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Grenada, the other for the administration of juftice in that ifland; and at the fame time has obligingly written to Meff. Scott and Pigot, delegated by the committee to tranfact this bufinefs, the following letter:

Verfailles, Dec. 23, 1779.

"I acquaint you, gentlemen, that the king has ordained and enacted, by two arrets of his council refpecting the ordinances iffued by the Count de Durat, dated the 7th, 10th, and 19th of July laft. One of these arrets enacts, that the debts, titles, and claims, reciprocally fubfifting between the inhab tants of Grenada, and the fubjects of his Britannick Majefty, fhall be preferved and maintained entire and inviolate. The other, at the fame time that it orders that the French laws fhall be observed in the faid ifland, afcertains the rules, the times, and the forms, according to which justice shall be there adminiftered by the courts of law which his majefty has thought to establish. "His majefty has alfo given orders that the abfent English proprietors may difpofe, as they think proper, of the produce of their plantations, under this exception only, that the importations and exportations shall be on board of French veffels, or, in cafe of neceffity, on board of neutral veffels, which thall depart from and return to France. Finally, his majesty's intention is, that the English proprietors, if there are any who have been difpoffeffed of their eftates by force, fhall be reinstated in their poffeffions by authority, referving to thofe, who may have committed the violence, the right of making good their claims before the courts of juftice; which recourfe fuch of the English fhall alfo have, as having formerly acquired poffeffions by force may have been in their turn forcibly difpoffeffed upon the conqueft

of Grenada.

"You will be convinced by thefe arrangements of the juftice, the beneficence, and moderation, which characterize the king, and from which examples to the contrary have not influenced him to depart. I am, gentlemen, your very humble, and very obedient fervant, (Signed) DE SARTINE.

"The arrangements which I have communicated to you annul the late ordinance of Monf. de Durat, of the 6th of September laft. His majefty has given orders to the adminiftrators, to abolith the office of confervators, eftablished by that ordinance, and to leave the attornies of the abfent English proprietors in the full and entire power of acting for their conftituents."

On the receipt of the above letter, the committee of proprietors held a meeting on Friday fe'nnight, Mr. Crichton in the chair, and came to the following refolution: "That it may be neceffary, for the ease of the minds of all concerned, to take notice, that although the first of the faid arrets of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, of the 12th of December lait, grants to the inhabitants of

Grenada a fufpenfion, until a peace, of the payment of debts due by them to British fubjects refiding in Britain, or in any other part of his Britanniak Majefty's dominions, and alfo of fuch debts due to the fubjects of the United Provinces of Holland, as are guaranteed by any of his Britannick Majefty's fubjects, and confequently the faid inhabitants cannot be compelled to do justice to the creditors, yet it leaves them at full liberty to pay their own debts, without incurring any penalty; whereas the ordinance of the Count de Durat, of the 7th of July laft, abfolutely prohibited them to pay any fuch debts, directly or indirectly, under pain of difobedience, military execution, or confifcation of their eftates."

The following is the fubftance of Count Byland's account of the affair between his convoy and that of Commodore Fielding:

"That, having failed on the 27th of December with part of the fhips under his convoy, he found there were many others not ready to join him: he waited in the mouth of the road, with bent fails, for the reft of the veffels; fo that it was not till the 30th in the morning that he found himself in the channel, when he discovered feveral fails before him, which kept above the wind right across his courfe; that he immediately gave a fignal for the convoy to remain behind, and fent Capt. Sylvefter, commander of the frigate De Valk, to reconnoitre the above-mentioned veffels, and make fignals accordingly; the other men of war were ordered to follow the admiral: as foon as they came nearer to the hips in fight, they perceived them to be an English fquadron, and fpread over great extent of fea, endeavouring no doubt to get behind the convoy, to prevent any efcaping in the night; in the mean time keeping the fame courfe, the English man of war the Courageux, of 74 guns, came along-fide of the admiral, and faid he came in the name of the commodore, to tell the admiral he would wish to fpeak to him. About fun-fet Count Byland came up with the English admiral, in the Namur, of 90 guns, and faid he expected a boat to be fent for him on his part. Some time afterwards Capt. Marshall, of the Emerald, came on board the admiral, with fome of the commodore's lieutenants, who declared that the English fquadron had orders to fearch the convoy; upon which Count Byland fhewed Capt. Marihall an act, figued by all the captains of the merchant ships under his convoy, in which they declared upon oath, that they had no fort of contraband goods on board, and that their cargoes confifted of nothing but what they had given accounts of to the admiral, who declared upon his word of honour that he not only had no fhips under his convoy laden with contraband goods, but that he had refufed to take thofe under his protection loaded

