jesty in the Council of State, and delivered, to the Diet by the Chancellor :

"His Majesty, who laid before the States his gracious proposal respecting the general circulating currency, and the maintenance of its value, informs them, that as his constitutional duties do not prescribe to his Majesty any proposal of the kind, his Majesty's sole view was, to meet the wishes of the States and of the public, and give the Diet a fresh proof of his confidence by communicating the views and plans which ap. peared to his Majesty the best calculated to attain the great objects of maintaining the value of the currency, promoting the circulation, and encouraging industry. His Majesty, who loves to rely implicitly on the patriotism and enlightened views of the Diet, will be happy to learn that the States have discovered means more conformable to those important ends than those proposed, and he may himself reap the fruit of such great exertions. His Majesty will find satisfaction in the consciousness of having spared no pains to attain the same end, and his chief reward in the welfare of the country.

"But his Majesty, in leaving it to the States to develope at the same time the importance of maintaining the public currency, as also the means, embraces this opportunity to declare that his Majesty and his Royal Highness the Crown Prince do not intend to make in future, as they have hitherto done, any sacrifices for this purpose; but that henceforwards the States alone are

charged with the responsible care to maintain in its value the cur rency which is issued under their guarantee, and which represents all the private property in circulation. As the States have the choice of the means, it is also their business to take measures to execute them; and his Majesty is assured that the representatives of the nation will neglect nothing to fulfil the expectations of his Majesty and of the nation. If the States will estimate the necessary means, and apply to his Majesty to join his endeavours in this respect with those of the agents of the Bank, his Majesty, fully convinced of the influence of the money system on the general welfare, is not indisposed to contribute to it on his part; and the sacrifices already made by his Majesty and the Crown Prince for this end, give the States a sure pledge of the continued care which his Majesty and his Royal Highness will not cease to give to this important branch of the general circula. tion.'"

As, in consequence of this declaration, no more bills were drawn on 'Change for account of the Government, the course fell from 103 to 112 schill. for the Hamburgh bank dollar.

Petersburgh, Dec. 27.

By an Imperial ukase, published at Moscow, the Ministry of Public Instruction is to be united to that for the affairs of all religi ous confessions, with the title of Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs and Public Instruction.

The Prince Regent in Council lately sent an order to the Royal

B 2

Court

Court of Guernsey, to prohibit the importation of French silks, lace, &c. into that island. After the order had been read in open Court by the King's Treasurer, the Court refused to register it, alleging, that it militated against the long established customs, rights, and privileges of the island; that the islanders had suffered great privations by the abolition of smuggling; and that should the importation of silks and lace be put a stop to, it would reduce many to poverty and distress. The Court further ordered, that a humble representation should be made to the Privy Council of all those circumstances, and praying that the order might not be put in force in Guernsey.

Aberdeen, Dec. 31,

The following is a detail of the melancholy fate of a part of the crew of the brigantine Fidelity, of this port, Captain Murray, as contained in a letter from the Agent for Lloyd's, dated Lerwick, Zetland, 21st December:"I received information, about four o'clock yesterday afternoon, that a-water-logged brig, belong. ing to Aberdeen, was driven ashore on the coast, between Laxirith and Catfrith Voe. I immediately proceeded to the place, accompanied by Captain Creaser, of the late brig Helmsley, and Mr. James Craig of this place; on our arrival, we found the vessel was the Fidelity, of Aberdeen, Alexander Murray master, from Memel, with a cargo of timber and deals for Liverpool; that she had left Memel 15 days before, and was

proceeding on her passage, when she was overtaken by a very heavy gale, and a tremendous sea; that lying to, on Monday night, the 15th inst., she was struck with a heavy wave, in consequence of which she became very leaky, when they were obliged to cut away the mainmast, after which they succeeded by great exertion in keeping her before the wind, till Wednesday night, when she was struck again with two very heavy seas, and immediately became completely water-logged, and the sea made free passage over her, sweeping every thing off the deck; all hands were then obliged to repair to the foretop, where, in consequence of extreme fatigue, hunger, and cold, they all perished, except Captain Murray, and James Spander, one of the seamen. Besides the ship's company, there were two seamen passengers, who also perished; and the deck of the vessel, having seven dead bodies lying on it, exhibits a scene the most deplorable that can be imagined. Captain Murray had been thirty hours in the fore-top, without food, or even a great coat to keep him warm; yet he is in good health, except that his feet and hands are much swelled, and the seaman is also tolerably well. The vessel had drifted on shore upon an exposed rocky part of the coast, where the least puff of easterly or southerly wind must have broke her to pieces, had not immediate assistance been given; and I am most happy to inform you, that not a moment was lost in taking her out of this dangerous situation, which we succeeded

mits the Opposition Paper to be re-published on the commencement of the present year, 1818. To enlighten public opinion, however, respecting the motives which caused the suspension of that paper, the following declaration is officially published:

"His Excellency the Count de Zichy, the Austrian Minister at the Court of Prussia, and charged with an extraordinary mission from his Court to that of the Grand Duke of Weimar, made to his Royal Highness in the name of his Imperial Majesty, certain complaints on some very displeasing reflections which had been added by the Editor to an article dated from Vienna, in the 266th number of the Opposition Paper of the 12th of last No

vember.

