HISTORICAL AFFAIRS. ENGLAND. [166.] The royal affent was given, by commiffion, to the following bills, April 1. An act for granting to his Majefty additional duties upon the produce of the feveral duties under the management of the respective commissioners of the customs and excife in G. Britain. [189.] An act for licensing and regulating lot tory-office keepers. An act for defraying the charge of the pay and cloathing of the militia in that part of G. Britain called England, for one year, beginning March 25. 1779. An act to continue feveral laws, relating to The giving further encouragement for the mportation of naval ftores from the British conies in America; to the landing of rum fpirits of the British fugar-plantations, fre payment of the duties of excife; to the discontinuing the duties payable upon the importation of tallow, hogs lard, and greafe; the regulating the fees of officers of the customs, and naval officers in America; to the allowing the exportation of certain quantities of wheat, and other articles, to his Majefly's fugar-colonies in America; and to the allowing a drawback of the duties on ram fipped as flores, to be confumed on board merchant-fhips on their voyages. An act to permit, during the prefent hoflies with France, certain goods, enumerated in the act of navigation, to be importad in British-built ships fold to foreigners, End for releafing hips and goods which have been feized in pursuance of the faid act. An act to continue and amend an act 11o Gee. III. for the encouragement of the white-herring fishery." An act for further continuing and extending the provifions of two acts, 29° Geo. II. end 10o Geo. III. for granting a bounty on certain fpecies of British and Irish linens exported, and taking off the duties on the importation of foreign raw linen yarns, made of flux; and for granting a bounty on the exportation of British chequed and riped lines, and upon British and Irish diapers, backebacks, beeting, and other linen, of abre a certain breadth. Seventeen bills concerning roads and other matters of police, and twenty-two private bills, none of which relate to Scotland. By an order of council, of April 21. the bounties to feamen or landaren who enter voluntarily to ferve in the navy, and the rewards for discovering featuen VOL. XLI. who fecrete themfelves, are continued from the 30th of April to the 31st of July next inclufive. [105.] On the 7th of March failed from St Helen's, Adm. Hughes, in the Superb, of 74 guns, with four 64 gun fhips, a war-floop, and thirteen Indiamen, for the Eaft Indies; fingle fhips for New York, Jamaica, Africa, and Lisbon; the Warwick, of 50 guns, Capt. Collins, for St Helena; and the Vengeance, of 74 guns, Capt. Maitland, with two frigates and two bombs, for the coaft of Guinea. Notice was given at the general postoffice, London, March 1o. that all letters, poft paid, intended for the southern provinces of America, would be conveyed to Savannah in Georgia by the Sandwich packet, Capt. Hill. On the 15th of March was brought into Valentiac river in Ireland, by the Ranger privateer of Briftol, Capt. Brown, the Lewis Elifabeth, Capt. Le Gun, a French Eaft-Indiaman, valued at 40,000l. The Prince of Orange packet-boat, with the mail from Holland which fhould have reached London on the 16th of April, was taken by a French privateer, and carried into Dunkirk, was thrown overboard. The mail Towards the end of April, Adm. Gambier, in the Ardent, with the Raleigh and Unicorn frigates, arrived at Portfmonth, and the Richmond frigate at Plymouth. They left New York the 6th of April. An armed boat belonging to a French privateer, ftole into Sheernefs harbour, April 20. and cut the Thorn floop, Capt. Wardlaw, from her moorings, and the drove on thore. They not being detected, proceeded to Chathain: but, after a thort fkirmish, were taken by the Leviathan's boat, which was then rowingguard, wherein one man was killed, and two wounded. On the 8th of March, the Achilles of Folkftone, and the He&tor of Guernicy, letters of marque, took, in the bay of Bifcay, a French flap of 300 tons; on board of which they put James Snook mariner, of Feverlain, five men from the Hector, and left four Frenchmen on board. But, two days alter, the prize was