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A lift of the Killed and Wounded, and of those who Died of their Wounds or of Disorders, or were Miffing.

REGIMENTS, &c.

Comp. of artillery
King's regiment
Royal Welch fufileers
Col. Cornwallis's
Lord Effingham's
Capt. Scroop's men

W.

8 22 3 0 16 7053 17 76 4 2 85233 16 7172

M.

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6 1030 2 Total 713011251017

Lieut. Armstrong dead of his wounds.
Lieut. Francis loft his arm.
Lieut. Young wounded in the heel.
Capt. Hobby killed.

Capt. Sir Hugh Williams flightly wounded.
Major Godfrey wounded by a fhell.
Lieut. Whitehead killed by a small ball.
Major Cuningham wounded, by a fword, in the

hand.

ed the weft part of the garrison in a man-
ner equal to the north, they were more
exposed to our fire, because of the re-
moteness of the garrifon from town. Here
they attacked the weft lunette; which
was also defended with great bravery.
The enemy, however, in the midft of
fire and fmoak, regardless of the lofs of
men, made themselves mafters of a four-
gun battery: but were obliged to aban-
don it again, with infinite lofs; a con-
tant fire being made from the Princess
Carolina's lunette, fuftained by fome of
our piquets. The furvivors fled with
great precipitation over the palifadoes,
and flew back to the town. Lt. Col.
Jeffreys was made prifoner in this at
tack; and Major Cuningham [xviii.
646] was wounded. On the fouth fide
of the garrifon (next the fea) the ene-
my came in boats, and attacked the
garrifon with fcaling ladders, but were
foon repulfed. The boat with fcaling
ladders was taken, and others funk.
This poft was maintained by very few
men; but fuch was the zeal of the fol-
diers, that fome of the fick and wound-
ed came out of the hofpital to join in
defence of this quarter. At this time
the Marlborough fort was attacked by
700 men, led on by a prince of the
blood, the voluntier already mention-
ed; who were repulfed with great lofs,
by a captain and 50 men. When day
appeared, the enemy, fatigued with 28250 Total
the night's encounter, beat a parley;
when our men forbore their firing Weight.
with fuch reluctance, that our officers 32 pounds
were obliged to ftop them with me-
naces fword in hand. We had about
40 killed and wounded, and the enemy
1500.

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Thus did four regiments and one company of artillery maintain the garrifon, against fuch numbers of the enemy by fea and land for fuch a length of time, as can perhaps fcarce be parallelled in hiftory. The terms on which the fort was at laft furrendered, by a handful of men, fo diftreffed, haraffed, fhattered, and neglected, remain a lafting monument to their honour, and the difgrace of those by whom they ought to have been fup. ported. [xviii. 350.]

The Strength of the four regiments at the beginning
of the fiege.
King's regiment
Royal Welch fufileers
Col. Cornwallis's
Lord Effingham's

610
608

637

}

605

Total 2460

Abstract of all the ammunition expended in the fiege from April 30. to June 30. 1756.

Shells.

1972

1385

1551 5738 16572

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1032 hand-grenades

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39

JOURNAL of the Proceedings and Debates in the POLITICAL CLUB, continued from vol. xviii. p. 643.

The debate on the motion for a bill for the encouragement of feamen, &c. continued. The fpeech of C. Decimius.

Mr Prefident,

A

S the Hon. Gentleman who fpoke laft but one, has clearly fhewn, that the preffing of feamen into their country's fervice, is authorised, not only by common law, but by express statute; and as the ftatute mentioned by him, is a ftatute that extends to Scotland, as well as to every other part of the British dominions; I have no occafion to fay any thing in juftification of the practice it felf; and therefore I rife up only to rectify fome mistakes which an Hon. Gentleman fell into, with regard to the late exercise of this power in Scotland; and which, I am fure, he would not have mentioned at all, or would have stated it in quite another light, had he had a full and true information of the matter of fact. This I may affert with the more confidence, from the knowledge I have of the Hon. Gentleman; and because, from the nature of the office which I have the honour to hold under his Majefty in that part of the united kingdom, I must have heard of it, if any thing had been done there, which was contrary to law, or inconfiftent with the privileges enjoyed by the happy inhabitants of this ifland; privileges which the subjects of no other kingdom upon the face of the earth are intitled to, and which cannot be juftly faid to have been in the leaft violated, ever fince the happy acceffion of the prefent illuftrious family to our throne.

