The bill for fupplying the export trade to Africa with coarse callicoes, &c.

The bill for encouraging the importation of bugles.

The bill for granting annuities and a lottery out of the finking fund.

The bill for augmenting the income of mafters in chancery, &c.

The bill for repealing the laws relating to the width and length of woollen cloth, in the county of York, and preferving the credit of the masters of the faid manufacture, &c.

And to feveral other public and private bills.

The fpecial verdict in 13th. the caufe between the Rev. Mr. Entick, and Mr. Carrington and other messengers, on the point whether a fecretary of ftate was a juftice of the peace, within the meaning of the act of the 25th of the late reign, was very learnedly argued in the court of Common-Pleas, by Mr. Serjeant Leigh, on the behalf of the defendants; and the fame is to be argued again next term by Mr.

1.

Serjeant Glynn, on behalf of the plaintiff, and fome of the king's ferjeants on the part of the defendants. This cafe has fome refemblance to that of Mr. Beardmore and his clerk.

Mr. Blake, fuperintendant of the land" carriage fishery, declared his intention before the Society of Arts, &c. of declining that now hopeless though most laudable project, the fuccefs thereof having been frustrated by thofe for whofe benefit it was undertaken. It was then moved, that the fociety fhould return Mr. Blake thanks for his care in conducting this fcheme; but after fome warm oppofition to the paying of that compliment to him, on account of his not having met with the defired fuccefs, Mr. Blake, to prevent further altercation, declined accepting it.

His majesty went to the houfe of peers, 15th. and gave the royal affent to the following bills.

The bill to provide for the adminiftration of the government, in cafe the crown fhould defcend to any of the children of his majefty being under eighteen years of

the inhabitants had time to fave their effects. It is fuppofed, that this dreadful calamity happened by the villainy of fome perfons who intended to defraud the infurance offices.

At the anniverfary fer16th. mon and feast of the Afylum charity, the collection amounted to 2191. 6s. gd. 19th.

About eleven in the morning, an earthquake was felt in the Pyrennean mountains, which divide France from Spain. The firt fhock, which extended feventeen leagues round, lafted near a minute with great violence, and terrified the inhabitants to fuch a degree, that they ran out of their houfes, and the priests abandoned the altars where they were performing divine fervice, left they fhould be buried in the ruins of their churches. The Thepherds left their flocks, and ran about in defpair, not knowing where to find fhelter from the falling rocks. Several churches were damaged, the furniture in fome houfes thrown down and broken, and a great number of cattle killed. This fhock was followed by feven less violent ones, and at very different intervals, within the fpace of 24 hours.

A numerous body of the 21ft. clergy within the bills of mortality met at Sion college, and entered into a fubfcription for the relief of widows and children of deceased clergymen within thofe limits. It were to be wished that fchemes of this kind extended to all ranks and places.

At the anniversary meeting of the governors of the Middlesex hofpital at Almack's great room, a new wing was propofed to be built, eftimated at 33621. 145, towards which 1690 l. 14 s. has been already generously fubfcribed; and it is hoped, that the extenfion of this molt ufeful charity will meet with the further encouragement of the benevolent and humane.

A blacksmith at Redriffe, fitting at dinner with his family, was killed by a cannon ball, from a cannon which the people of a neighbouring foundry had put into the furnace, without examining whether it was charged or not,

Fifteen coach and faddle 22d. horfes, from his majefty's ftud at Hanover, were brought to the Mews at Charing Crofs.

23d.

His majesty's most gracious letter of the 20th of April laft, to the general affembly of the church of Scotland, was read before the right honourable the earl of Glasgow, his majesty's high com-' miffioner and the matter of that venerable body. In this letter his majefty tells them, "We need not recommend the avoiding of all contention and unedifying debates, to those who have no other object in their view than the fuppreffing licentioufnefs, immorality, and vice, and who are actuated by no

other

other zeal, than that which tends to the advancement of true religion, and confequently to the general peace and happiness of fociety.

No religion can be fincere which does not require a conscientious difcharge of the duties it prefcribes. No government can be steady, which is not founded upon maxims of public liberty under the influence and reftriction of wholefome laws. The purity of the chriftian faith is diftinguished by the firft; the happinefs of the British conftitution is derived from the fecond. It is by infufing into the minds of the people committed to your care, thefe civil and religious principles, fo effential to their happinefs, both here and hereafter, that you will be effectually entitled to our favour."

His majefty went to the 25th. houfe of peers, and gave' the royal affent to the following bills.. The bill for granting a certain. fum out of the finking fund, for the fervice of the present year.

The bill to amend the laws relating to the militia.

The bill to prohibit the importa. tion of foreign manufactured filk ftockings, gloves, and mits.

The bill to prevent the inconveniencies arifing from the prefent method of iffuing notes and bills in Scotland.

The bill to alter the duties on gum fenega and gum arabic, to confine the import to Great Britain, and to lay a duty on the exportation

thereof.

.

paving the city and liberties of Westminster.

The bill for regulating the woollen manufactory in Yorkshire.

The bill for the relief of infolvent debtors.

[From the end of the former act, to the commencement of this, there is an interval of no more than one year three quarters and fix days, the fhorteft period between the pasfing two infolvent acts ever known in this kingdom.]

The bill to enable his majesty, with confent of the privy council, to prohibit the exportation of corn, during the recess of parlia,

ment.

The bill to allow the free importation of corn, and to discontinue the bounty on corn exported.

The bill to redeem one fourth part of certain annuities.

The bill to enlarge the fund for paying the judges falaries. And to feveral other public and private bills.

