they have been worsted. The Pruffians too are faid to be in confiderable force on their frontier. The populace, nobleffe, and military of Cracow, and its environs, have taken an oath of fidelity to General Kofciufko. The infurrection appears to extend over a great part of Poland, and to have broke out every where on the fame day. SWEDEN. The papers of the fugitive Baron Armfeldt have been procured by the government of Sweden. The proofs of his guilt, and that of the other confpirators, is thereby authenticated and laid open. A letter hath been fent by the King to the members of the Aulic Council, exhorting them without delay to bring the confpirators to trial. WEST INDIES. CONVERT FRIGATE. Extract of a letter from the Surgeon of the Convert Frigate to a relation in Jamaica, dated Grand Caymanas, Feb. 20. 1794. "The 8th of February, at three o'clock in the morning, we ftruck with nine others on the caftern reef of the Grand Caymanas. A few minutes made evident our fituation, and the only profpect which prefented itself was a faint likelihood of preferving the lives on board: our boats were hoifted out, and fent to the fhips which had efcaped the misfortune, with our paffengers and part of the foldiers. As foon as the boats were clear of the fhip, we cut away the mafts. Approaching day feemed only to increase our mifery-terrible was the wreck along-fide-crafhing between the fhip and furf-nothing but confufion on the decks -diftrefs encompaffed us on all fidesour fharers in misfortune lay dashing on the furf, fome hailing for affiftance. We were unable to affift ourselves; and fea and furf cut off all communication between one ship and the other. None of us expected to fave more than life, and even for that we wholly depended on Providence. We loft fome men in the furf; unable to refift the fury of the fea, they were difabled by wounds received upon the rocks and then drowned. Such spectacles of diftrefs in every shape, unftrung the heart, and made us lefs than men. the furf; and how they escaped death I know not. We followed in the French pinnace; our fet confifted of Lieut. Brice, Lieut. Allan, Self, Mr Doran Surgeons' Mate, and a Midshipman: we flood to fea till we loft fight of the island; afraid of lofing it entirely, we hauled in, after running to leeward for fome hours; we ftood in fhore, and at all hazards attempted the reef, which, with fome difficulty, we accomplished. Hunger and thirst prefented themselves in no delectable shapes, and the ftranding of our boat added fomething to the gloominefs of the profpect. "The country was impenetrable to ftrangers, and we had traverfed the fea fhore without feeing any thing like a ha bitation. The print of a foot cheered our hearts, till with indefatigable attention we traced it to its home, where we were kindly received in a fmall hut, by a poor yet hofpitable family. To find the Capt. was the next thing to be done, which, with the help of a guide, we accomplished, after a very tedious and fatiguing march. "The fhips which were wrecked are: the William and Elizabeth, Goodwin; Moorhall, Nicholfon; Ludlow M'Lure; Britannia, Martin; Richard, Hughes; Nancy, Leary; Eagle, Ainfworth; Sally, Watfon; Fortune, Love; and the Convert. The nine fhips wrecked are valued at 200,000l. "Two days ago, a strangeinstance of the calloufnefs of a failor occurred: One of our men, whom we fuppofed drowned, was found ina fore ftore-room furrounded with bottles, in which fituation he had been unnoticed and unfeen, thoughtless of danger, for feven days." EAST INDIES. We infert the following letter, as it must give fome relief to the minds of fuch in this country as are connected with the unfortunate fufferers in the Winterton. Fort William, 08. 8. 1793. "On the receipt of the accounts of the fate of the Winterton Eaft Indiaman, at Bombay, the Gloucester was immediately taken up by the Government at that Prefidency, and dispatched with the utmost expedition, to afford relief to the furvivors. She was fupplied with an ample store of provisions, wines, clothes, and all forts of neceffaries that humanity could fuggeft. "Capt. Billamore failed from Bombay on the 2d June, and arrived at St Auguftine's Bay, on the island of Madagascar about the 17th of July. The people, for whose relief they were deftined, had left Madagascar about two months before their arri val. They had embarked in a Portuguese veffel, which had been humanely fent for that purpose by the Governor of Mofambique. The Gloucester left St Auguftine's Bay on the 5th of Auguft, and arrived a few days thereafter at Johanna, where they found Mr Jolly, a midshipman, and