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"In a few experiments, I coloured the fea-water with milk, indigo, and madder, but have not yet feen thefe colours enter the abforbent. I am, however, far from defpairing of fuccefs in fuch experiments."

This work is accompanied by fifty plates, intended to illuftrate the whole. But we

are forry to observe, that the engravers have by no means done juftice to the industry and attention displayed by the author, in fucha variety of laborious diffections. If in his remarks he has not displayed the greatest penetration, he is at least in general perfpicuous, and ever accurate.

Melvyn Dale: A Novel. In a Series of Letters. By a Lady. 2 Vols. 12mo, Lane.

THIS novel bears the ufual characteristics; hacknied characters, common place fentiments, and the cuftomary conclufion. It has been remarked, with great justice, that the needle is a much fitter inftrument to be wielded by the major part of Ladies, than the pen. Though this rule, like moft others, may admit of fome exceptions, it

will in general hold good, and they will find that the obfervance of it will prove more profitable, without diminishing their reputa. tion. The best advice that can be given them is to be

"In conftant labours of the loom emnploy'd."

A Legal Attempt to enforce the Practice of Infant Baptifm; being a genuine Copy of a Petition to Parliament, by the Nurfes and Chambermaids of the Cities of London, Westminder, and the Borough of Southwark, against the Anabaptifts. To which is added, a Counter Petition, by the Wives of the Anabaptists; and a Letter to the Rev. John Horsley, by Amy Caudle. 12mo. Buckland.

THE title-page led us to imagine that the

book was written by fome wag, who, if he did not mean to turn religion in general into ridicule, intended at least to excite a laugh in his readers, at the expence of fome particular fect. Upon perufing it, however, it turns out to be intended as a ferious bufi. nefs, and is evidently the production of a Baptift, whofe zeal has gotten the better of his judgment.

The petition is figned by AMY CAUDLE, Secretary to the Nurfes and Chambermaids, in behalf of the noble Sisterhood, who think their perquifites in danger, in confequence of

fome publications written with a view to difcountenance infant baptifm. The Counter Petition is alfo figned by a Secretary, a Mrs. ISABEL DIPPER, in the name of the wives of the Baptifts, who confider the Petition as an attempt to encroach on their religious berty. The letter of thanks to the Rev. John Horfley, from the Nurfes, &c. for his feafonable effort in fupport of their common caufe, is an humble attempt at irony. Upon the whole, we have no great opinion of Mrs. CAUDLE'S mels; it is infipid watergruel, without even a teaspoonful of Spirit in it,

A Poetical Review of the Literary and Moral Character of the late Samuel Johnson, LL. D. with Notes, by John Courtenay, Efq. Dilly. 1786.

THIS Poetical Review poffeffes great merit.

The peculiarities and foibles of Dr. Johnfon are painted in ftrong colours by a mafterly hand; but, in return, his virtues and abilities are candidly acknowledged, and placed in their proper light. We shall felect an instance of each:

Afceptic once, he taught the letter'd throng
To doubt th' existence of fam'd Offian's fong;
Yet by the eye of faith, in reason's spite,
Saw ghofts and witches, 'preach'd up fecond
fight:

For o'er his foul fad Superftition threw

Her gloom, and ting'd his genius with her hue. On popish ground he takes his High Church ftation,

To found mysterious tenets through the nation ;

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Too dull for talk, their flow conceptions tor's merits, and cenfured his faults, Mr.

rife:

Yet the mute author, of his writings proud, For wit unfhewn claims homage from the crowd;

As thread-bare mifers, by mean avarice

school'd,

Expect obeifance from their hidden gold.—
In converfe quick impetuous Johnfon prefs'd
His weighty logic, or sarcastic jest.
Strong in the chace, and nimble in the turns,
For victory still his fervid fpitit burns ;
Subtle when wrong, invincible when right,
Arm'd at all points, and glorying in his
might,

Gladiator-like, he traverfes the field,

And strength and skill compel the foe to yield"

Nor is the Poet lefs animated in praife of
the Doctor's milder virtues, when he says,
"Soft-ey'd Compassion, with a look benign,
His fervent vows he offer'd at thy shrine;
To guilt, to woe, the facred debt was paid,
And helpless females bleft his pious aid ;
Snatch'd from difeafe, and want's abandon'd
crew,

Despair and anguifh from their victims flew :
Hope's foothing balm into their bosoms stole,
And tears of penitence reftor'd the foul."

