of foftening the calamities infeparable from war, has always been, to merit and obtain the estimation of a nation fo gene. rous and respectable as that of Great Britain. The teftimonies of it shown to me by the Gentlemen of the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Glasgow, fill me with the moft lively fentiments of gratitude, of which I request you to accept my affurances, as well as of the very high confideration and respect with which I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your most obedient and most humble fervant, LE MARQUIS DE BOUILLE." Thefe piftols have been lately finished, and are committed to the care of Gen. Melvill, who has obligingly undertaken to convey them to the Marquis de Bouille at Paris. They are of highly polished fteel, richly ornamented with arms, tro phies, &c. in gold and filver; and, upon the whole, thought to be the fineft pistols of their kind ever executed in North Britain. About nine o'clock on the evening of Nov. 9. a most atrocious murder was com mitted, a little to the eastward of the old toll-bar in the Gallowgate, Glasgow. Thomas Morton, ftocking-maker, was at work, two or three others being in the fhop with him. Some unknown perfon discharged a gun, which had been loaded with small shot and two balls, through the window, which entered Morton's throat, a little under the left ear, went through it, and inftantly killed him. Morton was concerned in circulating the forged notes on the Aberdeen Bank with William Steven junior, in November laft, at Paisley, but efcaped. Some time in September Morton surrendered himself, with a view of being evidence at Steven's trial laft circuit; but Steven having efcaped from prifon, Morton was allowed to follow his bufinefs till he was thus cruelly murdered. It is to be hoped the vile affaffin will be discovered, and brought to juftice. The gun had been fo ftrongly charged, that two balls penetrated the door of the fhop, and entered the adjoining kitchen. Nov. 29. The commiffioners of fupply for the county of Edinburgh determined two appeals in favour of the fubject, on the late Window A&t. The first was an appeal at the inftance of Lord Adam Gordon, against the furveyor of the window lights, for charging him for his houfe of Prefton Hall, in that county, with 141. 9 s. as the old duty of 144 windows or lights, for a year, and alfo of 81. as the new duties on faid windows for half a year, together with 1s. 6d. of additional houfe duty.-Lord Adam's defence against paying thefe duties was, that his houfe being neither inhabited nor poffeffed by any living creature, fell to be confidered only as a repofitory for his furniture and that fuch houfes were particularly exempted by the late act impofing this new window tax. The additional house duty, his Lordship infifted, was clearly not chargeable on any houfe in Scotland, because it is only leviable, by the statute, upon houfes already charged at three billings; whereas no house in Scotland is charged above one filling. It was contended on the part of the furveyor, that the only method of afcertaining whether houfes were inhabited or not, has been by their being furnished, which has invariably been the cafe with the houfe of Prefton Hall; it having been inhabited, though by fervants only, for feveral years back, till of late, that Lord Adam had removed them to an out-house, in order to evade the duty; but that these fervants ftill continued to put on fires every day, and open the windows, in order to air the houfe. This, in the eye of the law, the furveyor alledged was fufficient to fubject Lord Adam, and quoted feveral decifions of the English Judges in fupport of his argument. Lord Adam replied, that whatever decifions might have been pronounced on the former act, they did by no means apply to the new one, which being imposed for a commutation of the former duties on tea, it would be abfurd to suppose, that he fhould be taxed for confuming tea in a house which he did not inhabit. The commiffioners of fupply were unanimously of opinion that Lord Adam was not liable. The other cafe determined in the fame manner, was that of Mr Alves, factor to the Duke of Buccleugh. Mr Alves was charged with window-lights by the furveyor, for a house inhabited by him in Dalkeith. Mr Alves brought his appeal upon this ground, that he paid no rent for the houfe, but that it was the property of the Duke of Buccleugh; and as his Grace already paid for two houfes, viz. one in England and one in Scotland, which was all the law required, it would be unjust to make him liable for a third. -The farveyor contended, that as the houfe was furnished, and with furniture the property of Mr Alves, it could not be I received your letter, inclosing the refolutions of the citizens of Edinburgh, and requesting my affistance in support of their petition to parliament, for altering the prefent mode of electing their reprefentatives. I truft, Sir, that the part I have