1 to obtain from the lords of the treafury an explanation of the meaning of the above minute. At a meeting of the electors of the city and liberty of Westminster, at the great room over Exeter-Exchange in the Strand, it was agreed to inftruct their reprefentatives in the fame articles with thofe of Middlefex, with this addition: 6. And lastly, we do moft ftrongly infift, that you never ceafe your endeavours to obtain a conftitutional redrefs for thofe illegal meafures which have been purfued against John Wilkes, efq; and that you ftrenoufly fupport and vindicate the rights of the people, who have chofen him their reprefentative in parliament. new A wardmote was held by 27th. the right hon. the lord mayor at St Bride's-church, for a election of an alderman for the ward of Farringdon Without; when there being no other candidate than John Wilkes, esq; he was declared duly elected. The right hon. the lord mayor made a genteel apology to the gentlemen of the ward, on account of his calling them together a fecond time, owing merely to a mistake in clofing the books before the time agreed on. Mr. Wilkes was carried by a marfhal of the King' -bench pri on to the House of Commons. The affair that was that day debated is to be refumed on Tuesday. The court of common council approved an agreement between the city and the prebend of Finfbury, for a leafe of the Finsbury eftate for ninety-nine years, renewable apon certain conditions mutually advantageous to both parties; and a petition was at the fame time read and approved to be prefented to parliament for an act to carry the agreement into execution. At this court fome propofitions were taken into confideration, relative to the roads to be made from the new bridge at Blackfriars; but no plan was then adopted. A recollet of the town of Chalon in France found means to make himself mafter of the whole treasure of the convent in that town. It was in the poffeffion of two women; it being contrary to the inftitution of the order, for friars to keep money within their walls. Mr. John Hillier, a fhopkeeper at Guildford, was found murdered in his own houfe. The murderers were farmers lads, about 17 or 18 years of age. They were difcovered by one of them dropping his garter near the body of the deceased. At Ratford, near Coventry, a ball of fire was feen about three in the afternoon, on the 27th of January, which however fell without doing any damage. A terrible ftorm arofe off Calais in the night of the 28th pait, in which five fhips were driven afhore. On the matt of one of them, part of the 'crew remained 36 hours, when they were relieved at the utmost hazard of life. Two, however, had perished before affiftance could arrive. An infurrection of the inhabitants of New Orleans, in October last, was attended with the moft ferious confequences; they expelled their Spanish governor don Antonio d'Alloa, and drove him from the ifland; confined the French commandant Aubrey, and di patched four of the principal gentlemen of the place to France to folicit redress of grievances. M. Voltaire has rebuilt his parish church at Ferney, and over the front placed placed these words: DEO EREXIT VOLTAIRE. 31. The house of commons was very full. Mr. Wilkes was brought up by the marshal of the King's-bench prifon; his petition was reduced to two heads, amending the record, and corrupting his fervants with public money. Married, at Hatley St. George, in Cambridgeshire, Mrs. Ann Sampfon, aged 83, to Mr Benjamin Browne, woolftapler, at Lillingston, near Royston, aged 30. Died lately in Ireland, John Rider, the old Palatine, aged 111 years. At Bodmin, in Cornwall, Mrs. Ann Richards, aged 103. At Newcastle, Anne Moulter, aged 103. Near the fame place, Cicely Fenwick, aged 113. In Black-friars, Mrs. Goodluck, merican colonies. aged 108. Mrs. Baker, a widow lady in Hatton-garden, aged 100. At Hereford, aged 104, Mr, Thomas Probyn, corporal or chief of the Koningsburyhofpital in that city. In Ireland, Capt. Rogers of the 44th Regiment. In Ormond-street, aged 100, Jonathan Pulleyn, Efq. many years a commander in the Eat-India company's fervice. At his houfe in Leicester-fields, aged 81, Mr. Robson, fen. and the next day, aged 82, Mrs. Robfon, his wife. They had been married about fifty years. Aged 95, Mr. Walter Partin, but ler upwards of 60 years in the family of Mark Knightly, Efq. of SohoSquare: Dying a batchelor, he has left upwards of 2000l. to a nephew, a linen-draper in Holborn. In the 96th year of his age, at his ledgings in Soho-Square, John Bap- The bill to indemnify perfons who. have omitted to qualify themfelves for offices or employments, within the time limited by law, and allowing a farther time for that purpose. The bill to repeal part of an act which reftrains publicans, &c. from the use of plate. The bill to better pave, light, and cleanfe the streets, lanes and paffages in