Edward, our very dear brother-german, lawful fucceffor of James III. to the kingdoms of England, France, Scotland, and Ireland, &c. We declare and proteft, in the most legal form, with all the folemnities poffible, and in every other way that may be of utility and advantage, as in duty bound to our Royal perfon, and to our country, to reclaim to ourfelves the right of fucceffion belonging to us to the kingdoms of England, &c. &c. in cafe our moft ferene brother (which God forbid) fhould be no more; againft which cannot be oppofed, neither before God, or before men, the facred episcopal character with which we are clothed. "And whereas, in confideration of the critical circumftances of our Royal family, we wish to obviate every difficulty that might give us trouble, we mean ftill to retain the title (which in that event no longer belongs to us) of Duke of York, with all the rights thereto annexed, as we have hitherto been in ufe to do, and that as a title of incognito. For this purpofe, we renew every neceffary proteftation and declaration, in the manner forefaid; and with all poffible folemnities, That, in retaining (as we do of our own will, and by way of incognito) the title of Cardinal Duke of York in fimilar deeds, ⚫ either public or private, which we have paffed, or fhall país, after having obtained the forefaid right of fucceffion, we do not prejudice, mnch lefs ever renounce our right, and that which we have, and mean to have and retain always to the forefaid kindoms more especially, which belong to us as the true, laft, and lawful heir of our Royal family, notwithstanding the forefaid title, which we are plea fed to retain as a fimple incognito. Laftly, We exprefsly declare by the prefent proteft, our will is, that, as foon as Providence fhall have difpofed of our perfon, the rights of fucceffion to the crown of England, &c. fhall remain in their full force and ftrength, with the Prince to whom the right shall belong by proximity of blood. "Such being our will, &c. From the palace of our refidence, Jan. 27, 1784. HENRY, Cardinal," &c. They have begun already to erect a magnificent tomb at Rome, for the lately deceafed Pretender; the epitaph is in Italian, of which the following is a literal tranflation: All of Charles that now remains Should you afk with due furprife, According to a ftatement of the prefent naval force of France, as given in to the French Minifter, the number of their en rolled feamen is 84,000; the licenced fea men in the merchants fervice and fifheries is 60,000. The number of the inhabitants in the whole kingdom amounts to 18,000,000; of thefe, 4,000,000 are calculated to be children, and 3,000,000 women. It appears, upon the whole, (when the great number of Ecclefiaftics, valets, and other fervants are confidered) that there are not fix millions of French fubjects employed in useful induftry. Lord Mazareen, an Irish Peer, who has been for a long time confined in the Hotel de la Force at Paris, for debts he would not pay, &c. attempted a few nights ago to make his escape. For this purpofe he made ufe of a curious mechanical ladder, that with the affiftance of eight more prifoners, was to have lifted him to the top of the hotel; from thence he was to throw a rope-ladder into the ftreet to his friends, who were waiting at the gate with a poft-chaife and four. To prevent all poflibility of difcovery, he had had the addrefs of affembling all the turnkeys into one room by a joyous and hearty fupper he had generously ordered for them. Proper precautions Eikewife had been taken to poifon a flout dog who went about loose in the prifoners yard during the night; an omelet had been thrown to her filled with arfenic; but the poor creature, agitated by the powerful effects of the baneful drug, vented through the air fuch dreadful howlings, that the turnkeys, though in the midst of mirth and jollity, could not help liftening to them, and, willing to know the caufe, got into the yard, and faw the prifoners making their efcape. Lord M. and his accomplices were immediately fecured, and loaded with irons, fent to a ftronger prifon, the Chatelet, where, in all probability they will remain till the day of trial. The profecution is carried on by the Attorney General. His Lordship will be carefully watched for the future, and no more will any indulgence be fhewn to him. The Duke of Dorfet has prefented a memorial on this occafion at Versailles. SPAIN. Madrid. Government has fent freff orders orders to the three maritime departments to accelerate the armaments. To this end, a great quantity of timber for fhipbuilding, anchors, cordage, warlike ammunition and provifions, are fent to Cadiz, Ferrol, and Carthagena. At Cadiz fix fhips are ready to fail, and of this number is the El Aftuto of 80 guns, under Admiral Don Philip Galvez, who will command a fleet of obfervation in the Mediterranean next fpring. The reft of the fhips to compofe this fleet are equipping at Malaga and Barcelona, and at the latter port the fleet will aflemble about the middle of April. We are affured that the number of fhips of the line, which will be foon ready for fea, exceed twenty; befides which fix frigates are ready to fail, one of which is deftined to tranfport the Turkish Amballador to Conftantinople, and another is to convey the King of Morocco's Ambaffador to Tangiers. Though we are yet ignorant as to the intentions of miniftry, thefe armaments fufficiently prove, that at all events we shall not be attacked by furprife, and that we fhall have at fea a fleet capable of infuring respect to our flag, and of protecting our commerce. EAST INDIES. Extract of a letter from Calcutta. « have lately been an eye-witnefs