for the ftatue of the Right Hon. William Beckford, late Lord Mayor, deceased, met at Guildhall for that purpose, when four models were produced, and the committee proceeded to elect, by ballot, the perfon to execute the defign; on the close of the ballot there appeared to be eight for the model exhibited by Mr. John Moore, and four for that produced by Mr. Agoftin Carlini, (the number of the committee prefent being twelve), on which the election was declared to be fallen on Mr. John Moore. The laft advices from India having brought no account of the Aurora, which failed for out fettlements there with the three fupervi fors, Mr. Vanfittart, Mr. Scrafton, and Col. Ford, on board, there now unhappily remains no manner of doubt but that the is loft. THURSDAY, 17. His majefty's fhip Orford, of 74 guns, was docked at Chatham in order to have the fheathing on her bottom filled; which large furface, of 14,000 fuperficial feet, was filled with nails in one night's time. Near 16 tons of nails were drove in the fame: the hipwrights, notwithstanding the feverity of the weather, behaved with the greatest spirit and alacrity on the occafion; and the fhip went out of dock again this day. Such an extraordinary work, in fo few hours, was never performed in the memory of man.' FRIDAY, 18. Being the day appointed for celebrating her majefty's birth-day, the court at St. James's was very brilliant; the ladies in general were elegantly dreifed; and it may be juftly faid, the manufactory of Spitalfields is now equal, if not fuperior, to that of Lyons. As the ringers belonging to the abbey were giving a peal in honour of the day, "the iron-" work round the neck of the tenor fuddenly gave, and the bell, weighing above 40 cwt. was thrown out of the frame, very fortunately upon a ftrong beam under it, by which the lives of many who were in the belfry were faved, and material damage to the church prevented. TUESDAY, 22. The earl of Rochford, fecretary of state for the fouthern department, fent a letter to the lord mayor of this city, of which the fellowing is an exact copy: My lord, St. James's, Jan. 22, 1771. Your lordship's most obedient Lord Mayor. ROCHFORD. The Hon. Mr. Juftice Bathurst was appointed Lord Chancellor, and created Baron Apley, 53 The earl of Suffolk, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. The earl of Halifax, Secretary of State, in the room of the earl of Sandwich. Mr. De Grey, Lord Chief Juftice of the Common Pleas in the room of Lord Chief Justice Willmot who retires upon a pension of 2000l. per annum. Mr. Thurloe, Attorney General in the room of Mr. De Grey, Mr. Wedderburn, to be Solicitor General in the room of Mr. Thurloe. The Hon. Mr. Nafau, Mafter of the Houthold, in the room of Mr. Thynne. At a court of common-council held at Guildhall, the report of the committee for making a navigable canal from Monkey Inland to Isleworth was approved, and a peti tion to parliament, founded on the faid re port, was prepared, agreed to, and ordered, in the ufual form, to be presented to the Houte of Commons, and to be profecuted by the faid committee. A motion was made that the committee appointed by this court the 5th of July, 1770, to employ fit and proper perfons to erect in the Guildhall of this city the ftatue of the Right Hon. William Beckford, late lord mayor, deceafed, be empowered to draw on the chamber for the further fam of five hundred pounds for that purpofe, and agreed to, WEDNESDAY, 23. The committee for giving a bounty to feamen met at Guildhall, the lord mayor in the chair, who acquainted them with the receipt of a letter from Lord Rochford, relating to a declaration on the part of his Catholic Majefty, publifhed in yesterday's papers. On which it was refolved to fufpend the bounty to, and entry of feamen, until the further orders of the committee. A general court of proprietors of the EastIndia company was held this day at the EastIndia-Houfe, to confider of an increase of the falaries of the directors, which now ftand as they were established foon after the revolution, when a motion was made by Pe regrine Cuft, Efq; and feconded by Sir James Hodges, that the faid falaries be doubled, and an alteration made in the 27th bye-law accordingly. The question was very ably fpoke to by the gentlemen who moved and feconded it, fupported with great force of argument by Sir George Colebrooke, and feveral others, and as judiciously oppofed, and with much eloquence, by Mr. Dempster, Mr. Creighton, and others, and after a long debate, conducted with candour and order, the previous question was put and feconded. The appearance of hands was in favour of the previous question against the main queftion; upon which a divifion was demanded: Sir James Hodges and Mr. Brittal were tellers for the main question being put, Mr. Dempfter and General Smith against it, when when there appeared to be roo against it, 65 for it, and a declaration made accordingly that it was carried against it; and a motion was immediately made for the court's