the town of Windfor. And alfo fuch other bills as were ready. Mr. Wilkes was again brought. up prifoner to the house. Pope Clement the 13th died at Rome, between ten and eleven in the evening. He had fupped as ufual, and was gone to bed, and foon after finding himself a little indifpofed, rang his bell for affiftance. He was immediately bled in both arms; but, nevertheless, expired in a very short time. On opening his body, there was no other apparent [F 4] causes caufes of his death, than a too great dilatation in the veffels of the heart, He was named Charles Rezzonico, and was born at Venice on the 7th of March, 1693. He was created cardinal in 1737, and elected pope the 6th of July 1758. Upon this occafion, in the dead of the night, all the prifoners were, according to the ufual custom on the death of a fovereign pontiff, conducted to the caftle of St. Angelo, where the abbé Fioti had been fome time confined; who was fo affrighted at the noife made by the chains of the criminals and light of the flambeaux, that he fell into ftrong convulfions, and died foon after. After long and warm de3d. bates in the house of commons, the matter of Mr. Wilkes's petition was determined; the amendments declared according to law, and every day's practice; the charge frivolous; and the afperfions against the lord chief justice inflammatory. The allegations in the fecond head were declared, "not "fully proved." The introduction to lord W-th's letter was then taken into confideration. The lds had already declared that writing "an infolent, fcandalous, and feditious libel,tending to inflame and ftir up the minds of his majefty's fubjects to fedition, and to a total fubverfion of all good order and government." Mr. Wilkes was this day expelled the house, and a new writ iffued for Middlefex, Drury-lane, when a party of the guards being fent for, took feveral of the most active into cuftody, and difperfed the reft. The peace officers had in vain, attempted to stop their proceedings. An important caufe, rela4th. tive to the validity of a Scotch marriage, was finally determined in the court of delegates, and the marriage confirmed. As the king of France was hunting in the foreft of St. Ger main, his horfe fell down, by which his majesty received a violent blow on the right arm. The acuteness of the pain had caufed the greatest inquietudes among the people: but all'apprehenfions of danger are diffipated, as there is no reason to believe the accident will be attended with any bad confequences. The exterior part of the arm, at its ar ticulation with the fhoulder, has fuffered moft; but, though it is yet fwelled and painful, his majesty grows better every day. There was a very full court 7th. of aldermen at Guildhall, when the admiffion of Mr. Wilkes as a member of that court was taken into confideration; but they came to no determination, and the affair was poftponed to a farther hearing. The opinions of Mr. ferjeant Leigh and Mr. ferjeant Glynn are ordered to be taken on fome points of law ftated yesterday, refpecting the obligation of admitting Mr. Wilkes as an alderman. Came on, by ballot, at the Miles Burton Allen, efq. was Eaft India houfe, the question 9th. committed to Newgate, for prefum- for agreeing with the public, and ing to chahenge fir William Mere-granting 400,000l. a year for five dith, for words fpoken in debate. A number of perfons were riotoufly affembled, and pulled down the ruins of fome old houfes in years, out of the territorial revenues in India; when the fame was fi nally determined, 290 against 250; in confequence of which, immediate recourfe recourfe was had to parliament, to carry the agreement into execution, The proceedings in the townmeetings at Bofton, in America, underwent the fevereft cenfure, and were declared illegal and unconftitutional, and calculated to excite fedition and infurrection. And the letters of the affembly to other pro vinces unwarrantable and dangerous; tending to create unlawful combinations: repugnant to the laws of Great Britain: and fubverfive of the conftitution. The convention is held as a daring infult to his majesty's authority, and an audacious ufurpation of the powers of government. 