this country to cement a friendly intercourse with the two nations by making a treaty of commerce, and by that means to obliterate the traces of former enmity. This you could not behold with fatisfaction, and therefore, as far as in you lay, you have endeavoured to rekindle animofities between the two nations, by personal abuse on the fovereign of one of them. You have fuppofed the queen to be the head of a party, who had conducted themselves op preffively and tyrannically towards Count Caglioftro, who was fuppofed to be guilty of crimes which made himself obnoxious to the laws of his country. This was a high degree of infult on her Mcft Chriftian majefty, and it was highly neceffary to repress an offence of fo dangerous a nature. Other nations, who do not know how liberty, and particularly the liberty of the prefs, may be perverted in the hands of defigning men, could not believe that fuch wicked publications could go forth without the connivance of the ftate where they were published; and well might they think fo, were not the author dragged forth into public punishment. It is not in the power of the law to induce a man to the performance of virtuous and praife-worthy actions, to promote the happiness of his country and the good of his fellow-creatures; but it is in the power of the laws to reftrain him for a time of that liberty which he has grofsly abused. And we fhould ill difcharge that trust which is committed to us, if we were not to fecure the peace of the public, by im pritoning you for a certain time; and whatever our own feelings may be for your fituation, we should be criminal if we were to give way too much to thofe feel ings. Your crime confifting of two parts, the forms of law require a feparate and diftinct judgment; and you being brought into this court in the cuftody of the keeper of Newgate, in virtue of a rule of this court; and being convicted of compofing and publishing a fcandalous paper, called "The Prifoners Petition," and other scandals; this court does order and adjudge, that for your offence aforefaid you be imprisoned in his majesty's gaol of Newgate for three years, and be immediately remanded back to Newgate, in execution of the judgment aforefaid. And being convicted of trefpaffes, contempts, and misdemeanors against the royal confort of his Moft Chriftian majefty, and Monf. Barthelemy, this court does order and adjudge you to be fined in 500l. and to be further imprifoned in Newgate for the fpace of two years, from and after the ter mination of the aforefaid judgment; and that you give fecurity for fourteen years good behaviour, yourfelf in 10,000l. and each of your fureties in 2,500l." OU are entitled to all the gratitude I can exprefs for the teftimony of approbation you have intended me, and I am truly fenfible of the honour done me; but at the fame time you must per mit me to inform you, that I cannot, without violating all my feelings, confent to it, and that the execution of your design would be a cruel punifhment to me. It is therefore my earnest request, that thofe friends who with my happinefs and future comfort in life, would withdraw their names from the fubfcription, and that the execution of your defign may be laid afide for ever. "I fhall always think the reforms now going on in feveral of the gaols of this kingdom, and which I hope will become general, the greatest honour and the most ample reward I can poffibly receive. deed a perfonal tax on shopkeepers. What they advanced to the chancellor of the exchequer as theory is now confirmed in practice; from fuch premiles they hold themfelves warranted in afferting, that the retail trader has not, in any inftance whatever, been able to make an advance on his commodity to reimburse him the shop-tax. zd, That, from their inveftiga tion, the relief held out by the new fhop-tax act has not had any beneficial effect on the inhabitants of the metropolis; for as that bill never held out any affiftance to the perfons more especially aggrieved by the tax, who were the high-rented houfekeepers, whilft it was an admiffion of the principle of perfonal taxation, it has a tendency to render the fhop-tax more burthenfome to them, and to appear like a fine and ftigma on the city of London and its environs. 3d, That cafes have been laid before the committee, of fhopkeepers fo reduced and diftreffed by the load of perfonal taxation, as to be obliged to quit their fituation in public. ftreets, and retire, ruined and diftreffed, into obfcure parts of this metropolis amidft penury and want, while their houfes and fhops have been occupied by fictitious traders, under the appellation of wholesale dealers, factors, or warehousemen, or fallen to the fhare of gamblers under the denomination of lotteryoffice-keepers, to the injury of the real trader, to the dishonour of the dignity of the metropolis, and to the prejudice of the revenue of the ftate. 4th, That the committee, having fatisfied themselves in respect to the operation of the tax on the part of the fhopkeepers, have alfo taken into confideration the benefit the ftate is likely to receive therefrom, and find that it must be unproductive to a confiderable degree; but the committee are not able to ftate the precife fum deficient, from difficulties and obftructions thrown in their way, of obtaining information. 5th, That the committee are informed, in order to make up the alarming deficiency in the gross amount of the fhop-tax, the surveyors and infpectors have furcharged the fhop-tax on many defcriptions of perfons not originally charged to it, publicans and manufacturers of different articles; which conduct of the officers under government, whilft it gives no relief to the high-rented housekeeper already affeffed to the fhop-tax, will caufe it to be held up to the public as a larger object of revenue. 6th, This committee further report, That they have received many propofitions for new taxes, which have been ftated to them as much more productive, and much lefs objectionable, than the fhoptax, and that such taxes might be impofed is apparent; but this committee have held it their duty, as conftituted for a fpecial purpofe, that of obtaining a repeal of the fhop-tax alone, not to intrude new plans upon his majefty's minifters, nor to prefume to give their opinion on fubjects it might be urged they were incompetent to.' 7th, The committee report it as their opinion, "That the conftant uniform oppofition of the fhopkeepers to the shop-tax is not founded on party, or a defire to refit the laws of the land; but flands on a fuperior bafis, and is a claim on the juftice of the legislature." ift, That it is the opinion of this meeting, founded on the report of their committee, and from near two years experience of the operation of the fhop-tax, that it is a grievance of a very heavy and alarming nature, and fuch as demands every legal and fpirited exertion on the part of the fhopkeepers to obtain redress. zd, That the partiality of the fhop-tax, though feverely felt by large towns and cities, is more evidently burthenfome upon the inhabitants of the metropolis, where the fhopkeeper is compelled to ftand at an enormous rent, as the primary ftep to obtain fubfiftence. 