*mons for leave to make a navigable cut from Moorfields to Waltham abbey. Mr. Alderman Townsend oppofed it, as it would injure his private property. It is referred to a committee.

Yesterday came on before Mr. Juftice Nares, in the Court of Common Pleas, Guildhall, a trial in which Mrs. Partridge, of the Bell-inn, Friday-ftreet, was plaintiff, and three cuftom-house officers, Brice, Strachan, and Oalley, defendants; when, after a hearing of three hours, the Judge fummed up the evidence with great candour and impartiality, declared their entry at that time of night totally illegal and unwarranted by law. The jury (which was special) after withdrawing about twenty minutes, brought in a verdict for the plaintiff with 150l. damages, and cofts of fuit.

A card of difmiffion from 28th. the Board of Treasury has been delivered to the Hon. Charles Fox, Efq.

The late Dr. Smith's two premiums of 251. each, to be given to two Bachelors of Arts of the University of Cambridge, who, after the fecond examination, shall be found to excel in mathematical learning, were this year adjudged to Mr. Milner of Queen's, and Mr. Waring of Magdalene college.

Mr. Woodfall was brought to the bar of the House of Commons and discharged, paying his fees. The Speaker, with great mildness, decency, and good temper, declaring, that, as the matter originated from an attack upon himself, he would not with a thought fhould be entertained, that he held any malice either to him or Mr. Horne; and VOL. XVII.

that he had rather incur the difpleasure of the Houfe for being too lenient, than the refentment of the people for being too fevere.

Mr. Alderman Harley prefented a petition from the bookfellers of London, &c. fetting forth, that many of them would be ruined by the late decifion in the House of Lords, unless fome relief was given them.

Mr. Sawbridge feconded the motion, in which he faid, that, by a decifion in the year 1769, in favour of copy-right, many of the book fellers had laid out their whole fortunes in that article, which right had now been taken from them by the determination of the Upper Houfe; and, if some redress was not given them, many families would be totally ruined.

a

It was referred to a committee. The Attorney-General prefented petition from Major-General Frafer, praying to have those estates of his father, Simon Lord Lovat, which were forfeited to the Crown, reftored to him. He prefaced the petition with a long panegyric upon the Major-General, who, he faid, was fent early to Scotland, where he was educated under masters who had profeffed a regard for the late king; that in the late rebellion, Lord Lovat infifted on the petitioner's taking up arms on the fame fide he did, although it was greatly against the petitioner's will; that the petitioner, after the rebellion, was offered a regiment in the French fervice, but refused it, and defired leave to be employed in the fervice of his late Majefty, where, in the beginning of the last war, he raised 1800 men, and had facrificed his blood and fortune in fupport of the crown in America. [G]

Lord

Lord North defired to acquaint the Houfe, that the petition had been thewn to his Majefty, and he ftrongly recommended it. Mr. T. Townfend faid, he had no objections to this, as it was a particular cafe, but he should be against its being made a precedent; he fhould therefore fecond this motion.

MARRIED, laft week, Mr. Thomas Gowler, an eminent taylor, grocer, and chandler, at Warboys, in Huntingdonshire, near 100 years old, to a brisk young widow of the fame place, aged 30. He was fo infirm that it was with great difficulty he got the licence out of his pocket, and feveral times dropt the ring before he could get it on the lady's finger; but fince his marriage he is fo greatly recovered as to quit the affiftance of his cane.

DIED, at the Hague, aged 120, the Sieur de la Haye. He was a native of France, affifted at the taking of Utrecht in 1672, and was at the battle of Malplaquet in 1709. He travelled by land to Egypt, to Perfia, to the Indies, and to China. He married at the age of 70, and had five children.

In Coleman-ftreet, Mrs. Rebecca Wright, aged 73, by whofe death an eftate in Suffolk, worth above 12,000l, comes to a poor watchman in Chifwell-fireet.

At Wear Gifford, near Barnfiaple, Devon, Margery Bonefaut, aged 114 years.

At Chileworth, near Romfey, Hants, aged 102, Mr. Ifaac De Vic.

Thomas Lefkay, Efq. merchant, at Dunkirk, aged 114.

the prefent ftate of the linen ma→ nufacture. Meffrs. Anderson and Goldy were called to the bar. The fum of their teftimony was, that the linen manufacture of Scotland had decreased between two and three millions of yards in the courfe of lait year; that the value of what was ftamped during the fame period was thort of the preceding year 226,000l. that the average price of the cloth fold in the year 1769 was 12d. 3-12ths the yard, and, in the year 1773, but 9d. 5-24ths; that four whole counties, Glafgow and Paifley included, out of 6000 looms, had 2500 unemployed; that the proportion of thofe that were in general idle was at leaft a third; that, out of a certain diftri&t in the county of Sutherland, 600 out of 1800 fpinners had emigrated, and fo in proportion in feveral other places therein fpecified; that fome of the linens of 1771 were ftill on hand unfold; and, on the whole, that there were not, in the beginning of the prefent year, much more than half the weavers employed throughout the kingdom of Scotland and north of England.

The ftewards of the fociety of ancient Britons did not wait upon the prince of Wales as ufual, but it is faid that his Royal Highness's bounty of 1051. towards the fupport of the charity, was continued as formerly.

This day the four convicts under fentence of death were executed at Tyburn.

2d.

