intention to proceed article by article, to adduce evidence to fubftantiate each charge, then to hear the prifoner's evidence and defence, and afterwards to be at liberty to reply.

The Lord Chancellor called upon Mr. Law, fenior Counsel for Mr. Haftings, to know whether this mode would be agreeable. Mr. Law aníwered-No; upon which his Lordship obferved to the Committee, that as it was his wish that fubftantial justice might take place, he fhould be glad to know the reasons which induced the Right Hon. Manager, and the Committee, to call upon the Court to adopt that mode.

Mr. Fox rofe, and stated to their Lordfhips, that the mode propofed in fuch a complicated cafe was adopted to avoid obfcurity -to place the various queftions in fuch a clear point of view, that their Lordships might with the greater eafe determine feriatim upon the refpective merits of each article of impeachment.

Mr. Anstruther fpoke to the fame effect. Earl Stanhope defired to know whether the fame charges were meant to be brought forward in various fhapes, and whether the fame evidence was intended to be adduced in fupport of them?

Mr. Fox replied, that he had feen too much of this profecution, not to know, that all the charges were made upon different grounds diftinct in their nature and qualitics, and requiring a different system of evidence to fupport them; although it might so happen in the progress of the bufinefs that the fame evidences might be neceffary to fubftantiate other charges. On his part, and on the part of the Committee and the House, he had no hesitation to declare that they meant to avail themselves of no fubterfuge; they meant to bring the charges plainly, clearly, and compleatly home to the p:ifoner. There were feveral precedents of the kind, particularly the impeachment of the Earl of Macclesfield and the Earl of Stafford.

Earl Stanhope being fatisfied with this explanation--the Lord Chancellor called upon Mr. Law for the reasons on which he fupported his objection.

Mr. Law entered into a most elaborate an gument to prove that it would be inconfiftent with the rules of juftice to fuffer the profecution to proceed in the mode proposed by Mr. Fox. He cited the cafe of Archbishop Laud, and was very urgent to prove that all the cafes in which impeachments had been determined article by article were by confent of the party under profecution. In the warmth of his zeal for Mr. Haftings, he dropped a few words which reflected upon Mr. Burke, for the harth and cruel manner in which he had opened the profecution. It was fimilar, he said, to the proceedings against Sir Walter Raleigh, He was going on, when

Mr. Fox rofe and faid, he was commanded by the Committee, not to suffer such grofs and indecent liberties to be taken in a cafe where the Commons of England were the profecutors.

Mr. Law faid a few words, and fat down. Mr. Plomer followed him; and Mr. Dallas, in a very long and excellent fpeech, endeavoured to draw the analogy between the practice of the common law in the Courts below, and that mode which ought to prevail in the prefent inftance. He combated the precedents which were drawn from the trials of the Earl of Macclesfield and Lord Stafford, and afferted, that to try each charge, and determine upon it, would, as a necessary confequence, lead to delay, confusion, and perplexity.

Mr. Fox replied to the three Counsel in a speech that took him an hour and a half, in the course of which he attempted to confute every argument which they had urged, and to fhew, that neither the profecutors could obtain justice, the prisoner have a fair hearing, or the Court discharge the duty which they owed to their country and to mankind, unless the charges were separated, and the determination of the House obtained upon each of them.

Mr. Fox having finished, the Lords imme diately withdrew to their Houfe, and adjourn ed the Court to Friday *.

[To be continued.]

FOREIGN

Copies of the letters received by the Council of Brabant, the 22d of January, from his Excellency Count de Trauttmansdorff.

FERDINAND, &c.

GENTLEMEN,

AS it is our determined will, that con

formably to our former orders the declaration of the 17th of December be published within 24 hours, and as that term is on the point of expiring, we now repeat to you our commands to carry our former orders into execution; forbidding you, at the fame time, under pain of disobed.ence, to fepaFate or quit the Council, until you fball have taken the proper fteps for iffuing and publifhing the faid declaration, and communicated to us fuch your refolution. We think it proper to inform you, that we have made known to the Deputies of the States our abfolute intentions, in terms which announce the immediate confequences of the leaft delay on this head.

