Le Refleche privateer, of 12 guns and 07 men, by captain Lawrie of the Zephyr; and of Le Hardi brig, of 18 guns and 130 men, by captain Ruddach of the Hazard. 12. A common-hall was held yesterday to receive the sheriffs' report of his majesty's answer, as to the time of presenting the address of the lord-mayor, aldermen, and livery of London, voted in the common-hall, on the 23d of last month. The lord-mayor addressed the livery. He said he had called them together, for the purpose of hearing the sheriffs' report, and that it should be immediately read to them as it had been made to him. The report was read. It stated that the sheriffs had taken an early opportunity of waiting upon his majesty, and had been admitted to the usual audience in the closet. His majesty's answer was, that "this not being the address of the city of London in its corporate capacity, he could not receive it upon the throne-that the answer given by the duke of Portland, was given by his order, and he would now repeat it, viz. He would be ready to receive the address of the livery of London upon Wednesday next, or upon any other levee day, provided it was presented by no more than ten persons." Mr. Hanson said, the report which had just been read was a melancholy confirmation of its being his majesty's intention not to receive the address of the livery. If any doubt had existed of the propriety of voting the address, the report which⚫ they had now heard not only proved its propriety, but its necessity. Kings were called the fathers of their country, and it was certainly the duty of parents to listen to the complaints of their children; those The who did not listen to them might be justly called unnatural. more he had reflected upon the refusal of his majesty to receive the address of the livery of London, the more was he convinced that ministers intended to provoke the livery to some intemperate act, that they might introduce into the city of London that horrid system of martial law which they had established in the sister kingdom. They should. however, be disappointed. The livery of London would conduct themselves in such a manner, that even such ministers as the present should have no pretence afforded them for such measures. He concluded by moving a resolution to the following effect: "That the lord-mayor, aldermen, and livery of London, have for time immemorial enjoyed the right and privilege of addressing the king upon the throne, and have never before been denied that right, except under the corrupt administration which occasioned and persisted in the American war." Mr. Waddington seconded the motion. He said the report they had heard was not an answer from a servant of the servants of majesty; it was an answer which the king himself had been graciously pleased to give, and truly a most gracious answer it was. In this manner it was attempted to deprive the city of London of one of the most valuable rights, without even a reason being assigned. There never was an address passed with more unanimity. than that of the common-hall of the 23d ult. and the just complaints of the citizens of London did not deserve such a return. The livery, however, would not tamely resign their rights and privileges. In the present times, to deliver their opi nion was a duty, and silence was a crime. In the proceedings of the common-hall of the city of London at least, the future historian would recognize the British character and spirit. The question being put, the resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. Hanson said, the next resolution he should move was calculated to show the very different circumstances under which an address is received when presented to the king on the throne, and when it is presented to him at the levee. It was conceived in nearly the following terms: Resolved, "That when a petition is presented to his majesty upon the throne, the petitioners have the satisfaction of knowing that his majesty must hear their complaints, by the petition being read to him, and that they will receive some answer; but when a petition is presented at the levee, they receive no answer, and they are not certain that his majesty is ever made acquainted with its contents, as it is always delivered into the hands of the lord in waiting." This motion was also seconded by Mr. Waddington, and carried unanimously. Mr. Waithman proposed to move the following resolution: Resolved, "That his majesty's ministers have wantonly plunged this nation into an unjust and unnecessary war, which has produced a series of calamities unexampled in history-an enormous increase of public debt-an alarming diminution of our trade and manufactures -an abridgment of our rights and privileges a shameful profusion of our national wealth, by subsidizing allies abroad and supporting a system of corruption at home, to the de struction of public credit; thus evincing a disposition to sacrifice the blood, treasure, and liberties of this kingdom, in support of measures contrary to the principles of the constitution, derogatory to the dig nity and safety of the king, and inconsistent with the happiness of the people." The lord mayor insisted that this