Erskine's interference in his behalf. Mr. justice Ashhurst then pronounced the judgment of the court, which was, that the defendant be imprisoned in the house of correction for one year, there to be kept to hard labour, and that, at the expiration thereof, he shall give security to the amount of 1000l. for his good behaviour the rest of his life. The defendant asked if he might be accommodated with a bed in his confinement ? Lord Kenyon said, that his sentence was light, very light indeed, considering the nature of his offence, which was horrible to Christian ears. He had known a case of less enormity, where the defendant was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. Maidstone, April 30. The state prisoners were this morning escorted by a party of the Kent volunteers and sheriff's officers, from our gaol to the court house. About two o'clock lord Romney, Mr. justice Buller, Mr. justice Heath, Mr. justice Laurence, and serjeant Shepherd, took their seats on the bench, and the prisoners were placed at the bar. The indictment being then read, Mr. Plomer, on the part of Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Binns, insisted the prisoners ought neither of them to answer the indictment, because the copy, required to be delivered to them by act of parliament, differed in several instances from the origi nal one. He pointed where, in the copy, the words armed force' were used, instead of armed men,' and the word said,' was omitted in the copy. He observed, that his reason for taking the objection was, because the prisoners were really not prepared to enter upon their defence, and that, if the objection was over-ruled, he should apply to the court to grant farther time. He would show the affidavits of the prisoners to the attorney-general, and trusted to his candour for postponing the trials after he had seen them. A conversation ensued between the attorney-general,~ Mr. Plomer, and Mr. Dallas, which ended in an agreement to postpone the trials, provided the prisoners waved all objections to form in the copies of the indictment. The court was accordingly adjourned till Monday, the 21st of May, at seven in the morning. MAY. Admiralty Office, May 1. Extract of a Letter from the Right Hon. Admiral Lord Bridport, to Evan Nepean, esq. dated on board his Majesty's Ship the Royal George, at Sea, the 26th of April. Herewith you will receive, for their lordships' information, a copy of a list, transmitted to me by capt. Stirling, of the killed, wounded, and missing of the Mars, on the 21st instant. List of killed and wounded, &c. on board his majesty's ship Mars, in . action with the French national ship l'Hercule, the 21st of April, 1798. Alexander Hood, captain, killed. James Blythe, second midshipman, killed. Seamen, 11 killed, 3 died of their wounds. George Argles, third lieutenant, wounded. George Arnauld Ford, fifth lieutenant, wounded. Thomas Southey, midshipman, wounded. Seamen, 36 wounded, 3 missing. Boys, 2 wounded. One corporal killed. ed by the cries of "fire! fire !" Privates, 2 killed, 2 died of their which succeeded, and instantly hur wounds. Serjeants, 2 wounded. This gazette also contains an account of the capture of the French lugger privateer Jupiter, mounting 8 carriage guns, aud manued with 36 men, by his majesty's cutter Cruiser, lieutenant Wollaston. Admiralty, Office, May 5. This gazette contains an account of the capture of the Batavian republican brig Le Courier, pierced for 12, and mounting 6 four-pounders, and a number of swivels, and manned with 30 men, by his majesty's sloop Scorpion, captain John Tremayne Rodd: she had taken the lark brig, of Whitby, coal-laden, which the Scorpion re-took ;— also, La Sans-souci French privateer lugger, mounting 1 twelvepounder carronade, and 2 brass fours, and 27 men, by his majesty's cutter Telemachus, lieut. Newton. May 6. ried down stairs with her children, having desired the maid to follow her. The unfortunate woman however, anxious perhaps to save some of her little property, neglected to obey, and the fury of the flames, increased by the current of air rushing in through the hall as Mrs. Bull retired, cut off her retreat. The upper part of the house was so secured, she could not get out upon the roof, and the fire gaining rapidly upon her, she had no resource but to throw herself out of a window in the two pair front. A watchman, standing below, in an effort to save her fall, caught her by the leg; but this did not prevent her body from coming to the ground with such violence that she was carried speechless to the Middlesex hospital, where she has since died. Notwithstanding every exertion to arrest the progress of the fire, it soon communicated to the house adjoining it on the right side: but all the inhabitants were alarmed in sufficient time to make their escape; one of these, Mr. Crozian, This morning, about an engraver, who lodged in the sefour o'clock a most dreadful fire cond floor, unfortunately returned broke out at the house of a Mr. with a hope to save three copperBull, a tallow-chandler, in Gerard- plates on which he set much value. street, Soho. A servant-maid had He was followed by a Mr. Hyde, sat up for her master, a major in the with whom he had spent the night army, who lodged on the first