contrary to the moft facred laws of nations, in the prifon of the Seven Towers, and to declare war against Ruffia at the fame time.

By fo violent a proceeding, things were brought to the most critical extremity; yet the Emperor did not lose hopes that hoftilities might still be prevented. He flattered himself that the Porte, yielding to the reprefentations of all the foreign ambaffadors refiding at Conftantinople, would be perfuaded to release the envoy, and give her Imperial Majefty a fatiffaction proportionate to the violation of the law of nations, and thus a poffibility offer of renewing conciliatory negotia tions.

But all these hopes were fruftrated, by the Porte commencing open acts of ho Atility, and obliging Ruffia to have recourse to arms in her defence.

The Porte were not unacquainted with the strict bands of amity and alliance which unite the courts of Vienna and Petersburg. Of this alliance they were informed, as well verbally, as by a memo. rial prefented towards the close of the year 1783. This was accompanied with an energetic representation of the nature of the alliance, and the danger of provo king it.

The Ottoman court have therefore themselves only to blame, if the Emperor, after so many years employed in the prefervation of peace, and in his endeavours to live with them on the beft terms, and after having embraced every opportunity of amicable intervention to prevent their falling out with other powers, finds himself at length obliged by their conduct to comply with his engagements with the Emprefs, and to take a part in the war which the finds herself fo forcibly drawn into.

The Emperor, by these facts and circumftances,conceives himself authorised to rely with the utmost confidence on the approbation of all the courts of Europe, and flatters himself that they will unite their wishes for the fuccefs of his arms against the common enemy of Chriftianity."

ITALY.

Naples, Dec. 1. 1787. Two nights ago a confiderable part of the top of our tremendous Mount Vefuvius was fairly fwallowed up in the mouth of the volcano; and to-day, to our astonishment as well as terror, we beheld immenfe quantities of smoke, blended with a pale-coloured electrical flame, iffuing with an incredible reverberating violence, to the

fummit of the mount again. During the whole of this ftupendous phenomenon, the fky feemed to blaze with myriads of meteors; and long will it be before our apprehenfions can fubfide about the ef fects in all probability to be expected from this uncommon eruption.

Naples, Jan. 1. 1788. On the 24th ult. in the evening, all on a fudden, the fuperior mouth of Mount Vefuvius emitted an immenfe column of black smoke in the form of a pine-tree, at the branches of which were feen enflamed ftones, which were thrown to a great height, and sometimes they appeared like fheaves of fire, during which the noife in the earth, and the violent repeated shocks of earthquakes, caufed the greatest confternation amongst the inhabitants of the environs.

On the 26th the volcano having opened a mouth at the foot of the fuperior mountain oppofite Somma, the lava flowed out in abundance into the valley, where it has already formed a lake of fire one mile and a half in circumference. FRANCE.

The edict concerning Proteftants was registered on Jan. 29. It confifts of thirty-feven articles; of which twenty-four refpect the neceffary detail of marriages, births, baptifms, and burials; the others specify, that Proteftants are to contri bute to the clergy of the French church

that the police and municipal regula tions are to be obeyed-that the efta. blished officers of the French fhall never be interrupted,—and that the Proteftants fhall be incapable of any act as an incorporated community.

Marriage, according to this edi&, may be folemnized by declaration before the civil magiftrate, as well as by the vicar. One or two of the afkings of the banns may be difpenfed with. In the first inftance, the different fees amount to ten livres ten fous; in the fecond, they are four livres ten fous; both including a certificate.

By accounts which have been published in Paris, of the population of that city for the year 1787, it appears there were 20,378 baptifms; 18,139 deaths; 5912 infants found; 5505 marriages, and 107 who took the veil, fo that there were 2239 baptisms more than deaths.

Comparing the above with that of the year 1786, it appears that there were 531 baptifms, and 183 marriages more; 256 deaths lefs, and 83 found infants, and nine nuns more.

EN G

ENGLAND.

London, Jan. 15. At a committee of the fociety inftituted for the purpose of effecting the abolition of the flave-trade, it was refolved, That the following report be circulated for the general information of the fociety.

