At At two o'clock the levee broke up, when his majefty held a council, which was attended by the cabinet minifters, and the four commiffioners from Corfica, who invefted his majesty with the regal power of that kingdom. four o'clock the council broke up, when another council was held in the private chamber, which was attended by the Duke of Portland, Mr. Pitt, the Earls of Chatham and Fitzwilliam, Lords Grenville and Amherst, Mr. Windham, and Sir William Fawcet. The council fat till fix o'clock, when the King gave audience to the cabinet minifters, and at seven o'clock his majefty fet off for Kew Palace, to which place the Queen and Princeffes went at three o'clock. The prefentations to the king at the levee were Earls Macartney and Bathurst, on their affuming their titles; Lord O'Neile, for the first time; Sir G. Stanton, and Captain Sir E. Gore, of the navy, on their arrival from China; the Marquis Barco, on his arrival from Spain; commiffioner Hartwell, and Captain Chriftian, of the navy, on their promotions; Sir Robert Ainflie, on his arrival from Conftantinople; Sir James Pulteney, on his marriage; the Lord Mayor elect and Sheriffs were introduced The Earl of Chatham, the Duke of Portland, Lord Grenville, Mr. Pitt, Lord Amherst, and Mr. Windham, laid feveral papers before the King, from their respective offices. LONDON-0eber 25. Yesterday, at eight in the morning, the Sheriffs in their carriages, attended by the Under Sheriffs, the city marshals on horseback, and the marshals' men, together with a ftrong party of fheriffs' officers and conftables, proceeded from Guildhall to the Tower-and having ftopped at the outer gate, fheriff Eamer fent a meffage to the commander of the guard, defiring his attendance to whom he produced an order of the Privy Council to deliver into the sheriffs' charge the following ftate prise In about half an hour the prifoners were brought out, under the efcort of a Captain's guard-and upon their delivery, the fheriffs gave a formal receipt to the Lieutenant of the Tower, or his deputy, for their bodies. They were placed in three coaches, one of the sheriffs' carriages leading the proceffion, the prifoners following, and the other theriff and his train clofing.-The fheriffs' officers were on horfeback, and had their hangers drawn. About ten they arrived at Newgate, where the prifoners were fafely lodged under the care of Mr. Kirby, the keeper, who conducted them to the state fide of the prifen, and placed them in feven different rooms, which had been previously prepared for their reception. John John Horne Tooke occupies the fame apart ment which the late Lord George Gordon did, and he has the fame bed to fleep on. To DR. JOSEPH PRIESTLEY. The Addrefs of the Republican Natives of SIR, WE, the republican natives of Great-Britain and Ireland, refident in New-York, embrâce, with the highest fatisfaction, the opportunity which your arrival in this city prefents, of bearing our teftimony to your character and virtues, and of expreffing our joy that you come among us in circumftances of fuch good health and Ipirits. We have beheld, with the keeneft ferfibility, the unparalleled perfecutions which attended you in your native country, and have fympathized with you under all their variety and ex tents. In the firm hope, that you are now completely removed from the effects of every fpecies of intolerance, we moft fincerely congratulate you. 1 After a fruitless oppofition to a corrupt and tyrannical government, many of us, like you, fought freedom and protection in the United States of America; but to this we have all been principally induced, from the full perfuafion, that a republican representative government, was not merely best adapted to promote human happiness, but that it is the only rational fyftem worthy the wisdom of man to project, or to which his reafon fhould affent. Participating in the many bleffings which the government of this country is calculated to enfure, we are happy in giving the proof of our refpectful attachment:-We are only grieved that a fyftem of fuch beauty and excellence fhould be tarnished by the existence of flavery in any form; but as friends to the equal rights of man, we must be permitted to say, that we with these rights extended to every human being, be his compofition what it may. We, however, look forward with pleafing anticipation to a yet more perfect ftate of fociety; and, from that love of liberty which forms fo diftinguishing trait in the American character, are taught to hope that this laft-this worft difgrace to a free government, will finally and for ver be done away. I think myself peculiarly happy in finding in. this country fo many perfons of fentiments fimilar to my own, fome of whom have probably left Great-Pritain or Ireland on the fame account, and to be fo cheerfully welcomed by them on my arrival. You have already had experience of the difference between the governments of the two countries, and