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perfons, among which is an Aga of the Janiffaries. On his landing, the guns from the caftle and forts were fired; a guard of grenadiers were ordered from the Devonshire militia; and their band plays before the inn he is at. He appears very affable, and fond of being feen, This is the firft Ambaffador from Turkey that ever came to Great Britain.

London, Dec. 21. The fog in London, was uncommonly dense all day, and, between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, far exceeded any meteor of the kind in the memory of man. What few carriages were forced to go about, could hardly venture without lights, and feveral ran foul of each other.

His Majefty's Moft Gracious Speech to both Houfes of Parliament.

Westminster, Jan. 21. 1794. This day his Majefty came to the Houfe of Peers, and being in his Royal Robes, feated on the Throne with the ufual folemnity, Sir Francis Molyneux, Gentleman Ufher of the Black Rod, was fent with a meffage from his Majefty to the Houfe of Commons, commanding their attendance in the Houfe of Peers. The Commons being come thither ac cordingly, his Majefty was pleased to make the following moft gracious Speech: My Lords and Gentlemen,

The circumstances under which you are now affembled require your most serious attention.

We are engaged in a conteft, on the fe of which depend the maintenance of our Conftitution, Laws, and Religion, and the security of all Civil Society.

You must have obferved, with fatis-, faction, the advantages which have been ohtained by the arms of the Allied Powers, and the change which has taken place in the general situation of Europe, fince the commencement of the war, The United Provinces have been protected from invafion. The Auftrian Netherlands have been recovered and maintained; and places of confiderable importance have been acquired on the frontier of France. The recapture of Mentz and the fubfequent fucceffes of the Allied Armies on the Rhine, have, notwithstanding the advantages recently obtained by the enemy in that quarter, proved highly beneficial to the common caufe. Powerful efforts have been made by my allies in the fouth of Europe. The temporary poffeffion of the town and port of Toulon has greatly diftreffed the operations of my enemies; and in the circum

ftances attending the evacuation of that place, an important and decifive blow has been given to their naval power, by the conduct, abilities, and fpirit of my commanders, officers and forces, both by fea and land.

The French have been driven from their poffeffions and fishery at Newfoundland; and important and valuable acquifitions have been made both in the Eaft and Weft Indies.

At fea our fuperiority has been undifputed, and our commerce fo effectually protected, that the loffes fuftained have been inconfiderable in proportion to its extent, and to the captures made on the contracted trade of the enemy.

ther progrefs of the allies has been hitherThe circumstances by which the furto impeded, not only prove the neceffity of vigour and perfeverance on our part, but at the fame time confirm the expectation of ultimate fuccefs. Our enemies have derived the means of temporary exertion from a fyftem which has enabled them to difpofe arbitrarily of the lives and property of a numerous people, and which openly violates every restraint of juftice, humanity, and religion. But thofe efforts, productive as they neceffarily have been of internal difcontent and confufion in France, have also tended rapidly to exhauft the natural and real ftrength of that country.

Although I cannot but regret the neceffary continuance of the war, I fhould ill confult the effential interefts of my people if I were defirous of peace on any grounds but fuch as may provide for their permanent fafety, and for the independence and fecurity of Europe. The attainments of thefe ends is ftill obftructed by the prevalence of a fyftem in France, equally incompatible with the happiness of that country, and with the tranquillity of all other nations.

Under this impreffion I thought praper to make a declaration of the views and principles by which I am guided. I have ordered a copy of this declaration to be laid before you, together with copies of feveral Conventions and Treaties with different Powers, by which you will perceive how large a part of Europe is united in a cause of fuch general concern.

