regular adminiftration of the government, in cafe his fucceffor fhould be under the age of eighteen years, until fuch fucceffor fhall attain that age; his Majefty thinks fit to propofe to their confideration, that, for the affittance of fuch perfon as fhall be appointed regent of the kingdom during that time, a council may be conftituted, with fuch particular powers only as fhall appear to be reasonable and expedient; and that his Majesty's most dear fon William duke of Cumberland, the archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor, or keeper of the great feal of Great-Britain, the treasurer of Great-Britain, or first commiffioner of the treasury, the prefident of the council, the keeper of the privy feal, the high admiral of Great Britain, or first commiflioner of the Admiralty, the principal fecretaries of state, and the chief juftice of the King's-bench, for the time being, may be members of fuch council,"

The fociety of the Free British fishery, with their officers, went from Mercers hall to Leicester houfe, where his Royal Highness accepted of being their governor, and they all had the honour of kiffing his Royal Highness's hand.

The fpeech addrefied to his Royal Highnefs was as follows:

"May it pleafe your Royal Highness, "The prefident, vice-prefident, council and fociety of the Free British fishery, encouraged by his Majefty's royal approbation, humbly approach your Royal Highnefs, to intreat your favourable acceptance of being their governor, an honour condefcended to by your illuftrious and much lamented father, whole princely virtues were eminently confpicuous, by his conftant attention to, and his generous concern for the welfare of this kingdom, and the profperity of its commerce. As we confidered the fuccefs of this national undertaking, from which the most lafting advantages are expected, to have depended greatly upon his gracious protection, we cannot but hope for the fame benefits from the influence of your Royal Highness, the inheritor of all his virtues; and therefore, Sir, we beseech you to take this fifhery under your protection, which will add new vigour to our endeavours, and prove the most auspicious omen of its fuccefs."

To which his Royal Highness returned the following moft gracious aufwer.

« Gentlemen,

"I return you my thanks for this mark

of your duty to the King, and of your regard for me. You may be affured, I shall always be glad to contribute every thing in my power to the fuccefs of your laudable attempts for extending the commerce of his Majesty's fubjects."

May 13. Was celebrated at Wentworth house, Yorkshire, the birth day of the marquis of Rockingham, then come of age; the entertainment, among other things, confifted of 110 dishes of roast beef, 70 pies, 55 dishes of mutton, 48 hams, 55 difhes of lamb, 70 dishes of veal, 40 dishes of chickens, and 104 dishes of fish; the liquors drank were 13 hog heads of ale, 20 of strong beer, 8 of punch, and 4 of wine. 8 hog fheads of strong beer were drank the day following, and 40 loads of wheat baked into bread and pies; there were above 10,000 guests, 3000 of whom were enter tained in the house; and the beer was brewed in 1730.

May 16. His Majefty removed from St, James's to Kerfington for the fummer.

1

May 19. O Thursday laft a veffel hired by Charles-Town, South Carolina, failed for New York, with the honourable William Bull, junior, efq. accompanied by several head men of the Indians. They were to meet fix northern nations at Albany fome: time in June, where commiffioners from all the British colonies on the continent were appointed to be at the fame time, in order to fettle a general and lafting peace. The money raised for the current fervice of the year 1751 in Carolina was 39,441!.

May 20. At Pontefract, Yorkiire, by a violent shower of rain, many cellars were almoft filled with water; a collection of waters at the meeting of two floping streets in the market place, overflowed, and taking their courfe down a narrow lane, bore down fome ftrong garden walls, and did incredible damage; the cut from the river that turns the mill, being filled with the flood from the hills defcending into the mill dam, drove down part of the mill, and what was moft furprizing, carried one of the mill ftones the diftance of fifteen yards; the rain which lafted about four hours, was preceded by a terrible ftorm of hail, which was of a very extraordinary fize, and attended with loud claps of thunder and light.

ning.