I doubt not, have seen sufficient reason to give the decided preference that you do to that of this. There, all liberty of fpeech and of the prefs, as far as politics are concerned, is at an end, and the spirit of intolerance in matters of religion is almost as high as in the times of the Stuarts. Here, having no courtenance from government, whatever may remain of this fpirit, from the ignorance, and confequent bigotry, of former times, it may be expected foon to die away; and on all fubjects whatever, every man enjoys the invaluable liberty of speaking and writing whatever he pleases. The wifdom and happinefs of republican governments, and the evils refulting from the hereditary monarchical ones, cannot appear in a ftronger light to you than they do to me. We need only look to the present state of Europe, and of America, to be fully satisfied in this respect. The former will eafily reform themfelves, and among their improvements, I am perfuaded will be removed the veftige of fervitude to which you allude, as it fo ill accords with the fpirit of equal liberty, from which the rest of the fyftem has a flowed; whereas no material reformation of the many abuses to which the latter are subject, it is to be feared, can be made without violence or confufion. While we look back on our native country with emotions of pity and indignation, at the outrages which humanity has fuftained in the perfons of the virtuous Muir and his patriotic affociates; and deeply lament the fatal apathy into which our countrymen have fallen: we defire to be thankful to the gat author of our being, that we are in America, and that it has pleafed him, in his wife providence, to make Whefe United States an afylum, not only from the VOL. IV. November 1794. I congratulate you, gentlemen, as you do me, on our arrival in a country in which men who wifh well to their fellow citizens, and use their best endeavours to render them the most important fervices-men who are an honour to human nature, and to any country, are in no danger of being treated like the worst of felons, as is now the cafe in Great-Eritain. Happy fhould I think myfelf in joining with you in welcoming to this country every friend of liberty who is expofed to danger from the tyran 3 D ny refiftance could have been of no avail, had the Artois been alone; and if an officer of nearly the fame standing may be permitted, without prefumption, to offer his fentiments on the conduct of another, I should not confine myfelf in my expreffions of approbation on the behaviour of Captain Nagle; and I have much pleasure in adding, that he speaks in the highest terms of the gallantry and good conduct of the officers and fhip's company, lamenting, as we all do, the lofs of a very gallant and worthy officer in Lieutenant Craigy of the marines, who with 2 men kiled, and 5 wounded, are the fufferers agreeably to their orders, on Sunday morning, the 19th, from Cawfand bay, and the wind having given me the opportunity, on the following evening I thaped my courfe for Ufhant, with the hope of falling in with any fhips which might leave the port of Breft on the commencement of the eafterly wind-the fuccefs of this intention affords me the pleafure of begging you to acquaint my lords commiffioners, that at day-break in the morning of the 21ft, Ufhant bearing eaft about 8 or 10 leagues, we had the good fortune to fall in with the French national frigate, La Revolutionnaire, to which the whole of the fquadron gave chace. The advantage of being to windward permitted our cutting her off from the land-and the fuperior failing of the Artois afforded Capian Nagl the happy opportunity of diftinguishing himself by a well-conducted action of forty minutes, when La Revolutionnare ftruck her colours to his majefty's fhip Artois, which the was induced to do by the near approach of the rest of the fquadron-and perceiving the Diamond in the act of taking a pofition under her ftern to rake her, the thip's company refufed to defend her any longer. She had fcarcely furrendered when the breakers of the Saints were difcovered a-head, altho' very hazy weather. The diftreffed and crippled ftate of the enemy allows me the opportunity of faying, that her on this occafion. La Revolutionnaire is a remarkable fine new frigate--moft completely fitted, and of large dimentions-being 159 feet long, and 41 feet 7 inches wide, built at Havre-de-Grace, and never before at fea.