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REMARKABLE DOMESTIC EVENTS.

JUNE 1790.

KING'S BIRTH-DAY. HE 4th, being the king's birthTH day, when his majefty entered the fifty-third year of his age,

it was obferved as a high feftival. The court at St. James's Palace was very numerous. The queen was dreffed in all the fplendour of majesty, as is ufual on the birth-day of the king. There was fomething finely picturefque in her drefs, her petticoat being very beautifully embroidered in imitation of clouds xvith fhades of green foil; the drapery drew up with green bands covered with chains of diamonds and pearls. The bands were trimmed at the ends with bunches of oak, and large diamond ftars in the middle. The drapery of the corners was tied up with large diamond and pearl bows and bunches of oak. The trimming of the bottom was a deep blond lace. Her majefty wore a profufion of diamonds, both about her drefs and in her hair, with a diamond necklace, ear-rings, and ftomacher.

The princefs royal-A white crape petticoat with filver fpangles. The drapery was most fuperbly embroidered, the upper part being richly fpangled, the under part fprigged with white and filver. The two draperies were divided with a rich fringe of oak leaves, clegantly embroidered with bows. The bottom was fringed with taffels.

Princess Augusta and Elizabeth were both dreffed exactly the fame. Their drefs were a rich white and filver em·broidered crape, with green and filver fpangles. Across the bottom were feftoons of green leaves, drawn up at the corners with rich embroidered bows. The bottom was fringed with green, purple, and white taffels.

The head dreffes of the princeffes were ornamented with oftrich feathers, and a profufion of diamonds.

His majesty was dreffed in a plain fuit, as ufual on his own birth-day, He looked remarkably well and cheerful.

The drefs of his royal highness the prince of Wales, confifted of a garter

blue ftriped rich filk coat and breeches, and white filk waistcoat, the whole very gles and ftones. The coat on all the fuperbly embroidered with filver, fpanfeams was very beautifully embroidered with filk work, the waistcoat covered all over with a fimilar embroidery. It being Collar-day, his royal highnefs did not appear with his new epaulette till the evening in the ball-room. This piece of jewellery is the most fuperb ever feen at court, and eftimated in value at twenty-two thoufand pounds the form of it is a long fhaped oval; the outer row, a circle of very large coftly brilliants; the inner part filled with each part of the mofaic filled with a a mofaic of diamonds; the center of fine brilliant. A brilliant of extraor dinary fineness, and the value exceeding four thousand guineas, formed a button at the top, and from the bottom of the epaulette hung a fringe of two rows of large brilliants, extending three or four inches down the arm. In the evening diamond George, which, as Collar-day, alfo his royal highness wore a fuperb he did not wear in the morning. To complete this very magnificent drefs, his royal highness wore a most superb and valuable pair of brilliant buckles, confifting of ftones of great fize and value, cemented to each other by a

beautiful knot of diamonds; the knee buckles to correfpond.

DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT.

Thursday the 10th, his majesty went in the usual state to the House of Peers, and, being feated on the throne, fir Francis Molyneux went to the Commons, and commanded their immediate attendance.

As foon as the fpeaker of the House of Commons came to the bar, he addieffed his majefty in a neat, manly, and well-conftructed fpeech, delivered with fingular and most impreffive diftinctnefs.

After giving the royal affent to feveral bills, his majefty was pleafed to deliver the following moft gracious fpeech:

"My

My Lords, and Gentlemen, "The neceffary public bufinefs being now concluded, I think it right to put an end to this feffion of parliament.

have not hitherto received the anfwer of the court of Spain to the reprefentation which I have directed to be made at that court, in fupport of the dignity of my crown, and of the interefts of my people. I continue to entertain the frongeft defire for the maintenance of peace on juft and honourable grounds; but, under the prefent circumstances, I feel it indifpenfably neceffary to proceed with expedition and vigour in thofe preparations, the object's of which have already reyour "The affurances and conduct of my allies, on this interefting occafion, have manifested in the most fatisfactory manher their determination to fulfil the engagements of the exifting treaties and I trust that our mutual good underftanding and concert will be productive of the happieft effects in the prefent conjuncture of affairs in Europe.

ceived

unanimous concurrence..

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "I return you my particular thanks for the readinefs with which you granted the fupplies for the current fervice, and for your unanimity and dispatch in enabling me to take those measures which the prefent crifis has rendered neceffary.

