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Ordinance published at Verfailles, for establishing a Cour Pleniere. 553

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Article I. Eftablishes the Court.

II. Recites the perfons who are to be entitled to a feat therein.

III. and IV. Members of this Court to hold their feats for life.

V. The King to prefide, or, in his abfence, the Chancellor or the Keeper of the Seals. The Advocate or Attorney General to do the office of the public Minifter in that Court.

VI. The principal Register of the Parlia ment of Paris thall affift at all the deliberations of the Court, and shall keep a feparate regifter of all determinations, which must be figned by him.

VII. The Affembly fhall confift of a fufficient number of members to decide; fo that should whole claffes from which it is composed be absent, or even half the number of its members, the Court shall nevertheless be effective. In this cafe, it thall be fupplied by members of the King's Council, Counsellors of State, and the perfons holding high offices.

VIII. The general fitting of the Court fhall be in the great Chamber of Parlia ment of Paris, or any other place his Majefty shall think proper. The votes to be delivered in a public manner and aloud.

IX. The Court fhall fit every year, from the rft of December, to the 1st of April. The King referves to himself, however, the power of extending the time by letters patent, or to fummon the members whenever the exige cy of affairs requires it.

X. Whenever it is thought necessary to fummon these extraordinary affemblies, each member shall be addreffed individually by a fpecial order.

XI. Declares the competence of the Court to enregister all laws, taxes, edicts, &c. &c. to the exclufion of all other courts.

XII. Nevertheless, in cafe of war or other extraordinary emergencies, where it fhall be found neceffary to fupply the wants of the State, or the deficiencies and payment of loans, and impofe new taxes on the fubject before the General States of the kingdom can be aflembled, the registering of the faid taxes is only to have provifionary effect, until an affembly of the General States can be called together, to determine finally on them. The faid registry to be of no prejudice to the rights and privileges belonging to each Province.

XIII. It is befides our pleafure, that all loans, the intereft and the repayment of which fhall be acquitted by the actual revenues, fhall originate and be open to the King's authority, and be enregiftered only in the Chamber of Accounts, as far as concerns their validity.

XIV. When feveral laws which may be addreffed by us to the Supreme Court, to be enregistered and published, fhall be referred to Committees for examination, fuch Com GENT. MAG. June, 1788.

mittees fhall be compofed of a Prefident of Parliament, Princes of the blood, and 12 Commiffioners.

XV. The Court may addrefs any remonftrances and reprefentations to his Majesty that it shall think fit; within two months after the acts, ordinances, edicts, &c. thall be prefented to them by the Advocate or Attorney General, before their being enregiftered; and, in order to make all refolutions more public, the King allows that a committee of your members, from the Court from whence the remonftrances thall proceed, fhall be allowed to attend his council, and difcufs the fubject before him. -XVI. The enregifterments of all afs made in this Supreme Court fhall be valid throughout the kingdom. The Attorney General of the Court fhall tranfinit copies of edicts, letters patent, &c. to the advocates and prefidents of the Courts of Bailiwicks throughout the provinces, within eight days after their paffing.

In cafe of any reprefentation of these Provincial Courts, or any local inconveniencies which may arife from thofe edicts, the Judges of the Courts fhail addrefs their grievances to the Supreme, and muft afterwards come before his Majefty to be further deliberated.

XVII. and XVIII. Further forms to be obferved, in addreffing any remonftrances.

XIX. The Supreme Court fhall not determine on any civil or criminal cafes, if they do not relate to matters of high-treafon, or other cafes declared in the prefent edict, or refufal of fubmiffion of any inferior courts to their orders; the decifion of the Court in all these circumftances thall, however, be definitive and fuperior over every other court.

XX. In cafes where, befides high treafor, the perfon or officer thall be accused of any other crime, he thall be tried by thofe courts allowed to take cognizance of it; the prifoner may, however, be tried by the Court afterwards for treafon.

XXI. No members of any court accufed of high treafon, even thould they be members of the Supreme Court, and fhould they only be individually accufed, can affift or vote on the determination of the accufation laid against fuch Court; but judgment fhall be given by the other members of the Supreme Court, and their places fhall be fupplied according to the regulations laid down in ar

ticle VII.

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"As Princes, pledged in the name of the whole Nobility for the prefervation of the laws; as born Peers, for the fecurity of the throne; and as Citizens bound for the public welfare; we cannot, confiftent with our loyalty to your Majefty, our duty to ourfelves, the nation, and pofterity, let the prefent period pafs unnoticed.

