permanent ftupidity thereby produced, he was acquitted. At this feffions were likewife convicted two more of the fellows concerned in the murder of the custom-house officer (fee May 25th) and executed the 16th. At the place of execution, they owned being of the company, but denied having any hand in the murder; and behaved with great compofure of mind. Most of the other criminals were pardoned; fome of them, on condition of working on the Thames; and the reft were executed fome weeks after. Lord Howe, and Gene19th. ral Howe, caufed a declaration to be circulated, promifing, in his Majefty's name, a revifion of all fuch inftructions as might be conftrued to lay an improper restraint on the freedom of legillation in the colonies; and alfo to concur in the revifal of fuch acts as they might think themfelves aggrieved by, &c. And foon after the iffuing of this declaration, the people flocked in great numbers to his head-quarters, and made their fubmiffion. 20th. The greatest and finest part of the handfome town of Gefle, the capital of the province of Geftricia, in Sweden, was burnt to ashes. A perfect rainbow was feen at Lower-Halton, in Kent, about nine at night. Between this and the 238. next day, at midnight, a moft horrid attempt was made by a number of wretches to burn the town of New-York, in which they fucceeded fo well, having fet it on fire in feveral places with matches and combuftibles that had been prepared with great art and ingenuity, that about one quarter of the town was confumed; and the reft must have fuffered the fame fate, had it not been for the exertions of MajorGeneral Robertfon, the officers under his command in the town, and the brigade of guards detached from the camp. A few days ago Capt. Don Daval, a young and gallant fea-officer in the Spanish fervice, in a frigate of 34 guns, in company with another Spanish frigate of 28 guns, fell in, near Tetuan, with four Moorish zebecs, when a bloody scene was exhibited. The barbarians boarded the Spaniards nine times, and, although fuperior, almoft three to one in number, were every time repulfed with great loss. At length, after an engagment of fix hours, the Moors were obliged to ftrike to the Spanish flag. The lofs of the barbarians, in killed and wounded, was upwards of 260; and that of the Spaniards, 38 feamen and 3 officers killed, and 90 men and officers wounded; among it the latter was Capt. Daval. 23d. Lord North, in taking an airing in Bufhy-Park, had the misfortune to be flung from his horfe, and break one of his arms, which put a stop to fome very material parliamentary bufinefs till he recovered. In the mean time, his Majefty did his Lordship the honour to fend daily to enquire after his bealth; and even frequently to go in perfon to fee him, but without ever fpeaking of bufinefs to him, left any application of mind should retard his cure. The Aldermen Plumbe 28th. and Thomas were chofen theriffs; and Alderman Halifax lord-mayor, for the year enfuing. The Landgrave of Helle-Caffel has returned the contribution which his fubjects had paid to the military cheft, and declared that he would do fo as long as the Heffian troops continued in the British fervice; and the hereditary prince, his fon, willing to follow fo good an example, published an ordonnance, by which he declared, that all the parents of foldiers, and the foldiers themselves, of the regiment of Heffe-Hanau, (the territory fettled on his electoral highness, as an establishment during his father's life) gone to America, fhall be free from any duty, either in money or product, upon any land they may poffefs in that landgraviate, from the day that regiment fet out till its return. Moreover, by the indulgence of the court of London, all the letters written by the officers or foldiers of the German troops employed in the fervice of GreatBritain, in North America, to their friends in Europe, and to them from fuch their friends, to be exempted from poftage. General Howe iffued a 30th. proclamation, promifing a full pardon to all deferters from the British troops in America, who fhould furrender themselves on or before the 31st of the next month; and, towards the end of November, upwards of forty of those who had furrendered in confequence of the faid proclamation, arrived in London, in their way to the coaft of Africa, to make part of the cerps lately Colonel O'Hara's on that Itation. are The French king has just received the collection of ancient medals, which the Sieur Pellerin had been fo many years making for his majefty, whofe cabinet before this acquifition was celebrated throughout Europe, but now may very truly be faid to be the richest and most useful; especially for the affiftance it may lend by throwing new lights on ancient history. DIED, the 7th inftant, Eric Guftavus Queckford, Knight of the Sword, and a lieutenant-general in the