as fingular, that the manifefto which accompanied it, does not contain the mott diftant complaint against the Ottoman Court on the Emperor's own account, but grounds a pretext for declaring war folely on the quarrel between the Porte and the Ruffians. Indeed, there appears too much reafon to fufpect that his Imperial Majefly's real motive is the defire of conqueft, and that upon the e-fiett terms, as both Belgrade and Gradiska, two important frontier cities, were attempted by furprize, while yet the peace remained unbroker, as all the forts have been which have hitherto fubmitted to the Imperial arms. On the 6th inftant the Emperor fet out from Vienna for the army in Hungary, by the way of Gratz, Lambac, and Triefte; two days before Marthal Licy took his departure from the fame place for the Imperial army; which is faid to have fuffered a real lofs by the fudden death of General Caramelli, who held under Marthal Haddick the fecond place in the war department. Marthal Lacy was fuddenly followed by Prince Charles Lichenftein, general of cavalry, and governor of Vienna, which is mentioned as an important circumftance ; the command of the troops in Lower Auftria devolving by that movement on Lieut. Gen. Torzy. On the 12th of February, a treaty was concluded between their High Might ineffes the States General and the Duke of Brunfwick, for a corps of 3000 fubfidiary troops, with two pieces of cannon, and a train of artillery, who are foon to begin their match towards the Republic. Gen. Vau Monftar, and Capt. Maafen, who had been charged with thefe negociations, have had private audiences of the Duke and Duchefs to take leave. Thefe officers are next to go to Caffel, to negociate a more confiderable corps of troops. On the 6th of this inftant March, the French chargé des affairs at Bruffels received orders from his Court to return to Versailles the very inftant he could fettle his private affairs; and he accordingly left town on the 8th. His fudden recall is attributed to his being too much a favourite with the Patriots. We hear but little of the motions of the Ruffians, the feafon for action in the Northern regions not being yet fufficiently advanced; but if we may be allowed to judge of what is to follow from what has already paffed, the operations, when they do commence, will be bloody. In Georgia an engagement is faid to have already taken place between the troops of Prince Heraclius (aided and abetted by the Turkish vaffal, Prince Abaska) and those of Ruffia, to the advantage of the latter. It was only in 1785, that the Ambaffadors of Prince Heraclius did homage, in their maf er's name, at Peterburg, and were re ceived with particular marks of attention; but the intrigues of the Turkish court to feduce that Prince from his allegiance are among the articles of complaint alledged by the Empress to provoke the war. The Venetian Ambafador at Conftantinople has delivered to the Reis Effendi an official declaration of the intentions of the Republic to obferve a strict neutrality during the war between the Porte and the Ruffians, It is reported, that the Emperor of Morocco, having determined to present two new frigates to the Grand Seignor, applied to the British Conful-General, for fome men of war to convoy them; to which the Conful, having firft fent home for inftructions, returned for aufwer, That the King his master, having determined to obferve the ftricteft neutrality during the prefent war, could not comply with his Majefty's request. It is faid, that a like application being made to Spain, the court of Madrid had acceded to it. The Pacha of Bofnia, encouraged by the fuccefs of Mahmed of Scutari, is faid to have raifed a formidable rebellion against the Porte. The States of Holland and Weft Friefland have paffed a refolution to fupport and fecure the hereditary Stadholderthip on the House of Orange, and the established conftitution in all other refpects. A general amnesty has been published by thofe States, fimilir to that lately published by the Stadtholder, in which, however, those who drew up the Act of Confederacy, and the printers of levea newspapers, are excepted. The University of Louvain having obftinately perfifted in refifting the Imperial ediéts, the Emperor, like Oliver Cromwell, judged the speediest way to make converts was at the point of the bayonet; accordingly his minifter had orders to convoke the whole body, and while they were fitting to proceed with them in the fame manner as formerly with the States of Brabant. See P. 167. By the lateft accounts from Lisbon, a truce is on the point of being concluded between the Court of Portugal and the Dey of Algiers, through the mediation of Spain. EAST INDIA INTELLIGENCE. The following account from Tranquebar, a Danish fettlement on the Coaft of Coramandel, is truly deplorable. It is dated June 13, 1787. Not