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the river; the boat did not want above three lengths of the bank, when it ftruck against a tree, and in an inftant they all, together with the boat, disappeared. A few minutes after the Duke rofe again, and fupported himself a fhort time by taking hold of a tree; but the violence of the current foon bore him down, and he never appeared more. The boatmen, more fortunate, were every one faved, and the Duke alone became the victim of his own humanity. The whole

city is in affliction for the lofs of this truly amiable prince, whofe humility, gentleness of manners, and compaffionate difpofition, endeared him to all ranks. He lived indeed as he died, in the highest exercife of humanity. Had not the current been so rapid, he would no doubt have been faved, as he was an excellent fwinimer."

His Highness was the brother-in-law, as we fuppofe, of his Majefty's fifter.

The POLITICAL STATE of the NATION and of EUROPE for March, 1786. [No. XXV.]

WHILE

7HILE we were writing or at leaft printing our fentiments on the subject of fortifications, promifing ourselves, from the protraction of the conteft, an opportunity of going deeper into the fubject than we could then, the whole scheme of fortification biew up with the general confent of all the people, a few minifterial men excepted; our further labour on that fubject is confequently fuperfeded. We are glad, however, we had an opportunity of bearing our testimony against the inadmiffible system.-Difcontent ed at the repulfe, Miniftry feem totally to have abandoned the only good part that was ftruck out in the collifion of the parties concerned or engaged in it-that is, the providing a fufficient number of gunboats and a perfect fyftem of fignals along the coaft on the approach of any danger! They are, like froward children, too much in the pouts to do the little good they can, because they are not permitted to do all the mifchief they pleale.

Early in the month a very extraordinary appointment took place, that of a great and famous military commander, remarkable for h's warlike exploits in America, to be chief avil Governor of India! a measure very fufpicious in the eye of the French Cabinet, ever wakeful and jealous of the movements of all their neighbours, of this nation in particular, which they confider as their perpetual rival and hereditary enemy! Can they confider the fending out a man fo qualified, invested with fuch ample powers, civil and military (it is faid), as are now making out for him, over all Indoftan, as a very friendly meafure for them and their connections and dependencies in thofe extenfive regions?— Exclufive of all these confiderations, the appointment of a military officer of the crown to the fupreme civil government of all the Company's concerns in the Eaft-Indies, does not wear the moft palpable marks of prudence and difcretion, in this time of apparent profound peace and tranquillity! There is a strong appearance of too much power being vefted

one man, either for the benefit of the

Company, or for the fafety of the commonwealth of Great-Britain. If much smaller powers vested in limited circumfcribed governors, have precipitated them into fuch dictatorial measures as have embroiled the State and endangered the Company, what must fuch untried, unheard-of extended powers produce in Aña, in Europe, and elsewhere? We likewife think the appointment premature, until an impending investigation of a late chief Governor of India fhall pronounce him a great and a good Governor, or a delinquent. The progrefs and event of that dif cullion might probably throw great light on the fubject, and fhew what fort of men ought to be appointed, and what powers they might fafely be entrusted with; whereas at prefent a total darkness and confufion covers the face of Indian affairs!-

Nothing contributes to this confufion more than the late Act for regulating EastIndia affairs! and we apprehend the amendments going on very rapidly in the House of Commons, if paffed into a law or laws, will encrease and aggravate all the evils which generate confufion, and tend to downright anarchy.

We hear much noife and talk about an impeachment of a late Chief Governor, but fee little progress made in it fince our last, when we touched it very flightly, thinking it would be immediately turned into a serious legal profecution before a very high tribunal; but we find fince, it has been only a fubject of altercation, of declamation on the one fide, anda of panegyrick on the other; and is therefore a fair fubject of critical animadverfion. We fhall content ourselves however, at prefent, with a fimple, obfervation on the strange unaccountable contrafted state of parties in England. That the man who loft us great part of America, and almost the whole British Empire, the Eaft-Indies excepted, fhould be unimpeached, unmolefted, and undisturbed, even fo as to be at liberty to join the chace to run down the man who by his very extraordinary exertions faved our Indian poffeffions out of the hands of thofe numeE e 2

rous

rous potent enemies which were raised up against us by the former of these two men, whilst the latter is faintly defended by Minifters and their adherents; furely this betrays fomething very rotten in the State of Denmark! or we have no fkill in politics.

