myself from some of the charges advanced against me. I am charged with being an emissary of France; 'tis false. I am no emissary: I did not wish to deliver up my country to a foreign power, and least of all to France. No! never did I entertain the idea of establishing French power in Ireland---God forbid ! On the contrary, it is evident, from the introductory paragraph of the address of the provisional government, that every hazard attending an independent effort, was deemed preferable to the more fatal risk of introducing a French army into the country. Small would be our claims to patriotism and to sense, and palpable our affection of the love of liberty, if we were to encourage the profanation of our shores, by a people who were slaves themselves, and the unprincipled and abandoned instruments of imposing slavery on others. If such an inference is drawn from any part of the proclamation of the provisional government, it calumniates their views, and is not warranted by the fact---how could they speak of freedom to their countrymen---how assume such an exalted motive, and meditate the introduction of a power which has been the enemy of freedom in every part of the globe. Reviewing the conduct of France to other countries, could we expect better towards us? No! Let not, then, any man attaint my memory by believing, that I could have hoped freedom through the aid of France, and betrayed the sacred cause of liberty, by committing it to the power of her most determined foe---had I done so, I had deserved not to live, and dying with such a weight upon my character, I had merited the honest execration of that country which gave me birth, and to which I would have given freedom. Had I been in Switzerland, I would have fought against the French. In the dignity of freedom I would have expired on the threshold of that country, and they should have entered it only by passing over my lifeless corpse. Is it, then, to be supposed, that I would be slow to make the same sacrifice to my native land? Am I, who lived but to be of service to my country, and who would subject myself to the bondage of the grave to give her independence, am I to be loaded with the foul and grievous calumny of being an emissary of France? My Lords, it may be part of the system of angry justice, to bow a 'man's mind by humiliation to meet the ignominy of the scaffold; but worse to me than the scaffold's shame, or the scaffold's terrors, would be the imputation of having been the agent of French despotism and ambition; and while I have breath, I will call upon my countrymen not to believe me guilty of so foul a crime against their liberties and their happiness. Though you, my Lord, sit there a judge, and I stand here a culprit, yet you are but a man, and I am another; I have a right therefore to vindicate my character and motives from the aspersions of calumny; and as a man to whom fame is dearer than life, I will make the last use of that life in rescuing my name and my memory from the afflicting imputation of having been an emissary of France, or seeking her interference in the internal regulation of our affairs. Did I live to see a French army approach this country, I would meet it on the shore, with a torch in one hand, and a sword in the other: I would receive them with all the destruction of war! I would animate my countrymen to immolate them in their very boats, before our native soil should be polluted by a foreign foe. If they succeeded in landing, I would burn every blade of grass before them; raze every house; contend to the last for every inch of ground; and the last spot in which the hope of freedom should desert me, that spot I would make my grave! What I cannot do, I leave a legacy to my country, because I feel

conscious that iny death were unprofitable, and all hope of liberty extinct, the moment a French army obtained a footing in this island."

After some further matter, he concluded thus :---" My lamp of life is nearly expired; my race is finished; the grave opens to receive me, and I sink into its bosom. All I request then at departing from the world, is the charity of its silence. Let no man write my epitaph, for as no man who knows my motives dare vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. Let them and me repose in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, till other times and other men can do justice to my character."

ELFI BEY.-This Mameluke Chief arrived in town on Saturday the 15th Oct. from Portsmouth. He was accompanied from Malta by Lord Blantyre, and the Hon. Col. Beresford, who came to town with him. He is styled by his suit his Excellency, a title which shews he is come upon a diplomatic mission. He is about forty-four years of age, five feet and eleven and a half inches high, very stout made, and of a ruddy complexion. His beard is black, and reaches down to his middle. He wears a very rich inside dress of red and white striped silk, red satin trowsers, and red silk stockings, with yellow sandals. Over his inside dress he wears a beautiful shawl, forming a drapery about the body, and over that a rich red silk mantle, trimmed with fur. His deportment is dignified and graceful.

The sect of the Whaabys, in Arabia, are represented in the Paris papers as making a rapid progress in their rebellion against the grand Seignor. They teach a degree of natural religion, in opposition to Mahometanism. The English Consul at Bassora is said to have written to their Chief, requesting him not to molest the English Tartars who traverse the desart. The Whaaby received the Consul's presents, and, without thanking him, returned the following laconic answer. I have received your letter; and while I am in peace with Bassora, your messengers shall pass without interruption."

A beautiful colossal statue of his majesty, in his royal robes, twelve feet high, is just finished. The figure is to be placed in a building newly erected for its reception, fronting the Esplanade, Weymouth.

