A patent of Peerage, it is faid, is now making out for General Conway. Accounts are received of the 6th regiment of foot being fafe arrived at St. Vincent's the latter end of December, in good health.

The king of Sardinia on his deathbed requested his fon in the moft pathe tic terms, to preserve the balance of Italy, and never interfere in the quarrels of the powers of Europe. From doing that, my dear child, faid that great monarch, we have from time to time facrificed that fafety and fecurity which would certainly have refulted from our adhering to our general intereft, which is built upon this folid principle, that Princes and ftates fhould be content with their own, and parfue the good of their subjects without prejudice to their neighbours. A circumftance, according to the modern fyftem of pofics, which though devoutly to be wifhed, is very feldom to be expected.

The Earl of Carlisle being folicited to throw his new inclofures at Teddington in Yorkshire, into large farms, he nobly replied, "What must become of the poor?" and inftantly ordered the fame to be divided into fmall farms. An example worthy of imitating!

Yefterday Mr Recorder and Sir Watkin Lewes had a long conference relating to the remonftrance. It is fill faid, that fome of the expreffions in it are thought rather too bold.

Extract of a letter from Lubec, dated

March 14. "The politicians of this place and Hamburgh do pofitively affert that the Kings of Denmark and Pruffia have a ftrong defire to become mafters not only of thefe two cities but feveral others of the Hanfe Towns. And the confternation that at prefent reigns' amongst the Magiftrates of both places gives the colour of probability to the report. The twelve Burgomafters and the council have met very frequently of late, and couriers are conftantly paffing and repaffing. Whether there is any real foundation or not for the re.

ports which have been bruited about is impoffible at this time to ascertain, but it is the general difcourfe of all people here."

They write from Naples, that an ordinance has lately been iffued there, prohibiting the exportation of grain for three months.

Extract of a letter from Genoa, dated March 2.

"We have by a veffel juft arrived here from Ragufa, received advice, that the Grand Signior has released that little republic from a tax which they ufed to pay him, on condition that they conftantly furnish him with two fhips of 30 guns each, compleatly rigged and manned, and the like number of gallies. He has likewife granted them privileges and immunities in trade and commerce to the Turkish ports, that will prove of infinite fervice to that fmall independant ftate, and they will have the pleasure of maintaining their liberties, and form of government under the aufpices of his fublime highnefs, who has promised the Ragufians his protection."

Letters from Dominica, dated the 20th ult. fay, that the new crop of fugars would be in, to grind in about a month, and be very plentiful, the weather there having been as fine and feafonable as ever was known in the memory of the oldeft planter on that Ifland.

From the black clouds that are already gathered and hanging over every part of Europe, there is reafon to fear that the enfuing fummer will not pafs without much bloodfhed, And as the crown of Great Britain is faid to have entered into many different treaties and engagements with foreign powers, it will hardly be poffible for us to keep our fingers out of the fire. But however, as a continental war, in the prefent circumftances of this nation, could not be fupported without the impofition of fuch fresh taxes, as could neither be borne by the people, nor be compatible with the maintenance of public

eredit,

credit, it is to be earnestly hoped, that the miniftry will of all things, avoid plunging this exhaufted kingdom into it and if they fhall find it impoffible to prevent Great Britain from becoming a party or auxiliary in the quarrels of other States, they will confine their engagements to the affiftance and operations of our Navy; for a war by fea only, might, with proper economy and good regulations,be fupported for years without running the nation any further in debt; and at the fame time, our trade and commerce might rather be increafed than leffened thereby.

Extract of a Letter from Geneva,

March 12.

"M. de Voltaire keeps his bed,and is dangerously ill. The caufe of his diforder is faid to be his having exert ed himself in an extraordinary manner in the production of a poem against M. Falconet, a Counsellor at Paris, upon the occafion of a caufe which has excited the attention of that city."

On the 24th ult. Lord Stormont took leave of his Majefty, and to-morrow will fet out on his embaffy to the court of France.

SCOTLAN D. EDINBURGH, March 19. Extrad of a letter from London, dated

M

March 23. "Yesterday came on at the Bar of the House of Lords, an appeal from the Court of feffion in Scotland, in which Alexander M'Latchie was ap pellant, and Mrs Bennet, widow, refpondent; when their Lordships were pleafed to affirm the interlocutors of March and November, 1772, complained of, and reverfed that of December, 1771, fo far as the fame relates to the inadmisibility of the evidence given by Mr Archibald Malcom."

