prince of Wales on this day waited upon his Majefty at St. James's, and was received in the moft gracious and affectionate manner; on which occafion there was a very fplendid appearance at court of the nobility, foreign minifters, and other perfons of distinction; and in the evening there were bonfires, illuminations, and other public demonftrations of joy, and a guard was immediately ordered to attend his royal highness at Carlton House.

And by the last mail from France, we had an account of their receiving the news of the late change in our administration here with the utmoft confternation. That upon the receipt of this news, his moft Chriftian majefty immediately called an extraordinary council of ftate, wherein it was refolved, to put that kingdom into the best polture of defence, and to purfue the affairs of the marine with the utmost diligence. But what was the moft certain and public proof of this change being disagreeable to the French was, that as foon as it was rumored abroad, their stocks decreased from 2005. to 1965!.

Samuel Sandys, efq. made chancellor and under-treasurer of the Exchequer, in the room of Sir Robert Walpole, now earl of Orford.

The right honourable John lord Carteret made one of his Majefty's principal fecretaries of ftate, in the room of lord Harrington, who was advanced to the dignity of an early and made prefident of the council. Charles Hanbury Williams, efq. made lieutenant of the county of Hereford.

The right honourable Spencer earl of Wilmington, Samuel Sandys, and George Compton, efqrs. Sir John Rufhout, bart. and Philips Gyblin, efq. appointed commiffioners, for executing the office of treafurer of bis Majefty's Exchequer.

The most honourable the marquis of Tweeda'e made one of his Majefty's principal fecretaries of state of Great-Britain.

Gwyn Vaughan, eiq. made a commiffioner of the customs, in the room of Edward Riggs, efq. deceafed.

David Papillon, efq. made commiffioner of excife, in the room of Sir Thomas Robinfon, bart. now governor of Barbadoes.

The earl of Cardigan made warden and chief juftice in Eyre of all his Majesty's forefts, &c. beyond Trent, in the room of the late duke of Ancafter.

His grace John duke of Argyle and Greenqwich, field-marshal of his Majesty's forces, made mafter general of the ordnance.

The right honourable William Pulteney, efq. was, by his Majefty's command, fworn of his Majesty's most honourable privy council, and took his place at the board accordingly.

His royal highnefs the duke of Cumberland made colonel of the firft regiment of foot guards, in the room of Sir Charles Wills,' deceated.

Charles duke of Marlborough, made colc nel of the second or Coldstream regiment of foot guards, in the room of his royal highness the Duke.

His Majefty was alfo pleafed to make the following promotions of general officers in

his army,

Lieutenants general, the earl of Pembroke and James Campbell, efq.

Majors general, the duke of Richmond, John Guife, efq. and the earl of Albemarle.

Brigadiers general, Richard Onflow, Francis Fuller, Henry Pulteney, Charles Howard, Philip Bragg, Jobn Huske, Henry Ponsonby, and Charles Frampton, elqrs.

Vere, efq. made a commiffioner of the falt office.

Robert Ord, efq. member of parliament for Morpeth, appointed fecretary to the chancellor of the Exchequer, in the room of Henry Legg, cfq. member for Orford.

Andrea Mitchell, efq. made under-fecretary to the marquis of Tweedale.

Counsellor Dennifon and counsellor Leeds called to the degree of ferjeants at law in the court of Common-pleas: and Mr. ferjeant Dennifon made one of the judges of the court of King's-bench, in the room of Mr. juftice Page, deceased.

The reverend Nathaniel Blifs, M.A. elected Savilian profeffor of geometry, in the univerfity of Oxford, in the room of Dr. Halley, deceased.

Wiam Lemon, of Truro, in Cornwall, efq. appointed by his royal highnefs the prince of Wales, high fheriff of the faid county.