In the territory of Falcin, a village distant two leagues from Nice, an immense cavern has lately been discovered. The entrance is very narrow; but in the interior of the cavern, of which neither the extent nor depth has yet been fully explored, there are large halls, resembling temples, adorned with columns formed by the crystalization of the water. A single hall would contain 400 persons. Very little light is necessary, as the reflection from the walls produces a magnificent illumination.

FRENCH FASHIONS.-A lady writes from Paris, that during the preparations for the invasion of England, Bonaparte is trembling, Moreau blushing, Carnot laughing, Berthier shuddering, Sieyes smiling, Talleyrand sighing, Fouche groaning, the Generals bowing, the Admirals sneering, the soldiers singing, the sailors crying, the merchants grumbling, the clergy praying, and the people paying.

A very respectable farmer at Gaddesden, in Herts, having found an ear of French barley, sowed its seed in his garden, the produce of which rather astonishing him, he determined to pursue the experiment. The next year he sowed the produce of the first in a piece of ground tilled for that purpose, which yielded

bountifully; and the third and fourth years produce, exceeded any thing of the kind he had ever seen or heard of before, being upwards of twenty sacks of pure grain.

Curious return of a quaker under the defence act:-" He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth."---I am a Christian, and profess to believe in the gospel of Christ, the precepts, nature, and spirit of which gospel lead me to be persuaded that, like my master, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, I ought to suffer all things, to love all men, and to kill none---therefore no martial service is to be expected from

Torbock-street, Liverpool,`

14th of the 8th month, 1803.

JOHN SMITH.

VOLUNTEERS.---The following is a copy of the opinion of the AttorneyGeneral on two material points, relative to Volunteers, whose services have been accepted, addressed to Mr. Secretary Yorke, and transmitted by him to the Lord Lieutenants of counties:

SIR, have had the honour of receiving your letter of the 1st instant, desiring me to take into consideration the acts now in force, relative to the Volunteer corps, and those of the last Session, for more effectually providing for the defence of the realm, and to report to you, for his majesty's information, my opinion:---1st. Whether the compulsory clauses, relative to the training and exercising of the men in the respective classes, apply to, or are to be construed to extend to Volunteer corps, whose services have been accepted subsequent to the 27th of July last, under the acts now in force respecting Volunteers: and 2d, Whether the Volunteer corps, formed under the above-mentioned acts, so long as the services of such corps shall be continued by his Majesty, and any persons enrolled therein and engaged to serve as volunteers, can withdraw themselves from such services so as to avoid the fines and penalties imposed in certain cases by 43 Geo. III. cap. 121, or so as not to continue liable to march to any part of Great Britain, when required, in the manner prescribed by the 44th and 54th clauses of the 43 Geo. III. cap. 96, under the pains of penalties there set forth.

With respect to the first question, I am of opinion, that the volunteer corps, whose services have been accepted since the 27th July last, are, notwithstanding the date of their acceptance, not within the compulsory clauses relative to the training aud exercising the men in their respectives classes, which appear to me to apply only to persons enrolled under the general provisions of the 43 Geo. III. cap. 96.

As to the second, I am of opinion, that Volunteer corps, and persons enrolled therein, cannot withdraw themselves from the services as volunteers in which they have engaged shemselves, though they may be struck out of the muster roll for default; and that they are liable, as long as they continue on the muster roll, to have enforced upon them such fines as, according to the rules and regulations of their corps, their defaults may subject them to; and also to be punished as deserters for refusing to march when required, according to their respective terms of service, under the 44th and 54th section of 43 Geo. III. cap. 96, and 9th section of 43 Geo. III. cap. 121.---I have the honour to be, &c.

SP. PERCIVAL.

Mr. Justice Downes is appointed to be chief justice of the King's Bench in Ireland, in place of the late Lord Kilwarden.

THE BOURBONS.---We do not find, on enquiry, that his majesty's ministers have any intention of employing the French royalists to erect the royal standard on the coast of France; and, indeed, there are many cogent reasons at present against the adoption of such a measure. It is certain, however, that the princes of the blood royal are very solicitous to give all possible aid to the just cause in which Great Britain is now engaged, as appears by the following letter from monsieur to his majesty :

"MONSIEUR MON FRERE ET COUSIN,

"It is with a feeling the most just, and with the liveliest sense of gratitude, that I avail myself of existing circumstances to demand of your majesty, on my own behalf, on that of my sons, of the princes my cousins, and of all Frenchmen residing in your majesty's dominions, that you will be pleased to allow us to unite ourselves to your faithful subjects, and to offer our services against our common enemy.

