PRINCIPAL OCCURRENCES JANUARY. In the Year 1798. 1. HE election of an alderman for the ward of Farringdon without, in the room of John Wilkes, efq. finally terminated this day in favour of Mr. Price; who, having a majority of 207 votes over Mr. Waddington, was declared duly elected. The numbers on the three days poll were, Mr. Price. Mr. Waddington. 2. 606 179 167 53 399 The late heavy rains have been fo feverely injurious to the land in feveral parts of Glouceftershire and the adjacent countries, as to render it quite impoffible to fow the wheats even till this advanced period. The Thames has overflowed its banks, and laid the fields on each fide the high road quite under water for a mile in extent between Cirencester and Hampton. The fheep are driven from their paftures, and cannot even be turned into the turnip fields, on account of the lands being too wet, as the dirt they collect there becomes too injurious to the fleece. From the London Gazette, Jan 2. Parliament-freet, Jan. 2. A letter, of which the following is an extract, has been received from Peter Le Mefurier, efq. governor of the island of Alderney, by the right hon. Henry Dundas, one of his majefty's principal fecretaries of ftate, dated Alderney, the 25th of December, 1797. I have the honour of informing you, that yesterday afternoon, at three o'clock, a French cutter privateer had the boldness to chafe the Ann cutter, of Haftings, clofe under one of our batteries, which fhe was just on the point of boarding with her boat, when the battery opened and obliged the French to theer off. Having obferved that the Englifh veffel outfailed the enemy while there was a breeze, and that the privateer was not of great force, I judged it probable that he might be captured by the troops of the garrison, and therefore ordered a detachment, with an officer, to embark in the fame veffel that had been chafed, and in another that fortunately happened to be in the road, having previously promised fome gratuity to the owners, and in a few hours I learned, with much fatisfaction, that the privateer was brought into our harbour. She proves to be the Epervier, captain Pierce, with twenty-four men, mounting three guns, two fwivels, and fmall-arms, belonging. to Dunkirk, but fitted out at Cherburgh, on a fortnight's cruife from the 17th inftant; had, on the 21st, (A 2) taken taken the brig Ann, Le Hirrel, mafter, from Gafpe to Jersey, with fifh, and yesterday morning a fmall veffel, bound from hence to Eng land, both which captures had been noticed from this island. I cannot too much praise the readinefs and alacrity fhewn by major Gordon, the officers, and foldiers of the garrifon, in the execution of my orders on this occafion; for the day was fo far fpent, that one quarter of an hour's delay might have fruftrated all our exertions; but I am in duty bound to teftify my particular obligations to town-major Hainell, who folicited to be employed, and inftantaneoufly embarking, effected the capture without any lofs. I am further happy in reporting, that our battery was well ferved, as out of three fhot fired within reach, one paffed through the enemy's fails, and another killed a man on board. This gazette alfo contains an account of the capture of the Delphine, a French privateer cutter, pierced for 10 guns, 4 mounted, and 38 men, by his majefty's fhip Niger, capt. Edward Griffith. She had captured the Active brigantine, of Jerfey, and had been beat off the night before we fell in with her by an English letter of marque.-Alfo, the French privateer fchooner Le Victoire, of 14 guns and 74 men, by his majefty's fhip Termagant, capt. Lloyd, after a chafe of four hours. She had captured two colliers, and was in purfuit of an English merchantman, when first discovered. A common hall was held at Guildhall, for the purpofe of electing a proper perfon to fill the office of chamberlain, vacant by the death of the late John Wilkes, efq. After the recorder had formally explained the purpose of the mecting, Majority 345 At the clofe of the poll fir Watkin declined giving any further trouble, and Mr. Clarke was confequently duly elected. 6. This day paffports were fent off, by the commiffioners for French prifoners, for a French agent to come to this country, to fuperin tend and have charge of the provifioning the French prifoners. It is now agreed upon between the two countries, that the prifoners of each fhall be maintained at the coft of their refpective countries, the markets of both being open to the agent refiding therein. The prifoners in both are likewise to be kept in two or three places of general rendezvous, in place of being fcattered over the country as heretofore. This country will fave near half a million a year by this arrangement. 7. Count Rumford has made a donation to the Royal Society of 1000l. in the 3 per cents. for the purpofe of inftituting a biennial prize medal, to be difpofed of by the decifion of the prefident and council of the Royal Society. 9. Charles Crawley and Jofeph Robinfon, two feamen belonging to to his majesty's fhip Tromp, were executed this morning at Spithead, for mutiny on board that veffel, during her paffage home from St. Helena. The London Gazette contains an account of the capture of L'Aventure letter of marque, formerly the Onflow Guineaman, of Liverpool, mounting to four and 2 eight pounders, and had on board, when captured, 190 men, by his majefty's fhip Mermaid, capt. Newman. 10. At the Old Bailey feflions this day, Robert Reeves was put to the bar on a charge of forgery. Mr. Fielding, on the part of the profecution, addreffed the jury. He obferved that the crime imputed to the prisoner was no lefs than forgery, a conviction of which to their fatisfaction would be attended with the forfeiture of his life; and for that reason, as well as on account of its being a crime that ftruck fo deep at the root of the commerce and money tranfactions of the country, deferved their most ferious attention. The profecution was carried on, on the part of the directors of the bank, in confequence of that duty they owed the public. The prifoner, at the time of his apprehenfion, was a broker, in which fituation he had acted for fome years. Previous to his carrying on the business of a broker, he had been employed in fome of the departments of the bank, and confequently was well killed in all money tranfactions relating to it. It happened in the year 1796, that government had occafion for a loan of feven millions and a half, the terms of which were, that the 3 per cents were to be taken as at 67, and according to that rate the intereft of the flares of fuch as meant to contribute to the loan was to be divided. The fubfcribers were alfo to conform to this condition, namely, that if a perfon fubfcribed for one, two, or ten thousand pounds, he was to pay 10 per cent. on the fum he propofed to fubfcribe for, fuch advance to be made on the 26th of April, and the remaining 90 per cent. to be made good by fix fubfequent payments of 15 per cent. each. The fecond payinent was to be made in May, and the third in June, In the act of parliament for regulating the terms of the loan, it was provided, that if \ fubfcribers, wifhing to complete their loans, did not make good their payments within a fpecific time, that is to fay, having paid the 10 per cent. in April, if they did not make the fecond payment in May, the firft fubfcription became forfeited for the benefit of the public. This ftock, of course, formed a confiderable part of the bufinefs of the ftock exchange. The prifoner was acquainted with a Mr. William Afhforth, who refided at Walworth, and knowing him to be poffeffed of money, contrived to get out of him fums to the amount of 3 or 4000l. The application of the prifoner to Mr. Afhforth for the loan of money was in the month of June, when the ftipulated periods for the two firft payments on the fubfcription to the loan to government, namely, the one in April and the other in May, were paft. As a fecurity for the money advanced by Mr. Afhforth, the prifoner depofited in his hands, what, in the language of the Alley was called fcrip; the first inftallment of which had been duly paid, and the receipt figned by Mr. C. Allier, the proper clerk. This fcrip, or receipts to the amount of near 300,000l. was depofited with Mr. Afhforth as a fecurity for what he advanced. It happened that (A 3) this |