in office with which, the conftitution itself, according to their reprefentations, feemed to be, in fome degree, identified. For his part, he was convinced, it did not depend on any fet of men whatever. His grace entreated both fides of the house, in the most earnest manner, to proceed calmly in the difcuffion of a queftion which involved confequences of the utmoft importance. His grace difapproved of parliamentary reform at the prefent moment, and expreffed a wish that the previous queftion were moved, but declined moving it.

Lord Grenville admitted, that others, perhaps, might be found of equal ability with the prefent minif ters, of whom, however, he did not conceive that he could be confidered as the panegyrift, when he did them no more than bare juftice. The ground of his oppofition to the prefent motion, as he had ftated before, was a ferious conviction that it was the object of fome noble lords, by overturning the prefent adminiftration, to bring about a revolution in the country.

The earl of Moira, for one, was not difpofed to ascribe to minifters that profperity which arofe from the progrefs of affairs, particularly of mechanical invention, and the energy of British merchants, whofe genius and enterprizing spirit would conftantly carry the country forward from one degree of profperity to another, if adminiftration did not put bars in their way. The noble fecretary of state had op pofed the motion left the conftitution fhould be overturned. But, faid lord Moira, "I fhall ever object to this mode of argument, as

it identifies the prefent minifters with the conftitution, and tends to fink the confidence of the country in its own refources, and in the frame and form of its government. With regard to Ireland, he hoped it was not yet too late to conciliate: but this could not be done by any half measures.

The earl Spencer objected to the motion on the fame ground with lord Grenville; namely, that it connected its object with a change of measures, which, he firmly believed, would prove ruinous to the country.

The earl of Darnley faid, the country dreaded the adoption of fuch a motion, not knowing in whom to repofe confidence. An uniformity of oppofition to every meafure of adminiftration, whatever it might be, with other circumftances of a private as well as public nature, had induced a general fufpicion throughout the country, that the most active oppofitionifts had other views than the prefervation of the conftitution and interefts of the country.

The duke of Bedford, to the main arguments against his motion, made a fhort reply.

The lord chancellor faid, the only fair conftruction the motion could bear, was, that it aimed at an introduction of a new system of government. Having read that part of the motion which related to the fituation of Ireland, he asked, whether it was to be imputed as a matter of crimination to minifters, that they did not attempt to interfere with the Irifh legifla, ture, and to violate a folemn compact made with the people of that country. From the general tenour

of

of the motion, he inferred that its object was to promote a complete change of fyftem, under the pretext of forwarding a parliamentary teform; that it led to a fyftem wilder than even that of univerfal fuffrage: to disfranchife all corporations to empower the house of commons to uncreate their creators and to deftroy the rights of the very men who made them members of parliament: ecclefiaftical corporations would go of courfe. Whatever partook of the nature of franchife property, or privilege, would be cut up by the root, and

the principle of an Agrarian law introduced in its ftead.

The duke of Bedford obferved that there was a fallacy in comparing an elective franchise, a right poffeffed by individuals for the good of the whole, to private property. After this the houfe divided on his grace's motion. Contents 14, not contents 91.

The duke of Bedford then entered his proteft, which was adhered to by the lord Chedworth.

The feffion of parliament was concluded, by a fpeech from the throne, on the twentieth of July.

*

JANUAR Y.

3d. Confiderable change has

A taken place in the pofi

tion of the ftones which form an extraordinary relic of the ancient fuperftitions of our countrymen. This is attributed to the rapid thaw which fucceeded a very hard froft. Some people employed at the plough, near Stonehenge, remarked that three of the large ftones had fallen, and were apprized of the time of their fall by a very fenfible concuffion, or jarring, of the ground. These ftones prove to be the western of thofe pairs, with their impofts, which have had the appellation of Trilithon; and had long deviated from its true perpendicular. There were, originally, five of these trilithons, two of which are even now still remaining in their ancient state. It is remarkable, that no account has ever been recorded of the falling of the others; and, perhaps, no alteration has been made in the appearance of Stonehenge for three centuries prior to the present tremendous downfall. The impoft, which is the fmalleft of the three ftones, is fuppofed to weigh 20 tons. They all now lie proftrate on the ground, and have received no injury from their aerial feparation. They fell flat weftward, and levelled with the ground a ftone alfo of the fecond circle

that stood in the line of their precipitation. From the lower ends of the fupporters being now expofed to view, their prior depth in the ground is fatisfactorily afcertained: it appears to have been about fix feet. The ends, however, having been cut oblique, neither of them was, on one fide, more than a foot and a half deep. Two only of the five trilithons, of which the adytum confifted, are now, therefore, in their original pofition. The deftruction of any part of this grand oval we muft particularly lament, as it was compofed of the most stupendous materials of the whole tructure.---A fimilar change of weather occafioned the disclosure of a fubterraneous paffage at Old Sarum in 1795,

The new Emperor of Ruffia has iffued an order enjoining all foreigners in Peterburgh to wear cocked hats, their hair in bags, &c. and not to drive through the city with more than two horfes. With refpect to the mourning for the Emprefs, the four firft claffes of people muft furnish their fervants with fables, every coach must have the fame covering, and horfes, without diftinction of colour, be provided with black tails. The Emperor has alfo given orders that the penfion of Stanislaus, late king of Poland, fhall be paid with the utmost punctuality. This unfortunate

The following fact gives a melancholy inftance of the mortality which still rages in the island of St. Domingo:-Twenty officers of different corps agreed to meet at a tavern to dine that day week; when the time came, only eight affembled, the other twelve being carried off, in that fhort interval, by the peftilential diforder of the climate!

7th. This being the day appointed for enrolling the Supplementary Militia at Carlisle, a numerous mob affembled to prevent its being put into execution. They went to the Town Clerk, and got from him the balloting books and lifts, which they carried off in tri-, umph, and burnt at the Crofs, amidft the loudeft acclamations. They then went to the Clerk of the Peace, being informed that he had in cuftody fome books of a fimilar defcription, but which was not the cafe. He found it prudent to go out to the ftreet, to prevent their forcing the office. They then carried him to the High Conftable's, from thence to the TownClerk's, and then to Captain Fofter's, a magiftrate. The mob, which consisted of 1000 at leaft, then allowed him to make his efcape unhurt. We have not heard

The gentlemen who served at the laft affizes, on fpecial juries for Northumberland, gave their fees, amounting to twenty-nine guineas, to be applied to the release of perfons confined in Morpeth gaol for fmall debts, three of whom have, in confequence, been releafed_for 291. 8s. and the remaining guinea was given in butcher's meat to the debtors in the fame gaol on Wednefday laft.

Hague, Jan. 2. A dreadful inundation has taken place at Bois le Duc, where the water is fo high in the town, that a horse could fcarce get through it without danger of being drowned. Poverty and diftrefs have arifen to the highest pitch. A can of milk is fold at ten ftivers, and nobody can leave the town without expofing their lives to the moft imminent danger. From every part of the country fignals of diftrefs are heard from the villages by the discharge of guns; and nobody can approach thofe diftricts which are probably under water. We fpeedily expect further news refpecting thofe dreadful difafters.

The Clerks of the Bank had to make out 80,000 receipts, preparatory to the prefent payment of the confols dividends.

8th. The steeple of Horningtoft church, near Norwich, fell down while the bell was ringing for divine fervice. Fortunately no farther mifchief was done, and no lives loft.

10th. The following curious article is extracted from one of the Paris papers:-Citizen Finot, Prefident of the Provifional Administration of the department of the Youne, formerly a huffar at Av

rolles,