the state, that the credit of the former could not be injured without giving a fhock to that of the kingdom; that if the bills for two millions, which were shortly expected, should return protested, what would the world fay, but that the people of England were bankrupts, or they would not have fuffered the bankruptcy of a Company which paid them 1,300,000l. a year? The conclufion would be natural, and therefore the credit of the nation was deeply interested in their fupport. He then faid, that it was his intention, in the bill or bills which he should move for leave to bring in, to authorize the Lords of the Treafury to confent that the directors fhall accept the bills which are now on their way to England, though the nation by that means would be liable to pay the whole, if the Company should not be able to take up the debt: thus he hoped to fave the finking credit of the Company. The honourable gentleman then went largely into the conduct of the Company's fervants in India, particularly that of Governor Haftings, on which he reflected, in feveral inftances, with much severity: after which he pointed out a plan for remedying the various grievances and abuses in the government of India; which was, to establish a board, confifting of feven perfons, who should be vefted with full power to appoint and difplace officers in India, and under whofe controul the whole government of that country should be placed: alfo another clafs, confifting of eight perfons, to be called Affiftants, who should have charge of the fales, outfits, &c. of the Company, and in general of all commercial concerns; but fubject to the controul of the first seven. This board fhould be held in England, under the very eye of parliament: their proceedings fhould be entered in books for the infpection of both Houses; their fervants abroad fhould be obliged to make minutes of all their proceedings, and alfo enter them into books, to be tranfmitted to Europe; and if ever they found themselves under the neceffity of difobeying any order from the board, (and he was ready to admit fuch cases might occur) a minute fhould be entered, ftating the reafon of their difobedience. There were other points on which he had alfo intended to touch; the deviling of means whereby criminals in India might be brought to juftice in England; and the abolition of monopolies, which, by experience, had been found highly pernicious. After lamenting the lofs of that fupport which he should have found in the eloquence and abilities of his noble friend, Lord North, then abfent through indifpofition, Mr. Fox concluded with a motion for leave to bring in a bill for vefting the affairs of the India Company in the hands of certain commiffioners, for the benefit of the proprietors and the public.

Colonel North concurred with Mr. Fox in every particular, and faid he felt a fingular fatisfaction in feconding his motion.

Mr. W. Pitt faid, that the whole of the right honourable secretary's fyftem was abfolute defpotifm on the one fide, and gross corruption on the other; that the bill ought to be examined with the most scrupulous attention, and not read

a fecond time till a call of the House should have procured fuch an attendance as would make it fit for a minifter to proceed in fuch business.

Governor Johnstone complimented Mr. Fox on the candid manner in which he had communicated his plan; faid he would not oppose the bill; and then touched upon, and endeavoured to anfwer, the principal charges against Mr. Haftings.

Some other members fpoke; after which the question being called for, it was carried unanimoufly, and the Houfe adjourned.

NOVEMBER 19.

Lord John Cavendish gave notice, that he fhould move on the morrow for leave to bring in a bill to explain and amend the act paffed laft feffion for impofing a tax on receipts. He faid that gentlemen must have seen the law-opinions which had been handed about during the fummer on certain points in that act; and that, in anfwer to thefe opinions, the Lords of the Treasury had confulted the late and prefent Attorney Generals on the fubject, and they had given opinions diametrically oppofite to the others. However, as it was not proper that there fhould be any doubt on the question, or that gentlemen fhould be expofed to penalties, where no evasion of the act was intended, he had, upon this ground, judged it expedient to have that act explained.

Admiral Pigot then moved the complement of feamen neceffary for the fervice of the year 1784. He faid, that the great force at present in India made a greater number neceffary than he could have wifhed; and accordingly moved, that a fupply of 26,000 feamen be granted to his Majefty, for the fervice of the year 1784; and that 41. per month to each man be granted to support them.

After fome defultory converfation, the question was put on Admiral Pigot's motion, and carried without oppofition.

NOVEMBER 20.

