own house, dragged out of his own house, and, in defiance of the Habeas corpus a&t, and Magna Charta, imprifoned in the Tower of London; all his papers, the mofl fecret of them, rifled and carried away, under an avowed defign of collecting evidence against him for a supposed libel; thereby obliging a free-born Englishman to turn his own accufer, contrary to the known laws of the land. We al fo defire and expect, that you will ufe your utmost endeavours to find out by whom it was, that a writ of Habeas corpus, granted by a chief justice, was eluded, and its authority difobeyed, in time of public peace and tranquillity; and the act of Habeas corpus, that greatest and strongest bulwark of English liberty, broke down and trampled under foot, the powers of which were never known to be even fufpended, but in times of public danger, of fufpected confpiracies, open rebellion, or when a foreign enemy was in arms in the kingdom.

The fufpenfion of the Habeas corpus act, though by authority of parliament, is ever understood to be a suspension of the liberty of the subject; and we, therefore, defire and expect, that you will inquire by whofe advice it was, that private perfons in office, armed with that iron en gine of oppression, and bearing that ignominious badge of flavery, a general warrant, were employed, or fet on and encouraged, to dare to do that by themfelves, which king, lords, and commons, the three eftates of the realm, can only do together.

V. We most earnestly recommend to you to promote an inquiry into the power of an attorney-general to file informations ex officio, that deteftable relique of the ftar-chamber, and to see how far it may agree with the freedom of our conftitution; that you will use your utmost endeavours to fecure the liberties of the people from all arbitrary and unconftitutional firetches of authority; and that you will promote an inquiry into the power of judges to alter records, before or after judgement, before or after trial; for the fake of the fafety of every fubject, and that they may not be liable to ruin at the difcretion of any future time-ferving and corrupt judge, who, under the golden influence of a court, or the tyrannical influence of a favourite of a court, may, in the process of a few years, over-rule and overturn all the established laws of the land.

1

VI. We recommend to you to prom a strict inquiry into the public accou and the heavy national debt, incurred the vaft profufion of expence attend the late just and neceffary war: and ab all, to examine into the accounts d vered in by contractors and agents for army and navy, by comptrollers, dir tors, and commiffaries of the office comptrol, and the commiffariate abr at Bremen in Germany, and by fed taries, under-fecretaries, and clerks offices at home, by which fuch amaz fortunes have been fuddenly, and atm instantaneously, acquired by individua and where-ever delinquents are fou to bring all such plunderers of the po to condign and exemplary punishme and that you will promote a bill for exclufion of contractors * of all forts, ployed by government, from a feat in houfe of Commons,

We most earnestly recommend to to bear in your minds, on this occal and to imprint in your hearts, the moft excellent words and advice giver a British parliament by one of our be princes:

"It is always with regret when ask aids of my people; but you will ferve, that I defire nothing which reli to any personal expence of mine.

I am only preffing you to do all you for your own fafety and honour, at critical and dangerous a time; and willing that what is given fhould wholly appropriated for the purposes which it is intended.

And fince I am speaking on this b I think it proper to put you in mind, during the late war I ordered the counts to be laid yearly before the liament, and also gave my affent to f ral bills for taking the public acco inta consideration, that my subje&s m have fatisfaction how the money giver the war was applied.

And I am willing that matter may put in any farther way of examinat that it may appear whether there any misapplications and mismanageme or whether the debt that remains u us has really arifen from the fhortne the fupplies, or the deficiency of funds.

It is fit I should tell you, that the of all Europe are upon this parliame

• The nett profits of the tobacco-cons alone are estimated in value at 7009).

annum.

matters are at a stand till your refoons are known; and therefore no time ht to be lost.

You have yet an opportunity, by God's ing, to fecure to you and your poftev. the quiet enjoyment of your religion d liberties, if you are not wanting to arfelves.

But I tell you plainly my opinion is, you do not lay hold on this occafion, u have no reason to hope for another." VII. We also recommend to you, to omote a bill for laying a duty of 10 s. hundred weight on fugar, which, acding to the best calculation made by ate great chancellor of the exchequer, ir Legg], univerfally acknowledged to the most able financier in Europe, I raife 500,000l. per annum; and to eal thereby the additional tax upon er, substituted in its room in the year 3, and which has ever fince been lewith fuch peculiar cruelty and op. efon upon the laborious poor of this eat kingdom; the poor, already diftreffand almost famished, by the high and travagant prices of provifions and corn; e reduction of which high and extravaat prices we also most earnestly remend to your confideration in parliant; and that you will ufe your utmost deavours to give relief to the crying d very alarming neceffities of the indiat and industrious part of the nation, ar fellow-fubjects, and many of them ar conftituents and electors.