Having alternately commended the Doc

Courtenay fums up the whole in the following lines, which throngly mark the character of the work:

"Thus fings the Mufe, to Johnson's memory
jult,

And featters praise and cenfure o'er his duft;
For thro' each checquer'd scene a contrast ran
Too fad a proof, how great, how weak is

man!

Though o'er his paffions confcience held the
rein,

He shook at difmal phantoms of the brain.
A bound lefs faith that noble mind debas'd,
By piercing wit, energic reafon grac'd.
Ev'n fhades like thefe, to brilliancy allied,
May comfort fools, and curb the fage's pride.
Yet learning's fons, who o'er his foibles mourn,
To latest time shall fondly view his urn;
And wond'ring praife, to human frailties
blind,

Talents and virtues of the brightest kind.
The fculptured trophy, and imperial bust,
That proudly rife around his hallow'd dust,
Shall mould'ring fall, by Time's flow hand
decay'd,

But the bright meed of virtue ne'er shall

fade.

Exulting genius stamps his facred name,
Enroll'd for ever in the dome of fame."

The Life of Hyder Ally, with an Account of his Ufurpation of My-fore, and other contiguous Provinces: to which is annexed, a genuine Narrative of the Sufferings of the Britith Prifoners of War, taken by his Son Tippo Saib, by Francis Robfon, Efq. London, 45. S. Hooper. 1786.

opinion, that to men of fenfe and liberality they must be difgufting, and appear as proofs of the extreme partiality and narrow prejudices of the author. Though we readily agree with Mr. Robfon in the above remarks, and think him highly deferving of praife for his endeavours to do juftice to all parties, we cannot help thinking, that his zeal has fometimes carried him too far, and hurried him almoft into what he fo juftly condemns in others. We are apt to discover motes in the eyes of our neighbours, while objects of greater magnitude in our own efcape unobserved.

WE fome months back took notice of a publication, tranflated from the French, bearing the above title, faid to have been written by the person who was formerly commander in chief of Hyder Ally's artillery. In this work, Mr. Robfon fays, many inaccuracies occur, and many facts are partially misrepresented; these he undertakes to confute, and place in a true point of view. The many illiberal reRections upon the English nation contained in that production, our Author confiders as the effufions of envy, the dictates of national prejudice, and as marks of a vulgar mind; and is of Confiderations on the Neceffity of lowering the exorbitant Freight of Ships employed in the Service of the Eaft India Company. By Anthony Brough. 8vo. price is. Robinfon. 1786.

FROM the facts ftated in this fenfible and

fpirited pamphlet it appears, that an immediate faving of 150,000l. per annum might be made on the freight of tea imported into this kingdom, and that in a fhort time, if a plan delivered to the board by the author be enforced, the faving might be extended to 260,000l. per annum, Two objections have been started against the propofed plan, one of which is in favour of the fhip-owners who have hitherto fupplied the Company;

the other relates to the burden of the fhips. Both thefe objections Mr. Brough has refuted in the most fatisfactory manner, particularly the latter. We fhould therefore hope the Directors, whofe duty as well as interest it is to promote the benefit of the Company, will not hesitate to adopt a plan fo evidently be neficial, that the rejecting it would expofe them to fufpicions highly injurious to their integrity.

Mm 2

JOURNAL

A JOURNAL of the PROCEEDINGS of the THIRD SESSION of the SIXTEENTH PARLIAMENT of GREAT BRITAIN.

HOUSE

MARCH 20.

OF LORD S.

twelve Judges, he always confidered that Ting of the Mutiny, bill having been HE queftion for the fecond read-gentlemen of the class alluded to were subject to military law.

put,

Lord Carlifle rofe, and hoped that fome of the noble Lords belonging to adminiftration would explain that part of the bill fo far as related to fubje&ting brevet officers to martial law. He apprehended that it was an innovation, and therefore thought it exceedingly neceffary that the reafon for adopt ing the alteration fhould be fufficiently mentioned. He would not move an amendment, as he thought this would be better in the Committee.

