For FEBRUARY, 1780. CONTAINING More in Duantity and greater ariety than ang Book of the Rind and Price. Average Prices of Corn throughout England 54 Comparifon of the Manners of the English Meteorological Diary of the Weather Peafantry with the Patriarchs of antient b. Debates in Parliament on the Addrefs 55 Times 75 Note on the Average Price of Wheat 61 Remarks on Hannibal's Paffage through the 78 perty on the alarming Diftreffes of the Occupiers of finall Farms Account of the wonderful Boy of Lubeck 79 80 ib. 62 65 66 1b. 67 68 Mifcellaneous Obfervations and Corrections 64 fied in the Maffacre of the English Garri- 69 Subftance of the Argument in the Court of K. B. on a Special Verdict returned from Bury, refpecting a Prefs Gang charged with Murder72 T. Row's Remarks on Yew Trees -on Canons Curfal on Romish Saints on a Saxon Relique Queries from a Confiflent Diffenter 90 On the moral Government of Providence her Lord The Dance of the Heavens ib. ib. A Picture taken from the Life 91 ib. ib. 92 ib. AMERICAN NEWS 93 ib. 75 MISCELLANEOUS OCCURRENCES ΤΟΣ ib. Lifts of Births, Marriages, Deaths, &c. 102 74 Enlarged with Four Pages of Letter Prefs extraordinary, on various important Occurrences: And illuftrated with a Fort in the South Seas of Savage Conftruction; and a picturesque Reprefentation of a Moving Camp, or Village, of the NOGAYAN TARTARS. By SYLVANUS URBAN, Gent. LONDON, Printed for D. HENRY, at ST. JOHN'S GATE. heays diffe d.js. d.ls. d. Middlefex Prices of Grain-Meteorological Diary of the Weather.-Bill of Mortality. AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from Feb. 14, to Feb. 19, 1780. COUNTIES upon the COAST. Wheat Rye Barley Oats Beans COUNTIES INLAND. 3 110 of 111 102 7 Surry York 3 72 42 02 21 93 I Durham 3 112 21 42 Huntingdon 3 20 Rutland 3 90 Northumberland 82 Weftmorland 4 52 4 4 12 12 21 30 Leicester Nottingham Somerfet Derby Stafford Salop Dorfet Hereford Hampshire Worcester Suffex 82 Kent 3 8.0 02 3/1 912 8 5 3 Berks 3 100 0,2 OI 7/2 8 A Meteorological DIARY of the Weather for MARCH, 1779. March Weather. ISW fresh | 3049 white froft early, fog till 10, fine day after little 30 1 52 cloudy morning, bright afternoon 45 fmart froft in the night, heavy moift day 4 ditto 30 349 mifling ain early, mild grey day SSE ditto 30 4 47 thick fog in the morning, exceeding bright day 6E freth 30 4. 47 NE ditto 30 2 49 thick fog morning and evening, bright mid-day cold churlith day, chiefly cloudy 8 Ditto ftrong 30 2 47 9 E 10 FIESE 12 SSE ditto freth 30 2 46 hazy morning and evening, bright mid-day hazy morning, exceeding bright day little 29 948 ditto 29 foggy till 10, extreme bright day 50 an exceeding bright day 50 frofty night, bright morning, cloudy afternoon SW to N fresh 29 52 chiefly cloudy, but fometimes bright 16 N to SE ditto 29 948 chiefly bright, but many flying clouds 17 SSW ftrong 29 84 48 cloudy dull day, but no rain 18 S fresh 29 fmall rain all ni. and morn.fair day, but chiefly cloudy 19/W ditto 29 51 20 S W ftrong 29 6 52 bright morning, cloudy afternoon, with milling rain chiefly cloudy, but fair 21 W SW ditto ftormy 29 fresh ditto ditto 28 Ditto little 29 9 ditto 52 freth exceffive bright day, hot fun 30 2 30 2 52 very fine bright day, cold wind 51 30 E 31 NE bright and hazy at times, cold wind 49 bright and cloudy at times, colder 51 bright and cloudy at intervals, fome little hail and rain 30 I 50 a cloudy coarse day 53 a mild grey morning, exceeding bright afternoon 44 white froft in the night, excessive bright day, hot fun little 30 2 ditto, Chriftened. little 30 1 ditto 30 158 froft in the night, exceeding bright day Bill of Mortality from Feb. 15, to Feb. 22, 1780. Buried. 2 and 5 88 50 and 60 128 5 and 10 19 60 and 70- 91 10 and 20 36 70 and 80 67 20 and 30 66 80 and go 25 30 and 40 96 90 and 100 4 40 and 50 119 THE Gentleman's Magazine; For FEBRUARY, Summary of the Debates in Parliament continued from p. 9. R. M--nch-n (to explain) infifted, notwithstanding the confident manner in which he had been contradicted by the noble lord in the blue ribbon, that, if the enemy had only detached a B fingle 74 gun fhip againit Plymouth, fuch was the defencelefs ttate in which it was found when the combined fleet came before it, they might have re duced the atfenal to afhes; and to this fact he could bring a thoufand wit nelies. 