Tranquebar only, but all the Coromandel Coaft, particularly the Northern, felt, on the 20th of last month, a moft dreadful hurricane. On the 17th of May, the wind began to blow from the North Eaft with great violence. On the 18th it increafed, and the fky was enveloped in very thick clouds. The 19th announced a perfect tempeft, with conftant hail, and a horizon entirely obfcured. At length, on the 20th, the hurricane broke out in all its violence. Scarcely is there a place on the coaft, as well thofe inhabited by the Danes and News from the ContinenseTM and Hollanders, as thofe bordering upon the English fettlements, which was not entirely ruined. A diftrict called Uppora was Iwallowed up by the fea (with all its unfortunate inhabitants), which on this occafion arofe more than fourteen feet above the ordinary level, and overflowed the country for fome leagues diftant. It is impoffible to judge what number of people may have perifhed in confequence of this calamity; tho' in our neighbourhood alone they compute them at twelve or thirteen thousand fouls. It is thought that nine-tenths of the population of the country have been deftroyed. Jagornapetam, a place belonging to the Dutch, is entirely ruined. The town of Coringa is no longer in exiftence; it was wholly fwept away by the waves, and only about four or five men faved themfelves by clinging to palm trees. The fudden rife of the fea to fo extraordinary an elevation prevented the miferable inhabitants from faving themselves by flight; befides, the inundation was general, and in all quarters the level of the water was higher than the tops of the houses. Thefe laft could not refift the impulfe of the waves; very few of them remained on their foundations. The largest trees were torn up by the roots, and carried away; hips were caft upon the there, and wrecked in the fields. The fky recovered its ferene afpect but flowly. The hurricane lafted, in a greater or lefs degree, to the 28th of May; when the waters, which had encroached upon the land for more than ten leagues, began to retire gently, and left the country a confufed fcene of the wrecks of fhips, houfes, trees, furniture, and human bodies. The laft are fo numerous, that an infection is generally apprehended. In fhort, a more ruinous and difmal fcene cannot be imagined. Who could have fufpe&ted that all this was only a fabricated story!-So it has been faid fince the above was printed. AMERICA. The following is given as the genuine fpeech of his Excellency Berjamin Franklin, Efq. to the Prefident of the late Continental Convention, immediately before figning the propofed Conftitution. (LVII. 1008.) "Mr. Prefident, I confess that I do not entirely approve of this Conftitution at prefent; but, Sir, I am not fure I fhall never approve it: for, having lived long, I have 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. Moft men indeed, as well as moft fects in religion, think themfelves in poffeffion of all truth; and that, wherever others differ from GENT. MAG. March, 1788. them, it is fo far error. Steele, a Proteftant, In thefe fentiments, Sir, I agree to this Conflitution, with all its faults, if they are fuch; because I think a general government neceffary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people, if well administered: and I be lieve 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 thall become to corrupted as to need defpotic government, 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 thofe men, all their prejudices, their paflions, their errors of opinion, their local interefts, and their felfish views. From fuch an affembly, can a perfect production be expected? It therefore aftonithes me, Sir, to find this fyftem approaching fo near to perfection as it does. And I think it will aftonith our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded like thofe of the builders of Babel, and that our fenators are on the point of feparation, only to meet hereafter for the purpofe of cutting one another's throats. Thus I confent, Sir, to this Conftitution, because I expect no other, and becaufe I am not fure that it is not the best. The opinions I have had of its error, I facrifice to the public good. I have never whif Within pered a fyllable of them abroad. thefe walls they were born, and here they fhall die. If every one of us, in returning to our conflituents, were to repeat the objections he had had to it, and endeavour to gain partifans in fupport of them, we might prevent its being generally received, and thereby lofe all the falutary effects and great advantages refulting naturally in our favour among foreign nations, as well as among ourfelves, from our realor apparent unanimity. Much of the strength and efficacy of any go vernment, in procuring and fecuring happinefs to the people, depends on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of