Lord Sidney was of opinion, that as the law at prefent flood, many difficulties occurred. The meaning therefore of the alte ration was, that all fimilar inconveniencies might in future be avoided. In mentioning the cafe of Gen. Stuart in the Eaft-Indies, his Lordship faid, that it was intended to extend the law to every officer acting by brevet. There were numbers of refpectable characters in this predicament, who certainly deferved to be treated with more liberality. There were many governors of distant provinces, and others of a defcription who would be comprehended in the alteration.

Lord Stormont declared, that officers acting by brevet must be in poffeffion of a Commiflion from his Majefty's Minifters, and, if they were to be tried, fhould produce and bring what were called Letters of fervice. He was certain gentlemen of the army would coincide with him in his opinion; otherwise, if he spoke erroneously, he hoped that fome noble perfon more converfant in the bufinefs would rife up and correct him. He then adverted to a very common cafe, of young men of fortune affuming military titles for the convenience of travelling, and recommended it to their Lordships' attention. He remarked, that it would be exceedingly hard that gentlemen of that description should be fubjected to martial law.

Lord Effingham obferved, that the words in the commiffion obviated the laft noble lord's obfervations; for it was an order from his Majefty, enforcing a rigid obfervance of military etiquette, by making perfons in fubordinate fituations to obey the commands of their fuperiors. There could no, in his opinion, any danger refult from young gentlemen frequently, for the convenone of travelling, affuming the title of Ca ta n. He then argued upon the cafe of an invafion, and faid, that if brevet officers were exempted from martial law, it would upon an emergency be urged as a reafon for depriving the country of their fervices. Till he had lately examined an opinion of the

The Duke of Manchester in a pointed manner expreffed his difapprobation of the claufe in question. He was convinced that officers of the description mentioned ought to be accountable to their country; and oppofed the hypothefis of the noble Earl refpecting the trivial matter of officers affuming military titles for the purpose of travelling. His Grace had himself travelled as an enfign, and he believed ftill retained his rank in the army. There were many inftances of a fimilar nature. He was convinced that there was no neceflity for the alteration now propofed. It was founded on principles which he entirely difapproved. It tended to a very important innovation, and therefore he thought that every gentleman in Parliament ought to oppose it with vigour. Lord Carlifle rofe to explain.

Lord Sidney begged leave to obferve, that the Mutiny bill was properly a Money b ll, and that the Houfe of Commons being jea lous of their privileges, if it were altered, it would be thrown out altogether, when returned to the other Houfe. This was a fe rious confideration; the alteration propofed did not affect half-pay officers at all; which at least was a circumstance in its favour.

Lord Stormont did not admit this principle of the noble Lord who had just sat down, that their Lordships could not alter a Money bill,

Lord Thurlow was of the fame opinion, and contended with much zeal that their Lord fhips poffeffed a right of altering any bill, and returning it in that fhape to the other House.

Lord Hopetown threw out a few obfervations in fo low a tone as not to be heard; after which the motion on the fecond reading was put and carried.

MARCH 21.

The House refolved itfelt into a Committee on the Mutiny bill, Lord Scarfdale in the chair, when

Lord Stormont, in a speech of considerable length, objected to the claufe which fubjected brevet officers to the jurisdiction of courts-martial. He could not produce a precedent, and he challenged any noble Peer prefent to adduce an instance, by which brevet officers were under the jurifdiction of courts-maitial. He therefore confidered the alteration intended in the Mutiny bill as con trary to the principles of the conftitution. As it tended to an extenfion of military law beyond the limits always prefcribed in this country, he hoped that their Lordships would refift the innovation. Besides, there was an

ambiguity in the wording of the claufe which left many to doubt, whether or not officers on half pay were not liable to the fame difagreeable circumstances. He confequently thought, that it would be neceflary to provide against fuch an interpretation of the law, as he was fully perfuaded it ought to be mentioned as explicitly as poffible. After feveral other obfervations he moved, that the phrafe" in commiffion," thould be exchanged for " actual fervice." This would, he apprehended, remove the dubiety, and exclude all gentlemen who ranked as brevet officers, but were not in actual fervice, from the jurisdiction of a Court-Martial. The Committee then divided,