In the mean time, Gentlemen, may God
have you in his Holy keeping.
TRAUTTMANSDORFF.
Counterfigned, by Command of his Ex-

Received by the Council a quarter before nine o'clock.

The above dispatch was accompanied by the following, addreffed to the Chancellor of Brabant,

MY LORD CHANCELLOR,

I SEND you a dispatch for the Council, which I beg you will caufe to be immedi ately read. By the contents you will perceive that I am irrevocably determined to enforce the execution of what I mentioned this morning, even though I fhould come to thofe extremities which I have had the good fortune hitherto to avoid; but the explosion of which would be this day infalli ble, as well for the whole body, as for many individuals. It being his Majefty's abfolute determination, which his dignity requires, that nothing upon which he has already fig nified his will, may be made the fubject of doubt, or altered in confequence of any reprefentation or remonftrance, you will find in the faid dispatch the most exprefs injunction to the Council (of which you are the head) not to feparate before the publication fhall have been agreed to, and until their refolution thereupon fhall have been reported to me. I enjoin the Judge Fifcal (or Chancellor of the Exchequer) jo take notice of every thing that shall

be done upon this head, and give me an account of it. I inform you at the fame time, that I will not receive any more representations or remonftrances; and if any fhould be fent, the Council will expose itself to the mortifying humiliation of fecing them returned unopened. I yesterday gave you 24 hours to determine; to-day I can give you only four; and if the publication is not made in two hours hence, I will compel the Council to it by FORCE, even though I fhould be obliged to invest the Council-house with troops, and have recourse to the dire expedient of CANNON and BAYONETS, which his Majefty MOST EXPRESSLY prefcribes.

And what would avail the most complete refiftance of the Council, produced by that of the States? It could only throw a difficulty in the way of a publication, which it could not poffibly prevent; and would amount to

a renunciation of the conceffions made in the Declaration of the 2d of September, which will certainly be revoked this morning, if the oppofition is not withdrawn by two o'clock.

I have the honour to be,
My Lord Chancellor,

Your most humble fervant,
TRAUTTMANSDORFF.

Received by the Chancellor the 22d of January, 1788, with the above dispatch, at a quarter before nine o'clock.

Soon after the delivery of the above letter, the whole town of Bruffels was alarmed, and feveral of the citizens, anxious for the event, repaired to the market-place; in confequence of which, General D'Alton ordered an Enfign with a party to patrole the streets, Some boys having thrown a few ftones at the foldiers, the officer immediately formed, and ordered his men to fire, when five or fix perfons were killed; after which, without

waiting to re-load, the whole party, alarmed and panick-ftruck, ran with the greatest precipitancy back to the main body.

To this circumftance the General alludes

in the following letter:

Another letter to the Chancellor.
MY LORD CHANCELLOR,

Tus obftinacy of the Council is incredi ble; and the death of fome wretches, of which it has been the caufe, ought to make it a fubject of repentance to the members all the days of their lives. I fhall, however, foon find a remedy for it. In the mean time, it is neceffary that you continue to fit, till you receive a difpatch from the States, which

will

will be foon delivered to you, that you may país the refolution for the publication, and communicate it to me this night.

I have the honour, &c.

TRAUTTMANSDORFF.

Received in the Council a little after nine at night-The difpatch from the States arrived at eleven at night.

To the Rector, Heads, Doctors, &c. of the Univerfity of Louvain. FERDINAND, &c.