"We are Frenchmen, Sire; and neither our misfortunes, nor the many acts of injustice we have experienced, have weakened the sacred ties that binds us to our country; but the man who has for the present subjugated France, and rendered it the instrument of his perfidious ambition, is, in truth, as much the enemy of every Frenchman, as he is of your majesty, and of your paternal go

vernment.

"On taking this step, we therefore fulfil a double duty, and if your majesty deigns to accept of our services, we will enter into a rivalship with your loyal subjects, in order to prove to you the full extent of our gratitude.

"I pray your majesty to receive, with your usual goodness, the homage equally sincere as respectful, of every sentiment with which I shall always remain.

"MONS. MON FRERE ET COUSIN, &c." The answer to the above we have not seen, but we understand that it amounted to a polite refusal.

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.---About 2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, a melancholy accident occurred at Ibbetson's Hotel, in Vere-street, Oxford-street. Charles Jones, Esq. an officer in the army, had lodged at Ibbetson's for some days, and was on the eve of departure to join his regiment, on its march to the coast. A post chaise was at the door of the hotel, to receive him. His particular acquaintance and friend, Lieutenant Thomas Best, of the 48th regiment, had, in the mean time, called on and was to accompany him to the country. Their pistols were lying on the table, ready to be put into the pockets of the post chaise. In the course of a conversation about highwaymen, excited by their intended journey, Capt. Jones took up one of the pistols, to shew what he would do if attacked by any of that fraternity. At this period the pistol unfortunately went off, and shot Lieut. Best through the body. There were some carpenters at work in the hotel at the time, so that the report of the pistol, if heard at all, was not believed to be a pistol shot, and Capt. Jones, wild and distracted, ran for assistance into the coffee-room, where he was the first who announced the catastrophe which had happened. No time was lost in carrying his wishes into effect.

Mr. Ibbetson, with the most huinane attention to the deceased, ran himself to surgeons Ford and Heaviside, who attended in an instant after; but human aid was unfortunately of no avail: after exchanging forgiveness with Capt. Jones, declaring in the most generous manner that his death was accidental, Lieutenant Best expired in an hour after the accident had taken place, but in full possession of his senses till the last. The coroner's jury sat upon the body, and after a careful investigation, brought in a verdict of 'accidental death.' Capt. Jones, a few days afterwards, attended the corpse of his unfortunate friend to the grave.

By the regulations of the new coal act, carmen are to carry a bushel measure in their carts, and are to measure gratis any sack which the buyer may select; and if, upon remeasurement, such sack shall not contain three bushels, the dealer shall be liable to a penalty of forty shillings per sack for such deficiency. This mode will prevent those frauds so generally complained of ; and the whole of the act, which may be said to new model the coal trade, whilst it prevents the fair dealer from being harassed by informers, bids fair to reduce the price of an article, which, to the poor consumer, may be deemed as necessary as bread.

BIRTHS.

In Grosvenor-square, Lady Ann Ashley, of a son. In Dublin, the Right Hon. Lady Maxwell, of a son. At Castletown, the Right Hon. Viscountess Dunlo, of a son and heir. The Lady of Colonel Anstruther of a son. At Wimbledon, the Right Hon. Lady Lovaine, of a son. In Bloomsbury-square, the Lady of Charles Badham, M.D. of a daughter. In Harley-street, Lady C. Lenox, of a daughter.

DIED,

At Riegate, Doctor Pertie, M. D. At Margate, N. Gray, Esq. F. R. S. At Badminton, aged 17, Lady Ann Elizabeth Somerset, youngest daughter of the Duke of Beaufort. Suddenly, at Mistley in Essex, Everard Fawkener, Esq. one of the Commissioners for Stamps. Sir John William Rose, Recorder of the City of London. He was in town, and in perfect health, on Monday Oct. 10th. In the afternoon he returned to his house at Peckham, where he slept in the evening. Soon after midnight, he waked Lady Rose, saying that he felt himself extremely unwell, and that he thought himself dying. Medical assistance was immediately sent for and obtained; but human assistance was of no avail," for Sir John breathed his last between three and four o'clock on Tuesday morning. At his seat at Badminton, in Gloucestershire, the most Noble Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, Marquis and Earl of Worcester, Earl of Glamorgan, Viscount Grosmont, Baron Herbert, Lord of Ragland, Chepstow and Gower, and Baron Beaufort, of Caldecot Castle; his complaint was the gout, which, getting into the stomach, occasioned almost instantaneous death. He is succeeded in his title and estates by his eldest son, the Marquis of Worcester, M.P. for Gloucestershire. Of a dropsical complaint, Mr. Sedgwick, of Drury-Lane Theatre, after a lingering illness.