There was a destructive fire at Barnwell on the 16th of December, nine or ten barns with a great quantity of corn were consumed. It was conjectured to have been the work of an incendiary.(1)

1758.

On the 10th of January, the Right Hon. Thomas Hay, commonly called Viscount Dupplin, (2) was elected Recorder of the Town,(3) in the room of Samuel Henry Pont Esq., who was removed from that office by the Corporation on the 20th of December preceding, he being a lunatic.

The wranglers of this year established a club called the Hyson Club.(4)

In a militia act passed this year it was enacted that no person being a member of either of the Universities should be liable to serve personally or to provide a substitute to serve in the militia.(5)

An Act for the due making of bread, and to regulate the price and assize thereof, which received the royal assent on the 19th of June, contains the subjoined proviso:

PROVIDED LIKEWISE, That neither this act, nor any thing herein contained, shall extend, or be construed to extend, to prejudice the ancient right or custom of the two universities of Oxford or Cambridge, or either of them, or of their or either of their clerks of the market, or the practice within the several jurisdictions of the said universities, or either of them, used to set, ascertain and appoint, the assize and weight of all sorts of bread to be sold or exposed to sale within their several jurisdictions; but that they and every of them, shall and may severally and respectively from time to time, as there shall be occasion, set, ascertain, and appoint, within their several and respective jurisdictions, the assize and weight of all sorts of bread to be sold or exposed to sale by any baker or other person whatsoever, within the limits of their several jurisdictions; and shall and may inquire and punish the breach thereof, as fully and freely in all respects as they used to do, and as if this act had never been made; any thing herein contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.(6)

(1) Gentleman's Magazine, xxvii. 576.

(2) Lord Dupplin was unanimously elected one of the members of Parliament for the Town Nov. 24, 1746, and continued to represent it till the close of this year, 1758, when he succeeded to the Earldom of Kinnoul. He was one of the Lords of the Treasury from April 6, 1754, to 20 Dec. 1755. He was then appointed Joint Paymaster-General of the land forces, and in January, 1758, he was constituted Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and sworn of the Privy Council. In 1759, he was sent Ambassador-extraordinary to the Court of Portugal. On the accession of George III. he was continued in the office of Chancellor of the Duchy, which he resigned in 1762, when he retired to his seat in Scotland. He died in 1787, aged 77.

(3) His deputies were Edward Leeds junr. of Croxton Esq. Barrister-at-Law, appointed 1758, and Charles Nalson Cole Esq. Barrister-at-Law, appointed Sept. 29, 1769. Mr. Cole was Registrar of the Bedford Level Corporation from 1757 to his death in 1804. He published a Collection of Laws relative to the Bedford Level, and edited the works of Soame Jenyns.

(4) Milner, Life of Dean Milner, 9.

(5) Stat. 21 Geo. II. c. 26, s. 12.

(6) Stat. 31 Geo. II c. 29, s. 44.

The Duke of Newcastle Chancellor of the University was here from the 1st to the 5th of July.(1)

On the 25th of July, the Corporation ordered that whenever any lease of the estates of the Corporation should be wholly or near run out, that the Town Clerk should acquaint the Mayor and advertise the estate in the Cambridge Journal, to be sold to the best bidder.(2)

At a Common Day held on the 24th of August, the Corporation ordered the collector of the tolls to provide weights and scales for weighing hops and other goods at Sturbridge fair, and agreed to indemnify him against any suit in relation to the weighing of such goods.(2)

The following address from the University was presented to the King at Kensington, on the 12th of September, by the Duke of Newcastle Chancellor, Dr. Green Vicechancellor, and Dr. Law Master of Peterhouse; "which Address was most graciously received by His Majesty; and they had the Honour to kiss His Majesty's Hand:”—

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

THE HUMBLE ADDRESS of the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars, of the University of Cambridge.

Most gracious Sovereign,

WE your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars, of your University of Cambridge, humbly beg leave to express our grateful sense of your Majesty's constant and unwearied Endeavours to maintain the Dignity of your Imperial Crown, and to promote the Happiness of all your People.

