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ANNUAL REGISTER

mayor be desired to issue his precepts for calling a common hall, on any convenient day in the course of the next week, for the purpose of the liverymen of this city giving instructions to their representatives in Parliament to support the very important motion intended there to be made, by Mr. Alderman Sawbridge for shortening the duration of parliaments." The lord mayor declared; that he neither could, nor would, comply with their requisition. He referred them for the reasons of his refusal to the answer he had formerly given them.

22d. This day came on to be tried, before Mr. Baron Adams and a special jury, the important cause that has been for some time depending in the Court of Exchequer, respecting the seizure of the whole stock in trade of Mr. James Grosett, of Little Newport street, lace-merchant, amounting to several thousand pounds, by Messrs. Tankard, Brooke, Rowley, and Price, four officers of the Customs, when after a very long hearing from ten o'clock in the morning till six o'clock the next day, the jury immediately, without going out of court, gave a verdict for Mr. Grosett, the defendant, to the great satisfaction of a crowded court, who sat up all night waiting the issue of decision of such importance to the whole trade of the city of London, as also of the kingdom in general.

Copenhagen, Feb. 1. The king hath made a promotion in his troops, in consequence of the change which happened at court the 17th of last month.

The 28th of last month, being the birth-day of the hereditary prince, who then entered into the 15th year of his age, there was at

court, after the repast, an assembly composed of a number of persons of high rank.

The next day, being the king's birth day, the court was extremely numerous. At noon his majesty dined with the Queen Dowager Julia-Maria, the hereditary Prince Frederick, with the members of the newly appointed council and several other noblemen, &c. In the evening the king went to the French comedy; and at night a grand entertainment, consisting of 75 covers, was given to the foreign ministers and principal nobility.

On the 30th ult, at night, the theatre of the court was opened with a grand Bal-Pare [[accented e at the end]] in domino, which did not break up till three o'clock in the morning.

It is said, that Colonel Keith, the British Minister at the Danish court, has shewn the greatest spirit and good conduct during the late revolution. It seems the senate, in the first tranfports of their fury, had given orders for putting the queen to immediate death; they had (without hearing her defence, and without any form of trial) declared her guilty of adultery and of poisoning her husband; upon which Mr. Keith instantly repaired to the senate-house, and solemnly protested against any act of violence being offered to the queen; he in the strongest terms urged her innocence, and the improbability of the accusations against her, and concluded with denouncing the vengeance of the British nation, and the terrors of an English fleet against the senate and the people of Denmark, if any act of violence and injustice was committed on a daughter of Britain, and the sister of the king his sovereign.
Otranto,

[79
For the YEAR 1772.   

Otranto, Jan. 31. An express from Corsow to Venice passed through this place with the melancholy news that the squadron of that republick, commanded by the Chevalier Emo, pursuing two pirates, was overtaken by a dreadful storm; that the chevalier endeavoring to bring his ships under cover in the port of Varica, between Cerigo and the Morea, one of the ships sunk with all the crew, except 36 men; that another named the Vigilance was dashed against the rocks, but the crew and the guns were saved; and that the Hercules, another ship of the line, on board of which was the Chevalier Emo, had her masts broke, which in falling killed 30 sailors, and wounded his excellency in the shoulder.

25th. A Motion was made in the House of Commons, that the votes of the house, relative to the thanks of the house being given to Dr. Nowell, for his sermon preached on the 30th. of Jan. be read; the same was read accordingly. A motion was then made, that the said entry be expunged. This caused a debate of no very great length. After the motion was made, three noted passages in the sermon were read; they appeared so very offensive in the doctrine laid down, that the house seemed to take the matter up with proper spirit; the comparing our present sovereign with Charles the First, and asserting that he was endued with the same virtues; the representing the present House of Commons as the descendants of those men whom he terms enthusiasts, that opposed the measures of that tyrannic monarchy, seemed to the H. sufficient

reason for expunging the thanks of that house. The motion for expunging was carried without a division.

Extract of a letter from Cambridge,
dated Feb. 14th. 1772.
"This day the prizes left by the late Dr. Smith for the best proficients in mathematics and natural philosophy, were unanimously adjudged, to Mr. Pretiman of Pembroke-hall, and to Mr. Lane of Queen's college."

The sessions ended at the Old Bailey. At this session six prisoners received judgment of death; thirty-one were ordered to be transported for seven years, eight were branded in the hand, two whipped, and thirty-five delivered on proclamation.

26th. This day his majesty went in state to the House of Peers, and gave the royal assent to the following bills; viz.

The bill for granting an aid to his majesty by a land tax, for the service of the present year.

The bill to continue the duties on malt, mum, cyder, and perry.

The bill for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the better payment of the army, &c.

The bill for better regulating his majesty's marine forces when on shore. And to such private bills as were ready.

Yesterday at twelve o'clock, 530 l. 5s. were subscribed at the Chapter Coffee-house, Pater-noster-row, for the purpose of reducing the high price of provisions in the city of London.

On Saturday died, in very mean lodgings at Harrow Dunghill, in the Mint, Southwark, Sir Alexander
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