adjournment. SCOTLAND. Holyrood-houfe, Jan. 4. The ministry, ever fince the union of the two kingdoms, have had great influence on the election of the fixteen peers for Scotland; in fo much that the peers on the court-lift have been chofen on every occafion, though sometimes by a very small majority: but then, till of late, that affair was managed by fome great men of their own number, who were well acquainted with the inclinations, pretenfions, and merits of all the peers. Of late, however, the body of peers have not feemed worthy of fo much management. Circular letters have been fent to them on every vacancy, recommending particular men, which, in fact, amounted to a nomination by the ministry. At the laft general election, Lord Irvine, though without any connexion with Scotland, or any eftate in that country, which before the union was a neceffary qualification by law to being a lord of parliament, was by the recommendation of the miniftry elected one of the fixteen peers. On the laft vacancy, by the death of the duke of Argyll, the earl of Dyfart, a peer of Scotland, but in the fame circumftances with Lord Irvine, was recommended to the choice of the peers by a circular letter from Lord North. Upon this, many of the most independent peers took the alarm; and they refolved to oppofe this nomination of the ministry. Their zeal, on this occafion, was increafed by an apprehenfion that three or four other lords, exactly in the fame circumftances with Lord Irvine and Lord Dyfart, would foon be impofed on them by the fame powerful influence. With thefe views they fixed on a noble earl of an ancient family and independent fortune, who had often reprefented them in parliament before, and for no other reafon but because he was fit and willing, and on the fpot, they made him their candidate. The miniftry very wifely dropt the earl of Dyfart; and it would ftill have been a greater proof of their wifdom, if they had left the peers entirely to their own choice: But they fet up the earl of Stair, against whom there Jay no objection, and they feconded his pretenfion by a frein circular letter from the earl of Sandwich, juft then made fecretary of ftate. The lords in oppofition to the nomination of the minifter took this worse than they had done the first letter: they confidered it as an open infult on the whole peerage, and a partienlar affront to them who had informed the miniftry of their refolution to vote for Bredalbane. On Wednesday the 2d of Jan. came on at the palace of Holyrood-houfe, Edinburgh, the election of one of the fixteen parliamentary peers for Scotland, in the room of the late duke of Argyle, when the following noblemen gave their votes: For the earl of Bredalbane. Prefent Duke of Buccleugh, Marq. of Tweedale, Earls of Crawford, Buchan, Glencairn, Eglinton, Moray, Home, Kelly, Haddington, Elgin, Selkirk, Aboyne, Bredalbane, Hyndford. Lords Elphinston and Elibank, Signed lift. Earl of Hopeton. For the Earl of Stair. Present. Earl of Dalhousie, Earl of Leven, has a penfion, Earl of Northefk, an admiral, and his lady has a penfion. Earls of Dundonald, Stair, Rofeberry. Earl of Glasgow, commiffioner of the general affembly, and has a penfion. Lord Borthwick, has a penfion. Lord Lindores, a capt. of marines, and has a penfion. Lord Colvil, of Culrefs, has a place, Lord Napier, a commiffioner of police. Signed lift. Duke of Athol, Earl of Errol, a commiffioner of police. Earl of Rothes has a penfion. Earls of Caffills, Abercorn, Earl of Lauderdale, a commiffioner of police, Earl of Loudoun, Col. of the 3d. reg. of guards, and governor of Edinburgh caftle. Earl of Dumfries, has a comp. in the guards. Earl of March, vice admiral of Scotland, and lord of the bed-chamber. Earl of Marchmont, keeper of the great feal of Scotland. Earls of Portmore, Delorain. Lord Forbes, deputy governor of Fort Auguftus. Lord Banff, has a penfion. Lord Rollo, has a penfion. Lord Newark, has a penfion. For the earl of Dyfart, figned lift, Duke of Earl of Bredalbane- Maj. for E. Stair 27 18 2 9 Protests were taken against fome of the figned lifts as illegal, the name of the peer voted for being filled up in a different hand from the reft of the writing; particularly one nobleman offered to prove, that the name in one of the lifts, which came from a remote part of the country, was only filled up on the day of election.