of a moft melancholy tranfaction, the fad confequence of the ignorance and fuperflition that reign in Indoftan. I faw an aged man throw himself into a pit ten feet deep, and half full of combuftibles, which had been set on fire. This man had made himself a voluntary victim, to preferve, as he thought, the lives of his children, who were at the time attacked by a dangerous and epidemical deftem per. "When this diftemper breaks out among the Hindoos, they believe moft religioufly, that one of them muft die to fave the reft. This poor old man was thoroughly perfuaded, that the lives of his children could not be preferved, if he did not offer himself up as a facrifice for them, I used every argument with himfelf, his wife, his brothers, and his fifters, to convince him and them of the abfurdity of fuch an opinion, and the guilt of fuicide; but all in vain: they were deaf to my reafons; and thinking at laft that I intended to prevent by force this horrible facrifice, they threw themselves at my feet, and begged, with tears in their eyes, that I would not oppofe the refolution of the old man! The felf-devoted victim being feat D ed on the brink of the pit, raised his hands to heaven, and prayed with great fervour. After he had remained half an hour in that posture, four of his nearest relations helped him on his legs, and walked with him five times round the pit, all of them called upon Mam and Setaram, two of their faints. During this ceremony, the women were tearing their hair, beating their breafts, and roaring in a moft horrible manner. The four relations at laft let go their hold of the old man, who immediately threw himself into the pit, and not a groan was heard from him. The byftanders had each a spade in his hand, and immediately be gan to fill up the pit with earth, fo that the old man might be faid to be burnt and buried alive. Two of his children were prefent, the one feven the other eight years old, and they alone, of all the fpectators, appeared to be affected. As to the women, they returned home with the greateft fang froid. Such an event being an object of glory to the relations; the day on which a wretched victim to fuperftition is thus felf-devoted, is a day of triumph to his whole family." AMERICA and WEST INDIES. By accounts from America, we learn, Rhode-Ifland Affembly, Nov. 3, by a vote rejected a motion made by a member to appoint a convention to confider the new federal constitution. Great oppofition is expected in fome States. ded. Virginia has delayed their conThe New York people are much divivention for confidering the conftitution till May, and Maryland till April. Delaware has unanimoufly ratified the convention. Pennfylvania has alfo ratified it, after great oppofition. The minority having withdrawn, there was not a quorum, but two of the minority members, Jacob Milley and James McCalmont, had their lodgings broke open, and were dragged through the ftreets of Philadelphia, with their clothes torn, to the Affembly Houfe, and kept there by force till the convention was figned. This is American liberty. Addrefs of his Excellency Benjamin Franklin, Efq; to the Prefident of the late Continental Convention, before his figning the propofed Conftitution for the United States. experienced many inftances of being obliged, by better information or fuller confideration, to change opinions even on important fubjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwife. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more refpect to the judgment of others. Most men, indeed, as well as moft fects in religion, think themfelves in poffeffon of all truth, and that whereever others differ from them, it is fo far error. Steele, a Proteftant, in a dedication, tells the Pope, that the only difference between our two churches, in their opinions of the certainty of their doctrine is, the Romish Church is infallible, and the Church of England is never in the wrong. But though many private perfons think almost as highly of their own infallibility, as that of their fect, few exprefs it fo naturally as a certain French lady, who, in a little difpute with her fifter, faid, “I don't know how it happens, fifter, but I meet with nobody but myself that is always in the right." "In thefe fentiments, Sir, I agree to this Conftitution, with all its faults, if they are fuch; because I think a general government neceflary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a bleffing to the people, if well adminiftered and I believe farther, that this is likely to be well administered for a courfe of years, and can only end in defpotifm, as other forms have done before it, when the people fhall become fo corrupted as to need defpotic govern ment, being incapable of any other. "I doubt, too, whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Conftitution. For when you affemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wifdom, you inevitably affemble with those men all their prejudices, their paffions, their errors of opinion, their local interefts and their felfifh views. From fuch an affembly can a perfect production be expected? It therefore aftonishes me, Sir, to find this fyftem approaching fo near to perfection as it does. And I think it will aftonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded like thofe of the builders of Babel, and that our States are on the point of feparation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another's throats. Thus I confent, Sir, to this Conftitution, because I am not fure that it is not the best. "On the whole, Sir, I cannot help expreffing a wifh, that every member of the Convention who may ftill have objections to it, would, with