Venerable, dear, and well-beloved, THE answer you returned to our dispatch, the 29th of this month, is the lefs admiflible, in as much as notwithstanding our Declaration, fo clearly and fo formally communicated to you in our dispatch of the 29th uit. you ftill PRESUME to confound the ftatutes and privileges of the Univerfity with the conftitution of the country; and under the pretext of its pretended quality of an effential branch or integral part of the conftitution of Brabant, which you affume the Uni. verfity to be, you still perfift in oppofing the ordinary courfe of law to the difpofitions of the Sovereign refpecting the government of the Univerfity. And being determined that in the public acts and records, there fhall not remain a trace of any fuch appeal to the law, we herewith fend you back your anfwer; and we repeat to you, for the LAST TIME, that his Majefty will by no means admit a claim or pretenfion, às contrary to the nature and conftitution of the Univerfity, as it is to the inconteftible right conftantly afferted and maintained by the Sovereigns of the Netherlands ever fince the foundation of the Univerfity, of being the fole and exclufive judges of every thing relating to that body, as its fupreme moderators and administrators, and confequently of being at full liberty to change, modify, and reform whatever in their juftice and wisdom they may think fit for the advancement of learning, to which all the rights, privileges, and franchifes granted to the University, muft neceffarily be fubordinate. And as, moreover, it is well known, that this manifest truth, acknowledged and admitted at all times by the University itself, has of late been called in question only by fome turbulent perfons, who finding their account in maintaining those abufes which the paternal folicitude of his Majefty was about to reform in the University, have thought proper to avail themselves of the diffentions of the day, in order to procure to themselves, under the pretext of the pretended right of the Univerfity to be confidered as an integral branch of the conflitution of Brabant, a support against any reform whatever--and as it is for

the intereft of the University (whose very existence depends upon it), and confequently of the city of Louvain, whofe profperity is fo intimately connected with it, that fo pernicious a cabal fhould be deftroyed; we again command you all in general, and each of you in particular, to fubmit and conform to your Sovereign's decifion, announced to you in our difpatch of the 29th of December last, confirmed by our difpatch of the 19th inft. and we enjoin you not to maintain, either by word of mouth, or in writing, the pretended right fet up by the Univerfity, which his Majefty has fully and irrevocably cancelled and annulled: Whoever fh DARE in the finalleit degree to infringe this injunction, fhall be profecuted as REFRACTORY and DISOBEDIENT to the Emperor's orders.— We give you notice at the fame time, that we will receive no more reprefentations, deputations, or proteíts whatsoever on this fubject; and that if you prefume to fend any, we shall look upon them as formal acts of difobedience, and proceed upon them as fuch according to the orders which we have received from his Majefty.-We enjoin you, the Rector, to caufe this our declaration to be read in full convocation of the University; to have it entered in its regifter, as well as in the registers of the different faculties; and to certify to us the execution of our present orders within the space of twenty-four hours.

May God, &c. &c.

TRAUTTMANSDORFF.

Bruffels, Jan. 22, 1788.

The Council of Brabant resembles, in fome degree, as to its functions, a provin cial parliament in France; it is diftinct from the Legiflature, and is the Supreme Court of Judicature of the country, enjoying fome privileges and prerogatives of a fuperior nature to any poffeffed by the Courts of Law in England.

Naples, Dec. I. Two nights ago, a confiderable part of the top of our tremendous Mount Vefuvius was fairly fwallowed up in the mouth of the volcano; and to-day, to our astonishment as well as terror, we be held immenfe quantities of fmoke, blended with a pale-coloured electrical flame, iffuing with an incredible reverberating violence, to the fummit of the mount again. During the whole of this ftupendous phenomenon, the fky feemed to blaze with myriads of meteors; and long will it be before our apprehenfions can fubfide about the effects in all probability to be expected from this uncommon eruption.

Paris, Dec. 10. The following is his Majefty's answer to the remonstrances of his Parliament of Paris: "I have attentively

examined the reprefentations of my Par»

liament

liament, and I have nothing farther to add ❝ to the answer I have already fent to the "Members. My Parliament fhould not folicit from my juftice what folely depends 66 on my good will.”

The Parliament of Rennes, (the capital of Britanny) have been ordered to Verfailles, in confequence of their refufal to register an edict. But instead of complying with that order, they returned for anfwer these extraordinary words: That they were bufied in executing juftice, and could not wait upon bis Majefty; but they would fend their Prefident, to know what were the King's wishes.

-Berlin, Dec. 22. His Serene Highness the Duke of Brunswick arrived here yefterday, and met with the most diftinguishing reception from the King, who had previously fent all the general and field officers of this garrifon, with the Prince of Pruffia at their head, to wait the arrival of his Highness, and congratulate him publickly.