that government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its governors. I hope therefore, that for our own fakes, as a part of the peo pic, ple, and for the fake of our pofterity, we hall at heartily and unanimously in recommending this Conftitution, wherever our influence may extend, and turn our future thoughts and endeavours to the means of having it well administered. On the whole, Sir, I cannot help expreffing a with, that every member of the Convention, who may fill have objections to it, would, with me, on this occafion, doubt a little of his own infallibility, and, to make manifeft our unanimity, put his name to this inftrument." The accounts hitherto received of the reception of this MAGNA CHARTA of the American States, as it may be termed, vary very much; we shall therefore defer our account of its establishment till we can infert it on better grounds. His Excellency Benjamin Franklin, Efq. has been re-elected Prefident of the State of Pennsylvania, and the Hon. Peter Muhlenberg, Vice-Prefident. No accommodation has yet taken place between the Southern Provinces and the lodians with whom they are at war; and fome fresh difputes are faid to have arifen between thofe provinces and the Spaniards, which have not yet broke out into a rupture. IRELAND. Dublin, Feb. 17. Early this morning the pott-boy conveying the North mail to the Poft office was robbed by two foot-pads, who took from him all the letters and packets from the different poft towns in the northern diftricts. A man has been apprehended for committing the above robbery. Dublin, Feb, 21. Yesterday being appointed for celebrating her Majefty's birth-day, the fame was obferved with more than ordinary magnificence. At noon there was a very numerous affembly of the nobility and other perfons of diftinétion of both fexes, at the Caftle, who appeared in great fplendour, to compliment his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, before whom an Ode fuitable to the Occafion was performed. In the evening a play was given by his Excellency for the ladies, and at night illuminations and all other demonßrations of joy in the city. Limerik, Feb. 25. On the 20th inftant John Downs, Esq. Inspector of Excife, accompanied by fome other civil officers, and a detachment of the 27th regiment, with two field-pieces, proceeded to attack the Caftle of Ognolly, in which has been carried on for fome years an immenfe diftillery in open defiance of the laws; but on the first appearance of the military force, the Caffle urrendered without the leaft refiftance. In it was found one of the most compleat diftilleries in the kingdom, which they totally defroyed. The officers of the regiment of horfe, that have been reduced on this establishment, have prefented a memorial for compenfation to the Marquis of Buckingham, which his Excellency has promifed to tranfmit to the King. Dublin, Feb. 29. The North mail was again robbed between Dunleer and Drogheda, and fifteen bags more were carried off. Dublin, March 8. The Houfe of Commons received a meffage from the Lords, by two of the Judges, that their Lordships had paffed an ingroffed bill, for repealing the aft of the 33d of Henry the Eighth, which restricted a native of that country from being Lord Depoty or Chief Governor of that realm, and defiring the concurrence of the House; when the Right Hon. Mr. Secretary Fitzherbert informed the House, that he was directed by his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant to acquaint the Houfe, that his Majefty, having been informed of the purport of the faid bill, had confented, fo far as his interest is concerned, that the Houfe might do therein as it fhould think fit. SCOTLAND. Dundee, Feb. 16. Our Bank was broken into by perfons, it is fuppofed, well acquainted with the fituation of the house. After getting into the room above, they cut up the floor exactly over the teller's office, and defcended by a rope, broke open the teller's private cheft, and carried off about 420. in cath and notes. In their agitation they milled 300l. in gold that lay in an open box clofe by that they broke into. Aberdeen, March 7. There was the heaviest fall of fnow ever remembered in this coun try. From about one in the morning till feven, there fell, as near as could be gueffed, a foot and a half of foow. The froft ftili continues very intense there. DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES. Jan. 7. (See p. 174.) At a meeting of the Medical Society of London, in Bolt Court, letters to the Society were received and read from Dr. Withering, Birmingham; Dr. Farr, Curry-Revel; Dr. White, York; Dr. Fewler, Stafford; Dr. Ruth, Philadelphia; Dr. Biffett, Knayton ; and feveral other correfponding members. Several new members were proposed; and two prize differtations by the candidates for the Fothergillian