with timber for fhip-building, and bound for France; but the admiral foon perceived that they would not let thofe veffels pafs that were laden with iron and hemp; he therefore fent Capt. Byland back with the Englith officers to the commodore, to fee if there were any means of fettling matters, but foon found by their report that there was nothing left for it but to defend themselves, as well as they could, against being fearched. All that night Count Byland and the English commodore were close to each other, and in the morning the Namur advanced towards some of the convoy, and fent a boat with men to them; upon which the admiral fired twice, which was returned by the commodore, and two of the 74 gun fhips, which fired upon the admiral's fhip, and that of Capt. Kinfbergen, which they returned, and hung out the fignal for an engagement; and fome time after perceiving of how little ufe it would be to hold out a long fight, the admiral made a fignal for all his fquadron to ftrike at the fame time that he did; the fignal for which purpose the admiral had given to the captains of his fquadron, fealed up, and only to be opened in cafe of an engagement. It appears from this account, that the English fquadron did all they could to prevent any of the convoy from efcaping, but nevertheless it is hoped fome of them have got away. The admiral concludes with faying, that he did all in his power for the good of the State; and that it must appear evident that the English were determined, against all treaties, to make themselves mafters of the convoy, as the English commodore knew the ships were only laden with hemp.

"Some time after Count Byland had fruck his flag, Capt. Marfhall came on board again, and faid, in the name of his commodore, that he was at liberty to hoist his flag again, and fail what way he liked; and the commodore having required the ufual falute, the admiral gave it accordingly, which was returned by the English. Count Byland then declared he would not quit his convoy, but would go with them wherever the commodore thought proper to carry them in. In confequence of which he arrived at Spithead on the 4th of January, from whence this account comes, dated on board the Princess Fredericka Wilhelmina." (See p. 43.)

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[This practice of carrying off heireffes, by force, is one of the remains of barbarifm not yet totally abolished in Ireland, nor in the Highlands of Scotland.]

Jan. 16.

Don Juan de Langara, cruizing between Cape St. Vincent and St. Mary, with eleven fail of Spanifh fhips of the line, was furprized by Admiral Rodney's fquadron, confifting of 21 fail of the line, and three of them taken, among which was the admiral's fhip the Phoenix, of 80 guns, one blown up, and three were disabled. Of this engagement a more particular account fhall be given, after it has appeared in the London Gazette.

Jan. 29.

The people called Quakers, at their meeting for fufferings in London, ordered a paper to be circulated throughout England, tenderly to advise friends to be upon their guard, that they may not be drawn in to unite in the affociations, petitions, protefts, or fubfcriptions, now carrying on in various places, and for different purposes; but to lead a quiet and inoffenfive life, that fo they may be happily preferved from the many evils that are now in the world. Jan. 30.

The feverity of the weather this day may be judged of by the following circumftance: two peacocks, which had roofted for feveral years on fome trees in Mr. Duffield's garden, Little Chelfea, were found in the morning of the 31st frozen to death.

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Wednesday 2.

The report of the committee of privileges was brought up, relative to the interference of the Duke of Chandes in the late election for the county of Southampton; by which report it appeared, that the duke had fubfcribed to two or three hundred letters to different electors, that he had been guilty of a breach of privilege, and a grofs infringement of the rights of the Commons of Great Britain; but, on a motion to defer the confideration of the report for four months, the fame was carried 87 to 30. See p. 47.

Upwards of an hundred failors, belonging to the Maidstone, Diamond, and Aurora frigates, went up to Rochefter, when a battle-royal enfued between them and the foldiers of Col. M'Cormic's regiment;

happily

happily a ftop was put to it, with no further damage than a few terrible bruises.

Thursday 3.