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-24 Lords Loughborough, Townlhend, and Sandwich, ftrongly oppofed the extension of the military law. The latter noble Peer faid, he thought it his duty to obferve upon the hardship of fubjecting brevet officers to military law. He ipoke particularly to himfelf. In the year 1745, he being anxious to ferve his country, in conjunction with feveral young noblemen (the late Lord Weymouth particularly), railed a regiment. He accordingly obtained rank, although it was his fixed determination not to continue in the fervice alter the dang r was dillipated. Yet notwithstanding he had been informed, fince he came into that Houle, that he was the oldeft General upon the establishment. Good God! Was he, or any other gentle man in the same predicament, to be sub-, jected to military law? Was he to be de prived of the privilege of a Peer of the realm, and a trial per pares, merely because he had stepped forward in the defence of his country, without receiving one farthing pay, or ever intending to devote himfelt to a military life? The idea was extravagant beyond measure. The noble Lord fuppofed a cafe, which he hoped, nay, he was fure, Could never happen, that he fhould be fufpected of high treafon; in that cafe, was he to lose the benefit of a trial by that Houfe, in the ordinary forms of law, and be tried by a Court-Martial, compofed of military officers? If the alterat on in the bill affected him fo fenfibly, furely it might in the fame manuer affect the meanest individual. It was therefore, in his confideration, a moft unconftitutional stretch of power; and every noble Lord ought to fet his face againit it.

The Lord Chancellor was not to be affected by general declamation; it must be fome strong and folid argument, that mult hake reason to its centre, that could weigh with him. His Lordship then recapitulated the feveral heads of reasoning which he had uled on the laft debate, to thew that whenever any person accepted of a military com

miffion, and continued to act under fuch authority, he moft affuredly should be amenable to the law by which every perfon in the fame fituation was governed. If he chofe to refign his commilion, let him do it. His Lordship did not fee the great injury to the State if all the four or five hundred gentlemen were instantly to throw up their com miffions, and then this mighty mifchief would be done away. With refpect to halfpay officers, in his opinion, they were clearly out of the question. His Lordship replied very ably to the various (peakers, always bringing his argument to this clear point of view, and rejecting all abftra&t reafoning, that whenever a citizen chofe to have the honour and glory of a foldier, he certainly must expect to be governed by the fame laws as foldiers

are.

It

His Grace the Duke of Manchester ftill contended that the prefent was a great conftiturional queftion; that the extention of the influence of military law was a fubje& to be dreaded by Englishmen, as repugnant to the principles of a tree government. was in this po of view his Grace faw the queftion. His Grace did not impute any bafe or difhonourable motives to his Majel ty's Minifters, but he certainly fufpected them of inattention, ani perhaps it was to be ascribed to this caufe that the prefent alteration took place. The military had at all times in peace been confidered as an exception to the conftitution, and by no means a part of it; and therefore what ver went to increafe its power or influence was ftrictly to be watched over and guarded against.

Lord Loughborough's f-cond amendment was negatived by a majority of 23.

Lord Storm nt then moved to infert a claufe tending to exclude from military law all officers by brevet, except when called into actual fervice. The queftion was put, and negatived without a divifion,

Lord Vifcourt Townshend then moved a claufe, to prevent officers by brevet from fuperfeding other officers in command, except fpecially authorifed by the exprefs command of his Majesty, by letter of service. The Houfe immediately dividid, Contents

