cloth from James Telfer merchant, a two fhillings and fixpence, likew with a one pound note, and receiving the balance. The prifoners being ap prehended the fame evening, the g of December, the witneffes delivers the notes to the Magiftratés of Ay and they were marked and fealed their prefence. The notes were pr duced in Court, and they were fwa to by the witneffes, fome of wh pointed out the pannels as the perfor from whom they received them. T had no other Bank of England st in their poffeffion. After the profon were taken into cuftody, a fearch made in the room where they lodge and there were found fix two pos and fix one pound notes. On a fees fearch, twenty-four one pound were found on the top of the bed, filled up. Thefe were all produc marked by Thomas M'Clelland, E one of the Bailies of Ayr, andi des by him, the Procurator Fifcal, Town Clerk. The Jury were inclos about five o'clock on Friday mom and at two afternoon returned a ve finding the prifoners guilty, a&tor art and part, of five of the acts chu ed in the indictment, the fixth hi been paffed from by the profeca They were fentenced to be hange the common place of execution Wednesday the 29th of April After receiving fente nee, M'Neill a nuously declared his innocence. 1 trial continued nineteen hours, the Court was much crowded al the whole of the time.

High Court of Justiciary. March 19 This day came on the trial of John M'Neal, or M'Neill, and Michael O'Neill, indicted for fraudently and feloniously using, uttering, or vending, or cauling to be uted, uttered, or vended, forged or counterfeited notes, in imitation of thofe iffued by the Bank of England, of one pound and two pounds Sterling each, knowing the fame to be forged and counterfeited. The pannels pleaded not guilty. It appeared from the evidence, that the pannels, who are both natives of Ireland, came to Glafgow on the 8th of December laft; and having got acquainted with James Dougherty, weaver in Calton of Glagow, who is Ekewife a native of IreTand, they informed him they were English merchants, from whence they had just come, for the purpose of buying fore foft goods; that they accordingly purchased from Dougherty eleven pieces of muflin, in part payment of which they gave him four one pound notes of the Bank of England, which Dougherty foon after changed. The prifoners afterwards went to Ayr, and took lodgings in the houfe of fames Anderfon, innkeeper in the Townhead; and on the 13th of December, being recommended to John Caffedy, weaver in Ayr, alfo an Irishman, he carried thein to the thop of John Richmond, tailor in Ayr, where O'Neill purchased a waif coat for twelve ihillings, giving a Bank of England one pound note as payment, and receiving the balance; that M'Neill returned to Richmond's fhop in the afternoon, and purchased a waistcoat, offering in payment another Bank of England onė pound note; Lut Richmond, thinking they came rather too fall upon him, refufed to take it, and M'Neill gave him two five billing notes and one fhilling in filver, the price being cleven fhillings; that Caffecty, for the prifoners, purchated another wailtcoat of Janet Gibb, fpoute of John Gibb, tai lor in Ayr, at ten thillings and fixpence, giving in payment another one pound note of the Bank of England, and receiving the balance. The prifoners afterwards, in company with Caffedy, purchased a pair of boots from David Gregg, fhoemaker in Ayr, at one pound three thillings, paying for the fame with another one pound note and three thillings in filver; and a remnant of

The Circuits are delayed till next mea

1 Sunday the 16th, the thermometer noon food at 70 in the thade. here has been little rain, and the eather continued fine to the end the month. The Corn Markets ive experienced a gradual fali during e month. The Butcher Market raer up. Beft beef towards the end April was 8d. and 9d. per lb. ft veal 7d. and 8d. mutton 9d. id rod. lamb fcarce and dear, from to 6s. per quarter. Vegetables Ive been unusually plentiful, and at afonable prices.

A

The herring fishery was given up in e Frith of Forth on the 1ft inft. nce that time our market has been undantly fupplied with other kinds f fish-cod, haddocks, whitings, turot, fkate, and flounders, as well as hell fifa, at reasonable rates, confiderg the price of other provifions. out the latter end of April 1799, freih errings were felling at 10 and 12 a nay. During the last fishing feafon hey have been kept up fo high as jur a penny, on an average, owing to e great demand from England, for be fupply of the poor there.

