1 that domestick in the house of the Ambaffador himself. All these infults and offences oblige us indifpenfably to demand, that, in expecta tion of the orders of our fovereigns, the domeftick of the Portugal Envoy be immediately fet at liberty, and that the magiftrates may be directed to acknowledge what appertains to the immunities and privileges of the families of the foreign minifters. In expectation of the faid orders, we cannot abstain from demanding moreover, that the audacious behaviour of the faid Conftable may be severely punished; the ufage of many ages leaving no room to doubt, but that the houfes of minifters ought to be respected in the fame manner as thofe of the princes themselves whom they reprefent; and it being alfo notorious, that, in the most heinous cafes of statecriminals, no prince would proceed to that N. B. The above letter, in French, was figned by Monfieur de Wafner, Minifter-Ple nipotentiary of their Imperial Majeflies; the Count de Haflang, Minifter Plenipo tentiary of the Elector of Bavaria; and Monfieur de Champigny, Minifter of the Elector of Cologne. Another letter of the fame purport, in Italian, was figned by Signor Capello, Ambassador from Venice; Monfieur Gastaldi, Minifter of Genoa; and Monfieur Caettano, the Portugueze Secretary. A third, in the fame language, by the Chevalier Oforio, Envoy-Extraordinary from the King of Sardinia; and Monfieur Pucci, charged with the affairs of his Imperial Majefty for the Great duchy of Tuscany. Letter from James Hamilton, a Roman Catholick Prieft, to the Venetian Ambassador, referred to in the above letter. Your Excellency, Dec. 12. 1745- back from the Ambaflador the perfon ac- Icellency, that Juftice De Vell had if By these confiderations we find ourselves obliged to take another step, ftill more indifpenfable than the former, viz. to pre vent all delay of redreffing the claufe a bove mentioned, and of giving us fatisfaЄtion upon our complaints herein set forth, by protesting, all of us together, as we do by this memorial, and as is proper for the preservation of our rights, and of thofe of our fucceffors, against the faid claufe, as also against every thing that has followed upon it, or may follow, and against every other confequence, till fuch time as we can give an account to our refpective fovereigns, and receive fuitable orders from them. Having regard, particularly, in the prefent fituation, to the intentions of the princes whom we have the honour to serve, we renew the declaration made to your Excellency by word of mouth, and of our own accord, viz. that, if any one of our domesticks were guilty of, or an accomplice in any crime against the government, we are ready to difiifs him from our fervice, and to withdraw the protection, as well as the certificate wherewith he thall be provided. We have the bonour to be, & A fued a warrant against me to take me up, and that laft Tuesday the house where I lodge was befet with Conftables three or four hours together. Thereupon I fent two Gentlemen to Justice De Veil's house; who produced to him, and gave him to read your Excellency's protection: and he anfwered them, that at prefent he will have no regard to your Excellency's proteCtion. The fame Conftables were two or three times the next day, and had the boldness to fay to the people where I lodge, that they will take me even out of your Excellency's houfe. I have therefore thought it my duty to acquaint your Excellency with it, and moft humbly beg, that you will continue me under your gracious protection, and honour me with your orders how I am to behave. And I am, &c. fhould be in the service of the foreign minifters; infifting upon an unlimited protection in favour of all thofe whom you call by the name of your domefticks, "with out difference as to number or employment, and ftill lefs as to their country." I am to answer you by his Majesty's command, that he is very far from intend ing to infringe the privileges and immunities of Ambaffadors, and other foreign minifters, granted to them by the law of nations, and confiftent with the laws of this country. Neither does the King think that they have been violated in the least by the faid proclamation. First, As to what concerns the law of nations, it is abfolutely neceffary that the privileges which it establishes fhould be confiftent with the internal welfare and fecurity of the countries where the minifters refide. Now, the number of national Roman Catholick Priefts, who fwarm more than ever in this town, was found dangerous to the ftate, especially at a time of open rebellion in favour of a pretender of the fame religion. Their fecret plottings against the King's government, whereof his Majefty has many indications; their injurious difcourfes, nay even their threats; and the daily converfions which they make of his Majefty's Proteftant fubjects to the Roman Catholick faith, (tho' by thofe very converfions they are liable to the punifhment enacted by the laws against perfons guilty of high treafon): all thofe circumftances together had given fo great uneafinefs, that it was abfolutely neceffary to provide a remedy against them. The protection, therefore, which his Majefty owes to his own fubjects, would not allow of his any longer fuffering perfons of that kind, irreconcileable enemies to his government, to remain in the heart of his dominions. As to what you alledge, Gentlemen, concerning the free exercife of your religion in your own houfes, the King does not difpute it: the law of nations actiorifes to claim it. If the queftion were only about private chapels for your own families, ferved by your domestick Chaplains duly qualified, no body would have any thing to fay against it. But is that really the point in debate? appeal to your ownselves. Are not open chapels maintained, under colour of publick protection, with an enormous number of Priefts, out of the houfes of the minifters, who lend their names to them? Is it for the ufe of the minifter's family that mass is therein celebrated from morning to night? or rather for the fake of furnishing his Majefty's converted fubjects with opportunities of being prefent at it against law? Is there any Roman Catholick country where fuch an extenfion of their privi leges is allowed to Proteftant minifters ? is there any fuch