--She failed 8 days fince on her way to Breft, and was commanded by citizen Thevenard, mounting 44 guns, (28 eighteen pounders, 12 nine and 4 forty. two ditto) 28 on her main de k, and 16 on her quarter deck and forecastle, and manned with 370 men, 8 of whom were killed and 5 woundedamong the latter is her Captain, flightly. Lieutenant Pellew, who will have the honour to deliver this letter to their lordships, will be able to give any further information required;and will inform their lordships of my intention of going to Falmouth to land the prisoners-wilo have the fmall-pox among them I have the honour to be, SIR, Your moft obedient humble fervant, ED. PELLEW. LONDON, November 17 and 18. The mail which arrived this morning (Nov. 18) has brought very circumftantial and interefting accounts of the operations of the ar mies on the Continent. Nimeguen was taken poffeffion of by the French on Saturday the 8th inft. As foon the French had gained fome heights that enabled them to fire upon the bridge of boats thrown acrofs the Waal, it was determinet that the place should be evacuated. The British and Hanoverians paffed over on the night of the 17th without lofs. The Dutch troops were not fo fortunate, for the French had commenced to heavy and well directed fire upon the bridge, that the paffage was extremely dif ficult and dangerous. After fome regiments had crofted the bridge, it was fet on fire, and the Dutch battalions that covered the retreat, were forced to attempt the paffage by a floating bridge. An event of the most fatal kind occurred. By fome error, or by the fire of the befiegers, the the cords were towards the city. the enemy, all the taken prifoners. cut, and the bridge floated Expofed thus to the fire of troops were either killed or Of the regiment of Bentinck, only three officers and a few privates, who croffed in a boat, efcaped. The greater part of the regiment of Stuart, and 150 men of the regiment of Randwych, shared the fame fate. The evacuation was fo precipitate that all the artillery and cannon fell into the hands of the enemy, who entered the city early on the 8th. The troops that remained in the place furrendered by capitulation. tence. Wednesday, O. 17. Robert Watt, convicted of High Treafon, was executed at the weft end of the Luckenbooths, at Edinburgh, purfuant to his fenAbout half past two o'clock, the two junior magiftrates, and the Rev. principal Baird, walked from the council chamber, to the Castlehill, preceded by the city conftables, and town officers, the city guard forming a hollow fquare. When they reached the waternoufe, (the limits of the burgh,) they were met by the proceffion from the caftle, in the following order: The two head officers of the fhire of Edinburgh, in black, with batons -Two county conftables with batons. The theriff-depute, and fheriff-fubftitute, dreffed in black, with white gloves, and white rods. Six county conftables, two and two with batons. The hurdle, painted black, (drawn by a white horse,) in which were feated the executioner dressed in black, with the axe in his hand, and the criminal drawn backwards, and tied to the hurdle. Six under-conftables on each fide of the hurdle, twelve on the outside of them, and twenty in the rear. Two hundred of the Argylfhire fencibles keeping off the mob, walking the dead march from the caftle to the waterhouse. Here the foldiers went back to the caftle, and the proceffion came down efcorted by the city guard, the magiftrates, conftables, &c. going first. Having entered the tolbooth, the criminal, foon after, attended by the theriff and magiftrates, came out upon the scaffold, where he was affifted in his devotions by principal Baird. About a quarter before three he afcended the platform; but, craving fome longer indulgence, he came down, and, kneeling, prayed, with much fervency, for a fhort time, when he again mounted, and having dropped a handkerchief as the fignal, the platform dropped about three o'clock. When the body had hung about thirty-two minutes, it was cut down completely lifeless, and placed on a table, The executioner then came forward with a large axe, and at two ftrokes fevered the head from the body. The head, having been received in a basket prepared for the purpose, was afterwards, in the ufual form, held up by the executioner, who pronounced, "This "is the head of a traitor!" The remains were then put into a coffin, and conveyed away. This execution was conducted with much regularity, and the proceffion was folemn and impreffive. Watt himself exhibited a picture of the most abject dejection. He was wrapt up in a great coat, a red night cap (which on the platform he exchanged for a white one,) with a round bat, his ftockings hanging loofe, and his whole appearance wretched in the extreme. During the proceffion' his countenance was fixed, his body motionlefs, and he feemed altogether regardless of the multitude that furrounded him. On the feaffold he affumed a little more animation, and, after finithing his devotions, took leave of the clergymah very collectedly; and on the platform converfed with the executio ver with much apparent compofure. He appeared very penitent, acknowledging in general terms the justice of his fentence; but made no particular confefion. It is fail he has given an accome of fome circumitances of his life in writing. The crowd on this occation was flow in collecting, and, though numerous at lait, fcarcely amounted to what has appeared former remarkable