registered, he referred the Parliament in the morning to the houfe of eac for a further explanation to the Chancel- member, to fignify to him his Majefty' lor. The Chancellor then expatiated, commands, which were, that he fhould not only on the prefent urgent neceffity immediately get into his carriage and for raifing money for the exigencies of depart for Troyes, without writing, or the State, but alfo on the propriety and even fpeaking to any body out of his juftice of thofe edicts which his Majefty own houfe. By this fudden and fecret had recommended. Monf. d' Aligre manner of acting, the whole business then rofe, and in a very nervous man- was executed without any alarm to the ner juftified the conduct of Parliament people. in their refufal, declaring that his Majefty had been deceived by his Council refpecting the neceffity of any taxes, as well as the expediency of thofe that were propofed. Seeing that feveral ladies and different perfons had been admitted, who ought not to have been prefent on fuch an interefting occafion, he forbore from prudence faying all that he fhould have faid more on the matter, but hoped to have fome more favourable opportunity of declaring to his Majefty the real fentiments of his fubjects. The Attorney General followed him in a very animated fpeech, which he concluded by requesting, that if the edicts must be registered, they might be permitted to indorfe on the back of them, that they were regiflered by the "exprefs command of his Majefty." At length the two edicts for the territorial and ftamp tax were registered, and the affembly then broke up. Aug. 9. The Parliament of Paris fat on Tuesday, and entered on their journals a formal proteft against the edict for the Stamp-tax, fpecifying, That it had been registered the day before by the exprefs command of the King, against the approbation and confent of the Parliament; that it neither ought nor fhould have any force; and that the firft perfon who prefumed to carry the edict into execution, fhould be adjudged a traitor, and condemned to the gallies." The other Parliaments of France have form ed, it is faid, the fame refolution. Aug. 16. Yefterday the Parliament of Paris were by his majesty banished to Troyes. The officers appointed to execute the King's orders received their inftructions in the night, and with feveral parties of the French guards went early His Majefty, to foften the rigour of this act to his people, has made a display of many economical retrenchments in his household: Five of his palacesChoifi, La Muette, Madrid, Vincennes, and Blois, are to be fold by public vendue, or demolished. Befides this, all the houfes belonging to his Majesty at Paris, except the Louvre, and the Thuilleries, are to be difpofed of. The Queen har made a retrenchment of nine hundred thoufand livres annually. Saturday the declaration refpecting the ftamps, and the edict for a land-tax, were published. [The ftamp-duty bill in France extends to the following objects, viz. to letters, provifions, nominations, patents, commiffions, offices, charges or places under the King, Queen, or the Princes; to any employment conferred in the army, the navy, the law, the church, or the finances; to grants privileges, conceffions, honourable charges; to ecclefiaftical preferments, immunities, &c. &c. All certificates, wills, receipts, bills of exchange, letters of credit, or any order on the Treasury, must be written on ftamped paper; as likewife licences for carriages, lottery tickets, Mont de Pietest, policies or acknowledgments, letters usually fent to relations, friends, &c. with news of approaching marriages, or recent deaths; playbills, muficpaper, requests, memorials, juridical confultations, briefs, petitions, remonfrances, news-papers, periodical publications, fuch as journals, gazettes, mercuries, &c. &c. all must be published and circulated with a flamp-mark. This duty certainly embraces many objects not mentioned in ours; and no private agreements, or trifling fums, can " If I * The Count d'Artois, brother to the King, is faid to have declared haftily, were King, you should comply." To this the President, bowing respectfully, replied, "If you were King, I fhould fay as I now do: My heart is the people's, my undertanding is my own, and my head is the King's!" † A place where you recur to for pledging goods, or other portable effects. You pay at the rate of ten per cent. and at the end of the year the policies must be renewed by paying the interest, or else the