ten feamen, formerly belonging to the Winterton, who had embarked with the reft of her people an board the Portuguese veffel, which, on her paffage towards India, touched at Johanna for refreshments, where Mr Jolly and thefe ten men were left behind fick, and where they were moft hofpitably treated by the Governor and inhabitants. They were taken on board the Gloucester, and arrived with that fhip at Madras on the 13th ult. where they entered on board fame of the Indiamen in the roads." It is also added, that the most affectionate attention and Tympathy had been fhewn to the crew by the natives of Madagascar, The King of Babau, a young man of twenty-four years of age, caufed his people build huts for them, and fupplied them with provifions. The treasure of the Winterton he distributed among his fubjects who had affifted in faving the wreck; the rcft he gave to the feamen and foldiers when they left the island. AH the cloaths and individual property were reftored to their owners: a circumftance peculiarly comfortable for the diftreffed fituation of the ladies. Do not fuch examples of humanity, among thofe whom we confidered as favage, deferve the gratitude of civilized nations. We fhall be happy to hear of fome fuitable prefent being fent by this country to the benevolent and generous prince of Baban. The investments provided for the Companys fhips are fo confiderable this year, that fufficient tonnage cannot be procured for fending the whole to Europe. BRITISH PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. MESSRS MUIR AND PALMER. April 15. Lord Lauderdale rofe and faid, that he was fenfible that the cause he now undertook required the most ftudied application of eminent talents, and wished that it had been in better hands; but inadequate as he was to talk, he thought it too important to be filent on it. It even went to cenfure the proceedings in the Jufticiary Court of Scotland; and although it had been faid that this tended to dimi nifh the refpect due to them, yet he thought cafes occurred where it was the duty of every man to oppose; and this he believed to be of that nature. He entered on the subject of the indictment, and infifted, that the crime charged, aecording to the law of Scotland, and in particular by the act of Queen Anne, in 1703, was punishable only by fine, imprifonment, or banishment, which he contended entirely differed from tranfportation. Having gone through all the ftatutes and cafes on the fubject, he felected three objections to the trials of Meffrs Muir and Palmer, on which he would ground his motion. The firft was, that Lord Juftice Clerk had over-ruled the challenge made by Mr Muir to the five frft jurors who were named, because they belonged to a fociety fimilar to that of which Mr Reeves was the leading member here: They had prejudged him, and were not qualified to fit in judgment upon him. The next objection was in refpect to the evidence brought on the part of the profecution, as charges not mentioned in the indictment. And the last objection, which was the most material, related to the commitment of one of the witneffes, of the name of John Ruffel, for prevarication: allowing that he did prevaricate, ftill that did not make him incompetent to give his evidence; and therefore his Lordship contended, that his evidence fhould have been received, and the jury might have decided on the credibility to be given to it, Having argued fully on thefe points, he marked the difference between the punishments inflicted on fimilar offences in Scot land and England. He concluded a speech of three hours and a half by moving for the documents relative to the trials, fimilar to thofe voted on the fame occafion by Mr Adam in the Houfe of Commons, and alfo an addrefs to his Majefty on behalf of Mefirs Muir and Palmer. Lord Mansfield faid, that as these perfons had been tried and found guilty of the charges by a jury, in their own cou."try, there could be no illegality or injuftice in the cafe. The queflion with the House was, Had the Judges exceeded their authority by giving a fentence too fevere, arbitrary, and unufual? On these grounds his Lordship defended the conduct of the Court. He was followed on the fame ground by Lord Kinnoul and the Lord Chancellor. The motion for papers and the addrefs, were put and negatived, The Lord Chancellor then moved, "That 002 its it is the opinion of this Houfe, that there are no grounds for an interference with the criminal laws as eftablished in the united kingdoms, and which have been exercised with justice for the protection of our property, ourliberty, and our lives," which was opposed by Lords Lauderdale and Stanhope, and afterwards carried without a divifion. INSOLVENT BILL. The Lord Chancellor prefented a bill for the relief of infolvent debtors, which bill, he said, was, in many respects, a tranfcript of the bill of 1781, with this difference, that in the former act, perfons were reftricted from its benefit who owed more than gool. whereas, in the present one, that fum was extended to 1oool. The learned lord alfo mentioned the intention of an order of the Houfe to oblige all goal ers to give in an annual account of the prifoners for debt in their respective cu ftody, specifying the fums on each warrant, and the time of the prisoner's confinement. PRUSSIAN TREATY. 