, Efq; and his lady, and a great number of merchants with their ladies. It is thought there never was fo numerous and brilliant a company at the Manfion-houfe before.

On Thursday evening a 12th. remarkable caufe was tried before Sir J. Eardly Wilmot, in the court of Common Pleas at Guildhall, where a travelling dealer in filks was plaintiff, and a riding custom-house officer, who lives at Dartford in Kent, was defendant. The action was brought for the defendant (ex officio) flopping the plaintiff on the Greenwich road, as he was coming to London, and taking his horfe, faddle, bridle, a pair of bags, containing 12 pieces of handkerchiefs, and a large parcel, containing 27 pieces of filk; all which the officer took along with him to Dartford before he examined, and fent the poor man to town on foot. On examination, the goods appeared to have been manufactured in Spitalfields. On the trial it was proved that the officer had used the plaintiff very ill, and had threatened to blow his brains out.-After a full hearing on both fides, the jury brought in a verdict for the plaintiff, with full value for all his filks, horfe, faddle, &c. and 231. for the affault; in all 180l. with full cofts of fuit.

There was the fullest House of Commons that has been known. No less than 451 members were prefent. By a lift in the Court Caiendar 192 hold places under the government, and it is affirmed upon the best authority, that the number of public offices is now double to what it was in 1740.

Five of the eleven capital 14th. convicts were this day executed at Tyburn; the other fix were reprieved.

After the execution a great difturbance happened, in confequence of a hearfe being placed near the gallows, in order to receive the body of Dunk the foldier, which fome of his comrades imagining was fent there by the furgeons, they knocked down the undertaker, and, after beating his men, drove off with the body along the New Road, attended by a prodigious concourse of people, till they came to the end of Gray's-Inn-lane, where they buried the corpse, after firft breaking its legs and arms, and throwing a large quantity of unflacked lime into the coffin and the grave.

On Wednesday laft came on at Westminster, a caufe wherein a maid fervant was plaintiff, and her miftrefs defendant; the action was brought for her miftrefs ill-treating her; when, after a trial of three hours, the jury brought in a verdiet of 50 1. damages.

Last week, at a Guild holden at Berwick, before the worshipful John Burn, Efq; Mayor, it was ordered, that the freedom of that corporation fhould immediately be prefented to the prefent Lord Mayor of the city of London, and to Sir Jofeph Mawbey, Bart.

Col. Wedderburn, brother of Counsellor Wedderburn, is appointed

pointed commander in chief of the Hon. the Eaft India company's forces at Bengal.

At a committee for building Elack Friars bridge, on cafting up the receipts of the toll for the lait quarter, it amounted to the fum of 4000l. per ann. And as it is highly probable that it will be very confiderably increafed on the paffige being completed, there is a fair prospect that in a few years the whole debt on the bridge, which is about 47,000 1. will be difcharged, and the paffage made free.

His Majefty went to the 16th. House of Peers, and gave the royal affent to the following bills:

The bill for granting an aid to his Majefty, by a land-tax to be railed in Great Britain, for the fervice of the prefent year.

The bill to continue the duties on malt, mum, cyder and perry, for the fervice of the prefent year. The bill to punish mutiny and defertion, and for the better payment of the army and their quar

ters.

The bill for regulating his Majefty's marine forces when on thore.

The bill to indemnify perfons, acting by order of Council, for preventing the spreading of the contagious diftemper amongst the horned cattle.

The bill to enable Lord George Sackville, and his iffue male, to take and use the furname of Germain, pursuant to the will of Lady Elizabeth Germain, deceased.

And alfo to feveral naturalization bills.

The unfortunate man who was murdered by his wife on Thurfday laft, in Pierpole lane, had his fkull fractured by her in three places,

with a board on which he cut out his work. He was a clog ftrapmaker, and had lived very unhappily with the woman for fome time; he often threatened to murder him, and on the night the horrid act was committed, abused him in a violent manner. It is fuppofed the killed him in his fleep, as the neighbours heard no noise after eleven o'clock, and the waked two of them about four o'clock with a complaint, that her. poor hufband was dying; on which they went to his affiftance, and finding him a moft fhocking spectacle, immediately charged her with the fact, which, after fome time, the confeffed.

On Thursday night five 18th.

men went on board the Mary and Ifabella Weft Indiaman, Capt. Pearfon, in the river, and were detected stealing tobacco, &c. The crew attacked them, ftruck one of the thieves with a handfpike on the head, and killed him on the fpot; another, in jumping to the boat, fell into the Thames, and was drowned; the other three tumbled the wounded man into the boat, but finding him dead threw him over; they then rowed for the fairs at Tower Wharf, where they attempted to land, but the centinel being called to, he fired at them, which obliged them to row across, and land on the Borough fide, from whence they made their escape. The dead body of the fel. low, who was killed with the handfpike, was foon after taken up and landed on Tower Wharf; he appears to be between 70 and 80 years of age, and had on a failor's jacket.

On Thursday the money collected at Liverpool for the relief

of