"This complaint being accompanied by the observation, that no writer can reckon on the protection of a state when he has had the audacity to calumniate the institutions of another, to revile the people, and to preach insurrection, his Royal Highness considered this observation to agree perfectly with the laws subsisting in the Grand Duchy, and comprised in the ordinance of the 3rd of May last, and therefore made no difficulty in order ing a provisional suspension of this paper, reserving the right of a judicial inquiry. His Royal Highness agreed so much the more readily to this proceeding, because that the Editor had been already several times admonished and censured for injuries of this nature, and that this proceeding of his Imperial Majesty announces the conviction that the respect

due to the constitution and Government of his States can never be violated with impunity in the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar.

"The same paper had also inserted an article, which spoke of the constitution of Denmark in very unbecoming terms, and which seemed to consider as admissible, an opposition to the existing state of things."

The declaration then goes on to state, that the editorship of the paper having since passed into other hands, the paper is permitted again to appear; but to prevent all misunderstandings, the words "with the Grand Ducal privilege," which has hitherto appeared in the head of the Opposition Paper, should be suppressed.

It concludes with asserting, that the Opposition Paper never was, nor ever shall be, an official journal.

Ducal Weimar.

Given at Weimar, Jan. 2, 1818. The Director of the Grand Government of SaxeEISENACH. 3. Bremen.-Our Gazette contains a resolution of the Senate, ordered to be published in it without any observation, condemning its conduct in its remarks upon the measures of foreign Governments, and desiring it to abstain henceforth from the insertion of calumnious articles, otherwise the Senate will proceed judicially against the Editor.

Bow-STREET.-Fatal Duel.Yesterday morning an investigation took place before R. Birnie, esq., respecting the cause of the death of Lieutenant Edward Bayley, of the 58th regiment of foot, who was shot in a duel, on

Monday

Monday morning, Jan. 12, in a field near Chalk-farm.

Mr. O'Callaghan, who shot the deceased, was put to the bar, as likewise were the two seconds.

Mr. George Rodd, the surgeon, of Hampstead, now attended, and stated, that he was sent for on Monday morning with great speed, to go to Mr. Adams's house, in England's-lane, to attend a gentleman, who had been severely wounded. He arrived at Mr. Adams's house about 10 o'clock, where he saw a gentleman who had been wounded lying on a sofa; he proceeded to examine the wound, and he found a ball had penetrated on his right side very nearly in a line with his navel. He proceeded to examine him on his left side, when he discovered that a ball was resting between his skin and the muscles. He succeeded in extracting the ball, and then dressed the wound. The three prisoners were present in the room at the time he examined the wounds of the deceased. After Lieutenant Bayley died, he opened the body, and found his intestines had been wounded in three different places, and which he had no doubt had caused his death.

Mr. William Adams, who has acted so humanely in this shocking transaction, attended again, and in addition to his testimony of Monday night, stated, that after the deceased had called Mr. O'Callaghan to him, on the sofa, shook hands with him, and said every thing had been conducted in the most honourable manner, and that he forgave him he asked Mr. O'Callaghan if he would have done the same by him if he had wounded him. To

this Mr. O'Callaghan replied, most certainly, he should have acted as he had done; and followed up the observation by saying, I wish I had been wounded instead of you. Mr. O'Callaghan appeared much affected, and said, you touched me in the first fire we had on one of my legs by what is called a graze, and exhibited his trowsers and boots, when it appeared that a ball had passed through both the legs of his trowsers and one of his boots, He saw the deceased, Lieut. Bayley, shake hands very heartily with Mr. O'Callaghan.

The three prisoners were ordered to be detained in custody.

at

On the application of an attorney, engaged for the prisoners, Mr. Birnie agreed to their undergoing another investigation previous to their commitment for trial, and the Attorney wrote to Mr. Adams, requesting it as a favour, that he would attend again yesterday evening, seven o'clock, at which hour the three prisoners were brought again to the office, and Mr. Birnie having taken his seat, three Barristers, Mr. Nolan, Mr.Arabin, and Mr. Gould, attended: their arguments went first to show that the prisoners should be bailed, but their application failing, they simply asked that they should not be committed to Newgate; but be allowed to remain in the watch-house, as the more comfortable lodging, till the result of the Coroner's Inquest should be known.

Mr. Birnie said he had a public duty to perform. In answer to arguments of the learned counsel, he quoted the case of Montgomerie and McNamara, in which

Mr.