An act for paving, lighting, and cleaning Gravefend, in Kent. And to fuch other public and private bills as were ready.

At a court of common-council held at Guildhall, Mr. Alderman Sawbridge moved, that the fum of 20001. be directed to be paid out of the chamber of this city, for allowing a bounty of four fhillings a quarter for the first 20,000 quarters of foreign wheat, of a certain quality, that fall be imported into the port of London, between the laft day of this inftant March, and the 30th day of June next.

A petition from the cor17th. poration of London was this day prefented to the Houfe of Commons, fetting forth, That the petitioners, always ready to unite in every degree of fupport neceffary for the fecurity, intereft, and honour of the nation, cannot help lamenting, with ferious concern, the frequent toleration of lotteries in time of peace; and conceive, that fuch a parliamentary right of gaming (efpecially in this trading city) is highly injurious to the commerce of this kingdom, and to the welfare and profperity of the people, many of whom, from an ideal and flattering profpect of rapidly accumulating wealth, without the means of honest industry, refort to methods of raising money by dangerous and unwarrantable practices, in order to become adventurers, thereby involving themfelves in a labyrinth of difficulties, oftentimes terminating in very distressful confequences, and in the ruin of many Families; the petitioners therefore pray the Houfe to give fo important a fubject, that full confideration which the nature of it neceffarily requires, and to grant fuch relief as shall be judged expedient.

In Latham coal-works, in Lancafhire, a large toad was found alive in a folid coal, 180 feet under ground. On being expofed to the air it inftantly died. Extract of a Letter from Stockholm, Feb. 12.

By the last letters received here from Eastern Dalecarlia we learn, that the want of bread is fo great, that many perfons are daily found ftarved to death in the woods, highways, and in the houses; and that this want has occafioned fo great an emigration of the inhabi. tants from that province, as to be vifible to every one. It was hoped that the ordinance, forbidding the distillery from grain, would have put a stop to this terrible calamity, which has defolated this country for the two last years: but the brewers, who are at the fame tima diftillers, though they are forbid to carry on the latter bufinefs, buy up all the corn they meet with, and have raised it to fuch extravagant prices, as to put it out of the power of the poorer people purchasing it."

The King has been pleaf20th. ed to appoint Sir Bafil Keith, Knt. to be Captain. General and Governor of Jamaica, in the room of Sir William Trelawney, Bart. deceased. This late worthy governor is an example to all governors: he died beloved by his fovereign, and adored by the people over whom he prefided.

Extract of a Letter from Dieppe,

March 7.

"The packet boat from Lon don arrived here yesterday, and this morning two bundles brought in it were carried to the custom-house; one directed to the comptroller-general, the other to the chancellor ;

the

the officers, however, without any confideration for those noblemen, opened them both, and finding they contained feveral books not permitted here, applied to the magiftrates of the town, who ordered a bonfire to be made of them all before the great gate of the court of justice."

Paris, March 5. The Duke de Chaulnes was last Saturday put into the caftle of Vincennes, and has fince been removed to the caftle of Havre de Grace, on account of his ill ufage of the Sieur de Beaumarchois, whom he accufed of enticing away his miftrefs. The duke's paffion for revenge was fo, violent, that the King was pleafed to interfere. Mr. de Beaumarchois was likewife ordered to keep at home but as he paid no regard to the injunctions laid upon him, but went about in Paris, foliciting judgment against the Duke de Chaulnes, whom the King has punished, his difobedience has coft him dear. He was arrefted the day before yesterday, and fhut up in Fort l'Eveque.

Naples, Feb. 16. Adyices from Malta, of the 30th of January laft, bring the account of the death of the late Grand-Mafter there, Don Emanuel Pinto, on the 24th of the fame month, and of the election of a new Grand-Mafter, Don Francis Ximenes, on the 28th.

Vienna, March 3. Prince Poniatowski, brother to the King of Poland, died this morning foon after receiving the facrament.

A young gentleman of the noble family of Bothmar, in the electorate of Hanover, an officer in the Stadtholder of Holland's body guard, shot himself with a piftol through the heart. He was unfortunately

in love with a girl of inferior rank, and applied to the Duke of Wolfenbuttle for leave to marry her; who not giving his confent, the youth wrote an affectionate letter to his love, and immediately committed this desperate act.