-After the earl of Stair was declared to be elected, the earl of Selkirk entered a proteft, (which was next day given to the clerks in writing) to which moft of the noblemen who voted for the earl of Bredalbane adhered, a copy of which protest is annexed. Edinburgh, Jan. 2, 1771. I DUNBAR, Carl of Selkirk, do proteft against the earl of Stair's being returned one of the fixteen peers for Scotland; because the minifters of frate have, contrary to the rights of the conftitution, ufed undue influence relative to this election, by writing circular letters to the Scotch peers in fupport of the earl of Stair; fending thefe letters from the fecretary fecretary of State's office to Edinburgh, thence tranfmitted to all parts of Scotland by expresses; thereby attempting to intimidate all who have dependence on the favours of adminiftration, from giving their votes in that unbiaffed manner which is effential to the existence of liberty, and our free conftitution. For although thefe letters may be couched in terms apparently inoffenfive, and evafive of their real and effential meaning, yet there is no man of common fenfe but understands the intention; and therefore, I think, it is the duty of those, who wish for the prefervation of the independence of the Scotch peers, to oppofe all fuch illegal and unconftitutional attempts. And although the peers, who have voted for the earl of Stair may have ftrictly followed their own inclinations and opinions, upon this occafion, against none of whom, nor against the earl of Stair, is there any perfonal afperfion whatever hereby intended; yet I do proteft for myfelf, and for thofe who fhall adhere to this proteft, that the election in his favour is rendered void and null, and therefore that the earl of Bredalbane is duly elected our representative, and ought to be returned accordingly. SELKIRK. (Signed) Adhered to by Buccleugh, Tweedale, Haddington, Moray, Glencairn, Buchan, Eglinton, Elgin, Aboyne, Hyndford, Elphinfton, and Elibank. AGUE, Dec. 21. On Wednesday Haft, being the day appointed for chrif tening the new-born daughter of their ferene and royal highnesses the prince and princefs of Orange, that ceremony was performed with the greatest folemnity, in the great church of this town. The young princefs was named Frederica, Louifa, Wilhelmina; and had the honour to have the king of Great Britain, the king of Pruffia, and their high mightineffes, among her fponfors. The prince of Orange entertained the states general, &c. in a fplendid manner at dinner, after the ceremony was over, at the palace called the old court, which was illuminated in the evening, but the town was not; as his ferene highness, upon ac count of the dearnefs of provifions, had fignified his wishes to the ftates, that the inhabi tants might be excufed from fuch expenfive demonftrations of their affection; expreffing his defire that the public joy, upon this event, might rather be teftified by marks of liberality towards the poor; the collections for whom in the churches have been very confiderable upon this occafion. Yesterday, and this day, deputations from the ftates-general, and the different provinces and towns, have had the honour to wait upon the princefs of Orange, and accompanied their compliments of congratulation," with the free gifts of their conftituents, to the new-born princefs; which amount to upwards of 35,000 florins yearly for her life. Hague, Jan. 18. The province of Frifeland has just suffered a heavy lofs by the burning of its admiralty at Harlington, with the ftores, archieves, and every thing belonging to it. FRANCE. The letters from France give moft melancholy accounts of the effects of inundations, caufed by the late violent rains. Great da mage has been done at Poitiers, Chatillon, Chauvignay, Talmont, &c. Several houfes have been carried away; all the bridges deftroyed, and the water mills and granaries entirely destroyed, Paris, Dec. 21. The parliament has received letters from his majesty,dated the 19th, in which they are ordered to proceed on bufinefs; but they have refused to obey them. The Versailles, Dec. 26. The day before yefterday the duke de Vrilliere, minifter, and fe cretary of state, demanded, on the part of the king, from the duke de Choifeul, minifter, the refignation of his employments, and ftate fecretary at war and foreign affairs, duke de Choifeul is fince gone to his estate at Chanteloup, in Tourain. The duke de Vrilliere afterwards demanded on the part of the king, from the duke de Praflin, fecretary of the marine, and chief of the council of finances, alfo the refignation of his office. The latter will fet out in a few days for his feat at Praflin. Extract of a Letter from a Gentleman in Paris, to bis Friend in London, dated Dec. 28. "As foon as the news of the exile of the duke de Choifeul was made known in this capital, confternation was vifible in the faces of all the inhabitants. Soon after, rage and defpair fucceeded, on their being informed, that the duke d'Aiguillon was appointed to fucceed him. The people ran in crouds to the parliament, which was affembled on this occafion, crying out for the removal of fuch a ty-t. The parliament hath dispatched fome of their officers to all their different bodies in the provinces, to invite them to join unanimously in making most humble remonftrances to his maiefty on this fubject. If the king perfifts in his choice,it is not doubted but that we shall fee a civil w" The revolution lately brought about in the French miniftry, is not fo much the effect of any negotiations with respect to peace or war, as the confequence of long and inveterate pique between the two principals in the late and prefent miniftry. The duke d'Aiguillon has for