The Shop tax has withstood the ftorm that gathered round it from all quarters of the kingdom, upheld by the ftrong hand of the Minifter, which has prevailed against the whole body of shopkeepers and their adherents, under a modification which, no doubt, pleafes fome people who are relieved thereby, but leaves others under a more marked partiality than before.-The citizens of London confider themselves to be principally pointed at as the objects of minifterial difpleasure ; a circumstance which we hope will teach them, for the future, to referve their gold boxes and freedoms to be conferred on minifters at the end, instead of the beginning of their adminiftrations, when they can better judge whether they re well or ill beftowed.

The regulation of the Militia has taken up the attention of Parliament a good deal in this month, but without much fatisfaction to either fide of the Houfe. This national de fence has been greatly altered from its primitive institution, and we think much for the worse, partaking too much of the nature of a Standing Army to be called a Militia, and yet without fome of the benefits attending a Standing Army: in short, it is a standing terror to many fober, induftrious, hardworking men and their families, and was the ruin of many poor families during the late war;-a ftanding gaming-table or raffleboard, taking money out of the people's pockets, poor and rich, without the lofers having the pleafure to tand by and fee fair play, whereby many men were dragged from their families and friends, or driven to leave them deftitute, for want of ten pounds to pay the penalty of refusing a military life, to which they were totally averfe and unfit. Until fome mode is adopted of regulating the militia upon its own original principles, it will be a heavy oppreffion upon many individuals, as well as the ruin of many families, and yet will not answer the true purpose of a national militia; a matter worthy of the most ferious confideration of the legiflature.

Miniftry have made peace with the Bank. Directors for the payment of two millions, (borrowed fome time ago) by inftaiments of half a million annually. We should have liked it better if they had paid the money down at the time appointed by the poftponing act of parliament pafied for that purpose; it would have looked more like a ferious intention of paying off fome confiderable part of the national debt, funded as well as unfunded.

They have likewife beat down the Directors in the annual expence of managing the funds, nearly about one-fifth part; in which cafe the borrower has prescribed rules to the lender, and thereby reverfed the Scripture, which fays, the borrower is fervant to the lender! Query, Whether fome fecret article is not included in this pecuniary treaty, which has not yet met the public eye, to make atonement for this feeming dictatorial power affumed by the debtor over the creditor ?

To make any confiderable progress in paying the national debt, there ought to be fome lufty furpluffes fomewhere, to the tune of two millions and a half; for we know of deficiencies in feven articles, to the amount of more than half that fum; a very unpromifing circumftance for that purpose! And to look at the Votes of Money for the Ordinary and Extraordinaries of the Army, and the various descriptions of officers, one would be tempted to think we were in the height of a raging, complicated, extensive war; and that we had an army of officers only! — Another unpromising circumstance.

More mifchief feems to be breeding among the new States of America against this country: they feem to have imbibed an enmity to us fimilar to that of the Ifraelites against the Amalekites, with whom they were to have war for ever. At prefent our remaining colony of Nova Scotia thrives apace, under their nofe.Hinc ille lachrymæ.

Laft month we adverted to the cold, phlegmatic, and difdainful reception our Conful met with from the American Congress, and the affront thereby offered to the dignity and Crown of Great-Britain. This month we have to obferve, the very different reception of the French Conful by the fame body; all respectful, complacent, and cordial, as if done with defign to fhew the shocking contraft. How long our Minifters will continue, and what lengths they will go, to crouch to thefe revolted fubjects, and to lick the crumbs that fall from the Frenchman's table, spread by the haughty Americans, we know not; but one thing we know, that if they studied to bring contempt, difgrace, and ignominy upon the British name and nation by the means of those Americans, they could not much go beyond what they do in that way.

