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A period was at length put to this tedious feffion, during a great part of which, there feemed to be no business to attend to, and matters of the greateft national and conftitutional importance were brought on, when the feafon for all bufinefs feemed to be over. In the speech from the July ift. throne, much fatisfaction was expreffed at the zeal, affiduity, and perfeverance, with which they had applied themselves to the very important bufinefs, which had been recommended at the opening of the feffion; and it was fully hoped, that the laws which were the refult of their deliberations, would answer the falu. tary purposes for which they were intended. The continuance of the

war between Ruffia and the Porte was regretted; a close friendship with both acknowledged, but no engagement to either. It was hoped, from the pacific difpofition of other powers, that those troubles would extend no farther; and the ufual profeffions were made, of endeavouring to preferve the general tranquillity, fo far as it could be done with confiftency. After returning thanks for the fupplies, much pleafure was expreffed, that notwithstanding the ample provi fion which had been made for every branch of the public fervice, and the effectual relief and support which had been afforded to the Eaft-India Company, they had been able to make fome progrefs in reducing the national debt.

1

CHRO.

CHRONICLE.

31.

JANUARY.

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HE Archbishop of Paris ordered a folemn mafs, to return God thanks, for preferving from the conflagration, great part of the Hotel Dieu. It was celebrated on the 7th in the Metropolitan Church, and on the 10th, in all the other churches.

The Exprefs packet, with the mail for France, failed from Dover; when off Calais the wind blew full into the harbour, fo that the Union packet, with the French mail, could not get out; whereupon the mate, Mr. Pafcall, took a French boat to meet the Exprefs, with intent to change mails; but the Exprefs failed into the harbour; and the fea running high, the boat overfet in her return, and Mr. Pafcall, with feven Frenchmen, perished in fight of a great number of fpectators. The mail was foon after cast on fhore. It is faid, that Mr. Pafcall got upon the bottom of the boat, and might have been faved, but the French guard, feeing their countrymen perifh, would fuffer no veffel to put off to fave the Englifhman. This day was held a 5th. board of green cloth at Whitehall, when orders were agreed on, for the court's fcreening no debtor who owes more than twenty pounds to one person. VOL. XVI.

Several hundred perfon affembled in a riotous manner at Dundee in Scotland, and carried off 400 facks of wheat and barley, from the packhoufe there; they then proceeded to a fhip in the harbour, and plundered her of her ftores; after which they broke open two cellars, and carried off a large quantity of potatoes; which they distributed among themfelves. The riot-act was read, but to no manner of purpose.

The high tribunal at Copenha gen declared the Sieur Thura, author of a pamphlet called The Prog

fticator, guilty of high treafon, and condemned him to fuffer the fame punishment as Struenfee and Brandt.

A proclamation was the fame day publifhed, forbidding the meeting of multitudes of people together, which is a fure indication of the unfettled fate of government in Denmark.

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tween Manchester and the river Mersey, at Runcorn, except about one mile.

"The fall from the canal into the tide-way of the Merfey, is near go feet, which, within the diftance of about 60 yards, is divided into ten locks for veffels of upwards of 50 tons burden. They are fupplied with water from the canal through bafons and aqueducts formed in the rock.

"Yesterday the locks were opened, and the Heart of Oak (a veffel of 50 tons burden, from Liverpool, belonging to the duke) paffed through them. This day upwards of 600 of his Grace's workmen were entertained upon the lock-banks, with an ox roafted whole, and plenty of liquor." This day the report was 13th. made to his Majefty in council, of the twelve following convicts under fentence of death in Newgate, viz. William Simpfon and George Turner, for robbing William Graham, in Chelfea-fields; Jofeph Harriton and John Mitchell, for a rape and robbery on Mary Wilds, in Bethnal-green-fields; William Griffiths for robbing Dr. and Mrs. Dodd, near Tottenhamcourt-turnpike; Nathaniel Baily, alias Bailifs, and James Crompton, for robbing John Bullock of his cane, in Aldermanbury; Benjamin Bird, for forging a draught for 221. John Law, alias Low, Michael Doyle, John Bagnall, and William Booth, for returning from transportation.

His Majefty was pleafed to pardon Harrison and Mitchell, and to refpite Doyle, Bagnall, and Booth. The rest are left for execution.

An extraordinary mummy was brought from Teneriff by his Ma

jefty's floop Weafel, Capt. Young, in October laft, and is, depofited in the library belonging to Trinity College, Cambridge. The following account is given of it:

Captain Young having touched at Teneriff, in his return from the coaft of Guinea, had the curiofity to afcend the Pike with a guide; whereon in a cave (the buryingplace of the ancient Pagan inhabitants) he discovered feveral dead bodies, fewed up in goat-fkins, one of which he opened, and dif covered a body perfect, fresh, and the features not in the leaft mutilated; fome were feven feet long, and others five feet three inches. He expreffed a great defire to obtain one of thefe bodies; but the Romish priest made many objections. Thofe, however, a little gold removed, and he procured him a female mummy. The body is perfect in every particular, the bowels are extracted, and the skin appears of a deep tanned copper colour. The hair is long and black, and retains the curl; and the teeth and nails of the toes and fingers are freth. According to the tradition of the prieft, and the extinction of the ancient inhabitants, it cannot be less than 500 years fince the deceafe of this body. Indeed it may be as probably 1000; for, according to its appearance, it may as well continue ad infinitum, as remain one year in its present condition. It looks like a tanned hide, and confifts of bone and fkin; the nerves, tendons, veins, and arteries, appear diftinctly like ftrings.

