tach, their avocations, &c. for the purpole of laying them under the restriction of a new code of laws, which, it is faid, he is now forming himself. He has likewife given orders for ftrengthening the fortifications in all places of any confequence, especially at the Viftula, which feems the chief object of his attention, being a place of much importance." "Warfaw, Jan. 29. They write from Warmia, that befides the 200,000 flo. rins contribution already demanded by the Pruffians, they exact 400,000 more, The inhabitants of Polish Pruffia are ordered to transport their effects either to Konigsberg or Berlin; and this order is faid even to comprehend the inhabitants of the provinces within the Pruffian line."

"Warfaw, Jan. 28. They write from Krakaw, that the Auftrians have appointed a heavy duty to be paid at the gates of that place on all merchandise and provifions imported into that town." "Warfaw, Feb. 2. The Ruffian Emprefs has entirely taken poffeffion of the following palatinates in the great duchy of Lithuania, viz. Wilna, Braflow, Polecko, Witepfh, and Novogrodeck, and has thrown ftrong garrifons into all the cities and towns that are capable of receiving them; more particularly at Wilna, which she is fortifying in every part, and by that means will be entire mistress of the navigation on the Wilnia, and Willia; the city of Wilna being fituated on a confluence of those two rivers.'

"Warsaw, Feb. 3. Laft week a Ruffian Courier brought the news, that the Polish fate-prifoners, who have been detained in Ruffia, have been fet at liberty, and that they had already taken the route to their own country." [xxix. 651.]

RUSSIA.

Peterburg, Feb. 10. A courier has juft arrived here with a confirmation of the revolt of feveral of the Ruffian troops in the Crimea, especially in the capital of Crim Tartary, where they rofe upon their officers, killed feveral, rifled the military cheft, and then plundered feve ral of the houfes, mofques, &c. efpecially the houfes of Tartars and Jews. The troops foremoft in this mutiny were the Coffacks, who, after committing many outrages, on pretence of not receiving their pay, fet out in a body for Little Tartary. The Emprefs has given proper Orders for fubduing these revolters."

Peterburg, Feb. 14. The Emprefs. highly fenfible of the importance of the Ruffian Ukraine, has given orders that all the towns of any confequence fhall be immediately fortified and garrisoned, efpecially Kiow, which is fituated on the river Nieper, or Borifthenes, and commands the navigation to Oczakow at the river's mouth, which is likewise in poffeffion of the Ruffians. The Ukraine (which fignifys a frontier) is bounded on the weft by the Polish Úkraine, by the Don Coffacks and Belgorod towards the eaft, Little Tartary and Podolia on the fouth, and Zernigoff on the north, and will prove of much fervice to the Emprefs, by commanding the coafts of the Black sea through Little Tartary."

"Peterburg, Feb. 15. The Ruffian miniftry feem of late to make the esta blishment of commerce and trade in every part of the Mufcovite empire their grandeft point in view, and as fuch pay the ftricteft attention, not only to fettle new channels of trade, but to revive the old ones. In the time of the Czar Peter the Great, the Calmuck Tartars on the borders of Siberia used to trade to Aftracan, and Tobolski, the capital of Siberia, with tea, china goods, and great quantities of fine falt, receiving leather and iron work in exchange: but the Czar feized their falt-works, and built forts in their country, which offended them fo highly, that they never vifited the fair of Tobolfki again. The Empress has therefore ordered the reftrictions to be taken off; and the trade already begins to revive."

"London, Feb. 25. They write from Petersburg, that letters have been received from certain Ruffian merchants trading to North Tartary, of a late discovery having been made of an island, fuppofed, from various circumftances, to be the very place from whence America was firft peopled, that continent being but a little diftance; and the firft migration is thought to have been made by large bo dies of floating ice; the inhabitants, who live by fishing, being fometimes carried off to fea thereon even at this day.

SWEDE N.

"Stockholm, Jan. 15. Gen. Pechlin prefented a petition to the judges on the 11th, acknowledging his guilt, praying that his procefs may be ftopt, and he fet at liberty. His requeft was granted the next day, and he took the new cath of allegiance,

allegiance, from the hands of Count de Horn, prefident of the council of war; who afterwards prefented the General to the King, to return thanks to his MajeBy for the favour he had granted him."