Lord John Cavendish moved for leave to bring forward his bill to explain and amend the Receipt Tax. Doubts, he faid, had arisen, whether any penalty was incurred under the act in it's prefent form, by those who had figned receipts upon unftamped paper; his object was to remove those doubts, by declaring, that the figning an unftamped receipt fhould be penal: at the fame time, he intended to indemnify fuch as might have incurred the penalty, by mistaking the meaning of the act of parliament.

Sir Jofeph Mawbey wished that the act alluded to might not be amended, but repealed, as it im pofed an odicus and oppreffive tax.

Sir Cecil Wray thought government were only fetting up a pretence, under the colour of amendment, to extend the tax; this, he said, was pitiful, and he fhould therefore oppose it.

Lord John Cavendish replied, that he did not mean to extend, but prevent the evasion of the tax, by fhewing that, in attempting to evade it, people would fubject themselves to penalties.

Lord Mahon defired the House to recollect, that, when the tax was proposed, in order to make it palatable, the introducers called a receipt a

luxury

Intury, as no one was compelled to take a receipt; but now the law was going to be altered; men were to be forced to take them. This was strange kind of luxury, that a man could not enjoy the pleasure of paying his debts without paying alfo for a receipt.

Mr. Secretary Fox begged to fet the noble lord right: the bill, he faid, would by no means impofe a neceffity of taking a receipt, although it ould pafe; it only went to declare, that if a man hould think proper to take a receipt at all, it must be on ftamp paper.

Mr. Alderman Newnham condemned the tax, as burdentome, vexatious, and oppreffive; and he knew is to be fo objectionable, that he pledged himself to move a repeal of it the first opportu mity after the holidays.

Lord John Cavendish faid, that he did not think the tax either burdenfome or vexatious; on the contrary, he believed it would be found Both light and productive. The question was then put on the motion for leave to bring in the bill, and carried without a divifion.

Mr. Secretary Fox now brought up his bill for wefting in commiffioners the territorial poffefLons, effects, &c. of the India Company; which was read a first time, and ordered to be printed. He then moved, that it should be read a second time on that day fe'nnight. This brought on a tedious debate; after which the question was put and carried, and the Houfe adjourned.

Sir Henry Fletcher prefented a petition from the Court of Proprietors of the Eaft India Stock, fetting forth, that the bill lately introduced by Mr. Secretary Fox, for vefting the government of India in the crown, was fubverfive of the Conftitutional laws of this country; that it tended to deprive the Company unjustly of their chartered rights and property, and of many privileges and immunities which had been confirmed to them by parliament, and purchased for feveral valuable confiderations; and that they could not fuffer the bill to pass into a law without afferting their claims, and therefore wished to be heard at the bar by themselves or their counsel. Agreed that the proprietors, or their counsel, be heard at the bar, after the fecond reading of Mr. Fox's bill.

The Houfe then proceeded to the confideration of the records of the court of King's Bench, refpe&ting Chriftopher Atkinfon, Efq. lately convicted of perjury: and, after a motion of Sir

Thomas Davenport's, that the record of conviction be read a fecond time on Thursday fe'nnight, and that Mr. Atkinson then attend in his place, which was agreed to, the House adjourned. NOVEMBER 25.

Read a firft time the Malt bill.

Lord Galway took the oaths and his feat, as member for York.

Proceeded to ballot for a felect committee, to enquire into the illicit trade of smuggling carried on in this kingdom.

A pretty long altercation then commenced between three or four of the members, particularly Mr. Secretary Fox and Mr. W. Pitt, relative to a petition from the Directors of the Eaft India Company, praying to be heard by counfel against Mr. Fox's bill for regulating the affairs of that Company: after which Lord John Cavendish gave notice, that on the morrow he should bring in his bill for explaining the Receipt Tax act. NOVEMBER 26.

John Nichols, Efq. took the oaths and his feat, as member for Bletchingley.

Mr. Fitzwilliams reported from the committee ballotted yesterday on the fmuggling laws, that the lift had been examined, and the quorum was to confift of five, who are to fit notwith standing any adjournment of the House.

Ordered in the Marine Mutiny bill.
Read a fecond time the Malt bill.

