ed, was Richard Hewett, a hackney-coachman, for the wilful murder of Sarah Ofbell, alias Sarah the wife of Tongue, with whom he had fome acquaintance, who, being with another young woman at a ftatute for hiring themfelves, was invited by Hewitt, and one Johnson (another coachman, who is acquitted) to take a ride in their coaches to Mother Red Cap's, near Pancras. They dined together, and about seven in the evening, on their return home, ftopped in Fig-lane, where Hewitt offering fome indecencies to the deceased, the either jumped or was pushed out of his coach, and fell backwards; but recovering herself, ran a few yards, and then dropping, he drew her by the legs about the fpace of one yard; on which the other girl ran away, and the deceafed was foon after found dead, with her skull fractured, and a cloak foaked in blood, which had ran out of her ears.

Matthew and Patrick Kennedy, convicted in February 1770, for the murder of Bigby the watchman, were fet to the bar, and informed, that his Majesty had extended his royal mercy to them on the following condition; Matthew to be tranfported for life, and Patrick for fourteen years, which they accepted of, and received fentence to be tranfported accordingly.

Laft Wednesday morning, about feven o'clock, a young woman near 23 years of age, who had lain at the Bolt and Tun Inn in Fleetftreet, was found fhot to death in her apartment; there were two piftols in the room with her, the one loaded and the other discharged. Soon after this unhappy affair happened, her husband, from

whom the eloped, came to the inn to enquire for her; and, to his great furprize, found her in that fhocking condition: they had been married about a month, and the had taken a poft-chaife to go to Richmond, as Wednesday morning, and wrote to her friends in in the country, intimating that they muft never expect to fee her again. On Thurfday the coroner's inqueft fat on her body, and brought in their verdict lunacy.

Yefterday, between four 16th. and five o'clock, a mob affembled in a field near BethnalGreen, confifting of upwards of two thoufand, when they fet upon one Clark, a pattern-drawer, who was the principal evidence against the two cutters that were executed at Bethnal-Green fome time fince; they continued pelting him with brickbats, &c. for three hours, which laid his fkull entirely open. Never did any poor mortal füffer more than he did; he begged of them feveral times to fhoot him; but they kept ftoning him till he died in the greatest agonies. Six or feven are faid to be taken into cuftody on this account.

The stay of the King of Sweden at Paris, has been protracted by the difficulties he found in fettling the arrears of his fubfidy, which amount to eight millions; and in part of which he has obtained a promife for the immediate payment of a million five hundred thousand livres.

Was determined in the 18th. court of Common-Pleas, the action upon the cafe for a libel and defamatory words, Onflow against Horne, as by adjournment the laft term.

The Lord Chief Justice, it is faid, after

after recapitulating the whole of the cafe, and the arguments ufed by both councils laft term, obferv. ed, that one general rule was to be obferved in cafes of defamatory words; and that was, when the words fo spoken were obnoxious to profecution and punishment; yet even this general rule was fubject to limitation. For inftance, fays he, to charge a trader with bankruptcy, a man of profeffion with incapacity, or a perfon in a public office with a breach of truft. Thefe fpecific charges are certainly actionable, because the damages are obvious. But let us fee how these facts will operate on the cafe in point. At a meeting at Epfom, on the 29th of June, 1769, to inftruct the reprefentatives of the county, the defendant faid, "As for inftructing one of our members to obtain redrefs, we may as well inftruct the winds, the water, or the air; for fhould he (Mr. Onflow) promife his affiftance, I will not believe him." Now here is no charge of the violation of his oath as a member of parliament, or any charge whereby he may fuffer damages. The fentence contains no more than that he believes Mr. Onflow will not keep his word: for thefe reafons I am of opinion, no judgment can be given. The reft of the judges were of the fame opinion; and the verdict of 400 1. damages to Mr. Onflow was fet afide.

against the bill, and in defence of the city's right to the foil or bed of the river; he acknowledged, that Meffrs. Adams were very able and experienced architects; but although he admired the elegance of their buildings, he never could allow that from thence alone arofe a right of building on that ground, which was the property of others, That the city had a right, and had exercised a right, for numberless years, as landlords of the bed of the river, could be eafily proved from the written minutes of the court of aldermen. Accordingly, from many different volumes of repertories, various cafés were read (fome 100, others 150, and others zoo years back) where the city had deftroyed fairs and causeways erected on the fides of the river, received rents for fheds and embankments, granted leave to erect ftairs, &c. and all in parts of the river that were beyond the land limits of the city; in particular, a leafe of a part of the river now tenanted at 40s. per annum, by Sir Jofeph Mawbey, on the Surry-fide, was produced, and Mr. Mountague of the Chamberlain's office, fwore to the receipt of the rent, together with 4d. yearly, that had been paid almoft 150 years, for an erection on the fide of the river, between Temple-Bar and Somerfet-Houfe: among other written teftimonies, one was read, where the commiffioners of the navy had petitioned, and received leave from the court of aldermen to make an erection on the Surry fide the river.