"This committee would gladly have availed themselves of the fentiments and inftructions of a general meeting of the fociety, in profecuting the important objects of their appointment; but the remote fituation of moft of the fubfcribers creates a difficulty which cannot eafily be obviated. The committee, however, beg leave to affure them, that due attention will be paid to fuch communications as they may be favoured with from individual members, and which it feems impracticable to obtain from the collective body. The information and arguments on this fubject, contained in various publications, have fully evinced the injuftice and inhumanity of the Slave-Trade. The committee have expended a confiderable fum in printing and difperfing fuch tracts; but, as they are fully perfuaded that no further arguments are neceffary on that head, they have more particularly directed their attention to the plea of political neceffity, which is frequently urged to juftify, or at least to palliate, this traffic. For though it can by no means be admitted, that the greatest commercial advantages ought to preponderate, when opposed to the plaineft dictates of religion and morality, yet the committee are not infenfible of the natural influence which intereft has in baffing the judgements of men, and of how much im portance it is to convince the public, that the commerce of this kingdom, and even the intereft of the Slave-holders themfelves, will be advanced by the fuccefs of our endeavours.

With this view the committee have been, and ftill are, engaged, at no inconfiderable expence, in promoting in quiries into the nature and conduct of the Slave-Trade. Thefe inquiries have not only produced fresh inftances of the cruelties perpetrated on the wretched natives of Africa, but have eftabirthed a fact, hitherto but little known, namely, the deftruction of our own feamen; for it appears that the lives of a very confiderable proportion of thofe engaged in this trade are annually facrificed to the nature of the fervice, and the extreme feverity of their treatment. To the abili

ties and unremitting affiduity of the Rev. Thomas Clarkson, in these researches, the society are much indebted.

It must be acknowledged, that the amount of British manufactures exported to the coaft of Africa, for the purposes of this commerce, is confiderable; but there is room to apprehend, that the demand for thefe would be much greater, if in the place of it, was fubftituted an amicable intercourse, which, inftead of fpreading diftrefs and devastation amongst the unoffending inhabitants, would in ́troduce the bleflings of peace and civilization. The committee find, that feveral veffels have, for fome time, been folely employed in the importation of many valuable productions of that country, of effential advantage to the manufactures of this; and they are in poffeffion of fundry fpecimens of its produce, which confirm their belief, that, the confidence of the natives being once established, a trade may be opened with them, which without interfering with the principal ftaple commodities of our West India colonies, would speedily become of great national importance.

The committee have feveral well-authenticated accounts of eftates in the West Indies, on which the number of Negroes has been not only fupported, but increased, without any foreign tupply, for many years; a circumftance which affords the strongest proof that the nature of the cafe will admit, that a proper attention to the principles of humanity in their treatment would preclude the acceffity of any further tupplies from the coafts of Africa.

The committee feel it their duty to diffute the information they have obtained as generally as poflible, and more particularly to avail themselves of every opportunity (in which they carnettly requeft the affittance of every individual) of impreffing on the minds of our legiflators the neceffity of entering into a ferious inveftigation of the fubject; and they have great fatisfaction in reporting, that many very refpectable members of both houies of parliament have affured them of their disposition to promote our defign.

The applications of the committee have generally met with a cordial reception; and indeed perions of respectable fituation in many parts of the kingdom have afforded uniolicited fupport. Several men of learning have efpoufed the caute in

various

various publications. The clergy of the established church, and the ministers amongst the diffenters, there is good reafon to believe, are in general fincere friends to the undertaking. Members of both universities have expreffed themfelves in terms of approbation of the - plan; and, together with these, the spirited exertions of Manchester, Birmingbam, and other principal manufacturing towns, afford ground to hope that a fpecies of oppreflion, so disgraceful to the nation, will at length be abolished by ge.neral consent. And they truft, that .whatever difficulties may attend their progrefs, by a steady perfeverance the fociety will eventually be inftrumental to the success of a caufe, in which are involved the honour of this country, and the happiness of millions of our fellowcreatures.