May 22. His Majefty went to the House of Peers, and gave the royal affent to

A bill for providing for the administration of the government in cafe it fhould defcend to any of the children of his late royal

highness the prince of Wales under the age | of eighteen, and appointing a guardianship for the care of their perfons.*

A bill for regulating of trials by juries.

A bill for reducing the intereft on the capital ftock of the South Sea company, and providing against frauds in the officers and fervants of that company.

A bill for the relief of the annuitants of the mercers company.

A bill to indemnify juftices of the peace and conftables in the due execution of their office, and preventing any vexatious and litigious law fuits.

A bill for the more eafy recovery of small debts in the city of Lincoln, and the county of that name.

A bill for correcting the style, and regulating the calender now in ufe.

A bill for paving, enlightening, and adorning Golden-fquare.

A bill for the preservation of the game in Scotland.

A bill for enlightening, and better watching the open streets in the parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green.

A bill for encouraging hempen and linen manufactures in the kingdom of Scotland.

An act for the better regulating the river Avon, running through the counties of Warwick, Worcester, and Gloucester, and fettling the rates of water carriage.

A bill for vefting a certain term of years in Michael Menzies, efq. and his heirs, &c. the fole property of a machine, by him invented, for conveying coals from whence they are dug to the keels, &c.

A bill for the building a bridge over the river Ribble, near Prefton, in the county of Lancaster.

A bill for rebuilding flington church.

A bill for vefting the effects left by will by John Mitchel, efq. for the advantages of Queen's college, Oxford.

A bill for the naturalization of count Stephen Laurentius Neole.

The Wendover, York, Durham, Lancaster, and Manchefter road bills;

And to feventeen private bills.

May 24. Being the birth-day of his royal highness George prince of Wales, was obferved with great marks of loyalty and affection. This day is remarkable for

giving birth in 1650, to the ever victorious John duke of Marlborough. May 31. A memorial was lately prefented to his grace the duke of Bedford, one of his Majefty's principal fecretaries of ftate, by his excellency the French ambasfador, complaining of an attack made by an English man of war on the new factory which the fubjects of his most Christian majesty had established fince the great peace at Albreda, on the river Gambia; and demanding ample fatisfaction for this infult on the first fort, which his nation had ever built on the caft of Guinea. This memorial was referred to the lords of the Admiralty, in order to obtain the neceffary informations relative to an affair of fuch importance.

Commodore Rodney was commiffioned to go in queft of an island, which, according to the report of the mafter of a ship, and fome others, on examination before the lords of the Admiralty, lies about fifty degrees north, and about 300 leagues weft of England. Captain Murdock Mackenzie, an excellent mathematician, and author of the fea charts of the Orkney and Lewis Iflands, attended him in the Culloden floop, to bring back an account of what difcoveries he might make. As this inland lies out of the track of the trade to America, it was fuppofed to have been miffed by navigators to our colonies, though marked in fome Dutch maps.

The feafon was very cold, and wet, for moft part of this month, the corn in the ground being much damaged in many places by the rain, and above 600,000 acres were computed to remain unfowed; cattle alfo, especially the woolly kind, fuffered greatly by the inclemency of the weather; one farmer, particularly, in Suffex, loft 400 lambs by cold dews.

The great rains made land carriage fo dear, that the poor and working people were greatly diftreffed, by the high price of coals, which, in the wet feafon, at Derby rofe from 4d. to 8d. per hundred; at Rugly, Warwickshire, from 8d. to 14d; at Northampton from 10d. to 18d. and in proportion at other inland places.

Perfons nominated for fherifts; Allen Evans and John Torriano, efqrs. merchant taylors; Thomas Corbet, efq. grocer; Jokn

Payne,

Payne, efq. haberdasher; Robert Carey, efq. Virginia merchant; Mr. Kent, fishmonger, Temple-bar; Jofeph Dash, efq.