I reflect, with unspeakable fatisfaction, on the fteady loyalty and firm attachment to the established Conftitution and Government, which, notwithstanding the continued efforts employed to mislead and to feduce, have been fo generally K 2 prevalen

prevalent among all ranks of my people. Thefe fentiments have been eminently manifested in the zeal and alacrity of the Militia to provide for our internal defence, and in the diftinguifhed bravery and fpirit difplayed on every occafion by my forces, both by fea and land: They have maintained the luftre of the British name, and have fhewn themselves worthy of the bleffings which it is the object of all our exertions to preserve.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I have ordered the neceffary estimates and accounts to be laid before you; and I am perfuaded you will be ready to make fuch provifion as the exigencies of the time may require. I feel too fenfibly the repeated proofs which I have received of the affection of my fubjects not to lament the neceffity of any additional burdens. It is, however, a great confolation to me to obferve the favourable ftate of the revenue, and the compleat fuccefs of the measure which was laft year adopted for removing the embarraffiments affecting commercial credit.

Great as muft be the extent of our exertions, I truft you will be enabled to provide for them in such a manner as to avoid any preffure which could be feverely felt by my people.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

In all your deliberations you will undoubtedly bear in mind the true grounds and origin of the war.

An attack was made on us and on our allies, founded on principles which tend to deftroy all property, to fubvert the laws and religion of every civilized nation, and to introduce univerfally that wild and deftructive fyftem of rapine, anarchy, and impiety, the effects of which, as they have already been manifefted in France, furnish a dreadful but ufeful leffon to the prefent age and to pofterity.

It only remains for us to perfevere in our united exertions: their difcontinuance or relaxation could hardly procure even a short interval of delufive repose, and could never terminate in fecurity or peace. Impreffed with the neceflity of defending all that is most dear to us, and relying, as we may with confidence, on the valour and refources of the nation, on the continued efforts of fo large a part of Europe, and, above all, on the inconteflible juftice of our caufe, let us render our conduct a contraft to that of our enemies, and, by cultivating and practifing the principles of humanity and the duties of religion, endeavour to merit the continuance of the Divine favour and

protection, which have been fo‘eminently experienced by these kingdoms.

SCOTLAND.

A deputation of two foldiers from each of the companies belonging to the regiment of North Fencibles, commanded by Lieutenant Col.onel Woodford, waited on the Lord Provoft and Magiftrates, in the Council Chamber, and prefented to them the following letter, with a donation from every foldier doing duty in the regiment, amounting, altogether, to 231. 18 s. 8 d. Sterling.

"Edinburgh Castle, 24. Dec. 1793. The foldiers of the North Fencible Regt. are happy in prefenting to your Lordship this mark of their attachment to his Majefty's fervice, and their fenfe how much thofe merit from their country, who are fighting its battles abroad, while they at home will be ready to defend it against any foreign enemy, and fupport its Laws and Conflitution.

Rt. Hon. Lord Provost of Edinburgh.”

High Court of Jufliciary.

January 3. This day was to have come on the trial of Alexander Brown and John Macnab, ftarch manufacturers, accufed of defrauding the revenue by forging flamps fimilar to those used by the officers of Excife. Mr Brown, not having appeared, was fugitated and outlawed.

The trial went on againft John McNab, and when the proof was concluded, the Lord Advocate addreffed the Jury, and reftricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment. The Jury returned their verdict next day, unanimously finding the pannel guilty.

Mr Wallace, banker in Edinburgh, Chancellor of the Jury, addreffed the Court in a few words, informed their Lordships, that, though the Jury had unanimoufly found the pannel guilty, they had, with equal unanimity, agreed to recommend him to the Court, as a proper object of lenity, on account of the peculiar circumftances attending his cafe.

Their Lordships delivered opinions at fome length, and were unanimous in thinking, the crime of which the pannel had been convicted merited the highest arbitrary punishment in the power of the Court to inflict; but, on account of the recommendation of fo refpectable a Jury. and the particular circumftances attending his cafe, the pannel was ordained to be carried back to prison, there to remain for the fpace of fourteen days, at the expiration of which to be set at liberty, and allowed a month from that time to settle his affairs, and then to be banished from

Scotland

Scotland for fourteen years under the ufual certifications.

A petition was prefented to their Lordships from Jofeph Gerald, who was indicted to ftand trial on Wednesday the 15th, for fedition, praying that it might be adjourned till Monday the 27th inft. as some circumstances connected with his family rendered it neceffary for him to go to London. The Lord Advocate having confented, the Court granted the prayer of the petition.