10th. At a common hall of the livery of London, Mr. Clavey in the chair, a set of inftructions to the reprefentatives of the city in parliament were read, and unanimoufly approved. At this meeting Mr. alderman Beckford attended, and spoke to the following effect: "This refolution of yours to in ftruct your members, gentlemen, is right; for it is conftitutional. If any instructions fhould be given to me which may be inconfiftent with my own fentiments, I fhall always take the liberty, with decency and humility, to fay, that, in my opinion, they are improper; but far be it from me to oppofe my own judgment against that of fix thoufand of my fellow-citizens. That giving inftructions was according to law, and the custom of parliament; for which (he faid) he had the authority of that great oracle of the law, lord Coke. That it must be fo in the nature of things; for that formerly representatives were paid wages by their conftituents, but that in fome late houfes of parliament [the prefent, he obferved, was the mot uncorrupt he ever knew], the reprefentatives had rather chufe to receive pay and penfions from minifters than from their conftituents." He then advised, that the livery, in their inftructions, fhould attend to meafures, and not men; which he declared, he himself had always done: and that he never would accept of place, penfion, title, or any emolument whatfoever. The greatcaufe depending 11th. between the hon. Mrs. Chudleigh, and the right hon. A. John Hervey, efq; was this day determined in the confiftory court of London, in favour of the lady ; and fhe was declared to be free from any matrimonial contract with the faid gentleman. A fubfcription was fet on foot at Cambridge, for a poor clergyman, at Brandon, in Suffolk, who, by two wives, has had eight-and-twenty children, and whofe income is 651. a year, for the fervice of two churches, nine miles apart, and the teaching a free-school befides. 13th. Both houses of parliament waited on his majefty with their addrefs refpecting the critical fituation of American affairs. In this address they approve the meafures that have been taken to put a ftop to those disorders; and recommend to his majesty's wisdom the most effectual means of bringing to condign punishment the chief authors and inftigators of them; concluding, that, if it should be found neceflary, a fpecial commif fion may be iffued for enquiring, hearing, and determining their offences within this realm, purfuant to the provifion of an act of parlia ment, 5 Hen. VIII, Ta To which addrefs his majefty was pleafed to return the following moft gracious anfwer. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "The fincere fatisfaction you exprefs in the meafures which I have already taken, and the ftrong affurances you give in fupporting me in thofe which may be ftill neceffary to maintain the juft legiflative authority, and the due execution of the laws, in my province of Maffachufett's-bay, give me great pleasure. "I fhall not fail to give thofe orders, which you recommend as the moft effectual method of bringing the authors of the late unhappy diforders in the province to condign punishment." At a very numerous meet14th. ing of the freeholders of the county of Middlefex at the Mileend affembly-room, it was unanimoufly refolved to confirm their former choice, by re-electing John Wilkes, efq. their reprefentative in parliament. George Bellas, efq. was called to the chair. James Townfend, efq. member of parliament for Weftlooe in Cornwall, recommended the reelection of Mr. Wilkes in a very elegant and animated fpeech; in which he obferved, that he had never feen nor fpoken to Mr. Wilkes before his late expulfion; that he regarded his caufe folely as the caufe of the people, divelled of every perfonal confideration or connection; that the oppreffion and injuries which Mr. Wilkes had fuffered were fufficient to roufe the indignation of every man that had one generous fentiment in his breast, or the leaft fenfe of freedom and regard for the conftitution; and that he would affert the right of the freeholders to the choice of their reprefentatives, by going to give his vote for Mr. Wilkes, in cafe of future expulfions, as long as he fhould have a fhilling left, or one leg to hop down to Brentford. John Sawbridge, efq. member for Hithe in Kent, feconded this motion with great fpirit, concluding with the words of Mr. Wilkes's addrefs-That if once the ministry fhall be permitted to fay whom the freeholders fhall not chufe, the next ftep will be to tell them whom they ball chufe. Mr. Horne, Samuel Vaughan, efq. Sir Francis Blake Delaval,— Eyre, efq.-Jones, efq. and many other gentlemen of property and character, fpoke to the fame effect. One Samuel Stockton, of Aftley, in Lancashire, a fustian trader, was barbarously murdered by one Hooton, a villain, whom he had entertained as an itinerant preacher. This hypocrite, by his pretended fanctity, had gained the entire confidence of the deceased, who was perfuaded by him to raife a large fum of money to lay out in corn in his (Hooton's) country, which, he faid, would bring him double in the neighbourhood where he lived; but in his journey to buy the corn, the miscreant murdered and robbed his benefactor, to the ruin of his family. He has fince been tried at Lincoln affizes, convicted, and executed; but denied the fact, and clofed his life with an ejaculation to God to receive his innocent foul. Mr. Wilkes was re-elected 16th. at Brentford,member for the county of Middlefex, by the unanimous voice of aboye two thousand of |