To look through Europe, an univerfal calm feems, for the moment, to overspread the political hemifphere, except fome internal fermentation in Holland, venting itfelf in fome feditious riotous proceedings in divers parts, all which will probably be filenced upon the first appearance of fome neighbouring Potentate's forces to chaftife the rioters and difturbers of the peace. Moft probably this enfuing fummer will be spent in negociating, intriguing, and forming and fermenting al

liances

hances among the Powers of Europe, previous to any party trying their strength against another party.

Nevertheless, the gradual, lenient, yet important revolutions forming in the Ottoman cabinet, appear to us to denote fomething of a change of fyftem from the pacific to the warlike difpofition, the original characteristic of that extraordinary and unparalleled empire. The mild and pacific Prince who fways that fceptre is thought to be finking under the

MONTHLY

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FEB. 24. One prisoner was capitally convicted at the Old Bailey, viz. Jofeph Rickards a lad of 18 years of age, late fervant to Walter Horfeman, cowkeeper at Kentish Town, for wilfully wounding the faid Walter Horfeman on the head and face, about three in the morning of the 11th inftant, while asleep

weight of domestic and national troubles into his grave; and if nature, aided by affliction, will not do that office for him, there are thofe near him who will readily render him that fervice, to put an end to all his troubles in this world at once, whenever they can look about them and fee they can do it with fafety. Let that event happen when it will, and how it will, it will be high time for fome ambitious enterprifing European Powers to look about them and prepare for the worft.

CHRONICLE.

in bed, of which wound he languished until Sunday laft, and then died. The deceased's widow depofed, that the prifoner was formerly fervant to her husband; that he was difcharged for negligence; that he had frequently threatened vengeance on the deceafed; that on the morning the murder was committed, she was awakened by a noise, and on entering the room her husband slept in, the found him fitting up in the bed, and as far as his waift in blood; that a ftick which the prifoner had cut fome time before, lay in the room, and an iron bar, covered with blood; that her husband was mangled in a fhocking manner; and that affiftance was immediately fent for :-he lingered a few days, and died a fhocking spectacle. Four other witnesses were examined, whofe teftimony proved certain corroborating circumftances; fuch as, being from his lodgings the night that the murder was committed, being feen to melt lead, and to pour it into the stick that was found in the deceased's room. The prifoner confefled the murder to one of the magiftrates who committed him for trial, but pleaded not guilty at the bar. The Jury, after a few minutes confideration, brought in their verdict guilty.

27. The above Jofeph Rickards was executed at Kentish Town, oppofite the house where the horrid fact was perpetrated. In his way to the place of execution, the convict appeared to be in a state of stupefaction; he had no book, nor did he employ the short remains of time in those preparations for eternity which his miserable fituation rendered fo indifpenfably necessary. Before being turned off, the prifoner defired to fee the widow of the deceased; she was sent for to her house, but was gone to London. He declared he had no accomplice in the fact, and that he was induced to the perpetration. thereof by the fuppofition, that after the decease of his mafter he should fucceed to the bufinefs as milkman. Juft before coming to the village he burst into tears, and when he came to the place of execution, wept bitterly.

28.

28. The house of the Right Hon. the Earl of Exeter, at Burleigh, near Stamford, in Lincolnshire, was broke open, and the following articles ftolen, viz. One gold baion and plate; one filver fhip, fupported by mermaids; one fpoon enamelled with curious work; one small gold snuff box, the top enamelled with the ftory of Paris and Helen; one mother of pearl fnuff box, inlaid and lined with gold, and alfo a variety of other curious articles.

