that a system of revenue-assessment and Tippoo had not reduced those and collection, nearly similar to that countries to regular obedience; which had been discovered in Ben- and the most perfect knowledge gal, was in actual operation in those of the customs of the ancient Hincountries*. Lord Cornwallis avail- doos, as well as much political coned himself of the discovery, and ciliation, was requisite to calm and employed two military gentle- draw any real advantage from that men, who were perfectly conver- part of the Mysore cessions. sant in the languages and manners of the country, to superintend the collections of the ceded revenue. The result has been extremely favourable to the Company, and honourable to those gentlemen; the revenues have been doubled, and with additional relief to the natives. In a word, the agency of intermediate oppression has been superceded; and the cultivator, in pay ing his exact assessment, according to the original record of the land, is secured against unjust and extraordinary assessments from the dependents of government. It has been alleged in the publications which have appeared on the same subject, relative to the system of Bengal Revenue-Collection, that a million sterling a year might be realized in the same manner by the Company, in the act of securing the natives from the oppressions of zemindars and banians. To regulate and secure this important object, Lord Cornwallis selected Jonathan Duncan, Esquire; whom we have already named as the receiver, and indeed, redressor of complaints, from the natives at the exchequer of Calcutta. That Gentleman had been recommended to his Lordship by Sir John Macpherson, his predecessor in the Bengal government;-who said on introducing Mr. Duncan to his Lordship, "This is the gentleman who enabled me to carry through my administration to the satisfaction of the natives: free access to their petitions, and a reference of them to his investigation, they estimate from experience as justice." Mr. Duncan, who had been advanced by Lord Cornwallis to the administration of the celebrated province of Benares, was accordingly selected by his Lordship for the final settlemeut of the Malabar districts; and ultimately recommended and appointed to the government of Bombay-a government of peculiar difficulty, from the number of its dependant factories, and their discordant interests. On the Malabar side of India, the cessions made by Tippoo required a more able management for their realization. The revenues obtained there were paid by chiefs who had retained much of their feudal authority; and who were We dwell with pleasure on these descended from the ancient Zamo- circumstances which connect the rins. Even the arms of Hyder happiness of the Asiatics with See a very ingenious and laborious work, entitled "Revenue Establishments of Tippoo Sultan," written by the Right Honourable Mr. Greville, and published by Jeffery 1793. + Lieutenant Colonel Reid, and Captain Macleod. VOL. XXXIV. [Q] the the progress of our own administration, and the lights of ingenious discovery. It is pleasing to observe, not only that arts and sciences were originally derived from Asia, but that lights are still discovered in the east, which are, or may be, eminently beneficial to the west. When we attend to the nature and effects of what is called "Saukar Right*, or the inviolability of public credit," we may perhaps indulge the hope, that means for composing the actual convulsions of Europe may be drawn from an attentive examination of the causes which prevent revolutionary volcanoes in India and China; for history and the present state of these noble countries, shew that opinions may be formed, and institutions established, capable of precluding many of the calamitous effects of war, by surviving the shipwreck of political revolutions. * Saukars are public bankers. CHRONICLE. CHRONICLE. JANUARY. MELANCHOLY acci Market theatre this evening, to see the fourth representation of Cymon, which was honoured by the pre 2d. A dent happened in the sence of his Majesty, was the cause park of N. Scottone, Esq. of Che, sham, Bucks. As two boys, about twelve years of age, were left to fodder the deer in the absence of the keeper, some words arose, when one struck the other with a fork, and made a push at him, and ran the tine five inches into his ear. The boy languished about ten days, and then died, in the greatest agonies, to the great grief of two kind friends, who had adopted him as their son. A jury was called, who sat about seven hours on the body, and brought in a verdict, wilful murder. Upon which the boy was committed to Aylesbury gaol, to take his trial next March assizes. This day the Norwich mail was robbed of two bye bags, near Thetford; and a few hours after, a man was apprehended near Attleborough, with the two bags unopened. He was taken before a magistrate, and committed to gaol for further examination. 3d. Early this morning a fire broke out at the Tiger's Head, at Footscray, in Kent, which quickly destroyed it, with two adjoining houses. 4th. The excessive crowd which pressed for entrance at the HayVOL. XXXIV. of a truly melancholy accident:-A person of the name of Smith was trodden to death, a woman was dreadfully bruised, and many other distressing accidents happened, from the impetuosity of the greatest crowd ever remembered. A donation of 30001. from an unknown hand was transmitted to the Middlesex hospital, for the purpose of establishing a cancer-ward. There is no ward for that particular disorder in any hospital in Europe. 