Paid fines, Rob. Carey, efq. and Mr. Kent. The infection among the horned cattle raging in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Weftmoreland, the juftices of the peace of the neighbouring county of Cumberland at their quarter feffions ordered the roads to be trictly guarded for preventing the introduction of cattle, hides, carcaffes, or tallow from any adjacent English county. The diftemper broke out alfo in the counties of Wilts and Oxford, which alarmed the juftices of the counties of Glocefter, Hereford, and Monmouth; and the juffices of Somerfetfire forbid the bringing of cattle from Wales, Wiltfbire, and Gloceftershire, on advice that the distemper spread into those part. In Cheshire they loft 30,000 cows fince October laft.

The laft accounts from Philadelphia adwife, that within twelve months 4317 Germans from Holland, and 1000 paffengers and fervants from England and Ireland, had arrived there.

By a bill depending in Parliament, the number of horfes drawing in carriage waggons, &c. was limited under a very heavy toll, which amounted almost to a prohibition, to four; and the commiffioners of turnpikes within thirty miles of London, where the toll amounts to 150l. per annum, were compelled to erect a crane or engine for weighing every waggon that paffed, and were to levy 20s. for every one hundred weight, any carriage that travels for hire fhall weigh above fixty hundred weight, to be levied without abatement.

The King was pleafed to grant unto Robert Palmer, efq. the office of clerk of the naval, or navy office, of York river, in his Majefty's colony and dominion of Virginia in America, in the room of John Conraud, efq. deceased.

The King was pleased to appoint Francis Aifkell, gent. to be his Majefty's conful at Malaga, in the room of James Lambert,

deceased.

The earls of Hertford and Harcourt, were appointed lords of the bedchamber.

The countess of Middlesex, mistress of the robes.

Dr. Philip du Val, phyfician in ordinary. James Douglas, efq. chief clerk of the green cloth to her royal highnefs the princess dowager of Wales.

The earl of Middlefex, cofferer to the princess of Wales's houthold.

John Selawyn, efq. treasurer.

John Selwyn, jun. and George Auguftiné Selwyn, efqrs. grooms of the bedchamber. William Barker, efq. a clerk to ditto. Mafter Stanhope, mafter Darcy, and Thomas Prichard. efq. pages of honour to ditto.

Mr. May, a clerk of the treasury.
Glaffier, page extraordinary to

the duke of Cumberland.
Mafter Evelyn Meadores, page to ditto.
Richard Conway, efq. a page of the cham
ber.

Claudius Amyand, efq. deputy fecretary under the duke of Newcastle.

Thomas Harrison, efq. chamberlain of London, receiver-general of the land-tax for London, Westminster, and Middlesex, for 1751.

Sir John Ligonier, lieutenant-general of the ordnance, till a mafter general be appointed.

Lord Burleigh, lord lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum for Rutlandfire.

Francis William Drake, governor of Newfoundland.

Thomas Dring, efq. keeper of the council chamber.

·Fletcher, pursuivant at arms and

Rouge Croix.

The duke of Cumberland, chancellor of Trinity college, Dublin, in the room of the late prince of Wales.

The right honourable Simon, earl of Har court, was by his Majefty's command, fworn of the privy council, and took his place at the board accordingly.

The king was pleafed to appoint the right honourable George William, earl of Coventry, to be lord lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the city and county of Worcefter,

of

June 1. Came advice that a store-ship 900 tons from France, was arrived at Louifburgh with 100 pieces of cannon from twelve to forty-two pounders, and a large quantity of warlike ftores; that they had almoft compleated a large mine between the weft and fouth gates, and had formed a plan for erecting a strong fortification on the light-house point.

June 2. The prince of Wales and prince Edward, went for the first time in their equipages to Kenfington; the footmen of his Highnefs in the livery of the late prince, and prince Edward in crimfon, turned up with green; when they attended his Majefty to the chapel, and heard a fermon by Dr. Shuckford.

Jane

June 3. Was an order of Admiralty for fhipping off from Woolwich, on board the Garland noop, and a tranfport, a large quantity of warlike ftores for Nova Scotia.