The fenate of Venice hath refufed to receive a bull from the Pope, by which he had conferred two abbeys, fituated in the Venetian ftate, on his nephew Cardinal Rezzonico;

Rezzonico; the fenate having fome time ago refolved, that no benefice in the Venetian territory, fhould be poffeffed by any ecclefiaftic who did not refide therein.

They write from Lisbon, that ten religious houfes have lately been fuppreffed in that city, and many more in other parts of the kingdom.

By the work of the Abbé de Expelly, which has been lately publifhed in Paris, and prefented by the author, in perfon, to the French King, it appears, that from the year 1691 to the year 1700, inclufively, France contained 35,127 parifnes, in which, within the above period, by an exact and complete abftra&t, taken from the public regifters, there were 7,679,083 births, 1,807,891 marriages, and 6,784,724 deaths. From 1754 to 1763, in clufively, being a like period of nine years, and in the fame 35,127 parishes, there have been 8,532,110 births, 1,893,472 marriages, and 6,564,694 deaths; and within the latter period, that is, from 1754 to 1763, in the 42,105 parishes contained in the kingdom of France, in which those of Lorraine and Bar are comprized, 8,661,381 births, 4,663,822 being boys, and 3,997,560 girls; 1,922,163 marriages, and 6,664,161 deaths, 3,460,241 being men and boys, and 3,203,920 women and girls. Extract of a Letter from Edinburgh, Jan. 5.

"We hear from Perth, that the meal mob affembled again on Friday night, in order to rescue two of their number, who, on account of Wednesday's riot, were commit ted to prison. The magistrates called for the affiftance of the military, and endeavoured to prevent

them. The mob behaved very rudely to the foldiers, and pelted them with ftones; the riot-act was read, but the rioters ftill continued affembled, and their numbers increafed; and rather than order the foldiers to fire, the provoft very humanely ordered them to withdraw, and delivered up the two prifoners to the mob, who then proceeded in triumph to the houfe of Mr. John Donaldíon, a Cornfactor at Elcho, where they broke down and deftroyed every thing they could come at. After this they brought off the keys of his granaries, and delivered them to the fheriff-fubftitute of Perthshire, with orders to bring the corn to Perth, and have it ground into meal as falt as poffible. Mr. Donaldíon faved the sheriff this trouble, by fending in the grain himself next morning.

Edinburgh, Jan. II. Last night feventeen of the rioters, who have been concerned in the meal mobs on the other fide of the Forth, were brought from Dundee to this city, bound in chains, under a strong guard, and committed prifoners to the Tolbooth."

At Duff-houfe, the join15th. ture apartments of the Counters-Dowager of Fife, was exhibited the firit mafquerade ever feen in Scotland. In order that proper decorum might be preferved, feveral ladies of diftinction were there unmasked, among whom were the Countess-Dowager of Moray, Lady Elphinston, and Mrs. My、c. Lady of Baron Mure. A number of dreffes, rich, genteel, and curious, were exhibited by the mafks. About ten o'clock the company unmasked. There was a great deal of dancing, after that a collation, and that fucceeded by dancing, [F] 2

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again, and the affair went off with more fuccefs than was expected.

The following anecdote, relative to the King of Pruffia, has appeared in one of the papers, and is there faid to have been communicated by a gentleman, who had it from Mr. Mitchell, our ambassador at that time at Berlin.--The Marquis of Titchfield, now Duke of Portland, being on his travels at Berlin, was introduced to his Pruffian Majefty; their difcourfe turned on the divifions in England, and the unpopularity of the court. After difcourfing for fome time, and expatiating on the causes which had occafioned fuch difcontents among the people" If, faid Frederick, I were to fit on your throne for three days, I'd make you know what it was to have a King." "Pleafe your. Majefty, replied the young nobleman, I do not think you would be able to keep your feat on the English throne for three hours." 19th. The parliament met, purfuant to adjournment. The Houfe of Lords broke up early, as did likewife the Houfe of Commons, after receiving feveral petitions, particularly one from Gloucefter, complaining of the distress of the innholders, &c. from the great number of foldiers quartered upon them.

Mr. Dowdeswell presented a bill for providing an ellablishment for the indigent and aged, under cersain circumstances.

This day the feffions ended at the Old-Bailey. At this fellions ten prifoners were capitally convicted.

A young man charged with forgery on Meffrs. Child and Co. was tried on two indictments, and acquitted of them both. He fent a porter with the draughts to the

banker, who would not fwear to the identity of his perfon, and the judge, on the laft verdict of the jury, faid, he hoped he was not guilty.

At this feffions George Armftrong, Robert Armstrong, and William Cotterell, were tried for entering the Bengal warehouse belonging to the Eaft-India Company, and ftealing 628 pieces of filk handkerchiefs, &c. but, by a flaw in the indictment, they were acquitted of the burglary, and only found guilty of the theft. They are to be transported.

20th.

The following convicts were executed at Tyburn, viz. Benjamin Bird, George Turner, William Simpson, Nathaniel Bailey, and William Griffiths.—— John Lowe, for returning from transportation before the expiration of his time, and who was to have been executed at the fame time, received a reprieve from the fecretary of state's office, on account of the fingular hardship of his cafe, being tranfported for receiving a fhilling for the carriage of a goofe that had been stolen, of which theft he declared he was ignorant.

When the malefactors stopped as ufual, oppofite St. Sepulchre's church, to hear the dying words from the bellman, Bird threw his head on the fhoulders of the clergyman, who fat next to him, and, while he hid his face, his whole frame was agitated in a manner not to be defcribed, and he seemed to feel what the Author of the Rambler calls, The utmost exacerbation of human mifery."

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Early this morning a young woman, fervant to a farmer at Northdown, near Margate, threw herself from a cliff about 40 feet high, and

broke

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