mality in the defcription of his titles, &c. &c. He was heard with patience for near half an hour, when the Court informed him that the writ was legal, the fervice good, and the defcription proper. His Lordship then demanded Oyer of the information; and the Officer of the Court accordingly read over the information, which is very long, and confiits of feveral counts; and charges him with publishing a Libel against the French Charge d'Affaires on the 22d of Auguft, 1786, in one of the public papers. After it was finifhed, the Court demanded, whether he chofe to appear to the faid information? His Lordship replied, he did not wish to obftru&t the courfe of Justice, being ready to stand the teft; and as to his appearance, he defired the Court to confult their own eyes. His appearance being recorded, the Court granted him an Imparlance until next Term, when he mult anfwer.

2. This evening between seven and eight o'clock, a fire broke out at an oil fhop in Bridges-ftreet, near Drury-lane theatre, which burnt for fome time with fuch fury, that the people in the houfe could with difficulty fave themfelves. The alarm reached the theatre, and the play was difcontinued.

3. On Thursday last one of the King's melfengers, difpatched by the Right Hon. William Eden, his Majeftv's Envoy Extraordinary and Minifter Plenipotentiary at the Court of France, arrived at the Office of the Marquis of Carmarthen, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with the Moft Chriftian King's Ratification of the Convention, figned the 15th of January lait, concerning the Execution of the Treaty of Navigation and Commerce lately concluded between his Majefty and the Moft Cariftian King, which was exchanged with Mr. Eden againft his Majefty's Ratification, on the 29th of January lait, at Verlailles, by his Moft Chriftian Majefty's Plenipoten tiary.

Burt, who was capitally convicted for a forgery on his mafter, Mr. Evans the goldbeater, and last feflion refufed his Majefty's mercy, has fent a letter to Mr. Akerman, expreffing his forrow for his obftinacy and prefumption, and intreats to be fout to Botany Bay.

5 The new American Bishops were confecrated at Lambeth Palace. They take the titles of Bishop of New York and Bishop of Philadelphia; and afterwards they were hofpitably entertained. They do not take the style of Lord or Lordship. According to their own requeft, they are directed to as Right Rev. Doctor, Bishop of, &c. and addreffed in the fame ftyle; neither have they yet fubmitted to the old hackneyed term Father in God. Epifcopacy is admitted in America, but is fimplified as much as poffible.

6. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was initiated into the myfteries of Fice

Mafonry, at the Star and Garter, Pall-Mall. His Royal Highnefs the Duke of Cumberland as Grand Master, the Duke of Nortolk, the Duke of Manchester, and feveral other noblemen of that respectable order attended at the ceremony.

7. This morning the remains of Mr. and Mrs. Thompion, who lodged on the fecond floor of the house which was burnt down in Bridges-ftreet, were dug out of the ruins, in a most shocking and mangled ftate. The man had been upwards of twenty-four years a box-keeper at the Opera-house, and loft his life by endeavouring to refcue from the flames his unfortunate wife (who was exceedingly ill in bed at the time of the fire breaking our) which before he could effect, the floor fell in, and they perished together.

8. The contempt for which Mr. Bowes was committed to the Court of King's-Bench was taken off on the motion of Mr. Erfkine. It had been previously argued before the Mafter of the Crown-Office, on Wednesday Evening, on a reference from the Court. Me Law,exerted himfelf greatly to establish the contempt, and Mr. Erikine difplayed the energies of his eloquence to overturn it, and they lucceeded. The Mafter reported that Mr. Bowes had not been guilty of contempt, and the Court accordingly ordered him to be difcharged.

9. Lord George Gordon appeared in the Court of King's Bench, and in a defultory Speech informed the Court that he had been perfecuted with another information. The Court ordered the information to be read to his Lordship, which charged him with having written certain inflammatory papers, ftimulating the prifoners in Newgate to mutiny againit the fentence of transportation to Botany Bay. The proper officer having charged his Lordfhip with the offence, he demanded a plea; on which the Court indulged his Lordship with an imparlance to the first day of next term.

The very humane and philanthropic Mr. Howard arrived fafe in town from the Continent, and has fince published the following Addrefs.

To the SUBSCRIBERS for ERECTING a STATUE, &c. to Mr. HOWARD.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

YOU are entitled to all the gratitude 【 can exprefs for the teftimony of approbation you have intended me, and I am truly fenfible of the honour done me; but, at the fame time, you muit permit me to inform you, that I cannot, without violating all my feelings, confent to it, and that the execution of your defign would be a cruel punishment to me. It is, therefore, my earnest request, that thofe friends wh with my happiness and future comfort in life, would withdraw their names from the Subfcription, and that the execution of your defign may be laid afide for ever.