During the attention of the committee to the bufinefs, undoubted accounts have been received from North America, of the good conduct and capacity of many of the Negroes refident there, with fpecimens of their improvement in ufeful learning, at a school eftablished in Philadelphia for their education, which fatisfactorily prove the abfurdity of the motion, that their understandings are .not equally fufceptible of cultivation with thofe of white people.

The committee have likewife received information from France, that there is a probability of a society being established there on the fame principles as our own.

The prefent amount of fubfcriptions received is 13671. 8s. 2d.; and of our payments already made, 5141. 17 s. 10d. Though it is forefeen that the future expences in this bufinefs will be confiderable, it is impoffible to afcertain the amount; but the liberal contributions now reported, leave no room to doubt that fuch further affiftance will be chearfully given as will be requisite to complete the purposes of the inftitution. The committee truft it is unneceffary to add, that to these purposes only they fhall be faithfully applied.

Signed, by order of the committee, Granville Sharp, Chairman." At the laft county-feffions for Oxford, fhire, a report was made to the magi ftrates of the earnings, expence of maintenance, materials for work, clothes, &c. of the feveral prifoners now confined to hard labour in the Castle goal and bridewell of that county for one year, ending

Jan. 1. 1788; when it appeared that there was a complete balance of 1131. 9s. 2d. faved to the county, oyer and above every expence whatever.

The following is an account of the ftock purchased by government.

Sums given. Quant. bought."
L. 383,000

Old South Sea, L. 216,050 New South Sea,

1755, Confol. Reduced,

138,600

245,000

Lagan navigation

The penfions at Lady-day 1787 97,366 French penfions 534 Concordatums

5,000 The charge for the year ending Lady-day 1787, is

The civil lift

L. 197,727 501,289 133,450 273,745 630,471 553.331 49,983 44,336 By the accounts that have been laid before Parliament, it appears, that the debt of the nation, on March 25. laft, amounted to 2,179,235 l. I s. 2 d.

Poft-office revenue

Dublin, Feb. 9. Thursday fe'ennight Robert Keon, Efq; was brought up to the court of king's bench, to receive fentence for the murder of George Nugent Reynolds, Efq; The circumftances of the cafe were briefly as follows: Thefe two gentlemen went out to fight a duel, and when Mr Reynolds was in the act of faluting Mr Keon with his hat in his hand, wishing him a good morning, the latter fired his piftol, and fhot him through the head. Upon this, Mr Plunket, Mr Reynold's fecond, called out, a "horrid murder;" on which Keon's brother replied, "If you don't like it, take that," and fnapt a piftol at Mr Plunket, which luckily did not go off. The jury found Mr Keon Guilty in November laft; but his counfel moved an arreft of judgement, and pleaded feveral errors in the different proceedings toftop the fentence. The court, after the moft folemn arguments, were pleafed to over-rule all the objections, and paffed fentence, adjudging Mr Keon to be executed on Saturday fe'ennight.

The above fentence was accordingly put in execution, at the front of the new prifon, Dublin, on Saturday, Feb. 16.

SCOTLAND. On Jan. 29. the court of feffion determined the very important queftion, Whether the members of the college of juftice have the privilege of being exempted from all taxations and affeffments for the fupport of the poor within the city of Edinburgh.-The following is a fhort narrative of the particulars of this

cafe.

Some time ago, the magiftrates of Edinburgh, with a view of increafing the funds for fupporting the poor, applied to

Among a variety of able and ingenious arguments, it was stated, on the part of the members of the college of justice, that, from the period of its inftitution, more than two centuries ago, to the prefent hour, they had enjoyed a variety of privileges, which were granted upon occafions highly honourable to them; these privileges had been ratified by fubfequent ftatutes, and confirmed by the Union; and had been enjoyed by them, and acknowledged by the magiftrates, for more than a century, without challenge or complaint. The firft act that paffed in this country for the regular fupport of the poor was in 1579, which enacted, that the tax fhould be levied on all the inhabitants, without exception of perfons; but this, fay the college, was by no means intended to comprehend them, as, befides being only occafional refidenters in the burgh, they had been previ oufly exempted from all taxation, and to deprive them of this a special claufe in the act was neceffary. No attempt whatever was made to fubject them to the operation of the above ftatute; and by a fubfequent act in 1597, anent the taxation of boroughs, the entertainment of the poor, and watching and warding, it was fpecially declared, that that act fhould not prejudice the privileges and

immunities of the members of the col lege of juftice.