Trial of William Skirving for Sedition.

Jan. 6. This day came on the trial of William Skirving lately tenant in Damhead, defigning himfelf of Strathrudie. The indictment ftates, that he felonioufly and wickedly circulated a feditious handbill, written by T. Fifche Palmer-(This is the hand-bill for which Palmer was fentenced to transportation.) The indictment further ftates, that the faid William Skirving, defigning himself “Secretary General in Scotland," to an affociation calling themselves Friends of the People, publifhed and circulated a feditious and inflammatory band-bill, calling together illegal and feditious affociations, and holding out threatnings against thofe who counteracted their feditious proceedings that in confequence of this feditious hand-bill, a General Meeting of fuch illegal affociations took place at Edinburgh, who firft affumed the name of the General Convention of the Friends of the People, and then prefumptuously and feditiously arrogated to themfelves the name of the British Convention of the Delegates of the People, affociated to obtain Univerfal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments; and did in the whole form and manner of their proceedings, as well as in the principles they publicly avowed and propagated, clearly and unequivocally demonftrate, that under the fpecious pretext of Reform, their purposes were of the most deftructive and feditious tendency, hoftile to the peace and happiness, as well as to the Constitution of this realm, and too plainly indicating the fame rebellious measures which govern the proceedings of the Convention of France, the public and avowed enemies of this country, and with whom this nation is at prefent at open war-In imitation of the proceedings of the French Convention, they called each other by the name of Citizen, divided themselves into Sections, appointed Committees of Organization, of Inftruction, of Finance, and of Secrecy, denominated their meetings fittings,

granted honours of fittings, and inscribed their minutes with the first year of the British Convention that they made and publifhed harangues and speeches, as well as refolutions and motions of the most seditious tendency-The indictment then recites a variety of motions and refolutions made and published by this illegal and unconftitutional affociation, which the faid William Skirving was the chief inftrument of calling together, was all along prefent at their meetings, and acted and was acknowledged as their Secretary, and voted for, and approved of every motion and refolution that paffed; and alfo wickedly and feloniously moved refolutions of the fame inflammatory and feditious tendency, (which are inferted at length in the indictment;) by all of which, and particularly by bis acting as Secretary, and taking the chief management of the bufinefs of the faid meeting, he fhowed himself an active ringleader of the said feditious affociation. The indictment then fiates the various proceedings with regard to the difperfion by the Lord Provoft, Sheriff, and Magifirates, of the perfons ftiling themselves the Britifh Convention, and the Friends of the People, with the part the faid William Skirving acted in these transactions. The indictment concludes with ftating a variety of letters and other papers, to be laid before the Jury, as evidence against the faid William Skirving.

Mr Skirving came to the bar accompanied by Meflrs Brown and Margarot, two Delegates to the Convention. The indictment being read, he was asked in the ufual manner if he was guilty or not. He anfwered he was confcious of no guilt.

He had no counfel. The Court asked him if he had applied to any, to which he answered, if he had applied to any he believed he would have been refused, for fuch is the prejudice against the Friends of the People, that an agent undertaking their caufe could expect no other employment. The Court affured him, that if he had fignified his intention to them, they would bave appointed him both an agent and counfel.

The Solicitor General faid, that in adopting the language of a foreign country in their proceedings, a country where anarchy, bloodshed, and horror unhappily prevailed, they had thrown off the

afk, and it was no longer difficult to difcover their intentions.-The laws against fedition, he laid, were equally strong at one period as another; but taking sedition in connection with the fituation of

the

the country, it might be infinitely more dangerous at one time than another. If à few people, four or five years ago, had paraded the ftreets with white cockades, and even fired fome fhots at the halfmoon of the caftle, he certainly would not have confidered it High Treafon; but had these or other men done fo in the years 1745 or 1746, there was no doubt they would have been deemed traitors, and punished accordingly; though the law is always the fame, the circumftances in which the country may be, will render proceedings which are not worthy of notice at one season, highly criminal at ancther.