Mr. Fox brought in his fecond bill for the better regulation of Eaft India affairs, the breviate of which was read by the Speaker; and, after a short conversation, it was ordered to be printed, and read a fecond time on Tuesday.

Lord John Cavendish then brought up his bill for explaining the Receipt Tax act, and for indemnifying from the penalties incurred under it.

Mr. Coke faid, that the tax was greatly dif liked in Nottingham, the town he had the honour to reprefent, there not being a single shopkeeper who did not execrate it. He was aware that no man ought to move for the repeal of a tax, whe was not prepared with another to replace it; but, if his lordship would honour him with a conference on the subject, he was ready to communicate one or two taxes, which he was fure would be productive, without being burdenfome. An order was then made for the fecond reading of the bill on Wednesday.

NOVEMBER 27.

Mr. Fox made a motion for copies of various applications from the Directors of the India Company to the Lords of the Treafury, relative to the ftate of their finances, &c. which was agreed to.

Lord North made a motion for leave to bring in a bill for the better regulation of the poftage and carriage of letters between Great Britain and Ireland; which was likewife agreed to.

Mr. Fox then moved for the fecond reading of the bill for vefting the effects, &c. of the India Company in commiffioners; and after entering into a pretty minute disquisition of the different articles ftated in the Company's accounts, as produced to the Houfe by Mr. Nicoll, their accomptant, he concluded by moving that the bill be committed

been in the service. If your fon chufes to be a foldier, I affure you that his title will avail nothing for his preferment, unless he endeavours to acquire the knowledge requifite in his profeffion.' P.S. [In the King's own hand.] As our young nobility in general never learn any thing, they are of courfe exceedingly ignorant. In England, one of the king's fons, withing to instruct himself, has not fcrupled to fet out in the navy as a common failor. If any one of our men of fashion fhould by chance diftinguish himself, and prove ufeful to his country, he will have no occafion to plume himself, on his quality. Titles and birth are nothing else than vanity and folly. True merit is perfonal.

'FREDERIC.'

Auftria, 08. 15. It is faid, that the Ruffian ambaffador at Vienna has formally made known to the Imperial court, that the Princes Heraclius and Salomon have put themfelves under the Ruffian domination: this feems a likely occurrence to throw new difficulties in the way of keeping peace, particularly as these two princes were tributaries to the Porte.

Vienna, Oct. 15. The military preparations continue; the chancellor of the war has given the neceffary orders for exercifing the provincial troops; 24,000 tons of vinegar are ordered to be got ready for the ufe of the Hungarian armies.

Vienna, Oct. 16. There feems now to be the greatest probability that there will be no rupture between the Emperor and the Turks; the greatest difficulties are faid to be got over between the two courts. The treaty of Carlowitz is to form the bafis of the accommodation in queftion. If this is true, the Turks will be obliged to cede Some territory.

Weft Pruffia, O. 17. M. De Lindonowski, the Pruffian refident, quitted Dantzick yesterday evening; and at ten o'clock this morning the Pruffian troops took poffeffion of the fuburbs of that city without oppofition.

Buda, 08. 20. It is faid that a vast number of families, who now live in the Ottoman dominions, are preparing to quit them, and pafs Into thofe of the Emperor with all they poffefs; they have already fent a deputy to Vienna, to requeft an afylum of his Imperial Majefty; their number amounts to 4000.

We have accounts from Belgrade, that the Chriftians and Jews eftablished in that place are felling off all their effects and merchandize, defigning to establish themfcives elsewhere: the fame event is taking place in Moldavia.

Madeira, Oct. 21. On the 19th inft. a very fcandalous fracas happened here, likely to be attended with fome difagreeable confequences to the aggreffor. As Comte Gerfdorff, minifter from Saxony, was entering the Spanish playhoufe at four o'clock in the evening, he was fuddenly fet upon by the Sieur Favie, fecretary to the Pruffian embaffy at this court; who, fword in hand, violently attacked the Comte: the latter, though unarmed, and rather far from any affiftance, was fo lucky as to escape with a very flight wound on the head, when he was refcued by the guards. No cauft whatever is affigned for

villainous a deed, but the impetuous and overbearing temper of the fecretary; who, upon the mere report of a fervant charging the Comte with having fpoken of the Sieur Favie in terms rather difrefpectful, attacked him unprepared in that ruffian-like manner.