March 4. The Seffions ended at the Old Bailey, at which 25 prifoners were capitally convicted, and received fentence of death; 46 were fentenced to be transported; 28 ordered to be kept to hard labour in the houfe of correction, feveral of whom alfo to be whipped: four to be imprisoned in Newgate, 12 to be whipped and discharged; and 12 were discharged by proclamation.

7. His Majefty in Council was this day pleased to appoint Edward Pryfe Lloyd, of Llanarth, Efquire, to be Sheriff of the county of Cardigan, in the room of John Martin, of Aligoch, Ffq.

On Saturday night, Hogarth's print of the Evening, in the Gullon collection, was fold by Greenwood for the price of thirty eight guineas and a half! This extraordinary print was before Hogarth introduced the girl, who appears beating the little boy with the gingerbread king in his hands.

Upon the above print being knocked down, a gentleman facetiously observed, that it was amazing an evening fhould be worth thirty-eight guineas and a half without a • girl.

Mafon's print of Nell Gwyn, lying upon a bed or flowers, in the laced mock the ftole from the Duchefs of Portsmouth, was fold from the Gulfton collection for three gui

Deas.

10. In the Irish House of Commons, March 6, Mr Forbes moved the Houfe to refolve," That the prefent application and amount of penfions on the civil establishment, is a grievance, and demands redrels." Ayes 70, Noes 128.

The first money ftruck by the Congress in America is now become exceedingly scarce, and only to be met with in the cabinets of the curious. They coined feveral pieces of perter of about an inch and a half in diameter, and of 240 grains in weight; on one fide of which were infcribed, in a circular ring near the edge, the words-Continental Currency, 1776-and within the ring a rifing fun fhining upon a dial, with the word-fugio-at the fide of it; under which were the words -mind your bafinefs. On the reverfe were 13 fmall circles, joined together like the rigs of a chain, on each of which was in

fcribed the name of fome one of the Thirteen States. On another circular ring, within thefe, was infcribed American Congrefs—and in the central space-We are one.

It is remarkable that the Auftrians were reduced to the neceffity of coining leaden money in 1529, when Vienna was besieged by the Turks. King James II. alfo made use of that practice to pay his army in Ireland, in the year 1690.

The American Congress have lately made a copper coinage, which is now in general circulation: One fide of the halfpenny bears this circular infcription, Libertas et Juftitia; round a central cypher U. S. On the reverse is a fun rifing amidst Thirteen Stars, circularly infcribed, Conftellatio nova.

13. There was a moft numerous meeting of the retail dealers of London, Westminster, and Southwark, at the London Tavern. Mr. Alderman Skinner took the chair, and faid he had flattered himself, that on this night he should have had to congratulate them on their relief from the heavy and partial impoft (the hop-tax), which it had been fo long the object of their endeavours to repeal. was forry, however, to fay, that their efforts had been in vain. They were now met to confider what further they might think it advifeable to do, and to fee whether any means could yet be imagined to make the burthen lefs fe

vere.

He

Mr. Stock then propofed feveral refolutions, which were feverally agreed to.

14. His Majefty in Council was this day pleafed to make the following amendment upon the Roll of Sheriffs, viz.

Gloucestershire-Charles Coxe, now reŵdent at Bath, formerly of Kemble, Efq.

15. Came on at the Eaft-India House, the election of a Director, in the room of Laurence Sulivan, Efq. deceased, when on cafting up the ballot, there appeared for Abram Robarts, Efq. John Travers, Efq.

439

309

Majority, 130

On which Mr. Robarts was declared duly elected.

The coroner's inqueft fat on the body of a maid fervant belonging to Mr. Stephe is, of the Admiralty, who had cut her throat. The caufe of this rafh act was very fingular. She had long been in poffeffion of a falfe key to the wine cellar, and had at various times, in conjunction with another female fervant, taken feveral bottles of wine, &c. About two months ago fhe informed the butler that fhe had fomething particular to communicate to him, and on Thursday laft the voluntarily confeffed the above fact. The butler amfweied, that in juftice to his maiter and himself,

he should be obliged to inform Mr. Stephens; but first he would confult Mr. Woodham, the former butler, who left Mr. S. about fix months fince, which he did; and upon Mr. W. coming to the houfe, and treating her with great feverity of language, fhe went up stairs, and immediately put an end to her exiftence.