Swedish fervice, aged 88. He was the laft furviving officer who attended Charles XII. at Bender. Mrs. Kennedy, in the 10th year of her, age, at Dumfries, in Scotland. The 17th, Capt. Thomas Forbes of the royal navy, aged 102, at Harwich. The 22d, Monfieur Lewis Chambaud, author of feveral useful works in French and English; particularly a French Dictionary in folio. Master Chivers, of Rotherhithe, of the bite of a mad dog. He had drank the falt water; been bathed in it; returned feemingly well; and continued fo for more than a month; but, on the 17th inftant, he was feized with the hydrophobia, for which no cure could be had. William Dale, aged 101, at Auftry in Warwickshire. The 27th, Francis Marth, Efq; at Lambeth, aged 84 years. At the age of 60 he had his coffin made, and kept it by him ever fince. The 29th, Alderman Ogden, of Leicester, aged 95. Lately, at Chichester, Mr. George Smith, landfcape-painter, and furviving brother of three, who all cultivated that enchanting art, He gained the premiums given by the fociety for the encouragement of arts, &c. in 1760, 1761, and 1763. Mr. Robert Weft, father of Mr. Weft, hiftorical painter. He was [M] 3 : born born at Long-Crandon, Bucks, in 1690; went in 1715 to Penfylvania, where he had three brothers fettled, who went there with William Penn; married and raised a family of ten children in that province; and came over in 1764 to vifit his native country, and fee his fon, where he has continued ever fince. He was one of the people called Quakers, univerfally esteemed. Jofiah Van Rochle, Efq; who had made nine voyages to the Eaft Indies. At Chelfea, Edward Northorpe, Efq; worth 40,000l. of, which he has left 5000l. to portion ten maidens, in the choice of his execu tors. In Spitalfields, Mr. James Pointhouse, who ferved with King George I. in the allied army, previous to that Monarch's fwaying the British fceptre. At Greenwich, Thomas Randall, aged near 100, who was cabbin-boy on board Admiral Ruffel's fhip, in the famous battle with the French, under Tourville, in 1692, and continued in the fervice of his country from that time to the conclufion of the last war. Mr. Buck, aged 105, at Dublin. Near Nancy, in Lorraine, M. Lancellot Chambellan, in his 109th year; a few days before his death, he walked upwards of ten miles. Mrs. Dorothy Clarke, aged 112, at Weftorp, in Nottinghamshire. Mrs. Sarah Mendes Furtado, aged 109. vered penalties to the amount of 11,000l. This is the most decifive caufe ever yet determined in favour of the landed intereft. The following point of law was argued at the faid affizes: "Whether the fetting out of grafs in cocks, from the fwath, without tedding, was or was not a good setting out of tythes?" After a full hearing, the question was determined in the affirmative, and a verdict given against the rector for not taking his ty the away. At Cambridge, one was capitally convicted of horfe-ftealing, but afterwards reprieved. At Stafford, two were capitally convicted, but reprieved. At Nottingham, one, but reprieved. At Buckingham, one for murder. At Horfham, for the county of Suffex, an old woman, aged 74. was found guilty of murdering her hofband, a butcher, at Brightling, in that county, and fentenced to be burnt. She was generally fuppofed to be infane; but from the clear, artful anfwers fhe gave, and the defence fhe made, Lord Mansfield was clearly of a contrary opinion. At the affizes for the county of Devon, three were capitally convicted. At Guildford, eleven; fix of whom, viz. four women for a robbery, and two horfe-ftealers, were afterwards reprieved; the other five were executed. At Durham, two, one of whom, for a burglary, was executed. SUMMER ASSIZES. At Dorchester, one was capitally convicted, but afterwards reprieved. At these affizes, Mr. Sykes, the late member for Shaftesbury, was convicted of bribery, and Mr. Mor- At the affizes for the county of timer, the prefent member, reco- Northumberland, four, At Newcastle, two, one of whom, for ftealing two bank notes out of a letter, was executed. one of whom, whom, for a highway robbery, was executed. At Bridgewater, one. At Bodmin, one, who was after wards reprieved. At Bristol, only one caufe, of a very trifling nature, was tried. At York, two were capitally convicted, but reprieved. In the trial of one of them, John Sutcliff, for the murder of his wife and child, the Rev. Mr. Atkingfon depofed, the reafon Sutcliff gave for murdering his wife, was, that, as he was in a miferable fituation, he thought it was proper to put her out of mifery. When asked, why he murdered his child, being in no mifery he faid, he gave it in facrifice to God, in return for fome bleffings he had received a few days before. The jury brought in their verdict infane. At Maidstone, four were capitally convicted, two of whom were reprieved, but the others for murder were executed. At