com

carronades, commanded by M. Montfort, Lieutenant de Vaiffeau, lying clofe under the batteries of the Ifle of Bas. When it is confidered that the Venteux, perfectly prepared, manned with 82 men, all of whom were upon deck, and covered with very heavy batteries, was oppofed to the crews of two of our boats (as the third, from rowing heavy, did not get up till the brig was pletely gained poffeffion of), I feel confident that you will view it as one of thofe brilliant exploits which add luftre to the British arms.-The fuccefs of Mr. Temple's daring attempt fpeaks fufficiently for his conduct, and that of every one under his command, to render it fuperfluous for me to enter into any eulogium on the prefent occafion. Mr. Bridges has ferved his time, and paffed for Lieutenant nearly a year; of whofe conduct Mr. Temple fpeaks in the highest terms, together with that of every officer and man under his command.-I am very forry to add, the lofs on our fide is rather heavy, Mr. M'Gwier, the Boatswain, is fo feverely wounded as to render him incapable of doing his duty for a confiderable time. Four feamen and a marine are also badly wounded; two of the feamen, I fear, paft recovery.-The Venteux had her fecond captain and two feamen killed: the captain, with four officers, all he had, and eight feamen, wounded. She was ftationed at the Isle of Bas, to guard the coalt, and regulate the convoys of stores, &c. bound to Breft; is a veffel of large dimentions, being 74 feet long and 24 wide, and perfectly in a condition immediately to be employed.

I have the honour to be, &c. F. MAITLAND. The Gazette alfo contains a letter from Admiral Cornwallis to Admiral Campbell, announcing the capture, by the Doris, of a fmall French privateer, of 24 tons, called la Pelagie, mount

ing four guns, and having on board 37 men, from Nantes.-She has been fcuttled.

SATURDAY, JULY 9.

[This Gazette contains a Letter from Captain Paget, of the Endymion, dated the 25th ult. announcing the capture of the French corvette la Bacchante, of 18 twelve-pounders and 200 men.-Captain Paget fays, "The Captain perfifted fo long in his endeavoures to escape, that the Endymion's chafe guns killed her Second Captain and feven men, and wounded nine others. I am happy to add, her fire did us no harm."-Captain Dixon, of the Apollo, announces the capture of the Dart French National brig, with four guns and 45 men, from Martinique for L'Orient.]

TUESDAY, JULY 12.

[This Gazette contains a letter from Captain Wallis, of the Naiad, to Admiral Cornwallis, dated Bay of Breit, July 5, which tates, that on the preceding evening he fent the boats of the hips under his command to cut out a French fchooner from the Saints. They completely fucceeded in their object, without experiencing the leat accident.-She proves to be la Providence, of near 200 tons burthen, only two guns mounted, and had zz men, commanded by Citizen Freville, who, on the approach of our boats, got on fhore with his officers and crew, except one man and two boys. She was bound to Breit, from the foundry near Nantes, and is laden with heavy cannon of 36, 24, and 18, French pounders, and fome choice timber for their Navy. Our boats were under the orders of Lieutenant Deane, of whom the Captain fpeaks in the highest terms.]

On the 4th ult. a ball of fire ftruck the White Bull public-home, kept by John Hubbard, at Eaft Norton: the chimney was thrown down by it; the roof partly torn off; the windows thattered to atoms; and the dairy, pantry, &c. converted into a heap of rubbish

It appeared like a luminous ball of confiderable magnitude; and, on coming in contact with the houfe, exploded with a great noife, and a very oppreffive fulphureous fmell. Some fragments of this ball were found near the spot, and have been fubjected to a chemical analysis by

a gen

a gentleman in the neighbourhood, who has found them to confift of nearly one half filiceous clay, thirty-five parts of oxidated iron, twelve of magnefia, and a fmall portion of nickel, with fome fulphur. The furface of thefe ftones is of a dark colour, and varnished as if in a state of fufion, and bearing numerous globules of a whitish metal combining fulphur and nickel: from fome indentures on the furface, it appears probable that the ball was foft when it defcended, and it was obviously in a state of fufion, as the grafs, &c. is burnt up where the fragments fell. Its motion while in the air was very rapid, and apparently parallel to the horizon.