The Right Hon. Brafs '22d. Crosby, Efq; Lord Mayor, accompanied by the committee, went in coaches from the Tower to Westminster-Hall, and being

brought

brought to the court of CommonPleas, Mr. Serjeant Glynn opened the matter with great energy, and was feconded by Mr. Serjeant Lee. After the counfel had ended, the court fpoke with great precifion and clearness on the fubject, and found that no court of juftice had any jurifdiction over the Houfe of Commons, who, in the prefent cafe, were only acting with refpect to their own members, a thing peculiar to every fociety, and fhewing a power which was vefted in them by the very fundamentals of the conftitution; that his Lordfhip's deed was not only a contempt of the Houfe of Commons, but even of the citizens of London themselves, who are virtually a part of the hon. Houfe by their reprefentatives; on which account the court found themselves incapable to relieve his Lordship, fo that he was remanded back to the Tower.

When his Lordship came out of Weftminster-hall, to return to the Tower, the populace took the horfes from his coach, and dragged him in it to the Manfion-houfe, where he dined; after which he figned feveral affidavits, and tranfacted fome other bufinefs, which had been delayed for want of the attendance of the chief magiftrate. The further confideration on the Anglefea claim of peerage came on before the Upper Affembly, when, after a very short debate, Lord Wentworth reported from the committee, that the claimant had no right to the titles, honours, and dignities claimed by his petition. 23d. Being St. George's day,

was held the anniversary feaft of the laudable fociety of Antigallicans. They went in pro

ceffion to Stepney church, where the Rev. Mr. Evans, chaplain to the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, preached an excellent fermon fuitable to the occafion; after which, the ftewards went in a body, and waited on the Lord Mayor in the Tower, and paid their compliments on behalf of the whole fociety,, and afterwards returned to the Mile-end Affembly-room, where there was an elegant entertainment provided. After dinner, they elected the Right Hon, the Lord Mayor Grand Prefident for the year enfuing, which office his Lordship accepted with the utmost politeneis and refpect.

The Higher Affembly concluded their inveftiga25th. tion of the embanking bill. Having had the fulleft evidence on the fubject, and heard council, they debated the queflion in the House'; and it was carried in favour of the embankment, and for committing the bill, twenty-nine to four.

The fpecial verdict, fome 26th. time fince obtained by Mr. Stock, an attorney, against Gabriel Harris, Efq; the postmaster of Gloucefter, for not delivering a letter to him directed, at his place of abode, without payment of a further gratuity than the legal poftage, came on for a fecond argument in the court of King'sBench; when the court gave judgment for the plaintiff, declaring, that by the feveral acts relating to the poft-office, all letters must be delivered by the poft-master of every poft-town, to the perfons to whom fuch letters are directed, without any other gratuity than the legal rate of poftage; and that the limits or extent of the places at which fuch letters are to be deli

MICHIGAN Varsity of

vered, can only be fettled by the customs of fuch post-town.

His Majefty has been graciously pleafed,in confideration of these dear times, to order that the deduction of one fhilling in the pound, which has been hitherto made by the paymaster-general of the army, from the pay of the foot-foldiers, be remitted; as alfo the deduction to the regimental paymafter and furgeon, the better to enable them to provide neceffaries.

Conftantinople, March 4. On the 18th past, at midnight, a dreadful fire happened at Galata, which confumed 2500 houfes and fhops. It broke out near the Gate of Tophana, and a very high northerly wind fpread the flames with rapid vehemency; fo that the fire raged for fifteen hours. The miferable inhabitants were chiefly Greeks, Armenians and Jews, and fuffered much from the cold, which was fo intenfe, that a continual fnow fell to the ground frozen like hail; fome children and fick people have loft their lives by it; but we do not hear that any perished in the flames. Two other fires began the fame night at Conftantinople; the one laid 12 houfes in afhes, the other 3. It is faid to be discovered, that all the three fires were caufed by incendiaries, and that an attempt was made the fame night to fet fire to the quarter of the Greeks at Fanal in Conftantinople.