June 5. A fire happened at Amesbury, Wilts, which confumed thirty-two houses. Damage computed at 10,000l.

The high conftable of Westminster went about 12 o'clock to a private masquerade near Exeter Change, where several idle perfons of both fexes were affembled, most of whom were apprehended and carried before justice Fielding, who fat up all night to examine them; and several of them being found to be perfons of diftinction under twenty, the Juftice, not thinking proper to expose them, after a fevere reprimand, difmiffed them all.

June 6. The honourable Eaft-India

company came to a resolution to take into their fervice fourteen fhips for the present year, and contracted for cloth of the British woollen manufacture to the amount of 150,000!.

June 8. This day his Majesty was pleased to order the Garter of his late royal highnefs the prince of Wales, to be prefented to prince Edward. The vacant garters of the dukes of Richmond, and Montague, were to be prefented to the duke of Somerfet, and earl of Lincoln.

June 12. At a trial of cannon on Putney common, a piece of fix pounds bore, under 400l. weight, of a metal made at the new foundery at Chelsea, fired 300 fhot running, with a pound and a quarter of powder each charge, in little more than three hours, remaining good in all refpects: alfo a mortar of the fame metal fired four bombs in a minute and three feconds, whereas those hitherto in ufe did not exceed four bombs in a quarter of an hour.

June 13. The House of Commons refolved that notice be given that the annuities payable at the Exchequer, after the rate of 81. 10s. per cent. per ann. and which, by an act of the 7th year of his prefent Majefty were charged on the additional duties on ftampt vellum, parchment, and paper, was to be redeemed and paid off October 10, 1751, agreeable to the power of redemption in the faid act.

The court of directors of the Eaft India Company gave public notice, that on December 31, 1751, they fhould pay and difcharge all principal money and intereft that shall be then due on fuch East India bonds, as carried an intereft of 3 per cent. per ann. from March 41, 1750, and were not brought VOL. III.

in and marked as confenting to the terms and refolutions of the general court of the company, of April 25, 1750. After which December 31, 1751, all intereft on the said bonds should ceafe.

June 14. Mr. O' Roke, who was indicted for fending challenges to two members of Parliament, received judgment at the King's Bench, to pay a fine of 135. 4d. to be imprifoned for three years, and give security for his good behaviour for feven years, himfelf bound in a bond of 100l. and two fureties in gol. each.

June 15. Was tried at Woolwich, be fore Sir John Ligonier and the reft of the board of ordinance, one of his Majesty's fix pounder brafs cannon, out of which were fired 300 hot in three hours twentytwo minutes, after which the gun was fearched, and found to be as good as before the trial.

The King was pleafed to grant unto Henry Shelley, and Michael Warden, efqrs. and the furvivor of them, the office, or offices, of auditor of all and fingular his Majefty's revenues within the counties of Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, and Chefter and alfo of auditor of the accompts of the money arifing by writs of covenant, and writs of entry in the alienation office.

June 17. His Majefty in council was this day pleased to appoint the right hon. John earl of Granville, lord prefident of his Majefty's moft honourable privy council, and his Lordship took his place accordingly.

June 19. In the spring at Charles Toron, Carolina, was dry weather, which produced abundance as well as great variety of worms and caterpillars. They had no rain from the middle of January to the 28th of April, when a fine fhower fell. Some of the worms marched in bodies and feparated, as has been faid the locufts do, and were like grubs. One kind of caterpillars ftripped the trees quite bare of every leaf, leaving only the holly and reeds untouched; thefe were large, hairy, and black, with red ftreaks the other eat every thing on the ground. The dry weather enabled the planters to cultivate a great many fwamps and low lands that never were planted before, with rice; whence, and from the fuitable weather fucceeding, they cultivated above 120,000 barrels of rice for the foreign market. Some thoufand barrels of laft year's crop were not fhipped. An act for the better regulating the town was car ried into execution with fome fpirit; there were feveral streets levelled and filled up, N and