Medal, to be adjudged in March, were received. After a lift of the donations fent in fince the laft meeting was read, and other preliminary bufinefs was gone through, the following papers were read; viz. "A paffage from the ancient Greek anthors on Hydrophobia," with a preface and Latin tranflation by Doctor Sims. A cafe of obftinate vomiting in pregancy, fuccefsfully treated; by Dr. Vaughan, of Leicester, correfponding member. A cafe of calcareous ftomach, illustrated by an anatomical preparation, with remarks and additional cafes, by Mr. Henry Fearon, Senior Surgeon to the Surrey Difpenfary. Ад DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES. An account of extraordinary affection of the ftomach removed by Cicuta; by Mr. John Hooper, furgeon, of Reading, correfponding member. Jan. 21. At a meeting of the Medical Society of London, Bolt-Court, Fleet-Street, the following gentlemen were-elected fellows; viz. Sam, Gillam Mills, Efq. of Greenwich, Member of the Corporation of Surgeons; and James Redi, M.D. At the fame time, Dr. Tho. Kirkland, of Afhby de la Zouch, Dr. Patrick Plunkett, Prefident of the College of Phyficians, Dublin, Dr. William Wright of Jamaica, F. R.S. and three other gentlemen, were elected correfponding members. The following communications were then read, viz. "An Account of a particular cafe of Deafness arifing from an Affection of the Euftachian Tube" By John Gottlieb Zencker, M. D. of Berlin, Physician to the King of Pruffia. A paper on Schirrous fophagus, by Dr. Farquharfon, Paifley, C. M. On Dysphagia, by Dr. Bayford, Lewes, C. M. and On Cynanche Pharyngœa, by Dr. John ftone, Worcester. Feb. 1. In the Court of King's Bench a fecond Rule was made abfolute against two magiftrates of the Tower Hamlets, for having illegally discharged fome performers of the Royalty Theatre, who were committed by another magiftrate in that diftri&t for performing in plays and interludes, contrary to an exprefs Act of Parliament-Does it not imply fome little inconfiftency in a well-regulated state, for one subject to be punished as a rogue and vagabond for doing that in publick, which another, perhaps the first peer of the realm, is proud to do with applaufe within the walls of his own house! Feb. 4. Mr. Rous, folicitor to the East India Company, moved for an information against several perfons, for a combination in purchafing China-ware at the East India Company's fales, and afterwards re-felling the fame at an advance of 60 per cent. in fraud of the Revenue and of the Eaft India Company. The Court granted a Rule to thew caufe. This day Mr. H. Judd (fee p. 77.) was brought into court by Habeas Corpus to be bailed; when, an error in his commitment being difcovered, the court was of opinion that bail could not be refufed him. The terms were, himself in 1000l. and four fure ties in 250l. çach. Feb. 5. His Royal Highness the Duke of York appeared in the Court of King's Bench, and was fworn to give evidence before the Grand Jury of the county of Middlefex, upon an indictment for a fraud, in fending a forged letter to his Royal Highness, purporting to 267 be a letter from Captain Morris, requesting of his Royal Highnefs the loan of 401. The Grand Jury found the indictment, and the prifoner was brought into court by the Keeper of Tothill-Fields Bridewell, and pleaded Not Guilty to the indictment. He was remanded back to his former prifon, and the indictment will be tried at the fittings after next term. This day his Excellency Baron de Nagell, Ambaffador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from the States General of the United Provinces, had his firft private audience of his Majefty to deliver his credentials. And afterwards the Count de Lynden, Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from their High Mightineffes, had his audience of leave of his Majefty. Feb. 6. The Seffions ended at the Old Bailey, when 14 convicts received judgment of death, 48 were ordered to be tranfported, nine to be imprifoned and kept to hard labour in the house of correction, 14 to be publicly whipped, three to be imprifoned in Newgate, and 20 were discharged by proclamation. In the court of K. B. was folemnly argued and determined a very interesting question, refpecting the laws of marriage; a difpare having arifen between two parishes concerning the fettlement of a pauper who had been charged to have two wives, but who had fworn only to one; an appeal was made to the quarter feffions, when the justices made an order, without permitting the wife, with whom he had fworn to have contracted matrimony, to prove her marriage. A rule, nifi, therefore, was obtained to quafh this order, upon the ground that the wife ought to have been admitted an evidence. The court was, however, of a contrary opinion, and that the wife is in no cafe admitted as a witnefs to criminate her hofband. In the cafe before the Court, the husband had fworn he was married to one wife only; the teftimony of the wife would not only have imputed to him the crime of perjury, but might probably have led to a profecution for that of fence. They were therefore of opinion, that the order of Seffions ought to be confirmed, and, of course, the rule was dif charged. Feb. 8. John Adams, Etq. Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America, had his audience of leave of his Majefty. Feb. 23. Came on to be tried at Weftminster a caufe, Kendal verfus M. P. Andrews, Efq. very neceffary to be publicly known and attended to, as fimilar cafes daily occur. The plaintiff was a dealer in hay, who, by the order of Mr. Andrews's coachman, had brought in various loads of hay, which (it was not denied) had been confumed by Mr. Andrews's hories. Kendal, however, acknowledged he had never feen Andrews, and trufted him by order of his coachman, "becaufe it was the cuftom of the trade." It appeared, however, that Mr. Andrews had always given his coachman money to pay for the hay, and his coachman had brought him forged receipts. On Kendal's bringing in his bill, the coachman denied any knowledge of him, and abfconded. But the plaintiff pleaded, that he had delivered hay for defendant's ufe, and that defendant's horfes had confumed it; of courfe it was infifted by Mr. Bearcroft, the plaintin's counfel, that Mr. Andrews muft pay for it. But the hon. Mr. Efkine, counfel for the defendant, infifted, that unless a general authority can be proved or implied to be given by a mafler to a fervant to order goods without his knowledge, that the mafter was not compelled by law to pay for goods fo ordered. He admitred, that fuch authority was implied, if the mafler had once paid a debt which had been fo incurred. Were it otherwife, and gentlemen of fortune were to be made anfwerable for the general crders of their fervants, no gentleman could be fafe. A fervant might order goods of one tradefinun, and fell part to another, and fo from tradesman to tradefman, till an honeft gendeman might be undone before he knew that he was in debt. In this idea he was joined by the whole court; and the jury being fp cial, their verdict was in favour of the defendant. Mr. Erfkine difplayed infinite ingenuity in expofing the combination of fervants with petty tradefmen to impote upon families; and laid it down, as the fafety as well as duty of every honeft tradefman, first to acquaint the meter before he fent in goods to the order of the fervant. Saturday, March 1. for Wales, the fame was obferved at Court as a Collar day. And it being alfo the anni verfary of the Society of Antient Britons; Sir Henry Bridgeman, Bart. prefident, the vice prefidents, treasurers, and ftewards, met in the morning at the Welth School, in Gray,s Inn Road, and proceeded from thence to St. George's church, Hanover-fquare, where a moft excellent fermon in behalf of the charity was preached by the Right Rev. the Lord Bifhop of Llandaff. After church they proceeded to the great room, at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, to dinner, at which the following nobility and gentry honoured them with their company; his Grace the Duke of Norfolk, the Marquis of Carmarthen, Bifhops of Llandaff, St. Davids, and Bangor; Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, Bart. Earl of Plymouth, Lords Hereford, Bulkeley, Penrhyn, Berwick, and St. Alaph; Thomas Powell, Efq. Vice Prefident of the Charity; John Morgan, Efq. M. P. Sir Charles Gould, Charles Gould, Efq. M. P. Sir Herbert Mackworth, Bart, Edward Lewis, Efq. M. P. and many other members of the principality, and gentlemen of rank and fortune. The collection at church and at the different tables amounted to The donations to 205 19 0. 377 5 6 total 577 4 6. Wednesday 19. This day, at a half-yearly court of the Proprietors of the Bank Stock, the Governor acquainted the Proprietors, that as this was the time when the dividends are ufually de clared, it was the unanimous opinion of the Directors, that the next half yearly dividend, ending the 25th inflant, fhould be three pounds ten thillings, which makes the increase of the dividend of that stock at the rate of one per cent. Friday 28. There is to be a reduction of the houfehold troops, and thus fettled: the Officers of the Horfe- Grenadiers are to have their pay for life. The privates to form two troops of Life-Guards, under the prefent officers of the Horfe-Guards, who aro to remain as at pretent. The privates of the Horfe-Guards are to have their money returned, and to be reduced entirely. A number fufficient to make the two troops of Life-Guards, confift ing of 240 men each, are to be added; the addition to their pay 6d. a day. The name of Horfe-Guards to fink entirely, and that of Life-Guards to continue. |