morning going to be married to the feventh wife; but as he and his intended bride were at breakfast together, he was taken in a fit, and expired immediately. At her house at Brook-green, Hammersmith, in an advanced age, Mrs. Joanna Stevens, who, upwards of thirty years ago, received five thousand pounds for the discovery of her medicine for the ftone. Her death was occafioned by the fright the received on the 6th of Auguft laft, when Henry M'Allefter and James M'Allefter entered her house, and took from her four half-crown pieces and three pounds in money, for which offence they were tried laft Seflions at the Old Bailey and acquitted. At the Hot Wells, Bristol, Mr. Emanuel Smithson, aged 101. acquainted the court, that the directors being informed, by the committee of correfpondence, that a fupervifor was neceffary to be appointed for Balambangan, and that Mr. Hurlock, late a director, was a proper perfon for that office, the court of directors, at two different meetings, had taken the matter into confideration, and had approved of the fame, and submitted to the general court the neceffity of the office, as well as the propriety of the nomination, with a fuitable falary, not less than 6000l. a year, to commence on embarkation. But Mr. Dalrymple having demanded on what grounds the directors had founded the neceffity of fuch an officer, and being told, on the chief and councils own vouchers, a debate arofe, whether it were better to fend out fuch an officer, with fuch a falary, or abandon the fettlement altogether, efpecially as it came out, that the Spaniards had a claim on the fettlement, which it was doubtful whether our miniftry would think fit to refent. This being a queftion of which the proAt a general court of pro-prietary did not think themfelves prietors of Eaft-India ftock, competent, the farther confiderafor the purpose of confidering the tion of it was referred to the court recommendation of a supervisor for of directors. the new fettlement of Balambangan, a letter was read from Warren Haftings, Efq; Governor of Bengal, in which he gave a very fatisfactory account of the progrefs he had made in forming a new code of laws, for the better adminiftration of juftice in the Company's territorial acquifitions; two exodes of which, being fent as a fpecimen, on a motion being made for that purpose, were ordered to be printed. Accounts from Paris mention the death of a man fervant, who was killed by a fall, at the age of 122 years. ift. DECEMBER. After which, the chairman 2d. This day the Lord Mayor of London was fworn into parliament, as member for Middlefex, and delivered in his qualification upon oath accordingly. The Coroner's inqueft fat on the body of John Bolton, at the Sun in Clement's-lane, Wych-ftreet, who was on Tuefday laft run over by his Majefty's ftate-coach, and brought in their verdi&t accidental death. A meffenger was fent in order to enquire what family he [4] 4 had had left; and as he has left only a widow, an annuity of 201. was fettled on her for life. York, Nov. 29. We have received an account from Sheffield of a great riot there the latter end of lált week. It was occafioned by an attempt of the proprietors of the coalpits in the neighbourhood, to raife the price from 4d. to 6d. per hundred. The rioters threatened to pull down houfes, &c. but were perfuaded to fend a deputation to the Duke of Norfolk, who very candidly attended to hear their complaints, and promifed that if the proprietors of his coal mines perfitted in their intentions of raifing the price, he would take the collieries into his own hands, and prevent fuch impofitions; on which the mob is difperfed, and all is quiet again. 5th. This day came on in the court of King's Bench, before Lord Mansfield and a fpecial jury, the mandamus caufe between John Steel, a journeyman artist in the porcelain manufactory at Worcefter, plaintiff, and the magiftrates of that corporation, defendants, who had refused to admit the faid Steel to the freedom of that city, upon a prefumption that he was not entitled to it, because he had not ordinarily boarded and lodged in the family of the perfon to whom he was bound apprentice; when, after a fhort examination, it appearing that the plaintiff was legally bound apprentice, had regularly ferved his full time, had been competently inftructed in his bufinefs, and that his boarding and lodging out of his mafter's houfe was with the confent of the matter, a verdict was given in favour of the plaintiff. "On Wednesday the court of feffion determined a very curious cauf, in which a gentleman was purfuer, and certain Juftices of Peace defenders. The caufe was, that after a meeting of the Juftices, when bufinefs was over, and they were taking a chearful glass, it was propofed to drink a certain wellknown toast, usually given in companies of men. The gentleman refuted to drink it; upon which refuming their judicial powers, they had a minute wrote, fining the gentleman for his obftinacy. The gentleman laid hold of the minute, and tore it in pieces; upon this the Juftices