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evidence whatever, fully demonftrated it to be a tax on the profits and returns of the Shop-keepers.

RESOLVED, That the plea of State-neceffaty, which is the avowed motive for the continuance of this exaction, appears to this Committee a Principle that will justify any instance of partial and oppreffive taxation, and does but ill accord with the boafted ftate of the finances of this country, which has been held up to the publick by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

RESOLVED, That, as the forms of the House of Commons do not admit of any farther fteps being taken in the prefent Seffion, this Committee defer calling a General Meeting of the Shop-keepers, by whom they were originally confituted, till the enfuing Seffion; when, with the advice and affiftance of their reprefentatives in Parlia ment, the Shop keepers may refolve on fuch measures as the circumftances of that Time thall render most expedient.

RESOLVED, That, during the interval of Parliamentary bulinels, a conftant correfpondence be maintained with the cities, boroughs, and towns, throughout the kingdom, who have hitherto generously fupported the applications of the Snop-keepers, not on the ground of party-conted or local intereft, but as a caufe in which the right of individuals, the dignity of the Legiflature, and the national honour, are involved.

RESOLVED, That conferences be held with the Committee appointed by the City of London on fuch bufinefs as may have a tendency to promote the object of which the committees are jointly in purtuit.

RESOLVED, That this Committee will mect, on the firft Thurfday evening in every month, at the Guildhall Coffee-houfe, to receive fuch information as fhall be offered to them, and peculiarly to direct their attention to the late extraordinary furcharges which have been made in the metropolis, apparently with a defign to increafe the grofs amount of the tax, and permanently to fix it on the ground of a large fource of revenue.

THOMAS SKINNER, Chairman.

BURNELL, MAYOR. A COMMON COUNCIL, bolden in the Chamber of the Guildhall of the City of LONDON, on THURSDAY, the 28th of April, 1788. RESOLVED unanimously, That the thanks of this court be given to the Right Hon. CHARLES JAMES Fox, for his meritorious endeavours to ferve the Publick, by his judicious and animated exertions to obtain a repeal of the law impofing a tax upon Retail Shop-keepersa tax, reprobated, for its partiality and injuftice, equally by those who do not contribute to it, as by the immediate objects of its oppreffion.

RESOLVED unanimoully, That this Court doth return thanks to the Right Honourable

Lord Hood, the other representative of the City of Westminster; William Mainwaring, Efq. reprefentative of the County of Middlefex; John Sawbridge, Efq. Sir Watkin Lewes, Kni, Nathaniel Newnham, Efq. and Brook Watfon, Efq. aldermen and reprefentatives of this City in Parliament; Siz Thomas Halifax, Knt. Paul Le Mefurier, Eq. and Sir Benjamin Hammet, Knt. aldermen, and Henry Thornton, Efq. the other re relentative of Southwark; together with all thofe other members of the Honourable Houfe of Commons, who, in fupport of a just caufe, joined their very able and zealous exertions to obtain the defired relief;-Endeavours rendered ineffectual by the perfeverance of the Chancellor of his Majefty's Exchequer, in a fyftem of taxation fallacious, unconftitutional, and unjust; a return very ungrateful for unbounded confidence.

RESOLVED unanimously, That, the evil tendency and effects of the faid law having been pointed out, in the most forcible manner, by fo many honourable members in Parliament, it becomes the duty of every good citizen to perfevere in all legal means to obtain the repeal of a tax fo partial and fo oppreffive, left a filent fubmiffion thould be conftrued an acquiefcence with a principle injurious to the rights of freemen, and which, if once quietly eftablished, may be extended to the most deftructive purposes.

RESOLVED unanimoufly, That it is earnefly recommended to the Committee of this Court, and to the Committee appointed by the Retail Shop-keepers in the Metropolis, to continue in concert, exerting the utmoft vigour, affiduity, and firmness, which which may finally prevent fuch a law from difgracing the Statute-Book of a free and commercial nation.

RESOLVED unanimoufly, That the faid refolutions be fairly tranfcribed, figned by the Town-Clerk, and by him tranfmitted to the Right Honourable Charles James Fox, the Right Honourable Lord Hood, William Mainwaring, Efq. Henry Thornton, Efq. and Mr. Alderman Skinner, Chairman of the Committee of Shopkeepers; and alto that a copy thereof be published in all the daily and evening papers.

RIX.

