fucceffor, who is not deficient in the abilities that feem hereditary in that family, and is arrived at a time of life when prudence generally becomes conftitutional, it may be reafonably fuppofed, will not anadvisedly enter into any measures that may be dangerous to the pubJic tranquillity; and that from his long experience in public affairs, and the example of fuch a father, bis fubjects will find no other change in their condition, than the benefits arifing from a more vigorous age, and a clofer attention to bufinefs.

Au alarming infurrection which happened at Palermo, the capital of the island of Sicily, towards the latter part of the year, and which is not yet entirely quelled, deferves to be taken particular notice of. That delightful ifland, formerly fo diftinguished, and at all times the moft fertile and plentiful in the world, has in all ages had the fortune, either to languish under the oppreffion of tyrants nurtured within its own bolom, or to groan under the flavery of foreigners.

The government of this country, has for fome time been very impolitically conducted. Immoderate duties are either laid on the fruits of labour and induftry, or exorbitant prices extorted, for licences to difpofe of them to advantage. Thus the abundant harveits, one of which is fuppofed equal to seven years confumption, and which are the natural riches of the country, are rendered unprofitable, as the exceffive rates to be paid for the particular licences for exportation, are beyond the abilities of the husbandman, and he reaps with a heavy heart that

bounteous crop, which he is đèbarred from turning to account. By this means, the price of corn has for feveral years been reduced to about one-fixth of its real and ufual value; whilft the neighbouring countries at the fame time fufferred the greatest distress from that fcarcity which Sicily could have fo happily relieved; and the tenant at home is reduced to beggary, and his lord to indigence, from the want of a market for their staple commodity.

The fame weak and barbarous policy has had fimilar effects upon other products, and has thrown a general damp upon the industry of the people. Thus their fugar plantations and works, which were once fo famous, have dwindled to nothing; and the abundant ftock of natural riches, both above and below the furface of the earth, in which this country perhaps exceeds any other, of the fame dimensions, in the world, are rendered of no value.

A policy of the fame kind has formerly prevailed in moft parts of Europe. England was among the first to perceive the weakness of its principle, and mifchief of its tendency. Popular prejudices, however, concur in many places ftill to fupport fo mifchievous a fyftem; and the emoluments received by government and its officers for accafional difpenfations, renders the abuse lucrative, and therefore permanent. The remains of the feudal fyftem have continued longer in that country than in any other; their barons had till lately great power, and they fill inherit from their brave Norman ancestors, the name and fhadow of a parliament,

which is compofed of the barons, clergy, and the reprefentatives of the confiderable towns.

To annihilate the power of the barons, who are ftill rich and confiderable, is faid to be an object of this deftructive policy; and to this unworthy pursuit is facrificed the profperity of a whole people, as well as the power and opulence which might have been derived from the poffeffion of fo noble an illand. Poverty and diftrefs will bend the haughtieft minds; and the people have the fatisfaction to know that they are not ruined, as a punishment for any fault of their own, but merely to humble their lords, and make them totally dependent.

The infurrection at Palermo, was not however the effect of thofe general grievances; but of fome that particularly related to that city. As in a country where permitions are purchased for liberty to trade, all commodities muft of neceffity fall into the hands of monopolifts, fo the fame caufes, that on the one hand prevent a reasonable price from being given for them at a fair market, will frequently on the other operate in fuch a manner, as to produce all the effects of a real scarcity. Thus in Palermo, the monopolies granted by the Viceroy (it was alledged, with what truth or falsehood we cannot fay), had fo pernicious an effect, as to raise the price of fome of the moft effential neceffaries of life, to a degree intolerable to the people.

The arguments prompted by the belly are underflood by all capaci. ties, and in great cities, particularly, are irrefiftible in their force. Previous, however, to any difturbance, Prince Caffaro, Pretor of

the city (one of the officers of the firft power and dignity in the kingdem) remonftrated in fuch strong terms with the Viceroy upon his conduct, and the hardships which the people fuffered, that very high words are faid to have paffed upon the occafion, and fomething like a challenge from the former. The prince then, by his own proper authority, ftopped two fhips which belonged to the monopolizers, and were juft got without the harbour, freighted with cheefe, in their way to Naples; after which the cargoes were landed by his order, and fold at the public markets at the ufual prices.