The Lord Chancellor and Earl Mans field met in Lincoln's-inn hall, to try a caufe, as extraordinary as it was novel. The court itfelf was the firft of the kind that ever fat in this kingdom; its jurifdiction was established by an act paffed in the 5th of Q Anne, which empowers the chancellor, and the two chief justices of the King's-Bench and Common Pleas, or any two of them, to take cognizance of illegal attacks on the privileges of ambaffadors, and to judge of them in a fummary way. This accounts for Lord Thurlow and Lord Mansfield meeting on the fame bench. The cause brought before them was on the complaint of the attorney-general against a Mr. Reilly, an upholsterer, for fuing out a writ against Mr. Pizzoni, the late refident from the republic of Venice; Mr. Gapper, an attorney, for having figned it; and one Cawdron, a theriff'sofficer, for having executed it, at a time when Pizzoni was entitled to the privileges of an ambaffador. The attorney-general, affifted by the folicitor-general, barely ftated the cafe in a mild manner, and prayed that the court would, for the fake of example, inflict a punishment on the defendants.

It was pleaded in favour of the defendants, that Mr. Pizzoni having had his audience of leave, and his fucceffor having been introduced to their majefties, it was very natural to fuppofe, that the former was no longer vefted with a public character, which could protect him from arrefts; and that, as the expreffion in the act of parliament, which allows to foreign minifers a reasonable time to withdraw from the kingdom, was vague and indeterminate, it was not to be wondered at, that they thought eight days a reasonable time. The counfel, therefore, hoped, that if the defendants deferved any punishment at all, it ought to be the lightest that the court could poffibly inflict.

The lord chancellor did not appear inclined to feverity. He afked if the defendants had offered to make any fubmiffion. It was replied, that the attorney and officer had; but that Reilly could not, being, at the time of the arreft, himself a clofe prifoner in the King's-bench for the debt due to him from Pizzoni.

The attorney-general, after having heard the defence, prayed, that, for example fake, the court would punish the defendants; but did by no means with to overturn any thing that had been faid by way of mitigation.

The lord chancellor obferved, that the queftion, being a question between nation and nation, was by no means a fit fubject for fpeculation. The time allowed for

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ambaffadors to depart the kingdom could not, and indeed ought not, to be defined; nor fhould their privileges be invaded, even after they have difcharged their embaffy, unless it thould appear that they intended to fink into the rank of common fubjects, by taking up their refidence in this country. As to the punishment, the affair, he faid, was of a delicate nature, and required fome time for deliberation before judgment thould be pronounced. Of the fame opinion was Lord Mansfield.

The fame day Westminster-hall was crouded to hear fentence pronounced on the feveral members of the late council of Madras, who figned an authority for depofing Lord Pigot, and removing him from his government into confinement, of which they were convicted the fittings after last Michaelmas term. The attorney-general moved for judgment in a short fpeech, full of strong obfervations on the offence, which was, he observed, of so black a complexion as would, he trufted, meet with the proper punifhment. It was not for him to direct the court in their determination; but he begged leave to deliver his opinion, that a fine, imprisonment, and incapacitation from ferving government in any poft whatever, would be a very proper fentence on the defendants. Mr. Dunning pleaded for two hours to combat the attorney-general's fpeech. The court adjourned to hear the replies. Friday 4.

Being the day appointed for holding a public faft, their majefties went to the chapel royal, and heard a fermon preached by Dr. Roberts, one of his majefty's chaplains, from the following words: Where much is given, much shall be required.

The Bishop of St. David's preached before the H. of Peers in Weftminster-Abbey. Tuesday 8.

Lord Shelburne made his promifed motion in the H. of Lords, for appointing a committee to examine into the expenditure of the public money, and the mode of accounting for the fame, (fee vol. xlix. p. 610.) which was rejected. Contents 55. Not

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which it was fet on foot confifted of between 6 and 700 freeholders, and that the room, in which they were affembled, contained at that time the poffeffors of more landed property than was poffeffed by all the members then in the house. He warned the minifter how he proceeded, for they would not be mocked.

Wednesday 9.