goods are fold. The furplus, however, is given to the ●wner. Trial of the Hon. Bafil Cochrane. an ever elude it, on account of there being a heavy fine in cafe of neglect or non-compliance.] EAST INDIES. Our letters from Canton fay, "The English have already entirely engroffed the traffic of this country (China) to Europe, only eleven other fhips of all the European and other nations having arrived for cargoes in the courfe of the laft eighteen months. In the MADRAS COURIER, published Hon. BASIL COCHRANE. At the General Seffions of Over and Terminer, which ended on Friday last, the long-depending accufations against the Hon. Bafil Cochrane were brought forward, that their merits might be determined by a courfe of evidence, and their truth or malignity held up to public view. About half an hour after eight o'clock in the morning Mr Cochrane was brought into Court, when his trial began, and continued until near, eleven o'clock at night, when he was honourably and fully acquitted. The indictment charged him with the wilful murder of Videnadah, a Malabar man, formerly employed under him as a Conicopoly belonging to the Company; and during the profecution, which was managed by the Company's Attorney General and Solicitors, every pains were taken to invefligate, in the cleareft and moft evident manner, the feveral matters that were urged against him. The profecution being closed, about fix o'clock Mr Cochrane entered on his defence, and delivered himself in a manner fo forcibly expreffive of injured innocence, that the feelings of every one prefent were fenfibly affected-his language was elegant, and his arguments ftrong, pointed, and conclufive, and conveyed the highest fatisfaction to the Court, to the Jury, and to a crouded affembly of gentlemen. Having finished his defence, and examined nine evidences, five of whom were Europeans, his counsel (Mr Ellis) obferved, that at fo late an hour he did not wish to take up any longer the attention of the Court and Jury, or trouble them with the multitude of evidence he had ready to produce, but chofe rather to reft the innocence of his Elient on the depofitions of the witneffes 429. who had been examined on the part of the Crown; thoroughly convinced, as the Court and Jury muft undoubtedly be. from what had appeared in confequence of the cross-examination' fuch witneffes had undergone, that all farther proofs would be fuperfluous and unneceffary. The Clerk of the Peace then read over diftinctly the proceedings, and ob ferved, that they did not require any re mark or comment from him. The Jury then retired for a few moments, and brought in their verdict NOT GUILTY. The community muft feel themfelves greatly indebted to the conduct of Mr Cochrane, for his steady and manly perfeverance under a variety of oppofition, under numberlefs infurmountable obftacles, during a period of three years or upwards; and, at length bringing publicly forward the most diabolical piece of malevolence that infamy and malice had ever formed, and that the most illiberal, vindictive, and unjuft fentiments had ever fuggefied. Mr Ellis, who was Mr Cochrane's counfel, conducted the trial on the part of his client with the greatest judgment, and moft diftinguished abilities. It appeared on Mr Cochrane's trial, that the evidence produced in fupport of the profecution, and who deposed to material circumftances, either perjured themselves in the course of their crossexamination, or were placed in that predicament by the teftimony of others of their own party :-This was perfectly clear to every one, long before Mr Cochrane came on his defence. A correfpondent remarks, that among ft the Petty Jury that fat on the trial of the Hon. Mr Cochrane, the moft refpectable he recollects ever to have feen, only two gentlemen from the north of the Tweed were to be found, and the fame number of the Company's fervants, yet no objection or challenge was made by Mr Cochrane or his counfel. of Nature, is faid to have been split in one part of the rock more than 20 yards, probably by the fame fhock of an earthquake that hook Helvellin in Cumberland. At the fame time there was a confiderable commotion of the fea at Larne, the waves rofe mountains high, and a fhip was caft ahore above 70 yards from the water, to the aftonishment and terror of the fpec tators. ENGLAND. Birmingham, Aug. 1. A few days ago, a boat built with English iron by J. Wilkinfon, Efq; of Bradley Forge, came up our canal to this town, loaded with 22 tons 15 hundred weight of