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MISCELLANEOUS.

I. T now appears that the French squadron returned to Brest on the 2d inst, after having suffered considerable damage in a storm, without having made a single capture, or effected any of the other objects intended by it.

Admiral Goodal has captured and carried into Gibraltar above a dozen of vefsels, nearly half of them French West Indiamen of great value.

Our cruisers continue to be successful in picking up privateers,-almost the only French vefsels that are to be found in the narrow seas. Captain Cochrane of the Hinde brought in no less than four of these to Portsmouth at one time.

Nothing remarkable has occurred in parliament since our last, unless it be the debates on the alien bill, which has been opposed with much energy in all its stages. It has at length got through the House of Commons with several amendments.

The negociation with the East India Company respecting a renewal of their charter is not yet terminated. It seems at present as if the plan proposed by Mr Dundas would be agreed to.

Spain seems now to be determined to prosecute the war against France. A powerful army has already begun to march into the southern provinces of that kingdom. If our accounts can be relied on, the common people in Spain are much exasperated against the French, and treat them with great harfhnefs.

Sweden has fitted out a fleet of considerable strength to cruise in the Baltic, for the purpose, it is said, of protecting her own trade. An ambassador has been dispatched from France, with the avowed intention of inducing that nation to act with them. If the cautious regent fhall decline to do this, it is said the French mean to confiscate all the Swedish vefsels in the ports of France.

Congress at Antwerp.

A congrefs was held at Antwerp, on the 8th inst. which was composed of the following persons.

The prince of Orange and his two sons,

The Dutch Pensionary Van der Speigel,
His royal highness the Duke of York,

Lord Auckland,

His royal highness the prince de Saxe Cobourg

Count Metternich,

The count de Staremberg,

The count Mercy d'Argenteau,

The Prufsian, Spanish, and Neapolitan ministers, resident at the Hague. The object was to settle a general plan for the prosecution of the war; and, as Dumourier's defection had produced no material alterations, to deter VOL. XIV.

c

mine whether the combined armies fhould again attempt the invasion of France, or confining the French within their own frontier, and cutting them off from external communication, leave the restoration of monarchy to the efforts of the royalists within the kingdom, and the natural progrefs of discontent arising from distress among the people.

The ill succefs of the campaign of last year had taught the Austrians and Prufsians the difficulties that must attend entering France; and produced declarations, that it was not their intention to dictate a form of government for the French, but to prevent the effects of those licentious principles which tended to the subversion of every established go

vernment.

By the congrefs, however, it was resolved to commence a plan of active operations against France, and instead of the chimerical project of marching directly to Paris, to besiege at once as many as possible of the strong places on the frontier, which will block up or call off the greatest part of the republican troops from the interior of the kingdom, and leave the royalists within it without much opposition. If these places fall, they will be immediately occupied by the troops of the combined powers, and serve as points to act from according to circumstances, while the fleets of England, Holland, and Spain are to form a chain of cruisers round the coast, ready to favour the royalists wherever they appear, and to cut off all supplies by sea, as the armies will do by land.

We know for certain, that the preparations for embarking our cavalry and other regiments destined for foreign service, were suspended on Monday, but these orders have been recalled, and the most vigorous exertions are now making to get ready their accoutrements, and the transports in which they are to embark. A descent on the French coast is supposed to be meditated.

The cefsation of hostilities with the French is of course broken off. General Valence, who had availed himself of it, had gone to Antwerp, where he is now, to recover of his wounds.

Support of the private credit.

The inconveniencies to mercantile people and manufacturers arising from the want of credit continue to increase, and many bankruptcies in consequence of that have already taken place, and seem to threaten more. The magistrates of Liverpool have applied to parliament for an act to authorise them, under certain limitations, to support the credit of the banking houses there. And at Newcastle the inhabitants at large have adopted a measure equally liberal and salutary for supporting the credit of the banking houses there, which ought to be preserved to posterity as an honourable and characteristical trait of the spirit of the times.

A general meeting of the gentlemen, merchants, tradesmen, and inhabitants of Newcastle having been summoned on the 9th of April, to deliberate on the most effectual means of supporting the credit of the banking houses there on the present excefsive run upon them; a committee of fifteen was appointed to inform themselves of the selection of the banks, and to report to the meeting. The following was the result.

The report of the Committee.

We, your Committee, proceed with satisfaction to report what we have done in the execution of the important duty committed to us, because we have found in the funds of the respective banks of Ridley, Cookson and Co.-Surtees, Burdon, and Co. - Baker, Hedley, and Co. - and Lambton and Co. a stability beyond our most sanguine expectations.

These funds appeared so substantial, and so effective, that we found much difficulty in prevailing upon ourselves to accept the offer of those gentlemen, to pledge specifically their respective private real and personal estates, for the fulfilment of their banking engagements. But the offer was made with so much earnestnefs, that we have incorporated that measure into the plan we have to submit to your consideration.

Our inquiries were directed to the ascertaining with precision the amount of the paper issued by these banks, and now in circulation; and we learned that it did not exceed in the whole, two hundred and thirty thousand pounds; a sum which bears a small proportion to the amount of their funds. Adver ting to their private fortunes, we found in them a security almost without limit.

In such circumstances, we deem the plan about to be proposed necessary, only because at such a juncture as the present, nothing ought to be omitted that may remove from the most distrustful, every particle of doubt and suspicion.