A petition was prefented to the H. of Commons praying encouragement to raife oats, (fee p. 66.) On this occafion Sir Geo. Young expreffed his concern, that the fyftem of agriculture had of late been changed. It was, he faid, the practice of antient times to encourage exportation; now it was the mode to fupply our markets by importation. In confequence. a motion was made to lay before the house an account of all corn imported into this kingdom for feven years past. (See xlix. 630.)

Thursday 10.

As two French prifoners were diverting themfelves with fencing, in the castle of Winchester, the button of one of their foils gave way, by a fevere lunge, and ran the other through the body.

At a court of common council held at Guildhall, Refolved unanimously, That this court do now agree to petition the hon. H. of Commons, on the expenditure of public money, and the increafing influence of the

crown.

In confequence of which refolution the following addrefs was agreed to: To the Honourable the Commons of Great

Britain, in Parliament affembled. The humble Petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council affembled, Sheweth,

That this nation hath been engaged for feveral years in a mott expentive and unfortunate war; that many of our valuable colonies having actually declared themfelves independent, have formed a strict confederacy with France and Spain, the inveterate enemies of Great Britain: That the confequence of thofe combined misfortunes hath been a large addition to the national debt, a heavy accumulation of taxes, a rapid decline of the trade, manufactures, and land rents of the kingdom.

Alarmed at the diminished refources and growing burthens of this country, and convinced that rigid frugality is now indifpenfably neceffary in every department of the ftate; your petitioners obferve with grief, that notwithitanding the calamities and impover thed condition of the nation, much public money has been improvidentally fquandered, and that many indivividuals enjoy finecure places; efficient places with exorbitant emoluments and penfions, unmerited by public fervices, to a large and still encreasing amount, whence the crown has acquired a great and unconGENT. MAG. February 1785.

ftitutional influence, which, if not checked, may foon prove fatal to the liberties of this

country.

Your petitioners conceiving, that the true end of every legitimate government is not the emolument of any individual, but the welfare of the community; and, confidering that by the on.tution of this realm, the national purfe is intrufied, in a peculiar manner, to the cuftody of this honourable houfe, beg leave further to reprefent, that until effecal meatures be taken to redrefs the opprefive grievances herein fated, the grant of any additional fam of public money beyond the produce of the pretent taxes, will be injurious to the rights and property of the people, and derogatory frum the honour and diguity of parliament.

Your petitioners therefore do moft earneftly request, that before any new burtheas are laid upon this country, effectual né?fures may be taken to enquire into, and correct the grofs abufes in the expenditure ef public money; to reduce all exorbitant emoluments; to refcind and abolith all finecare places and unmerited pensions; and to appropriate the produce to the neceffities of the flate, in fuch manner as to the wifdom of parliament thall feem meet. And your petitioners thall ever pray, &c.

Friday 11.

In the fupplement of the Paris Gazette of this date, there is an account of the capture of ten merchantmen, or trmfports, (part of a fleet of 26 thips, under convoy of the Aurore frigate) off Port Royal in Martinique, by Adm. Sir Peter Parker's fquadron, who, befides taking ten, burut four, and ran four more a-ground.

The two annual premivins of 251. each, bequeathed by the late Dr. Smith, of Trinity-college, Cambridge, to the two jaior batchelors of arts, who fhould be judged the best proficicats in mathematics and natural philofophy, were given to Mr. Prieft, of Pembroke-hall, and Mr. Freind, of Christ-college.

Mr. Berke, according to promife, opered his plan of public economy to parliament, in, confeffedly, one of the beft fpeeches that ever was fpoken in that affembly. It lafted three hours and eighteen minutes, and comprized fo great a variety of mitter as it was thought almoft beyond the powers of man to arrange in fo clear, fo methodical, and to matterly a manner. The heads of it shall appear in fome future Magazine.

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his majefty's fhips under my command defcried twenty-two fail in the north-east quarter; we immediately gave chace, and in a few hours the whole were taken.

They prove to be a Spanish convoy, which failed from St. Sebaftian's the 1ft of January, and were under the protection of feven thips and veffels of war belonging to the royal company of Caraccas, viz. The Gaipufcoana, of 64 guns and 550 men. The San Carlos, of 32 guns and 200 men. The San Rafael, of 30 guns and 155 men. The Santa Terefa, of 28 guns and 150 men. The San Bruno, of 26 guns and 140 men. The Corbetta San Fermin, of 16 guns and 60 men.