Captain Robinfon, of the royal highlanders. now in Ireland, has been guilty of the fame rafh act. A lady, to whom he is faid to have been contracted, married another gentleman a few days before.

Lord Bellamont has refted well for feveral nights paft, and is now out of danger. The faculty, defpairing of finding the ball, have determined to irritate the wound no further by fearching for it, but' to heal the orifice with all expedition.

The members of a conftitutional fociety for the counties of Durham, Northumberland, and Newcastle upon Tyne, have pledged themfelves mutually to each other, not to vote for any member at the enfuing general election, who will not engage to ufe his endeavours to obtain a bill for fhortening the duration of parliament; and for refcinding the arbitrary and illegal refolution of the Houfe of Commons, which feated Colonel Luttrel in that Houfe, in place of John Wilkes, Efq; the legal reprefentative of the county of Middlefex.

Lifbon, Feb. 23. The King hath published an edict, by which his Majefty orders, that the children of flaves fhall in future be free, and that those who were born fince the 16th of last January shall now enjoy that favour.

Charles-Town, South- Wednesday Carolina, Jan. 12. laft the New Commons Houfe of Affembly of this province, met at the State[G] 3 Houfe

Houfe in this town, when the Hon. Rawlins Lowndes was again unanimously chofen ípeaker, and prefented to his excellency the governor, who difapproved of their choice, and directed the members to return, and make choice of another; but the Houfe unanimously adhering to their choice, his excellency, on Saturday last, by a meffage, prorogued the general affembly to Monday the 15th of February

next.

Winchester, March 20. This day Robert Arlett, for robbing, and threatening to murder Mr. D.Chafe, near Basingstoke, was executed here purfuant to his fentence. He confeffed the fact. His father and grandfather were both hanged here for offences of the like nature; his mother was tranfported; his brother is now here under fentence of tranfportation; and he himself was tried at Reading on four indictments two years ago. This day, at two o'clock, 26th. the Lord-Mayor, attended by Serjeant Glynn, Recorder, Alderman Bull, Mr. Sheriff Lewes, the City Remembrancer, Common Serjeant, Town-Clerk, eight of the livery, and the reft of the city officers, went to St. James's, where the Recorder read to his Majefty the addrefs, petition, and remonftrance from the city of London.

The King was attended by a numerous court, and feemed very chearful; and before the citizens were introduced to his Majefty, they were given to understand, that on fuch an occafion as the prefent, they were not to expect to kifs the King's hand.

[Our readers will fee both the addrefs and the King's anfwer in the Appendix.]

The judges opened their com miffion for the county of Somerfet at Taunton; but an epidemical fever prevailing there, they thought proper to adjourn the affizes to the city of Wells.

The laft accounts from Madagafcar inform, that a current has been difcovered within 12 leagues of the eastern coaft of Africa, which runs from 17 S. to 3 N. fetting N. E. by N. E. and running at the rate of eight miles an hour; fo that the navigation between that ifland and the continent is greatly facilitated.

Abercorn, a German printer, who lately failed in England, having found means to fet up his trade at Altena, began his first enterprize by publishing a news-paper upon the English plan: and having republifhed a plain relation of the Copenhagen revolution, as he found it in the English prints, the very next day he was ferved with a fweeping warrant, his whole property feized, and his perfon fecured, and thrown into prifon, from whence, it is feared, he will never be freed, except to be punished for high treafon.

Verfailles, March 18. The 16th inftant the King declared, that the marriage of the Count d'Artois with the Princefs Maria Theresa, fecond daughter of the King of Sardinia, was agreed upon.

Hague, March 4. Their High Mightineffes have received an account from their conful at Morocco; that peace, friendship, and good harmony are entirely established between them and the Emperor of Morocco, on the fame footing as by the preceding treaty.

Two very extraordinary petitions have lately been prefented to parliament;

liament; the one, Bristol against Bristol, in the cafe of licensing a playhouse in that city; the other, the Diffenters against the Diffenters, in the cate of praying relief, in fundry matters touching fubfcription. The Bristol petitions, both for and against the licence, were prefented by Mr. Brickdale, one of their city members, who declared his neutrality, being unwilling to offend either party; but Lord Clare declared himself an advocate for the licence, having firft requested the lordchamberlain to referve for him the appointment of a manager, if the bill thould pafs.