My Lords, and Gentlemen, "As I think it may be of material convenience that the election of a new parliament fhould take place without delay, it is my intention forthwith to give directions for diffolving the prefent and for calling a new parliament. But, in fignifying to you this intention, I cannot omit to affure you of the deep and grateful fenfe which I muft ever entertain of that affectionate and unThaken loyalty, that uniform and zealous regard for the true principles of our invaluable conftitution, and that unremitting attention to the happinefs and profperity of my people, which have invariably directed all your proceedings.

The rapid increafe of our manufactures, commerce, and navigation, the additional protection and fecurity afforded to the diftant poffeffions of the empire, the provifions for the good government of India, the improvement

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of the public revenue, and the eftabe lifhment of a permanent fyftem for the gradual reduction of the national debt, have furnished the best proofs of your refolution in encountering the diffi culties with which you had to contend, and of your steadiness and perfeverance in thote meafures which were best adapted to promote the effential and lafting interefts of my dominions.

"The loyalty and public fpirit, the induftry and enterprize of my fubjects, have feconded your exertions. On their fenfe of the advantages which they at prefent experience, as well as on their uniform and affectionate attachment to my perfon and government, I rely for a continuance of that harmony and confidence, the happy effects of which have fo manifeftly appeared during the prefent parliament, and which mult at all times afford the fureft means of meeting the exigencies of war, or of cultivating with increafing benefit the blessings of peace."

The next day a proclamation appeared, ftating that it was his majesty's pleasure to diffolve the prefent parliament; the writs to be returnable the 10th of August.

ELECTION.

Thursday, June 24, the poll for members to reprefent the city of London in parliament, ended at Guildhall, when the following gentlemen were declared duly elected: William Curtis, efq. Brook Watfon, efq. fir Watkin Lewes, knt. and John Sawbridge, efq. Alderman Newnham declined the poll the preceding evening.

MONSTER.

Monday the 14th, Renwick Williams was brought before the magiftrates in Bow-fieet, on the charge of being the perfon who has been repeatedly adverfifed in the public papers, for having wantonly affaulted and wounded feveral ladies at different times. He is a young man, apparently under thirty years of age, of the middle fize, with a face rather long and thin, features sharp, grey eyes, complexion fallow. He was well dreffed, had a genteel appearance, and is of the mufical profeffion. He was apprenticed to Mr. Gallini; but fome time fince has, by his own account,

abandoned

abandoned that purfuit, and has employed himself principally in the manufactory of artificial flowers; and in following this bufinefs, he has been at Weymouth, Brighton, and other places on the coaft, Mifs Porter, of St. James'sftreet, was, on Sunday afternoon, walk ing in St. James's Park, with Mr. Coleman, when the faw the prifoner, and exclaimed, "That is the man who wounded me!" Mr. Coleman followed him; he knocked at a number of doors, and particularly at one where the house was empty, as if to get rid of Mr C.; at length he went into the houfe of Mr. Smith, in Southampton-ftreet. Mr. C. followed, and took him to Miss Porter, who, as well as her fifters, recognized him, and he was fent to St. James's watchhoufe. Mifs Ann Porter faid, that, on the queen's birth-day, coming out of the Court yard at St. James's, with her fifter, the obferved the prifoner, and was much alarmed, as he had repeatedly met and infulted them, by making ufe of the most obfcene language; he followed them and ftruck her over the head at their own door; her filter he cut. Mifs Sarah Porter corroborated this account, and both fwore pofitively to the prifoner's perfon. Their fifters, Miffes Martha and Rebecca Porter, were both in Kenfington Gardens at the time their fifters were infulted with the infamous language they had spoken of, and both fwore pofitively that the prifoner was the perfon who made ufe of it. Mr. Tompkins, furgeon, faid, he was fent for, and found that Mifs Porter had been wounded by an inftrument of uncomcom harpness; the length of the cut was between eight and nine inches. Miffes Elizabeth and Frances Baughan gave an account of their having been infulted by a perfon on the 7th of last December, in Bridge-ftreet, Weftminfter, who followed them into Parliament-street, and there cut them both. Mifs Elizabeth Baughan thought the prifoner was the man; her fiffer was more pofitive as to his perfon. Mifs Ann Froft, of Jermyn-ftreet, faid, on lord-mayor's-day, the prifoner, of whofe perfon the was pofitive, accofted her near her home, and made use of very bad language, and followed her till the was at her own door, where he wounded

her and ran off. Mrs. Franklin faid, that he had repeatedly been infulted by the prifoner, who had made use of infamous language, but had never wounded her.

