writing, and religious knowledge. Their zeal also, for the propagation of christianity is said to be remarkable, considering their natural languor, stupidity, and aversion from either mental or bodily exertion.

GREAT BRITAIN.

The following account of the late election of a minister for the Parish of CLERKENWELL, has been sent to us for insertion. We lay it before our readers, without having any knowledge ourselves of the circumstances which are detailed in it.

On the 30th of last July, after a poll of four days continuance, the Rev. Mr. Foster was chosen rainister of St. James's Clerkenwell, by a majority of fifty-eight votes. A scrutiny was immediately demanded by the Rev. Mr. Lendon, the unsuccessful candidate, and granted by the churchwardens. They have since, how ever, refused to proceed with the scrutiny, and they have assigned the following reasons for their conduct.

1. The poll was itself attended by a scrutiny. Inspectors were mutually ap

pointed who sifted the suspicious votes, and numbers on each side were, in conse, quence, rejected.

2. Mr. Foster was declared to be duly elected before any demand for a scrutiny was made.

3. The churchwardens, in granting the scrutiny, acted under an erroneous impression, resulting from the opinion of the vestry-clerk, that it was their duty to do so: but on the fullest investigation it appeared, that a scrutiny, in such cases, was not known to the laws of England.

4. The churchwardens, having no power to convene witnesses, or administer oaths, could not, of course, conduct the scrutiny in a just and efficient manner.

5. The candidate, who first demanded the scrutiny, refused to be bound by its issue.

6. An enormous expence, probably not less than five or six thousand pounds, would be incurred by the parties without any legal obligation, or any precedent to justify the measure.

In consequence of this refusal, Mr. Lendon has entered a caveat in the Bishop of London's Court, which Mr. Foster has taken the legal steps for removing,

FRANCE.

THE French papers for the last month have been filled with pompous details of the proceedings of the new Emperor during his stay at Mentz, whither some of the German Princes went to prostitute their dignity at his feet. On the 12th instant he returned to St. Cloud. The wife of Louis Bonaparte was delivered of a son on the preceding day.

Louis the XVIII. has arrived at Calmar, in Sweden, where he has been received with the honours and distinctions due to his rank. Five hundred men of the regiment of Calmar have been appointed to act as a body guard to him.

Great preparations are making for the coronation of Bonaparte, which it is said will take place in November. The Pope, unless prevented by indisposition, is expected to be present, and to assist at the

ceremony.

SPAIN.

The probability of a rupture between this country and Spain has been greatly strengthened by recent occurrences. About the close of last month, Lord Harrowby gave notice to the merchants trading to Spain and the Mediterranean, that considerable armaments were preparing in the

sure,

ports of Spain, of which no satisfactory explanation had been received, or was likely to be given. Nothing further transpired respecting the relative situation of the two governments, until the detention of some Spanish frigates, loaded with treaby a squadron of our ships, (the particulars of which will be given under the head of naval occurrences) shewed it to be the determination of our government to force Spain to an explicit avowal of her intentions. Some persons affect to consider war as by no means inevitable, notwithstanding this hostile procedure; but it appears very unlikely that Bonaparte will permit Spain to furnish to this country that security for the maintenance of a strict neutrality, which her late equivocal conduct seems to render necessary. On the justice of the step which has beep taken, we have not the means to decide. When parliament meets, the reasons which led to it will, no doubt, be fully unfolded.

Some parts of Spain have been suffering considerably, both from earthquakes and contagious disease. By the violence of the former, three villages, near Grenada, have been almost entirely buried, many lives lost, and the face of the country, in some places, completely changed. By the ravages of the latter, Malaga, Carthagena,

GERMANY,

No light is as yet thrown on the purposes with which Bonaparte visited Mentz; but it is expected that considerable changes among the members of the Germanic body will follow the negotiations which took place there. The Emperor of Germany seems to adhere to his system of neutrality. The King of Prussia is reported to have declared to the King of Sweden, that he will permit no military preparations to be carried on in Swedish Pomerania. If the report be authentic, it marks the complete subserviency of this monarch to the views of Bonaparte. It seems a most unjustifiable procedure to require Sweden to intermit those preparations, which may be necessary to secure her own dominions, from the easy aggression of the formidable French force at present stationed in the North of Germany.

HOLLAND.

Reports have been circulated of meditated changes in the constitution of the Dutch Republic. Bonaparte, it is said, is dissatisfied with the present government, on account of the evident reluctance with which they have proceeded in seconding his views against this country.

SWEDEN.

The King of Sweden, in consequence

of the "insolent observations which M. Napoleon Bonaparte had allowed to be inserted in the Moniteur," has ordered all official intercourse, whether of a public or private nature, to cease between the French legation at Stockholm and his government. He also prohibits the introduction of all French publications. The commercial intercourse between the two Countries is, however, permitted to continue undisturbed.

The King of Sweden is said to be increasing his forces, and strengthening the fortifications in Swedish Pomerania, under the apprehension of an attempt on the part of Bonaparte to occupy that province by means of his Hanoverian army.

RUSSIA.