3d, That the evidence delivered at the bar of the houfe of commons, proving the tax to be a perfonal impoft, ftands uncontroverted upon the records of that honourable houfe; and the further experience of a year renders that teftimony incontrovert able. 4th, That the continued and increafing unpopularity of this tax arifes not from any party clamours of perfonal attachments, but proceeds from higher motives, the partiality and evil tendency of its principles. 5th, That, the tax being proved perfonal upon the trader, the right honourable chancellor of the exchequer is called upon, by the united voice of the fhopkeepers, for fubftantial justice, by the repeal of a tax, from which he himself declared, could it be proved perfonal, the shopkeepers were entitled to relief. 6th, That this meeting, appréhending the principal obftacle to their having hitherto obtained relief, has been the difference of fituation between the members of the legiflature impofing this tax, and the fhopkeepers who were the objects of it, are defirous that their reprefentatives in parliament fhould be put into poffeffion of every information it is in the power of this meeting to communicate, refpecting the oppreffion of this tax. 7th, That the number of petitions which were prefented to the houfe of commons laft feffion of parliament, render it unneceffary to adopt the mode of proceeding by petition at this period, the principle of the tax being in no refpect altered; more efpecially as the honourable members of the house of commons now prefent are confidered as pledged to fupport the caufe of the fhopkeepers, and are in poffeffion of the fentiments of this meeting to enforce their cafe. 8th, That John Sawbridge, Efq. and Sir Watkin Lewes, Knt. the fenior aldermen, representatives of the city of London, having agitated the repeal of the fhop-tax in the laft feffion of parliament, this meeting, out of refpect to the fenior reprefentative for the city of Weftminfter, judge it their duty to requeft the Right Hon. C. J. Fox to move in his place the repeal of the acts of the 25th and 26th of Geo. III. laying a duty on retail shops, unless the right honourable the chancellor of the exchequer, at length convinced of the hardships the fhopkeepers already labour under, fhall himfelf come forward with a propofition for their relief. 9th, That the Right Hon. C. J. Fox, whom this meeting requests to move the repeal of the act, as well as all the members attending this meeting, be requested to communicate to the committee fuch information as they receive in the house of commons, touching the best mode of obtaining the repeal; and the committee are directed to continue to affift the reprefentatives in parliament with fuch facts from the fhopkeepers, as they fhall think may ftrengthen their cause. 10th, That this meeting are duly fenfible of the exertions of the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons of this city, to obtain the repeal of a tax fo detrimental to the city of London; and defire this committee to attend the next court, with the thanks of this meeting, as well as to affure the court, they fhall be ready at all times to co-operate with the committee of the corporation, in meafures neceffary to be adopted in purfuit of this object. 11th, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the ten reprefentatives fentatives in parliament, for their attendance upon this occafion, and for their affurances of fupport in a cause so highly interesting to their conflituents. 12th, That the thanks of this meeting be returned to the right honourable the lord mayor, for his grant of the use of Guildhall, for the purpofe of a general affembly of the hopkeepers, and for the difpofition he has fhewn to affift their endeavours to obtain relief. The chairman having quitted the chair, and Mr. Deputy Birch being placed therein, Mr. Gould moved the following refolutions: 13th, That the' thanks of this meeting be given to Mr. Alderman Skinner and the committee, for the unremitting zeal, perfeverance, and attention, which they have difplayed in the courfe of two years endeavours to serve the shopkeepers of the metropolis. 14th. That the thanks of this meeting be given to the chairman, for his prudent, candid, and attentive conduct of the business of this day. Mr. Jennings then refuming the chair, it was refolved, 15th. That the refolutions of this meeting be advertised in the morning and evening papers, figned by the chairman. DAVID JENNINGS, Chairman. Some Account of the Lofs of the Hart well Eaft-Indiaman. HIS unfortunate event took place near the island of Bona Vifta, by the fhip ftriking upon a reef of projecting rocks; and was occafioned by the mutinous behaviour of the crew, over whom all command was at an end from the 20th to the 24th of May, the day on which the was wrecked. The mutinous difpofition of the Hartwell's crew manifefted itself very foon after they failed from England, and is faid to have been occafioned by a piratical inclination to poffefs themselves of a very large quantity of fpecie that was on board, for the purpose of purchafing teas at the place of deftination The captain and the greater part of the fhip's company had the good fortune to fave themselves on a reef of rocks, three leagues north-eaft of Bona Vista. Mr. Jackson, and one of the mates, with the remainder of the crew, arrived, after beating about for fixteen days, much fatigued, in a ftate approaching famine, at St. Vincent's. Captain Fiott arrived in town on Saturday the 11th, in a Portuguese veffel, which he had hired for the purpofe of coming to England, with his purfer, fome other officers, and a part of the crew. Mr. Crish the third mate, and the fixth mate, remain at Bona Vilta, where the mutineers are kept in fafe cuftody by the Portuguefe, till an opportunity offers of conveying them to England. The value of the property on board the Hartwell was very large. On the firft beginning of the mutiny, the chief mate, Mr. Charles Chriftie, went forward for the purpofe of fecuring one of the ringleaders, who inftantly drew a knife from his pocket, and attempted to stab him; luckily, through the activity of the mate, he avoided the blow, or he must inevitably have been killed, as the knife went through his waistcoat; in this fituation find |