ordained him to be carried to the Public Crofs of the Town where met, there to make a public acknowledgment of his wrongous proceedings, and to pay half a crown of expences, and on his failure authorised their conftables to detain him for fix hours upon his own expences, and till they were paid for their trouble and expences, not exceeding five fhillings, and appointed his fentence to be recorded in the Juftices Sederunt book, in terror to others to commit fuch abuse and outrages for the future. The gentleman was accordingly carried to the Cross, and obliged to make public concesfions. The gentleman infifted before the court of feflion for a vindication of his character, and for damages and costs of suit. It was alledged for the Juftices, that the whole was only a frolic in a jovial meeting, and as the purfuer had behaved in a manner very extraordinary in the company of gentlemen, by refuting the toast, he was not entitled to any reparation. The The court found the fentence of the Juftices illegal and oppreffive, and ordained it to be erased, and awarded to the gentleman 151. of damages, and 351. of expences. Many curious and entertaining remarks paffed upon the bench with regard to the faid toaft." This day came on at Guildhall, before the recorder, in the Lord Mayor's court, the long depending trial between the ward of Bread-street, plaintiff, and an inhabitant of Watling-ftreet, defendant, for refufing to take upon him the office of conftable, as partner in a warehouse in that ward, but refiding in another; when, after a fhort hearing of counfel on both fides, the court unanimoufly agreed, that the profecution was illegal and groundlefs, and therefore a verdict was given for the defendant. 8th. This morning a bill of indictment was presented to the grand jury for the county of Middlefex, at Hicks's-hall, against the Duchefs of Kingston, for felony in marrying the late Duke of Kingfton, at the time fhe was actually the wife of the honourable Auguftus Hervey; when the jury found the bill to be a true bill, in confequence of which the muft appear to take her trial at the Old Bailey as a felon, or an outlawry will iffue against her. Five Charity-fchool-boys were carried before the fitting alderman at Guildhall, charged with picking pockets. It appeared on their examination, that a gang of them went out on nights to pick pockets, and the handkerchiefs they got they fold at a fhop near Whitecrofsfireet for 4d. each, good and bad together; that they had fold 60 on 3 a night. On account of their tender age, not one of them being above nine or ten years old, and on their friends promifing not to suffer them, for the future, to run about the ftreets after fchool-hours, they were all difmiffed. On Tuesday a caufe was tried in the Court of King's-bench, before Lord Mansfield, wherein the parith of St. Clement Danes were plaintiffs, and a part of the fociety of Lincoln's-inn defendants, on an action brought against the latter, for refufing to pay the poor's rates; when, after a hearing of above five hours, a verdict was given in favour of the parith, with all cofts of fuit. This day the feffions, which began the 7th inftant, ended 13th at the Old Bailey; at this feflions thirteen prifoners were capitally convicted; 37 were fentenced to be tranfported for leven years; two for coining halfpence were branded in the hand, and ordered to be imprifoned one year; fix to be whipt, and 44 difcharged by proclamation. The following capital refpites in Newgate have received his Majef ty's mercy, on condition of tranfportation, viz. John Victoire Ducret, Charles Locket, Jane Munt, Lewis Lequint, Fabius Lewis, and Michael Brannon, for the term of their natural lives; Charles Shaw, John Robertfon, William Collier, Robert Edwards, Elizabeth Wigley, and Edward Phipps, for 14 years; John Dogget, and Jofeph Tidbury, for 7 years. Patrick Madan, who in July laft was capitally convicted of robbing William Beckenham in the fields' near the Shepherd and Shepherdefs of a coat, and his execution re fpited fpited on the declaration of Amos Merrit at the place of execution, acknowledging himself to be the thief, hath obtained his Majefty's pardon. 15th. Came on at Guildhall an important queftion which arofe on an iffue directed by the court of Chancery; Hope and Co. of Amfterdam, and Hoare and Co. of London, were plaintiffs, and the affignees of Fordyce and Co. defendants: the queftion was, whether in a money circulation between Fordyce alone and the plaintiffs, a guarantee given by Fordyce, in the name of the houfe, bound the houfe, though in the hand-writing of Fordyce, and though the plaintiffs made no attempts to difcover whether the houfe were privy to it or no? The jury found a verdict for the defendants. Yesterday a motion was made in the Court of Chancery, for an injunction, to stop the payment of a fum of money in the hands of an auctioneer, from being paid to the trustees of a certain duchefs, which arofe from the fale of the late duke's horfes, dogs, &c. on the ground of her being an executrix, &c. when