the expenditure of public money; to reduce all exorbitant emoluments; to refcind and abolish all finecure places, and unmerited penfions; and to appropriate the produce to the neceffities of the ftate, in fuch manner as to the wifdom of parliament shall seem meet.

And your petitioners fhall ever pray, &c." After which the following refolutions were propofed, and alfo unanimously agreed to, viz.

ift, Refolved, That the petition now read to this meeting, addreffed to the Houfe of Commons, and requesting, that, before any new burthens be laid upon the country, effectual measures may be taken by that house to enquire into, and correct the grofs abufes in the expenditure of public money; to reduce all exorbitant emoluments; to refcind and abolish all finecure places and unmerited penfions; and to appropriate the produce to the neceffities of the ftate; is approved by this meeting.

ad, Refolved, That a committee of fixtyone gentlemen be appointed, to carry on the neceffary correfpondence for effectually promoting the object of the petition, and to prepare a plan for an affociation, on legal and conftitutional grounds, to fupport that laudable reform, and fuch other measures as may conduce to restore the freedom of parliament, to be prefented by the chairmen of the committee to this meeting, held by adjournment, on Tuesday in Eafter-week next enfuing.

The committee was then chofen, and thanks given to the lords and members of the House of Commons who honoured the meeting with their prefence and fupport.

We fhall have occafion to give a more particular account of this meeting, and the confequences of it, in fome future Magazine.

Dec. 31. The States General published an ordonance forbidding their fubjects from fupplying the garrifon of Gibraltar with provifions of any kind, or holding correfpondence with the garrison or inhabitants.

SATURDAY, January 1.

Being the first day of the new year, the ode, written by Paul Whitehead, efq; poetJaureat, was performed before their majefties in the great council chamber at St. James's, which fee p. 37; after which there was a drawing room, at which the foreign minifters, and most of the nobility and per fons of diftinction in town, were prefent, to compliment their majesties on the occafion.

A proclamation was iffued by the lord lieutenant of Ireland, in council, for hold ing a general faft throughout that kingdom, on Friday the 4th of February.

Monday 3. Admiralty Office. Capt. Marshall, of his Majesty's hip Emerald, arrived late last

night from Capt. Fielding, with an account of his having fallen-in with a fleet of Dutch merchant ships, under convoy of the Adm. Count Byland, with a squadron of five ships and frigates of war.

Capt. Fielding defired permiffion to vifit the merchant fhips, which was refused. Upon fending his boats to vifit them, they were fired at; upon which he fired a fhot a head of the Dutch admiral, who returned a broad fide; Capt. Fielding did the like; and then the Dutch immediately struck their colours. Such of the merchant-fhips as have naval ftores on board were ftopt; and the Dutch admiral told, that he was at liberty to hoift his colours, and profecute his voyage. He accepted the former, and faluted, but declined the latter, and is coming, with the fhips that were under his convoy, to Spithead.

The above fleet confifted, at first setting out, of 17 fail of Dutch merchantmen, under convoy of the Dutch Admiral Byland, with two thips of the line and two frigates. Seven only of the merchantmen were taken, (befides their convoy) laden, as it is reported, with hemp, iron, cables, pitch, rofin, tar, and other naval ftores; the other ten had parted company and got fafe into Breft. Tuesday 4

A deputation from the Proteftant affociation, affembled under the patronage of Lord Geo. Gordon, waited on Lord North, to requeft his lordship to prefent a petition from that fociety to parliament, and to fupport the fame, against a law which has already received the royal affent, for the relief of his Majefty's Popish fubjects in certain cafes ; which his lordship abfolutely refused.

The remains of the Right Hon. John Auguftus Hervey, late Earl of Bristol, were interred in the family vault at Ickworth, near Bury. By his lordship's will, he has left all that part of his immenfe fortune, that was in his power to alienate, entirely from his brother, who fucceeds him in the title. He has even given from him the deer in his park, and all his fheep, to the num→ ber of 1500; but the family eftate, to the amount of 20,cool. a year, which he could not difpofe of, devolves to him.

Wednesday 5.

A proclamation was iffued by his Majesty in council, promifing a reward of 300l. to any perfon who fhall discover any other perfon concerned in fending, tranfporting or delivering, lading on board, or providing any arms, ammunition, naval flores, or provifions, from this kingdom or its dependencies, for the ufe of the French King, or the King of Spain.-From the tenor of this proclamation it should feem, that fome fuch clandeftine commerce has been, and is now, carried on by means of foreign agents. Thursday 6.