Mr Skirving rofe, and after ftating, that he wished to referve what he had to say on the relevancy till the Jury were impannelled, on being told they were all in Court, he faid, Being no lawyer, or orator, he had put his thoughts into writing. He then proceeded to read a long paper, in which he infifted on his innocence, affirming he had never tranfgreffed the laws of either God or man: that truth could never be fedition; that the libel was not founded on any ftatute, and confequently was null and void; that Jefus Chrift himself had come into the world to give liberty to mankind; that the Prophets and Apostles, because they had fpoke truths, might have been arraigned as feditious perfons; that if his conduct in the whole bufinefs could be called fedition, he gloried in fuch fedition; that he was not anfwerable for the Friends of the People; they had not been found guilty of any crime, and they would juflity their conduct when called upon. He faid, the meetings of the Friends of the People bore fome reference to Holy Writ, and to the coming of the Lord Jefus Chrift, when it is faid, "Then they that feared the Lord fpake often one to another." He afked a definition of the word Sedition, and defired to know on what law he was tried, as the indictment did not ftate any. He was informed, that he was tried by the Common Law of the land, as it was cuftomary for many crimes to be tried. Mr Skirving faid, the firft charge against him, the circulating of Mr Falmer's addreis, fhould be ftruck out of the libel, as he had been fummoned as an evidence for the Crown on that gentleman's trial, and had actually attended at Perth. He concluded with faying the libel was null, and that after what he had faid, no man of common fenfe could find it relevant.

The Lord Juftice Clerk inquired of the

Lord Advocate if Mr Skirving had been examined on the trial of Mr Palmer. His Lordship affured him he had not, as he had given directions for that purpose.

Their Lordships delivered their opinions at confiderable length, and unani moufly found the libel relevant to inter an arbitrary punishment. The trial then proceeded. Mr Skirving (as Mr Muir had done) objected to thofe gentlemen of the Jury who had figned the Affociation at Goldsmiths hall to fupport the Conftitution, and those who held any office under the Crown. It was replied, that this objection was the fame as laying that no gentleman who fupported the conftitution of his country ought to be of the Jury, but only thofe who were members of the British Convention. The Court unanimously repelled the objection.

The moft material circumftance that appeared in the trial of W. Skirving was the appointment of a Convention of Emergency in cafe of a Convention Bill being moved in the British Parliament fimilar to that paffed last year in Ireland,in cafe of an invafion-in cafe of the arrival of Hanoverians or Heffians-or in cafe of fufpending the act 1701 for wrongous imprisonment in Scotland, or the Habeas Corpus act in England.

After the examination of the witneffes, &c. was finished, the Lord Advocate addreffed the Jury on the part of the Crown. Mr Skirving, then read a long defence, confifting chiefly of extracts from the Bible, and different books, and pamphlets, after which the Lord Juftice Cleik addreffed the Jury in a concife fpeech, ftating the nature of the crime of fedition, &c. and his opinion how far it applied to the prefent cafe, and leaving it entirely to the Jury to acquit the prifoner or bring him in guilty, as they fhould judge the evidence called upon them to do. The Jury inclofed a quarter before one o'clock this morning, and returning their verdict this afternoon, unanimously finding the pannel Guilty. The Court pronounced fentence, ordaining him to be transported beyond feas for fourteen years.

Jan. 6. This day the election of Annual Prefidents of the Natural Hiftory Society took place, when the following Gentlemen were elected:

Mr T. Graham Arnold, Leicefter. Mr Richard Brown, Stamford. Mr Edward Bourne, Staffordshire. Mr R. Forefter French, M. B. Derby. 7. The poft-horfe duties for North Britain were let to farm by the Commif, fioners of ftamp-duties, to Mr Ramf,

den,

den, for 6000l.; the last farm was for 57801.