22. A General Court was held at the Eat-India Houfe; when on the motion of Mr. Twining, feconded by General Harris, it was propofed to fubmit to a General Court of Proprietors, to allow Mr. Tatem, the late Director, an annuity of zool.

24. About fix o'clock in the evening, as a Richmond stage was palling along Fleet-ftreet, nearly oppofite Chancery lace, one of the fore-wheels broke down, which caufed the coach immediately to uplet; and three paffengers on the top, a man, a girl, and a boy, were precipitated on the pavement. The boy efcaped without much injury, but the man was very much bruised. The poor girl was in a much worse ftate than any of the reft, for after she had fallen upon the ground, the coach fell upon her. In this pitiable fituation the fhrieked for help, and the paffengers came to her affiftance. Having got her out from under the coach, they took her, as well as the man, into a che mit's in the neighbourhood. It was found that feveral of her toes were broken, and her body much bruifed; but it is not fuppofed that her life is in danger. The coachman was very little hurt. A woman was the only infide paffenger, and the received not the least injury.

The fame day, a feafaring man, lately arrived in the port of London, fent for his wife from the country to come on board the hip, lying off Ratcliff Crofs, where the ftaid fome time. On parting, as fhe was descending the fhip's fide, a ballaft-lighter, by the ftrength of the tide, ftruck the fide of the fhip, by which the unfortunate woman was jammed to death.

24. After an elegant dinner given by Lord Athlone, in Sloane-street, his footman, a foreigner, packed up all the plate, with a variety of his Lordship's apparel,

VOL. XLIV. JULY 1803.

and carried the whole off without detection. [He has been fince taken.]

25. In the afternoon, a young child belonging to Mr. Lobb, corner of FofterJane, Cheapfide, while playing at the three pair of stairs window, fell into the street, and died in confequence.

26. As Belcher, the pugilift, was playing at tennis, in Martin's-reet, Haymarket, the ball, rebounding with great force, ftruck him in the eye, and forced it out of its focket.

27. In the Court of King's Bench, Philips and Shipman, two failors, who had confpired with others falfely to accufe their Captain of the murder of his apprentice at Demerara (for which he was tried and acquitted) were brought up for judgment. One of them having added perjury to his confpiracy, the fentence of the Court upon them was, "That Richard Shipman fhould be imprisoned in the House of Correction, Coldbath-fields, for two years, during which time he shall stand in and upon the pillory for one hour. That Benjamin Philips do fuffer the fame fentence for the confpiracy; and for the perjury be imprisoned one month in Newgate, and then be tranfported beyond the feas for the term of seven years."

29. A meeting of the Livery of London was held at Guildhall, to confider the propriety of inftructing the City Members to oppofe, with all their in fluence in Parliament, the Tax on In come. A number of Refolutions were read, declaratory of the impolicy, injuftice, &c. of the Tax, which were all carried in the affirmative. At the clofe of the bufinefs, a refolution was propofed, and unanimously paffed, "That the Livery of London feit the importance of fupporting Government at this important juncture, and were uniformly ready to contribute in all juft and equal impofts, to the vigorous profecution of the contest in which the country was engaged.”

Being the last day of Trinity term, Captain Brifac, late of the Iris, convicted of a fraud upon Government in the purchate of ftores, was brought up to receive judgment; when Mr. Justice Grofe paffed the fentence of the Court; which was, that he should pay a fine of 300l. be imprisoned eighteen months in the King's Bench, and once during that time itand in and upon the pillory, oppofite the Admiralty.

[The King, in confequence of a Memorial prefented to him, has ordered to be remitted that part of Captain Brifac's

fentence, which directed his being put in the pillory.]