With this view, we suggest the propriety of all who are any way connected with the landed or commercial interests of this town and the adjoining counties, entering into a guarantee for the space of twelvemonths, securing to the holders of the notes of these banks the full sum due upon them. It is our idea that every gentleman should name the sum for which he will be answerable, and that proper persons fhould be authorised to call for the sums subscribed, or any part of them, if ever they should be necefsary, to aid the funds of the banks; which, we confess, to us appears hardly pofsible. We have explained this branch of our plan, by preparing a subscription paper, signing it, and by adding, opposite to our names, the sums we are ready to advance, if called upon. It is intended that this subscription fhall be kept open until it amounts to L. 230,000, the whole value of the notes in circulation; and that the gentlemen to whom this authority is committed fhall be of the highest respectability; and to them fhall be given by the bankers that pledge of their private fortunes which they so honourably propose.

We wish to recommend to these gentlemen, not to resume their business till some day in the ensuing week, by which time it is evident to us that they will be fully enabled to answer every possible demand; and in the mean time, to issue such cash as may be necefsary to answer the demands of all who are employed in the coal works and manufactories.

The proprietors of the Commercial Bank having stated to the public meeting yesterday, that it was not their intention to continue bankers; and having given the strongest afsurances of their ability to answer every demand upon them, we did not think it necefsary to examine particularly the state of their debts and credits; but we wish to recommend it strongly to the other bankers, that as soon as possible, every proper aid be given to that house to enable them to liquidate their affairs with the utmost dispatch.

We cannot conclude this report, without exprefsing ourselves highly satisfied with the conduct of the gentlemen of the four banks who gave us a meeting, and who, with that openness and liberality becoming men consci

ous of their integrity, afforded us the fullest information concerning their circumstances and transactions.

James Rudman, chairman
Tho. Cha. Bigge

Henry U. Reay

John Graham Clarke
A. Adams
Walter Hall

T. E. Headlam

Wm. Darnell

St. Pemberton

Sam. Lawton

Nath. Clayton
Ralph Heron
Malin Sorbie

Anth. Hood

John E. Blackett

In consequence of this, the proposed guarantee was immediately entered into by the gentlemen present, and the sums subscribed before six o'clock in the evening amounted to THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND Two HUNDRED POUNDS.

Two regiments of emigrant French are to be raised in England, to consist of 1200; the duke d'Harcourt is to command one, and the marquis de Choiseul the other. They will embark from this country to act with the French princes the moment they are completed.

The duke of Richmond has introduced in the Sussex militia the round bat, which the artillery have taken by his Grace's recommendation. The effect is, that this corps has an appearance less smart than that of any other regiment in the kingdom.

By private letters from Brufsels, we learn that generals Miranda, Lanoue, and Stingen have been executed at Paris.

Five thousand persons, most of them of rank, had been seized in consequence of the late decree of the Convention. Amongst them are many women of high rank. They are doomed to fall victims to the sanguinary disposition of the ruling faction in Paris; we may expect to be soon fhocked by the horrid detail of another massacre.

The fhips in the harbour of Bourdeax, laden with corn, which had been seized on the commencement of the war, have been since permitted to take in their cargoes and depart.

East India House, Wednesday April 3. A general court of proprietors was convened on special affairs, when a much greater number of stockholders were present than on any former recent occasion. As soon as the Chairman and Court of Directors were seated, the clerk read a paper sent by the court in reply to the resolutions communicated to the Chairman by Mr Dundas, which consisted of a long detail of observations upon the several resolutions, respectively couched in terms of great acuteness, and propriety, and pointedness of application. As soon as the paper was read, Mr Baring (the chairman) produced a resolution, which he submitted to the opinion and decision of the general court. Its purport was, to declare their approbation of the answer given by the Court of Directors to Mr Dundas, on the subject of the resolutions communicated by him, as the resolutions which that Right Honourable Gentleman intended to submit to the House of Commons, as the terms on which the legislature might in his judgement agree to grant to the Company a new charter, securing to them a continuance of their exclusive trade for the period of twenty years.

This motion, after a conversation of some length, was agreed to unanimously.

Some resolutions were then moved and passed respecting the future regulations of shipping, &c. After which the court adjourned, the chairman observing, that from the urgency of their affairs, he might probably very soon have occasion to call another meeting.

INDEX.

ADVICE of a father to his son,
Edificator on the plaster called
chinam in India,
Alkali, volatile, a cure for the
bite of serpents,
Anderson, Dr, of Madras, ex-
tracts from his correspondence
concerning the bread fruit
tree,
Anecdotes of hunting,-mode of
hunting the bear in Ruf-
sia, 10,
- ditto in Finland,
16,-account of a bear chace
in North America, 17,-me-
thod of killing brants, a kind
of water fowl, in ditto, 133-
mode of hunting the moose
deer in ditto, 135-manner of
fhooting the great grous in
Rufsia, 174 of fhooting the
black cock in ditto,

209

128

47

36

175

223-224

280

Anecdotes,
Anecdotes of British officers kil
led in the Russian service,
America, account of a bear chase
in, 17-method of killing
brants in ditto, 133-mode of
hunting the moose deer in dit-
to,
Arcticus on popular superstiti-
ons, 122-his account of the
Turkish method of setting
jewels on swords, &c. 173-
anecdotes of hunting by, 174-
his account of admiral Greig, 281
Art of life, by lord Bacon,

135

22-117-205-271
Artists, eminent Scottish,-Ber-
- Jamesone,
ry 1-

Arts, fine, observations on,

Authors, remarks on some cele-

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141

275

Afsafsins, observations on ancient

Castalio's Bible characterised,
Cement for fixing jewels on me-
tal, &e.

306

173

ones,

170

Chinam, account of,

128

brated ones,

99-153-301

Bacon, lord, fragments by, 18-

art of life,
Bankruptcies in Scotland in
1772, and 1786 compared, 165
VOL. XIV.

22-117-205-271

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Classical learning, observations on, 154
Cobra de capello, method of cu-
ring its bite

Cotton mills, a new improvement

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