30. Lord Grenville rofe, and, after taking a view of the prefent fituation of France, and the neceffity of prosecuting the war, entered upon the confideration of the treaty now made with Pruffia, whereby that power furnished a force greatly exceeding its contingent, to be employed in the common caufe. He ftated that the whole fum to be paid by the Maritime Powers (Great Britain and Holland) was 1,750,000l. for which his Pruffian Majefty was to provide 30,000 men more than his contingent of 35,00. That of this fum Holland was to pay 400,000l. and 450,000l. of the remaining fum was what we had to pay-as by the treaty of laft year we were obliged to fupply the 35,000 with bread and forage; fo that what we had now actually engaged to pay for the additional 30,000, did not amount to more than 900,000l. It was a rate greatly lower than that at which we hired Heffian and other foreign troops; it was atte ded with peculiar advantages. We formerly paid fubfidies for troops, over which we had no controul: The troops now hired were to act not only in concert with the other forces we maintained on the Continent, but the conqueft's they made were to be abfolutely at our difpofal. From all thefe confiderations he fhould move, That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, expreffing their ready concurrence with every means propofed for enabling him to execute his part of the faid treaty*. *For Treaty fee p. 266. The motion being feconded, Marquis of Lanfdowne faid, that he thought the noble lord who moved the addrefs fhould have adduced more convincing arguments for its expediency and neceffity. He thought this treaty the moft unprecedented and extraordinary, contrary to the principle for fubfidies to be paid for a fupply of foldiers. They could not be expected to be under our controul: a prince of the firft confequence in Germany would not allow his foldiers to be in the fame degree of subjection as a landgrave of Heffe, or any other petty elector. He thought another circumftance which fhould excite alarm was, that the payments were to be made at Berlin. Who could anfwer how this fhould be applied? Although he had a high opinion of the honour and veracity of the Pruffian monarch, yet when it was confidered that the good of their fubjects required it, monarchs were not found very tenacious; if, either for thefe reafons, as well as that he held the object for which we were now contending unjuft, he would negative the motion. Earl Mansfield rofe in reply, and ob.ferved, that the object of the war was both neceffary and juft, the deftruction of a fyftem of rapine and licentioufnefs; and declared that he thought this ftep bold, prudent, and altogether expedient. Our acquifitions gained in the West Indies, though of great confequence, he thought not a sufficient inducement to agree to a peace, could it be had on thefe terms. Rather than agree to fuch a measure, he would fuffer his head to be fevered from his body. So great an enemy he was to the present fyftem in France, that he thought there could be no fecurity without its final ruin; for the accomplishing of which he would support every measure which was conducive to that purpose. Lord Lauderdale faid, that from the last fpeech he was ftill the more convinced of the impolicy of the war. It declared a direct defign to interfere in the internal government of France, and to begin with the overthrow of the prefent fyftem. The contrary of this was intimated by his Majefty in his speech in opening the prefent feffion of Parliament; the prefent treaty led to an inefficacous and an improvident expenditure of the public money. It was paying for what the King of Pruffia was bound to give by the treaty of alliance 14th of July laft. It was hiring him to do that as a fervant which he was bound to do as a principal. He had firft commenced the the war and then had engaged us as a party in it; and now we were obliged to pay him for