or wounded. The commotion all over the town was fo violent, that every house fuffered more or less. It is fuppofed that the imprudence of one of the workmen about the magazine, occafioned this fad catarophe. The whole lofs is computed at above a million of French livres. 18th.

Mr. Macklin, who had attempted the character of Macbeth, at the theatre in Covent Garden, having given offence to the town, by fome hafty accufa tions, without fufficient proof, against two or three brother-players, for interrupting him in his performance, was discharged from that theatre, by order of a numerous audience, affembled, as it fhould feem, for that purpose. On the curtain being drawn up, the cry was, No Macklin! and it increased fo much, that, to prevent the house from being pulled to pieces, the managers complied with their defires, and publicly discharged him ; after which there being no play ready, the money was returned, and the people difperfed. This day the arguments 24th. on the motion for a trial, in the cause of Fabrigas against General Moftyn, came on in the Court of Common-Pleas, at Wellminster-Hall. Mr. Serjeant Glynn made a very able fpeech on the part of Mr. Fabrigas, and Mr. Serjeant Davy was heard in fupport of the notion, as counfel for General Moftyn. The further hearing of the debate was adjourned. The principal queftion was on the point of exceffive damages; for the court were unanimously of opinion to refuse a new trial. The bill of exception tendered by the counsel

new

for General Moftyn remains to be confidered in another court.

Holdsworth Hill, and James Child, were executed at Tyburn, pursuant to their fentence.

This day came on at

Guildhall, the election of a 27th. reprefentative in parliament for this city, in the room of Sir Robert Ladbroke, Knight, deceased. The candidates were, Mr. Alderm. Bull (the prefent Lord Mayor) and Mr. Roberts, formerly a director of the Eaft-India company. Upon the fhew of hands, the majority was for Alderman Bull, and accordingly the fheriffs declared that the election was in his favour. But the friends of Mr. Roberts having demanded a poll, books were opened for that purpofe, the event of which is yet uncertain.

An account is received, from New Spain, that the city of Guatimala was, in October laft, entirely fwallowed up by an earthquake, and that many thoufands of the inhabitants perifhed.-Thole who efcaped are in the utmoft dif

trefs.

[L] 3

conds

The Lord Chief Juftice, in giving his charge to the jury, obferved, that the law was very favourable to landlords, by having provided two remedies; firft, in enabling them to pursue the goods for forty days after the rent became due; and, fecondly, in empowering them to proceed criminally in cafe of an intended fraud.

The poll for a reprefen4th. tative in parliament for the city of London, in room of Sir Robert Ladbroke, deceased, finally clofed, when the numbers were, For Mr. Bull, 2695 Majority Mr. Roberts, 2481 214. A fcrutiny has fince been demanded by Mr. Roberts.

This evening, at half paft fix o'clock, arrived at Hicks's-hall, on his return from York, Mr. Powell, who fet out from the fame place on Monday, and at the above time, to the aftonishment of every body, returned to London. It is imagined there were three thoufand people on foot, horseback, and in different carriages, attended him from Highgate, accompanied with Frenchhorns, and near an hundred links.

The following are the particulars of Mr. Powell's extraordinary journey, as given by him.

felf:

"I fet out from Hicks's-hall, London, on the 29th of November, 1773, about twenty minutes paft twelve o'clock in the morning, for a wager of 100 guineas, which I was to perform in iix days, by going to York, and returning to the above place. I got to Stamford about nine o'clock in the evening of that day.

November 30, fet out from Stamford about five in the morning,

at night.

December 1, fet out from Doncafter about five in the morning, and got to York at half past two in the afternoon. Departed from York about fix the fame afternoon, and got to Ferrybridge about ten that night.

December 2, fet out from Ferrybridge at five in the morning, and got to Grantham about twelve at night.

"December 3, fet out from Grantham at fix in the morning, and got to the Cock at Eaton about eleven at night.

"December 4, fet out from Eaton, the 6th and laft day, about four in the morning, and arrived at Hicks's-hall about half an hour paft fix in the evening."

What renders this exploit ftill more amazing is, that Mr. Powell fet out in a very indifferent state of health, being compelled, from a pain in his fide, to wear a ftrengthening plaifter all the way. His appetite was moreover very indifferent, the accounts in the papers being extremely erroneous, and generally mifreprefented; for his moft frequent beverage was either fmall beer or water; and the refreshment he most admired was tea and toast and butter.

This evening Mifs Charlotte Buckworth, daughter 5th. of Sir Edward Buckworth, Bart. immediately on entering the drawing-room at Dr. Baker's, in Jermyn ftreet, on a vifit, apparently in perfect health, fell down, and died inftantly in the midst of a large company.

6th.