floor; until a late hour, to the very door but, grown impatient for his return, of the apartment, but the heat was so she retired to bed in the garret, in great Mr. H. was obliged to retire, the next room to that where Mrs. and Mr. C. who ventured in was Bull and three children slept, leav- suffocated, and every means used by ing, it is supposed, the candle and the faculty to restore him proved fire burning in the kitchen. In ineffectual. Mrs. Bull's house was less than two hours after, the mis- entirely consumed, and all the protress was alarmed by a loud knock-perty it contained destroyed; but it ing at the hall-door, and supposing 'was fortunately insured: the other that the major was returned, called house was not entirely consumed, to the maid to rise and let her ma- and a good deal of the property was ster in: but she was soon undeceiv- saved. IRISH PARLIAMEMT. May 7. In the house of lords on Monday, on calling over the names of the lords who made default on the call of the house on Tuesday last, when the clerk came to the name of the lord bishop of Derry, Lord Chancellor said, he could not help calling their lordships' attention to the very peculiar circumstances in which the lord bishop of Derry stood. He had taken the trouble, he said, to look into the journals of the house, and he found that it was now upwards of twenty-four years since his lordship (the bishop) had attended his duty in that house.-For the greater part of those twenty-four years he had been absent, without intermission, from the country, and had uniformly for that period neglected his duty in parliament. This was a case which called for some attention from the house. There was, he observed, a law of very old standing in Ireland, which made the temporalities of a bishop liable to sequestration for continued absence from duty; and he thought when a bishop possessed so ample an income as his lordship of Derry, it was right, after so long a dereliction of his duty, that the emoluments of his see should be made to contribute in some degree to the wants of this poor country. At present he did not mean to trouble their lordships with any specific proposition on this subject; but he gave notice, that when it should come to be considered by the house what should be done with the noble lords who had made default, he should hope that those temporal lords who were absent in England would be excused; but that if any attempt were made to apologise for his lordship of Derry on that ground, he would oppose it. Lord Glentworth presented a pe tition of the earl of Kingston, praying, that a copy of the indictment which had been sent up against his lordship, for the alleged murder of Gerald Fitzgerald, esq. and also the writs of certiorari, and the returns thereon, should be given to his lordship, and also that counsel might be assigned him, to enable him to prepare for his defence.The petition was received, and an order made accordingly. He also moved, that John P. Curran, and Wm. Saurin, esqrs. might be assigned his lordship as counsel, which was accordingly ordered. Lord Chancellor observed, that he had already given verbal directions, that a copy of the order, appointing May the 18th for his lordship's trial, should be furnished to him. He believed it would be right that an order of the house should be made for that purpose. Admiralty Office, May 8. Extract of a Letter from Capt. Hal sted, of his Majesty's Ship phonix, to Mr. Nepean, dated Plymouth Sound, the 6th instant. SIR, 1 Be pleased to inform their lordships, that his majesty's ship under my command arrived here this day, in company with Le Brave French privateer, pierced for 22 guns, and carrying 18, which are eighteens and twelves, with 160 men. She was captured in the night of the 24th ult. in latitude 49 deg. N. longitude 16 deg. W. after some resistance, by which she had a few men killed, and 14 wounded. The Phoenix received some trifling damage in her sails and rigging, but no person hurt.She is a very fine ship, of 600 tons, is coppered, and sails exceedingly fast. It is an additional pleasure to me to say there were about fifty English prisoners on board her at (D 4) the, the time, none of whom received any injury from our shot. On the 25th we retook the Thetis, a valuable American ship, from Charlesten to London, which this privateer captured a few days before. This gazette also contains an account of the capture of Le Hardi schooner, of 8 guns and 60 men; and Le Hazard schooner, of 2 guns and 27 men, by his majesty's ship Concorde, captain Barton ; also, La Mutine French privateer schooner, of 8 guns, and 61 men, by his majesty's ship Lapwing, captain Thomas Harvey; also, Le Parfait French privateer schooner, of 10 guns, and 60 men, by his majesty's ship Roebuck, captain Burrowes. May 9. At the Court at St. James's; present, the king's most excellent majesty in council.This day, his majesty in council having ordered the council-book to be laid before him, the name of the hon. Charles James Fox was erased from the list of privy counsellors. Admiralty-Office, May 12. Copy of a Letter from Capt. Hotham, of his Majesty's Ship Adamant, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated at anchor off the Islands of St. Marcou, the 8th of May, 1798. SIR, I have