5th. This morning Mr. Holman, of Covent-Garden theatre, rang for his servant; and on his not answering to the bell, they found the man, on going into his room, dead in his bed. Ön further examination, it appeared he had taken poison, as a phial with some remaining in it was found by his bed-side. seems the man had been insuring for some time past in the Irish lottery, and had gradually parted with every thing he had, and having nothing further to hazard, thus in despair, at last parted with life. It 9th. A young man, named Honnysett, a native of Stone, in the Isle of Oxney, about twenty years of age, was found almost frozen to death in the shambles of Canter A bury. bury. He was taken to the work house, and every means for his recovery were used without suc cess. 12th. At night, as Captain R. Kingsmill was coming to town on his entrance into Bond-street, his driver was reminded by a man on the pavement of the slippery state of the street, and advised to move cautiously. The post-boy attending to the suggestion, Capt. Kingsmill was induced to quit his chaise and walk; observing aloud, that by that means he could more effectually guard the trunk behind. He perceived two or three men, apparently well dressed, dogging the carriage the whole way; but from his determined precaution nothing was attempted till he arrived at his door in Woodstock-street, when stopping to knock at the door, and turning instantly round again, he found his trunk gone, but which way no one could tell. There being an alley across the street, it fortunately occurred that it might have been conveyed off that way to the next stand of coaches. A servant, dispatched to the stand, seeing a coach drawing up, enquired if it had not taken in a trunk? The boy standing with the horses answered, that the three gentlemen then in the coach had just put in a trunk. On the servant's opening the door to seize the trunk, one of these gentlemen bolted out and knocked him down. Recovering, however, he seized his trunk a gain, when the two others in their hurry got out on the other side, through the coach window. The cry of "stop thief" was given, but these audacious plunderers had the address to escape. 14th. About half past one o'clock this morning, the inside of the Pan To theon in Oxford-street was discovered to be on fire by the patroles who were employed to watch the interior parts of it. It broke out in a new building adjoining the Pantheon, which had been erected for a scene-painter's room. this part of the building the patroles had no access, so that it is supposed the fire had been kindling some time before it was discovered. At length the fire burst in a flame through a door at the back of the stage, which communicating with the scenery, the whole was instantly in a blaze. The servants who lived in the house had scarcely time to escape; leaving behind them all their clothes and other effects. From the combustible materials of the scenery, the oil and paint, the fire had got to such a height before the engines could arrive, that all attempts to save the building were in vain. The whole edifice, from Oxford-street to Marlborough-street Gardens, and from Poland-street to Blenheim Mews, is a heap of ruins. Not an article of the rich wardrobe and costly furniture-the stage machinery, nor a musical instrument, is saved. The loss sustained is 60,0001. of which only 15,0001. is insured, 10,000l. in the Westminster, and five in the Phoenix fireoffices. The engines did not get into play until an hour and a half after the fire was discovered; and from the situation of the building they could not be worked with any degree of efficacy. The fire continued with great fury for ten hours, when the whole roof of the building having fallen in, it slackened, and was pretty nearly subdued towards one o'clock in the afternoon. Very few of the adjoining buildings are damaged. 16th. The Old Bailey sessions ended, ended, when thirteen received streets were crowded with the mul sentence of death; twenty-two were ordered to be transported beyond the seas for seven years; thirteen to be imprisoned in Newgate; seven in Clerkenwell Bridewell; thirteen to be publicly and one privately whipped; two had judgment respited until a future period; and fourteen are to be delivered by proclamation. 18th. At the ball given this evening in honour of her Majesty's birthday, as the Prince of Wales was talking to the King, he felt a severe pull at his sword, and, on looking round, perceived the diamond guard of his sword was broken off and suspended only by a small piece of wire, which, from its elasticity, did not break. The person whom the Prince supposes to have made this impudent attempt, was exceedingly genteelly dressed, and had much the appearance of a man of fashion. The diamonds on the part thus attempted to be stolen, were worth 30001. 25th. A late letter from Dr. Macgenis, of the Irish college at Lisbon, gives a most awful account of the earthquake which happened in that city on Sunday night, the 27th of November. The first shock was felt about twenty minutes after eleven, and consisted of five or six strong vibrations, so closely following each other, that they could scarce be distinguished. After a pause of near five minutes, one very violent undulatory motion, that shook the whole house, succeeded, attended by a loud and tremendous crash, which, after a rustling noise and several hisses, like those we might imagine to proceed from a great mass of flaming iron suddenly quenched in cold water, went off like the report of a cannon. Meantime the titudes flying from their houses, whose chimnies were falling about their ears. The bells of St. Roche tumbled in all directions, and tolled the most horrible sounds. After the first fright had a little abated, the churches were opened, and soon filled with multitudes, to deprecate the mischiefs of 1755, and imploring divine mercy. Between six and seven, her Majesty, with her household, set out for Belem, followed by almost every person of quality, who retired to some dis-tance. So lasting was the consternation, that no business was done at the Exchange, the custom-house, or quays. The theatres were shut, and all public diversions forbid till further orders. The House of Assembly of Ja maica has voted 5001. sterling for the purpose of erecting a monument to the memory of their late Governor the Earl of Effingham. 30th. Information having been received that a forgery of French assignats was carrying on in the King's Bench prison, a search was made yesterday,and forged assignats amounting to half a million pounds sterling, were found in one of the wards. DIED, at Islington, Mrs. Judith Scott, aged 102. 16th. At her house in Southampton-row, Mrs. Griggs. Her executors found in her house eighty-six living and twenty-eight dead cats... A black servant has been left 1501. per annum, for the maintenance of himself and the surviving grimalkins. The lady died worth 30,0001 FEBRUARY. 6th. Mr. Layton, of the Borough, entertained 200 friends in a newA 2 tub |