retaken by a French frigate; the commander of which took all the Englifh out, except Snook, who hid himself in the held, put three more Frenchmen on board, and then parted from the cap ture. The prize-mafter found Snook in the hold; and having loft his courfe, ordered him to steer the veffel: which he did, and brought her fafe into Guernsey, making the Frenchmen believe it was Belleifle. low two ladies and a gentleman (Signora Galli, the deceased, and Mr Macnamara). The first lady got into the carriage, and Mifs Reay was following. The witnefs faw the gentleman in black pull Mifs Reay by the gown, and at the fame inftant take two piftols out of his pocket: one of which he fired at the deceafed, and she inftantly fell: the other piftol he directed to his own head; and he alfo fell. When on the ground, he beat his forehead with the piftol in his 8201 right hand, and called to the people to kill him. At the anniversary meeting of the marine fociety April 15. it was found, that the number of landmen volunteers cloathed by the fociety was, Since April laft From the commencement Poor boys fitted fince Ja- 2784 2202 9143 Total men and boys 17344 A most unprecedented murder was committed, on Friday the 7th of April, on the person of Mifs Martha Reay by the Reverend Mr Hackman, who, being defperately in love with her, watched her from the play, and, as fhe was ftepping into her coach amidst a crowd of people, clapt a pistol to her ear, and fhot her through the head. She dropped, and expired without a groan. His intent was inftantly to have deftroyed himself, but in that he failed; and not endeavouring to make his escape, he was fecured, and committed to prifon. He appeared to be perfectly in his fenfes, and endeavoured to juftify the act by a sudden impulfe that for the moment convulfed his mind. The deceased had for more than fixteen years been connected with Lord Sandwich, and had been the mother of nine children, five of whom are now alive. At the time when Lord Sandwich was first captivated by her perfon, the was in her fixteenth year, and an ap. prentice to a mantuamaker in Clerkenwell. This murder affords a melancholy proof, that there is no act fo contrary to reason that reasonable men will not commit when under the dominion of their paffions. It is impoffible to convey an idea of the impreffion made on all ranks of people when it was first reported; the manner of it truck every feeling heart with horror. On his trial at the Old Bailey, April 16. for the wilful murder of Mifs Martha Reay, as the indictment charged him with murder aforethought, he pleaded Not guilty. The fact was clearly proved. One of the witneffes, Mary Anderfon, a fruitwoman, faw a gentleman in black fol Mr Mahon, an apothecary, corrobe rated the evidence of the fruit womar He wrenched out of Mr Hackman' hand the piftol with which he was beat ing himself, as he lay on the ground took him to his houfe, dreffed his wounds and accompanied him to the Shakespear tavern, whither Mifs Reay's body ha been carried. The prifoner being called upon t make his defence, addreffed the judg and jury as follows. "I fhould not have troubled the cour with the examination of witneffes to fup port the charge against me, had I no thought that pleading Guilty to the is dictment gave an indication of contemp ing death, not suitable to my preten! condition, and was in fome measure be ing acceffory to a fecond peril of my life and I likewife thought, that the juftic of my country ought to be fatisfied, b fuffering my offences to be proved, an the fact established by evidence. I ftand here this day the most wretche of human beings, and confefs myself cri minal in a high degree; yet, while I ac knowledge, with fhame and repentance that my determination against my ow life was formal and complete, I proteft with that regard to truth which become my fituation, that the will to deftroy her who was ever dearer to me than life, wa never mine till the very moment of the deed I deplore. Before this dreadful act, I truft no thing will be found in the tenor of my life which the common charity of man kind will not excufe. I have no wish to avoid the punishment which the laws c my country appoint for my crime; bot being already too unhappy to feel a pnnishment