Wilkes's caufe as the caufe of liberty; he hoped that they would now ftand forth, as they had already done, in fuch a caufe, and fhew the whole world that nothing is capable of taking away their freedom, that glorious birthright of every Englifhman he therefore preffed this very seriously, as an object of their confideration; and concluded by hoping that the friends of Mr. Wilkes would equally fhew themfelves friends to peace and good order."

At four in the afternoon the poll was clofed, when the numbers flood as follow;

2

The proceffion of the different bodies of freeholders on horfeback, through Charing-crofs, Pall-mall, Piccadilly, &c. lafted two hours; 'fome bodies confifted of feveral hundreds each, all with mufic playing, colours flying, and their hats decorated with blue ribands, infcribed with the words Magna Charta and Bill of Rights,' &c. One party confifted of near 600 perfons, remarkably well mounted.

After the poll was over, a number of horsemen, with colours flying, and mufic playing, attended by feveral thoufand people, went thro' St. James's-ftreet, the Strand, and

A letter addreffed to Mr. David

Barclay appeared in the papers, in which the writer is defirous of being informed by that gentleman, how his name came to be inferted as a fubfcriber to the Effex addrefs.

To which Mr. Barclay returned, through the fame channel, an anfwer to this effect: that he had never feen the Effex address till it appeared in the public papers with the name of Da. Barclay, in the lift of fubfcribers; that the form of the addrefs being incompatible with his religious principles as a Quaker, it had given him pain that any of his friends fhould fuppofe he had figned it; and that therefore, imagining no other freeholder of his name to refide in the county of Effex, he had made enquiry how it came there, and was told, "That it was Mr. David Barclay in the army, refiding at Wickham, that had figned it;" upon which information he gave himself no farther trouble about it.

nated as a committee, to fettle the preliminaries; óf whom eleven were to conftitute a felect committee, to report the proceedings of the grand committee to a future general meeting to be called of the whole county.

The thanks of the county were then unanimously ordered to be returned to the sheriffs of this county, for having acted according to law, and discharged their duty with honour and firmness.

Thanks were likewife returned feparately to Mr. Sawbridge, Mr. Townsend, and Mr. Horne, for their able, active, and spirited conduct.

Report of the state of the city
hofpitals, for 1768.
St. Bartholomew's.

Cured and difcharged from

3736

this hospital

Out-patients relieved with

advice and medicines

3785

Buried this year

270

Remaining under cure

407

Out patients

216

Remaining under cure

564

70

207

157

59

229

At the feaft of the fmall-pox hofpitals, 88ol. 8s. gd. was collected for the charity. At that of the charity for delivering poor married women at their own habitations, 8171. 18s. At that of the Magdalen charity, about 1700l. At that of the London hofpital, 17231. 175. 7d.

The firft fine of 500l. was paid by Mr. Wilkes's attorney into the hands of James Burrow, efq. mafter of the crown office, as appears by that gentleman's receipt publifhed in the papers. This day his Majesty went to the house of peers, and gave royal affent to the following bills, viz.

the

20th.

The bill for carrying into execution proposals made by the India company for the payment of four hundred thousand pounds annually to the public for a limited time.

The bill for making perpetual an act of the first of his prefent majesty, to continue the duties for encou

government of fecurities, à further fum of money, not exceeding a fum to be limited, out of the general cafh in the bank of England belonging to the fuitors of the faid court, and to apply the intereft towards anfwering the charges of the office of accomptant general of the faid court.

The bill to enable the juftices of the peace in the general quarter feflions of their refpective counties and divifions to repair the hire halls, or other buildings, wherein the affizes or grand feffions are ufually held

The bill for more effectually pav ing, cleaning, lighting, and watcning the freets, &c. in the town of Gainfbborough, in the county of Lincoln, and for laying a duty on all coals brought to the faid town to be fold. tea The bill for making a navigable cut or canal from Oxford to Coventry.

The bill for paving, cleanfing, lighting, &c. the streets in the parishes of St. Botolph, Aldgate; Eat Smithfield, St. Catherine, &c.

The bill for paving, cleaning, and lighting the treets, and regu lating the watch and beadles, in the parish of St. Bartholomew the great, in the city of London.

And to fuch road and common bills as are ready.

His majesty honoured farmer Kennet, of Petersham in Surry, with a vifit, in order to fee his new invented ploughs, and other improve ments in husbandry, with which his majefty was pleafed to exprefs his entire fatisfaction.

This day the long-expected 25th. meeting of the fupporters of the bill of rights was held, when, the report on the Coventry address was to be received; on which oc

cafion fir Francis Blake Delaval took the chair, and refolved, "That the advifers, authors, and publishers of the Coventry addrefs are too contemptible to merit the farther notice of this fociety."

A court of aldermen was held at Guildhall, to receive the opinion of council relative to the eligibility of Mr. Wilkes to an aldermanship of London, when it appeared, that the attorney-general, the folicitor-general, and the Hon. Mr. Yorke, Mr. ferjeant Glynn, and Mr. ferjeant Leigh, were of opinion, that he was eligible; but the opinion of fir Fletcher Norton, the city recorder, and the common ferjeant was, that he was not eligible. Where then is the certainty of the law! No opinion was given concerning the negative voice of the court of aldermen. Upon which the question was put, whether notice fhould be fent to Mr. Wilkes of his being deelared duly elected, which paffed in the negative.