1780. irreparable lofs of the nation. What then but Providence had we to thank for fo fignal a deliverance? Inferior as our fleets were known to be to the united fleets of France and Spain, why A were our navy fuffered to fleep in the road of Torbay till their junction was effected? The fate of the British empire feemed to hinge on the fingle circumitance of keeping them divided, yet in that most critical and tremendous moment no one effort was made to engage them afunder. His lordship, with his wonted dexterity, had endeavoured to explain away that fhameful retreat of our fleet into port, by justifying its return under colour of receiving a reinforcement; a mighty reinforcement Adm. K-pp-I heard with indigna- truly! two rotten fhips, the Arrogant tion, he faid, what the noble lord had and Blenheim, neither of which were faid of the protection given to trade by fit to go to fea without a thorough rethe fleet commanded by Sir C. Hardy. Dpair. How to account for the admiit was the language of a landman, and ral's failing a fecond time, under fuch he did not fcruple to fay, his lordship difgraceful circumftances, he owned had learnt it from Ld S dw-ch. What himfelf totally at a lofs; nor could he had our fleet done for the protection of fee the ufe of expofing the fleet at this trade? Had it impeded M. D'Orvilliers E dangerous feafon of the year to the hain his approach to Plymouth? or, had zard of ftorms and tempefts, when it appeared before that fea-port to pre- that of the enemy was known to be vent his landing? It is true, that D'Or- fafely laid up in port, and probably villiers had not landed, because the preparing for the next year's early wind while he lay before the town pre- campaign. He concluded by voting vented his prudently making the at- F for the amendment, as both the prefent tempt, and at lalt forced his fleets out counsellors and councils were equally reof the channel in defiance of their ut- prehenfible. moft efforts. Had not the fame ftrong Ld N-th rofe to inform the House, easterly wind operated by the permif- that our fleet could not be hurt by fion of Providence in our favour, theftorms or tempefts, as it was now riding whole of our Eaft and Weft India fleets, fafe at Spithead. which arrived juft after their departure, must have fallen a prey to the enemy, to the difgrace of government, and the Mr. F-x rallied Mr. Ad-m on the reafons affigned for his changing fides. At the beginning of laft feffions he thought lofs to reflore the glory of the British empire to the ftate which he had raised it, unless a change, a thorough change, a change without palliatives, were first effected. It was not, he faid, the ruAmour of the treets that there was no efficient minifter. The fatal truth was evident; elfe could it have happened, that in one of our lately captured iflands there should have been 150 pieces of cannon, and but 40 men to manage Bthem? Could there have been in one place cannon without balls, and in another balls without cannon? Could there have been fuch a complication of blunders as the latt feven years have furnished to render the prefent period Cthe most difgraceful of any in the annals of this country? It were impossible! thought minifters wrong; but at the E He then afked, what was become of the American war? that war which had coft the nation fo many millions to profecute it, and the lives of fo many thoufand British fubjects who had already perished in the courfe of it. If there was really no American war exifting (and furely if there was, it would have attracted his Majelly's notice), why was an army of 60,000 men fuffered to moulder away at New York, inactive, and unavailing, only to be fpectators of the enemy's unrepelled atHe next followed the hon. gentle- tacks, and to remain in indolence, man to his negative commendations of while their near poils are carried one minifters. There are, fays the hon. after another by the enterprizing fpirit gentleman, men more incapable than of their more vigilant opponents? If it They among thofe who afpired to their F be true, that Gen. Clinton has an army places. As much as to fay, you are of Americans only equal to that of Gen. certainly a pack of blockheads, but Washington, he wished to know, how thofe who oppofe you are no better their inactivity was to be accounted for? than yourselves. How minifters may relifh fuch compliments, Mr. F-x faid, he could not tell; but, for his part, he fhould defpife the man who fhould tell him to his face, Sir, you are certainly infamous, but there are men in the world ftill more wicked than yourfelt. Some men, he faid, had been pointed out in the general invective as capable of conducting meatures with fpirit, and wildom; but, he believed, even' the great Earl of Chatham were he alive, in whom the people were led to believe there was nothing in the political fyftem impollible, would be at a With respect to the naval and military operations in the West Indies, Mr. F-x was