9. This morning, about ten o'clock, a vaft crowd affembled in front of the Black-Bull Inn, where Maurice Margarot, one of the delegates to the Convention from England, lodged. He fhortly after came out, attended by three friends. When he got the length of the Regifter Office, the mob forced all the four into a chaife, which they had provided, and from which they had previously taken the horses. They drew the carriage to the Parliament Clofe, where M. Margarot and his friends alighted; and walking into the Parliament Houfe, he appeared at the bar. The Lord Advocate being much indifpofed, the Solicitor General requested an adjournment of the trial, and the Court agreed to adjourn till Monday the 13th.

M. Margarot, on his way home, was again forced into a carriage by the mob, along with five of his friends, and the horfes being taken from the coach, the mob drew him to his lodgings.

Maurice Margarot fummoued the Earl of Mansfield to attend his trial as Lord Juftice General; and alfo the Duke of Richmond, Mr Pitt, and Mr Dundas, as exculpatory witnesses.

9. The Rev. Profeffor Finlayson was admitted one of the minifters of the Old Greyfriars Church, in the room of the late Principal Robertson; the Rev. Dr Macnight preached on the occafion.

13. This morning, the Lord Provoft, Magiftrates, Sheriffs, Train Bands, Deacons of the different Incorporations, and Conftables, with a number of the most refpectable inhabitants of this city, met at the merchants Hall, in order to prevent any disturbance that might happen. A little before ten o'clock, they met with M. Margarot, on the North Bridge, and feveral of his friends, who were walking under a wreath, or arch, with the words, Liberty, Juftice, &c. inferibed upon it, carried by two or three men, (accompanied by a great crowd.) The arch was taken from them and demolished by the Magiftrates, affifted by a number of fai lors, and a preis gang, whom they had brought from a frigate of war in Leith Roads, by which means the crowd were foon difperled. Two men who were fupporting the arch, were committed to jail. [An account of Mr Margarot's Trial avill be given in our next Magazine.]

13. This morning the High Court of Jufticiary pronounced sentence of fugitation and outlawry againft Alexander Cal

lender, one of the perfons filing themfelves the British Convention, and declared his bail-bond forfeited, he having failed to appear and stand trial upon a charge brought against him for seditious practi

ces.

16. John Pringle, Efq; after going through the ufual trials this day, took his feat as one of the Principal Clerks in the Court of Seffion, in room of Samuel Mitchelfon, Esq; deceased.

James Clerk, of Bonington, Efq; Aď. vocate, has entered upon the office of Sheriff-depute of this county, in room of John Pringle, Efq;

20. A petition and complaint, at the inftance of his Majefty's advocate, was read, against Captain Johnstone, formerly proprietor of the Gazetteer, and likewise against his two cautioners, craving that their bail-bond of 5ool. Sterling, entered into for the Captain's good behaviour for two years, fhould be declared forfeited, on account of his having taken an active part in the British Convention, &c. The Court ordained the complaint to be ferved upon each of the parties, that they might give in printed anfwers within a fortnight, and that Captain Johnftone fhould appear at the bar on the 10th of February.

A petition was prefented from the cautioners of Alexander Callender, outlawed, craving a mitigation of the penalty contained in their bail-bond, as they faid, they had become cautioners by ac cident, which their Lordships unanimoufly refufed, and ordered the clerk to exact the penalty of 2000 merks from the cautioners without lofs of time.

20. Between five and fix o'clock in the evening, a fire broke out in a cotton-work in the Calton of Glasgow, which confumed the roof and upper ftorey, part of the machinery, and a quantity of cotton, &c. The premifes were infured.

21. This morning, about ten o'clock, a very alarming fire broke out in the back fhop of Mr Ruffel, cotton-merchant in the Luckenbooths;-owing to the im mediate arrival of several water engines, and the great exertions of the Magiftrates, &c. it was confined to the fhop where it began, and the flat above. A confiders able quantity of goods was deftroyed.

21. Agreeable to a Royal Charter lately obtained from his Majefty, the Proprietors of the Royal Bank of Scotland this day made good their payment of the new flock of L.400,000, which now makes the capital of that bank a million Sterling.

The

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