The immediate confequence of the late revolutions in Mofcovy was, the commencement of a negociation for restoring peace between that empire and Saveden, which foon ended in a fufpenfion of arms for three months; and the French minifter at Petersburgb laboured as affiduously to bring about a reconciliation, as he formerly did to bring about a rupture between these two crowns; a proof that the new government in Ruffia had no inclination to fend any affiftance to the queen of Hungary, though

it is certainly the intereft of that empire to preferve intire the dominions of the house of Auftria, as being her moft natural and beft ally against the Turks.

The trials of the counts Offerman and Munich, baron Mengden, and their confederates, being over, the commiflion established for that purpofe made their report to her Ruffian majefty, which was, that they all deferved death, by the laws of God and man, and by their own confeffions. Accordingly, un the 7th of last month, these three gentlemen, together with count Golafkin, the grand marshal count Lowenwold, and a fecretary, were brought from the citadel, to a place between the colleges, where a scaffold was erected, upon which, about ten o'clock, Count Offerman was carried in a chair; when his charge was read to him, his excellency being all that time bare-headed, and with an attentive but firm countenance liftening to it; after which, his fentence was pronounced, which was, to be broke upon the wheel. No preparations, however, had been made for fo terrible an execution, but inftead thereof, there were two blocks with axes upon them, and he being taken out of the chair, and carried forward by the foldiers, his head was laid on one of the blocks, when the executioner advanced, and unbuttoning the collar of his night-gown and shirt, laid bare his neck; but just as he was expecting the fatal ftroke, his head was raised up, and it was declared to him, that the Emprefs had changed his capital punishment into perpetual banishment, whereupon he was lifted up by the foldiers, and replaced on his chair, without any perceptible change in his countenance during the whole time of this awful ceremony. The other five, who were standing round the fcaffold below, had then their fentences read to them, that of the veldt marshal Munich to be quartered, and the other four beheaded; but at the fame time the change into banishment was declared to each. Thefe laft had all long beards; but the yeldt marhal was clean fhaved, well dreffed, and with as erect, intrepid, and unconcerned a countenance, as when he was leading the victorious armies of Ruffia against the Turks, but a little more than three years before. As another instance of the fudden and great changes in the fortunes of men in this empire, Abrabam Petrovitz Arabaff, a negroe, was lately recalled from the banishment he had been in ever fince Peter II.'s time, and her Ruffian majesty Bot only made him a major general, and

commandant at Revel, but gave him a prefent of an estate and 600 boors about Plef kow; for in Russia the boors are all a fort of flaves, or what the civilians call Adfcriptitii Glebe, being bought and fold with the land to which they belong. This negro was made a prefent of to Peter the Great, by the captain of an Englifh fhip; and in 1717, his Majefty left him at Paris to learn mathematics and engineering; and upon his return made him firft a lieutenant in his guards, and then a captain of bombar. diers.

Mar. 3. This day the centre arch of the new bridge at Westminster was finished, upon which occafion ftreamers were placed upon it, and feveral of the commiffioners and other perfons of note came to view it.

Mar. 5. A fire broke out at Southam in Warwickshire, which, in a few hours, confumed pear forty houfes, together with out houfes, barns, ftables, and ricks of corn; by which means many poor families were reduced to the utmost extremity.

Several of our merchant ships were taken about this time by the Spanish privateers, and carried, fome into Bilboa, fome to Vigo, and others to St. Sebaftian's.

There were extraordinary rejoicings at most of the taverns about the Exchange, and elsewhere, among the merchants, on account of the great regard had to their petition in parliament, and the vigorous refolutions taken for the better protection of their trade and commerce for the future.

Pursuant to a late refolution, a number of the smallest men of war were appointed to cruize in the channel, and about the coafts, to protect our merchant-fhips from the infults of the Spanish privateers.

Mar. 9. Lord Limerick moved in the House of Commons, and was feconded by Sir John St. Aubin, that a fecret committee may be appointed to examine into the conduct of affairs for twenty years paft, which was rejected, noes 244, ayes 242. The duke of Argyle refigned all his employments.

Mar. 11. A great number of the members of both houfes met at the Fountain tavern in the Strand, as they had done feveral times, to confult about matters of the greatest importance in the prefent crifis of affairs.