At a poft affembly, held at the Tholfel of Dublin, the following addreffes were agreed to, and ordered to be prefented:

To the King's Moft Excellent Majesty.

"Moft gracious fovereign,

"We your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the lord mayor, fheriffs, commons, and citizens of the city of Dublin, in common council affembled, feeling, with the rest of your Majefty's faithful subjects of this kingdom, the moft lively fatisfaction at the profpect we have in view of feeing our country happy in the enjoyment of an unrestricted commerce, most humbly beg leave to be indulged in the first and strongest impulfe of thofe feelings, by being permitted to lay at your Majefty's feet the grateful overflowings of hearts filled with a due fenfe of your Majefty's goodness and tender regard, which you have manifefted to the diftrefs of Ireland, and the gracious manner in which your Majefty has teftified your paternal care of our welfare, by giving your royal affent to the law lately paffed, repealing certain acts of the British legislature, impofing grievous and unjust refraints on the trade and commerce of Ireland, to the great injury of all your Majefty's dominions.

"We befeech your Majefty to be perfuaded, that, in this arduous and critical conjuncture, we should think we fell short of that duty which we owe to your Majefty, and to our country, if we did not chearfully lay hold of the earlieft opportunity, to convey to your Majesty our warmest approbation of the generous and manly councils by which thofe juft and prudent measures, in favour of this kingdom, have been happily advanced, and we truft will fpeedily and fteadily be carried into final execution; as the first corporation of this kingdom, we feel ourfelves particularly called upon to be first, in the prefent crifis, in teftifying our unfhaken loyalty to your Majefty's perfon and government, and our inviolable determination to manifeft to the world, that we have moft fincerely at heart the fuccefs and welfare of our fellow fubjects of Great Britain, and the general profperity of the British empire." To his Excellency John, Earl of Buckinghamshire, Lord Lieutenant General, and General Governor of Ireland.

"We the lord mayor, fheriffs, commons, and citizens of the city of Dublin, in common council affembled, fenfible of your Excellency's uniformly virtuous, and upright adminiftration, and convinced of the faithful and efficacious reprefentations which you have made to his Majefty of the fituation and distreffes of this kingdom, take this early opportunity to convey to your Excellency our grateful acknowledgments of the advantages lately obtained for Ireland, in advancement of its trade, to which your Excellency's interpofition must have greatly contributed; and for the unremitted attention which your Excellency has constantly fhewn to our general profperity and welfare. "Though we have little reafon to doubt that your Excellency's upright conduct, and

the benefits derived from it to this kingdom, cannot fail of making the deepest impreffion upon the mind of every good Irishman, yet we are defrous to convey to our pofterity every circumftance by which thofe impreffions may be rendered lafting.

"We therefore take the liberty humbly to entreat your Excellency, that you will permit us to have your Excellency's portrait painted by the most eminent Irish artist. that we may preferve the representation of fo exalted a friend to this country to future times, in grateful remembrance of the advantages which this nation has obtained, from the judicious efforts of your Excellency's prudent and just administration."

Friday 7.

A refpectable meeting of the nobility, gentry, clergy, and freeholders for the county of Middlefex, affembled at the Mermaid tavern, Hackney, to take into confideration a petition, exactly conformable to that of the county of York, and to appoint a committee of correfpondence; which, after fome oppo- . fition, was agreed.

A dreadful fire broke out in Wild-street, about three in the morning, by which three houses were confumed; but, what is more to be lamented, feveral perfons perished in the flames.

Saturday 8.

Count d'Estaing, vice admiral of France, had the honour to be prefented to the king at Verfailles by M. Sartine, by whom he was gracioufly received. He was afterwards prefented to the queen and royal family. In the Paris Gazette, the grofs abuse of Gen. Lincoln by the Count d'Estaing (fee vel. xlix. p. 633.) is difclaimed.

Tuesday 11.

Admiralty-Office. Capt. Clerke, of his Majefty's floop the Refolution, in a letter to Mr. Stephens, dated the 8th of June, 1779, in the harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul, Kampfchatka, gives the melancholy account of the celebrated Cept. Cooke, late commander of that floop, with four of his pri vate mariners, having been killed, on the 14th of February laft, at the inland of O'why'he, one of a group of new-discovered islands, in the 22d degree of north latitude, in an affray with a numerous and tumultuous body of the natives.

Capt. Clerke adds, that he had received every friendly fupply from the Ruffian government; and that as the companies of the Refolution, and her confort the Discovery, were in perfect health, and the two floops had twelve months flores and provifions on board, he was preparing to make another attempt to explore a northern paffage to Europe. [Gazette.].