Conftantinople, Oct. 22. A warm difpute happened, a few days fince, in a divan held at the houfe of the Mufti, relative to the manifefto publifhed by the court of Ruffia, on their taking poffeffion of the Crimea, between the Grand Vizir and the Captain Pasha: the latter infifted ftrongly on the neceffity of a war, and was greatly irritated to fee the opinion of the Grand Vizir prevail; in confequence of which the miniftry refolved to temporize. In another divan held at the fame place, declaration was made that they would immediately publish a refutation of the Ruffian manifefto. The exchange of the commercial treaty lately concluded with Petersburgh was made without any ceremony, and nothing was faid about the Crimea on either fide.

It is pretended that the Prince of Wirtemberg, who has at prefent the command at Cherfon, is appointed Vice-kan of the Crimea.

Vienna, O. 22. The accounts of the invafion of Natolia by the Georgians, gains credit daily: this will of neceffity oblige the Turks to divide their forces. We are affured that the Turks dare not any more take their ufual pilgrimage to Mecca for fear of the Arabs, who affemble in large bodies, and plunder all the Ottoman fubjects without mercy, particularly on their return from the holy journey.

Ratifbon, Oct. 24. It is faid, that his Most Chriftian Majefty, having defired to know of the King of Pruffia, whether he would take part in the Ruffian war against the Porte, his Pruflian Majefty had declared he would obferve a ftrict neutrality, but that he would oppose the entrance of foreign troops into Germany. Be that as it may, a congrefs is talked of, that is to affemble at Semlin, to accommodate amicably, under the mediation of France, the affairs of the courts of Vienna, Petersburgh, and the Ottoman Porte.

Poland, Oct 26. There are actually 150,000 Turks, 30,000 of which are cavalry, diftributed in Moldavia, Wallachia, Bosnia, and Beffarabia; which latter province is laid waste, fo that it would be impoffible for an army to march through it without taking with them all forts of neceffaries for their fubfiftence, and even water to drink; and if any army was bold enough to attempt paffing through that province, and were to have their provifions cut off by the enemy, they must inevitably perish with hunger and thirst.

Madrid, O. 28. A very extraordinary report is current here; namely, that it being fettled by the Definitive Treaty, that every thing was to be in the fame fituation as before the war, General Eliott had fent notice to the chief commander at St. Roche to demolish the works raifed in the front during the fiege; the Spanish officer anfwered, that he had received no orders for their demolition, but that he would fend an exprefs immediately to court about it: to which Governo Eliott replied, that he could not wait the re

turn

turn of the courier, but would make himself mafter of those works in 24 hours, which was accordingly done.

Hamburgh, O. 28. By advices from Petersburgh we learn, that orders are iffued for two companies of every regiment dispersed throughout the provinces of that empire, to march to reinforce the troops in Poland, and on the frontiers of Turky; from which some regiments are to be fent to the Crimea.

Petersburgh, O. 29. Mr. Fitzherbert, the English ambaffador, has had his first audience of the Empress.

Prince Gallitzin, knight of the different orders, field-marshal, adjutant-general, &c. died lately, aged 60 years.

Paris, Oct. 29. The Abbe Beauchamp, vicargeneral of Babylonia, has tranfmitted to the Academy of Sciences the obfervations he has had an opportunity to make in his paffage through the defarts between Aleppo and Bagdat, in the months of October and November 1782. He has fixed the latitude of Bagdat to be in 33 degrees 20 minutes, and the longitude he estimates at 2 degrees 50 minutes to the eaft of Paris. His intention is to proceed to Baffora, and then to the Cafpian Sea, in order to determine the question now agitated by the geographers the real fituation and courfe of that fea.

