Congrefs, although the fame had been acceded to, as we are informed, by eleven states of the union. An event, fo extraordinary and unexpected, has occafioned the most alarming apprehenfions, not only among the public creditors, but in the minds of thofe who are difinterested friends to the independence and national honour of this country. In confequence of a public notification, a very numerous and refpectable meeting was held at the coffee-houfe laft Thurfday evening, to confult about the measures proper to be, adopted at fo interefting a crifis, when it was unanimoufly agreed to, that thirteen gentlemen should be chofen as a committee to prepare a remonitrance to the legislature upon the fubject; and alfo an addrefs to the inhabitants of the other counties of the state, inviting them to unite in fuch meafures as fhall appear moit proper and effectual to recover and establish the public faith and credit; to obtain justice to the numerous diftreifed citizens in every part of the state, who have fo liberally furnished the public with their money, property, and fervices, in times of the greatest hazard and danger, and by means of whofe patriotic exertions, government has been enabled to maintain a long and expenfive war, which has terminated in the independency of the United States. Boston, April 18. Friday laft, about five o'clock, P. M. the merchants, traders, and many other gentlemen of the town met at Col. Mariton's long room, to confider what difcouragement fhould be given to the British factors who were refiding here, and monopolizing to themselves the benefit of commerce, when they unanimously came to the following refolution, viz. "Whereas no commercial treaty is at prefent eftablished between these United States and Great-Britain; and whereas certain British merchants, factors, and agents from England, are now refiding in this town, who have received large quantities of English goods, and are in expectation of receiving further supplies, imported in British bottoms, or otherwife, greatly to the hinderance of freight in all American veffels; and as many more fuch perfons are daily expect. ed to arrive among us, which threatens an entire monopoly of all British importations in the hands of all fuch merchants, agents, or factors, which cannot but operate to the effential prejudice of the interests of this country." Therefore to prevent, as far as poffible, the evil tendency of fuch perfons continuing among them (excepting thofe of them who shall be approbated by the felect men) and to discourage the fale of their merchandife, they agreed to feveral votes not to purchafe any goods for the future of any British merchants, factors, &c. and to recommend it to Congrefs to make laws for that purpofe. not conciliate matters without an eye to his maiter's intereft. The republic is now actually reaping the fruits of that eager and faithless avidity for gain, which has always inclined it to pursue what appeared to be immediately for its own advantage without the leaft regard for its ancient allies, or confideration for its future fafety. Tranflation of a letter from the Comte de Merci, the Imperial ambafadour at Paris, to the Count de Vergennes, the French minister for foreign affairs. My Lord, Paris, May 30, 1785. I have received the letter with which your Excellency this day honoured me, and in which you have been pleased to communicate to me the fubject of the conference you yesterday had with the ambafladours of Holland. If the StatesGeneral mean by marks of hoftility any actual aggreffion, the Emperour has given a pofitive declaration, that, none fhall be made by him during the courfe of the negociations now begun; but his Majefty did not nor could not mean by that to reftri&t himself from taking measures purely preparatory, and which cannot take effect except only in cafe the negociations, the bafis of which is known, and has been made public, fhould be entirely broken off. I hope that your Excellency will find this explanation to be entirely conformable to what the Emperour wrote to the King on this fubject, in the fame manner as they correfpond with the contents of the note the ambaffadours of Holland remitted to you March 25, and which you were pleased to tranfmit to me April 2. I therefore entreat your Excellency to renew with this limitation to the Dutch ambaffadours the affurance they appear to defire. It is a difagreeable circumftance, that confidering the precife manner in which the Emperour has explained himself, and which certainly deferved full relief, any doubt should have been entertained concerning it by the States-General, and that their High Mightineffes fhould thus have fuffered themselves to be induced to retard fo long the performance of the preliminary condition, to which themselves had confented, viz. fending their deputies to VienI cannot avoid renewing to your Excellency the most preffing inftances, that, by your