thing practised at Vienna, at Paris, or at Madrid? It is true that this has been winked at in times when the religion of the country was not openly and forcibly attacked. It does not however follow, that a natural right is given up, because it is not vigorously exercifed. I come, in the fecond place, to the laws of this country, which are appealed to by the Roman Catholick minifters, in their letter, equally with the law of nations, they quoting therein the act of parliament of the 7th of Q. Anne; and I fhall very readily allow them that it is, as they file it, "a folemn and celebrated act, fupplying the defect of former laws, and tending to prevent for the future all offence or violation of the privileges, as well of Ambaffadors, as of other foreign minifters.” But it must be confidered, at the fame time, that this act, as appears by the whole tenor of it, relates folely to law-fuits, and civil arrefts upon account of debts." And accordingly it was upon occafion of a foreign Ambaffador's being detained for debts, that it was paffed: and it was in that point that it was found neceffary, and intended to fupply the defect of the former laws, inafmuch as there were none before in being upon that fubject. Would any one infer from thence, that the intention was, to authorife foreign minifters to protect ftate-criminals, dif turbers of the publick peace, or perfons dangerous to fociety, or fufpected by the government upon any account whatsoever? Or Or can it be thought, that, in fupplying the defect of the former laws, it was meant to abolish the most essential and fundamental ones of the country? Amongst these last, there are none held in greater veneration by a Proteftant people, than those which forbid, under fevere penalties, the celebrations of mass by national Priefts. Of this kind there are feveral acts of parliament still in full force, paffed, repeated, and even inforced at different times fince the beginning of the reign of Q. Elizabeth. I shall mention one, which does not allow them to cele brate it even in the houses of foreign minifters. It is the act of the 11th and 12th of William III. an act not above eight or nine years prior to that above mentioned of Q. Anne. It is therein exprefsly declared, That no subject of the King's, whether natural born, or naturalifed, may celebrate mafs even in the houses of foreign minifters; and that the names, and places of nativity even of the foreign Priests, whom they fhall make ufe of, fhall be regiftered in the office of the Principal Secretary of State. But fuppofe that this act of Q. Anne were as unlimited as it is pretended: The minifters do admit of one exception to what they call their privileges, with regard to tradefinen, and in general to fuch perfons as may become bankrupts; will they not admit of any, when the queftion is about the publick fecurity, and the very existence of the government? The law of nations can certainly never be contrary to that; and can confequently give no title to exclaim against a remedy, which has been neceffarily made use of to obviate the dangers justly apprehended from the Po-, pish Priefts; and efpecially if it be confidered, that the neceffity of applying that remedy was partly owing to the abufe of the indulgence of paft times by the pro tected Priests. To conclude, The Roman Catholick minifters may rely upon the King's protection for their perfons, for their families, and for the exercise of their religion in their own houfes, according to the law of nations, and according to the ufage of all other countries with regard to ministers of a different religion from that which is eftablifhed in the country where they refide. The King does not pretend to fubject the foreign minifters to his ordinances; but he has a right to require the obedi ence of his own fubjects to the laws of their country. He has not the power to dispense with it, and we know of no foreign protection that can do it. His Majefty therefore has reafon to expect, that, upon this expofition of the reafons and justice of his proceeding in this affair, the Roman Catholick ministers will be pleased to discharge from their fervice every Popish Priest who is a fubject of the King's, and that they will for the future make use of foreign ones only; his Ma jefty not being able to perfuade himself, that any foreign powers in alliance or friendship with him, as thofe are whom you, Gentlemen, have the honour to reprefent, would infift, under the name of privilege, upon things prejudicial in the higheft degree to the government of the country where you refide on their part, and contrary to its ancient and fundamental laws, upon which the King's proclamation, which you complain of, was built. As to what remains, If it be true that an officer of juftice did make use of the expreffions imputed to the Constable who is mentioned in your letter, with regard to the house of the Venetian Ambaffador, you may be affured that hisMajefty entirely difapproves them, and that the neceffary inquiries fhall be made, in order to cause fuch fatisfaction to be given to his Excellency as fhall'appear to be due.-I am,&c. The London general Bill of Christenings and Burials, from December 11. 1744, to December 10. 1745; with the diseases and casualties, &c. Killed by falls, and feveral other accidents 46 med fet Sore throat Burften and Rupture 17 Headmouldshot, hor 46 hoehead, and water Colick, Gripes, Twift- Impofthume 22 Sores and ulcers ing of the guts435 |Inflammation162 Stoppage in the fto Murdered as dit dus Confumption 405 Itch Convulfion 5728 Leprofy mach 3 Surfeit Cough and hooping Lethargy cough 135 Livergrown 5 Swelling Diabetes Lunatick བའི་ Dropfy 1094 Meafles 14 Tympany Evil 2 Vapours 209 Fever, malignant fever, Mortification Vomit, and loofenefs a Suffocated General Bill of MORTALITY for 1745, in Edinburgh and West-kirk pariks A CTS paffed 144. 215. 5374 Their loffes in Italy 6. 392. 482. 528 Blakeney, Gen. goes to Stirling 398., His Bleau, Geo. imprisoned 246. Carried to Boyer, M. du, arrives at Edinburgh 491 Apremont caftle taken by the Spaniards 5 Athena tances of his clemency 378,9 Cambricks and was refolutions of the Aurelius, M. Emp. his great clemency 378 it 22 Jisme Auftrians, their fuccefs in Bavaria 44.142 near 12 committee as to them 145. Abstract of t |