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the jury that the matter was not a premeditated thing on the part of his client, who, he said, was very young, and inexperienced in the ways of the world. It was merely the very powerful effect of the lady's charms, to the blaze of which he was constantly exposed, from the frequent opportunities he had of being in her company, and which receiving no check, expanded till it broke out in all the fever of distracted love, and led him to the commission of an act that must for ever render him a miserable outcast of society. He had already forfeited every worldly benefit, and, if heavy damages were given, what must be the result? He must either perish in a prison, or the weight must fall on the innocent and unhappy father, with eight daughters to provide for. Mr. Law admitted that his client merited a severe punishment, but prayed that it might not be beyond his means of paying, which, he declared, did not amount to more than 3,000l. the sum invested as his share in the business being advanced by his father.. After some other observations on his client's conduct, he concluded, by intreating the jury to tincture their justice with mercy, and only award a fair retribution..

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great sessions here. The solicitor for the crown came from London; and the counsel for the prosecution were, the attorney-general of the circuit, Mr. Phillips,. Mr. serjeant Williams, Mr. Touchett, and Mr. Dauncey; for the prisoners, Mr. Milles and Mr. Blackstone. The two prisoners were brought up to plead to their indictments on Tuesday evening. Mr. Milles took some objections to the form of them, at the same time declaring his determination, and that of the prisoners, to bring on the trials, and not to interpose any delay. The judges over-ruled the objections, and Thursday morning, at seven, was fixed for their trials. The public expectation had been much raised, and more than 140 gentlemen were summoned upon the jury. A large additional number of persons were sworn in as constables, and every precaution was taken to preserve the peace. At seven the court assembled, and the jury were called, and after many challenges and some debate between the counsel and court upon points as they arose, a most respectable jury were sworn; Mr. Barlow, the member for Pembroke, was the foreman. The attorney-general made a very impressive and dispassionate speech, stating the evidence most distinctly which he should bring against the prisoners: and after having examined two or three witnesses relating to the apprehension of the prisoner, called one of the French prisoners to prove the facts which he had stated. He was an American, and could speak very good English. He refused to answer any question relative to the proceedings in the camp, or to the prisoner at the bar, saying that he would stay and hear what the other Frenchmen would say, and then he would

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say as they did. Many attempts were made to get the facts from him, but in vain. The counsel for the prosecution then attempted to go into an examination of what had passed from him before the justice of peace and the grand jury. This was resisted by the counsel for the prisoner, and very ably and eloquently argued, and the counsel were heard upon a variety of questions which occurred in this part of the trial, when the judges rejected the evidence, and would not allow from the papers a question to be put to him. As they could not get any thing more from him, he was dismissed, and the examination of two or three of the Frenchmen, who did speak out, affected the prisoner so little, that the counsel for the prosecution, upon consultation with themselves, relinquished the prosecution. The other prisoner was then brought to trial. Against him the evidence was still slighter, and that prosecution was given up in less than an hour."

11. At the nisi prius bar at Bristol, a cause of great importance to the mercantile world came on, to be tried before sir Nash Grose, and a special jury.-The circumstances of the case are shortly these: Mac Taggart and co. tobacco-merchants, of London, struck a bargain with the Hunters and co. merchants, at Bristol, to sell them a quantity of unmanufactured tobacco (to the amount of 13007.) for a bill at three months, payable in London. The goods were shipped off the latter part of February; about the beginning of March of the same year, the house of the Hunters became insolvent, which was previous to the time when M'Taggart's bill on them became due. They, therefore, no sooner heard of the

failure, than one of the partners hastened from town, and overtook the goods at Portsmouth; which he instantly seized, and would not' suffer to proceed. Now this was an action of trover brought by the assignees of the Hunters, to recover the value of the tobacco so seized by the defendants; and upon this ground: that the vessel in which it was shipped by the consigners was a chartered ship of the consignees, and that, therefore, it was an actual delivery to them. The leading counsel for the defendants made a very eloquent and ingenious speech to the jury in which he insisted strongly on the circumstance that his clients, while settling the mode of conveyance with the Hunters, had never once asked the question, whether the ship was chartered or general; from whence he inferred proof of no essential difference existing between them. Some other points were ably urged; and he concluded by reminding the jury of the great importance of this cause to the commerce of this country, and of the pernicious consequences which would result to credit, the very life-blood of the state, if they should give a verdict for the plaintiffs. Before the leading counsel on the other side addressed the jury in reply, the judge said, it was his duty to declare, that he had never known a stronger or a clearer point of law: that a chartered vessel was, indubitably, the particular warehouse of those who chartered her, and that of consequence no person could legally stop or detain any goods shipped on board such vessel without permission of the owners. Upon this a verdict was instantly given to the plaintiff's to the full value of the tobacco.