in death, or a fatisfaction is life, I fubmit myself with penitence and patience to the difpofal and judgement of Almighty God, and to the confequen ces of this inquiry into my conduct and intentions." To fupport the truth of what the prifoner faid in his defence, one of the letters taken out of his pocket by the conftable was authenticated and read. It was directed, To Frederick Booth, Efq; Craven fireet in the Strand. "My dear Frederick, When this reaches you I fhall be no more; but do not let my unhappy fate Idiftrefs you too much. I have ftrove against it as long as poffible, but it now overpowers me. You well know where my affections were placed; my having by Tome means or other loft her's (an idea which I could not fupport) has driven me to madness. The world will condemn me, but your good heart will pity me. Gad blefs you, my dear Fred. Would had a fum to leave you, to convince you of my great regard! You was my only friend. I have hid one circumftance from you, which gives me great pain: I owe Mr Knight, of Gofport, 100l. for which he has the writings of my houfes; but I hope in God, when they are fold, and all other matters collected, they will be nearly enough to fettle our account, May Almighty God blefs you and yours with comfort and happiness, and may you ever be a flanger to the pangs I now deel! May Heaven protect my beloved woman, and forgive this act, which a love could relieve me from a world of mi. fery I have long endured! Oh! if it should ever be in your power to do her any act of friendflip, remember your faithful friend, J. HACKMAN. Guilty DEATH." Judge Blackftone, in his charge to the jury, faid, that the law did not require a long-formed fcheme to kill a perfon, to come within the crime of murder. If a man fired at A to kill him, but instead of A happened to kill B, the law held it to be murder, because it was in the commiffion of a felonious act firing at A. If the prifoner had in his endeavour to dif patch himself shot himself, it for the like reafon would have been murder. He was forry to say, that the prifoner's cafe bore much stronger against him. He had two pistols about him, which had the appearance of a double defign. As to the plea of infanity, or phrenfy of the moment, which the prifoner called it, it was not every start of paffion, every tumultuous heat of the brain, which could be allowed as an excufe for the crime of murder. There must be a total deprivation of the fenfes, fo that in no action of life he was capable of conducting himself. If the jury could fuppofe the prifoner at the time to be under that influence, they muft acquit him; otherwife it was incumbent on them to find him guilty, regardless of the conte quences. After a short deliberation the jury found guilty. He was fentenced to be hanged on the Monday following; and he was executed accordingly, and his body carried to Surgeons hall for diffection. SCOTLAND. [110.] A party of about fifty highlanders recruited for the 42d and 71ft regiments, were marched to Leith on the 20th of April, to be imbarked on board tranf ports. A report having been spread, that they were to be draughted into the Glafgow regiment, or fome other lowland corps, they refufed to go on board. Upon this, a party of 200 of the South fencibles, under the command of a major, three captains, and fix fubalterns, were ordered to Leith, to carry the mutineers prifoners to Edinburgh caftle if they would not imbark. On their arrival, they found the highlanders drawn up, with fcrewed bayonets, their backs to the wall facing the quay. The Major drew up his men fo as to prevent any of the highlanders efcaping; and, attended by a ferjeant who fpake Erfe, went up to them, ftated to them the pofitive orders he had received, and expoftulated with them on the folly of refiftance. The ferjeant reasoned with them too, and in their own language; but foon turned to the Major, and intreated him to retire, for that they would fire. The Major, upon this, ordered the divifion on the right to prefent, and afterwards recover their arms; which they did. Meanwhile a ferjeant obferving one of the highlanders a tempting to escape, feized him by the collar; upon which the ferjeant received two wounds by a sword or bayonet; another ferjeant