It is laid, that having been a confiderable time at the inland where Capt. Cook met with his fate, and all the while very friendly with the inhabitants, upon failing from thence he met with an accident in the mast

of

Monday 17.

A very refpectable number of freeholders of the county of Hertford met at the thirehouse, in confequence of an advertisement from the sheriff, in order to endeavour, in the prefent ftate of the British empire, and the diftrefful fituation of individuals, to concert measures, in a constitutional way, for the public fafety, and for their own relief." Lord Cranbourn oppofed the purpofe of the meeting, declaring that this was not a proper time to concert meatures diftreflive to government. This occafioned fome difturbance, which, however, was handfomely apologized for by the sheriff; and the refult was, to follow the county of York in petitioning parliament,

Tuesday 18.

Being kept as the anniverfary of her Majefty's birth-day, there was a numerous and fplendid appearance of the nobility, foreign minifters, and other perfons of itinction, to compliment their majefies upon the occafion. The guns in the park and at the tower were fired at one o'clock. There was a ball at court in the evening, and illuminations, &c. [Gaz.]—The portico of the manfion-houfe was, by order of the lord mayor, illuminated with 300 glofs lamps.

The fame evening, a young gentleman was found robbed and murdered in an alley in Thames-freet. His skull was fractured, and in his breaft a wound three inches deep. Wednesday 19.

A letter from William Lee, efq; dated from Bruffels, and directed to the lord mayor and court of aldermen, was produced in court at Guildhall, in which that gentleman defires to resign his gown, as alderman of Aldgate ward, by reafon of the utter impoffibility of his difcharging the duties of the office; on this occafion fome altercation arofe, on the fubject of fuppreffing a letter, to the fame purpose, which had been received a year ago. After which his refignation was accepted; and William Burnell, efq; has fince been chofen alderman in his room without oppofition.

This morning John, Howell. William Kent, Hugh Malvey, John Wiley, and John Woodmore, were executed at Tyburn pursuant to their fentence.

Thuridey 20.

The Hillsborough Éaft-Indiaman, Capt. Collet, from China, arrived at her moorings at Blakwall. She failed from the Downs the 2d of January, 1778.

A meeting of the nobility and gentry of Huntingdonthie was held at the affemblyroom in the town of Huntingdon, when Mr. Reynolds moved an addrefs to the throne, which was oppofed by Lord Sandwich, Lord Hinchinbroke, &c. On the holding-up of hands the theriff declared the majority to be greatly for the addrefs, on which Lord Sandwich moved for a divifion; but this being carried against him,

his lordship immediately produced a proteft, which he and his friends began to fign, while the friends of the oppofite party figned the petition. The petition was fimilar to that of York, to which we refer. Counter Refolutions figned by other Freeholders, at the fame Meeting.

"We the nobility, gentry, clergy, and freeholders of the county of Huntingdon, affembled at Huntingdon on the 20th of January, 1780, having objected to a petition to parliament, which was propofed at the faid meeting, and the fheriff having given it as his opinion, on the holding up of hands, that we were the majority; but for greater certainty, having defired the numbers might be counted, and having appointed tellers for that purpofe, which, from the confufion that afterwards enfued, there was no poffibility of doing, do think it neceffry to take this method to declare,

Ift. "That no regular charges or proofs of the mifapplication of the public money have been exhibited to fatisfy this meeting, as to the juftice or expediency of now addreffing the Houfe of Commons, and requefting, that before any new burthen be Jaid upon the country, meatures may be taken by that houfe to enquire into, and correct abufes in the public expenditure.

2d. "That it is not the fenfe of this meeting to impede the deliberations of parliament, and clog the due energy of the executive power, more efpecially at a moment when this kingdom is engaged in a neceffary war, against the united strength of the perfidious Houfe of Bourbon.

3d. That this meeting does not fee any prefent reafon to address their own immediate applications to the House of Commons, or to enter into any affociation tending to that purpose.

4th." That the thanks of this meeting be given to William Fellowes, Efq; the high-theriff of this ceunty, for having occafioned the attendance of so refpectable a meeting of the nobility, gentry, clergy, and freeholders of this county, and for his impartial conduct as chairman of this meeting."

Extract of a letter from Glasgow.

"The accuracy of the following account of the cold at this place may be depended upon:-Wednesday, Jan. 12, the cold increafed all day, but fo gradually, that, at fun-fet, it was not more than 12 degrees below the freezing of water, by Fahrenheit's thermometer."