By the English report we are inormed that the weather has been conantly favourable for every purpofe of griculture; much barley has of courfe een put into the ground, which was robably feldom or ever better preared for its reception. The wheats ve are informed "throughout the kingdom never could appear finer han they do at this time; and the pring feed corn never went better nto the ground than it has done this eafon." The average price of wheat hroughout England and Wales, is 50s. 6d. per quarter; of rye, 110s. d.; of barley, 87s. 9d.; of oats, 445. ird.; beaus, 743. IId. Such, we are farther told, has been the unequalled fineness of the featon, that the cattle have feldom been houfed during the winter, the herbage being fo abundant, that the farmers have not exhausted more than one third of an average quantity of hay and fodder; vegetables for the ufe of man have likewife been abundant, though perhaps not fairly brought to market; any degree of the rot among the theep is unknown; and other kinds of cattle have fed well, and been uncommonly healthy; indeed, fo genial has the feafon been towards the animal tribe, that their increase is al

FIARS-CROP 1800. Mid Lothian.

At Doriet Houfe, Lord Whitworth, to the Duchefs of Dorfet.

13. At Edinburgh, Andrew McFarlane, Efq; of Blanairn, to Mifs Eliza Hartley, daughter of the deceated George Harland Hartley, Elq.

Janies Hay of Drum, Efq; to the Right Hon. Lady Mary Ramfay, youngest daugh ter of the late Earl of Dalhousie.

27. At Pittillock, Mr Horfbrugh, of Cupar, to Mifs Makgili, eldest daughter of the late George Makgill, Efq; of Kemback. BIRTHS.

Marchionefs of Bath, a daughter.
March 31. Mrs Scott of Sinton a fon.
April 3 Mrs Cunningham of Craigends,
a fon and daughter.

5. Lady M'Kenzie, Gairloch, a fon.
22. At Lochmaben, Mrs Captain brown

a fon.

DEATHS.

At Spanir Town, Jamaica, Robert Sinclair, Eiq; attorney at law, fon of the late Robert Manfon Sinclair of Bridge-end.

At fame place, Lieutenant Colonel James Grant, of the 46th regiment of foot.

At Lifbon, the Hon. John David Colyear, fon of the Earl of Portmore.

March 25. At Dalmellington, Major William M'Myne, late of the 58th regi

ment.

28. At Path head, Fifeshire, Mr James Thomson, minifter of the Antiburgher congregation there.

April 1. At Dundee, Mr Thomas Smart, architect.

2. At the manfe of Daviot, the Rev. Mr Alexander Gordon, minifter of the gofpel.

6. At Leith, Mr John Hunter, merchant.

gow.

Alex. Kinloch, wright in Aberdeen 23. David Auchinvole & Co. manuf turers in Glasgow.

April 6. Patrick M'Micken, cattle dal er in Beoch.

John Dalzell & Co. cotton (pitnes in Glasgow.

--

9. James Finlater, wright in Pailley. James Robertion grocer in Perth 16. Wm Shaw & Co. manufacturers Glasgow.

17. Alexander Small & Co. tanners is Anstruther.

gow.

Wm Smith & Co. hofiers in Gla

was held to be the chief requifite in

the lives of fuch as were eminent in station or usefulness. Great literary characters generally find biographers, who, to display their accutenefs incriticism or pay a tribute to an admired author, publish a large volume for the amufement of the public.

But though not important to literature, the lives of men of abilities and eminence should not be allowed to fink into oblivion; they are interesting to their countrymen at large, and may prove ufeful as an example to others. The imperfect sketch we are now to prefent is of one who was highly ufeful to the community, of one who, by his own merit, rofe to fill one of the most important stations in the country.