The REPORT from the Committe appointed to infpe&t the feveral Houfes and other Buildings immediately adjoining to Westminster Hall and the Two Houfles of Parliament, and the Offices thereto belonging, and to report to the Houfe their Opinion how far the faid Hall, and other public Offices, may be fecured from the Danger of Fire, arifing from the Contiguity of fuch Houfes and private Buildings;

THE Committee having proceeded, in part, to fulfill the objects of their inftitution,

and

and having inspected the Judges Room and Treafury of the Court of King's Bench, and the paffage leading thereto; the Judges Room, Treafury, and Office of Cuftos Breium of the Court of Common Pleas; the offices and buildings belonging to the Chief Uther of the Court of Exchequer; the Tally Office, the Court of Exchequer, and the offices and apartments belonging thereto; the feveral buildings in Old Palace Yard, lying Wet and North of the faid buildings and of Westminster Hall, the Clerk of the Pells Office, the Office of the Tchers of the Exchequer, the Office of the Uther of the Exchequer, the Tally Court, the Office of Auditor of the Exchequer, the Houfes of the Tellers and Auditor, the Lottery Office, the Annuity Office, and the buildings and apartments adjoining and belonging thereto; apon examination of the faid buildings, and the various offices contained therein, and upon enquiry into the nature and duties of the faid offices, and the value and confequences of the different papers and records therein depofited, think themselves called upon, by the magnitude of the fubje&t, to report, as Speedily as poffible, to the Houfe, the fituasion of the faid buildings.—And your Committee could not think themfelves juftified, 5, at this period of the Seffion, they did not facrifice the advantages of a more parti. sular and detailed account to the embracing the first opportunity of calling the immediate attention of the Houfe to a matter in which They conceive the public intereft fo deeply Concerned.

The importance of the various records and Fapers, difpofed of in the feveral offices, to the tranfacting of the public bufinefs, and to the general fafety and particular concerns of fo many individuals, is too well known, and too univerfally admitted, to make it at all Deceffary for this report to state it in detail.

TH

FOREIGN

Your Committee have, with minute attention, examined all the above-mentioned offices.-To defcribe the danger from fre, to which in their minds they appear to be conftantly expofed, furpaffes any language of which they are mafters. The fact of thefe buildings being now in existence, fpeaks more forcibly in favour of the extreme caution which must have been invariably ufed by those to whose care they have been entrusted, than any praife which your Committee could bestow upon the gettlemen under whofe charge thefe buildings are at prefent placed.

Your Committee conceive the safety of the publick hould not entirely depend upo fuch precarious exertions, and they feel themselves the more justified in that opinion, from reflecting, that all that attention and caution might be rendered ineffectual by the negligence or defign of any one inha bitant of the buildings which immediately furround, and in many instances adjoin to, feveral of the offices, containing papers of the laft importance to this nation-Thefe private buildings, in the opinion of your Committee, fhould at all events be removed; but your Committee, underflanding that the claims of individuals interfere with any general plan for the public fafety, conclude that this Honourable Houfe will take fuch measures as may be found neceffary to remove fuch difficulties. Your Committee conceive the prefent situation of thefe of aces requires new buildings, and new arrange. ments, fo contrived as to afford that fafety which their present conftruction entirely de prives them of. Your Committee find it d fficult to decide, whether the inconvenience attending the transaction of public business, the danger arifing from fire, or of destruction from want of repair, is the most to be complained of.

INTELLIGENCE.

re

HE progrefs of the war on the part of the Imperial army fince the attack upon Dubicza has been flow but bloody. In the fubfquent accounts .ceived from Prince Lichenftein of that action, the Prince beftows great commendation on the bravery of the Auftrian troops, and charges the mifcarriage to the unfortunate death of Maj. Gen. Schlaun, who would certainly have forced his way into the town, had he furvived. On this general the command devolved after Maj. Gen. Khun had been carried off wounded,

In the general action, which followed this anfuccefsful attempt, the Turks advanced fo near the bayonets of the Auftrians as to be able to reach them with their fpears. Neither fide feemed inclined to give way, ull the arrival of Major Schubirech, with a iquadron of the Kinky light heric, when the Turk, wire totally routed.

The lofs of the Auftrians in these actions amounted to 2 Lieut. Cols, 1 Captain, 117 non-commiffioned officers and privates, and 67 horses, killed; and 3 Lieut. Cols, 2 Captains, 4 Lieuts, 391 non-commifioned officers and privates, and 67 horfes, wounded. Ten privates were miffing, and 2 pieces of cans non were taken by the Turks during the attack.

The lofs of the Turks is computed at upwards of 900 men killed, and the Autrians took one Turkish standard. G.≈ 2

Among the fkirmithes that have fince bap pened, Lieut. Gen: Fabricius, who.commands in Tranfylvania, mentions anatak made by the Turks on different parties of Auftrians in the neighbourhood of Trezbourg, in which they were forced to retreat, leaving 46 men killed, while the Auftrians had only a men flightly wounded.