Stockholm, Jan. 26. Laft Sunday Being the King of Sweden's birth-day, about one o'clock his Majefty, accompanied by the two Princes, went to the town-house, where the magiftrates and burghers were affembled, and gave them a charter, fealed with the great feal, for the privileges granted them on the 12th of September last, as a reward for the zeal they had fhewn on occafion of the revolution of Aug. 19. At the fame time he diftributed gold and filver medals, to be worn by fome of the burghers who had diftinguished themselves the moft on that occafion. He has granted to each of the officers of the guard, who were upon duty on Aug. 19. laft, a penfion for life of 300 dollars a-year. L. gaz. Stockholm, Feb. 2. Upwards of 300 original letters have been lately found, written by the Grand Chancellor Oxenfierne, while he commanded the Swedish army in Germany, to his brother, who was tutor to Q. Chriftiana. They are ftrongly characteristic of that celebrated minifter's noble and virtuous fentiments. The fenator, Count Scheffer, the poffeflor of thefe valuable manufcripts, is going to publish them, and they will no doubt throw a great light on the hiftory of thofe times."

Stockholm, Feb. 20. The treaties of peace and commerce between the kingdom of Sweden and the Porte, have lately been renewed and ftrengthened, as alfo thofe with Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. The Porte capitulates, that the fubjects of Sweden fhall enjoy the fame protection, immunities, and privileges, as the fubjects of any other Chriftian power enjoy, which is in amity with the Porte, in the Ottoman empire. The mutual guarantee-treaty of the year 1739 is alfo revived, and fome additional articles are inferted, for the better fecurity both of the Ottoman empire and the Swedish kingdom."

GERMAN Y.

"Vienna, Jan. 15. The meafures taken by government to alleviate the miffortunes occafioned by the dearth in Bohemia, have proved ineffectual, and the .depopulation in that country'in confequence, is every day greater. The quan

tity of corn, rice, &c. fent there has been of little ufe, as other causes have concurred to occafion a scarcity. An unhappy experience of two years has now convinced the court of Vienna of the neceffity of taking measures entirely to suppress the third of the ftatute-work which the peasants are forced to do for their lords; and Prince Furftenburg, caftellan of that province, has lately returned to Prague, to notify to the ftates the above resolution. This will be very difagreeable to the lords, but the government feems determined to make this ufeful arrangement for the good of the people."

Vienna, Feb. 16. Advices have juft been received here from Montgatz in Hungary, of a terrible accident that happened there on the 4th. There are three caftles built one above another, the up permoft commanding thofe beneath, each of them encompaffed by a large ditch, and the whole furrounded by a morals, which render Montgatz almoft impregnable. By fome accident the larger part of the higher caftle took fire on the e vening of that day, and the flames foon communicating to a fmall magazine of powder, the best part of the fortification, and about fixteen men, were blown up, The reft of the people in garrifon having happily retired to the lower caftle on the firft notice of a fire, were faved, and providentially no more lives were loft.”

UNITED PROVINCES..

From the monthly returns of the cattle which have died of the distemper in the province of Holland only, it appears, that from April 1. 1769 to Sept. 1. 1772) there have died 183,427; and that from that period till the end of last year about), 5co have died monthly, on an average. [xxxii. 84.]

"Hague, Feb. 12. The politicians here are much puzzled on account of the o perations now proceeding by order of their High Mightineffes, which are the more extraordinary by their fuddennels and fecrecy. A great augmentation of the military is making; they are fortifying and garrifoning the barrier-towns, &c.; a number of the ships of the line in the Texel, are fitting out for fea with the utmost dispatch, and feamen are raifing in many of the provinces. The rea fons affigned are various; but most perfons agree, that the Pruffian monarch is feared on the land-fide; and that the na

val operations are intended to act a capital part in the Mediterranean." "Amfterdam, Feb. 17. A letter from Mogador, dated Dec. 31. mentions, that an exprefs was arrived from the Sieur Roffignol, the Dutch conful, with the news that the treaty of peace is renewed between the States-General and the Emperor of Morocco."

FRANCE.