executions. When the platform dropped, little agitation was perceptible among the ectators; there was evidently a becoming acquiefcence in the juftice of the fentence, accompanied with that filent fympathy, which even the most atrocious criminal never fails to excite. But the appearance of the axe, a fight to which they were totally unaccustomed, produced a shock inftantaneous as electricity; and when it was uplifted, fuch a general fhrick or thout of horror burst forth, as made the executioner delay his blow, while numbers rushed off in all directions to avoid the fight. on Monday, 08 20. This morning, about half past nine, a fire broke out at a wax-chandler's in Dean-street, Soho, which confumed the whole of the premiffes, and burnt very furiously backwards, towards the fquare, into which it made a complete opening In the whole, four houfes and the workihop of a coachmaker were totally deftroyed. At the council held at St. James's on Wednefday, his Majefty figned the inftrument for permitting the marriage of the Prince of Wales with the Princefs Caroline Elizabeth of Brunfwick.-The nuptials will not be celebrated till after christmas. October 28th. Mr. Thomas Hardy was brought to the bar of the Old Bailey, where he was arraigned on a charge of High Treafon, for confpiring against the life of his Sovereign, and attempting to overthrow the prefent government. A moft minute and elaborate investigation took place, which afforded Mr. Erskine, on the part of the defendant, another opportunity of difplaying that wonderful ability and learning which defervedly rank him among the first advocates in the world. The tryal continued for feveral days, and after the public expectation had been raifed to the highest pitch of anxiety, the jury prefented to the court, a verdict of NOT GUILTY. When this verdict was returned, no visible alteration appeared in the countenance of the man whofe life or death depended on the awful decifion. A low murmur of applaufe burst from every perfon in the court, and the people who had been waiting with anxious folicitude, for feveral hours on the outside of the court, teftified their exultation by loud and repeated acclamations. Mr. Hardy attempted to leave the prifon in private, and proceeded in a hackney coach down Snow-hill; but the people foon recognized him--they followed his coach, huzzaing, and imploring bleffings on the twelve men who had acquitted him, and though the coachman drove fast, they overtook the coach in the Strand, and taking the horfes out, drew it along Pall Mall, and up St. James's-ftreet, to Mr. Hardy's late refidence in Piccadilly. Mr. Hardy then informed them that his brother-in-law's house, in Lancaster court, was to be the place of his abode. The people escorted him from Piccadilly thither. He then alighted from his coach, and immediately proceeded to the grave of his wife, who died heart-broken, in confequence of the imprisonment of her hufband. After viewing it in filent agony for fone minutes, he retired to his brother's houfe, and from the window thanked the people, for the honour which they had conferred on him, and entreated them to render his fatisfaction perfect, by feparating peaceably, and without committing any acts of tumult or violence. The people ac ceded inftantly to the request, and after a loud huzza, departed. Nor were the people unmindful of those good and great advocates, Meffrs. Erfkine and Gibbs. Both thofe gentlemen continued for fome time in court, fuppofing that the people would difperfe; but they were mistaken. As foon as they entered the carriage the horfes were immediately taken out, and they were drawn to Mr. Erfkine's house in Serjeant's Inn amidst the loudeft huzzas. After Mr. Erskine had alighted from his carriage, he appeared at the front window of his houfe, and filence having been with fome difficulty obtained, addreffed the populace to the following effect: "Gentlemen, "For several nights you have manifested your attachment to me by attending me home. "You are all witnefs that, during that time, the fate of your dear countryman not having been decided upon by his jury, I spoke to no man. "Had the verdict been other than it has been, whatever I might have thought, I should have continued my filence. "But, Gentlemen, what I expected from law and juftice, has happily taken place. A jury of twelve good, honest, and independent men, have given a confcientious, an honest, and good verdict. "Gentlemen, you have fhewn your approbation of that verdie in an honest and lawful manner; and, in such, I hope, every honest and juft man will fhew it. "Gentlemen, to us, (Mr. Gibbs being at the next window) you are unknown, but let me intreat you, now that you have fhewn your approbation of the verdict, to go to your homes, and be happy, and thank God for what has paffed." Mr. Erfkine then retired from the window, and the populace, after a few huzzas, retired with the exclamations of " ERSKINE and GIBES for ever. |