"Whatever be our forrow for the occafion, duty preffes us forward, juftice requires, and zeal for the conftitutional law of the land impells us to remonstrate at your throne.

From thefe motives, it is our duty to protest against the diffolution of the national Parliament; the edicts of the 26th April, refpecting the Cour Pleniere, and all fucceeding edicts that have paffed in confequence; and every other act contrary to the laws founded on juftice, wisdom, and modera

tion.

"With the most loyal fentiments we leave thefe before the King, hoping that God may incline our Sovereign to re-confider this mea fure, and permit in future things to go on in that channel to which they have for ages been heretofore accustomed; and an altera. tion of which cannot but entail ruin, and the confequences of which are too easy to be forefeen on the Sovereign and the people."

Signed by 47 Peers and Bithops, for themfelves and the nation.

On the evening after the King had 1eceived the above, a Council was held, and Lettres de Cachet were abfolutely figned and iffued out against the perfons who had fubfcribed. At midnight one of the King's brothers went to the King, and prevailed to have the letters recalled; which his Majelly happily agreed to, but has fince, it is faid, put them in full force.

FRENCH INCENDIARY. A paper, of which the following is a tranflation, was lately feized at a private printing prefs in Paris: a few copies of which had been previously circulated, and one of them ftuck on the city gates.

Fellow Citizens and Countrymen, YOUR hearts are full of grief and indignation. Every tongue proclaims the caufe. A Tyrant and his Minifters have trampled with impunity on your dearest rights. He, who fhould be the father of his people, is be

come their very bittereft enemy, and impla cable oppreffor!

Not content with mocking our loyal fervices, he dares to punish the men who are bold enough to tell him you feel! Your moft illuftrious fellow-citizens are punished with exile.

Can you live, and fuffer this! Existence is contemptible without its fweets, and thofe fweets of our exiflence are our liberties. A certain perfon, and his abandoned adherents, are attempting to tread upon our necks. Not a fingle law remains unviolated, that can favour the progrefs of the King's power: they tear up Government by the roots, while there remains no hold to thelter you from oppreffion.

Our remonftrances are called difloyal, because they are bold. Our right of complaining they pronounce injurious, though the only right we have left, and ftyle it irreconcileable to the constitution; though our laws permit us to plead our grievances before the throne, facrificed to injuftice. The King tells us, with a fneer, when we murmur, that we are mifled. Detested hypocrify! they enjoy our complaints, inftead of liftening to them. HoJurks within the heart. ney drops from the tongue, while a poifon

Their mouths are filled with declaring a paffion for the glory that refults from reigning over freemen: yet they have been the dagger that ftabs the very vitals of the conftitution. Alas! what redrefs can we expect from men who add perjury to their other crimes, and who violate, without remorse, the moft facred obligation of fociety!

Alas! friends and countrymen, the crifis is arrived; behold yourfelves at the eve of liberty, or miferable and perpetual flavery! Fearlefs of the frowns and menaces of tyrants, let us pour in remonstrances from every corner of the nation. To thefe, fhould it become neceffary, let us add the most spirited manifeftos.

May Heaven and a repenting Sovereign avert the horrors of a civil war! But, if our entreaties prove in vain, fhall we be tamely driven on to defperation? No, let us make a laft appeal to the all-powerful God of bat

tles.

Oh! may the names of all thofe who will not facrifice even life, to break the chains thefe tyrants are forging for us, and our pofterity, be branded with the black eft infamy! purfued by public deteftation, even beyond the grave! May they be marked by curfing and bitternefs for everlasting ages!

"To your tents, O Ifrael!"

EAST INDIA INTELLIGENCE. Advices received, by the Court of Directors of the E. 1. Company. On the 14th of Feb. 1787; two French fhips, the Refolution of 44 guns, and the La Reine of 23, arrived at Canton in China. They left Trincomale on the 20th of Oct. 1786; and,

according

Intelligence from the East and West Indies, America, c. 555

according to the account of the Chevalier d'Entrecaufteaux, Commander in Chief of the French naval force in India, have no other object in view, than to make a trial of Pitt's paffage, it having never before been done by any fhips of that nation bound to China. The probable opinion however is, that they are going to Cochin China, where the French have a fettlement in view.