"Paris. The prefent minifters of France promote trade and navigation. They are eftablishing feveral manufactories; and the merchants have the preference for their goods at all foreign markets. They have within three years efablifhed manufactories for ftaining of paper, tanning of hides, dreffing of lea. ther, and others. By getting a great umber of the best English workmen in ferral towns, they have attained to great perfection, particularly, at Dunkirk, in the leather-trade. They likewife have got from Bruffels an ingenious artist, an Englishman, well known for his ingenuity in the copperas, oils of vitriol, and aqua-fortis trades. The French have great dependence on him, as he had the

management of feveral works about London, &c. A large building, defigned for a manufactory of the above articles, is now carrying on under his direction.' "Paris, Feb. 2. We learn from Ab. beville a very fingular piece of intelligence; but it will not appear furprising to thofe who are acquainted with the barbarous jurifdictions that are exercifed within the walls of cloifters. A religious, who had been kept in a dungeon in his convent for twenty-two years, owed his release (which is fcarcely ever effected but by death) to a newly-elected fuperior, who would not accept the of fice of fuperintending the affairs of the community, but on condition that they fhould releafe this unfortunate wretch from his confinement. The prifoner, fince his release, has recounted, that du ring the time of the well-known inundation that defolated the valley of Brefle, which continued for feveral years, the water filtred through the walls of his dungeon, and came to fuch a height, that he was obliged to mount on his wretched bed; where he continued to fland for full twenty-four hours with the water up to his arm pits, and that the water was never after quite drained off. This was not enough to effect his deliverance VOL, XXXV.

"Parma, Jan. 16. His Catholic Majefty has at laft confented, that the Jefuits fhall be reduced to congregations, as the fathers of the oratory are.'

Paris, Feb. 12. They write from Cadiz, that the governor of that city has received fresh orders from court to refufe the entry of all foreign fhips of war, except thofe which are damaged, and forced in confequence to enter the port to be put in repair." [xxxiii. 378. 489.]

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.

"Bofton, Jan. 7. Yefterday the great vince met here, when his Excellency the and general court or affembly of this pro Governor was pleafed to make the following fpeech to both houses, viz. Gentlemen of the Council, and Gentlemen of the houfe of Representatives,

Have nothing in fpecial command from his Majefty to lay before you at this time; I have general inftructions to recommend to you at all times fuch measures as may tend to promote that peace and order upon which your own happiness. and profperity, as well as his Majefty's fervice, very much depend. That the government is at prefent in a difturbed and difordered ftate is a truth too evident to be denied. The caufe of this diforder appears to me equally evi N

dent.

dent. I wish I may be able to make it appear fo to you, for then I may not doubt that you will agree with me in the proper measures for the removal of it. I have pleafed myself, for feveral years paft, with hopes that the caufe would ceafe of itself, and the effect with it; but I am disappointed; and I may not any longer, confiftent with my duty to the King, and my regard to the intereft of the province, delay communicating my fentiments to you upon a matter of fo great importance. I fhall be explicit, and treat the fubject without referve. I hope you will receive what I have to fay upon it with candour; and if you fhall not agree in fentiments with me, I promise you, with candour likewife, to receive and confider what you may offer in anfwer.

When your predeceffors firft took poffeffion of this plantation or colony, under a grant and charter from the crown of England, it was their fenfe, and it was the fenfe of the kingdom, that they were to remain fubject to the fupreme authority of parliament. This appears from the charter itfelf, and from other irrefiftible evidence. This fupreme authority has, from time to time, been exercifed by parliament, and fubmitted to by the colony!; and hath been, in the moft exprefs terms, acknowledged by the legislature; and except about the time of the anarchy and confufion in England which preceded the Restoration of King Charles 11. I have not difcovered that it has been called in question, even by private or particular perfons, until within feven or eight years laft paft. Our provincial or local laws have, in numerous inftances, had relation to acts of parliament made to refpect the plantations in general, and this colony in particular; and in our executive courts, both juries and judges have, to all intents and purpofes, confidered fuch acts as part of our rule of law. Such a conftitution in a plantation, is not peculiar to England, but agrees with the principles of the moft celebrated writers upon the law of nations, that "when a nation takes poffeffion of a diftant country, and settles a colony there, that country, though feparated from the principal establishment, or mother-country, naturally becomes a part of the ftate equally with its ancient poffeffions."

So much, however, of the spirit of liberty breathes through all parts of the

English constitution, that although from the nature of government there muft be one fupreme authority over the whole, yet this conftitution will admit of fubordinate powers, with legislative and executive authority, greater or lefs, according to local and other circumftances. Thus we fee a variety of corporations formed within the kingdom, with powers to make and execute fuch by-laws as are for their immediate ufe and benefit, the members of fuch corporations ftill remaining fubject to the general laws of the kingdom. We fee alfo governments eftablished in the plantations, which, from their feparate and remote fituation, require more general and extensive powers of legislation within themselves than those formed within the kingdom, but fubject nevertheless to all fuch laws of the kingdom as immediately refpect them, or are defigned to extend to them; and accor dingly we in this province have, from the first settlement of it, been left to the exercife of our legislative and executive powers; parliament occasionally, though rarely, interpofing, as in its wifdom has been judged neceffary.

