118.. Foreign and Domeftic Intelligenes. of that houfe to the compter; to which his lordship replied, "that he had only done his duty as chief magiftrate of the city of London, having acted conformably to his oath and the charters of the faid city, by which he was bound to protect the perfons, property and franchifes of his fellow citizens." After fome time ipent in debate, his lordfhip told Mr. Trecothick, that he was extremely ill, and wifhed to withdraw. Mr. Trecotick acquainted the fpeaker, who recommended to his lordship to go up to his room; but his lordship afking whether or not there was a bed there, as he wifhed to retire to reft, the premier rofe up, and faid, as his lordship was ill, no gentleman, he prefumed, could have any objection to his returning home, and no objections being made, the further debate on this affair is deferred till Tuefday next; and his lordship returned home attended by a very great number of people of all ranks and degrees both on horfe and foot. In the lord mayor's return the populace took the hories out of the carriage at St. Paul's, and drew the coach to the Manfion-house. Mr. Alderman Sawbridge declared yefterday in the House of Commons, that if he had been in the city, he would have acted exactly in the fame manner as the lord mayor and the aldermen Wilkes and Oliver. At Eight o'clock this morning Mr. Wilkes received a fummons to attend the houfe this day; but confidering that it would be abfurd in him to fubmit to an authority, which he has fo often denied in the cafe of others, he has fent to the fpeaker of the Houfe of Commons a letter, fignifying his determined refolution to refiit, even unto death, any power not founded on the laws of his country. Bath March 18. Early on Wednesday morning, after a very fhort illness, died at Burford in Oxfordshire, the right hon. and rev. Charles Knois, earl of Banbury, vifcount Wallingford, and baron Knollis of Greys. Thursday, March 21. The duke of Richmond was yesterday at the Manfionhoufe to pay his compliments to the lord mayor, who continues very ill of the gout, and it is feared got cold by his attendance on Monday at the House of Commons. Friday, March 22. Mr. William Morgan, the lord mayor's clerk, with the minute book of recognizances, was then called in, and ordered up to the table. The book was opened, and the recogni zance of William Whitham, messenger to the houfe, read. The aldermen Oliver, Sawbridge, Trecothick, and feveral worthy members of parliament, were fo fhocked at this violent and arbitrary attack on the laws of the land, that they could not bear to be fpectators of the alarmning tranfaction which they expected would follow, and therefore immediately left the house. The lords have paffed the bill, entitled, an act to prevent any bill from being brought into parliament, for the diffolution of any marriage, for the caufe of adultery, unless a claufe or particular words be inferted, to prevent the person against whom the adultery has been proved, from marrying or contracting matrimony with the perfon with whom he or he shall be proved to have carried on fuch criminal intercourfe; and to declare the iffue of fuch marriage incapable of inheriting. It is faid that the common-council on Tucfday next intend to petition the king to diffolve the prefent parliament, on account of the late violent attack on the laws and conftitution, by the Houfe of Commons having refolved that no profecution, fuit, or proceeding, be commenced, or carried on, for, or on account of, the affault and imprifonment of the printer. Last night about ten o'clock an exprefs arrived from India, by the Lapwing packet. She failed from Madrats on the 14th of October 1770.-The Aurora and the Supervisors are loft. This morning arrived at the India houfe the purfer of the Lapwing Indiaman, with an account of the fafe arrival of that thip in the Downs. Letters by the Lapwing bring the melancholy news, that there has been an univerfal Famine throughout the Kingdom of Bengal, and that the greatest Part of the Inhabitants have died for want of neceffary Provifions. Some of the Letters fay, that on this Account a Million and a half of People have perished; according to other Letters, the Number is not lefs than three Millions; but they all agree, that there are scarcely enough left alive to bury the dead. Lately died at Birmingham, aged 121, Mr. Farr, Tamworth Carrier, who had 21 children, 19 of whom were married. He had in the whole, children, grand children, and great grand children, to the amount of 144; but what is remarkable, he out-lived all his numerous pofterity, and has left 10,000l. to charitable ufes. Saturday, Foreign and Domestic Intelligence. Saturday, March 23. A correfpondent fays, "The disturbance which has been occafioned by the printing a few fpecches of the members of the Houfe of Commons, reminding me of an anecdote which I have heard of the late Mr. Pel ham. A motion was, in his time, made by fome hot-brained member, to profecute the printers of fome of the magazines, for publishing fome fpeeches faid to be made in parliament. But Mr. Pelham, who had a little more wit than either col. Onflow, or his coutin and namefake, quashed the motion with the following obfervation: "Let them alone (faid he, they make better speeches for us, than we can make ourselves." Monday, March 25. The guards, both horie and foot, have orders to be ready this day, at a moment's warning, to prevent any riots happening on account of the lord mayor's attending the houte. This afternoon, the right hon. the lord mayor, and Mr. alderman Oliver, went through the city to the Houfe of Commons, in confequence of an order from the house to attend this day in their places. The lord mayor was attended in his coach by his chaplain (Mr. Evans) and Mr. G. Bellas. They were accompanied by the aldermen Stephenton, Turner, Kirkman, and the several common council that were ordered of the committee, and were met at the house by alderman Sir Charles Afgill. The populace attempted to, get into the lobby, but were kept back by the conttables and meffengers, who attended for that purpose. On their arrival at the house, the goneral approbation of the lord mayor's conduct in this important affair was expreffed by loud and long continued acclamations; an event which (however be decided) may be of the greatest confequence, not only to the city of London, but to the whole kingdom. Tuesday, March 26. Mr. Alderman Oliver was greatly preffed to exprels a concern for having discharged the printer, and committed the mefienger; but he nobly replied, that he condered what he had done as only his duty as a magiltrate, to which he was compelled by oath, and that if the fame matter fhould again be brought before him, he thould think himself boun 1 in confcience to diftribute the fame juice. Yesterday the Lord-Mayor and Mr. Alderman Oliver attended, pursuant to order, in their places at the Houle of Cominons. Mr. Welbore Eilis very 119 fpeedily moved, that the commitment of their meffenger, against whom oath was made of an alfault and falfe imprifonment, and who refufed to give bail for his appearance to antiver the charge, was a high mildemeanor and a breach of privilege. Sir George Saville, not having quite fummoned refolution to put a negative upon this molt grofs propofition, from which every dreadful confequence was certain to follow, thought best to prove the previous question. The majority was, without doubt, as in all other cafes, in opinion with the junto of Carlton-houfe, whofe minifter plenipotentiary Welbore Ellis was upon this occafion. About eleven the LordMayor retired; notice being ftrft privately given to the Speaker of his indif polition requiring it. At one the dreadful troke was given to the magistracy, the laws, the juítice, the liberty of this country. The vote was carried; and foon after the great and worthy Aider-" man Oliver was committed to the Tower. The crowd that attended the LordMayor upon his going to the Commons, returned with his Lordship when he retired. Hories were not wanted to bring. him back. His citizens, his countrymen wore the trappings, which were trophies. of joy to them, and drew him in his carriage, all the way from St. Stephen's Chapel to the Manfion-house. waited only for a word to have cleanted. the Augean table in the manner of Hercules. They Mr. Oliver was obliged, after the commitment, to which as a member of the Houfe he chofe to pay obedienes, to fecret himself from the people, who ftill attended, and to withdraw, without their owledge, early this morning to the Tower. The Lord-Mayor attends again tomorrow. His fate, it is thought, our Dowager minifter has determined thall be expullion. When the citizens had brought the Lord-Mayor within the gates of TempleBar, they topt, and procured lights: when the univerfal cry was, "Now we have got our king within the city, we will die before he fhali be taken from us." Wednesday, March 27. Last night, about ten o'clock, a man went to the Manfion-houfe, and being admitted, asked if his Lordship went to the houfe this day. When he was anfwered in the athmative, he faid he came from the Fields, and belonged to a large body, who 120 Foreign and Domestic Intelligence. who were ready to affift his Lordship if it was required: he was then asked what Fields; he replied Spitalfields. Being told that the Lord-Mayor did not mean to encourage a mob, and being urged not to attempt any thing of that kind, he went away feemingly diffatisfied, faying, that they would notwithstanding wait on his Lordship, and fee that no violence was offered him. This day, about one o'clock, the LordMayor, attended by his committee, and a vast number of citizens, merchants, and independent gentlemen, fet out in triumph for the Houfe of Commons. The row of carriages reached from St. Paul's to Chari 1g-Crofs. The city was all in motion, and by its acclamations teftified their fatisfaction with his conduct, and their deteftation of the tyranny. of the Commons. The Mob were fo outrageous, that above 200 Conftables could not keep them in Order. The Juftices in vain attempt. ed to read the Riot Act; the People threw Mud at them, and obliged them to withdraw. - Monday evening laft, between Eight and Nine o'clock, two defperate villains knocked at the door of Mrs. Cope, in Oxford Court, Cannon-ftreet. One of the fellows, on the maid opening the door, taid he had a letter for the lady.On the maid going up ftairs