taken in fupport of every measure that tends to reftore to the whole nation the right of every individual to have a voice in electing the representative who is to make laws by which he is bound, will be a fufficient pledge, that I fhould fupport every plan for extending the right of luffrage beyond its prefent narrow limits. The citizens of Edinburgh may therefore be affured that I fhall always be ready to affift the reform they propofe; and I am happy to fee that they are taking those steps which will prove that they are in earnest in their attempts to recover their rights. I am, Sir, your most obedient humble fervant, &c. Richmond, Lenox, and Aubigny. Letter from the Rev. Christopher Wyvil, Chairman of the Yorkshire Affociation, to Thomas M'Grugar, Elq; Secretary of the Committee of Citizens of Edinburgh. SIR, St James's Dec. 21. Having lately had the honour of two interviews with Mr Pitt, in which he fully explained himself on the fubje&t of a parliamentary reformation, I am happy to affure you, that the refult was fuch as. muft undoubtedly give much fatisfaction to the fincere freinds of that measure. Mr Pitt has authorifed ine to affert, that he means to bring that subject before the House of Commons as early as poffible in the next feffion of parliament: That he will fupport his intended propofitions to the utmost of his ftrength, and exert his whole power as a mun and as a minifter, honeftly and boldly to carry fuch a meliorated system of representation as may place the conftitution on a footing of permanent fecurity." I have the pleasure to add, that the profpect of fuccefs is improved beyond our moft fanguine expectations. For this occafion, the friends of refor. mation in Scotland, particularly the affo. ciated Citizens of Edinburgh, should be difpofed, by petition to parliament, or in any other proper mode, to testify their sentiments on the general question of parliamen tary reformation, or on the specific plan of Mr Pitt, when known. -I have no doubt that vigorous efforts will be made by the County of York, in concurrence with the able bodies of men, to give effectual supCitizens of Edinburgh, and other respect. port to that neceffary measure-the im provement of our representation. I am Sir, &c. C. WYVILL. There are loud complaints from the webern parts of Scotland, on account of fishers on the coaft of Ireland. It feems the outrages committed on the Scotch for fome years paft the herring fishing has been much better on the northern coats of Ireland towards the end of the feafon than our own coaft. This induced fome buffes to go thither, which were permit ted to filh without moleftation. Next year other veffels went, which were required to pay a fmall fum for liberty to fith, which they complied with for the time. At laft they not only extorted money for permiffion to fish, but allo compelled them to pay duty for all the falt and cafks they had on board, though they were never landed; and this year they firft made them pay for liberty to fish, and then forbid them. Some veffels having thot their nets, a great multitude of boats came off from the fhore full of men armed with fcythes, pitchforks, knives, and other murderous weapons, threatening with terrible imprecations, to defroy every person who oppofed them. They firit cut and deftroyed the nets that had been fet, and all the other articles belonging to the Scotch veffels they could lay hands on, and then attacked the fifhers themselves, who, with tears, on their knees begged mercy, promifing any thing they could exact; but they believe, that had not the boats of a frigate on that station come up at that inftant to their refcue, nothing elfe could have faved their lives. This, it feems, was not a caufal mob, but arifing in contequence of a decree of one of those affociations who have become the legiflators of Ireland, and make laws and execute them as they please. Edinburgh, Edinburgh, December. The HIGHLAND SOCIETY of Edinburgh was inftituted in February 1784, and confifts at prefent of 135 members, whereof thirty are the committee of managers and directors. New members are admitted by ballot, and muft previously lodge an application in writing with the fecretary or his depute. The objects of this patriotic inftitution are, I. An inquiry into the present state of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland; and the condition of their inhabitants. II. An inquiry into the means of their improvement, by establishing towns and villages; by facilitating communication through different parts of the Highlands of Scotland by roads and bridges; advancing agriculture, and extending filheries; introducing useful trades and manufactures; and by an exertion to unite the efforts of the proprietors, and call the attention of government towards the encouragement and profecution of these beneficial purposes. III. The Society alfo pays a proper attention to the prefervation of the language, poetry, and music of