ROBERT M'QUEEN was the eldeft fon of John M'Queen of Braxfield, in the county of Lanark. His mother was a daughter of John Hamilton, Efq; of Gilkerfcluegh, in the fame county. Mr M Queen was born upon the 4th day of May 1722, and received the early part of his education at the grammar fchool of Lanark, his father's house and property of Braxfield being within a little of that town. The grammar fchool of Lanark was then in confiderable repute. The matter's name was Thomfon, a relation of the poet's, and married to his fifter, At this period, claffical literature VOL. LXIII,

of law, divinity, or phyfic. Moral and experimental philofophy had not arrived at that pitch of perfection in Scotland, to entitle them to claim much notice from the student of law. The Latin language, however, was taught at molt country fchools with much affiduity, fkill, and fuccefs. Mr M'Queen was endowed by nature with a retentive, as well as comprehenfive memory, the chief requifites for acquiing the knowledge of a dead language; he, therefore, was early noticed by his mafter, and marked by him as worthy of the highett rank among his cotemporaries, being frequently at the top, or, as it is termed, dux of the fchool.

His father's fortune was but fcanty, and his family was numerous, confifling of feven children. After having finifhed his grammar fchool education at Lanark, Mr M Queen was fent Edinburgh to attend the courfe of the univerfity, with the view of being bred to the profeffion of a writer to the fignet. He was accordingly bound apprentice to Mr Thomas Gouldie, writer to the fignet, an able and eminent practitioner, with whom he ferved out his apprenticeship. -Hence it is underitood that Mr M'Queen first began to perceive, and to appreciate, the beauty and fyftematic order and arrangement Tt

of

of the feudal law; a branch of profeffional knowledge in which he was far fuperior to any lawyer of

his time.

By fuperintending the management of proceffes before the fupreme court, towards the end of his apprenticeship, Mr M'Queen's mind began to develope. In preparing the information for counfel, he had an opportunity of trying his own ftrength. Becoming confcious of his own powers, and of his knowledge in his profeffion, Mr M'Queen foon bent his mind to the bar; he refolved to enter advocate, and try his fortune as a pleader before the fupreme courts of his country. With this view, he became a most affidu ous ftudent of the civil, as well as of the feudal law; in both which he acquired a knowledge and proficiency that gave him a readiness in practice, and clearness in judging, which were always confpicuous in Mr M'Queen, both while at the bar, as a pleader, and upon the bench. It may be here remarked, that the Scotch law has, in a peculiar manner, adopted the Roman Jaw in the regulations refpecting moveable property; and, where not already fixed, our judges have always recourfe to the principles of the civil code*. 1o become an intelligent lawyer, therefore, it is indifpenfably neceffary, to be a good civilian. With regard to heritable property, it is chiefly regulated by the feudal law. With the ufages and inftitutions of thofe dark ages, the Scotch lawyer behoves alfo to

*This is confidered by gentlemen of the law, on the other fide of the Tweed, as a defect, giving, fay they, too great a latitude to judges, and thereby introducing a loofenels in their decifions. Lord Loughborough and Lord Mansfield, we have heard, were both blamed for grounding their opinions fo much on the civil law, thus thaking the precision of the English law

be well acquainted, however irk. fome and uncouth the task may be. From these two fources, the prai tioner at the Scotch bar, must derive that knowledge on which he is to build his hopes of fuccefs, and from which he is to derive fame and diftinction.

After going through the usual trials, Mr M Queen was called to the bar upon the 11th February 1744, being then in the 22d year of his age. At this period, feveral very eminent lawyers were at th bar; it was therefore no eafy mat ter for a young man to acquire no tice, even with fuperior abilities. It is true, that in many cafes, fitua tion and circumstances call forth abilities; it frequently happens however, at the Scotch bar, that gen tlemen of firft rate abilities, and great talents, have trod the boards of the parliament houfe for many years, without having an opportu nity of difplaying their talents, by being called to plead one caufe of confequence. Of this we could mention feveral inftances, and many fuch will occur to our readers, who have had the opportunity of obferv. ing the practice of that court. For tunately however, for Mr McQueen, an opportunity foon offered, the most defirable that could occur, for difplaying his knowledge as a feudalift. Many families of firft rank in the country had unluckily been concerned in the rebellion. Several years after the 1745, when the coun try became fettled and quiet, a number of questions occurred before the Court of Seffion, regarding the confequences of thefe forfeitures. Mr M Queen's abilities pointed him out as a fit perfon to be employed in thefe law fuits; and he was retained as counsel on the part of the crown; here he found a field for the full dif

play of his knowledge and ability as a feudal lawyer. His appearances

attracted