of the fencibles was wounded by a musket-flot; then feveral fhot were fired on both fides. Capt. Mansfield was killed by one of the firft fhots. According to one account, Capt. Mansfield was in front, and after fome words, one of the highlanders pushed at him with his bayonet, and miffing his puth, fired his piece, and killed him Ec2 on on the spot. A corporal who stood near, they utterly difclaim having any concern fhot the murderer, and instantly a good in; nor did they publish any pamphlet many fhots were fired. About twelve except one, intitled, A foort view of the highlanders were killed, and above twenty flatules at prefent in force against Popery. wounded; and of the fencibles two pri- [44] vates were killed and one wounded. The fencibles returned to the castle, with twenty-five prifoners, feveral of whom were wounded. Near thirty wounded were fent to the Royal infirmary. A Leith porter and another man were taken up, accused of inciting the mutiny, and of procuring ammunition to the mutineers; and a reward of 501. Sterling was offered by the Sheriff to whoever would difcover by whom the mutineers were improperly furnished with ammunition. A regiment of Sutherland fencibles, lately ordered to be raifed, muttered up wards of 1000 men, exclufive of officers, on the 23d of April, though they began recruiting only on the 15th of March. A letter, dated, Edinburgh, March 31. 1779, of which the following is a copy, has been tranfmitted to fundry boroughs and parishes in Scotland. "The Committee of Correfpondence obferve, in the petition lately prefented to the Honourable the Houte of Commons [133.], in name of the RomanCatholics in Scotland, that they not only crave to be indemnified of the loffes they have sustained by the mobs in Edinburgh and Glafgow, but also that they may be taken under the protection of parliament. The Committee have always avowed, that their fentiments and conduct, in this matter, have not been at all influenced by an illiberal or perfecuting zeal, but a real regard to our dearcât rights, fecured by the prefent happy conftitution of our country and being now apprehenfive, that this claim of parliamentary protection may infer all the purpoies of a repeal of the law against Popery, they think it their duty to communicate their fentiments on this head to their correfpondents, in order that, if they think fit, they may immediately write to their members in parliament thereanent. -We are, &c. [Signed] William Dickjon, P. Ralph Bowie, tit. P. S. In the position mentioned above, and Mr Burze s speech in the Houfe of Commous, the Committee of Correpondence are charged with being the authors of a pamphlet containing the post inberal fentiment. [ror.], which We are favoured with a copy of a disfent, dated, Forres, April 27. 1779, entered by Mr John Cooper, minifter of Glafs, on reading over the minutes of a pro re nata fynod of Moray of Jan. 19. preceding; which, he observed, was called at a feafon of the year, and on fuch fhort notice, as made it inconve nient for members at a diftance to at tend, and impracticable for himself; by which this was the first opportunity he had of declaring his fentiments: and as he neither approved of the calling of that fynod, nor of the fentence pailed, he hoped the prefent meeting would either review the fentence, and expunge it out of their record, or otherwife admit his diffent. Mr Cooper difapproves highly of the opposition made to the repeal of the pes nai ftatutes against Popery; but as his arguments coincide in a good measure with fome of thofe of Princ. Campbell [206.], we must content ourselves with an extract, viz. "Mr Cooper is truly forry, that the late refolve of the fynod of Moray, tho perhaps more moderate than fome thers, does not breathe that spirit of re ligious liberty which he has formerly with great pleasure obferved among them. They have often complained of unconftitutional enlargements of s and he earneftly withed to have fen them fill patronifing freedom of confcience; and if they were to publish re folves, that they fhould have procia m ed the feafe they entertain of the bard hips put on their diffenting brethren in England, where the law, unlets at this time it fhall be repealed, fubjects them to fubfcriptions, notwithstanding