VII. We recommend to you, and ctly charge you, to inquire, and we pe that you will inquire, by whofe wice it was, that a feparate peace was acluded with France and Spain in 1762, which a flagrant breach of national thy was committed, being in direct option to all treaties fubfifting between gallant ally the King of Pruffia and late Majefty of glorious memory, rewed and confirmed by his present Ma7. after his accellion, in a treaty aring date Dec. 12. 1760, in which is stained the following article: " Art. 4. he high contracting powers moreover en e, viz. on the one fide his Britannic jey, as well King as Elector, and on e other, his Prufian Majesty, not to nclude any treaty of peace, truce, or eutrality, or other convention or agreewhatever, with the powers who e taken part in the prefent war, but concert and by mutual agreement, and comprehending each other by name,

[Signed] Robert Henley, C. S. Granville, P. Holles Newcastle. Holderneffe. Hardwicke. Wm Pitt."

A treaty of peace was, notwithstanding, entered into, and concluded at Paris, between England, France, and Spain, without the confent and mutual agree ment of the King of Pruffia, in defiance of the above article of a moft folemn treaty and engagement between his prefent Majefty and the King of Pruffia, and within lefs than two years from the date thereof; by which the honour and public faith of the nation became a facrifice to evil counsellors, and corrupt minifters: and we do, therefore, request of you our representatives, and do hereby call upon you, to use your utmolt en deavours to trace out, detect, and bring to condign punishment, all fuch evil counfellors, and corrupt minifters, by whofe advice the national faith has been thus ignominiously prostituted, and traitorously broke and forfeited.

IX. We do alfo recommend to you, to promote an inquiry, by which the conftitution itself may be examined into, according to its first original principles: and whereas the eldest sons of peers were never admitted, but always rejected from a feat in the parliament of Scotland; the chief reason for which rejection, amongst others, was, 'the enormous and overbearing influence and power of a numerous peerage, which furrounding the commons, thereby prevented freedom in elections, fo that no commoner holding any part of his lands of a peer, or indeed being in his neighbourhood, could be reckoned at liberty to make a free election of his reprefentative' and whereas the peerage of England is extremely numerous, and the influence and power of English peers fufficiently known and felt, as well elfewhere as in their neighbourhood, and the freedom of elections as notoriously invaded, notwithstanding repeated retolutions of the houfe of Commons, declaring, That it is a high infringement of the liberties and privileges of the Commons of G. Britain, for any lord of parlia ment, or any lord lieutenant of any county, to concern themselves in the elections of members to ferve for the Commons in parliament: and whereas nothing can be more extravagantly absurd, or more unconftitutional, than that the fenfe of the Commons of G. Britain fhould be delivered in parliament by peers, and reprefentatives elected by

peeri

peers, which in effect is the uniting and making one houfe of both houses of parliament; therefore, to remedy this dan gerous innovation as far, and as foon as may be, and before the fatal confequences to our happy conftitution, and the acknowledged right and liberties of the people be spread too wide, and acquire too much strength, fo as to bear down ail oppofition before them,

We do require, and do most strictly in join you to move, at the opening of next feffion of parliament, that a refolution may be paffed, whereby the eldest fons of peers of England, as well as thofe of Scotland, may be declared incapable to fit in the house of Commons of G. Britain."

X. We recommend to you, and strictly charge you, carefully and impartially to inquire into the conduct of all fuch returning officers, of whole proceedings complaint fhall at any time be made before the house; and to do justice to the nation, by bringing all fuch criminals to condign punithment, who fhall appear to have violated the rights of freeholders and legal voters at elections; thereby invading the birthright and privilege of the British fubject, and daringly infulting the conflitution and liberty of their country.

XI. We recommend to you to promote an inquiry into the conduct of the feveral adminiftrations during the last feven years, and the caufes of the late frequent changes and difmiffions; and above all, to explore, and to endeavour to trace out and detect the secret in-Aluence of that undermining favourite, by whofe arbitrary measures, and pernicious counfels, this once happy and flou. rifhing kingdom has been reduced, from a ftate of power and triumph, of fluence and unanimity, into its prefent ftate of imbecility and divifion, of diftrefs and

distraction.

XII. Lafly, We do moft folemnly charge you to demand out of cuftody the perfon of John Wilkes, Esq; knight of the Thire for the county of Middlefex, who, though a reprefentative of the people duly elected to ferve in parliament, was refufed bail, and committed to prifon on an outlawry, which was afterwards declared, by the very judges who committed him, to be illegal; a man who fo fteadily defended the rights and privileges of all the Commons of England when invaded, and who, with fuch unfhaken

intrepidity and perfeverance, oppo the arbitrary attempts of minifters fecretaries of ftate, who prefumed to late, through him, the first right of free nation, the perfonal liberty of fubject, in the most outrageous and legal manner; and who ftill is detai a prifoner in the king's-bench prifon. therefore do moft folemnly charge vo demand the person of the said John Wil Eq; that he may be enabled to take feat amongst the duly-elected reprefe tives to ferve in the prefent parliam left the continued confinement knight of the hire for fo great and lent a county as that of Middlesex, left without any representative at all for ever confidered as a moft daring fult upon the rights and privileges of people, an open contempt of the au rity of parliament, and an high and exampled affront to the dignity of British house of Commons.