This measure entirely quieted the murmurs of the people; but it happened foon after, that the prince fell ill of a strangury, and in a fhort time died. Having chanced to employ the Viceroy's furgeon; it was maliciously reported, and by vulgar credulity believed, that he died by poifon. This event, and its fuppofed caufe, flew with the utmost rapidity through the city, and threw every part of it into the utmoft diforder and confufion. Prince Caffaro was univerfally la mented, as having fallen a martyr in the caufe of the people; while the fuppofed authors of fo base and villainous an action were regarded as objects of the utmolt rage and deteftation.

The people immediately affembled, to the number of thirty thoufand, with drawn fwords, muskets, and piftols, and having feized fome of the battions, drew two pieces of cannon into the fquare in the center of the city, which they loaded with old iron and glass, and flood with lighted links, ready to dif charge them as there fhould be oc

cafion.

cafion. The unhappy furgeon was an immediate victim to their fury, whom they immediately cut in pieces; they afterwards bioke open the prifon gates, and difcharged the prifoners; and the regiment of horfe-guards being ordered out to fupprefs them, they were lo terriSed at their appearance, and at the immediate preparation they faw for discharging their cannon, or, what is more probable, fo infected with the common distemper, that they were ready to abandon their officers, when the commander cried out, that he was not going to engage enemies, but coming as a friend, to preferve peace among his friends and countrymen, and hav ing faluted the revolters, and held a conference with fome of their leaders, the horse returned very quietly to their quarters.

In the mean time, the archbishop came to quiet the infurgents, and promised them that the Viceroy hould depart from the city, and that he would act in his place till the King fhould appoint another. This propofal having given entire fatisfaction, every thing was immediately restored to order and quiet. But the people being informed in the night, that the Vicerey had sent to feveral places for troops, and had ordered the garrison to fecure the works and Sept. 20th. cannon, they affembled the next day, in equal numbers and with greater fury; and immediately poffeffed themselves of all the baftions, forts, and works, the foldiers fuffering themselves to be difarmed, without firing a single shot, or offering the fmallett refiftance.

They then placed detachments of their own body in the works, and at the gates, and obliged fe

veral of the principal nobility, to take each of them the command of a bastion; after which they proceeded to the houses of three or four of the monopolizers, and principal favourites, whofe furniture and effects they piled in the ftreet and burned; the owners having happily efcaped with their lives. Upon this occafion they executed an act of rigid juftice upon one of their own people, who, having fecreted fome valuable moveables that he found in one of those houses, was detected, and put to death on the fpot; this being the only life that was lost in that day's tumult.

to

The main body, during this tranfaction, marched with cannon affult the castle or palace, where they met with as little oppofition as elsewhere, and having broken into different parts of it, found the Marquis de Fogliani, the Viceroy. His life would have been immediately facrificed, if it had not been for the bravery and humanity of a popular young nobleman, who embracing the Viceroy, and covering him with his body, declared they muft ftrike through it if they attempted to wound him; which generous action happily reftrained their fury. This gave time to the archbishop once more to interfere, when it was agreed that the marquis fhould immediately go on board a Genoefe veffel which was waiting in the harbour, and depart directly for Naples. The Viceroy was carried through the city in his own coach, attended by the archbishop, notwithstanding which, he was loaded with the execrations, curfes, and reproaches of the people, all the way to the water-fide.

The Viceroy, whether by accident or defign, did not proceed to

Naples;

Naples; but was landed at Meffina, Meffina, where he ftill continues, and thereby retains the government of the illand. The archbishop in the mean time, to reftore order aud tranquillity, confented, at the defire of the infurgents, to fupply his place at Palermo; and promifed befides to use his intereft with the King, for the obtaining of a general pardon, and for the redrefs of fome of those grievances, which had caufed the most uneafinefs. Depaties were accordingly appointed, to lay the whole affair before the King, and after fhewing the grievances which gave rife to the troubles, to folicit for the pardon, and a redress of them. The city thea returned to its ufual quiet, without any other change, than that the gates and walls were guarded by the burghers infiead of the ufual garrifon.