its own metal, &c. &c. It is nearly of equal dimenfions with the other boats employed upon the canal. The thicknefs of the plates with which it is made is about 5-16ths, and it is put together with rivets, like copper or fireengine boilers; but the stern-pofts are wood, and the gunwhale is lined with, and the beams are made of elm planks. Her weight is about eight tons; the will carry in deep water upwards of 32 tons, and when light fhe draws about the fame as a common wooden boat ; viz. eight or nine inches of water. London, Auguft 1. This day, at noon, his Royal Highnefs the Duke of York arived in town from Germany, 11. This morning the disagreeable news was received at the India Houfe, of the Hartwell Eaft Indiaman, Captain Fiott, being totally loft on her voyage outwardbound. This unfortunate event took place near the ifland of Bona Vista, one of the Cape de Verd Iflands, by the fhip ftriking upon a reef of projecting rocks, and was Occafioned by the mutinous behaviour of the crew, over whom all command was at an end from the 20th to the 24th of May, the day on which fhe was wrecked. On the firft beginning of the mutiny, the chief mate, Mr Charles Chriftic, went forward for the purpofe of fecuring one of the ringleaders, who inftantly drew a knife from his pocket, and attempted to ftab him; luckily, through the activity of the mate, he avoided the blow, or he muft inevitably have been killed, as the knife went through his waistcoat: in this fituation, finding the mutiny ftill increafe, Captain Fiott faw there was no other remedy than for him to rifk every thing;and with that spirit and refolution worthy the high charge entrusted to his care, he went forward himself among all the mutineers, with a brace of pistols in his hands, brought the culprit aft, who had fo dasingly attempted the life of his chief offi cer, and with the affiftance of his officer put him inftantly in irons; during which the villain drew another knife that he had concealed, and made a fecond attempt to flab the chief mate, and nearly accomplished his bloody fcheme on the boatfwain,who was helping to fecure him. A letter was after this prefented to Captain Fiott, figned with above fixty names, couched in the most abufive language, infifting on the difcharge of the man in irons, and threatening the Captain, that if he did not inftantly comply with their request, they would release him by force. Captain Fiott and his officers were unanimous in their opinion not to release him; the mutiny fill encreased, and for three days and nights before the lofs they were under the neceffity conftantly to remain armed upon deck; and even then, in order to keep the mutineers from coming aft, two of the quarter-deck guns were obliged to be loaded with grape-fhot and pointed forwards. Fortunately for the Captain, all his officers, and fome few others to whom he had entrufted fire-arms, food by him with a spirit which merits every encomium, and by their perfeve rance and unanimity only, was his life, with many of their own, preferved. Since the lofs, it has been difcovered it was the intention of the mutineers to have murdered the Captain, and to have thrown him, with about eight and twenty more, overboard, that they might make themfelves mafters of the fhip, and rob her of the fpecie fhe had on board, which attempt was to have been made the night after, had the not been loft in the morning. The Captain and the greater part of the fhip's company had the good fortune to fave themselves on a reef of rocks, three leagues north-eaft of Bona Vista. Mr Jackfon, one of the mates, with the remainder of the crew, arrived, after beating about for fixteen days, much fa tigued, in a flate approaching to famine, at St Vincent's. Captain Fiott arrived in town on Sunday, in a Portuguese veffel, which he had hired for the purpofe of coming to Eng land, with his purfer, fome other offcers, and a part of the crew. Mr Fiott, the firft mate, a relation of the Captain's, and the fixth mate, remain at Bona Vista, where the mutineers are kept in fafe cuftody by the Portuguese till an opportunity offers of conveying them to England. The value of the property on board the Hartwell was very large: dollars to the amount of 150,000l. fterling: cafes of jewellery Alterations in the Cuftom-houfe Fees Jewellery to at leaft the fame value, and the entire cargo of the Belvidere, which loft her paffage. A Court of Directors was held, when, after examining into all the particulars, they refolved to difmifs