to inform her miltrefs, hearing him following up to the chamber, Mife Cope had the prefence of mind to lock the door, at the inftant he was forcing in, and left part of his coat fhut in; at the fame time an accomplice prefented a piftol to the other maid on the ftairs, and threatened to blow her brains out if the fpoke a word; immediately the cried out, "Thieves!" and collared him, and endeavouring to wreft the piftol out of his hand, he fired at her, but the piftol only flashed in the pan; this alarming the neighbourhood, they precipitately ran out of the houfe without their booty; they were stopped by a man fervant, but on prefenting a piftol to him, both escaped. Yesterday fo many people of different ranks flocked to the Tower, that the gates were oblighed to be thut, which was done with much difficulty, and one of the wardens was twice knocked down in attempting it. On Monday as the Members were going to the Houfe, a great Number of People aflembled in one of the New made in Rooms, and a Chimney-Sweeper was placed upon the Chimney-piece, order to reprefent the Speaker of the House of Commons.-Mr. Wilkes's Letter was read, and received with loud Acclamations.- -Then a motion was made for expelling George Onslow, or little Cocking George, because he was lait Week employed in fighting a Main of Cocks, when he should have been attending in Parliament and it was carried nem. con.The next motion was that Lord North, Lord Beauchamp, Dyfon, Elliot, and feveral other Defpots fhould be hanged; and they were hanged accordingly in Chalk upon the Walls. After feveral other Motions had paffed, they at length diffolved the Parliament. They fhewed their Speaker to several Members of the House, whom they aped. We are pofitively affured that Lord North refigned this Morning, and that Lord Gower is appointed First Lord of the Treafury, and Ch. Jenkinson, Esq; Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord North was infulted very much, the glaffes of his chariot broke, and his wriff cut, his hat taken from him and torn into pieces; the two Mr. Foxes, and Hans Stanley, were likewise greatly infulted. The house, in fhort, could not proceed to bufinefs. Finding how refolute the people were, at length, fome of the members came out, particularly Sir George Saville, Mr. Townfend, the Sheriffs, the two Burkes, Mr. Sawbridge, and Mr. Whitworth, who perfuaded the people to disperse, and particularly urged it as the request of the Lord Mayor. They faid, they would not go without their Lord Mayor. Thurfay, March 28. Yesterday the following malefactors were executed perfuant to their fentence at Tyburn, viz. John Sidey and George Birch for rob bing the houfe of Mr. Greenfield, in Fleet-ftreet; Luke Cannon for robbing the houfe of Mr. Stratford, in Park-street; Richard Morris for firing a loaded pistol at Thomas Parkinson, in Hertfordshire; and Thomas Peake for returning from transportation before the expiration of his term, who all behaved in a manner becoming their unhappy fituation; after hanging the ufual time, they were cut down and their bodies delivered to their friends for interment. The Oxford For APRIL, 1771. TH For the OXFORD MAGAZINE. THE POLICE. HE prefent diftracted ftate of our civil government having fpread a general alarm throughout the whole kingdom, and drawn off mens attention from lefs important fubjects, to the first and greatest of all-thofe divifions between the court and the people, which menace wild uproar and confufion-by which both life and property may be endangered: it would be unpardonable, and indeed very unfeafonable in the author of this paper, to attempt a cowardly evafion of the great conflict which agitates the body politic; he, therefore, with equal impartiality and firmness, means to dedicate his effay for this month to the service of his country, in the cause of civil liberty, and in fupport of the dignity of go vernment. As an Englishman informed by a liberal education, as a confcientious man bound in honour" to declare the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth"-and as "an independent looker-on in this ftate of Britain," his fentiments fhall be freely delivered on the gloomy afpect of our domeftic feuds, and where, in his poor opinion, either, prince, fenate, or people, appear to be in the wrong, he will not fpare them; but as a public writer, profeffedly taking the pen in hand, with a view to amend and reform every defective part of our fyftem of polity-the wounds of the ftate fhall be probed to the bottom-detergents fhall be administered with a lenient hand-and the courfe of cure be with modefty prefcribed. It is apprehended no itate-phyfician can VOL. VI. NUMBER IX. promife more, not even the immortal Junius. As for the performance, tho we poffefs not his powers, yet animated by the fame principles, and impelled, by an irrefiftible impulfe, to follow fo bright a leader, we will not despair of obtaining a small portion of that general approbation, which every writer in the cause of his country is fure to obtain from a free and generous people.. The three principal caufes of our prefent difquiets are The number of places in the gift of the crown, the emoluments of which are out of all proportion to the