Ir would be unpardonable in us, who have so often felt the Influence of your Paternal Care did we not at this time especially Join with the most Zealous of our Fellow Subjects, in humbly presenting to your Majesty our sincere and joyful congratulations, upon the many signal successes which have attended your Majesty's wise and vigorous Measures for the vindication of the Just rights of your Kingdoms, the Support of your Allies and the defence of the common Liberties of Europe. The conquest of Cape Breton and the strong fortress of Louisbourgh is an event not less glorious to your Majesty's Arms, than important to the interests of your Subjects, for the extending of their Trade, and the securing of the British Colonies, so essential to the Wealth and Strength of the Mother Country.

THE great reduction of the Naval Force of France, by taking and destroying so many of their Ships of War in America and other Parts; the successful Acquisition of one of their principal Settlements in Africa; the Distresses brought upon them by the repeated Attacks of their Coast; and the Demolition of Works erected at a great expence to annoy this country, must produce the

(1) Mr. Hubbard's Book, (MS. Cole LI. 145.)

(2) Corporation Common Day Book.

most beneficial consequences, by weakening our Enemies and supporting the Power and Commerce of Great Britain.

THE memorable Victory of Crevelt, and the other great Advantages gained over the common Enemy, by the Bravery of your Majesty's Electoral Troops, and those of your Allies under the able Conduct of Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, give us the more particular Pleasure, as they highly conduce to rescue from Oppression those of your Majesty's Dominions that have been so unjustly invaded, and have suffered the most barbarous Treatment in a cause entirely British.

WE cannot here omit to declare our unfeigned Joy for the compleat Victory attained, at this critical Juncture, by your Majesty's faithful and magnanimous Ally the King of Prussia, upon whose success in Conjunction with your Majesty, the Fate of the Protestant Interest in Germany does so much depend. So many successive, happy events, afford us just Reason to hope, that the blessing of God upon your Majesty's Arms and Councils, may, ere long, procure a safe, honourable, and lasting peace, and that our Holy Religion, under the protection of the Divine Providence, will ever be able to withstand the secret Attempts and open Violence of all its Adversaries.

PERMIT us, most gracious Sovereign, to add our fervent Prayers that your Majesty, under whose auspicious Government your loyal Subjects possess so many inestimable Blessings, may, in perfect Tranquility, enjoy a long and glorious Reign, over a dutiful and grateful People; and that the Virtues of your Royal Descendants, derived from your Majesty, may transmit to our latest Posterity the Benefits of your Illustrious Example.(1)

Joseph Bentham the University printer, having in 1741 published an abridgement of the acts of parliament relating to the excise on beer, ale, brandy, vinegar, or other liquors, a bill in Chancery was filed by Thomas Baskett and Robert Baskett the King's printers against the University Mr. Bentham and another, and an injunction restraining the sale of the work was obtained. On the hearing of the cause, on the 24th of January, 1743, the Lord Chancellor ordered a case to be stated for the opinion of the Court of King's Bench. This case was argued in Michaelmas term, 1745, by Mr. Comyns for the plaintiffs, and Mr. Noel for the defendants; in Michaelmas term, 1747, by Mr. Gundry for the plaintiffs and Sir Richard Lloyd for the defendants; in Hilary term, 1749, by Mr. Hume for the plaintiffs and Mr. Henley for the defendants; and in Michaelmas term, 1758, by Mr. Comyns for the plaintiffs and Mr. Charles Yorke Solicitor-General for the defendants. The Court of King's Bench decided in favour of the defendants, and sent the following certificate to the Court of Chancery :

Having heard Counsel on both Sides, and considered of this case, We are of opinion, that, during the Term granted by the Letters Patent, dated the 13th October in the 12th Year of the Reign of Queen Ann, the Plaintiffs are on

(1) London Gazette, 9 to 12 Sept. 1758; Gentleman's Magazine, xxviii. 431.

titled to the Right of printing Acts of Parliament and Abridgments of Acts of Parliament; exclusive of all other Persons, not authorized to print the same, by prior Grants from the Crown.

But we think, that, by Virtue of the Letters Patent, bearing Date the 20th Day of July, in the 26th Year of the Reign of King Henry the 8th,(1) and the Letters Patent, bearing Date the 6th of February, in the 3d Year of the Reign of King Charles the 1st,(2) the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Cambridge are INTRUSTED, with a concurrent Authority,(3) to print Acts of Parliament and Abridgments of Acts of Parliament, within the said University, upon the Terms in the said Letters Patent.

24th November, 1758.

M. FOSTER,

MANSFIELD,
T. DENNISON,

E. WILMOT.(4)

1759.