Mar. 16. His Majefty went to the Houfe of Peers, and gave the royal affent to an act for granting his Majefty 1,000,000l. out of the finking fund, towards the fupply for the year 1742.

An act for punishing mutiny and defer

8

tion, and for the better payment of the army and their quarters;

And to ten private bills.

Mar. 18. Was held a general court of the Bank of England, for the purpofe of declaring a dividend, and other special affairs; and a dividend of two three-fourths per cent. for intereft and profits for the half year ending at Lady-day next was proposed, and unanimoufly agreed to. The court then took into confideration the applying to Parliament for a prolongation of their charter, and it being intimated that the fum of 1,600,000l. was expected for an increase of twenty-one years to their prefent term, (which exifts till August 1743) upon the queftion being put, the court agreed to advance the fum, and propofals to Parliament agreeable thereto were read and agreed to. By this propofal, an annuity of fix per cent. on 1,600,000l. formerly lent the government, in king William's reign, was reduced to three per cent. as the nation was to have 3,200,cool. till the year 1764, for an annuity of 100,000l. per annum, which includes 4000l. per annum, allowed the bank for the charge of management.

Mar. 25. The lords read a fecond time and rejected the penfion bill, as they had done formerly.

Content 39 Proxies 7

Not content 65 Proxies II

Mar. 26. The committee of enquiry was ballotted for in the House of Commons, and the fcrutiny not concluded till three o'clock next day in the afternoon.

Lord James Cavendish, member for Derby, made auditor of the revenues in Ireland, in the room of lord Nalau Pawlet, deceased.

The duke of Ancafter, appointed lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire.

The earl of Derby, lord lieutenant of Lancashire.

Captain Bing, of the Sutherland man of war, governor of Newfoundland.

Daniel earl of Winchelsea, John Cockburne, efq. lord Archibald Hamilton, Charles lord Baltimore, Philip Cavendish, elq. George Lee, L. L. D. and John Trevor, efq. lords of the Admiralty, in the room of Sir Charles Wager, lord viscount Glenorchy, lord Vere Beauclerk, lord Harry Powlett, Sir Thomas Frankland, John Campbell, and Edward Thompfen, efqrs.

John earl of Stair, appointed field-mar

fhal of his Majesty's forces, and ambafladorplenipotentiary to the States General.

Charles Crawley, an eminent merchant at Meina, appointed the Turkey Company's conful at Smyrna, in the room of Thomas Carlton, efq. deceased.

The duke of Montague, made mafter-general of the ordnance.

The earl of Hertford, made colonel of his Majesty's royal regiment of horfe-guards, blue. Both reinftated on the refignation of the duke of Argyle. The earl was likewife made governor of the island of Guernsey and caftle of Cornet, in the room of the marquis of Montandre, deceased.

Sir Charles Wager, vice-admiral of England, in the room of Sir John Norris. Philip Cavendish, admiral of the white. Join Balchen, admiral of the blue. Commodore Matthews, vice-admiral of the red.

Edward Vernon, vice-admiral of the white.

Nicholas Haddock, vice-admiral of the blue.

Sir Chaloner Ogle, rear-admiral of the

red.

Commodore Leftock, rear-admiral of the white.

Sir Charles Hardy, rear-admiral of the blue.

Commodore Brown, commiffioner of Chat bam dock, in the room of commodore Mattherus.

Mr. Everard Sayer, appointed by the lords of the Admiralty, their procuratorgeneral.

Colonel Knight, by the directors of the Eaft-India company, governor of the feven forts on the coast of Bengal.

Captain Bateman of the first troop of guards, gentleman-ufher to the princeffes Amelia and Caroline, in the room of Mr. Herault, deceased.

William Strahan, L. L. D. advocate to the lords of the Admiralty, in the room of Sir Edmond Ifham, who refigned.

Captain Thomas Chanley, of Mile-End, elected as elder brother of the Trinityhouse.