motion had no connection with his majesty's answer, and was therefore inconsistent with the purpose for which the common-ball was called, as stated in the precept. Mr. Waithman contended that the resolution was consistent with the object for which the commonhall was called. The livery of London had come to the resolution of not presenting their petition in any other way than to the king upon his throne, and as they had been refused that right, the resolution was necessary, to show the grounds upon which they had voted the address to his majesty on the 23d of last month. The livery had instructed their representatives in parliament to vote against the war; but they had instructed them to very little effect. On the present occasion there were not too many of their representatives to be seen. It was a circumstance which ought not to pass unnoticed, that none of those men, who have always supported the diabolical measures of the present administration, durst now come forward to vindicate them in public. They knew that the task of defending ministers was too arduous for them, and they shrunk from it But the livery of London had the right, when assembled in commonhall, whether on Midsummer, Michaelmas, or any other day, to discuss any public grievance. If the livery gave up this right, he should say, say, in the words of Shakspeare, Our Fathers' mind is gone, and we are governed by our mothers' spirits." Mr. Waithman addressed himself to the lord mayor, and asked his lordship if he persisted in his former opinion? The lord mayor came forward to address the livery. He was saluted with an universal hiss and the strongest marks of disapprobation. Having obtained silence, he said-Is this a meeting of the livery of London, where they will not listen to their chief magistrate? He was a man, and had been accustomed to face men; he had no fear, but the fear of not doing his duty; and he would not be influenced by the noise or the hisses of non-liverymen [a loud cry of "Point them outpoint him out!" was reiterated from every part of the hall]. His lordship proceeded-He was the guardian of the rights of the liverymen who were absent as well as those who were present; and he would not suffer any business to be brought toward which was extraneous to the purpose of the meeting He asked, if there was any relation between the motion which had been read, and his majesty's answer? He was sorry that any man, or set of men, could be found, who could take a pleasure in endeavour ing to bring their chief magistrate into a disagreeable situation. For his part he was quite impartial; he took no advantage and used no influence upon any question, but he was determined to defend the rights of the livery. Mr. Waithman re-stated, that the resolution was undoubtedly relative to the petition voted to be presented to his majesty; and therefore it had a relation to his majesty's answer. It was also immediately connected with the resolution which was to be proposed to follow it, and which went directly to his majesty's answer. The opinion of counsel had been taken upon this point; and there was not a doubt that the livery of London in their common-hall had a right to adopt any resolution they pleased. Mr. Waithman here read the resolution that was to follow: Resolved, "That it appears the more necessary that we should at this time have the full exercise of the right of petitioning, because the unprecedented calamities of the country demand that his majesty's faithful subjects should represent to him the true state of affairs, and pray for the dismissal of those weak and wicked ministers, whose misconduct and incapacity have brought this once great and flourishing nation into its present state of unparalleled distress, and who have proved themselves utterly incompetent to conduct the war, or to negotiate a peace." Mr. Farmer read the opinion of Mr. Wedderburn (now lord chancellor), Mr. Dunning, and some other eminent counsel, taken many years ago, upon this point. The opinion positively stated that the livery of London have an undoubted right to take into their consideration any public grievance, either on Midsummer, Michaelmas, or any other day on which they may meet. “It is beyond dispute, the right is inherent in them." The lord mayor still persisted in his own opinion. He said if the livery wanted to make their petition public they might publish it in all the newspapers. To a resolution of that kind he should not have the smallest objection. Mr. Mr. Waithman said he would let his lordship have his humour; the resolution he had objected to was followed by one which related precisely and directly to his majesty's answer. He should unite these two resolutions, and when he put them in that shape he was certain his lordship would not think the resolution objectionable. The lord mayor signified his disapprobation of the resolution, even in the manner in which Mr. Waithman had proposed to put it. Mr. Waithman said, he must now inform the livery, that the lord mayor had acted contrary to their rights, and derogatory to the character of the chief magistrate of the city of London. The resolution which it was proposed to add to the former, the lord mayor admitted to be in point; but refused to allow the two resolutions to be united, so as to form one. Mr. Farmer said a few words upon the extraordinary conduct of the lord mayor. Mr. Hanson said, the livery were brought into a disagreeable dilemma; they must either establish a detestable precedent, or dismiss the meeting; indeed, if is lordship persisted, they might allow him to dissolve the common-hall, and the livery might chuse a chairman. The resolution would then pass as the resolution of the livery only. [This proposition was received with the most marked approbation. When the plaudits ceased, Mr. Hanson proceeded.]