30. A Court of Common Council was held at Guildhall, when the Lord Mayor informed the Court, that he had called them together for the purpose of confi. dering a letter which he had received from the Secretary at War, respecting the rumber of men to be raised by the city; when the Court refolved that 800 men be voluntarily raifed for the fervice, and referred it to the Militia Committee to confider and report on the belt means to be adopted for raising the faid men.

A man being difcovered, about three o'clock in the morning, tealing lead from the top of a houfe in Ruffell-iquare, he was pursued by a number of perfons, from one houfe to another; at length an ir habitant of Hunter-street fired a blunderbuts at the poor wretch, the contents of which entering his body, he expired in a few minutes.

One day last week the wife of Daniel Taylor, of Chalfont St. Peter's, labourer, was delivered of three male infants, all of whom, as well as the mother, are now living, and likely to do well. The family have four more children, all giris under ten years of age, and no other dependance than on the poor man's work, as a common day-labourer in husbandry.

A few days fince the wife of one of the privates, belonging to the Staffordshire Militia, was fately delivered of three girls, at the barracks in Windfor; they lived but a fhort time, though the mother is likely to do well.

JULY 5. The following action for Crim. Con. was tried in the Court of King's Bench.-SMITH verfus SMITH, -The damages were laid at 6000!.

Mr. Eifkine, in addrefling the Jury, faid, the plaintiff and defendant were brothers' children, living at Brmingham, the former about forty years of age, and the latter only twenty-four. The defendant was left an orphan, in his early infancy, and configned to the guardian care of the plaintiff. He executed that care with the greatest tendernefs.-He fuperintended his education, and brought him to his own home in all the vacations from the school. When he became of maturer age, he fought and found an apprenticeship, which might be the means of his future good. When that alio was expired, he introduced him to bufirefs; and, that he might be at no expence, gave him part of his own house at Birmingham for a warehouse, under whose aufpices he had acquired property to the amount

of 3000l The return he had made shewed how well he had merited fuch fingular attentions and kindneis. The plaintiff was married in the year 1790, had four children living by his wife, who was a very handfome woman, and, till within a year of the injury taking place, they had lived on terms of mutual love and affection, the defendant being confidered as a brother in the family. From that period the plaintiff difcovered an unacCountable change in his wife's conduct; her affections appeared to be alienated; fhe became inattentive and regardless of the duties both of a wife and a mother. At this conduct the plaintiff was greatly diftreffed. At length fhe begged the might be allowed to feparate from him; fhe had private reasons for urging it, and actually removed a short distance from Birmingham, to a houfe in the town; from whence, on the eleventh of March 1802, the eloped with the defendant, went to Edinburgh (living together in open adultery), where the mifcarried of a child, the fruits of their criminal connexion. From the time of their elopement the peace of the plaintiff's mind had been ruined, his health broke, and he had, ever tince, been labouring under the effects of mifery and oppreffion. The marriage and the adultery were proved; the latter, by a Mr. Hayward, who followed the plaintiff's wife and defendant to Edin burgh.

The defendant's Counfel endeavoured to fhew, by cross-examining the plaintiff's witneffes, that he had neglected her, and been the means of his own fhame: but this turned out to be fo far from the fact, that every witness concurred in giving him the best of characters, as a kind, tender, and affectionate husband.

Lord Ellenborough delivered an excellent charge to the Jury; who, after a minutes deliberation, found a verdict for the plaintiff, Three Thousand Pounds damages; being, as they obferved, all the defendant was worth.

6. The Recorder made his Report to his Majesty of the prifoners under fensence of death in Newgate, convicted in May feffions; John Grant, for wilfully and maliciously hooting at Spencer George Townshend, Efq. with a pistol, loaded with powder and ball, at his own door, in St. James's-place, was ordered for execution on Wednesday next. The others were refpited.

7. As the King went to the drawingroom, the mother of the above unfortu nate young man fell on her knees, and

prefe

prefented a petition to his Majefty to spare his life.