The court, however, did not feem at all difpofed to comply with the conditions, for the performance of which it seems the archbishop had engaged. Upon the receiving of this intelligence at Palermo, every thing was thrown again into its former diforder. The burghers and people walled up three of the gates, and placed ftrong guards at the fourth, and were fo apprehenfive of a furprize, that they would not fuffer the church bells to be rung. They, at the fame time, obliged the nobility who had retired to their country houfes to return, under pain of having their palaces demolished, and the guards were particularly watchful that none of thofe in the city fhould depart; while the inhabitants feemed to refolute and determined to defend themselves, that they were continually employed in making

the neceffary preparations for that purpose, and the mechanics worked at their trades, with their arms lying by them for immediate ac

tion.

This ftate of anarchy and commotion, naturally produced great diforders, and the lowest of the people elected a mechanic to be their Viceroy. their Viceroy. This new reprefentative of royalty was fo well pleafed with his power, that he thought he never could have time to exercise it fufficiently, and was accordingly fo industrious, that in the first three or four days he fent above fix hundred people to prison. The maestranza, or tradefmen of the city, could not endure the infolence and licentioufnefs of the lowest fet of people, and a fcuffle accordingly enfued, in which even or eight perfons were killed, and the new Viceroy and his party defeated; they were not however to entirely reduced as to put an end to the diforders.

In the mean time, the condu& of the court of Naples feemed not to be either fo gracious, or fo vigorous as the occafion required. Preparations were flowly made, and fome fmall bodies of troops were fent to Sicily; the Viceroy was confirmed in his government, and his defign of removing its feat to Metfina approved of; thus a tacit approbation was given of his conduct, and nothing decifive declared, with refpect to the late troubles, nor the intentions of the court fhewn with regard to its authors. The ufua! futile recourfe of defpotic governments was applied to, by forbidding all perfons from talking of the affairs of Sicily. Marthal Corata, a native of Cephalonia, was appointed commander in chief of the

forces

forces in that ifland, in oppofition to the Prince of Villa Franca, who the people had earnestly requested, to. have been nominated to that employment. The marshal arrived at Palermo at the end of the year, with two weak battalions, conitting only of feven hundred men; and was received in that city with

all the honours due to his rank; but his foldiers were not admitted, and are obliged to lodge in the fuburbs. Thus the affairs of Sicily, and the fate of Palermo, hang ftill in the fame fate of apprehenfion and uncertainty, in which they have continued for fome months.

committee.

Secret

T

HE time that elapfed during the recefs of parliament, was not productive of any public events either foreign or domeftic, that materially affected the interests of this country. The negociations that were carried on at Foczani gave room to hope for the conciufion of a peace between the belligerent powers; and if it proved otherwife, there was no reason to imagine, from what had hitherto appeared, that we had any intention to be involved in the confequences of the war, unless fome very extraordinary change took place both as to its nature and extent, which was not yet to be forefeen.

At home, administration had carried every thing with fuch irrefiftible force in the laft feffion, that oppofition feemed to be reduced to little more than a name; and could afford only a weak and unavailing diffent, to measures which it was

not capable of impeding: whilst its members were weary of fruitless exertions, in which the inequality was fo great as scarcely to admit of a struggle. In this ftate of things, it feemed as if nothing but difunion or intrigue in the cabinet, was capable of obftructing the views, or endangering the fecurity of the minifter; and thefe, if there were fuch, were not of a fufficient magnitude to answer either of those purposes.

With refpect to parties, the remains of the old whig and revolution intereft, which we have already frequently taken notice of, under the name of the Rockingham party, although there were fome actual defertions from them, and a doubtful appearance in a few of thofe that remained, they were, in the main, rather better united than the reft. They, in general, continued pertinaceoufly in their old oppofition, to the fyftem and

measures