me on this occafion, doubt a little of his own infalli bility, and to make manifeft our un animity put his name to this inftrument.” IRELAND. The bill for reducing the rate of intereft in Ireland, from fix to five per cent. after paffing the House of Commons, has been thrown out in the Houfe of Lords. The bill was very ably debated. On the one part it was contended, that Ireland was on a much worse footing than Great Britain, as it never could compete with her in trade and manufactures, when it paid one per cent. more for money.On the other part it was argued, that the greateft part of the trade and manufactures in Ireland, were carried on with English money, which would be withdrawn as well as the mortgages on land, if the intereft was reduced, and the manufactures would thereby be ruined for want of capitals to carry them on-that from the prefent afpect of Europe, it was not unlikely that a general war would foon take place, in which event, still more money would be drawn to England-that there was no occafion for acts of Parliament to reduce the intereft, as when money was too plenty, it would reduce itself, and find its level, as had been ably shows by the celebrated Dr Adam Smith, in his Wealth of Nations, and by other writers, and that this measure would be a great injury and injuftice to many individuals and public charities which fubfifted on the intereft of money, and could not afford to have their incomes retrenched. ENGLAND. Feb. 25. H. of C. The Chancellor of the Exchequer rofe and faid, that unfortunate divifions having taken place upon the principle of conftruction on the India bill, and particularly as to the right of fending four regiments to India, which the miniftry, in October laft, came to a refolution of fending; this refolution arofe from the folicitation of the Company, and at their exprefs defire, fince which time they have refifted the receiving thofe regiments, upon the grounds of miniftry having refuted to allow them the nomination of officers. Mr. Pitt obferved, there exifted in his mind no doubt upon the conftruction of the act of Par liament; but as several learned gentlemen had been confulted on the conftrue-> tion of the act passed in the year 1784, and and which created the Board of Controul, fome of whom expreffed fome doubts upon the fubject, particularly one, who certainly was eminent, and poffelled once a feat in that Houfe, and he would have been glad to fee him there now, (this allufion was to Mr Erfkine,) Mr Pitt obferved, that as this gentleman's opinion might influence the opinion of others, it would be neceflary to remove all poffible doubt by an explanatory bill he fhould therefore move, "That leave be given to bring in a bill, for removing any doubt reipecting the power of the Commiffioners for the a fairs of India, to direct the expence of raiting, tranfporting, and maintaining fach troops as may be judged neceflary for the fecurity of the British territories and poffeffions in the Eaft Indies, to be defrayed out of the revenues arising from the faid territories and poffeffions." On the queftion being put, leave was given to bring in the bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Monday. 20. The following Petition, from the Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures at Edinburgh, was prefented to the Houfe of Commons, by Sir A. Fergusson, Bart. member for the city. The Chamber wave the point of expediency, or mode of abolishing flavery, leaving this to the wifdom of Parliament, but join with the other refpectable Societies and Incorporations who have petitioned Parliament for abolishing that trade, on the plea of humanity. To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain, in Parliament affembled, the humble Petition of the Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures at Edinburgh; Sheweth, THAT amidst the objects of trade and manufactures on which this Chamber, from the nature of its inftitution, is led to deliberate, its attention has lately been drawn by the united voice of many moft respectable communities, to the confideration of the AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE, which appears to the members of this Chamber to involve fuch confequences of diftrefs and wretchedness to a number of their fellow-creatures, as to call for the humane interpofition of Parliament, to remedy and restrain them. 'That the evil effects of this traffic are not only felt by the negro flaves, who fuffer under the rigour of too many of their masters, but extend themselves widely in thofe unhappy regions from which the flaves are brought;-regions almoft defolate by wars and ravages, which this traffic has excited, and covered with that blood which Chriftians and Britons have not been afha ned to purchase! This Chamber is of opinion, that even on the grounds of commercial advantage, the trade in flaves is less neceffary, and lefs profitable than it has generally been reprefented. But even were this not fo much the cafe as the Chamber is inclined to believe it, the feelings of your petitioners as men, would overhear their o pinion as merchants, and lead them to facrifice fomewhat of the conveniency and profit of commerce to the rights and principles of humanity. Subjects of a free State, they humbly addrefs the Parliament of a free people, perfuaded that the legislature of Britain will liften to every measure propofed, confiftent with the great national intereft committed to its care, to extend the bleffings of freedom, and to redrefs or alieviate the fufferings of fo confiderable a portion of mankind. May it therefore please this Honourable Houfe to take the premiffes into