Apr. 1. Mr. Chancellor of the Exche quer prefented to the House of Commons the following meflage from his Majesty.

nimity, expreffed their concern for the fupport of the houfe of Auftria, and for reftoring the balance of power in Europe; and as the late events, in favour of the queen of Hungary, afford a reasonable profpect of fuccefs; his Majefty makes no doubt but this Houfe will, readily grant him fuch a fupply, as may enable him to concert proper measures, and form fuch alliances with other powers, as may be neceffary for attaining thefe defirable ends, which they have in fo particular a manner recommended to him.

Apr. 2. Lord Cartaret prefented the following meflage from his Majefty to the Houfe of Lords.

GEORGE R.

His Majefty received with the greatest fatisfaction the affurances given him by this House, at the beginning of this feffion, of the just fenfe they have of the dangerous fituation of affairs in Europe, arifing from defigns and enterprizes carrying on for the fubversion of the houfe of Auftria, and of their zeal and earnestness in promoting all juft and neceffary measures for the maintenance of the balance of power, and for the affiftance of his allies. His Majesty firmly depends on their unalterable perfeverance in the fame fentiments; and as the late events in favour of the queen of Ilungary afford a reasonable profpect of fuccefs, he makes no doubt, but that he fhall have the ready concurrence and fupport of this Houle, in concerting fuch measures, and ferming fuch alliances, with other powers, as may be most effectual for the prefervation of the houfe of Auftria, and for reftoring the balance of power in Europe.

April 3. The earl of Stair, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the States General, embarked this day for Holland.

The right hon. the lord Limerick, memhr of parliament for Tavistock, was chofen chairman of the committee for inquiring into the conduct of the earl of Orford for ten years paft.

Lord Limerick acquainted the House, that the folicitor of the treasury, having been examined upon oath, did refuse to answer the queftions put to him by the committee; and it was moved, that he be committed to the cuftody of the ferjeant at arms, and debarred the use of paper, pen and ink. On this motion a warm debate arofe. On one fide it was urged, that except the Houfe was made acquainted with

the questions that had been propofed, it was impoffible to judge whether they had been properly put or not, and therefore they could not judge of the offence, for it was poffible that the queftions were of fuch a nature as might involve himself, and no man was obliged to turn his own accufer.

On the other fide it was argued, that if the House was to be made acquainted with every question that the committee might, in the course of their enquiry, propofe, it was no longer a felect committee, that its defign was loft, and that as nothing was more ordinary than to examine and confine a man by a warrant from a fingle fecretary of state, fo it was not to be prefumed that twenty-one gentlemen, whom the Commons of Great-Britain had repofed fo much confidence in, would have less difcretion, or propofe any thing improper. On a divifion it was carried, yeas 196, noes 136, majority 61. As he perfifted in his obftinacy, it was moved on the 14th, that he be committed to clofe confinement, in Newgate, which motion was carried, yeas 180, noes 128; majority 52. He was accufed of being profufe of the public money, beyond example; and, of this, we are furnished with fuch glaring proofs, as cannot be aggravated on one hand, nor palliated on the other.

For example, we have the particulars of disbursements amounting to 50,0771. 175. 10d. (of which no less than 10,9971. 65. 8d. was paid within four years only, to the celebrated Francis Walfingham, eiq.) being the ten years ftanding charge of Gazetteers; and a lump of 127,532/. 16s. 6d. more, under the head of bounties, to the faid ingenious, and no lefs ferviceable perfons.

We find one item of 30,119. 45. to a noble earl, for which no fervice at all is specified; though it is understood to fignify a complication.

We find another to a noble duke, of 7000l. which, through their excefs of candor and charity, our readers may account for as they please.

We find a third of 1500/. iffued to the high bailiff of Westminster, notwithstanding he was then in cuftody of the ferjeant at arms, for having acted at the general election in an illegal and arbitrary manner, in prejudice of the rights and liberties of the electors of the faid city, and in manifeft violation of the freedom of elections.

We find, moreover, that, two days before he refigned, viz. February 9th, 17,461/

was