Shrewsbury, one, but reprieved. At Salisbury affize, Mary Bower At the affizes for the county of At Gloucefter, one. At Carlile, one; but reprieved. At the above affizes was tried, before Mr. Juftice Afhurst, the long depending caufe between Sir James Lowther, Bart. plaintiff, and his Grace the Duke of Portland, defendant, relative to the foccage lands of Inglefwood foreft; when a verdict was given for the defendant. At Lincoln, three were capitally convicted, but reprieved. At Appleby, one; but reprieved. At Chelmsford, ten; eight of whom were reprieved. At Oxford, two brothers, but reprieved. At Abingdon, three, and reprieved. At Northampton, one, for mur- · der; and another for a burglary, but were both reprieved; and the jurors verdict on the former referred to the opinion of the twelve judges. At Worcester two, but reprieved. At Brecon affizes, one for wilfully and premeditately firing a loaded piftol at an intimate acquaintance, in a fit of jealousy, on account of a young woman whom they both courted, and dangerously wounding him in the hip. At Lancaster, two of burglary, but both reprieved. At Chefter, four, and all executed. The affizes at Bedford, Warwick, Coventry, Salisbury, Huntingdon, Cowbridge, and Winchefter, proved maiden. At the laft of the above affizes, an action was brought by farmer Maskall, plaintiff, against a neighbouring farmer, defendant, for debauching one of his daughters, under the common pretence of marriage. Many learned arguments were used by the plaintiff's counfel, in relation to the nature, criminalty, and confequence of the offence, and the evidence being impartially fummed up by the learned judge, the jury, without hefitation, found a verdict for the plaintiff, with 2501. damages, and all cofts. [M] 4 OCTOBER '3d. OCTOBER. Was tried at Guildhall, before the Recorder, in the Mayor's court, an action brought against a lottery-office-keeper, to recover the chances arifing upon the infurance of lottery tickets, amounting to the fum of 991. Af. ter much investigation, and argument of the counfel on both fides, a verdict was given for the defendant, agreeable to the opinion of the Judge, who held, that, though there appeared, in the courfe of the evidence, an acknowledgment of the debt; yet, as the contract was illegal, and in violation of the Gaming Act, the plaintiff had no remedy against the defendant. The courts of law, he faid, had been fo ftrict for the fuppreffion of that fpecies of traffick, fo highly detrimental to commerce, that he remembered an instance, wherein the money paid for infurance was returned. 4th. The delegates of the feveral North-American colonies and provinces, to the Continental Congress, not excepting thofe of New York, though actu. ally in the King's hands, figned articles of confederation and perpetual union; which the reader will find among our State Papers. A caufe was tried in the county court of Corke, in Ireland, before Mr. Justice Henn, between Mr. Godfreid Gerard Fehrman, plaintiff, and Mr. William Falkner, Surveyor of Robert's Cove, Charles M Carthy and Samuel Philips, revenue-boatmen, defendants. The action was brought for unlawfully detaining at Kintale, laft January, Mrs. Fehrman, the plaintiff's wife, three hours under pretence of her having fome India goods about her, the refufing to admit herself to be fearched; and, after a full hearing, the jury brought in a verdict for the plaintiff of fixty guineas damages, and full cofts of fuit. Mr. Fehrman, laft fummer affizes, obtained a verdict for fixty pounds, from another revenueofficer, for unlawfully entering his cellar, under pretence of his having unlicenfed beer in it. By letters from Liverpool, the Duke of Bridgewater had already cleared in one year, 9501. by carrying paffengers betwixt Runcorn and Manchester; and 12,500l. by carrying goods betwixt Manchefter and Liverpool; all which the public must allow his Grace richly deferves, when they are affured that his inland navigation has already coft him 220,000l. The ceremony of mar7th. riage between His Imperial Highness, the Grand Duke of Ruffia, and the Princess of Wirtemberg Stutgard, was performed, with great pomp, at Petersburgh, by Her Imperial Majelty's confeffor; but not till the Princess had been folemnly baptized into the Greek church, by the name of Maria Fefdorowna. The collegiate church of 9th. St. Peter, Westminster, was opened for divine fervice, after having been long fhut up, to erect a new choir, and make feveral other neceffary repairs, of which the following fhort defcription of that moft venerable part of the building, in its prefent ftate, will give the best idea. Upon entering the front gate of the choir, you afcend three fteps, the marble pavement, or floor, having been raifed upwards of two feet. The feats belonging to the Dean and Sub-Dean are brought feveral feet forward, |