fome time past been profecuted with great fpirit by the friends of liberty and Mr. de la Chalotais, in return for the cruel oppreffions inflicted by him upon that worthy gentleman. This profecution he duke de Choifeul, to his great honour, is known to have favoured ftrongly. Accordingly matters went on very heavily against the duke d'Aiguillon, who having unfortunately the wrong fide of the question, had no other means of warding off the blow, but by having recourse to the infiuence of Madame Barré. The first visible effect of his application was the procuring an order from the king, to stop all the proceedings of the parliament. Thefe being justly exafperated at fuch unjust violation of their right, in a matter which called out for redrel and equity, prefented remon-, france upon remonstrance to his majefty, praying that they might be permitted to proceed. But the influence of the lady ftill prevailing, the difpute grew every day more obftinate, fo that at last it became neceflary for both parties, that one or other of them should fall. The duke de Choifeul's good intentions, though affifted by the power of all the parlia ments, and every good man in France, could not gain the afcendant. The lady's charms fill prevailed; and to make her triumph more complete, the duke d' Aiguillon was appointed minifter in the room of his difgraced advertary, the duke de Choifeul. Thus from being at firt only an auxiliary in the caufe, Madame de Biré at laft became a principal; but whether her power will continue long, or there be a poffibility that even kings themfelves may fometimes be brought to fec, time, with the present univerial fermentations in France, is the only criterion to fhow. Extract of a Letter from Paris, Dec. 30. "The fpirit of diicontent, not to fay revolt, which the people in general manifefted, on the news that the duke d'Aiguillon had fucceeded M. de Choifcul, hath determined the former to excufe himself to the king with refpect to the nomination made in his favour; all his friends have partly pleaded the fame excufe, namely, the fear of an impending ftorm. In short the chancellor Maupoux, fon of the keeper of the feals, both avowed Maupout; fo that the king is his own prime minifter. It would be happy for the people if he would continue fo; he would then be enabled to know the state of his kingdom, the wants of his people, the injuftice of his minifters; and would thereby confirm the attachment which his fubjects have avowed to him, fully convinced of his tenderness to them. There is not yet any perfon nomina ted to fill the vacancies of the exiles." Extract of a Letter from Paris, Jan. 9. "You may rely on the following piece of intelligence, namely, that the French have actually planted cloves and nutmegs in the ifle of France, notwithstanding all the vigilance of the Dutch to prevent them This was effected in the courfe of the last year. The fea officer who was employed in it, and who brought the news into France, has had fome honours conferred on him for his fervices, and received both a penfion and gratuity from the court. He comes fometimes to a coffee-houfe which I frequent, and has fhewn me fpecimens of the fpiceries. The parliament of Paris has refumed the exercise of its functions, but only under certain conditions; and it is not known whether the king or the parliament will prevail. The minifter of war is appointed; he is cal Jed M. Monteynard, and is deemed extremely proper for that department. The publick peak differently of the other minifters ap pointed in the room of the exiled." I T AL Y. Leghorn, Nov. 19. Letters from Mahon advife, that two chefts, one containing the Gefpel moft curiously bound, with golden covers, and a very curious fet of communion plate, all richly emboffed and the other containing equally magnificent vestments for the priests of the Greek church at Mahon, has been fent as a prefent by the empress of Ruffia, which were received by them the 3d. of October, the coronation-day of the em prefs. Leghorn, Dec. 7. The republick of Ragufa having been fummoned by Count Orlow to renounce their neutrality, and either to embrace the Ottoman or Ruffian party, has declared for the former; in confequence of which ftep the Ragufans will henceforward be treated by the Ruffians as their enemies. Rome, Dec. 19. Cardinal Colorina, vicar to the pope, has published a placard, by which all women, of what degree foever, are forbid to appear in the churches with their faces uncovered. enemies of the parliament of Paris, of which A and a variety of aber correspondents they have been fucceffively the chiefs, does the duty at prefent. All difpatches are sent to the refpective departments, the head clerks of cach of which go to open and read them to the king in perfon, affifted by M. NOTE to ORY CORRESPONDENTS. City Minifter-Old Sly Boots-J. A. are received, and will have due attention paid them in the ensuing month.-Alfo full and· complete lifts of deaths, ecclefiaftical prefer ments, promotions civil and military, bankrupts, Jr. 3 او |