The foul air in an old waste of a colliery near the river Wear, in Yorkshire, took [2] 4 fire,

fire, and breaking down the barrier or partition between the wafte and the working pit, made the most terrible explosions ever beheld. The pit is faid to be eighty fathoms deep; and every thing in the way of the blast was thrown out at the mouth, to the estimated height of 200 yards in the air. Moft of the pit-men, having just in time difcovered the danger, were drawn up, and escaped unhurt; but fome boys, and one man, who were left behind, loft their lives. Four horfes were blown to pieces, and thrown to an aftonishing height in the air. The explofions continued all that day; but the pit-men are fince gone to work again, the danger being thought quite over. A duel was fought in 11th. Hyde-park, between Mr. Whately, banker in Lombardfireet, brother to Mr. Whately, late fecretary to the treasury, and John Temple, Efq; Lieutenant-Governor of New Hampshire, when the former was dangerously wounded. The caufe of quarrel was, the discovery of the confidential letters written by Meffrs. Hutchinson, Oliver, Paxton, &c. which were lately laid before the affembly at Boston, and have fince been publifhed in most of the London papers.

Since this duel was fought, the following information has been made public:

66

vent it) that I alone am the perfon who obtained and tranfmitted to Bofton the letters in question. Mr. W. could not communicate them, because they were never in his poffeffion; and, for the fame reafon, they could not be taken from him by Mr. T.-They were not of the nature of private letters between friends; they were written by public officers to perfons in publicitations, on public affairs, and intended to procure public meafures; they were therefore handed to other public perfons, who might be influenced by them to produce thofe meafures their tendency was to incenfe the mother-country, against her colonies, and, by the fteps recommended, to widen the breach, which they effected. The chief caution expreffed with regard to privacy was, to keep their con tents from the colony-agents, who, the writers apprehended, might return them, or copies of them, to America. That apprehenfion was, it feems, well founded; for the first agent who laid his hands on them, thought it his duty to tranfmit them to his constituents.

B. FRANKLIN, Agent for the Hufe of Reprefentatives of the Mafacbufett's-Bay. Craven-freet, Dec. 25, 1773.

This day the feffions

ended at the Old-Bailey; 14th,

at this feffions, feven were capitally convicted, 27 were fentenced for tranfportation, feven burnt in the hand, ten privately, and one publicly whipped, and 43 were dif charged by proclamation.

Among thofe capitally convicted, was Robert Johnfon, for uttering a falfe and counterfeit draught for 221. 10s. knowing it to be forged; and Robert Leigh, for uttering a

forged

forged inland bill of exchange, purporting to be drawn by one James Elliott, on Meffrs: Fludyer, Marsh, and Hudion, for 847 1. 10s. payable to Sir James Ibbetson, Bart. with a counterfeit acceptance upon the fame, with intent to defraud Meffrs. Gines and Atkinfon. This man bad actually obtained the value in bank bills; but not thinking them fafe, he went to the Bank to change them into cash, but fo drunk, that he could not tell the money, and was with much difficulty perfuaded to leave it till another day, when he again returned, and was paid. Bat the fraud being prefently after dilcovered, he was traced to his lodgings, and 650l. of the money recovered. He had before this af fair happened preferved a very fair character.

In the dead of night, the houfe of Mr. Cooper, attorney in St. Alban's, was robbed of money to the amount of 700l. A few nights before, the church of Woodford in Effex, was broke open, and the yeftry-cheft taken away, with all the communion-plate, &c.

The grace for the recon15th. fideration of the question of annual examinations in the univerfity of Cambridge was voted in the non-regent houfe. Non placet 67, Placet 38.

At a general court of proprietors of Eaft India ftock, a set of inftructions, for the better regulation of their affairs in India, framed by feven proprietors, of whom his Grace the Duke of Richmond was at the head, were prefented and read. They confifted of 70 articles, 30 of which are directed to the establishment of a board of trade, and the remainder to that of an exchequer. It is thought by

zoth.

This day a commiffion paffed the great feal, authorifing Simo Earl Harcourt to give. the royal affent to a bill for laying a flamp-duty on vellum, parchment, paper, &c. in Ireland; and to a bill for railing 265,000l. by life-annuities, with benefit of furvivorship, in that kingdom.

An inquifition was taken at Malvern, in Worcestershire, on the body of Edward Yeates, a parishioner of White Lady Afton, who was found dead in a ditch. It appeared on the inqueft, that this man had refided at Malvern fome time under certificate, and, though in a tarving condition, would not ask relief, left he should be removed to his own parish. In his diftrefs he frequented a turnipfield, and there fubfifted till he was taken notice of by the owner of the turnips, who threatened to take him before a juftice; upon which he difappeared, and was a fhort time after found dead, as above-mentioned.