con- And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c. In the House of Lords, after the refolution on the important queftion, that the Managers on the part of the Houfe of Commons fhould be directed to state their arguments, and adduce their evidence on all the charges againft Mr Haftings, before he should be called on for his defence, the following very ftrong and argumentative proteft has been entered: Diffentient, 1ft, Because we hold it to be primarily effential to the due adminiftration of juftice, that they who are to judge have a full, clear, and diftinct knowledge of every part of the queftion on which they are ultimately to decide; and in a caufe of fuch magnitude, extent, and variety, as the prefent, where iffue is joined on acts done at times and places fo diftant, and with relation to perfons fo different, as well as on crimes fo difcriminated from each other by their nature and tendency, we conceive that fuch knowledge cannot, but with extreme difficulty, be obtained without a separate confideration of the feveral articles exhibited. ad, Be 2d, Because we cannot with equal facility, accuracy, and confidence, apply and compare the evidence adduced, and more especially the arguments urged by the profecutors on one fide, and the de fendant on the other, if the whole charges be made one caufe, as if the feveral articles be heard in the nature of feparate cauíes. 3d, Because, admitting it to be a clear and acknowledged principle of juftice, that the defendant againft a criminal accufation fhould be at liberty to make his defence in fuch form and manner as he fhall deem moft to his advantage; we are of opinion that fuch principle is only true fo far as the ufe and operation thereof fhall not be extended to defeat the ends of justice, or to create difficulties and delays equivalent to a direct defeat thereof: and, because we are of opinion that the propofition made by the Managers of the Houte of Commons, if it had been agreed to, would not have deprived the defendant, in this profecution, of the fair and allowable benefit of fuch principle taken in its true fenfe; in as much as it tended only to oblige him to apply his defence fpecially and diftinctly to each of the diftinct and feparate articles of the impeachment, in the only mode in which the refpective merits of the charge and of the defence can be accurately compared and determined, or even retained in the memory, and not to limit or reftrain him in the form and manner of conftructing, explaining, or eftablishing his defence. 4th, Becaufe, in the cafe of the Earl of Middlesex, and that of the Earl of Strafford, and other cafes of much lefs magnitude, extent, and variety, than the prefent, this Houfe has directed the proceedings to be according to the mode now propofed by the Managers on the part of the Commons. 5th, Because, even if no precedent has exifted, yet, from the new and diftinguishing circumftances of the prefent cafe, it would have been the duty of this Houfe to adopt the only mode of proceeding, which, founded on fimplicity, can enfure perfpicuity, and obviate confufion. 6th, Because we conceive that the ac cepting the proposal made by the Managers would have been no lefs confonant to good policy than to fubflantial juftice, fince by the poffefling the acknowledged right of preferring their articles as fo many fucceffive impeachments, the Commons have an undoubted power of compelling this Houfe in future virtually to adopt that mode which they now recom mend; and if they ever be driven to stand on this extreme right, jealousies muft unavoidably enfue between the two Houfes, whole harmony is the vital principle of national profperity; public juftice muft be delayed, if not defeated; the innocent might be harafled, and the guilty might efcape. 7th, Because many of the reafons upon which a different mode of conducting their profecution has been imposed upon the Commons, appear to us of a ftill more dangerous and alarming tendency than the measure itself, forafmuch as we cannot hear but with the utmost astonishment and apprehenfion, that this Supreme Court of Judicature is to be concluded by the inftituted rules of the practice of in ferior courts, and that the law of Parliament, which we have ever confidered a recognized and reverenced by all who refpected and understood the laws and the conftitution of this country, has neither form, authority, nor even existence; a doctrine which we conceive to ftrike directly at the root of all Parliamentary proceedings by impeachment, and to be equally deftructive of the eftablished rights of the Commons, and of the criminal jus rifdiction of the Peers, and confequently to tend to the degradation of both Hous fes of Parliament, to diminish the vigour of public juftice, and to fubvert the fun dainental principles of the conftitution, Portland, Devonshire, Bedford, Cardiff, Derby Wentworth Fitzwilliam, For the 1ft, 2d, and 7th reaf. Manchester For the 1st and ad reasons only, Townfbend, Harcourt, Leicefter. Trial of Mr HaftingsAmong the witneffes examined on the Benares charge, a Mr Ben was produced to prove, that the country of Benares was, in two or three years after the expulfion of Cheyt Sing, in a wretched ftate of cultivation, the population decreased, and the people diffatisfied and disgufted with their new government; but he proved the reverfe of all this. This furprifing the Managers, they afked him if he had not given à different account of fome of thefe matters when he was examined before the Houfe of Commons. The queftion produced a difpute between the Managers and counfel for Mr Haftings; the latter of whom contended, that the former had no right to difcredit their own witnefs, becaufe |