The Caimachan, and other great officers attended, and the former seeing fome wretches pillaging the inhabitants of what little they had faved, in order to deter others, ordered them to be thrown into the flames.

Paris, April 2. We hear from Cadiz, that the Spanish Gallion

[99

l'Oriflamme was caft away the 27th of July laft, on the coaft of Chili. This fhip failed from Cadiz for Lima, in February 1770, with a cargo valued at 12 millions of livres. The crew confiited of 500 men, and fhe had many paffengers. An epidemical fickness having broke out among them during their paffage, diminished the crew very much, fo that there were fcarce hands enough to work the 'fhip. The 27th of July the Oriflamme being within fight of land, perceived the Gaillard, another fhip, to whom he made fignals of diftrefs. The latter fent her shalloop with 40 men, to carry provifions and refreshments on board; but the weather being bad, and a high fea, the fhalloop could not get up to the Oriflamme, which was thrown on fhore by a caft of wind, and broke into three pieces. It was not poffible to fave any of thofe who remained on board, and but very little of the cargo.

Berlin, April 13. The prefent feverity and extreme rigour of the weather is fo very remarkable, that the oldeft people here do not remember to have feen or heard of the like; for it till continues to freeze every night as in the middle of winter, and a great quantity of fnow lies on the ground, which fo diftreffes the poor inhabitants of the country, that the most melancholy accounts are daily received of the mifery and wretchedness occafioned by this dreadful calamity.

Francfort, April 7. The want of provifions is very great both here and in the circle of Swabia. Our magiftrates diftribute bread to the poor gratis, and thofe of Nuremberg do the fame. In Bavaria bread

is at an exceffive high price; both there and in Swabia the muid of rye fell for 36 florins.

The Sieur Mefher, aftronomer to the French marine, discovered a new comet the first of this month, to the right below the Pleiads, and between the stars Nu and Epfilon, of the conftellation Aries. It is not easily feen without glaffes; the tail is about two degrees and a half in length, and is directed towards the Pleiads: this comet follows the order of the figns, and its motion is uniform ; it runs through a degree in twenty-four hours. At half an hour after five 29th. in the afternoon, a fmart fhock of an earthquake was felt through the whole town of Abingdon in Berkshire; it was but momentary, yet fufficiently diftinguished by many perfons, and fo violent as to lift them up in their chairs, and the pavement moved at the fame time. The wind was easterly, and remarkably ftill at the time.

A petition from Mr. Allen, father of the young man who was murdered in St. George's Fields,, was yesterday delivered to a great Affembly, praying an inquiry concerning the murder of his fon, and justice against the inhuman murderers, &c.

At ten o'clock, Richard 30th. Oliver, Efq; was brought by writ of Habeas Corpus, before the Barons of the Exchequer, when after the writ was read, Mr. Serjeant Glynn made a motion for his enlargement, which he supported with the greatest propriety of argument. He was feconded by Mr. Serjeant Jephfon, and Mr. Lee, who quoted a number of cafes, in all of which, the perfons found to

be unlawfully committed were dif charged. The Barons, however, were of opinion, that he ought to be remanded. But Mr. Baron Perrot declared he could by no means fubfcribe to the doctrine, that every thing the Houfe does, under pretence of privilege, muft therefore neceffarily be legal. The alder

man

was accordingly remanded

back to the Tower.

During the course of the month, the Rt. Hon. Brass Crosby, Lord Mayor, has received the freedom of the city of Worcester, and of the town of Bedford; as also addreffes from the counties of Carmarthen, Pembroke and Cardigan; and the towns of Newcastle, Stratford and Honiton. The common-council of most of the city wards, and also the fociety at the Standard Tavern, have paid their compliments to his Lordship in the Tower.

Died lately, Wm. Allen, Efq; at Bury St Edmond's; he had 25 children by his firft wife.

Rev. Mr. Nelson, aged 92, at Kenfington Gore.

Mrs. Armitage, aged 97, in Tothill-fields, Westminster.

Dorothy Downing, aged 63; Elizabeth Howard, aged 79; Geo. Exchange, aged 84; and Sarah Daws, aged 85, whofe ages together amount to 311, all died the fame day, in the workhouse of St. George, Hanover-fquare.

Capt. Francis Ellis, aged 95, at Whitby, in Yorkshire: and a few days before Mary his wife, aged