The Prince of Cobourg mentions a fell

com

more ferious attack made by the Turks from Chotina, on the pofts of Rohatin and Bojana Lofa on the 24th of April, in which, however, they were defeated, and, after a conteft of more than three hours, forced by Baron Kienmayer who manded, to retreat. In this affair the Auftrans acknowledge the lofs of 19 men killed and 72 wounded; among the lait, the brave Capt. Boawitz. There remained on the field of battle but 8 of the enemy, and 18 of their horses, as the Turks always carry off as many of their killed and wounded as poffiulc.

The fame day, and, as it thould feem, another divifion of the fame party, under Major Plank, was attacked with incredible fury by the Turkish cavalry; but the Major, having received a reinforcement with two pieces of artillery, attacked the enemy with fuch vigour for the space of an hour and half as forced them to retire in the greatest disorder. In this rencounter, the Auftrians loft 37 men killed, among whom was the brave Capt. Pattier, and 56 wounded. The enemy left upon the field 9 men, with feveral turbans and fabres, a proof that many officers had fallen in the action.

Frequent skirmishes alfo happen between the Austrian volunteers pofted at Grozka in the Bannat, and the Turks, in one of which the former lately made twelve prisoners, and took a ftandard.

The Prince of Saxe Cobourg, after bombarding Choczim, has withdrawn his troops, and retired to the fort of Okoppi, within the Auftrian frontiers.

On the 29th of May laft, the troops deftined for the attack of Belgrade were fill in the neighbourhood of Semlin, unprepared for paffing the Save. Undoubted intelligence has fince been received, that the Imperial army had retreated, by order of the Emperor, and was fortifying their camp on this fide the Save.

*

Intelligence of equal authenticity has likewife been received, that the Grand Vizier, with an army of 80,000 men, was arrived at Taffa, and that they are in full march to Bannat or Croatia.

Had credit been given to the accounts published in the Vienna Gazette, the prefent war muft have been recorded as one continued feries of fucceffes on the part of the Imperialists; for even the most unfortunate attack upon Dubicza, and the action that followed it, were reprefented as victories; whereas it now appears, that not less than 3000 Imperialists fell on that occafion, with many of their bravest officers; and that their army is almoft ruined by fatigue and undecifive fkirmishes; to reinforce which, four fquadrons of Waldeck dragoons marched on the 6th inftant from Vienna; and at the Fame time one of the feven batallions of infantry destined for the fame fervice,

That the Ruffians have hitherto been inaftive, is owing to many unforeseen embar

rallments. The prefent fituation of her Imperial Majelty is truly pityable; attacked by plague and pettilence on one fide, and threatened with the invafion of her richest and most fertile provinces on the other; deprived by her own mifconduct of the affitance of her antient allies, in whom the might have placed confidence; torn by a divided court; and driven to the neceffity of conferring high rank in her navy on a man of obnoxious character, with whom it is a difgrace to ferve, and under whom no officer of honour will ferve: fo fituated, it will require more than womanly fortitude to maintain her dignity. In this dilemma, however, it is no furprize to those who have marked the revolutions of nations, that the Swedes fhould feize the favourable opportunity of recovering the Provinces of Fin land and Carelia, which were wrested from them in 1742. With this defign, there is now no doubt, that the Swedes are arming (fee p. 448); and unless her Imperial Majefty can find means amicably to fettle her differences with the Turks (which is not likely, without relinquithing her new conquefts of the Crimea and her claims to Georgia), Finland may again revert to her antient poffeffor, and probably Livonia too, if the Danes fhould join in the conqueft; but. of this we thall be able to peak with more certainty in our next publication.

In the mean time, the Emprefs of Ruffia appears not a little irritated against Great Britain, for afferting in the Gazette pubLithed by authority (fee p. 360.), that her Miniter at Conftantinople, M. de Bulgakow, had been releafed from his confinement, through the intereft of the British Ambaffador there; whereas that minifter ftill remains a prifoner in the Seven Towers. She has ftill more grievous complaints against the English nation for fupplying the Turkish feet with ammunition, &c. (as the has been credibly informed by her agents at Conftantinople), without which they could not have ventured to put to fea. The first advice her Imperial Majefty received of this breach of neutrality were by letters dated, Feb. 14, in which it is faid, "that the Ottoman fleet is not yet in a flate to go out of the canal for want of ammunition. In this difficulty

the Sublime Porte applied for affiftance to England. Within thefe few days there have arrived here [Conftantinople] three hips laden with a great quantity of powder, cannon, bullets, matches, and other ammunition, fufficient to fapply, not only the fleet butthe army." Advices of the 26th of Feb. lay, "that within thefe few days there arrived a 4th English thip with arms and other warlike ammunitions for our arienal, among which are a kind of fufees for fetting fire to the rigging of fhips dering a naval engage ment. Four or five thips more are expected from England with ammunition. The Porte in return grants to British fubjects the free navigation

navigation of the Black Sea and a Paffage to India by Suez and the Read Sea."-From this laft article, it should feem, that the French have with their ufual finefie found means to impofe on the Ruffian fpy; and fupplied the Ottomans with warlike flores in fhips under English colours, as it is the French that have procured the Firman for navigating the Red Sea. (See pp. 9. 166.)