reprefentations, an end may be put to those delays, and that I may be enabled to renew with the Dutch ambaffadours the conferences which have been interrupted by the conduct of their fovereigns. I am, &c. na. (Signed) MERCI D'ARGENTEAU. Rome, April 6. The draining of the Pontine Marshes, for which the Pope has affigned confiderable fums, is continued with steadfastness, and begins to be attended with fuccefs. The Appian Way has been difcovered, which for feveral ages has lain buried under the waters, and covered with rufhes and herbage. This great work will do honour to the prefent pontificate. Several Emperours, and three Pontiffs in fucceffion, had attempted it without being able to terminate it. The Way, however, is now repaired, and lengthened in fuch a manner, as to facilitate commerce, and ferve at the fame time as an ornament to the province. His Holinefs has erected convenient houfes there, and given or ders 1 ders that the course of the post shall be in future by way of the Mountain, to begin on the 15th of next month. Vienna, April 20. An ordonnance has been published by his Majefty lately, confiiting of twelve articles, by which his Majetty wishes to extend liberty more and more to all his fubjects, by the general fuppreffion of the laws of fervitude in his dominions, and grants to every perfon, who wishes to pafs from one part of his ftates to another, as into Bohemia, Auftria, Gallicia, even the Austrian Netherlands, Lombardy, Tufcany, &c. the permiffion to change their habitations without being obliged to pay any fum whatever for the moveables they take with them, on any pretence whatever. The Emperour has lately published a law, which it would be worthy of the wildom of the British legislature to adopt: it declares, that in future no clergyman fhall hold two benetices to which cure of fouls is annexed, becaufe it is imponible that they should duely attend to the du ties of one, without neglecting the functions of the other; and fo ftrictly is the law to be obferved, that it is to extend even to bishops and prebendaries of the Metropolitan churches, fo that those who had hitherto been permitted to hold feveral rectories which were ferved by curates, must now refign them all but one. Lisbon, April 23. On Monday the 11th inft. the Count Fernan Nunes, the Spanish ambaffadour at this court, made his public entry, in order to have his audience of her moft Faithful Majefty, the King, and the rest of the royal family, to demand the Portuguese Infanta Donna Marianna Victoria, to be given in marriage with the Infant Don Gabriel of Spain. The following day the contract of marriage was figned at the Palace of Noffa Senhora de Adjuda, and in the afternoon the marriage ceremony was performed by the Patriarch at Lif bon. At night there were fireworks and a ferenetta at court, to which the foreign ministers were invited. On Wednesday the foreign minifters were admitted to pay their compliments to her Moft Faithful Majefty and the royal family, and feparately to the Portuguese Infanta. The evening concluded with a very fplendid entertainment given by the Spanish ambaffadour, to which the foreign minifters and the Portuguese nobility were invited. The city was illuminated each of these three days. Aranjuez, May 2. The Infanta Donna Charlotta fet out for Portugal on Wednesday laft, the 27th ult. and stopped the first night at Toledo, about four leagues from this place. Her Highness is to proceed by eafy journeys, and will not arrive before the 10th or 12th day at Villaviciofa, where the court of Portugal at prefent refides, and where the exchange of the two princeffes is now expected to take place, and not at Badajos (on the frontiers of Spain) as was originally intended. Her highness's fuite exceeds 500 perfons. Peterburgh, May 13. The Empress has given orders for a new expedition, the object of which is to extend the difcoveries already made by fome navigators of this empire, the fuccefs of which cannot fail to add to geographical know ledge, and that of natural history. LieutenantColonel Bleumer, who is charged with carrying it into execution, will embark, with fome men of science, at the mouth of the River Anadir, and will fail to thofe latitudes where our na vigators have difcovered in lat. 64, fome iflands inhabited, in an advantageous fituation, and where they established a trade for fur, fome fpecimens of which have been already brought here. Lieut. Col. Bleumer will afterwards double the coat of Tichutki, defcend by the ftrait which feparates Siberia from America, and push as far as the 74th degree of latitude. Copenhagen, May 14. An edict has been published here, declaring the opening of the new navigable canal, which connects the North Sea with the Baltic to all the nations of Europe for the term of fix years. The tariff of duties to be paid for this paffage will appear in about a fortnight. The Madrid, May 17. The ordinance