Bruffels, Dec. 25. The Emperor has published an edict which he means should operate through all his Belgic provinces, but as it has not paffed the Council of Brabant it will not be allowed the force of law.This edict prohibits, under the fevereft pe naity, nothing lefs than imprisonment in the Maifon de Force for eight years, and a fine of 1000 ecus, all libels, fatires and defamatory writings, either in print or manufcript. The authors, printers, copyifts, and amanuenfes, are all involved; and what muft ftrike moft difcordant mufic to an English ear, even those who have feen or heard a libel, or any fatirical writing, are menaced with the fame punishment, if they do not reveal it to the Government. It alfo requires, that whoever has any fuch libels, or fatirical writings in their poffeffion, fhould deliver them up, or be fined and imprifoned. By this Imperial edict, even common converfation is in a manner prohibited, and the mind chained down, or at least the tongue, to the flavish condition of faying only yes or no.

Naples, Jan. 1. On the 24th ult. in the evening, all on a fudden, the fuperior mouth of Mount Vefuvius emitted an immenfe column of black fmoke in the form of a pine-tree, at the branches of which were feen enflamed ftones, which were thrown to a great height, and fometimes they appeared like fheaves of fire, during which the noife in the earth, and the violent repeated fhocks of earthquakes, caufel the greatest confternation amongst the inhabi. sants of the environs.

On the 26th the volcano having opened a mouth at the foot of the fuperior mountain oppofite Somma, the lava flowed out in abundance into the valley, where it has al

ready formed a lake of fire one mile and z half in circumference.

Paris, Jan. 4. The following are the refolutions registered by Parliament this day.

After examining the King's anfwer of the 27th ult, the Court unanimously consent to agree to the deliberations of the 18th of the fame month, feeing that his Majesty's intentions expreffed in his anfwer of the 14th of May, 1777, are fcarce ever fulfilled: on the contrary, the Court cannot help percei ving that Lettres de Cachet are frequently em-ployed to fatisfy particular views or private revenge. The Court cannot, and indeed onght not to recur to the King's goodness, in order to obtain the Duke of Orleans and Meffrs. Freteau and Sabbatier's liberty.Such a step would be as derogatory from the effential principles of the conftitution, and of public order, as it is from the generous fentiments of that auguft Prince, and the two worthy Magiftrates.

The Court cannot help thinking that their apprehenfions, manifefted in their arret of the 27th of last Auguit, were too well founded; and that the French monarchy actually degenerates into defpotifm, fince the Ministry abufe his Majefty's authority, by difpofing of individuals by Lettres de Cachet.

The fame power that arbitrarily difpofes of the liberty of a Prince of the blood, and of two Magiftrates, can certainly, with greater eafe, attack that of all other citizens; and if the repeal of arbitrary orders is to depend on the goodness and pleasure of the Monarch, fuch a proceeding mutt give fanction to the deed, and establish that dangerous principle, the ufe of Lettres de Cachet. Such a principle, no doubt, would tend to fubvert the moft facred laws of the conftitution. Alt his Majesty's fubjects, therefore, are interested in preventing the fad effects of it; and the Court cannot, nor ever intend to make any difference between the Duke of Orleans and the two Magiftrates caufe, and that of any other citizen whatever. Parliament, therefore, will never ceafe to demand the Prince's and the Magiftrates liberty, or their impeachment; and thinking themfelves bound to employ the fame zeal, and the fame perfeverance, for the welfare of their fellow citizens, they will entreat his Majesty to grant and enfure to every Frenchman that perfonal fecurity, which is facredly promised by the laws, and due to them by the found principles of the conftitution. The Court unanimoufly agree, therefore, to addrefs his Marefty with reiterated reprefentations on his anfwer given to the preceding ones, and to prefent at the fame time to the throne very humble and respectful remonftrances on the fubject

fubject of Lettres de Cachet relatively confidered for every order of citizens.