"Thuriday, Jan. 13th, at one o'clock in the morning, the atmosphere being fill and ferene, and the barometer at 29 inches and nine-tenths, a Fahrenheit's thermometer, when expofed at a high north window in the college court, funk to 26 deg. below the freezing point; and, in five hours afterwards, it fell 6 deg. more, that is, to 32 deg. below the freezing of water.

The

The fame inftrument was then carried to the Obfervatory-park, and there laid on the furface of the fnow, in which fituation, it fell to 45 deg. below the freezing of water; and this great degree of cold was verified by another very accurate thermometer, which was made by a different hand. The cold increased all this day, and observations were taken every half hour, from this evening till the fun rofe on Friday morning.

"Friday, Jan 14, at fix o'clock in the morning, two thermometers, when hung in the air in the Obfervatory-park, stood at 46 deg. below the freezing point in Fahrenheit's fcale, and other two, when laid on the furface of the fnow fell to 55 deg. below the freezing point in the fame fcale, while the fame fnow, near the furface of the earth, was only 8 deg. below the freezing point. At this time the air was perfectly calm; and though there was a little haze near the horizon, not a cloud was to be feen, and the ftars fhone with a full and fteady light. The cold became much lefs intente on Friday evening, and a'thaw began on the Saturday following.

"The above degree of cold in the air is much greater than any that has ever been obferved in Britain. At Chatham, in Kent, on the 31st of January, 1776, a Fahrenheit's thermometer ftood at 35 deg. and a half below the freezing of water. At Glasgow, in the year 1740, it is faid, that it was only 23 deg. below that point. And in the fame place, January 1768, it was at 34 deg. below it; but, on Friday lait, it was at 12 deg. ftill lower, though the temperature of this place is, in general, very mild for its latitude."

Friday 21.

The King's proclamation, setting forth, that for the future all foreign fhips taken, carrying to and affifting the enemies of Great Britain with warlike ftores, or goods of any kind, thall be deemed legal prizes, and the fhip, or thips, and cargoes, fhall be fold for the benefit of thofe who took them, was read at the Royal Exchange gate by the Common cryer, affifted by the proper officers. Copies of the fame were afterwards ftuck up about the Royal Exchange. Saturday 22.

Admiralty-Office. Capt. Keeler, of the Acteon (one of the Rear-admiral's fquadron), in a letter to Mr. Stephens, dated at St. Lucia, the 29th of October, relates, that being, a few days before, with the Cornwall, on a cruize off the itland of Martinique, they faw two fail, the one in chace of the other, the latter of which, by fignal from the former, was known to be an enemy; that they flood athwart her in order to cut her off from the illand; and that foon afterwards the ftruck to the Proferpine of 28 guns, the frigate that was in purfuit of her, and proved to be the Alc

mene, one of the Count d'Estaing'e fquadron, of 30 guns and 220 men, without a gun being fired on either fide.

Rear-admiral Garabier, in his letter to Mr. Stephens, dated at Plymouth the 19th inflart, gives an account of the arrival of Mr. William Jones, mafter's mate of the Pearl, in the Amifta Spanish prize, by whom he learns, that on the 7th inftant Admiral Sir George Rodney, with the fleet under his command, in lat. 42 deg. 9 min. long. 12 deg. 28 min. fell in with a Spanish fleet of 19 tranfports, from Bilboa, bound to Cadiz, laden with provifions and naval ftores, under convoy of a 64 gun fhip and five frigates; the whole of which, excepting one tranfport, he took; that they are now on their way to England, under proper convoy; that the veffel which he has brought in has cables of 24 inches, and all forts of cordage on-board; and that the frigates alfo are chiefly laden with cordage.

A very extraordinary bird was this day fhot in the Earl of Tylney's park at Wanstead, Effex. It has four legs, which are placed diametrically oppofite to each other; its fize is fomething less than that of a goofe; it is web-footed like a dnck, with this difference, that the web is quite black, but as fine in texture as the wings of a bat; its neck is prodigiously long, very fmall, and fomething refembling the fhape of an ecl; with very remarkable eyes, which are extremely fmall; and its bill or beak is of an uncommon form.

Wednesday 26.

The following refolution was moved by Mr. Wilkes in the committee of privileges, That it appears to this committee, that the Right Hon James Bridges, duke of Chandos, a peer of parliament, and lord lieut. of the county of Hants, hath concerned himself in the late election for the faid county, in direct violation of a vote of the houfe of the 26th of Nov. by which it was

Refolved, That it is a high infringement of the liberties and privileges of the Commons of Great Britain, for any lord of parLament, or any lord lieut of any county, to concern themfelves in the elections of members to ferve for the Commons in Parliament.