The latter part of the above decifon, fo far as it goes to fettle an im, portant rule of law, may be well worth making public. The fhort ftate of the

cafe was as follows: William Burnet, the deceafed hufband of the refpondent, made a fettlement in the form of a mutual contract, between him and his wife, by which the furvivor was to poffefs the whole of their refpective fortunes, except a few trifling legacies to his relations, if he died firft. This deed was drawn up, and witnessed by Mr Archibald Malcolm, his ordinary attorney: When, therefore, the matter afterwards came to be contested, the appellant objected to Malcolm's evidence, as being the advifer of the fettlement, and by reputation interested in the iffue; on which it came to be tried before the Lords of Seffion, whether or not Malcolm could be competent to give evidence either in the light of an attorney concerned in the tranfaction, or as an inftrumentary witnefs; when their Lordships, in conformity to the antient and ftrict law of Scotland, were of opinion he could not. Lord Md was of a different opinion: he faid, that he was council in a caufe at their Lordships-Bar, in the year 1749, exactly fimilar to the prefent, only fuppofing the wife to fettle inftead, of the hufband. It was in that of the Earl of March, againft Sawved, on whom Lady March had fettled a mortgage to a very large amount, he being her fecond hufband; but the deed being found in an iron cheft after her deceafe, and no proof of its being ever delivered according to the preferibed forms, Lord March endeavoured to fet it afide, and it afterwards came to be contended whether John Dickie, as being his Lordship's agent and attorney in the cause, was competent to give êvidence. The House of Lords were of opinion, that though the objection might affect his credibility, it could not be pleaded in bar of his competency. Lord M-d was therefore fully of opinion, that Malcolm's teftimony in the prefent cafe could not be refused, and that on the whole it was an incon trovertably just exception to the general rule of law, that an agent, attorney,

Letter from London, dated March 25. erday the Lords again heard the caufe wherein John Bane Efq; was appellant, and the Countess Dowager of Moray ts. Affirmed the decree. s day the bill for the better f poor perfons under certain nces, was rejected in the Upably, on a divifion 55 against

s day the Lower Affembly third time the bill for relief -oteftant Diffenters.-Council d for and againftit; after which was paffed, in a divifion 65 a

s day a motion was made in e of Commons, that inftructiven to the Select Committee, ring into the conduct of the of the Eaft India Ccompany, ee if no affociation had been nto for the purpofe of felling sferring India ftock; which ed to.

is day a Court of Common was held at Guildhall, when bridge's motion for allowing of 4s. a quarter for the first quarters of foreign wheat into the ports of London was to confideration, and, we hear, carried in favour of the mo

jor McKenzie fucceeds Lieut. Ith in the 31ft regiment of foot

ncents.

terday the Lady of the Hon. ld Douglas, was fafely deliver

ed of a fon and heir, at his houfe in Pall-mall.

"This day the body of the late Earl of Chesterfield was opened and embalm ed, in order for interment. It appear ed that his Lordship died of a real decay of nature.

"Yesterday died Sir Charles Smith, Bart. of Hill-Hall, in Effex. Leaving only one daughter, he is fucceeded in honour and estate by his only brother, now the Rev. Sir William Smith Bart."

The bill, with feveral amendments," for deepening cleanfing, and making more commodious, the harbours of the town of Greenock; and for making a new harbour there; for fupplying the inhabitants with fresh and wholfome water; and for paving, cleanfing, lighting, and watching the streets, and other public places, within the faid town has paffed the Houfe of Commons. As alfo the bill for regulating fhips in the harbour of Aberdeen.

We hear from Glafgow, that many of the Merchants there are much difpleased with the conduct of the Scots members, in inferting a claufe, in the corn importation bill now before the Houfe of Commons, that the importation shall not extend to Scotland; and the Glasgow merchants are fending circular letters to the burghs, defiring them to inftruct their reprefentatives to get the faid claufe taken out of the bill.

Orders are fent to Woollwich for a company of the Royal Regiment of Artillery to be in readinefs to embark for Scotland, to relieve the company now on that ftation.

Letters from St. Vincent's mention the death of Lieutenant Colonel Walth, of the 31ft regiment of foot, who was killed in a fkirmish with the Caribbs.