fighting his own battles. Who could fay that Auftria and the other allies might not make the fame demands, and urge the fame pretences. He therefore would oppofe the motion. Lord Hawkesbury faid, that he confidered the prefent treaty as wife and neceffary: it operated for the accomplishing of a moft defirable event, the extinction of the prefent fyftem of plunder and crucky in France. The fum neceffary was not to be regarded, it was the object: our self-prefervation was at fake; and a corps of 62,000 Pruffians he thought might be expected to act with greater energy and fuc ceis, than an army collected from all the flates of Germany. He would therefore fupport the motion. The Duke of Portland obferved, that after what had been urged by his noble friend (Lord Mansfield) he would only fay, that had he been a minifter he fhould have been proud to have been concerned in making this treaty, of which as a private and independent man, he in every view approved. When the house divided the numbers were, Contents 75-Proxies 24-99. Non-Contents 6-Proxies o-6. Majority 93. SLAVE TRADE. May 2. The order of the day being read, for reading a fecond time the bill brought from the Commons, for preventing the fupplying foreign countries with flaves bought by Brith merchants, and conveyed in British bottoms, Lord Abingdon, Lord Grenville, the Duke of Clarence, and the Bishop of Rochefter opposed it. Lord Abingdon and the Duke of Clarence, on the general queftion of the impolicy and injuftice of the abolition of the flave trade; the other noble Peers on the ground that any bill for partial abolition was improperly introduced, before that Houfe had come to a final refolution on the queftion of a total abolition. Lords Stanhope and Lauderdale fupported the bill, and oppofed Lord Grenville's motion, that it should be read that day three months, and charged the above Lords with a total direliction of principle. On the motion being put, there were, Contents, Non-Contents 45 Majority 41. HOUSE OF COMMONS. FRENCH CORPS. April 7. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in pursuance of the notice given, rofe to move for a bill to enable his Majefty to take advantage of the fervice of great numbers of Frenchmen who were driven from their native country, and wifhed for nothing more than to be able to relieve it from its present oppreffion and tyranny. He therefore moved to the following effect: "For leave to bring in a bill to enable fubjects of France to enlist as foldiers into certain regiments now on the continent of Europe, and to enable his Majefty to grant commiflions as officers to fubjects of that country, to be paid," &c. After fome enquiries from members, about the conditions of raifing fuch a corps, leave was granted. SINECURE PLACES. 8. Mr Harrison rofe to make his promifed motion on the fubject. He obferved, that in the present fituation of the country, and the increasing demands on our financial refources, it was neceffary to ftrain every nerve, and as much as poffible prevent the increase of burdens on the poor; with this view it was that he brought forward his prefent motion. Minifters had called on the people to fubfcribe voluntarily in fupport of a war, which, they faid, involved the existence of the conftitution, and all that is dear in fociety. He would now give thefe gentlemen an opportunity of convincing the country of their fincerity in the caufe. The object of his propofition was, that those who held offices, finecure places, and penfions under government, fhould contribute a part thereof, in certain proportions, to the public fervice during the continuance of the war. What he would wish to propofe was, that all efficient fituations, producing a nett income of 500l. per annum, and upwards, thould be liable to a deduction of one fourth of their nett produce. That all finecure places and penfions, exceeding 200l. per ann. (except thofe which were obviously given as a reward for meritorious fervice) fhould be liable to a deduction of half their amount-and that the amount of all penfions and finecure places, poffeffed by fuch as at the fametine held any efficient place, fhould be wholly alloted to the public fervice; referving at the fame time the fipend which may be paid to a deputy, for any neceflary trifling duty in the latter inftance. Thefe, he faid, were the outlines of his plan, which might be altered or amended, when the bill fhould be before the committec. He then moved, "for leave for a bill to appropriate certain proportions of the emoluments of finccure and efficient places and penfions, to a certain amount, amount, to the public service