An Account of the K, of Pruffia's journey from Berlin to Loo; oftenfibly to visit his. fifter, the Princels of Orange, who was to meet his Majesty at that city, with the Stadtholder and his family; bur, as it has fince appeared, upon that and more important bufinels.

The King, who left Berlin to make a tour to bis eftates in Weftphalia, and from thence to the cafile of Lea, arrived the 9th inft. at Wefel, about half after ten o'clock in the morning, with the Prince Royal; and, after viewing the ramparts, vifting the citadel, arfenal, and the new works adding to the fortifications, his Majeity admitted to a formal audience their Noble Mightineffes the Deputies of the States General of the United Provinces, who came to that city to compliment him in the name of their High Mightieffes. He likewife gave a formal audience to his Excellency M. Pacca, the Pope's Nuncio, whom he received in the most flattering and diftinguished manner. He alfo admitted to his audience the Deputies of the Duchies of Cleves, Guelderland, and the Principality of Meurs, and all qualified perfons who prefented hemfelves. On the roth, after reviewing the garrifon of Wefel at four o'clock in the morning, his Majefty fet out for this city, where he arrived about eleven o'clock. Not far from the end of the garden belonging to the Dowager Van Spaen, he met his auguft fifter the Princefs of Orange, the Hereditary Prince Stadtholder, and their illuftrious children, who came from Loo to meet him on the preceding evening. The interview was very affecting both to the parties and the fpectators, and excited the livelieft acclamations of applaufe. Her Royal Highnefs the Princess of Orange, taking hold of the arm of her auguft brother, went with him and his fuite to a pavillion, raised by the Baronefs Van Spaen, fome paces from the garden, where a breakfast was prepared. The King dined at the Prince's caftle with the Stadtholderian family and a chofen company; and, after affifting in the evening at the Dowager of Spaen's circle, whilft the Prince Royal took a turn in the Park, his Majefty retired to his apartments, and fet off early the next morning for the caftle of Loo, for which place the Stadtholderian family fet off the evening before.

"A company of young men, in uniforms and on horfeback, went in the morning to meet him, and had the honour to conduct

his Majefty to that city, which he entered through a lane formed by citizens under arms. In the evening the city was magnificently illuminated.

"His Excellency Baron Heinitz, Minifter of State, War, and Finances, who accompanied the King on his route, arrived here

the rock inftant.”

Meff. Baron Tork de Roofendaal, P. Van de Spiegel, Pefters, and d'Aylva, appointed by their High Mightineffes to go to Wefel, and compliment his Pruffian Majefly in their name, fet off from the Hague on the 6th inft, and arrived on the 8th at Wefel; on the 9th they had an audience of his Ma jefty, who anfwered their High Mighti neffes compliment in the most affable manner. His Majefly's anfwer contained proteftations of acknowledgments for their High Might ineffes attention and affurances; that he would always frongly protect the auguft Houfe of Orange, and the prefent conflitution of the Republic; and finished by de. claring, that he was greatly pleafed, that their High Mightineffes had chofen four members to fulfil that commiffion, who were fo well diftinguifhed for their attachment to a good caufe, and that he was very happy in being made known to them. The four Deputies were afterwards admitted to the King's table, and his Majefty difcourfed with them during the repaft.

"On the roth they fet off for Roofendaal, where they paffed the night at the Castle; on the 11th they went to Loo, where they dined and fepped with his Serene Highness the Prince Stadtholder and his Pruffian Majefty; on the 12th, 13th, and 14th, they were ftill at the Caftle of Loo, with his Excellency Sir James Harris, his Britannic Majefty's Ambaffador and Pienipotentiary, and Baron Alvenfleben, Envoy Extraordinary from his Pruffian Majefty. There were each day grand conferences at the said Caftle, between his Prusian Majefty, their Serene and Royal Higuneffes the Prince and Princess of Orange, Sir James Harris, M. Van Alvenfleben, and Van de Spiegel: nothing concerning their conference has yet tranf pired, but we have reafon to think that they will produce a freth alliance of friendship between the three powers (Proffia, Holland, and Great Britain), fix the established conftitution firmer than ever, and accomplish the welfare of this country at home and

abroad.