By the fhip Walter just arrived from Clyde, from Virginia, we have received a confirmation of forgeries of the paper-currency of that colony, whereby many people are likely to be confiderable fufferers. The following notice

Treafury Office, January 29. 1773. "It is with infinite concern that I find thereis immediate occafion to caution the public against several very ingenious, and therefore the more dangerous forgeries of many of the five pound bills, emitted in November 1769, and July 1771. Sufpicions, it feems, have been for fome time entertained in the upper parts of the country; but it is only within thefe few days that the forgeries of the emiflion of 1771, and not till the morning, thofe of 1769, have been detected and fixed upon with certainty. Some of the moft apparent ftriking differences, in thofe dated 1771, are thefe. In the good bills the TW in the white water letter, under the figners names appear plainly, when held up to the light, to be wrought in the texture of the paper itself, thefe letters appear to fink equally both on the faces and backs of the bills, and are equally tanfparent; whereas in the forged ones they appear to fink into the paper only on the face of them, as if done with a ftamp after the paper ftamp after the paper was made, and appear a little raifed on the back of the bills. The tops and bottoms of the T and W ftand exactly fquare, and even on each other, in the good bills; but in the forged, the right hand corner of the top of the T is generally raised above the top of the W and finks a little to the left hand."

On Friday laft the Right Hon. the Earl of Leven was elected. Deputy Governor of the bank of Scotland.

Patrick Miller, James Stirling, and James Stuart, Efqrs, Ordinary Directors in place of Thomas Hog, Alexander Leith, and Robert Williamfon, Efqrs.

1

Alexander Keith jun. of Ravelfton, Edward Marjoribanks of Lees, and George Ramfay of Whitehill, Efqrs, Extraord aary Directors, in place, of Sir Hugh Crafurd,the Earl of Lauderdale, and the Earl of Panmure.

Mr Alexander Duncan, writer to the fighet, is appointed Commiffary

On Tuesday the 16th inftant, the reverend Prefbytery of Irvine, made choice of the following members to reprefent them in the enfuing General Affembly, viz. The Rev.

Mr James Halket at Finwick. Mr Gilbert Lang at Largs. -Mr Arthur Oughterson at Kilbride. And the Hon. Patrick Boyle of Shewaltown a ruling elder.

Within these few days feveral cellars iu Glafgow have been broke into, and a confiderable quantity of fpirits, cheefe, &c. carried off: Some boys were taken up upon fufpicion on Sunday laft, and upon being examined before the Magiftrates, confeffed the fact, and accufed one John Fisher refidenter in Bell's-Wynd, with being the refet, and enticing them to fteal.--Fisher is faid to be an old offender, and has been committed to prifon in order to ftand trial.

A number of the failors that were imprifoned at Greenock last week for being concerned in the late riot, are liberated on finding bail.

We hear that the art of dying linen yarn fcarlet, has arrived at a fingular degree of perfection, if not its ne plus, ultra, as it rather exceeds than falls fhort of woolen ditto in point of colour and duration, by the fteady prefervance and judicious experiments of a young man in the dying bufinefs in Newcastle.

D E A T H S. March 12. At Spa, Mr John M'Intofh, Surgeon in the Navy.

22. At his houfe of Kirkland, Co. lonel John Balneaves, of Carnbeddie.. 24. At her Houfe at Millerftain,the Right Hon. Lady Binning relict of the late Lord Binning.

Deaths in Perth, for March 1773.

NT of the CREATION by Moses, confidered.

are known of us, and com. nicate their minds to us by s, as well as by their words. efe ways Almighty God is Eting us. His works of Cre, Providence have a plain tho? age; and the Bible, his hoacheth us yet more clearly, bfervation has been made, ore carefully, the Natural enquires into the heavens th, and into their wonders, ufing his glaffes, &c. and more impartially enquires aning of the fcriptures, they e more exact agreement be t nature and the word of . If we compare the difde by Boyle and Newton, &c. ofophical works, with what flotle, Cicero, Seneca, &c. eirs, we will find obvious ons between them, and we give the ignorance of thefe ned; but with regard to the more we fearch into it for f thefe matters, we will difore perfect harmony betwixt , and what is now affuredly the works of creation and

Providence. The inference is very plain, viz. That the Divine Omnifcient being is fpeaking to us by both.

Many things in nature have been difcovered within these two last centu ries, whereof the world was ignorant before; and there is not a wife philofopher who will refufe, that there are many things of which we are ignorant ftill.

If therefore the accounts of the creation given by Majes anfwer in moft particulars, to the difcoveries we are now affured of, reason fays, the more discoveries are made, the more beautiful will the harmony appear to be.

Mofes,after he affirms that in the beginning, the heavens and the earth were made, proceeds to defcribe unto us their original state. It seems to be this our fyftem, whereof the fun is the center, that he particularly mentions, for his words, the ftars alfo were made, determine not the time; when the fixed ftars were created.

This fyftem was then a Chaos, a confufed mafs of all the elements, which though it had all the effential proper ties of matter and body, fuch as exten. finon, folidity, divifibility, &c. yet the other properties, fuch as gravity, elafticity, &c. were afterwards given unto it; nor were the laws of light, E motion,