relative to the new Eat-India Company is dated the 28th of laft month; the fund of that Company is to be 30,000,000, of which the Caraccas Company, which is re-united to it, is to furnish nine, the King five, the Bank of Madrid three, and the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands a fimilar fum. The remaining 10,000,000 are to be divided into fhares of Icoo livres each. Company will be charged with the equipment of the merchant ships deftined for Spanish America, where they will find the merchandize neceffary for that country; and are to receive in exchange pialtres, corn, and fruits, which they are to carry to the Philippines, where they will purchase the goods of India and China. The King permits to all nations the free enterance into all the ports of the Philippines. The Company will have there a council of administration; another is to be established at Manilla, and one at Madrid, with which the other two are to correfpond. Berlin, May 20. The interefting fpeech made by the Baron de Herfberg, minifter of ftate at the last Affembly of the Academy, relative to population in general, and that of the Pruffian eitates in particular, has been published; by which it appears that he calculates the prefent population of the Pruffian eftates at fix millions of fouls; two millions of whom form the population of Silefia, Pruffia, and EaftFriesland. Before the acceffion of his prefent Majesty the estates under the Pruffian domination contained only two millions of inhabitants; the increase of population is owing to the paternal care of the King, who has used his utmost to encourage agriculture, manufactures, and court of Portugal, to Mifs Stert, eldest daughter of Richard Stert, Efq. merchant of the fame place.-26. John Hopkins, of Millbank-ftreet, Westminster, fenior officer of his Majesty's Palace-court, aged 85, to Mrs. Mary Johnfon, widow lady, of Carey-ftreet, aged 90.-June 2. Edward Knatchbull, Efq. only fon of Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bart. of Merfham-Hatch, in Kent, to Mifs Frances Graham, fecond daughter of Governour Graham.-9. Sir James Graham, Bart. of Netherby, in the county of Cumberland, to the Right Hon. the Lady Ka therine Stewart, eldest daughter of the Earl of Galloway.- -14. The Hon. Richard Howard, fecretary to her Majefty, and brother to the Earl of Effingham, to Mifs March, daughter of John March, Efq. of Worfley-Park, Huntingdonshire. -Lately, at Edinburgh, Sir James Nafmyth, Bart. to Mifs Eleanora Murray.LieutenantGeneral Jofeph Gabbit, colonel of the 66th (or Berkshire) regiment of foot, to Mrs. Richmond, only daughter and heiress of the late Seymour Richmond, Efq.-The Hon. Frederick Robinfon, brother to Lord Grantham, and member for Rippon, in Yorkshire, to Mifs Harris, fifter to Sir James Harris, his Majefty's ambaffadour at the Hague. DEATH S. May AT Edinburgh, the Rev. Dr. Miles 20. Cowper, one of the minifters of the epifcopal chapel of that city, rector of Sulhamftead in Berkshire, and alfo of Cowley in Glouceftershire, and formerly prefident of the College of New-York.-24. Mr. William Woollet, engraver to his Majefty.-Robert Alfop, Efq. alderman of Bridge ward without, and father of the city. He ferved the office of sheriff in the year 1733, and on the death of Thomas Winterbottom, Efq. in the year 1752, was elected mayor for the remaining part of the year.-25. In the 79th year of his age, the Right Hon. Francis Godolphin, Lord Godolphin, governour of the Scilly Islands. He married first in February, 1734, Barbara, daughter of William Earl of Portland, which lady dying without if fue in 1736, he married fecondly, May 28, 1748, Anne, daughter of John Earl Fitzwilliam, and dying without iffue, the title is extinct; but his eftate will be divided between the Marquis of Caermarthen and Robert Godolphin Owen, Efq. —26. Richard Atkinson, Efq. member for New Romney, and alderman of the city, and one of the directors of the Eaft-India Company.-29. Dr. Andrew Coltee Ducarel.June 6. The Rev. Mr. Rawes, vicar of Chedworth, Gloucefterfhire.-9. The Right Hon. Earl Pomfret; he is fucceeded in his title by his eldest fon, Lord Leominster.-11. Aged 75, the Rev. Edward Baily, Dean of Ardfert, and Archdeacon of Dublin.-12. Aged 82, the Rev. Dr. George Wilhart, one of the minifters of Edinburgh. Lately, at Malta, in Switzerland, aged 92, Count Vandecope, of Belchelgen, a defcendant of Bohemund, Prince of Apulia, who overthrew the Turks in the famous battle of Nice, a Count of the Roman empire, and formerly phyfician to the Emprefs Queen of Hungary. The title devolves to Dr. Cope, formerly of Baliol-college, Oxon. At St. Helena, Lieutenant Governour Major Henry Græme.The Rev. John Calthorp, for forty years vicar of Bofton and Kinton, Prebendary of Lincoln, and in the commiffion of the peace for Holland in that county. CIVIL PROMOTIONS. ARL Spenfer to be high fteward of May the borough of St. Alban's, in the narvon. From the other Papers. Thomas Skinner, Efq. chofen alderman of Queenhithe ward; William Curtis, Efq. alder-man of Tower ward; and Benjamin Hammett, Efq. alderman of Portfoken ward.