during the war, at the difpofal of Parliament." Mr Coke feconded the motion. Mr Drake difapproved of the motion, as being calculated to embarrass government, and to reprefs the wishes and the talents of men of abilities from being called forth and exerted in the public fervice, by taking away an adequate remuneration for their labours. He thought, from the flourishing state of the finances, and the ardent zeal which animated the nation, that such a proposition was also perfectly unneceffary. Mr Burke cenfured the motion: firft, as a ridiculous project; fecondly, as a mean and contemptible one; thirdly, as being on a fallacious ground; and laftly, as not tending to relieve, but to delude the people. He remarked the crude ftate in which it was brought forward; it fhould have been accompanied with some financial calculation concerning its probable amount. Under its prefent afpect it would not in the event amount to the "purchase of fmall beer for the poor of Norwich, at one night's fupper." He thought the labours of thofe who held efficient places in the public fervice but too poorly paid. This proceeding was objectionable, too, from its violation of a right, and might go to fet a precedent for the deftruction of all property what ever. Mr Sheridan faid he would rather incur the imputation of a daring man, than not animadvert on the obfervations delivered by a man whofe apoftacy and inconfiftency were never more confpicuous. It was but charitable to fuppofe he had forgotten his recorded opinion. The bill entitled, "Burke's bill for economical reform," did prefcribe and mete out the rewards for different. fervices. It was a doctrine he never could fubfcribe to, to say that his Majefty had a right to lavish on courtfavourites the revenues of the country. It bore no analogy to a private family, where a mafter, from his own money, might reward his fervants as he pleafed. No eftimate of the produce of fuperfluous places had been made; but the conftituents of an honourable member must be precious fwindlers indeed, if it would not fupply them with small beer. The late Auditor of the Exchequer, without performing any adequate fervice, had amaffed half a million. The Warden of the Cnque Ports, the Clerk of Parliament, the Treafurer of the Navy, the Juftice General of Scotland, &c. &c. if they are fincere in the fupport of the war will not furely grudge a part to fecure the whole. Mr Sheridan then. commented on the ftate of the finances, and faid that the fun would never arife on that day when the revenue would meet the actual expenditure. Seafonable convictions, and political apoftacy, had fo familiarized fome gentlemen to finecures, penfions, and efficient fituations, that no conviction of moral rectitude could induce them to act the part of true patriots and honeft men. Mr Rofe ftated the difference between the economical bill and the prefent mo tion; the former cut off the fources of corruption, and left an adequate compenfa tion for real fervices. By its operation the penfion lift was reduced from 110,000l. to 68,cool. The prefent motion tended to deprive thousands of their lawful proper ty, and to involve families in irretrievable ruin. Mr Fox admitted that the motion, as it now ftood, intrenched fomewhat on the facredness of property. Although it was not confiftent with the prerogative of the crown to grant indifcriminately, and ad libitum, finecure places; yet in all legal grants it was competent in the granter to beftow, and the acceptor to receive. If the bill was fuffered to go into a committee, he intended to introduce a claufe excepting every perfon who had a legal title vefted in him by a legal grant. Mr Pitt, in a speech of confiderable length detailed the refources of the coun try, and fhewed that the motion was com paratively unneceffary; if fums were borrowed for the neceffary expences of the war, there were alfo funds fet apart to extinguish the debt. Mr Huffey faid, he could not give his wote without affigning his reafons for it, He was of opinion that penfions and places were not to be ranked as private property, nor could any one lay claim to them as to a freehold. If, as was flated, fuch were our refources, that it was unneceffary to have recourfe to thefe places and penfions, he thought the argument fhould alfo have applied to the voluntary fubfcriptions, which he was convinced would not exceed what might have been raised from the other. The queftion being called for, the Houfe divided, For the motion 48 Against it 117 Majority -69. THE LATE CAMPAIGN. ro. Major Maitland rofe to make his motion on the fubject. He began by ob ferving, |