ftill more pointed and fevere, G He ridiculed the farce of fending 3 or 4000 men with Adm. Arbuthnot to reinforce the army at New York, when half that number properly appointed would have faved the Grenades. was liberal in the praifes of the British fleet that engaged D'Eftaign; but exe He crated the authors of that abominable tranfaction, by which our feamen had the mortification to fee their balls fall harmlefs in the water, while thofe of the enemy were piercing their ships. From ger, then he is to obey. The abfurdity of this reafoning, he faid, was only to be equalled by the fineffe which has been introduced by fomebody to obviate the difficulty with refpect to officers on half-pay, who confent to a temporary From the blunders, neglects, and difgraces, in the West Indies, he reverted to thofe we had been witneffes to on our own coafts. He expofed, in the moft alarming point of view, the criminal neglect of minifters in not properly providing for the defence of Ply-forfeiture of a lieutenant's rank on the. mouth, when they knew the defigns of the enemy were to land upon our coafts; he was no lefs fevere on the weakness of our fleets, which had been confidently exaggerated in the face of parliament before it was brought to the teft, and now as confidently depreciated, to cover the difgrace of avoiding the enemy, than on the fluggifhnefs of minifters in fuffering the navies of France and Spain to join without exerting the force of which they were in poffeffion to attempt at leaft to defeat their purpoe; and he inveighed with bitterness against the inveteracy of minifters in driving from the fervice of the nation men of known and tried abilities, and fubftituting in their room thofe only who would pay implicit obedience to the most humiliating orders.. old eftablishment in order to obtain a company in one of the new regiments. The officer fubfcribes a paper, by which he engages to give up his rank as a lieutenant for ever; and the comBinander in chief figns a defeafance at the bottom of it, by which he engages that the officer fhall be restored to his rank at the end of the war. Such is the prefent management in the army, and he wifhed to know who was to be answerable for it. In the fpeech, it is C faid, we have to contend with one of the molt dangerous confederacies that ever was formed against the crown and people of Great Britain, yet that we have not one ally upon earth is not the fault of minifters, but the ingratitude D of the European powers; that we have loft a most valuable part of our West From the conduct of the navy he India fettlements, is not owing to the made a quick tranfition to the manage- indolence of our minitiers, but to the ment of the army, which he reprefent activity of Monf. D'Eftaign, who took ed as ftill more difguftful to men of them from us; Ireland and Scotland merit, than the fhameful partialities Eare in a ferment, but they themselves practifed in the navy. The mode of are the caufes of their own disturbances. promotion in this laft department he Our immaculate minifters are never to reprefented as totally reverfed. The blame. That the King is his own miveteran officer is now told," Sir, you nifter, fo confidently afferted without cannot have this or that promotion be- doors, and as confidently difclaimed by caufe you are in the army; Lord fuch a F the noble lord in the blue ribbon, is a one must have it, who never was in the doctrine tending to deftroy all refponfibiarmy." Thus, he who never was in lity in minifters, and placing it on the the army, and knows nothing of mili- fhoulders of him who can do no wrong; tary fervice, is to command him who yet the evils of a reign, though covered is fkilled in the proteffion, and has by the fhade of majesty, feldom go unpaffed through hard and fevere difci- punished. Charles the Firft and his fon pline to acquire the art. Can any GJames, by 'fcreening wicked ministers, thing in me to a liberal mind be fell themfelves victims to their own more difguitful? But, Sir, fays the folly; one by the lofs of his life, the fecretary at war, this is but temporary other by the lofs of his crown. This promotion; when the war is over, fhould be a leffon to fovereigns. He though he commands you now, you compared the prefent reign to that of fhall command him then. Was everH the unfortunate Henry the VIth. His any thing more abfurd! When mili- family did not afcend the throne by hetary fkill is particularly required, the reditary right; neither did the family officer who knows nothing of the mat- of his prefent Majefty. Henry was an ter is to command; and when the dan- amiable and pious prince; fo was his prefent |