real circumstances, or ftate of the public income of the nation; and are so many temptations to needy, extravagant nobles and gentlemen, inciting them to purfue any measures, however repugnant to the true intereft of their country, by which they may obtain and secure the poffeffion of enormous fees and falaries. This is the grand fource of "the corruption of the reprefentatives of the people, and of the extenfion of the prerogatives of the crown, by the nobles, who are entrusted with the adminiltration of government. It is likewife the fruitful parent of falfe patriotism, and the grand mover of popular tumult. When the leaders of oppofition are known to have in view the lucrative offices in the state; and upon every attempt to compromife matters, and conciliate parties, produce regular lifts of a train of friends and dependents, who are to be amply provided for at the public expence; little good can be expected from fuch men, or 122 The POLICE. or any alteration they may propofe in the management of public affairs, notwithstanding all their boafted pretenfions to public virtue, and a difinterested love of our country. The fecond general cause of our domeftic unhappiness, moft affuredly is, the wrong choice we make of reprefentatives in parliament. Yet this we perfift in, election after election; and no fooner does a member ac ept a place at court, which vacates his feat, but he is rechofen; though it was originally intended, that the holding offices, or penfions under the crown, fhould be a real difqualification, otherwife, why vacate the feat, or iffue out a new writ? But the third cause of all our mistortunes, and the forerunner of the diffoJution of our government, is an univerfal degeneracy of manners-the neverfailing confequence of bad education; by which an early habit is contracted of fhameless debauchery, riot, prodigality and effeminacy; fo that men, whole rank and interest introduce them into the walks of public life, take poffeffion of feats in parliament, or of important pofts in the state, rather as the lot of their birth and connections, than as the rewards of great abilities, or the recompence for fignal fervices done to their country. Unprincipled and uninformed, their chief concern is, how to repay the expences of their election, and to fecure a life-annuity fufficient to enable them to país the remainder of their days in the free indulgence of every fashionable, expenfive vice. That this is the cafe, needs no further proof, than the variety of fplendid extravagant mafquerades harmonic meetings affemblies, and ftated coftly clubs, which have been carried to fuch a pitch of wanton luxury and diffipation--amidst all the cries and lamentations of our patriots!-and in which the Ins and the Outs, like the lawyers after a fharp conflict at Westminster-hall, have moft devoutly joined hands; and forgetting the embarrassments of both king and people, have drank alike of Circe's enchanting cup, which levels all diftinction between the pliant courtier and the noily patriot-between the factious demagogue and the venal statefinan—both mingle in the reve), midnight rout, and are alike transformed into mere brutes. If the deluded multitude could but behold the fame man-who in the senate was agonizing at every pore for the unhappy fate of his dear country !—fulminating against corrupt placemen and pentioners afcribing all our national grievances to the extravagancies of the age, which lead men to fell the rights and liberties of the people for gold to fupport their prodigality !-partaking, in a few hours after, of the moft refined fenes of wanton pleasure" ranging under the banners of the fole emprefs of the walt regions of tafte in SohoSquare"--and burying under the motley habit of Harlequin, the skin of a Bear, or the feraglio drefs of Turkish Bashaw the rigid CATO of the morning-how peaceably would they return to their various occupations, and no longer hope for better times, from those who, dead to the true principles of perfect governments, concur in fupporting that very effeminacy of manners, which they know to be the origin of our national venality and corruption. Let this political memento be imprinted ftrongly on the minds of my unbiaffed countrymen-That the deliverers of nations from tyranny and oppreffion-the faviours of the people in all ages and countries, are recorded in hiftory, as the most exemplary characters for private, as well as public vir tue. When their country was by them publicly declared to be in a deplorable condition on the brink of flavery! the conftitution violated! the rights of the people invaded! they invoked the gods they retired from the frequented haunts of men-they abstained even from lawful pleasures; a frugal repaft was all they allowed themselves-but they did not appear at the public fhews and games--they did not assemble at taverns over the feftive board to redress their country's wrongs. They wept her fate, in penitential forrow; and when they drew the civil fword, it was virtue herself in arms against tyrant vice-not one band of rioters waging a noify war of words against another of rather a darker complexion. A cool, unprejudiced obferver of n'ational characters and events, who deli berately |