A terrible fire broke out in the place in James-street, Haymarket, where the hay and ftraw is kept which is unfold, which burnt upwards of fifty loads, besides the carts: it alfo confumed the puppet-show houfe, as well as the tennis-court, and four houfes in front, and two in Prince's-court backwards, befides damaging several others.

16. Was held a General Court at the Bank, when the chairman communicated to the proprietors the following interefting information, viz. That the Directors had agreed to prolong the payment of the loan of two millions, which had been lent to government, upon condition that the fame should be redeemed at half a million per annum. The proprietors approved of the measure, and it was agreed to.

The chairman next proceeded to inform the proprietors, that as the national debt had increased fo confiderably, the Directors had agreed with the Minifter, to undertake the management of the bufinefs, at and after the rate of four hundred and fifty pounds for each million, instead of five hundred and fixty-two pounds, which had hitherto been paid for it. This circumstance made a faving to government of five and twenty thousand pounds per annum !—The proprietors approved alfo of this measure, and it was likewife agreed to.

17. A fhocking murder was committed by one Simpfon, of Long Alley, MoorFields, who had involved himself in that moft profligate of all games, the lottery. He went home, rendered desperate by his loffes, and ftabbed his wife in feveral places.

March 2

The

woman is dead, and the miferable man committed to prison.

Extract of a Letter from Plymouth, Mar.14.

"Laft Thursday evening His Royal Highnefs Prince William Henry was initiated into the ancient and honourable Society of Free and Accepted Mafons, in the Lodge, No. 86, held at the Prince George Inn, Payne's, in this Town."

21. The Court of Aldermen agreed to petition his Majefty, praying, that the fentence paffed on convicts at the Old-Bailey may be fully executed, as a means of deterring those perfons now at large, who are continually making depredations on the peaceful inhabitant, from perfevering in their mal practices.

21. The trial of the celebrated Brighthelmftone taylor, John Motherhill, for a rape on Catharine Wade, came on at Eaft-Grinsted, Suffex, before Mr. Juftice Afhhurst. The trial lafted near fix hours, and the Jury after confulting near half an hour, brought in a verdict, Not Guilty.

22. A General Court, confifting of eight Proprietors, was held at the India-House, when the chairman ftated, that the Court of Directors had taken the advice of their counfel on the new bill brought into Parliament by Mr. Dundas, and that they found nothing in it objectionable or improper.

23. At Guildhall, No. 34,119, was the first-drawn Ticket in Sir Afhton Lever's Lottery, and as fuch entitled to the Mufeum. The fortunate poffeffor of it is Mr. Parkinson, of Caftle-Yard, Holbourn. Out of 36,000 Tickets, 8000 only have been iffued, and 2000 of thofe have been returned undifpofed of.

25. His Majefty in Council was on Wednefday pleased to appoint William Pritchard, of Trefcawen, Efq. to be Sheriff of the County of Anglefea, in the room of Arthur Owen, of Bodowyr Ifla, Efq.

THEATRICAL REGISTER.

DRURY-LANE.

MACBETH-Virgin Unmasked
4 Diftrefs'd Mother-Ar-
thur and Emmeline

6 Twelfth Night-Romp
7 Heiress-Virgin Unmasked

9 Captives-Humourist

1 Captives-Romp

13 Captives-Gentle Shepherd

14 Heirefs-Romp

16 Diftrefs'd Mother-Bon Ton

18 Strangers at Home-Virgin Unmasked

20 Cymon-Englishman in Paris

21 Ifabella-Romp

23 Heiress-Gentle Shepherd

25 Percy-Lyar

27 She would and She would not-Virgin

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