Rome, Nov. I. We have accounts that the Emprefs of Ruffia has given leave to the archbishop of Mohilow to publish the bull of Pope Clement XIV. relative to the fuppreffion of the Jefuits. Thofe monks will still be permitted to remain in Ruffia, but they are to be habited like other priests, and are in no wise to renew their former institution.

Dantzick, Nov. 4. The fituation of this city is ftill the fame; the blockade becomes daily more clofe, and the most advanced of the Pruffian troops are not now above 100 paces from the walls; but they obferve the stricteft difcipline, and do nothing that bears the least appearance of hoftilities. As the last proposals from the King of Pruffia are rather more favourable than the foregoing ones, we are in hopes that things will be amicably fettled.

Eclufe, in Flanders, Nov. 4. This morning at four o'clock a detachment of about 1000 Imperial infantry, with drums beating and colours flying, appeared before the fort of St. Donaes. The centinel prefented his mufket with the bayonet fixed to defend the entrance, but not being able to refift a great number, he was made prifoner, as well as the Major Commandant of the fort, with all his men, which were only three. The Auftrians alfo took poffeffion of the forts of St. Paul and Job. After having kept the Dutch foldiers fome time under arreft, the Auftrian troops fet them at liberty, and they are returned to l'Eclufe, where preparations are making against any farther furprize.

Dantzick, Nov. 11. In the night of the 8th, we were much alarmed by the firing of fmallarms at a distance, which gradually approached: we at first thought the Pruffians had attacked fome of our out-pofts; and the Pruffians, ima

gining we had made a fally, beat to arms. In the morning, however, we found that five fishingboats (three of which were Pruffians) had with a fair wind endeavoured to gain an entrance into our port, laden with provifions, the Pruffians firing at them all the way: happily, only two men were flightly wounded, but the fails were fhot through and through. The Pruffians would certainly have made themselves mafters of these barks, if one of our officers had not threatened to fire upon them if they fired once more at the boats: upon this the Pruffians ceafed their fire, and the boats entered our city.

Some public prints fay, that the Pruffians pay ready-money for all they confume on our terri tory; but, fo far the contrary, it costs the territory of this city every day 700 ducats for the fupport of the Pruffian foldiers and horfes.

The courts of London and Vienna have charged their respective minifters at Petersburgh to make the ftrongest reprefentations in our favour to the Emprefs of Ruffia; in confequence of which we hope for the powerful mediation of that court in our prefent critical fituation.

Rome, Nov. 11. Letters from Naples give an account of fresh earthquakes in Calabria, where a contagious diffemper is likewife broke out, attended with great mortality.

Utrecht, Nov. 13. We have accounts from Dantzick, that the people of that city ftill continue to refift the demand of the King of Pruffia. Some days ago the magiftracy were affembled to deliberate, whether, in their prefent diftreffed fituation, it would not be better to confent to the requeft of the King of Pruffia; the people, who fufpected the subject of their deliberation, affembled about the town-houfe, and threatened the two burgomasters in the feverest manner, if they fhould dare to make the leaft ceffion to the Pruffians. The Dantzickers flatter themfelves with the hopes of fome affiftance from the court of Warfaw, to which they have lately fent a courier. The phrenzy of the populace is fo great, that chey lately fired at a Pruffian dragoon, and wounded

his horfe.

Manheim, Nov. 15. The letters from Mynich cannot fufficiently extol the polite and affable conduct of the King of Sweden during his abode in that city. On his arrival, the monarch alighted at the city gate, and walked up to the house where he was to lodge. On calling for the hoft, he asked for the apartments intended for the king and his fuite. Being informed of the price, You afk too little,' faid he; kings do 'not come every day to lodge with you. Upon this the host replied, The honour done me by

the monarch fills my heart fufficiently; why fhould I make him pay more than another?' Some perfons who occupied the first and fecond floors of that houfe, were preparing to quit them; which the king perceiving, prevented, faying, that his majefty had good legs, and could very well get up to the third story. At the fame time, the monarch's retinue arrived; and honeft Albert (the hoft) found with furprize, that he had been fpeaking with the king in perfon. The king went to the play; the host gave a ball, at which were pres 3 D 2