S 2

I hall

I fhall always think the reforms now going on in feveral of the Gaols of this Kingdom, and which, I hope, will become general, the greatest honour and moft ample reward I can poffibly receive.

I must further inform you, that I cannot permit the Fund which, in my ablence, and without my confent, hath been called the HOWARDIAN FUND, to go in future by that name, and that I will have no concern in the difpofal of the money fubfcribed; my Situation and various purfuits rendering it impoffible for me to pay any attention to fuch general plan, which can only be carried into due effect in particular diftricts, by a conftant attention and a conftant refidence.

11. The following melancholy event happened in Wood-ftrect, Cheapfide. Mr. Owen, one of the Serjeants at Mace to the Sheriffs of London, and who keeps à lock-up house opofite the Compter, on Thursday last having arrefted a gentleman for 200l. and upwards, took him to his own houfe; and having obferved fome marks of infanity about him, Mr. Owen had defired one of the keeper's fervants to fit up with him; but before ten at night, Mr. Owen being out, the gentleman took the advantage, knocked down Mrs. Owen, feized the key, and made his escape, tho' not fo foon but Mrs. Owen feized him by the coat-flap, which gave way and was left in her hand, when he pursued him, calling ftop thief, but he got clear off. Mr. Owen having intelligence where he was, went on Sunday morning with some affiftants and took him, brought him home into Wood-freet, where he had not been five minutes before he took the opportunity, whilft Mr. Owen and his affiftants were in an adjoining room, to cut his throat, and in fuch a manner, that he nearly fevered the head from the body, and died in an inftant. -His name was David Clark, well known by the gentlemen of the turf, and his refidence was at Newmarket, where he had an efate of near 200l. a year.

FEB. 14.

At the Court at St. James's, the 12th of February, 1787,

PRESENT,

Bucks, Richard Dayrell, of Lillingstone Dayrell, Esq.

Cumberland, Thomas Whelpdale, of Skirgill Hall, Efq.

Cheshire, Sir Richard Brooke, of Norton,

Bart.

Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, William Camps, of Wilburton, Elq.

Devonshire, John Quick, of Newton Saint Cyres, Efq.

Dorfetfhire, Peter William Baker, of Ranston, Efq.

Derbyshire, Sir Richard Arkwright," of Cromford, Kat.

Effex, John Judd, of Chelmsford, Efq. Gloucefter fhite, Samuel Richardson, of Newent, Efq.

Hertfordshire, John Roper, of Berkamftead St. Peter, Elq.

Herefordshire, Richard Cope Hopton, of Cannon Froome, Efq.

Kent, John Cottin, of Hill Park, Esq. Lancashire, William Bamford, of Bamford, Efq.

Leicestershire, John Goodacre, of Ashby Parva, Esq.

Lincolnthire, Theophilus Buckworth, of Spalding, Efq.

Monmouthshire, Thomas Lewis, of Chepftow, Efq.

Northumberland, Edward Collingwood, of Chirton, Efq.

Northamptonshire, William Walcot, the younger, of Oundle, Efq.

Norfolk, Edward Billingfley, of Hockwould with Wilton, Efq.

Nottinghamshire, Thomas Waterhouse, of Beckenham, Efq.

Oxfordshire, Charles Marfack, of Caver fham Park, Efq.

Rutland fhire, George Belgrave, of Rid lington, Efq.

Shropshire, Humphry Sandford, of The Ifle, Efq. Nathaniel Dalton, of

Somerfetfhire, Shanks, Efq.

Staffordshire, Thomas Whieldon, of Fenton, Efq.

Suffolk, John Meadows Theobald, of Henley, Efq.

County of Southampton, Sir Henry Powlett St. John, of Dogmersfield, Bart.

Surrey, Richard Ladbroke, of Tadworth Court, Efq.

Suffex, Rich. Wyatt, of Trimmings, Elq. Warwickshire, Thomas Mafon, of Stratford upon Avon, Efq. Worcestershire,

Richard Harrison, of

Council.

SHERIFFS appointed by his Majesty in

Council, for the year 1787.

Berkshire, William Byam Martin, of White Knights, Etq.

Bedford hire, Jofeph Partridge, of Cran field, Elq.

Wiltshire, Ifaac Webb Horlock, of Afhwick, Efq.

Yorkshire, Francis Ferrand Foljambe, of Aldwark, Efq.