Under this conftitution, for more than one hundred years, the laws both of the fupreme and fubordinate authority were, in general, duly executed. Offenders againft them have been brought to condign punishment, peace and order have been maintained, and the people of this province have experienced as largely the advantages of government, as, perhaps, any people upon the globe, and they have from time to time, in the moft public manner, expreffed their fenfe of it; and, once in every year, have offered up their united thanksgivings to God, for the enjoyment of thefe privileges; and as often their united prayers for the continuance of them.

At length the conftitution has been called in queftion, and the authority of the parliament of Great Britain to make and establish laws for the inhabitants of this province, has been by many denied. What was at firft whispered with caution, was foon after openly afferted in print; and of late a number of inhabitants in feveral of the principal towns in the province, have affembled together in their refpective towns, and have affumed the name of legal town-meetings; have paffed refolves which they have ordered to be placed upon their town-records, and caufed to be printed and published in

pamphlets

laws, at least as are made exprefsly to refer to us, and confequently is a limitation of the power given to the general court. Nor can it be contended, that by the liberties of free and natural fubjects, is to be understood an exemption from acts of parliament, becaufe not reprefented there; feeing it is provided, by the same charter, that such acts shall be in force; and if they that make the objection to fuch acts will read the charter with attention, they must be convinced, that this grant of liberties and immunities is nothing more than a declaration and affurance on the part of the crown, that the place to which their predeceffors were about to remove, was and would be confidered as part of the dominions of the crown of England; and therefore that the fubjects of the crown fo removing, and those born there, or in their paffage thither, or in their paffage from thence, would not become aliens, but would, throughout all parts of the Englifh dominions, where-ever they might happen to be, as well as within the colony, retain the liberties and immunities of free and natural fubjects, their removal from, or not being born within the realm notwithstanding. If the plantations be part of the dominions of the crown, this claufe in the charter does not confer or referve any liberties but what would have been enjoyed without it, and what the inhabitants of every other colony do enjoy where they are without a charter. If the plantations are not the dominions of the crown, will not all that are born here be confidered as born out of the liegeance of the King of England; and whenever they go into any part of thefe dominions, will they not be deemed aliens to all intents and purposes, this grant in the charter notwithstanding?

pamphlets and news-papers. I am forry it is thus become impoffible to conceal what I could with had never been made public. I will not particularize thefe refolves or votes, and fhall only obferve to you in general, that fome of them deny the fupreme authority of parliament, and fo are repugnant to the principles of the conftitution; and that others speak of this fupreme authority, of which the King is a conftituent part, and to every act of which his affent is neceffary, in fuch terms as have a direct tendency to alienate the affections of the people from their fovereign, who has ever been moft tender of their rights, and whose person, crown, and dignity, we are under every poffible obligation to defend and fupport. In confequence of thefe refolves, committees of correfpondence, are formed in ferral of thofe towns, to maintain the principles upon which they are founded. I know of no arguments, founded in reafon, which will be fufficient to fupport these principles, or to juftify the measures taken in confequence of them. It has been urged, That the fole power of making laws is granted by charter to a legislature ettablished in the province, confifting of the King by his reprefentative the governor, the council, and the houfe of reprefentatives; that by this charter there are likewife granted, or affured, to the inhabitants of the province, all the liberties and immunities of free and natural fubjects, to all intents, contructions, and purposes whatfoever, as if they had been born within the realm of England;-that it is part of the liberties of English fubjects, which has its foundation in nature, to be governed by laws made by their confent in perfon, or by their reprefentatives; - that the fubjects in this province are not, and cannot be reprefented in the parliament of Great Britain, and confequently the acts of that parliament cannot be binding upon them.

-

I do not find, Gentlemen, in the charter, fuch an expreffion as fole power, or any words which import it. The general court has, by charter, full power to make fuch laws as are not repugnant to the laws of England. A favourable conftruction has been put upon this claufe, when it has been allowed to intend fuch laws of England only as are exprefsly declared to refpect us. Surely then this is by charter a referve of power and authority to parliament to bind us by fuch