the lord chancellor remarked, that as a noble law lord had made it appear that there was no indictment against her, as it had been brought againft Elizabeth Chudleigh, and there being no fuch perfon, he ordered the money to be paid into the hands of the trufees, for the payment of funeral expences, debts, and legacies. The Duke of Manchefter renewed again in the Houfe of Peers the propofal for admitting the members of the House of Commons, and other ftrangers, to hear their lordships debates. He parti The cularly preffed it at this time, as a point to be defired even by minifters, that the Public might be informed of the grounds on which they proceed in regard to the measures to be pursued respecting America, whofe interefts are fo interwoven with thofe of Great-, Britain, that the attention of the people of this country cannot be too much awakened at this truly important crifis. His grace was feconded with great elocution and energy by Lord Lyttelton. propofal was to admit the members of the House of Commons, the Scotch and Irish Peers, and such other perfons as shall be introduced by a Peer. The Lord Chancellor rofe up in reply to the Duke, and acquainted the Lords that he always looked upon himself as a fervant of the house, whose duty it was to fee their orders enforced; but that as it feemed to be the defire of many to relax their standing order in this point, he thought the civility due from one lord to another fhould induce the House to come into the propofal, which was accordingly agreed to without further debate. On Monday morning, between ten and eleven o'clock, came on to be tried at Guildhall, before Lord Chief Juftice De Grey, and a fpecial Jury, the long depending caufe wherein fundry Armenian merchants were plaintiffs, Governor Verelft, General Smith, and others, defendants. The caufe of action was laid for various inftances of oppreffion; for falfe imprifonment, and fingular depredations on the property of the plaintiffs. The Jury, withdrew at almoft feven o'clock, and at ten returned a verdict, acquitting Gen. Smith, but finding Governor Verelft guilty of the falfe imprifonment, by virtue of his letters to the Nabob, with 5000l. damages, and full cofts. On Tuesday morning, at ten o'clock, the cause of fome other Armenian merchants againit Governor Verelst was tried at Guildhall, before Lord Chief Juftice de Grey and a fpecial Jury. The trial latted for eight hours, when a verdict was given in favour of the Armenian merchants, with four thoufand pounds damages, and full cofts. Mrs. Vickars, a widow18th. lady at Derby, was inhumanly murdered by a villain, who, having rifled the houfe, made off before the murder was difcovered. There has fince been found, by the relations of the deceased, 300l. in a bag, on the tefter of her bed, which the villain had miffed; but what he carried off is not yet known. At a general court of pro21ft. prietors of Eaft-India flock, the half-yearly dividend was declared to be three per cent. Extract of a Letter from Newcastle, Dec. 17. "The accounts, all along the coaft, of the lofs among the thipping are dreadful, it being fuppofed near forty fail have fuffered between the Thames and the Frith. All the whole coaft, from this port to Berwick, exhibits a moft terrible scene of defolation, and fuch wreck of fhipping as never was feen here before. Several dead bodies have been driven afhore." Letters from different parts of Norfolk, Suffolk, Yarmouth, and the fea-ports all round the iiland, contain melancholy accounts of the damages and loffes of shipping by the late ftormy weather, This day his Majefty went, in the ufual ftate, to the 23d. House of Peers, and gave the royal affent to the malt-bill, and to a new bill for the free importation of Indian corn, for a limited time, and upon certain conditions; after which both Houfes adjourned till Thursday, the 19th of January. It Yesterday a copy of the petition from the American congrels to the King was delivered to Lord Dartmouth, for the purpose of fhewing it to his Majefty, before it is prefented to him by the agents. contains a ftate of grievances, a folicitation for the removal of evil counfellors, and a claim that the colonies are exempt from taxation by the British parliament. This day Mr. Recorder made his report to his Ma27th. jefty of the convicts under fentence of death in Newgate, when the following were ordered for execution on Tuesday the 10th of January, viz. Amos Merrit, for breaking and entering the dwelling-houfe of Mr. Edward Ellicot, at Hornfey, and stealing a large quantity of plate, and other things; John Williams, for flealing in the dwelling-houfe of George Venables, the fign of the Bunch of Grapes in the Tower, 331. in money, three bank notes, value 40l. a filver fpoon, and feveral other things; Richard Mitchell, for felonioufly ftealing out of a letter, fent by the general poft from Mr. Whitfield, of Lewes, to Mr. Moxon, at Lymington (and which came to the hands of Mitchell, then a forter of letters at the General Poft Office, Lombard-ftreet), a bank note, value |