-The lord mayor, he said, thinks he has now got us into a cleft stick; he tells us, that the meeting of the livery will then be an illegal assembly; it will come under all the penalties of the convention bill! [The strongest emotions of indignation were displayed by the livery upon this sudden recollection of Mr. Pitt's bills. "Give notice to a magistrate.""Give notice to alderman Combe!" resounded from every part of the hall.] Mr. alderman Combe came forward; he stated it to be his opinion, that the lord mayor had the right of dissolving the hall if he chose to maintain his objection to the motion; and that if the livery met in the way suggested, they came under that bill which had been mentioned, and were liable to be subjected to military execution; he thought it would be best to press the moving of the resolution, and allow the lord mayor to dissolve the hall by his own act, and in virtue of his office. After Mr. Hanson, the lord mayor, and Mr. Waithman, bad severally replied and explained, Mr. Gurney spoke at considerable length in support of the right of the livery of London to discuss in public a grievance, when assembled in common-hall. Mr. Waddington congratulated the livery on the regard to their interests and happiness which their chief magistrate had shown; and took notice of the benignity of his lordship, who, seeing that their minds were not fully prepared for the propositions now brought forward, discovered so much anxiety, that they should take another op portunity for full deliberation. Mr. Waithman then came forward to put the resolution: upon which the lord mayor rose, and formally dissolved the ball, 12. A general court was held at the East-India house, for the purpose of electing by ballot six gentlemen to serve as directors, for four years, in the room of Simon Fraser, Charles Mills, Thomas George Smith, esq. John Shakespear, esq. 768 Whereupon the first six were declared duly elected. 13. A court of directors was held at the East India house, when, after the new directors had taken the oaths and their seats, Hugh Inglis and Jacob Bosanquet, esqrs. were unanimously elected chairman and deputy for the present year. The court adjourned at an early hour till Wednesday next. 25. The London Gazette announces the capture of Les Amis, French privateer, mounting 2 guns and six swivels, and 31 men, by the Racoon, captain Lloyd; of La Petite Helene, French lugger, of 2 guns and 33 men, by captain Wittman, of the Suffisante; of the French privateer, Neptune, pierced for 16 guns, and ninety men, by the Aurora, captain Digby; of Le General, French privateer, of 14 guns and 104 men, by capt. Bligh, of the sloop King's Fisher; and of the L'Incroyable, of 24 guns and 220 men, by the Flora and Pearl frigates. This month has been distinguished by a mutiny among the seamen, of which the following are the particulars. For some days previously to Sunday, April 16, anonymous letters had been sent to the superior officers of the fleet, and to the board of admiralty, stating the hardships that the seamen suffered from the insufficiency of their pay, and other grievances. What these were, will appear in the two petitions to the house of commons, and to the lords of the admiralty, inserted below. As the discontent had universally pervaded the flect, the concurrence of the seamen in the petitions to their superior officers was likewise universal. The language was the most respectful that was possible; their conduct, iu every respect, but this temporary disobedience to their officers, was strict and exemplary; and it was hinted, that an answer was expected before they went to sea again, unless-the enemy's fleet should be known to be at sea, or that a convoy 'were wanted.-The greatest loyalty to the king was professed, with the greatest zeal and attachment to their country. The first symptom of disobedience, it is said, was when lord Bridport made the signal to weigh, on Sunday the 16th, when a signal was made from the Queen Charlotte for the crews of each ship to run up the fore-shrouds, and give three cheers. From this moment the authority of the officers was at an end, and the seamen were in entire possession of the fleet. Two delegates, moreover, were sent from each ship of the squadron, who regularly met every day on board the Queen Charlotte. Admiral Pole arrived at the admiralty on Sunday night, and communicated these proceedings to their lordships. A council was held the next morning; the result of which was, that earl Spencer, lord Arden, |