Alehouse licenses were granted this year by Dr. Caryl Vicechancellor, with his assistant William Greaves Beaupre Bell(5) Esq. described as "two of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace within the University and Town of Cambridge and the precincts thereof." The regulations subjoined thereto were similar to those of 1693,(6) with the exception that the 7th article prohibiting the party from brewing in his house was omitted. (7)

An Act granting a subsidy of poundage upon paper imported, which received the royal assent on the 5th of April, contains a proviso that a drawback should be allowed in respect of paper used in printing books in the Latin, Greek, oriental or northern languages within the two Universities of Oxford or Cambridge or either of them, by permission of the Vicechancellors of the same respectively.(8)

(1) Vide Vol. i. p. 368.

(2) Vide Vol. iii. p. 199.

(3) In a letter from Mr. Justice Foster to Sir William (then Mr.) Blackstone, at Oxford, dated December 11, 1758, and enclosing the foregoing certificate, he expresses himself in these terms >

"I thought it would be agreeable to you, to know the Issue of the Cause, between "the King's Printers and the University of Cambridge, as far as concerns the Proceedings in our Court; and have therefore inclosed our Opinion.

"What hath been done in the Court of Chancery upon our Certificate, I have not heard. "The Words underlined were thrown in, by way of an Intimation to the University, that "we consider the Powers, given by the Letters Patent, as a trust reposed in that learned "Body, for public Benefit, for the Advancement of Literature, and not to be transferred upon lucrative Views to other Hands. I hope both the Universities will always con"sider the royal Grants in that Light.”—Sir W. Blackstone's Reports, i. 122.

(4) Sir W. Blackstone's Reports, i. 105; Burrow's Reports, ii. 661.

(5) This gentleman who was Commissary of the University married the sister and heiress of Beaupre Bell Esq., and took the name of Beaupre Bell in addition to that of Greaves. He however continued to be known as ¡Commissary Greaves, and always signed his name "William Greaves B. B."

(6) Vide ante, p. 24.

(7) Original License to Thomas Williamson of the Swan in Chesterton, dated 13th of March, 1759, in the University Registry.

(8) Stat. 32 Geo. II. c. 10, s. 6.

At the Town sessions held on the 26th of April, George Brooks of Great St. Mary's hatter, and John Paris of St. Benedict's bookseller, two of the constables of the Town, were indicted and convicted for disobeying the orders of the high constable to meet at the Town Hall (in pursuance of the directions of the Vicechancellor and Mayor) on the 27th of February, being Shrove Tuesday, to assist in apprehending all persons guilty of throwing at cocks on that day.(1)

An Act relating to wine licenses which received the royal assent on the 2d of June, contains the following proviso:

PROVIDED ALWAYS, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That nothing in this act or any former act of parliament, relating to wine licences, shall in any wise be prejudicial to the privileges of the two universities in that part of Great Britain called England, or either of them, or to the chancellors or scholars of the same, or their successors, but that they may use and enjoy such privileges as they have heretofore lawfully used and enjoyed; any thing to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.(2)

At the Town sessions held on the 4th of October, Sarah Johnson was indicted and convicted of being a common scold. She was ordered to be imprisoned a fortnight, fined 3s. 4d. and ordered to pay the costs of prosecution.(1)

On the 12th of November, the following address was presented to the King at St. James's by the Duke of Newcastle Chancellor of the University, attended by James Burrough Esq. Vicechancellor, Dr. Richardson Master of Emmanuel College, Dr. Law Master of Peterhouse, and Dr. Caryl Master of Jesus College, "Which Ad"dress His Majesty was pleased to receive very graciously. They "all had the honour to kiss His Majesty's hand, and His Majesty "was pleased to confer the Honor of Knighthood upon James Burrough Esq. Vice Chancellor :"

66

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

THE HUMBLE ADDRESS of the Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the
University of Cambridge.

Most Gracious Sovereign,

Ar a time when your Majesty's Subjects are hastening from all parts, to testify in your royal presence their unfeigned Joy on the repeated successes, with which the Divine Providence has blessed your Majesty's Arms; It would be unpardonable in us, the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of your loyal University of Cambridge, who have been distinguished by so many marks of your Majesty's peculiar Favour, not to appear among the first in presenting our congratulations on so happy an Occasion.

(1) Town Sessions Book.

(2) Stat. 32 Geo II. c. 19, s. 4.