With refpect to the effects of this privilege on the interefts of the poor, and

the

the citizens of Edinburgh, it could not enter into this question; their paying or not paying the affeffment would neither increafe nor diminish the amount of what flows from them annually for the relief of diftrefs; and the intereft of the citi zens could only fuffer on the fuppofition that what they give in confequence of a legal affeffment is the utmoft extent of their charity.

On the part of the magiftrates, it was, with much ability, argued, that in none of the ftatutes which form the poors laws of this country, was any thing to be found, which, by fair interpretation, created or fuppofed an exemption in favour of the college of juftice. The act 1579, which was the basis of those laws, undoubtedly comprehended the members of the college of juftice, as well as the other inhabitants of Scotland. It is not disputed, that, under the authority of this statute, they are liable to be assessed in every o ther part of Scotland, except Edinburgh; yet, in no part of this ftatute is any dif tinction made betwixt Edinburgh and other burghs. It is a general enactment, which, if it could not reach them in Edinburgh, fhould as little affect them in any other part. That, as to their not being inhabitants, it was an argument very difficult to be treated with becoming ferioufnefs. Many of them had no other refidence, and, if they were not inhabitants of Edinburgh, they were inhabitants no where. The act 1597, which contains a claufe faving the privileges of the college of justice, appears to have been formed on fome emergency; and though the poor are mentioned in the preamble, the falvo could only relate to the exemption from watching and warding, which was always admitted.

It had been afferted, on the other fide, that the plea maintained by the magiKrates had been, that the court ought to abolish an established privilege, merely because there was no jult reafon for originally granting it; an idea which never once entered their imagination. They knew too well the province of a court of law to suppose it had power either to confer a privilege because there was a good reafon for it, or take away an acknowledged privilege because it was abfurd. Had they indeed been addreffing their argument to the legislature of their country, they would have taken the liberty of fubmitting, Whether it was proper or becoming in the members of a

great and refpectable incorporation, to infift upon the continuance of a privi. lege, fuppofing it really belonged to them, which was to have the effect of throwing upon others the whole of a public burden, from which they derive as much benefit as the rest of the inhabitants of Edinburgh: That, confidered with a view to pecuniary emolument, the exemption in queftion could be no ob ject, except to thofe who were refolved not to give voluntarily, for the maintenance of the poor, what the law com. pels others in the fame fituation to pay; or, if the members of the college of ju ftice were defirous to preserve it as an honorary diftinction, they would do well to confider, whether, in this free government of Great Britain, it is not the point of honour, that every person fhould fubmit to his fhare of public burdens; men of the highest rank, not excepting the hereditary nobles of the kingdom, being no wife diftinguished in this respect from the meaneft of the people, except by fubmitting to a heavier load, in proportion to the value of their property; and whether any thing can be added to the real dignity of the profeffion, or of the individuals who follow it, by infifting that others fhall be obliged to pay for them what they owe to the poor of their neighbourhood-thofe, whom age or infirmity has rendered unable to work-the debt of humanity, recognised and enforced by law. But it would be improper to enlarge farther upon what does not belong to a court of law. Upon thefe topics, and fuch as thefe, the world at large will judge, or perhaps have judged already.

Their Lordships delivered their several opinions at great length, and unanimously determined, that the privilege of exemption from this affeffment clearly and indifputably belonged to the members of the college of justice, both from statute and ufage. Their Lordships spoke with much candour and liberality on the subject. They felt the delicacy of deciding a caufe in which they themselves were parties; but whatever might be the with of fome to wave a privilege apparently ungracious, the immunities of an ancient and moft refpectable corporation were not to be infringed. They fat as judges, not as legiflators; the interpreters, not the makers of the law. It was only for the High Court of Parliament to interfere in a matter of fuch magnitude and importance.

Feb.