The San Vicente, of 10 guns and 40 men.

Part of the convoy was loaded with naval ftores and provifions for the Spanish thips of war at Cadiz; the reft with bale goods belonging to the royal company.

Thofe loaded with naval ftores and bale goods I fhall immediately dispatch for England, under the convoy of his majefty's thips the America and Pearl; thofe loaded with provifions I fhall carry to Gibraltar, for which place I am now fteering; and have not a doubt, but the fervice I am fent upon there will be speedily effected.

You will likewife pleafe to acquaint their lordships, that as I thought it highly neceffary to fend a 64 gun fhip to protect fo valuable a convoy, I have commithioned, officered and manned the Spanish fhip of war of the fame rate, and named her the Prince William, in refpect to his Toyal highnefs, in whofe prefence he had the honour to be taken. She has been launched only fix months, is in every respect completely fitted for war, and much larger than the Bienfaifant, Capt. Macbride, to whom the ftruck.

I beg leave to congratulate their lordfhips on this event, which must greatly diftrefs the enemy, who, I am well informed, are in much want of provifions and naval ftores. G. B. RODNEY.

LiA of merchant ships under convoy of the
armed hips mentioned in the above letter.
Notira Senora de l'Ores, laden with flour.
San Francifco, with ditte.

La Conceptione, with ditto and wheat.
San Nicholas, with wheat.

San Jeronemo, with ditto.

Divina Providentia, with flour.

San Gib lar, with ditto.

San Pacora, with ditto.

San Lauren, with French wheat.

La Providentia, with flour and wheat.
La Belona, with flour.

Efperanza, with French ditto.

Le Cidada de Mercia, with naval ftores.
Le Amittad, with ditto.

San Michael, with anchors and cables.
La Fregatte de Bilboa, with tobacco.

St. James's, Feb. 12. Letters received this day from Mr. Fitzherbert, his majefty's refident at Bruffels, bring a confiima

tion of the fignal fuccefs of his majefty's fleet under the command of Admital Sir George Rodney, on the 16th of last month, near the Straits mouth.

The Spanish fquadron, commanded by Don Juan de Langara, made a running fight, the circumstances of which are not yet particularly known. The fquadron confifted of eleven fail of the line, three of which, the St. Genaro, St. Justo, and Monarca, feparated before the engagement; the San Juliano, San Eugenio, San Auguf tino, and San Lorenzo, are arrived at Cadiz in a very shattered condition; the San Domingo blew up during the action; and the Phenix, Princeffa, and Diligent were taken. The Phenix is an eighty gun fhip; all the others feventy. Gazette.

Tuesday 15.

Was held a meeting of the proprietors of Eaft-India ftock, in order to difcufs the matter fefpecting the propofitions which had paffed between the treasury-board and the directors, refpecting the renewal of their charter. After many fpeeches for and againft the agreement, it was moved, that the proprietors fhould meet from day to day (Sunday excepted), to go over the whole of the propofitions, article by article, for the proprietors to reject or approve, as they should fee caufe.

Ld Effingham moved in the H. of Lords to addrefs his Majefty graciously to pardon William Parker, the printer, now a prifoner in Newgate, and to order him to be difcharged from that prifon. This was oppofed by Lord Mansfield, and the motion rejected.

Wednesday 16.

There is now in the poffeffion of Mr. Benj. Penny, near Tenbury in Gloucesterthire, a bull-calf, about three weeks old, with two heads, four ears, and two tongues, quite perfect. It eats with both mouths, and is likely to live.

Saturday 18.

The London Gazette contains an order of council for prohibiting the exportation of copper for three months, from the 23d inftant. Alfo an order for continuing the prohibition of gunpowder, falt-petre, arms, or ammunition.

Certain advices have been received, that Paul Jones, in the Alliance, of 28 guns and 250 men, had reached Corunna, having efcaped the vigilance of our men of war and cruizers in the Britith channel. He has on board the famous Capt. Cunningham, who lately made his escape from an English prifon, by digging a hole under the foundation.

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