As to the employing of the military, Sir, upon the prefent occafion, my Hon. friend has already fufficiently explained it. They were employed, not to prefs, but to protect those who had a legal authority to prefs. And every one who knows any thing of the nature of the people in that country, muit allow that it was abfolutely neceffary: for if the prefs-gangs had not in feveral places been attended by a party of foldiers, they

could have preffed but very few of the moft worthlefs fort of feamen; or otherwife a great deal of bloodshed would, I am convinced, have enfued, for the mob in that country do not content themfelves with clubs and bludgeons, but poffefs themselves of as many fire-arms, and other mortal weapons, as they can poffibly come at, and we know that our prefs-gangs are not furnished with arms proper for encountering fuch a mob: therefore, without the affiftance of the military, no prefs-gang could have ventured to fearch for, or prefs any feaman who was a favourite of the populace. And of this we had a remarkable inftance at one of the little fea-ports in Scotland, where a prefs-gang went to look for feamen, at firft without any party of foldiers, and could find in the whole town but three ordinary feamen; but being afterwards informed that there were certainly a great number of feamen in that town, they went a fecond time, attended with a fufficient detachment of the military: by this they were enabled to make a strict search, and they found no lefs than threefcore of as able and expert mariners as moft in the British navy.

I know, Sir, that before the union there was never any fuch thing in Scotland as preffing feamen into the navy; and the reason is very evident, because they never had any navy, unless a frigate or two could be called a navy. But this is fo far from being against, that, upon this occafion, it was a reason for employing the military to protect the prefs-gangs in the performance of their duty; because the populace in all countries are apt to refent, and even to rebel against the exercife of any act of power which they have never been accuflomed to; though, to fenfible and thinking men, that act of power may appear to be abfolutely neceffary for the public fervice, or perhaps for preventing thofe very people who oppofe it, from becoming a prey to their enemies. How happy would it have been for Scotland,

in the year 1745, if all their feamen had been preffed into the public fervice, in order to man a few guardfhips, for preventing the landing of thofe who at that time raifed fuch a flame in the country? and yet I believe, that a prefs could not then have been carried on without the affiftance of the military. In fhort, Sir, if preffing be a legal and a neceffary act of power, as I think it has been fully proved to be, an officer with a prefs-warrant in his pocket has as good a right to be effectually protected by our government in executing that warrant, as a conftable in executing any warrant from a juftice of the peace.; and if this cannot be done by the civil, it must be done by the military power: but this will always be the cafe, when the poffe comitatus, or thofe whofe duty it is to affift the officer or conftable, are the very people that are engaged in the fedition or riot: and if the pofe comitatus fhould be called for, or the hue and cry raised in any country where there were foldiers, they would be obliged, as his Majesty's fubjects, to affemble and march to the affiftance of the civil officer; but I am fure it would be much better, and fafer, to have them affemble and march, upon fuch an occafion, under the command of their officers, than to have them affemble and march without any fuch command; for it would be of the most dangerous confequence, to accuftom the foldiers of our army to affemble in any mobbish or tumultuous manner.

Now, Sir, as to the complaints mentioned by the Hon. Gentleman, of men being preffed who were not liable, either by law or custom, to be preffed into the fea-fervice; I muft, by the nature of my office, have heard of all complaints of this kind, that were regularly made; and I never heard but of three. Upon two of thefe, the men in whofe favour they were made, were discharged; and with refpect to the third, he was not indeed what we may properly call a feaman; therefore I fent for the officer who had preffed him; by whom I was informed, that the whole village where the fellow lived, had defired he might be prefied, because he was a fellow fo idle and pro

fligate, that he was more likely to ruin, than provide for his family; and that even his wife, though fhe had figned the petition, had privately begged that he might be taken away from her. As all this was confirmed, by feveral perfons of the fame village, I examined the wife apart; and then fhe confeffed, that the had figned the petition, becaufe, had the refufed. and he had afterwards got loose, he would have murdered her; but that he was fo far from affifting to provide for his family, that he had often robbed her of the money fhe had earned by hard labour, for maintaining herself and her fix children; that he fometimes fold or pawned her childrens cloaths for money to fpend at the alehouse, and that he beat her unmercifully if the ever dared to complain.