On the 5th of February two French vefels arrived at Macoa from a voyage of difcovery; their names, La Bouffole, commanded by the Comte de Perruffe ; and L'Astrolabe, by M. de St. Angle.

Nov. 3, 1786. This day the new French company hoisted their flag for the first time. On the 8th of Feb. received advice, that a fhip under Imperial colours, called the Imperial Eagle commanded by Capt. Charles Wm. Barclay, arrived at Macoa on the 5th for the North coaft of America.

On the 15th a Proffian thip anchored at Whampoa. Mr. Browne, the Company's agent at Canton, informed the Committee of Supercargoes, that Mr. Beale had waited on him, and produced a letter, figned "Comte "Lufi, Envoye Extraordinarie de fon Ma"jefte le Roi de Pruffe, aupres du Roi de la "Grand Bretagne, et fon Colonel d'Infan"trie," and addreffed "A Monf. le Conful "Daniel Beale, à Canton en China," announcing his appointment to be his Pruffian Majesty's Conful in China, and acquainting him, that his patent, with his Majesty's inftructions, would be fent him by the first opportunity..

WEST INDIA INTELLIGENCE. Jamaica, April 5. The flave laws here have been revised and confolidated, and feveral regulations made in favour of the negroes. The affembly have paffed an aft, which contains the following reforms: 1. Every polietor of a flave is prohibited from turning him away when incapacitated by fickness or age, but must provide for him the wholesome neceffaries of life, under a penalty of ten pounds for every offence. 2. Every person who mutilates a lave fall pay a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds, and be imprifoned not exceeding twelve months; and, in very atrocious cafes, the flaves may be declared free. 3. Any perfon wantonly or bloody-mi dedly killing a flave fhall fuffer death. 4. Any perion whipping, bruifing, wounding, or imprifoning, a flave not his property, nor under his care, thall be fubject to fine and imprifonment. 5. A parochial tax to be raised for the fupport of ne groes difabled by ficknets and ola age, having no owners."

AMERICA.

The Miffiffippi, one of the largest rivers on this Continent, in April laft, fuddenly overflowed its banks, by which the towns of Mobille and Penfacola were in imminent

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danger, and the inhabitants in the utmo confternation. The waters rofe 18 feet above the ordinary level. Fortunately the churches were built upon the highest ground, and to them the people owed their prefervation. The waters fubfided as fuddenly as they rofe; and the greatest lofs on this terrifying occafion was in goods and cattle.

The Indians, as was foreleen more than a year ago, now come forth in large detached parties, to harrafs, murder, and rob, the peaceable inhabitants of the back fettlements of Georgia, Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, and perhaps thofe of New York and Pennfylvania. About the middle of March they killed and fealped Lieut. Hogan near Kemp's fort in Washington county, and a few days after a Mr. Dan al met the fame cruel death. On Tuelday the 25th of March they murdered Mr. Jackfon's whole family, his w fe, four children, his brother, and four negroes. On the fam: day Capt. Wood, with four of his men, in reconnoitring on the river in a cance, accompanied by Capt. Kemp, were furprized by a party of 30 or 35 Indians, and Capt. Wood with one of his men fhot dead. These favages fet three houses on fire near Irwan's fort, carryed off a number of cattle, and killed many fwine; but what is ftill more melancholy and diftreffing is, the capture of three boats on the Ohio, in which S. Penriance, Efq. of Baltimore town, Mr. Ridout of Maryland, Mr. Regent, and two other French gentlemen, one a mineralift, the other a botanist, who came to explore the natural productions of the country; these last with fome others, were in one boat; and finding they could not efcape, difplayed a white handkerchief with other tokens of friendship, determining to furrender without refiftance; for this purpofe Mr. Ragaut took poft at the ftern of the boat, and when thefe infernals came near enough, he held forth his handkerchief, and in return received the Barbarians tomohawk; at the fame inflant the Botanist was fhot dead, and the Mineralift badly wounded. The other gentlemen threw themselves overboard, and the ftream being rapid, the fivages overfhot them, by which they efcaped. The fate of the other boats was not known when the above account went to prefs.

IRELAND. Dublin, June 6. The Duke of Leinfer has accepted of the office of Maßer of the Rolis; and appointed Wm. Lyfter, of Abbey-Street, Efq. to be Deputy Clerk and Keeper of the Rolls.