the Highlands. The following are the officers appointed by the Society, viz. Duke of Argyle, Prefident; Sir James Grant of Grant, Bt, John Macdonald of Clanranald, Efq; Col. John Macdonnell of Lochgary, David Steuart, Efq; banker, Edinburgh, Treasurer of the Society, Vice-Prefidents; William Macdonald, Efq; Secretary; Mr John Lefly, Depute-Secretary; MrColin Menzies, Clerk; Rev. Dr Touch, and Mr Jofeph R. Macgregor, Chaplains. On Dec. 6. the Earl of Bute, Chancellor of the Marifchal college of Aber. deen, made a donation of a large and useful collection of books, confifting of above 1300 volumes, chiefly in medicine, and the fubjects connected with it. His Lordship has, with the fame elegance and munificence, given to the college feveral highly valuable aftronomical in ftruments; particularly a moft magnificent Univerfal Equatorial, conftructed by Siffon, with all the late improvements by Ramfden. Alfo one of Ramfden's firft Tranfit Inftruments. So that, with a great variety of philofophical apparatus occafionally procured, this college now certainly poffeffes one of the beft accom plished obfervatories in the kingdom. His Lordship likewife intends adding to his other benefactions, an elegant and vaVOL. XLVI. luable collection of foffils, properly arranged, from his own mufeum, which is efteemed, efpecially in the article of mineralogy, the finest in Europe. Leith, Dec. 15. Laft night about nine o'clock, at fire was discovered in the floop Anne, Capt. Kidd, lying about the middle of our harbour, the flames of which burft from the cabin. The two fire-engines were immediately got; but as the floop was lying in a third tier, and two large veffels on the fide next the key, they were obliged to fcrew on the leather pipes, to get the water from the engines conveyed into the floop. It feems the mafter of the floop had, notwithstanding the fevere penalty against lighting fires in the harbour, put on one, which had not been properly taken care of, and was the occation of this dreadful alarm. It was about three quarters of an hour before the fire was get under, owing to its being low water; though it is acknowledged, upon all hands, that greater exertions could not be ufed. Many of the thipmafters and carpenters were standing in the river up to their middle in mud, handing up water, and cutting away fuch parts of the veffel as were on fire. Happily no lives were loft; and, though a number of people fell into the harbour, only one gentleman of the place, and two failors, were hurt, but not dangerously. Had the fire happened in the middle of the night, Leith muft have been ruined, there being upwards of 100 veffels, and many of them valuable, at present in the harbour. The fhip upon the one fide of the veffel on fire was loaded with fpirits, and that on the other with flax. On Monday, Dec. 13. came on at Edinburgh, before the High Court of Jufticiary, the trial of William Spence, matrofs in the second battalion of artillery, fon of W. Spence in Dalkeith, for being an active perfon in a riotous and tumultuous affembly which met together in the town of Dalkeith, on June 7. laft, and proceeded to the village of Ford, and there fet fire to and otherwife deftroyed the diftillery and out-houfes of Alexander Reid diftiller [P. 332.]. The indictment, which was laid upon the common law, and alfo upon the ftatute of Geo. I. called the Riot Act, was found relevant to infer the pains of law. The jury gave in their verdict next day, finding, by a plurality of voices, the pannel Not guilty; upon which he was difmiffed from the bar. 4 C The The LONDON General Bill of Christenings and Burials, from December 16. 1783, to De- Christened {Males (849817179 Age. No. Between 5729 Age. No. 1417 2 and 1711 30 and 40 1599 70 and 80 917 s and 10 683 40 and 50 1781 80 and 90 Abort. and Stillb. 528 Evil ing-Cough 467 Mifcarriage Dropfy Abfcefs 13 Palfy Fever, ditto malig- Pleurify nant, fearlet, fpot- Ague Apoplexy and Sud. 207 Fiftula Flux Afthma and Phthi- 8ted, and purples 1973 Rheumatism Quinfy 830 Mortification 3 136 Bit by a mad dog 66 Broken Limbs Bruifed 4 Burnt 4 Scurvy Vomit. and Loofness 2 Scalded Thrush Tympany 4 Worms ing of the Guts 198 Cold 62 8 Inflammation 3 Jaundice 4 9 Small Pox 8 Chorked Drowned 4 1759 3 2 14 I 91 11 Aberdeen infirmary, num- of patients in 112 Distillery 529. 570 Air, dissertation on it 449. tỷ lại Allan Ramfay, the Scots poet, King and Queen of France ment of the parish of Cath- arrive at Philadelphia ib. cart 279 New England on the British Athol East Indiaman, accounts Mr Carnes afcends with a Ayder Ali Khan, his history 496. Invention of a water- Bagnio, a Turkish one defcri- Advertisement of emigrants Ballad-maker's character 573 Of an Barley, extraordinary increase ance 90 Of Bat of Madagascar described Of canoes 454 the Ruffian empire 91, 174 141 Arran, Earl of, his account of Bed chambers, on the bad ef- on Swinburne's travels through Runnamede 36. 245 Dallas 277. |