His Majefty's frigate Refiftance, of thirty fix guns, was totally lost on Case St. Vincent, early in the morning of the 31ft ult.: the crew faved.

La Minerve frigate, of forty-four guns, commanded by Captain Brentor, untor tunately got upon a fand-bank, off Cher. bourg, and is loft: the crew faved.

Sir E. Nagle commands the Sea-Fentibles at Shoreham. The total amount of thofe Fencibles along the coaft is about 14,000, who are commanded by eightyeight Captains and a proportionate num ber of Lieutenants.

As Colonel Baillie, of the Weft Middlefex Regiment, brother to Lord Uxbridge, was riding laft week in front of the line of Coxheath Camp, he was thrown frem his horfe, and had his collar-bone broke, and his fhoulder diflocated.

8. At the Old Bailey came on the trial of Robert Aflett, who, being put to the Bar, was in ficted for that he being a fervant of, and employed by the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, was entrusted with a certain Paper-writing, called an Exchequer Bill, of the value of 1000. and another of the fame value, and a third of the fame value. On the 26th of February laft, he being fuch fervant, &c. did feloniously fecrete and embezzle the faid Exchequer Bills, and did run away with them, lo belonging to the faid Governor and Company. There were no less than ten different Counts to the fame effect.

Mr. Garrow was Counfel for the profecutor, and Mr. Erskine for the prifoner. The former ftated, that the Bank of England, being in the customary habit of purchafing Exchequer Bills on account of Government, thefe Bills are either brought to the Bank by one particular houfe, (G Idimid and Co.) or by the Bank Breker, who purchates the Bills in the market. On the delivery of thefe to the Cashier, Mr. Allett, he gives an order for payment, and the Exchequer Bills remain with him till a iufficient quantity are collected together, and made up in bundles, to deliver into the custody of the Directors in the parlour: thefe buodies are then counted, and a voucher given to the Cahier on their delivery: they are placed in a trong clofet, fut under three keys, and two of the keys are kept by the Directors. Conformably to this practice, on the 26th day of February last, there were transferred from

Another, value 200.000 A third

400,000-700,000 An entry was made in the parlour bo k, and its correctnefs was vouched by the fignatures of two Directors, Meffrs. Smith and Puget. The entry thus vouched, was nevertheless, afterwards found to be for Bills to the amount of 200,000l. more than the actual value of the bundles. On this dilcovery it came out, that Mr. Aflett had been re-iffuing fome of thefe Bills to raife money; and Mr. Bifh, the Stockbroker, who had been applied to with fome of them, by Allett, fufpecting all was not right, gave intimation of his fufpicions to the Bank, when Mr. Aflett's criminality became evident.

After Mr. Garrow had gone through his cafe, Mr. Erfkine, in behalf of the prifoner, infifted that Mr. Jennings, who had figned thefe purloined Exchequer Bilis in the first instance, had not had the proper authority renewed to him for fo doing, as required by Act of Parliament; and to evident was this, that Government had, fince the commitment of Mr. Aflett, paffed an Act to remedy the omiffion.

The Chief Baron Macdonald obferved, that the charge was, for embezzling a valid Bill of Exchange. However great the crime in fociety, and the magnitude of the fum embezzled; though every one mult regret the caufe of it, and the effect upon fociety, yet it was the bounden duty of the Court to determine according to the regular, ordinary, and constant courfe of the administration of justice. It was certainly clear the prefent indictment was not to be maintained, as the charge therein alledged could not be proved. The late A&t of Parliament had recognized the invalidity of the Bills which the prifoner embezzled.

The other Judges concurred in opinion, and the Lord Chief Baron directed the Jury to acquit the prifoner. He was accordingly found Not Guilty.

Mr. Garrow applied to the Court to detain him in custody; it being the intention of the Bank Directors to iffue a civil procefs against him for 190,000l. and upwards, the monies paid for the Bills, which he had converted to his own