the Captain and chief mate, and fufpend the fecond mate from the fervice. THE following is an order of Council at Bengal, which was published on the 14th of February laft, by a Gazette Extraordinary, which evinces, beyond a doubt, how highly creditable the affairs of the Eaft India Company are at this moment, and the different afpect they bear to what they did in the beginning of the year 1785. The order of the Council is this: "That all the paper iffued before and on the 6th of May 1786, including No. 265 of the General Regifter 1786-7, will be discharged on application at the General Bank, on or after Monday the 19th inftant. The intereft on this paper will ceafe on the 18th of February 1787. "The intereft which became due on the Honourable Company's honds between the 6th and the 13th of February 1787, inclufive, will continue to be difcharged at the Treasury, until Wednesday the 21ft inftant, when fuch fums as remain not taken up will be appropriated to the difcharge of the paper next ordered for payment; but if payment of the intereft which became due on any of these bonds before the 6th of February 1787, not already applied for, fhall be claimed on or before Tuesday the 20th, it will be made on Monday the 26th of February, and continue payable until Wednesday the 7th of March 1787. By Command of the Right Hon. The Governor General in Council, W. BRUERE, Sec. Fort William, Feb. 14, 1787. In the beginning of the year 1786, the Eaft India Compas y's paper in Bengal, which was confiderably more valuable than that of any of the other Prefidencies, bore a discount of from 24 to 28 per cent. but their credit is fo confiderably increafed fince that period, that at the time the Ganges Eaft Indiaman failed from Bengal, the following was the rate of difcount on paper issued in May, 1786 I per cent. July Auguft September October November 2 1-half. 3 I-half. 4 I-4th. 5 3-4ths. January, 1787 6 1-half. 431 7 I-4th. It will appear from this statement, that in the courfe of 12 months, viz. from Ja❤ nuary 1785 to January 1786, the credit of the Company was increased in the eftimation of the natives, who were the prin cipal bankers in discounting, full 20 per cent. Aug. 18. Yefterday the Committee of Ship Owners, Ships Hufbands, Infurers, and others concerned in Eaft India fripping, and property fent out in the Eaft Indiamen, who held a meeting at the Antwerp Tavern a few days fince, had their appointed interview with Mr Pitt, at his houfe in Downing-ftreet, Weftminhter, with whom they entered into a confer ence on the fubject of the prefent alarming mutinies among the failors, by which they reprefented the very heavy loffes they had fuftained. They were with the Minifter, his own private Secretary, and Mr Rofe, upwards of an hour, when it was unanimoully agreed that fomething was neceffary to be done. The refult, however, on the part of Mr Pitt, was a recommen dation that there fhould be a meeting of the Merchants and Ship Owners in gen eral, for the purpose of confidering and planning a bill, which, he said, from its univerfality, might be expected to be still more generally attended to in the grand Council of the nation, and might be term ed the Merchants Naval Mutiny Bill; in which cafe, he faid, gentlemen might depend upon the whole aid and fupport of government to give it effect, and to form fuch a code, as might answer all the much-wished for intention of preferving the fame order, decorum, and difcipline in the Merchants fervice, as on board the King's fhips of war. THE following circular letter has been lately fent by the fecretary of the treasurry to the chief magiftrates at all the feaports throughout the kingdom, inftruct ing them to convene a meeting of all the principal merchants, to confider of fome alterations in the cuftomhouse department; of which the inclofed propofitions form the basis: "SIR, My Lords Commiffioners of his Majefty's Treafury having it in contemplation to make certain regulations in the departinent under the immediate directions of the Commiffioners of his Majefty's customs, for the general benefit of the trade and commerce of the kingdom of Great Britain, are defirous to have the fulleft information upon the subject before fuch reformation is attempted, which сад can only be had from the mercantile body, who are most likely to be affected thereby. I am directed therefore by their Lordships to folicit you to call a meeting of the merchants, &c. refident in your particular port and diftrict, in order fully to