M. D'Oubril, the Russian Chargé d'Af faires, addressed a note to M. Talleyrand on the 21st July last, in which he declares that he cannot prolong his stay at Paris, unless the following demands, founded on existing treaties, are first granted, viz. that France shall cause her troops to evacuate Naples, and shall engage to respect in future the neutrality of that kingdom; that a principle shall be immediately established for regulating the affairs of Italy; that the King of Sardinia shall be indemni,

immediately withdraw her troops from the North of Germany, and engage to respect the neutrality of that empire. M. D'Ou bril is since said to have quitted Paris; and report adds, that the French lagation has been ordered to depart from Petersburgh. We are not to infer, however, from these indications of ill-will to France on the part of Russia, that war will follow. Previous to the last war, a complete cessation of intercourse took place between the courts of Paris and Petersburgh, at least two years before hostilities commenced: and things might have still continued in that state had the life of the Empress been prolonged.

The Russian arms have obtained some signal advantages over the Persians, on the frontiers of Grusien and Erivan.

AMERICA.

arisen between the United States and the It appears that violent disputes have Spanish Government. It is not only the territory of Louisiana, and the claim preferred by the Americans to Florida, which form the grounds of misunderstanding, but certain injuries which the Americans say that they have sustained in their shipping from the Spaniards, and for which they claim indemnification.

The inhabitants of Louisiana have presented to Congress, a solemn protest and remonstrance against the constitution which has recently been framed for them; affirming their right to frame a constitudemocracy which are the acknowledged tion for themselves, on those principles of basis of the American government. mong other rights which they loudly assert, is that of importing, and holding in perpetual bondage, as many natives of A frica as they may be able to procure.

ST. DOMINGO.

A

Our limits will not permit us to notice any of the fabricated articles of intelligence which have recently appeared, respecting the proceedings in St. Domingo, It is probable that Dessalines, as we predicted in our number for August, has met island. He is said to have declared war with a check in the Spanish part of the against the Spaniards, on account of their affording shelter in Cuba to the French privateers which hover on the shores of St. Domingo, and capture even the American vessels bound thither.

The Wife of Toussaint L'Ouverture is stated to have arrived at New York, after enduring unheard-of cruelties in France, from the agents of Bonaparte. We shall lay before our readers, next month, such particulars respecting her as we may be able to collect.

SURINAM.

As a proof of the little likelihood which exists, that the chains of the Negroes will

be lightened by any efforts on the part of the colonial governments, we insert the following intelligence.

"Sir Charles Green, Governor-general of Surinam, has issued a proclamation, laying a tax of two hundred dollars on letters of manumission for all slaves of four

NAVAL OCCURRENCES.

teen years of age and upwards, and one hundred dollars for all under that age, to put a check to the prevailing fashion of the people freeing their Negroes."

Similar acts have been passed in some of our other West Indian Colonies.

On the 1st. instant an attempt was made to destroy a part of the Boulogne flotilla, which lay on the outside of the pier. During the night, a number of coffers and casks, charged with gunpowder, and other combustible materials, which were to be exploded by means of clockwork affixed to them, were towed within a small distance of the enemy's vessels, and left to be drifted among them by the tide. At the same time several fireships were sent among them. The explosions which took place caused considerable confusion among the gun-boats, and it is said that five were destroyed: but that fact may be doubted. The French account states one pinnace only to have been destroyed. Two or three of the coffers were driven ashore without exploding, so that the French will have a full opportunity of examining their structure, and may possibly, some time or other, turn this new mode of warfare against ourselves. The French gun-brigs seem less disposed to shew themselves on the outside of the pier since this affair took place.

In the bay of Hieres, eleven or twelve settees were very gallantly destroyed by the boats of Lord Nelson's squadron, under a heavy fire, by which four men were killed and twenty-three wounded.

Admiral Cornwallis was obliged, by the violence of the weather, to take shelter in Torbay with a great part of his fleet: but he has again returned to his station off Brest.

The Althea Indiaman, richly laden, has been taken by the French.

Two national vessels, and three privateers, have been captured by our cruisers in the West Indies.

Five of the enemy's gun-boats have been destroyed near St. Maloes, by the ships of Sir James Saumarez's squadron.

DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES.

The general attention has been greatly excited by the insertion, in the Moniteur, of a number of letters found on board the Admiral Aplin East Indiaman, lately taken by the French; some of which express the private and undisguised sentiments of persons well known in this country. The propriety of such a publication may fairly be questioned. only be ascribed to very unworthy motives:

It can

for, without answering any important political purpose, it is calculated to sow discord and unhappiness in private life. The French government will, doubtless, justify the measure on the ground of retaliation: and to this defence, as addressed to us, we have no right to make any exception. The example is our own. Had we not published the intercepted correspondence from Egypt, a measure from which no benefit can be shewn to have arisen, the French might not have thought of the present publication. The circumstance will, however, answer one good end, if it should only serve to point out the advantage to nations, as well as to individuals, if abiding by the golden rule of doing to others as they would that others should do to them.