After which, his majefty was pleased to put an end to the feffion by a moft gracious fpeech, which the reader will find amongst our State Papers.

By the bill for remedying the inconveniencies of the prefent method of iffuing notes in Scotland, no bank or banker can iffue notes after the 15th of May, 1766, containing optional claufes; but fuch optional notes as are then in the circle may freely pafs from hand to hand during any after period, and as good, and entitled to as ready payment as if they were payable on demand.

are

All notes, after the paffing of this act, are liable to the fame diligence,

ligence, if not either paid or marked immediately on prefenting, as if they were bills of exchange; and one fingle proteft narrating the numbers, dates, and fums of each note, with a copy of one note, is fufficient to raise a horning for the whole fum.

No bank or banker can iffue notes under 20 s. after the firft of June next. But fuch of thefe, as are then on the circle, may freely pass from hand to hand, until the first of June 1766, and are entitled to as ready payment as if they were for larger fums, during any time hereafter.

Hence, those who confider any fmall notes as of fervice to themfelves or benefit to the country, will circulate them fo as they do not return upon the iffuer; because they can never afterwards be fent back to the circle.

Several objections have been raifed to this bill; and as paper credit is a thing of great importance, and of a very delicate nature, the reader may not be displeased to know them.

First, the abolishing of the optional claufe will, it is faid, occafion runs on all the banks, which they are by no means in a condition to answer; and the limiting of the quantum of thefe notes to fums not less than 20 s. will spread an univerfal diftrefs all over the country. In the remote parts of Scotland, the feat of the linen manfacture, the want of filver had become a great interruption to business, which was in a great measure remedied by thefe little notes, an incredible number of which has been iffued for that purpofe if thefe, therefore, are fud

denly abolished, the paper credit of Scotland will receive at once its death's wound.

The value expreffed in every note is due by fomebody to the banks; if the banks are called upon to pay fuch notes, they have no other method of answering the demand than by forcing it out of their debtors; fo that it is not the banks, but the inhabitants of the country that will fuffer the diftrefs; and one may fafely aver, that there is not a fingle man of Scotland who will not find himfelf involved in the calamity. Every man muft, in that event, expect to be profecuted for every fhilling he owes, and to meet with infolvency where money is due to him. Where nobody has the means of paying, it will be in vain to call upon tenants for rents; they themfelves will be profecuted and imprifoned for their own particular debts, or their engagements for others, a fituation too common in Scotland.

The expectations of those who hope to receive money where they now receive notes, are vain; the money does not exist in that country; and till time and patience has brought it back, they must expect to receive nothing but excufes.

Ended the feffions at the Old Bailey, when a fervant-maid, for robbing her mistress, received fentence of death; twenty-three to be transported for feven years, two for fourteen years; and one was burnt in the hand.

Was tried in his majesty's court of King's Bench, Weltminster, an action brought by a captain in the 95th regiment of foot, against a

tradeiman,

tradefman, for a groundlefs and malicious profecution for murder, on which charge the officer was confined near two months in the Gatehouse, Westminster, and afterwards obliged to furrender himfelf at the aflizes held for the county of Cork in Ireland, in April 1764, when, no profecutor appearing aginst him, he was acquitted. The jury, after a trial of feven hours, brought in a verdict for the plaintiff, with 400 1. damages. Some days ago, a fhock of 31st. an earthquake was felt in Tiano and Migniano in the Terra di Lavora, between 30 and 40 miles from Naples. At Migniano it was fo violent as to drive out the inhabitants; three houfes were thrown down, and two churches much damaged.

About the fame time the tides rofe fo high in the neighbourhood of Canton, in China, that 4000 houses were swept away, and a whole city, in the next province, where the waters rofe thirty feet, was swallowed up with 10,000 of its inhabitants.

It is very remarkable, that we had fcarce done exporting wheat to foreign parts, when the Dutch and Flemish began to pour in upon us, fo that bread in London was fuddenly lowered, the 21ft inftant, 2d. in the peck; fhips with wheat having arrived in the Thames by the 17th, in order to wait the port of London being opened. The extraordinary duty laid upon coals exported to any other than his majefty's dominions, has likewife contributed to leffen the diftreffes of the poor, who, in the mean time, were relieved dif

ferent ways in different places. At Lyme, in Dorfetfhire, fome gentlemen of the corporation imported a cargo of wheat, and fold it at prime coft to the poor, who had liberty to grind it at the town mills, without any expence, till it should fall to four fhillings a bufhel. At Bristol, they had rice diftributed amongst them. In London several thoufand journeymen weavers, with their wives and children, were relieved by a plentiful collec

tion.

But however laudable thefe methods of relieving the diftreffes of the poor may be, perhaps the method taken by the univerfity of Cambridge to prevent it is more fo. The vice-chancellor of that univerfity, and the mayor of the town, have directed the churchwardens and overfeers of the poor of the feveral parishes in that place, to inform the poor that are fpinners, that the family who fhall produce the greatest quantity and beft quality of fpun wool, to the master of the workhoufe in that town, fhall be intitled to the premium of 40s. the fecond in degree 30s. the third 20s, and the fourth 10s. to be paid at Christmas, and a register to be kept for that purpofe; and as a farther encourage. ment to fuch families who shall diftinguish themfelves by their induftry, if any of them have a child to put out apprentice, and can produce a mafler or mistress of good character, the vice chancellor and the mayor will give an order to the treasurer for money fufficient for that purpofe.

Two new machines for raifing water, one invented by Mr. Charles Douglas Bowden, deputy-marshal

of