the satisfaction of inclosing, for the information of my lords commissioners of the admiralty, a letter I yesterday received from lieutenant Price, commanding officer on the islands of St. Marcou, in which it will be found, that, by his firm and steady resistance against a very considerable force, those islands have been saved falling into the hands of the enemy. The calm weather had for some days prevented his majesty's ships under my orders from checking the progress which the flotilla from La Hogue might attempt to make; and, judging from the information I received from lieutenant Price on the morning of the 6th, that it was on its way to the islands, I necessarily approached them as near as the state of the weather would permit me do. On the same afternoon, however, I was obliged to anchor; but taking advantage of a light breeze in the evening, I again weighed and stood in. At ten o'clock that night, it again falling quite calm, and fearing the floodtide would carry us too far to the eastward, the ship once more anchored, the islands bearing W. by S. six miles. A little before the dawn of day, the enemy commenced the attack, and the boats were soon afterwards seen placed, and keeping up a constant fire. A light breeze springing up at that time from the N. N. W. with an ebb-tide, the signal was made to weigh, and captains Talbot of the Eurydice, and Hagget of the Orestes, were directed by me to stand in as fast as possible, and attack the enemy in the manner they should judge most effectual towards destroying them, on arriving up. While going down, however, it was perceived the enemy was making his retreat in a very hasty and confused manner; and I am not altogether without hope, that the near approach of his majesty's ships in some measure confirmed the enemy in his inclination of abandoning an enterprise, which, from the very able conduct and well-directed fire of lieutenant Price, he would at all events have been ultimately obliged to do. It again falling calm, and the ships not having steerage-way, rendered pursuit on our side impossible, and enabled them to make their retreat to La Hogue. It would be great injustice in not joining with him in his very well bestowed commendation on the conduct of the several officers and men under his command. It may not be deemed improper to mention, that I this morning saw some pieces of paper taken from the vessel which has been towed in, and that amongst them there is a sort of return of the crew, by which it appears that it consisted of 144 men; the total force, therefore, may have been very considerable, and, there is every reason to believe, has suffered great loss. I have the honour to be, &c. W. HOTHAM. Badger, Isles St. Marcou, May 7. SIR, I beg leave to represent to you, that, in consequence of the information I received yesterday, and the movements of the enemy at La Hogue, I conjectured they would attack us in the night, about high water; I therefore dispatched a guardboat, belonging to the Sandfly, with Mr. Moore, midshipman of the Eurydice, in her, to watch the motions of the enemy. About twelve o'clock he got amongst them, and made the signal of their being in motion, and about the same time we clearly heard the enemy talk, but it was so dark we could not discover them. At day-break, I observed their line drawn a-breast of the S. W. face of the western redoubt, and having all my guns I could bring to bear well pointed, I began a steady well-directed fire on them, until the flat boats came within musquet-shot, when I observed six or seven of them go down, whilst the others took out the living part of the crews; one I am towing in to the islands, and the remainder, consisting of forty-three, are re turning into La Hogue. I am clear, from the crowded state of their decks, that they must have received great damage and slaughter; but I am sorry to add, we had one marine killed, and 3 severely wounded, and oue seaman wounded. Lieutenant Bourne took every method in his power to assist me; but from the situation of the attack, the east island was deprived for some time of doing much; but the shells from the 68-pounders, over the length of the west island, latterly did them great damage, by flanking the N.W. side of the west island. I beg leave to represent likewise to you, that lieutenants Maughan and Ensor, with the marines, serjeant Henderson and the party of artillery, and the seamen under my cominand, behaved as well as officers and men could do. I am, sir, your humble servant, CHA. P. PRICE. Capt. Hotham, senior officer, &c. Lieutenant Price, in a letter to Mr. Nepean, dated the 9th, repeats the intelligence contained in the above, and concludes thus: "I am sorry to announce the death of Thomas Hall, private marine, killed; Richard Dunn and Peter Williamson, marines, wounded, and Thomas Banks, seaman, wounded. But considering our receiving the fire of near eighty heavy bow-guns, from 36 to 18 pounders, for upwards of two hours, I look upon cur damage as not great. We had four guns dismounted, but I got them fit for service before night. Inclosed I send you lieutenant Bourne's letter to me, the morning after the action. I am, &c. CHA. P. PRICE. Sandfly, East Island, St. Marcou, 7th May, 1798. SIR, I have the pleasure to inform you, |