Let gentlemen judge, Sir, whether I could order fuch a fellow to be discharged. Are not all fuch fellows liable to be preffed? Ought they not to be preffed either into the fea or the land service? If we had in this country any fuch thing as galleys, they ought to be made galleyflaves for life. From this inftance we may judge of the oppreffions complained of, with regard to the preffing of men into the fea-fervice: for I am perfuaded, that many of them, if closely examined, would appear to be of much the fame nature with this; because the regulating captains are always very ready to hear, and as ready to redress any complaint which they find to be juft, and well founded. And this fhews how extremely cautious gentlemen ought to be, of mentioning any fuch complaints in this houfe, unless they have fully inquired into the nature and truth of the facts, and ftri&tly examined both the parties. concerned; and even then I do not think they ought to be mentioned, when they can have no other effect, but that of rendering a measure odious, which we muft, neceffarily, for the public fafety, often have recourse to..

And as to the complaint, Sir, of churches being invested in the time of divine fervice, and the people disturbed in their devotion; no fuch thing-ever happened, but once, when a prefs gang,

attended

attended by fome foldiers, went into a church-yard, and, I believe, did lay hold of fome feamen as they came out of church: but the foldiers were there accidentally, or at least they had no orders to attend, nor were they under any command upon that occafion; and as foon as the affair was heard of, ftrict orders were given, even to the prefs-gangs, never again to attempt any fuch thing. So that this must be reckoned one of that fort of irregularities, which the laudable, but mifguided zeal, of fome men for the public fervice, often leads them into, and cannot be altogether prevented in any affair of life: nay, even in religion itself, we know that men are often, by a mifguided zeal, prompted to be guilty of very great irregularities.

Upon the whole, Sir, I do not think that any very extraordinary methods of preffing have been lately practifed in any part of the British dominions; nor have I reafon to think that any fuch oppreffions or misfortunes have lately been thereby occafioned, as fhould induce us, for the fake of tempting feamen to enter voluntarily into the government's fervice, to refolve upon a measure, which would not only render an immediate war unavoidable, but make it believed, by all the courts of Europe, that we had provoked the war, and confequently that we ought to be deemed the aggreffors. And that this would be the confequence of the bill now propofed, we have, I think, great reafon to believe, as his Majefty has not yet thought fit to recommend any fuch bill to our confideration, or to order any of the French fhips that have been feized, to be condemned, and fold, for the benefit either of the public, or of the captors; for we must fuppofe, that the avoiding of thefe two confequences has been the chief, if not the only reason, why the condemnation and fale of thefe prizes have been hitherto delayed. And therefore, until I have reason to believe that his Majesty is refolved upon declaring war, I thall be against ordering any fuch bill as this to be brought in.

[This Journal to be continued.]

TH

HISTORY.

Hey write from PETERSBURG, of Dec. 16. that the King of Sweden having written a letter with his own hand to the Empress of Ruffia, defiring her leave to purchafe corn in Livonia and Finland, her Imperial Majefty not only confented to let 60,000 muids of it be fent to Sweden from the magazines of Narva and Riga, but likewife made his Swedish Majefty a prefent of 10,000 facks of flour.

The British minifter at Petersburg having fome time ago folicited the Emprefs of Ruffia's mediation for rendering the Emprefs Queen's fentiments favourable to the King of Pruffia, it was refused. That minifter applied a fecond time to the fame purpofe; in what terms, we have not learned; but the following is given us as the answer he received on the 3d of November." After Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, ambaffador from his Britannic Majesty, had been already told, in regard to the first propofition made by him, two months ago, about the mediation of her Majesty the Emprefs, for reconciling the court of Vienna to that of Berlin, that her Imperial Majefty did not expect fuch a step from him, the said ambassador will eafily conceive, in the prefent fituation of things, that the great earnestness with which he has juft reiterated the fame propofition to the miniftry of this court, mult have fo much the more astonished her Imperial Majefty, as fhe thought fhe could with justice expect more regard to what had been already declared concerning her refolution. Therefore the Emprefs orders his Excellency to be told, that as the intentions contained in the firft answer remain abfolutely invariable, confequently no ulterior propofitions for a mediation will be liftened to.