SOUTH WALES.

Carmarthenshire, Hugh Mears, of Llanfle

phar, Efq.

Pembrokeshire, James Phillips, of Peatypark, Efq.

Car

Anglefey, John Griffith Lewis, of Tryfelwyn, Efq.

Carnarvonshire, David Jones, of Cefn Coed, Efq.

Merionethshire, John Jones, of Rhyd y fen, Efq.

Montgomeryshire, Trever Lloyd, of Llanafen, Efq.

Denbighshire, Sir Fofter Cunliffe, of Acton, Bart.

Flintshire, Philip Yorke, of Maes y groes, Efq.

At a Council of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, held at Carlton-Houfe, the 8th of February, 1787.

SHERIFF appointed by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in Council, for the Year 1787.

County of Cornwall, Samuel Thomas, of Tregolis, Efq.

16.The following prifoners were executed in the Old Baily, viz. Samuel Phipps for ftealing a gold watch; James Dobfon for tealing a letter containing feveral bank notes; Dennis Sullivan, for breaking open the house of Henry Ringing, and ftealing five fhillings in half-pence; Robert Horfly, for robbing Jane Bearblock of a metal watch; Jofeph Mander, William Jones, Henry Staples, John Turner, William Adams, James Brown, Frederick Daniel Lucas, and Jofeph Crawley. They all behaved in a becoming man

ner.

20. This night's Gazette contains his Majefty's proclamation, commanding all the Peers of Scotland to affemble at Holy-RoodHoufe, in Edinburgh, on Wednelday the 28th of March next, between the hours of twelve and two in the afternoon, to nominate and choose two Peers of Scotland to fit and vote in the Hufe of Peers of this prefent Parliament of Great-Britain, in the room of William Duke of Queensberry, and James Earl of Abercorn, who have been created British Peers.

21. The benign Mr. Howard has met with a misfortune which touches him nearly, and will not be mentioned without exciting concern in the public-we mean the lofs of his papers and manufcripts

they were loft or stolen from a coach coming from Canterbury. We need not add, that to him this lofs is more afflicting than that of wealth (and there were feveral jewels and other valuables with the papers) and to the world expecting to reap the fruits of his labours, we fear it may be irreparable.

24. Though the forwardness of vegetation in the fpring of 1776 was unprecedented

in the memory of man, it is with no small gratification that the naturalifts, fiorists, &c. bferve the prefent furpats every preceding one for inftance, though according to Stil lingfleet's Calendar of Nature, &c. primrofes were then full blown on the 7th of February, thefe, with dog-rofe, and the æra of foliation in goofberries, were much earlier this prefent year; even lilacs and black curants were in bud by the 10th of January, and others in proportion; and with refpett to the kitchen-garden, vegetation has not been lefs rapid, aromatic herbs beginning to spring by the 2d inftant; nor are the advances of the feathered creation lefs remarkable. the hedge fparrow being heard to fing on the 13th of January; but what must tend the molt to figualize this year in the memorials of obfervers, is the unufual appearance of an Aurora Borealis in the middle of Ja

"That in addition to the favours already granted to our commerce, in the establifhment of the free ports, and in the admiffion of tobacco, agreeable to Mr. Morris's contract, his Majefty confents to abolish the duty of fabrication with refpect to the whale-oil and permaceti, directly imported from the United States in French or Ainerican bottoms, fo that this oil and fpermaceti fhall not pay, during ten years, any other duty but feven livres, ten fols, and the augmentation of ten fols per livre, which lalt duty is to cease in 1790; to fupprefs all duties on pot and pearl-aines, beaver skins, hair, and raw leather, if imported from the United States in French or American veffels; to abolish all duties upon malts, yards, knees for fhip-building, red cedar, green oak, and tmber of all kinds, imported as above; to exempt from all duties the purchafe of fhips built in the United States; to abolish the duties formerly laid upon all fhrubs, trees, and feeds imported into France, in French or American veffels, from the United States: that the King having been informed that the ftate of Virginia had ordered the arms for her militia to be made in France, his Majefty has declared, that the prohibitions which hitherto have prevented the exportation of arms and gun-powder, as well as the duties laid upon these articles when exported by permiffion, fhall be abolifhed; and that whenever the United States fhall think it expedient to export from France arms, guns, and gunpowder, they shall find no impediment in the law of the country, provided thefe articles be exported in French or American veffels. A very fmall duty is only to be paid, in order to facilitate the calculation of exports. That his Majefty has received, with the fame favour, the pli