The prifoner heard all thefe charges with great compofure, and anfwered them with that readiness and collection of ideas, which we would be willing only to attribute to confcious inno cencé. Some circumftances, however, came out, independent of the evidence, and partly on the declaration of the prifoner himself, that were not of the most prepoffeffing nature.

On the prisoner's being afked by fir Sampfon Wright, where he lodged? what was his occupation? and other questions relative to himself, he faid, That he now purfued the business of artificial flower and fancy trimming making; that he worked at a houfe in Dover-ftreet for fome time past at a guinea a week, and that he lodged in a room in Bury-ftreet; that the perfon who employed him could give him a good character, and that he could prove he was with his mafter on the nights when these transactions were faid to have happened. However, on the strength of the evidence against him, the parties were bound over to profecute, and he was committed to the New Prison, Clerkenwell, for trial.

The duke of Cumberland, and a great number of gentlemen were pre fent; the treet was very much crowded; and it was five o'clock before the prifoner could be got from the office, as the mob were fo exafperated, that they would have deftroyed him, if not prevented.

On the 16th, he was again brought up to the Public Office, Bow-ftreet, for re-examination. In addition to the charges already made against him, feveral other perfons appeared to give their teftimonies. A fervant maid to lady Gordon fwore, that the had been wounded at her mistress's door, by a perfon who feized her by the arms, and, as if fomething had been faftened to his knee, gave her feveral wounds in the thigh. The wounds which this woman received, were fo violent, as to render her recovery doubtful. She did not fwear pofitively to the prifoner, but to the best of her knowledge. Williams

did not deny being in the place mentioned, and faid the accident might have happened from fomething in his pocket. A washerwoman fwore pofitively, that fhe had been cut, fome time fince, in Holborn, by the prifoner; fhe had received two wounds, one in the thigh, and the other across the breaft. She was pofitive in identifying him, as he knocked a basket off her head, and ftood with the utmost compofure to look at her, which gave her an opportunity of examining his perfon. Mrs. Fofter gave a very frong and circumftantial teftimony against the prifoner; fhe wore pofitively to his perfon, and that he had ftabbed her in the thigh. Mifs Wheeler faid, fhe had often feen the prifoner, and had been grofsly infulted by him at Ranelagh laft fummer, whilft waiting for a carriage. A fervant girl depofed, that, fome time fince, a man prefented to her an artificial nofegay, and defired her to fmell to it; which having refufed, he prefented it to her again, and, with a fharp inftrument which was confined in it, gave her a violent cut under one of her eyes. This woman was fhockingly disfigured. She thought he was the perfon, but would not fwear pofitively to him, as three other fellows were in the company of the villain who had wounded her.

The prifoner was, after another examination, finally committed to Newgate.

NATURAL HISTORY.

At Amesbury, lately, a game hen, having thirteen chickens, about fix days old, by ftriking at a dog, killed herfelf. The chickens were immediately put to another hen, who had feven of her own about the fame age, and the confequence was, that the beat them all off; upon which a game cock generously took the whole twenty under his care, and calls, feeds, and hives them with the utmost attention.

ACCIDENT.

A moft melancholy accident hap pened at Madras, on the 11th of January laft, at the proof of cannon on the ifland, by which captain Willifon, a very refpectable officer of the firft battalion of artillery, loft his life, and four Europeans of the fame corps were feverely wounded. It had been recommended to government to have all the guns in the garrison of every kind proved,

upon

that none might be ufed, or fent fervice, whofe quality and goodnefs had not previously been afcertained. Among the number collected on this occafion, were fome old foreign guns, fo exceedingly rough and uneven in the bore, from the great length of time they had remained out of use, as to render it impracticable to introduce, the powder without a ladle; and the fame obftacle occurred with respect to feveral of the fhot, which could only be driven clofe to the powder with confiderable exertion and difficulty. The gun (a French twenty pounder) from which the acci dent took place was of this description. The men stationed at it had made every effort in vain to get the fhot down, when captain Willifon, who was confpicuoully exact in feeing that every gun to be proved was properly loaded, urged them to a fecond attempt, himself assisting in guiding the rammer, while the men were employed in forcing down the hot. Unluckily, this laft effort in part fucceeded, and the fhot in its progrefs ftruck against some inflammable fubflance, which produced fire by the col ifion, that communicated to the charge, though apparently fecured against fuck an accident, from having over it a thick clofe wad. The explosion which immediately followed, threw captain Willifon to the distance of about twelve yards, dreadfully burnt and mangled, and alfo wounded the four men at the rammer, who were all fo fcorched, as to add greatly to the horror of the fcene, The captain bore his fate with astonishing compofure, and, to the moment of his diffolution, fhewed a magnanimity and firmnefs of mind that did honour to his character. He died about two o'clock the fame day, greatly regretted by his corps.