The Adelphi lottery began drawing at the great room, 3d. formerly Jonathan's coffee-houfe, in Exchange-alley, when No. 3599 was drawn a blank, but, being the firstdrawn ticket, is entitled to 5000l.

The

The Selby canal bill was thrown out of the House of Commons, 105 to 33.

4th.

This day the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the city of London, waited upon his Majefty; and being introduced to his Majefty by the Earl of Hertford, Lord Chamberlain of his Majefty's houthold, Thomas Nugent, Efq; Common-Serjeant, made their compliments in the following addrefs :

"Most Gracious Sovereign, We your Majesty's dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, of your ancient city of London, in commoncouncil affembled, beg leave to approach your Majefty's facred perfon with our warmeft congratulations on the happy delivery of our most excellent Queen, and the aufpicious birth of another Prince.

With gratitude to the Divine Goodness we behold the increase of your Majefty's auguft houfe, as it augments your Majefty's domeftic felicity, and gives a more permanent fecurity to the civil and religious liberties of your people.

JAMES HODGES." To which addrefs his Majefty was pleased to return the following moft gracious answer:

"I receive with pleasure this dutiful and affectionate addrefs. Your congratulations, and the fentiments which you exprefs on the further increase of my family, cannot fail of affording me great fatisfaction."

They were all received very gracioufly, and had the honour to kifs his Majefty's hand.

- After which his Majefty was pleafed to confer the honour of knighthood on Walter Rawlinfon,

Efq; one of the Aldermen of the city of London. On Saturday

Boston, Jan. 17. morning the following was pofted up in the moft public parts of this

town.

"Brethren and Fellow Citizens ! You may depend that thofe odious mifcreants and deteftable tools to miniftry and governor, the TEA CONSIGNEES (thofe traitors to their country, butchers, who have done, and are doing every thing to murder and deftroy all that thall ftand in the way of their private intereft) are determined to come and refide again in the town of Boston.

I therefore give you this early notice, that you may hold yourfelves in readinefs, on the thorteft notice, to give them fuch a reception as fuch vile ingrates deserve.

JOYCE, jun.

Chairman of the committee for tarring and feathering." If any perfon fhould be fo hardy as to tear this down, they may expect my fevereft refentment.

J. jun." Newport, Rhode Island, Jan. 10. Laft Wednesday, 57 ladies, of Bedford, in Dartmouth, had a meeting, at which they entered into an agree ment not to use any more India tea: And having heard that a gentleman there had lately bought fome, they requefted he would imme diately return the fame, which he complied with upon which the ladies treated him with a glafs of this country wine, and difmiffed ~him highly pleased with their exemplary condu&t, for which a number of gentlemen prefent gave him three cheers in approbation of his noble behaviour.

The House of Commons went into a committee of inquiry into abuses committed in gaols, by detaining perfons for their fees, Sir Thomas Clavering, Chairman. Dr. Fothergill and Surgeon Potts were called in, and alked their opinions on the gaoldiftemper; they faid, it proceeded from a number of perfons being confined in a close place, and not kept clean; that they recommended, as a prefervative to the courts of judicature, for the prifoners to be well washed before they were brought into court, and clean cloaths provided for them to appear in; that they would recommend the prisons to be often cleaned, fcraped, white-washed, and painted, and gave it as their opinion that it was the cloaths that carried the infection; that the diftemper was of a fimilar nature with the fmall-pox, no perfon could have it more than once; and that hot and cold baths would be of great service in prifons.

Mr. Howard, sheriff of Bedford, was called, and gave the House an account that he had feen thirtyeight out of forty-two gaols in the Lent circuit, befides others, as Briftol, Ely, Litchfield, &c. That those he had not seen, in a few days he should set out to vifit. That he released a perfon out of Norwich city-gaol, who had been confined five weeks for the gaoler's fee of 13s. 4d. That at Launcefton the keeper, deputy-keeper, and ten out of eleven prifoners lay ill of the gaol-diftemper; at Monmouth the keeper lay dangerously ill, and three of the prifoners were ill; at Oxford eleven died last year of the Small-pox. That as to fees, thofe in the western counties were highest,

as at Dorchefter 11. 35. 9d. Winchefter 11.7s.4d. Salisbury 11. 6s.4d. but in the county of York only 9s. That the gaols were generally clofe and confined, the felons wards nafty, dirty, confined, and unhealthy: that even York castle, which, to a fuperficial observer, might be thought a very fine gaol, he thought quite otherwife; with regard to felons, their wards were dark, dirty, and small, no way proportioned to the number of unhappy perfons cor.fined there. Many others are the fame, as Gloucester, Warwick, Hereford, Suffex, &c. The latter had not, for felons, or even for debtors, at their countygaol, at Horfham, the leaft outlet; but the poor unhappy creatures were ever confined within doors, without the leaft breath of fresh air.

He was asked his reafons for vifiting the gaols? and answered, that he had feen and heard the diftrefs of gaols, and had an earnest defire to relieve it in his own diftrict, as well as others. He was then afked, if it was done at his own expence? he anfwered, undoubtedly.

[The thanks of the Houfe were defervedly and unanimously returned to this benevolent Gentleman; who, at a great expence, and the continual rifque of his life, has thus nobly fhewn himself the friend of mankind in general, and of the unfortunate in particular.]

The Earl of Dartmouth pre7th. fented to the Houfe of Peers a meffage from his Majesty, wherein his Majefty was moft graciously pleafed to recommend to their ferious confideration the late disturbances in America, particularly the unjustifiable outrages lately com