The caufe which came on before the court of king's bench in Westminter hall, on Thursday lall, was relative to an action brought by the late Mr. Millar, bookfeller, in the Strand, against Mr. Taylor, bookfeller, at Berwick, for printing Thomfon's Seafons, to which book Mr. Millar claimed the perpetual and exclufive right. Mr. Taylor alledged, that after twenty-eight years, allowed by the ftatute of the 8th of Queen Anne, the copy then became common property. Three of the judges gave their opinion for the plaintiff, and one for the defendant; and it is faid the matter will be carried to the houfe of lords, in order to obtain a final de

cree.

Lent

Lent Circuit.

At Maidstone affizes, thirteen were capitally convicted; ten of whom were reprieved. At thefe affizes, George Stoney, charged with. abufing a young lady at Sheernefs, after a trial of eight hours was ac-, quitted.

At Kingston affizes, feven were capitally convicted, one of whom, was for murder.

The trial of the farmers lads for the murder of the hopkeeper at Cobham, came on at Kingston, when one of them was convicted, and the other cleared.

At Reading allizes, five were capitally convicted; but two of them were reprieved.

At Aylfbury afizes, one was capitally convicted; but reprieved.

At Oxford affizes, two were capitally convicted; one of whom was reprieved.

At Winchefter aflizes, two were capitally convicted.

At Salisbury affizes, four were capitally convicted; three of whom were reprieved.

At the affizes at Dorchester, Thomas Earl Drax, Efq; recovered 1ool. damages aganit a custom-houfe officer, for breaking into his houfe, on pretence of fearching for uncuftomed goods.

At Gloucefter affizes, eight were capitally convicted..

At Taunton affizes, nine were capitally convicted; seven of whom were reprieved.

At Devon affizes, four were capitally convicted.

At the affizes for the county of Cornwall, none were capitally convicted. At the nifi prius bar was tried an attion brought by Cummins, efq. against a mayor of a

borough in the faid county, for bribing eighteen voters at the last election. Judge Willes, in fumming up the evidence to the jury, the wed how much he abhorred the crime of bribery, and faid it was got to fuch, a pitch, that it threatened the utter, ruin of the nation. He declared to, the jury, that, was it in his power, he would give the perfon who brought the action the full penalty incurred, being 3000l. But the jury brought in only 1000l. damages. The judge has gained much honour and praife in the county, by his behaviour on this occafion:

At Monmouth affizes, one was capitally convicted. At these affizes, one Abel Proffer was convicted for

barbarous treatment to a poor Jew, whom he fet before a large fire, with his hands tied behind him, to roaft, and then ftuffed hot bacon down his throat.

At Hereford affizes, four were capitally convicted; but were all reprieved..

At Worcester affizes, none were capitally convicted.

At Shrewsbury affizes, four were capitally convicted.

At Warwick affizes, four were capitally convicted; but were all reprieved.

At Bedford afizes, two were capitally convicted; but were both reprieved.

At Hertford aflizes, came on before Sir Sydney Stafford Smyth, the trial of W. S. a pretended clergyman, for attempting to commit a rape upon a child under ten years of age. He appeared at the bar with a band on.

After he was found guilty, the judge informed the jury and the court, that he had the cleareft proof in his hand,, that the pri

foner

foner was not a clergyman, but an impoftor; a circumstance which he had withheld before the trial, left it might tend to prejudice them in their verdict; but that now, he thought it an act of justice due to the prifoner, and that profeffion on which he had attempted to throw an odium, to fhew that he was an impoftor, and which he did fhew in the clearest manner. Mr. S. frequently addreffed the judge, the jury, and the court, in very bad Latin, and much worfe English, and fpeaks very broad the Northern dialect. He is to be imprifoned fix months, to stand on the pillory twice in this town, and find fecurity for his good behaviour for one year. AtChelmsford affizes, eight were capitally convicted.

At Bury affizes, four were capitally convicted, one of whom was reprieved.

At Cambridge affizes, one was capitally convicted.

At Thetford affizes, three were capitally convicted; but were all reprieved.

Huntingdon was a maiden affize. At Nottingham affizes, one was capitally convicted for murder.

At Leicefter affizes, a remarkable caufe was tried by a fpecial jury, touching the right of inheritance to an eftate at Botsford, in the vale of Belvoir, which, by the decease of an aunt, was bequeathed by will to one Thomas Sanfome, and his heirs: but if the above Thomas Sanfome died before the age of twenty-one, and without iffue, in that cafe to a fifter, named in the will, and her heirs. About twenty-five years ago, the above Thomas Sanfome, on the very day he came of age(as appears by the verdict) was killed by a fall from a loaded waggon. The mat

ter in difpute was, whether he was killed on Thursday or Friday; if on the former day, the children of his fifter claimed under the will of the teftator(who had held the estate for fome time under a decree in Chancery; (if he died on the Friday, his heir at law claimed. Upwards of twenty creditable witneffes fwore pofitively to his being killed on Thurfday, and more than that number fwore as pofitively to his being killed on Friday. The jury, after a fair hearing, gave a verdict in favour of the plaintiff, and heir at law.

At Lincoln affizes, one was capitally convicted for murder.

Át York affizes, eight were capitally convicted, feven of whom were reprieved. At thefe affizes, a cause came on, wherein William Fletcher was plaintiff against an attorney in that county, for drawing improper articles of clerkship, under which the plaintiff could not be admitted to practice; when a verdict was given for the plaintiff with 400l. damages. At the fame affizes, Valentine Bailey, a fmuggler, was found guilty of the murder of a customhoufe officer, and after receiving fentence knocked down the woman who was the principal witness against him.

At Lancaster affizes, three were capitally convicted, one of whom was reprieved.

At Chefter affizes, three of the gang of houfe-breakers that infeftad that neighboured received fentence of death.