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Houfe with a few words. He confidered the bill as it at prefent flood, as a partial and oppreffive tax, which would operate perfonally upon fhopkeepers, without a pofibility of the means of reimburfing themfelves. It had been aufwered by his Majefty's Minifters, that the bill was perfect in all its parts, free from every fpecies of objection but what was raised by the voice of public clamour. This was the language of his Majesty's fervants. [The noble Lord here addreffed himself particularly to Lord Sydney]. But what must be his furprife, when be found by the prefent bill, which was a partial modification of a partial tax, that the principle of the bill was entirely and utterly abandoned! If the fhopkeeper was to be reimbursed by his cuftomer, furely then there could be no diftinction between houfes of gol. and thole of 251. or any leffer fum; each could with equal facility raife the prices of the article they dealt in to the confumer. Thus, then, this tax, compleat in all its parts, free from every objection, a matter-piece of finance (and fuch it was held to be in that Houfe), was fairly acknowledged to be partial, oppreffive, and, to all intents whatfo: ver, a perfonal tax. His Majefty's Miniflers had better have met it fairly, honeftly, and openly, and after being oblig ed to acknowledge their error, have repealed the bill altogether. It gave him great regret when he heard that the tax had not been levied; but this regret arofe from being convinced its partiality was fuch, that the difficulty in levying it arofe from the univerfal diflike and difguft which it had created in the minds of the Public. The noble Vifcount declared, he was fully convinced that Parliament would fee its injuftice, and. in the courfe of another year, repeal it totally.

The noble Lord begged to fay a few words in betalt of a fet of people who had been dealt with very hardly indeed--the hawkers and pedlers. Why this industrious rauk of men fhould be fingled out as the objects of heavy taxation, his Lordship could not divine, unless it was to favour the imaller The pheopers, and enable them to pay the hop-tax. His Lordship knew this idea was held out. But what was the cafe now, when the finaller ihopkeeper, particularly in the country, was, by the prefent bill, totally exempted. His Lordship recommended it to the confideration of Mintos to take their cafe into feri us confideration, and to grant the nectary relict.

The Lord Chancellor, his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Right Hon. Lord Sydney, being impowered by commulfion from his Majelly, gave the Royal Avent to the Bill to regulate the Marine Forces whilt on Shore--Toe Bill to repair Dover Pier-The Bill for the Relief of the Ciew of the Dutch Eat-Indiaman-The

Wifbech Road Bill-and to fixteen other private Bills.

MARCH 24.

The Royal Affent was given by commi fion to the Mutiny and the Shop-Tax Bills, and feveral others. MARCH 31.

The order of the day being read, for reading a second time the Bill for the Government of India,

Lord Fitzwilliam hoped that fome Noble Lord would explain the reasons of thofe amendments which were the objects of the prefent Bill. This was probably in the aunals of Parliament, the very first time that a plan, which was in fact the glory of its projectors, was to undergo fo very effential a revolution, without one reafon being affigned why it should fuffer fuch a material change.

Lord Walfingham afferted, that the change of fyftem was injurious to no perfon. The fir explanation alluded to, he observed, was perfectly neceffary, as it had given rife to much difpute. He d.fclaimed every idea of an affront being intended again't the Commander in Chief at prefent in India. The regulation was a general one, and did not affect him particularly.

Lord Stormont obferved, that when he faw Bills brought in by the present Ministers to remedy the diforders which prevailed in India, it was very natural for him to call to mind the expreffions of the fame Ministers when out of office, at a time when a late Administration, to which he had belonged, was about to propofe a new system on the fame fubject; they then faid, that "no palliative would do that no balf measure would fave India :" and yet, unmindful of what they had called for from others, and of what they had declared would prove inadequate to the end of establishing a good government for India, they had hitherto lubmitted nothing to Parliament on the subject of that country, that was not a palliative, a half meafure, which they were obliged to refcind almoft as foon as it was adopted. In the lait Bill, and which was a law at this moment, great pains had been taken in the wording of the claufe by which the Commander in Chief in bengal was to fill the fecond feat at the Council Board, in order to Thew how dangerous it would be ever to fuffer the first civil and military powers in that country to be velicd in the fame man; and therefore it was enacted, that in cafe of the death of the Governor-General, the Coinmander in Chief, though next to him in council, fhould not fucceed to him, but that the next Councillor below the General fhould become Governor, lett the offices of Gover❤ nor and Commander in Chief should ever be united. But in the new Bill, the danger of uniting them, which had appeared to terrible two years ago, not only did not exrit now, but it was actually declared, that it

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