-As for the menaces made use of by his Excellency, and particularly that the King of Pruffia himfelf would foon attack her Imperial Majefty's troops; fuch menaces only ferve to weaken the ambaffador's propofals, to confirm still more, were it poffible, the Empress in her refolutions, to juftify them to the

whole

whole world, and to render the King of Pruffia more blameable in her fight." According to fome private letters from Petersburg, Sir Charles Hanbury Williams could not disguise his diflike of this anfwer, that minifter being too frank in his difpofition, to conceal his fentiments by a borrowed outfide, fo cuftomary to politicians in general.

Letters from SWEDEN bear, that the exportation of corn to that kingdom from the maritime provinces of Ruffia having been refused, contrary to treaties; a refolution had been taken to demand it in a formal manner, and if the refufal were perfifted in, to fend 30,000 additional troops into Finland, in order to act on that fide, fo foon as the feafon would permit. From what is before faid, it appears, that the Emprefs of Ruffia has removed this ground of difference. -On the 28th of November, his Swedish Majefty published an ordinance, prohibiting, under very fevere penalties, the making of any fpirituous liquors from corn.

Advices from HANOVER, dated Jan. 1. tell us, that Count Schmettau, a lieutenant-general in the King of Pruffia's fervice, was arrived there, in order to form the troops defined to act in conjunction with those of his Pruffian Majefty, in cafe the French make an irrup tion into Weftphalia. It is added, that orders were faid to be received from London, for raifing fix new regiments in that electorate.

Advices from DRESDEN bear, that in confequence of advice that a large body of Auftrians had advanced to the fron. tiers of Lufatia [xviii. 612.], the King of Pruffia had fent feveral regiments from Saxony to reinforce his troops in that part; and that two of thofe regiments returned to Drefden on the 29th of December, the officers of which affured, that they faw no enemy in Lufatia; and that all the reports of actions and fkirmishes in that country, confifted only of a defign of the Auftrians to plunder the quarters of a company of the Pruffian huffars, but that the huffars being apprised of it, foon repulfed the aggreffors, fome of whom they took prifoners.

Thefe advices add, that within a few days preceding the date of them, several covered waggons, loaded with coined money, had arrived at Drefden from Berlin. His Pruffian Majesty has directed, that all men in the electorate of Saxony between the age of eighteen and thirty-two, capable of bearing arms, fhall be registered, except apprentices and journey men employed in neceffary trades.

Late accounts from NAPLES fay, they are repairing the fortifications of moft of their maritime places, removing artille ry, and forming magazines, as if they were upon the eve of a war; which furnifhes matter for variety of conjectures; more efspecially as it is well known, that the court of Naples never takes any step of this kind but in concert with another power.- -On the 27th of December, fifteen perfons employed in digging a mong the ruins of Herculaneum, fuddenly difappeared, by the earth's giving way under them, falling into a cavern fifty fathoms deep. When this account was written, which was the next day, none of them had been got out. The reft of the labourers were so much alarmed, that none of them then had the courage to continue their work.

Letters from FRANCE advise, that the comptroller of the finances having fent to the parliament of Pau in Guyen, a declaration about raifing the twentieth penny to be registered, they returned it with a letter, containing in fubftance, That on the inspection of the declaration, the parliament did not so much as think it neceffary to deliberate whether they fhould register it, fince it was abfolutely impoffible for the province to pay that new fubfidy. It is added, that the comptroller-general fent the fame declaration a fecond time, and they returned it again purely and fimply. We have not yet heard how the court relished the freedom of this procedure.

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On the 20th of December the grand chamber of the parliament of Paris repaired to Verfailles, with reprefentations concerning the chambers of inquefts and requests. The King put them off with the following anfwer. "I am fatisfied

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