In full affurance of your faithful charge of the great trust reposed in by us your conftituents, and of your i attention in parliament to these our ftructions, tranfmitted to you before opening of the fellion, and often rep ed promiles made to us on your p previous to your election, in all printed papers, and figned with your names; in full affurance of fuch public fpirited conduct, we remain, great respect,

Gentlemen,

SIR, THE following is a faithful ex

London, Feb. 16. 1

from the Norwich Mercury of turday laft, printed by William Chal the Corky Lane, Norwich.

"Norwich, Feb. 11. 1769. A pri paper having been circulated in: parts of the kingdom, intitled, In tions to Harboard Harboard, Efq; and ward Bacon, Efq; reprefentatives in liament for this city and county, Oct. 25. 1768; and the writer of North Briton extraordinary having ftr ly recommended the conduct of the zens of Norwich as a proper examp other cities and boroughs in the

om; it is thought fit, in justice to the habitants of this trading city, to inrm the public, that the inftructions retended to be given to Mr Harboard ad Mr Bacon, are fpurious; that the itizens of Norwich never drew up or ranimitted any inftructions whatfoever to their reprefentatives in parliament, but have confided in their honour and inegrity to difcharge the duty they owe o their country in general, and to their enftituents in particular; and have by o means judged it expedient, at a time ben real national objects require unaniity amongst our felves, to direct their embers to disturb the measures of gornment by factious motions in the houfe 'Commons."

To the above I have only to add, that gentleman of the city of Norwich, of aracter and station, has declared, that efpurious instructions above mentioned ere fent to the Mayor of Norwich, under cover, directed and franked by John Vilkės. I am, &c. X.

yiracions from the Mayor and corporation of Garrat to their reprefentatives. VE, your conftituents, willing you to know that you are intrufted by us ith no other powers than what from me to time we think proper to confer on you, do require,

1. That henceforth, in all your deites, you consider the fupreme legislave and executive power of thefe kingoms to be vested in the lowest order f the people,-commonly called the mob. II. That you do not fuffer yourselves a he imposed upon by idle terms of justice nd humanity, but profecute to death all erfons whatever that dare to oppofe Vilkes and Liberty.

III. That you use your best endeavours > have speedy execution done on every an that wears a red coat.

IV. That you confider every man com ited to Newgate or the king's bench, s patriots, and lovers of liberty.

V. That you treat all fuch as have my fhare in the administration as eneties to the peace and profperity of their cuntry.

Thele things we will and require you attend to; and on your neglect are deermined to be reprefented by you no onger, but to have the affembly diffolved, and not only change the adminiftration, but to petition, . e. to demand of his M. that J. W. may be made protector, in VOL. XXXI.

THE reading of Mr White's pertinent remarks on the small pox [xxx. 563.] put me upon offering my humble opinion on the fame fubject.

That the fmall pox is lefs fatal by inoculation than when taken in the natural way, is probably owing to the fmallness of the quantity of the infecting miafms, and the flow and gradual mixture with the hot blood. For as effects are always proportionate to their caufes, fo little venom will make lefs havock in the human juices than a larger portion.

To prevent therefore any bad effects from inoculation, let as fmall a fcratch as poffible be made on the upper arm with the point of a fine needle, and with a bit of rag dipt in the matter of a pock rub ing plaifter to prevent the matter being the incifion, then clap on a piece of stickwiped off. View the place on the fifth day: if it looks red, the infection has taken effect; elle not.

Any mother, or nurfe, may perform this eafy operation as well as the best furgeon. And a bare rubbing the infide of the wrifts with a coarfe cloth till it grows red, and then rubbing in a little of the infe&ing matter, will produce the distemper in infants, and young lubjects.

It was thought by Dr Mead, and others, that the difcharge from the incifions that used formerly to be made like iffues to inoculate the pock, was of great ufe; but time and experience have taught the contrary.

I am for no preparations before conveying the infection, but only a vomit, and a purge or two of rhubarb to cleanfe the first paffages; looking upon all the boafted preparations as merely farcical, and tending rather to disturb the humours than qualify them.

It has been lately aflerted, that the venereal infection is to be produced in the faine manner; and that a furgeon at fea caught it by a feratch on his finger in dreffing an infected patient [xxx. 624.] Be this as it may, it is an unquestionable fact, that infants have taken it by fucking infected nurses. Yours, &c.

L

J. COOK.

The