By a letter from Ballycalle, to a gentleman in Dublin, they had there a like ftorm as at Cneiter, &c. on the f me day flee next page], but fill more alarming. The old rockery of Bonnymargy, adjoining Knockdale, is totally deftroyed; added to which, the woods of Gartmaddy have fufered much, many trees being torn up by their roots. But cur fears

were

were very much increafed in the evening by a most uncommon noile from Knocklade, the top of which burft, and the discharge of burning matter and hot ftones from it was truly alarming, killed feveral cattle in the adjacent fields, many cabins were thrown down, and feveral people are miffing (among whom are the Diffenting Minifter and Parish Priest of this place) fuppofed to have been overtaken by the burning matter, which was 30 perches in breadth, and ran near a mile and a half. I really believe fuch a phænomenon was never feen before in this country; and, to complete our misfortunes, the rain, which, had it been moderate, would have been a bleffing, has come down in fuch quantities, that it raifed a flood in our river, which carried off the weft pier of our quay and the draw-bridge.

A letter from Clonmel, dated June 2, fays, "Laft Wednesday evening, a difpute happened in this town between Thomas Butler of Cafhel, Efq. and Enfign Godley of the 51 regiment of foot, wherein the former unfortunately received a wound under the left breaft, from the officer's fword, of which he expired foon after. The coroner's jury has brought in their verdict manslaughter, notwithstanding which Godley has thought proper to abfcond, probably to avoid imprifonment till the affizes.

SCOTLAND.

On Sunday, the 25th of May laft, the King, Queen, and Prince of Wales, were prayed for by name, and the rest of the Royal Family, in the ufual manner, in all the Nonjuring Chapels, in this city and Leith. The fame manner of testifying the loyalty of the Scotch Epifcopalians will alfo be obferved in every part of the country, in confequence of the refolution come to by the Bithops and Clergy of that perfuafion. Thus an effectual end is put to the most diftant idea of difaffection in any part of his Majelly's dominions to his Royal perfon and government.

His Majefty's fhip Champion, Captain Edwards, being in a foul ftate, went into Burnt Inland, to examine her bottom, when they found, to their amazement, large clusters of thell-fith, almoft as large as fugar loaves. Here they found means to fcrub and cleanse her bottom, and fit her again for fes, being, it fecms, the first English fhip of war that ever was repaired in any of the ports of Scotland.

On the 27th of May, about one o'clock in the afternoon, a whirlwind for fome time obfcured the air in the Wood-Market of Kelfo, by colleéting in its vortex the loofe earth, duft, and raw, and whirling it up to a great height. It forced a woman with a child in her arms against a wall, and biuifed her aim; it lifted up a cat, and twirled a pair of unflod wheels about, which

lay on the ground horizontally, like mill. ftones in a mill. Some children at play on an eminence, were carried off to fome dif tance; and a cart was taken up and dashed against a house with fuch a force as to drive one of the shafts through the wall. Its violence being exhausted it foon disappeared. See Vol. LIV. p. 551. for a like phænome

non.

COUNTRY NEWS.

Extra of a Letter from Chefbire, May 30. Friday fe'nnight one of the most dreadful thunder forms ever remembered in England was felt at Chefter, Frodsham, Nantwich, Stockport, and other parts of that country. The thunder rolled, and went off with a plentiful thower of hailftones, as large as Imall goofe-berries, with lefs damage than was apprehended from its extreme violence, having only thrown down a few bricks from the chimnies, and deftroyed fome sheep that were grazing near Boughton, on the fouthera bank of the river, within a quarter of a mile of Chefter.

A dreadful fire laid in afhes almoft the whole village of Bere Regis, in the county of Dorfet. The ruin is general; the distress beyond conception. No mention is made by what accident it happened.

Advices from Canterbury give an account of a like accident happening at Haddenham, beginning at a baker's, near the Rofe and Crown Inn; and the wind being high, and every thing in a combustible state, the flames in a few hours laid all the houses, barns, &c. &c. in athes, from the place where the fire first began to the extremity of the town, in the direction to which the wind blew. The devastation was fo rapid, that the fufferers had no time to fave even their moft valuable effects.

At Stockton, in the county of Durham, a new walk, planned by George Sutton, Esq. has lately been opened; running by the fide of the road leading from the town to the bridge, and planted on one fide, the whole length, with trees of various forts; on the other it is bounded by a rail, and, in proper places, ornamented with trees fet in clutters. From the gentle fwelling of fome paks of this walk, the confequent eafy defcent of others, the beautiful winding direction of the whole, and the judicious difpofition of the trees, this walk is in Summer moft delightful; and, in Winter, will prove a great acquifition to the inhabitants. It was caft up and covered with gravel by the liberal fubfcription of feveral perfons of fortune ia the town. Mr. Sutton fubfcribed handfomely, gave all the trees, and paid unremitted attention to the execution of the work.