The French have placed in the front of this collection the letter of a Mr. Stuart Hall to Mr. Petrie, at Madras, which exhibits such a picture of this happy country, happy when compared with any other nation under heaven, as we should have expected only from the pen of a determined jacobin. The next letter, and, perhaps, the first in point of importance, is from Lord Grenville to Marquis Wellesley. It is a pleasure to find in this letter, strong marks of the rectitude of the noble writer. With him, at least, there has been no disguise. He appears here holding the same language which he uttered in the House of Lords, both with respect to the existing ministry (Addington's) and their measures; and with respect to Mr. Pitt. "I enjoy," he says, in one place," the inestimable advantage of never having concealed, or compromised my opinions in regard to matters of so much political importance." He observes again, "As for eternal enmity, I detest the idea; and if I have an eternal enmity, it is against the partizans of a principle so detestable." It will be satisfactory to those who have no opportuniry of seeing the letters themselves, not only to witness these pleasing traits of the character of a man, to whose talents the country has been accustomed to look up with respect; but to hear his opinion on the much agitated subject of French invasion. "It is not so much opiniou (if I do not deceive myself) as a perfect knowledge, equivalent to a certainty, which induces me to say, that this country possesses not only abundant and ample means of defence; but means sufficient to make our enemy

repent of his hostile conduct, and to force him to fear, and consequently to respect us."-"To speak of conquering or subjugating ten millions of men, if prepared for battle, and directed by a government desirous and capable of animating their efforts, would be completely ridiculous. But experience has shewn, that number of inhabitants alone, and even advantage of local situation, are nothing, if the direction of the defence remain in the hands of men distinguished only by their imbecility and weakness."

A letter from the Hon. H. Wellesley to his brother, the Marquis, does not exhibit equally favourable traits of openness and simplicity as that of Lord G. A letter from one of the East India Directors gives but a discouraging picture of the state of the company's resources. The other letters are either filled with those alarms respecting invasion, which at the time they were written (August 1803) so generally prevailed; or with accounts of the declension of the markets for East India produce. We were happy, however, to find in them the frequent acknowledgment of a superintending Providence; while in the French Letters, which were published during the last war, no such sentiment occurred.

word, and thought, of our lives shall be made known before an assembled world, at the judgment of the great day; than that another packet of letters should fall into the hands of the French? Of the former event, we have the most infallible assurrance. The recurrence of the latter is barely probable. How much more powerfully, however, would men, in general, be influenced by the consideration of the latter than of the former event. What can be the reason of this? What but the want of that principle of true vital faith, which gives a reality and subsistence to unseen objects? May all who read these lines feel the indispensable necessity of this principle to their future well-being, and labour to acquire a proper impression of the insignificance of every temporal object, when compared with the infinite importance of their eternal interests.

The king, it is said, is, in future, to take up his abode entirely at Windsor and Kew. The former place is now preparing for his reception. We have heard, with the deepest regret, but from authority which we cannot question, that these preparations proceed on Sunday as on other days. Surely it behoves those who have access to his Majesty to acquaint him with this open and flagrant violation of the sabbath, by persons whom he employs. Surely if he knew of it, it would not be tolerated for one moment.

Alderman Perchard has been chosen Lord Mayor of London for the ensuing year.

JUNE 16. At Paris, of a dysentery, the Rev. J. BENTINCK.

A few days since, at Wallingford, on her way to Cheltenham, Mrs. DEANE, relict of the late Rev. William Deane, of Bunham Lodge, Berks.

Sept. 20. At Gelligron, Glamorganshire, the Rev. JOSIAH REES, father to Mr. Rees, of Paternoster-row.

Sept. 3. At Orleans, the Rev. JOHN DRING, M. A. Chaplain to the Bishop of Chichester.

Sept. 24. At the Rectory-house, Harvington, suddenly, the Rev. Dr. JAMES, a Prebend of Worcester Cathedral, formerly Head Master of Rugby School.

Sept. 29. The Rev. GEORGE WHITE, twenty-six years Rector of Huntpill, in Somersetshire.

Sept. 30. At Bromley, in Kent, Mrs. ECCLES, relict of the late Rev. Mr. Eccles, Rector of St. Mary-le-bow, Stratford, Middlesex.

Oct, 5. At her house in Spa-fields, aged

sixty-five, Lady ANNE AGNES ERSKINE, sister to the present Earl of Buchan, and the Honourable Thomas Erskine. Her ladyship was a Trustee for the late Countess of Huntingdon's Chapels, the management of which she superintended.

Oct. 6. The Rev. JOSEPH LATHBURY, Rector of the Parishes of Great and Little Livermore, in Suffolk.

Same day. At Bristol, the Rev. JOHN WILLIAM HAMILTON, brother to Sir Frederick Hamilton, Bart. and nephew to Lieutenant-General Sir John Craddock,

K. B.

Oct. 7. At Coalbrook Dale, aged seventy-four, Mr. RICHARD DEARMAN, one of the people called Quakers. He went to bed well on Saturday night, and was found dead in his bed on Sunday morning.

Oct. 8. Mrs. WOLLASTON, wife of the Rev. Francis John Hyde Wollaston, Jacksonian Professor in the University of Cambridge, and Vicar of South Weald, Es

sex,