-John Hall, Efq. to be historical engraver to his Majefty. ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS. PRESENTATIONS. HE Rev. Thomas Parker, jun. A. M. to pel of Bulley annexed.The Rev. Mr. Jones, A. M. admitted a minor canon of Gloucester ca- DISPENSATION S. THE Rev. James Wiggeth, to hold the rectory of Crudewell, in the county of Wilts; together with the vicarage of Hackerton, in the fame county. The Rev. Edward Townsend, to hold the rectory of Henley-upon-Thames, together with the vicarage of Stukeley, in the county of Bucks.-The Rev. Thomas Booth, to hold the vicarage of Frifkney, in the county of Lincoln, together with the rectory of Hellow, otherwife Bellow, with Aby, in the fame county.--The Rev. Thomas Watson, A. M. chaplain to Lord Montfort, to hold the rectory of North Cheriton, with the rectory of Maperton, in the county of Somerfet and diocese of Bath and Wells. BANKRUPTS. May 21. BANKRUPT S. Berks, timber-merchant. merchant.-John Evans, of Liverpool, merchant WILLIAM Greatrex, of Bifham, in - John Robrahm, of Bishop Wearmouth, in the county of Durham, raft-merchant.--William Brumby, of Chapel Milton, in Derbyshire, dealer.-John Daniel Frederick Rueto, late of Liverpool, merchant.-Thomas Shittlewood, late of Newarkupon-Trent, in Nottingham, wharfinger.-Thomas Wright, of Field Burcot, in Northamp-Moles Geddings, John Twift, and John Gatonshire, money-fcrivener.-24. James Evans, of Cleobury Mortimer, in Salop, builder.Thomas Shayle, of Much Marcle, in Herefordfhire, dealer.-Edward Young, of Bristol, cornfactor. 28. Thomas Green, of Ilington Back Road, St. James, Clerkenwell, fmith, wheelwright, and dealer in coals.-John Copland, late of St. Martin's-lane, St. Martin in the Fields, wine and brandy merchant.-Henry Tafh and William Roebuck, of Oxford, fhopkeepers and partners.-William Stone, late of St. Catherine's, in the liberty of the Tower of London, grocer.-John Allingham, late of Holbourn, in St. Giles's, fadler.-Edward Brine, of Portsmouth, in Hants, brafier. William Lewis, late of New Sarum, in Wilts, watch- zel, all late of Blackman-ftreet, Southwark, dealers and copartners.--Michael Bothomley, late of Old-ftreet, St. Luke, but now of Gravellane, in Chrift-Church, Surrey, warehouseman. -William Allen, of the Strand, St. Clement Danes, goldfmith and bucklemaker.-14. Ri chard Ley, of the parish of Highweek, in Devonshire, tanner.-Auguftine Pottle, of Foultham, in Norfolk, grocer. Edward Pitt, of Wellington, in Somerfetthire, woolftapler.Thomas Barnes, of Fleet-ftreet, London, stationer.--Robert Clark and Andrew Clark, both now or late of Blackburn, in Lancashire, linendrapers and copartners.-Jofeph Warburton and Matthew Randall, of Coleman-street, London, merchants and copartners.-John Meggs, late of Tottenham-Court-Road, St. Pancras, broker and upholsterer-18. Richard Leggatt, late of Penton-Mewfey, in Hants, wool-ftapler.Stanton Collins, of Wartling, in Suffex, maltfter.-Robert Johnston, of Tower-hill, London, merchant.-John Tyfoe Reade, of Walthamftow, in Effex, but formerly of London, banker. Thomas Allingham, of Lawrence-Pountneylane, London, merchant.- -Elifabeth Brown, late of Portfea, near Portsmouth, in Hants, widow, brewer.-21. Peter Herbert, of Cowley, in Gloucestershire, dealer.-Thomas Evans, of John-ftreet, in the Minories, London, money-fcrivener. Mary Jane, of Chepstow, in Monmouthshire, fhopkeeper.-25. George Chapman, of Loughborough, Leicestershire, linendraper. Thomas Cowper, late of Dufton, Weftmoreland, dealer and chapman.-Jonathan May, of Brook-street, Hanover-fquare, taylor.-Horatio Kime, of Milford-lane, Strand, coal-merchant.-James Niven and Arthur Gibbons, late of Mahou, in the island of Minorca, but now of Abchurch-yard, merchants.--William Humphreys, of Rumford, Effex, broker, appraiser, and auctioneer. Charles Sladen, of Bristol, blockmaker. Polkfcript. the fire of the curfed Montgolfier, and fell with incredible velocity on Huitmille Warren, where the two unfortunate adventurers were found inftantly on their fall; Pilatre with his thighs both broke, and a violent contufion on his breaft; he was dead before his defcent apparently. Romain had both his legs broken, and most of his limbs difjointed, but breathed for fome moments, and uttered the exclamation-Oh! Jefu, and inftantly expired. "Excufe me, the subject has fo affected me that I can fay no more. There were faggots and ftaves all round the gallery, and the fire actually blew about the gallery at the moment of their afcenfion. The whole scene lasted about fifty minutes." The following particulars are communicated by another hand: The machine which afcended with M. de Rozier and his companion, confifted of a balloon, filled with