POISON.

Monday the 7th, the parishioners of Epworth, near Thorne, were much alarmed by the death of a boy about fix years of age, happening in the poorhoufe; feven of a family in the house being all affected in the fame manner, with a violent vomitting, attended with a heat in the ftomach. A furgeon being fent for, fufpected that fome poifon had been mixed with their food, as they were taken ill after eating fome cake the preceding Saturday: and the circuinstance of a cock which run in the poor

house

houfe yard that morning being found poifoned, increafed the fufpicion. Monday night another of the family (Jane Storr) died; and on Tuesday morning the coroner held an inquifition over the two bodies, which were opened by two furgeons in the ftomach of the boy nothing was found fufficient to fubftantiate the fufpicion of his being poifoned; but in that of Jane Storr were obferved fmall bits of white arfenic, and the ftomach was corroded and much inflamed. The jury brought in a verdict of natural death of the boy; and the woman dying by means of poifon administered by a perfon or perfons unknown. In the courfe of the examination of witneffes, a woman de pofed that one Mary Pilfworth, one of the family in the poor-houfe, had defired her about a fortnight before to procure her fome white arfenic, but that the refufed. On examining Mary Pilfworth, the declared, the had been fo frequently ill-treated by the mistress of the poor-houfe, that if he could have got poifon, fhe would have poisoned herself; for that he was tired of living, Thurfday morning Robert Storr died; and on Friday an inquifition was taken on his body, which being opened, his ftomach was found nearly in the fame state as that of his wife, containing alfo a fiall quantity of white arfenic. On further examination, a young woman depofed that, a few days before, Mary Pilfworth perfuaded her to get a pennyworth of white arfenic; who now confeffed the receiving of it, that she had taken about a thin bleful the night before, and the remainder fhe had thrown into the yard during her examination, the appeared very ill, and was fent back to the poor-houfe; where the confeffed fhe did not take the poifon the night before, but on that morning; and thinking the had not swallowed fufficient, took fome more about noon: the continued in the greatest agonies, and died early the next morning. Thus ended the life of this wretched woman, greatly fufpected of having poifoned fo many innocent perfons, and at laft herself, to prevent the execution of the law. An inquifition being taken on her body, the jury brought in a verdict felo de fe. She was drawn on a fledge, buried in the highway, and a take drove through

her body. The remainder of the people who had partaken of the poifon, are likely to recover.

DEATHS OF EMINENT MEN.

The 28th of May, at his houfe in Privy-gardens, George Montagu, duke of Montagu, marquis Monthermer, earl of Cardigan, baron Brudenell of Stanton Wivil, and baron Montagu of Boughton, mafter of the horse to the king, governor and captain of Windfor Caffle, lord-lieutenant of the county of Huntingdon, prefident of St. Luke's Hofpital, vice-prefident of St. George's Hofpital, and prefident, of the fociety for the encouragement of arts, F. R. S. baronet, and knight of the moft noble orders of the Garter and Bath.

On the 17th of April the great Dr. Franklin clofed his earthly career, at eighty-four and three months, at Philadelphia. Every poffible mark of refpect has been paid to his memory by his grateful and affectionate fellow citizens.

His will has been opened. He has left two handfome legacies to the cities of Bofton and Philadelphia, and the rest of his eftate to his daughter and grand. daughter.

His

Three days before he died, he begged that his bed might be made, that he might die in a decent manner. daughter told him, fhe hoped he would recover, and live many years longer. He replied, "he hoped not."

The ftone, with which he had been afflicted for feveral years, had for the last twelve months confined him chiefly to his bed and during the extreme painful paroxyfms, he was obliged to take large dofes of laudanum to mitigate his tortures-ftill, in the intervals of pain, he not only amused himself with reading and converfing cheerfully with his family and a few friends, who visited him, but was often employed in doing bufinefs of a public as well as private nature, with various perfons, who waited on him for that purpofe; and in every inftance difplayed the fulleft and cleareft poffeffion of his mental abilities; and not unfrequently indulged in the jeux d'esprit and entertaining anecdote.

The Congrefs have ordered a general mourning for one month.

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