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Ordinance published at Versailles, for establishing a Cour Pleniere. 553

ORDINANCE for establishing a COUR
PLENIERE.

Article I. Eftablishes the Court.

II. Recites the perfons who are to be entitled to a feat therein.

III. and IV. Members of this Court to hold their feats for life.

V. The King to prefide, or, in his abfence, the Chancellor or the Keeper of the Seals. The Advocate or Attorney General to do the office of the public Minifter in that Court.

VI. The principal Register of the Parliament of Paris fhall affift at all the deliberations of the Court, and thall keep a feparate register of all determinations, which must be figned by him.

VII. The Affembly fhall confift of a fuffi cient number of members to decide; fo that fhould whole claffes from which it is compofed be abfent, or even half the number of its members, the Court fhall nevertheless be effective. In this cafe, it fhall be fupplied by members of the King's Council, Counsellors of State, and the perfons holding high offices.

VIII. The general fisting of the Court fhall be in the great Chamber of Parliament of Paris, or any other place his Majefty fhall think proper. The votes to be delivered in a public manner and aloud.

IX. The Court shall fit every year, from the 1st of December, to the 1st of April. The King referves to himself, however, the power of extending the time by letters patent, or to fummon the members whenever the exige cy of affairs requires it.

X. Whenever it is thought neceffary to fummon these extraordinary affemblies, each member shall be addreffed individually by a special order.

XI. Declares the competence of the Court to enregifter all laws, taxes, edicts, &c. &c. to the exclufion of all other courts.

XII. Nevertheless, in cafe of war or other extraordinary emergencies, where it fhail be found neceffary to fupply the wants of the State, or the deficiencies and payment of loans, and impofe new taxes on the fubject before the General States of the kingdom can be aflembled, the registering of the faid taxes is only to have provifionary effect, until an affembly of the General States can be called together, to determine finally on them. The faid registry to be of no prejudice to the rights and privileges belonging to each Province.

XIII. It is befides our pleafure, that all loans, the intereft and the repayment of which fhall be acquitted by the actual revenues, fhall originate and be open to the King's authority, and be enregistered only in The Chamber of Accounts, as far as concerns their validity.

XIV. When feveral laws which may be addreffed by us to the Supreme Court, to be enregistered and published, fhall be referred to Committees for examination, fuch ComGENT. MAG. June, 1788.

mittees fhall be compofed of a Prefident of
Parliament, Princes of the blood, and 12
Commiffioners.

XV. The Court may addrefs any remon-
ftrances and reprefentations to his Majefty.
that it fhall think fit; within two months
after the ads, ordinances, edits, &c. thall
be prefented to them by the Advocate or
Attorney General, before their being enre-
giftered; and, in order to make all refo-
lutions more public, the King allows that
a committee of your members, from the
Court from whence the remonftrances fhall
proceed, fhall be allowed to attend his
council, and difcufs the fubject before him.

XVI. The enregifterments of all acts. made in this Supreme Court fhall be valid throughout the kingdom. The Attorney General of the Court fhall tranfmit copies of edicts, letters patent, &c. to the advocates and prefidents of the Courts of Bailiwicks throughout the provinces, within eight days after their paffing.

In cafe of any reprefentation of these Provincial Courts, or any local inconveniencies which may arife from thofe edicts, the Judges of the Courts fhail addrefs their grievances to the Supreme, and muft afterwards come before his Majefty to be furthet deliberated.

XVII. and XVIII. Further forms to be obferved, in addreffing any remonstrances.

XIX. The Supreme Court fhall not determine on any civil or criminal cafes, if they do not relate to matters of high-treason, or other cafes declared in the prefent edi&, or refufal of fubmiffion of any inferior courts to their orders; the decision of the Court in all thefe circumstances fhall, however, be definitive and fuperior over every other court.

XX. In cafes where, befides high treafon, the perfon or officer fhall be accused of any other crime, he thall be tried by thofe courts allowed to take cognizance of it; the prifoner may, however, be tried by the Court afterwards for treafon.

XXI. No members of any court accufed
of high treafon, even fhould they be members
of the Supreme Court, and fhould they only
be individually accufed, can affift or vote on
the determination of the accufation laid
against fuch Court; but judgment fhail be
given by the other members of the Supremae
Court, and their places fhall be fupplied ac-
cording to the regulations laid down in ar
ticle VII.

Signed at Verfailles, the 8th of May 1788,
LOUIS.

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