From this decision, it will become prudent for merchants to in

quire whether the ship, which is to convey their goods, be chartered or not; because had it been a general ship, the M'Taggarts would have been justified in detaining the tobacco.

Admiralty-office, September 16. Extract of a letter from the right hon. lord Bridport, K. B. commander in chief of the channel fleet, to Evan Nepean, esq. dated on board his majesty's ship Royal George, at Torbay, the 13th September, 1797. SIR,

Herewith you will receive copies of letters, with the papers therein referred to, from commodore sir J. Borlase Warren, which I transmit for their lordships' information.

I am, &c.

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La Pomone, at Sea, Aug. 12, 1797. My Lord,

I beg leave to inform your lordship, that on the morning of the 11th instant, a convoy of the enemy, with a ship corvette, a brig and schooner gun-boats, two armed luggers, several chasse-marées and brigs, were discovered standing to sea, out of the Pertuis de Breton, from Rochfort. I attempt ed to cut them off or destroy them with La Pomone and Jason, who attacked a fort, in order to cover the Sylph, who was anchored near the two corvettes, having left the Triton in chase to windward: the enemy, perceiving our intention, anchored at the entrance of the river of Sable d'Olonne, close under the fort, the ship corvette and gunboats with springs upon their cables. At eleven, being near enough, the firing commenced, and continued for an hour, when the gunboat slipped her cables to run on shore, but sunk before she got in the river, near the small vessels,

and the corvette remained fast aground, but deserted by her people, and much damaged. As I did not think it possible to set her on fire with the boats of the squadron, there being little wind, and the tide of flood setting us upon the coast, we hauled our wind to the southward.

I have the satisfaction of acquainting your lordship, that it has occasioned a delay for some time of the enemy's supplies arriving at Brest, as one of the vessels is destroyed, and it is doubtful if the other can be repaired so as to be of any use in future.

The ships of the squadron have sustained very trifling damages. A return of the killed and wounded in each ship is inclosed.

I have only to amount that a more favourable moment did not present itself, to afford the officers and men an opportunity of distin guishing themselves; but the enemy must have suffered considerably on board the vessels and in the fort, from the number of shot that struck them.

Some hot shot were fired from a battery of five guns, which set fire to the Sylph; but any ill effects were prevented by the exertions of the officers and men of that vessel, who cut them out, and behaved otherwise with much spirit and zeal.

I have the honour to remain, &c. (Signed) JOHN WARREN.

P. S. Since I began this letter, not having an opportunity of sending it to your lordship, I have received information from three vessels who had left Sable d'Olonne subsequent to the above affair, and the following is the result of these reports:

The ship corvette is in the har bour, but so damaged as to be un

fit for service. The gun-boat remains sunk and destroyed. The enemy lost several killed and wounded in the two vessels. In the fort, five soldiers were killed, and two guns dismounted, and some wounded; two or three houses much shattered. We were off Sable d'Olonne on the 26th, and saw the ship in the harbour.' Extract of another letter, dated on board the Pomone, at Sea, August 23.

On the 23d inst. I chased, and drove on the coast of the Isle Dieu, L'Egalité armed chasse-marée, of four 6-pounders and eight swivels, and which we afterwards got off. La Pomone, at Sea, September 6. My Lord,

I beg leave to inform your lordship that I continued steering for the mouth of the Garonne; and on the 27th ult. being to the southward of the river, a number of vessels were seen in the south-west quarter. I made the signal for a general chace, and continued until night, when, from the Triton being far advanced a-head, and the Jason to windward, the ships kept the enemy in sight after the approach of night. Owing to the exertions of Captains Gore and Stirling, five of them were captured. At two A.M. being near the shore, a cutter was seen at anchor, that had accompanied the convoy, and one of the boats of this ship was sent to her; but being ordered to keep off, and seeing she was a vessel of force, returned. I stood in after her, and upon our firing a few shot, one of which cut away her mast, she slipped her cable, and ran among the breakers upon the coast of Arcasson, and into a most tremendous surf that broke on hoard her, and must have stove her to pieces. She at last drove

through, and I fancy several of her crew were drowned, and as the tide left her, she fell over; the remainder of her men, about 90 in number, got on shore. She was called Le Petit Diable, a very fine vessel, pierced for 18 or 20 guns, and 100 men complement. The prizes are laden with ship timber, rosin and tar, and were intended to fit out privateers from the enemy's principal ports upon the coast.