The following has been given as the genuine copy of a real letter of application from a fhoe-maker's wife to a customer of her deceased husband:

perpetrators of this wretched act are not yet difcovered.

This day the banking-house of Meffrs. Sir George Colebrooke, Leffingham, and Binns, ftopt payment.

DIED lately, James Tracey, Efq; of Newington, in Surry. He has left 100l. to Chrift's Hofpital; 501. to the charity-fchool of Newington; and 3001. for erecting a house for the mafter, and fchool-room for the boys.

Mrs. Mary Samborne, late of Hertford, who died a few days ago, has left col. to be diftributed next Christmas holidays, to 20 poor housekeepers in the parish of Hatfield, in Herts, in equal proportions. Alfo 100l. to 20 poor houfekeepersin St. Andrew's, Holborn. To St. Luke's Hospital for lunatics, 500l. after the deaths of George Becher and Lucy Mayne; and the two laft-mentioned legacies, fo far as may be thought proper, are to be applied for the benefit of the incurables.

James Forthton, Efq; in the 127th year of his age, in Grenada. He was born at Bourdeaux in 1645, fettled in the Weft-Indies in 1694, married at St. Chriftopher's, and removed to Martinico, where he remained 30 years, and has refided in Grenada 40 years. He retained his eye-fight till his 117th year, and his health till within a few days of his death.

At Leicester, Thomas Cartwright, aged 24 years. It is remarkable he measured only 36 inches high, and had never any teeth.

Daniel Bernet, aged 107, who had been an out-penfioner of Chelfea fince the year 1706. His fecond [G] 4 wife,

ift.

APRIL.

This day his Majefty went to the House of Peers, and gave the royal affent to the following bills, viz.

The bill for continuing feveral acts for punishing mutiny and defertion, and for the better payment of the army in America.

The bill for defraying the charge of the pay and cloathing of the militia for 1773

The bill for the more effectual execution of the criminal laws in both the united kingdoms.

The bill for naturalizing fuch foreign proteftants as are fettled, or fhall fettle in America, who have ferved, or fhall ferve, as officers or foldiers in the royal Americaniregiment, or as engineers in Ame

A. rica.

The bill to prevent abuses in the fale of fhares of fhips to foreigners, British built.

The bill for the better regulating of fhips loaded with coals in the ports of Sunderland and New caftle.

And to fuch other bills as were ready.

Lovell Stanhope, Efq; uncle to the Earl of Chesterfield, now a minor, had the honour of a private audience, and delivered to his Majefty the late earl's enfigns of the moft noble order of the garter.

The collection at St. Margaret's, Weltminster, for the benefit of the

Weftminfter - Infirmary, amounted to 133 1. 13 s. 6 d. The Sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Shute Barrington, Bishop of Llandaff.

A letter from Newark, dated March 25, fays, on Monday last Lord George Sutton entertained the Eiquimaux chiefs, who are here, The with an English fox-chace. day was remarkably fine, and near an hundred horfemen were in the field. The fox broke cover in the fight of the Indians, took a woodland country, and made great sport. With all the variety which is incident to this noble diverfion, the hounds pursued him for fourteen miles, running harder and harder as the chace continued. He was forced out of a very ftrong cover, when he had not strength to reach another, fo that he was overtaken in an open field, when not above ten of the numerous company were in at the death, among which happy number were the two Indians. They enjoyed the chace with the greateft tranfports, and their horfemanfhip was the admiration of the whole field, as well it might, for it was but the fifth or fixth time they had ever been on horseback. The Indian priest was fo ftruck with the circumftances of the day, that he told Captain Cartwright he fhould record them in a fong, which will be fung by his pofterity to the latest generations. Previous to this day's entertainment, his lordship had fhewn them courfing in great perfection, when they were amazed at the fwiftnefs of our greyhounds, and highly pleafed with every part of the diverfion. Within doors, a band of the ableft musicians was affembled to perform a concert, and their reception was, in every particular,

fuch