Some feditious fcraps of paper have been pofted up at the corners of fome of the principal streets of this capital, the purport of which night thus be rendered into English: Kings are Chiefs, chofen by the people to prosect the laws; their power, therefore, cannot extend beyond them; they are obliged to give exact account of the revenues of the flate, and the fubject is not bound to contribute to the fupplying of money employed in procuring expenfive pleafures, or granting penfions to buffoons and frollers.

Vienna, Jan. 9. The marriage of the Archduke Francis with the Princess Eliza beth of Wirtemberg, was folemnized last Sunday evening in the chapel of the Imperial palace. The Elector of Cologn officiated on that occafion in his archiepifcopal capacity. The whole Imperial family after wards fupped together in public. A masked ball was given on Monday, to which four thousand people were invited. The different theatres of this capital have been opened for admiffion gratis; and the magnificent feftivals, which have continued every day fince at Court, will be concluded this evening by a ball in the Emperor's apartments.

Hague, Jan 25. The 9th inft. the banks in the jurifdiction of Woubrugge near the Lake gave way, and opened a breach of 228 feet in length, and 54 in depth. The water entered in the country with fo much rapi. dity, that it was with the utmost difficulty the people could fave their lives and their cattle; no perfon, however, was loft. Many who had taken fhelter from the inundation, by running to the tops of their granaries at the beginning, remained there till next day before they could be brought off by means of boats. The whole face of this fertile country is changed into a turbulent fea, being covered with fourteen feet of water, whofe violence not one house could refift. The poor peasants have loft their all. The corn is entirely fpoiled, and is feen floating with the hay, goods, and materials of the deftroyed houfes. They are working night and day at the other banks to preferve them, if poffible, from damage.

A letter from Paris, dated Jan. 19, fays, "An extraordinary paper has been printed and difperfed at Paris, under the title of Arretes des Provencaux. The principal object of it is to imprefs the minds of the people with the most violent ideas of their rights and liberties, and to a revolt against the prerogative of the Crown: the following is nearly the words of one of the refolutions, by which our readers may judge of the tendency of the rest.“ Resolved, That we

have known the LION of ENGLAN couched on his prey; but CLOSING HIS TALON, the prey has rofe, and become the Lion in turn: What has happened in England may happen elfewhere!!"

Another letter, dated Jan. 21, fays, "On the 17th inft. Parliament was fent for by his Majesty to Verfailles, and received from him the following anfwer to their reprefentations of the 9th: "I have condefcended, and condefcend even now, to receive the reprefentations of my Parliament, and their petition in favour of the two magiftrates I have punished. I do not think proper to recall them. Besides, the manner in which the faid reprefentations and petitions are indited is by no means fuch as to deferve my indulgence. Whenever, in some particular fuits, fubmitted to the decision of my Courts, as in 1777, orders shall be if fued, in which I may be mistaken, their ins formations leading to the knowledge of truth fhall be welcome to me. The lawful liberty of my subjects is as dear to me as to themfelves; but I will not fuffer that my Parliament should attempt to oppose the exercife of a power (Lettres de Cachet) that the intereft of families and the tranquility of the State often require; which magiftrates themselves do not ceafe to folicit and implore, and of which I have the satisfaction of knowing I have made a more moderate ufe than any of my predeceffors. The expreffions contained in your Arretes (refolutions) of the 4th inft. are as indifcreet as thofe of the 27th of last Auguft. I fupprefs, therefore, both these Arretes, as contrary to that refpect and fubmiffion which my Parliament fhould fet an example of, I forbid them to continue fuch refolutions, or to form any new ones in future." Notwithstanding the above orders, Parliament affembled the next day, and another Arrete has been the consequence of their affembling. How this mighty difpute will end I cannot pretend to prognofticate."

It

The French King's edict concerning Proteftants was registered on the 29th ult. confifts of thirty-feven articles; of which twenty-four respect the necessary detail of marriages, births, baptifms, and burials;. the others fpecify, that proteftants are to contribute to the clergy of the French church; that the police and municipal regulations are to be obeyed; that the eftablished officers of the French fhall never be interrupted, and that the protestants fhall be incapable of any act as an incorporated community.

Marriage, according to this edict, may be folemnized by deputation before the civil magiftrate, as well as by the vicar.

One or two