ther frequent applications formerly to parlia mant for relief; an impofition that has been fupported by the members of our neighbouring church, not very confit ently with their known principles of liberty. Relief to thefe Mr Cooper would rejoice to obtain; and thould the bill in favour of diffenters be again rejected, he would be happy to fee the judicatures of this church, with becoming decency and firmnefs, fupplicating the King and Par liament in their behalf, whenever a proper opportunity offers." MA Paris, April 2. On the 12th of March Caberine Caillot, wife of a labourer of the age of Champromenceaux, in Burgundy, wafely delivered of three daughters, who, with the mother, are in perfect health." "March 23. On Miltown road, in Ireland, he wife of John Millay, fchoolmafter, was Evered of five children, two boys and three. rs. She carried this uncommon burthen ill the end of the feventh month; and tho' they were ftill-born, each infant was as per fectly formed, and as large, except two of the girls, as if they had came at the proper April 4. The Countess of Warwick, of a April 16. At Edinburgh, Lady Augufta Murray, wife of Sir William Murray of Och knyre, Bt, of a fon, named William. 16. At Edinburgh, Mrs Farquharfon, wife Alexander Farquharton, Liq; of HaughLA. Accountant in Edinburgh, of a fon. 18. Lady Boñon, of a daughter. DEATHS. May 27. 1778. At Calcutta, Eaft Indies, Witham Carmichael of Mauldflie, Elq, March 31. At London, the lady of Lord Vie Hinchinbroke. April 1. At London, William Stanhope, Fark of Harrington, Viscount Petersham, a general of his Majesty's forces, colonel of Read troop of borte grenadier-guards, and comptroller of the customs in the port of DuLin-In 1746, his Lordship married Lady Caroline Fitzroy, daughter of Charles Duke of Grafton, grandfather of the prefent; by whom he hath left iflue, five daughters, and three fons. He is fucceeded by his eldeft ton, Charles Vitcount Peterfliam, member for Westminster, who ferved under Gen. Burgoyne, and is now in England on parole. 4. At Blagdon, Somerfetillite, John Lang, horne, D. D. rector of that parish, and prebendary of Wells. 1. At Ely houfe, Fife, Mr John Smiton, musician in Edinburgh. 2. At London, Lord King. 3. At Sorncastle, Airshire, in the 99th year of her age, the Countefs of Loudon, widow of Hugh Earl of Loudon. 4. At Marchfield, Mrs Edgar, wife of Mr Peter Edgar. 5. At Lambeth, Mrs Amelia Jackfon, aged 107. She had been ill only four days. 6. At London, the Viscountefs-dowager Montague, aged 80 years. 6. At Edinburgh, Mr Thomas Gibson, one of the principal clerks of feffion. 9 At Leith, Capt. James Kyd, of the Wemyss Charteris. 11. At Edinburgh, Mrs Mary Walkingfhaw, fpoule of Mir William Anderson, fur geon. 12. Arnold Nefbit, Efq; member for Cricklade in Wilts. 12. At Guernfey, Lieut. William Sinclair, of Earl Scaforth's regiment. 12. At Balcony, Rof fire, in the 71st year of her age, Mrs Helen Blair, widow of Alexander Mackenzie, Efq; of Inchcoulter. 13. At Bath, Catharine Countefs dowager of Dundonald. She was daughter of Lord Bafil Handiton. 13. In Clerkenwell workhouse, Martha Dickenfon, aged 105 years. 14. At Edinburgh, the Hon John Stuart. 14. At Orchill, David Græme, Efq; of Orchill. 16. At his feat at Hill court, in Glocefter, Sir John Fuft, Bt, the laft of the male line of that ancient Saxon family. He was lineally defcended from John Fuft, the celebrated artift who invented the art of printing. 16. At Edinburgh, Mr John Pillans, biewer in that city. Neat Dublin, Lord St Lawrence. He was flung from a high phacton, and killed on the fpot. His Lordship was the fourth fon of Lord Chancellor King. It is remarkables that all the brothers fucceflively fucceeded to the Barony. 18. At Glafgow, in the 38th year of his miniftry, and 73d of his age, Mr John Haiket, minifter of Fenwick. 19. At Glafgow, Mrs Buchanan, widow of Neil Buchanan, Eiq; merchant in London. 21. At Chelfea, James Samuel Thornton, Eiq; aged 102. 22. At Bath, Col. Alexander Campbell, lieutenant-governor of Fort George. 23. At Chigwell, William Harvey, Efq; member for the county of Ellex. 24. At Marlee, Perthshire, Emilia Murray, Lady Sinclair, wife of James Farquharion, Liq of Invercauld, Her Ladyship was daugh |