I have the honour to be, &c.
JOHN WARREN.

Right hon. lord Bridport,

K. B. &c. &c. &c.

A list of vessels belonging to the French republic, captured and destroyed by the squadron under the orders of commodore sir John Borlase Warren, bart. and K. B. between the 17th of July, 1797, and the 6th of September following:

Vessels of war captured. L'Egalité, chasse-marée, 50 tons, 8 guns and 20 men. Vessels of war destroyed. Le Calliope, frigate, 36 guns, and 250 men, sunk.-La Freedom, ship, 300 tons, 8 guns and 37 men, burnt.-A ship corvette, 22 guns and 200 men, bilged.-A brig gunvessel, 12 guns and 70 men, sunk.

Le Petit Diable, cutter, 18 guns and 180 men, bilged and fell over.

Merchant vessels captured.-La Thalia, ship, sent to Falmouth.A brig, sent to Falmouth.-A brig sent to Falmouth.-A brig, sent to Falmouth.-Three chasse-marées, sent to Falmouth. - L'Arche de Flotte, chasse-marée, cargo of wine and soap, distributed to the squadron.-A brig, sent to Falmouth.A chasse-marée, sent to Falmouth. -La Republicaine brig, foundered, crew saved.-La Sardine Fraiche, brig, foundered, crew saved.-A

brig, sent to Falmouth.-Le Dauphin, brig, sent to Falmouth. Les Trois Sœurs, chasse-marée, sent to Falmouth.

Merchant vessels destroyed.-Le ****, brig, sunk.-Le Henri, sloop, burnt. Le Fidèle, brig, burnt. L'Anne, chasse-marée, sunk.-La Marie Anne, sloop, sunk.-Le Pierre, sloop, burnt.

J. B. WARREN. Copy of a letter from captain Thomas Wolley, commander of his majesty's ship Arethusa, to Evan Nepean, esq. dated Spithead, September 13, 1797.

I am to acquaint you, that on the 20th of August, being in latitude 30 deg. 49 min. and long. 55 deg. 50 min. having in tow a ship under Prussian colours from Surinam, which I have detained, suspecting her to be Dutch property, we perceived at day-light three sail to windward of us, one of which, deceived by our appearance, bore down upon us, under French colours, to within half a gun-shot, when she began to fire, which she continued for more than half an hour before she attempted to escape. We were, however, fortunate enough to have so disabled her in that time as to render her endeavours fruitless. On striking, she proved to be La Gaieté, French corvette, of 20 French pounders, and 186 men, commanded by M. Guiene, enseigne de vaisseau. She is a very handsome ship, and quite new, this being her first voyage. She left France in April last for Cayenne, which last place she sailed from about four weeks before we fell in with her, in company with the l'Espoir, a brig of 14 guns, who kept to windward during the action, and stood away as soon as she saw the fate of the Gaieté. They had

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This gazette also contains accounts of the captures of the Derrepente, a Spanish privateer lugger, and the Fabius, a famous privateer ship, of Nantes, of 16 six-pounders, 4 twelve-pounders, and 140 men, by the Doris, captain lord Ranelagh; - also, Le Veteran, French privateer sloop of eight guns and 24 men, and La Dorade, French privateer sloop, of four guns and 74 men, by his majesty's ship, Lapwing;--and also, La Batave, Dutch privateer sloop, of ten guns and 54 men, by his ma jesty's ship Roebuck.

Admiralty-office, Sept. 18. This gazette contains accounts of the capture of El Domini Lucas, a Spanish lugger privateer, of 2 fourpounders, 12 swivels, and 28 men, by his majesty's sloop Speedy, capt. Downman; also, the French privateer schooner L'Incroyable, of 3 six-pounders and 31 men, by his majesty's sloop Spitfire, captain Seymour; and the sinking of La Cornelie, French privateer brig of 12 guns and 90 men, only 17 of whom were saved, by his ma jesty's ship Dryad, capt. Beanclerk, owing to the imprudent conduct of the Frenchmen.

19. Their

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