confult on the following propofitions, which are a part of the intended alterations and propofitions. I am, SIR, Your moit obedient fervant, G. ROSE." "Prop. 1. Whether it would beft anTwer the purposes of commerce, to make a total abolition of all fees paid to the of ficers of the customs, and to replace their emoluments by an annual fund eftimated at 300,000l. which would require a duty of ninepence per ton on all vessels at each clearance outwards? Prop. 2. Whether it would be the best for the purpofes of commerce, to abolish fees except thofe on imports; and to replace their emoluments by a fund eftimated at 75,000 1. to be raised by a propo fed duty of five pence per ton each veffel on every voyage. The duties in either cafe to be charged upon cargoes, as in the cafe of Ramfgate Harbour, fixed by act of parliament 22d. Geo. II. with exceptions (not yet afcertained) for coafting veffels carrying lime, &c.? Prop. 3. Whether it would be better for the purposes of commerce, to retain the fees, after having them regulated by an act of Parliament fully explanatory for that purpose, to prevent demurs and abuses of every kind? Prop. 4. What hours of attendance would beft fuit the purpofes of commerce? to be regulated alfo by an act of parlia ment." All the perfons to whom the above letters are addreffed are further defired to collect the fenfe of the merchants, in the freeft and most unequivocal manner, with as much expedition as the nature of the cafe will admit; and to tranfmit their opinion to the treafury-board. Meetings are now holding at Hull, Briftol, Liverpool, Lancafter, and other parts of the kingdom, for the above-specified purpose. A bill framed according to the plans of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, attending as close as poffible to the opinions of the merchants collectively, is intended to be immediately framed, and brought into parliament at the commencement of the next feffion. SCOTLAND. Mr Howard, who travels without ceaKing for the comfort of the miferable, ar rived at Glasgow on July 30. He imme diately vifited the prifon, and paid the higheft compliments to the magiftrates for their attention to the reformation of the prifoners, as well as to their accommoda tion. He likewife vifited the hospital, and expreffed great fatisfaction at the regularity and order established there. He arrived at Edinburgh on Aug. 4. and next day visited the tolbooth of that city. He examined every part with the greateft minutenefs, and afked a number of queftions at the prifoners. From what fell from himfelf, there is reason to believe he is far from being fatisfied with the fi tuation and cleanlinefs of the place. In the course of his vifitation he took down a number of notes in his pocket-book. He likewife ate a part of the prifoners bread, and, in order to ascertain the particular quantity they were allowed daily, weighed several of their rolls in fcales which he carries about with him. He faid it was now five years fince he last vi fited the prifon, and hoped, by this time, to have feen a new one built, which he would have much preferred to the South Bridge. He recommended, in a particular manner, to have all the walls of the refpective apartments thoroughly washed with lime and water, which, he faid, would add greatly to the wholesomeness of the place, and might be done at small expence. This the magistrates ordered to be done immediately. Glasgow, Aug. 12. We had, on Thurfday night, from eight o'clock till near eleven, one of the greateft thunder-ftorms ever remembered in this part of the coun try. It came from the fouth-west; and, as long as it continued at a diftance, it exhibited a fight truly grand indeed. The flashes of lightning were quick, and extremely vivid; and, äs they stretched along a fweep of the horizon, they momentarily illumined all the objects below. However, it foon approached us with the moft terrifying darknefs; and the claps were fo tremendous, that feveral times we thought the whole town was tumb ling down about our ears. It was over before eleven o'clock, and did no damage, except ftriking a house in Maxwell Street, and greatly injuring one at Finie ftown, which I went to fee on Friday afternoon. It is a ftone house, standing by itself, fronting the east, and confifts of two flats and garrets. It is within a gunshot. of the Verville Glafs Houfe, which, from its fituation and height, was much more likely to have attracted the bolt. The lightning ftruck the chimney-top on the north |