The two annual prizes, of 20 guineas each, given by Lord North, Chancellor of the Univerfity of Oxford, are, for the prefent year, adjudged to Mr. Roberts, A. B. of Corpus

Chrifi

HISTORICAL CHRONICLE.

Chrifti, for an English Essay on Refinement; and to Mr. Vaughan, of Merton College, for Latin Heroics on the Art of Chemistry. Both of thefe compofitions will be recited in the theatre at the enfuing commemoration.

HISTORICAL CHRONICLE.

A popular affray lately happened at the Hague, which may be followed by very serious confequences.

On the 30th of May the Compte de St. Priest, Minister Plenipotentiary from his Moft Chriftian Majefty to their H. M. M. arrived at the Hague. An order given to his fervants, to wear no orange cockades, occafioned a multitude to affemble about his houfe; and, as it has appeared, fome violence to be committed on fome perfons belonging to his household. His Excellency, on this infult, was preparing to return to Paris, without taking leave; but, on more cool reflection, he chofe to prefer his complaint to their H. M. M. by way of memorial, in which he claims the protection due to his character, as well for himself as for all thofe in his fervice. Upon this reprefentation, proper orders were immediately iffued by the States, and the people for fome time offered not the smallest infult; officers having been placed by the Magiftrates round his Excellency's Hotel, to prevent any diforder. From the moment, however, of his arrival, commotions commenced among the populace of Amfterdam. Paffengers were flopt in the ftreets, on pretence of their having too much or too little orange in their hats; fome were robbed; and fome had their windows broken and their houfes pillaged. In the mean time the magistrates were not idle; they had a fcaffold raised, and publicly whipped, fome of the offenders, who had thefe words fixed on their breasts -DISTURBERS OF THE PUBLIC PEACEThis has had the defired effect.

A circumstance lately happened at St. Petersburg, not a little difreffing to her Imperial Majefty. On the appointment of Paul Jones to a command in the Ruffian fleet, the English officers, to the number of fixty, waited on the Prefident of the Admi ralty and tendered their commiffions, declaring, they would neither ferve with or under that Renegado. By this flep, 7 or 8 of their principal fhips are fo far difofficered as not to be able to fail till this matter is fettled. A report prevails, that jones is to command in the Black Sea.

On the 15th of May, was fuck up at Louvain the fentence paffed by the prefent Rector Van Lempoel against Henry Clavers, the former Rector Prieft. It orders him to quit the Emperor's dominions within three days, and to remain exiled from them for ten years, declaring him divefted of all his charges

557

and employments in the University, and incapable of ever poffeffing them again, and condemning him to pay all the costs of the proceedings.

Some advices from Bruffels pretend that peace and confidence were happily restored between the Emperor and his fubjects in the Auftrian Netherlands; and that the most perfect harmony prevailed in the Low Coun tries between the government and all ranks of people; but perfons acquainted with the world know, that this can never be the cafe where bigotry prevails.

A few weeks fince a violent affray hap pened in the 18th regiment ftationed in Gibraltar, which unfortunately terminated in a duel between Major Benjamin Chapman, the commanding officer of the regiment at the time, and Captain de L, an American gentleman belonging to the fame corps. When they met at the ground, Captain de L made a moft extraordinary declaration, viz. "That Major Chapman might fire, if he thought proper; but, for his part, he was refolved not to discharge his piftol, until the muzzle of it touched the Major's breaft." To which the Major replied, "That he had expected, when he came there to decide their differences upon the point of honour, that it was to be with a gentleman, and not with an affaffin;" at the fame inftant, he threw away his piftol, and left the ground with his Second. His Majetty was fo much offended with the conduct of Capt. de L, that he has commanded his name to be ftruck out of the army lift for ever; and has likewife ordered that the Major should be reprimanded for accepting a challenge from an inferior officer; we prefume, on the principle, that a fubaltern may be replaced in the service without any material injury to the publick, but a commanding officer cannot.

On the 9th of May, for the first time, the Cour Pleniere was held by his Moft Chriftian Majefty at Paris,

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