inflammable air, of a fpherical form, thirty-feven feet in diameter; under this balloon a Montgolfier, or fire balloon was attached, of a cylindrical form, ten feet in diameter and twenty feet long-the gallery which fufpended thefe unfortunate aeronauts, was attached to the net of the upper balloon, by a number of cords, which were fixed to a hoop of a diameter rather greater than the Montgolfier; from this hoop the cords defcended in perpendicular lines to the wicker gallery, which fupported them and the ballaft, confifting of brush-wood, faggots, and ftaves of cafks; within thefe perpendicular cords the Montgolfier was placed; it formed a moveable curtain, compofed of a very light filk, lined with what is commonly termed filver paper. This kind of ballait was felected for the purpose of fupporting the afcenfion as long as poffible, by burning a fmall quantity at a time, to expel part of the atmospheric air from the air balloon, and by that means to gain levity, which was increased or diminished by raising or lowering the curtain. The greatest levity they were capable of obtaining, by this ingenious contrivance, which was M. Rozier's invention, was equal to fixty pounds. "We have great reafon to believe, that the caufe of the melancholy accident which happened to thefe gentlemen, was owing to the Lower part of the fire balloon being preffed in towards the flames, by a current of air difplaced by the afcenfion of the upper balloon, which returning to fill up the void below, produced the above effect, and which would probably have been prevented, if the Montgolfier had been fituated on the outfide of the cylindrical cords to which the gallery was fufpended." Our readers will recollect that M. Pilatre de Rozier was the firft who made the bold experiment of afcending into the air, and as he was diftinguished by an eminent love of science, we truft the following account of his fcientific life will not be unacceptable. M. Pilatre de Rozier, the first unhappy victim to that fcience which he had fo much improved, was about thirty years of age, of a good family, and great fcientific acquirements. He was rather tall in his perfon, and remarkably well proportioned; his countenance beamed with that benignity, which was ratified by every action LOND. MAC. June 1785. M. De Rozier evinced a very early attachment to philofophical purfuits, and contributed confiderably to that excellent periodical publication "Rozier's Journal," which was conducted by an Abbe of that name, a diftant relation. His abilities as a phyfician or natural philofopher, had been tong known and admired; but the most brilliant part of his career was reserved till that period when Meffrs. De Montgolfier made the aftonishing discovery of elevating heavy bodies into the atmosphere, by rarifying the external air, and inclofing it in an envelope of fufficient capacity. The first machine that afcended with human beings into the hitherto unexplored regions of air, was fent up under the direction of M. Pilatre de Rozier; the zeal of the Duchefs de Polignac, the governess to the royal offspring of France, had no fmall share in the inftitution of this celebrated experiment. On the 211t of November, 1783, at fifty-four minutes paft one, this unfortunate gentleman and the Marquis D'Arlandes, afcended in a fire-balloon from the Chateau de la Muette at Paris. When the machine had attained the heighth of about 250 feet, the intrepid voyagers waved their hats to the fpectators, who were agitated with the mingled fenfation of fear and attonishment. The aerial navigators were foon out of fight, but the machine itself floating horizontally, and difplaying a molt beautiful appearance, afcended to the height of three thousand feet, and still remained vifible; it was wafted over the Seine, near the gate of la Conference, and paffing between the Ecole Militaire and the Hotel des Invalides, was clearly diftinguifhed by the whole city of Paris. having been in the air for twenty-five minutes, they defcended near the mill of Croulebarbe, in the vicinity of the new Boulevard, in short, without having experienced the leaft inconvenience, and having yet in the gallery two thirds of their fuel, fo that without any difficulty they might have made a journey of three times the extent. The machine in which this voyage was made was seventy feet in height by forty-fix in diameter; it contained fixty thoufand cubic feet of air, and was capable of elevating fixteen or seventeen hundred weight. After M. de Rozier's next afcent was from Lyons, in the enormous machine, conftructed by the elder M. Montgolfier; its two furfaces were compofed of cloth, with three layers of paper between them; it was one hundred and thirtyfix feet in height, by one hundred and ten in diameter, and was called the Fleffelles, in compliment to the Intendant of that city. The 19th of January, 1784, was the day appointed for its 30 afcenfion, |