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146] ANNUAL REGISTER to bring in a bill for suspending the said commission for a limited time. This produced a very warm debate but was in the end carried 114 to 45. A grant passed the great 9th seal to Sir Thomas Parker, later Chief Baron of the Exchequer, of an annuity of 2400l. a year, for his long and faithful services to his king and country. Of this reward it may be truly said, that no servant of the crown ever wished it less, or deserved it more. The East-India Company paid two hundred and five thousand four hundred and sixty-eight pounds and eightpence, in one bank note, to the revenue of customs, being the amount of duties due on certain unrated goods imported under the company's bond. Londonderry, Nove. 24. Last Saturday in the morning, began the most terrible storm of wind and rain, which continued with unremitting violence till night. It is impossible fully to describe the variety of mischief sustained by this most dreadful storm. In this city, almost every house suffered, and several chimnies were entirely blow down, and broke in the roofs: but there were only trifling accidents, when compared with the woeful devastation on the sea-coasts. In Lough Swilly, it is said that the shore is alternately covered with the dead bodies of the unfortunate seamen, the wrecks of ships, sloops, wherries, and boats; and one boat in particular, with five men on board, was seen to sink to the bottom, within a very small distance of land: in Lough Foyle, a number of fishing-boats have been lost, fourteen bodies have already been cast on shore, and a brig, bound for Whitehaven, parted her anchors and drove on shore near Ballykelly, with the loss of her boat. The only thing that can be said, in some measure, to lessen the horror of this amazing hurricane was, that it providentially happened in the daytime. But we have the greatest reason to fear the most melancholy accounts from other parts. Mr. Alderman Harley brought in a bill to restrain 10th the East-India Company from sending out supervisors for a limited time. Extract of a Letter from Surinam, dated Sept. 5, 1772. "This colony is in the greatest distress, occasioned by an insurrection of the slaves; they are assembled 1000 strong, very formidable, supplied with arms and ammunition, and have defeated our soldiers, and taken some six-pounders from them, with which they have fortified themselves on an island, committing great depredations, and annoying and terrifying the inhabitants daily. We have made several ineffectual attempts to subdue them; and about three months ago they defeated our escort sent against them. I happened to be at a plantation where one of their parties, fifty in number, came and carried off about eighty negros, and all the guns and ammunition furnished to guard it. We have been obliged to set three or four hundred of our stoutest negros free, to defend us." On the 26th ult. there was an entry at the custom-house, of Irish linen, to the almost incredible amount of 1,954,496 yards, of which, 776,625 yards came from Belfast, which are esteemed the finer For the YEAR 1772. [147 finer fabricature, and worth at an average is. 6d. per yard. Besides the above, the great quantities are brought to town by land from Chester. This day the following 14th. bills were passed by commission, viz. A bill for the importation of wheat, wheat-flour, metal, bread, and biscuit, and for prohibiting the extraction of spirits or low wines from wheat, wheat-flour, and meal, for a limited time. A bill for the importation of salted provisions from Ireland, and for salt beef, pork, and butter from any of his majesty's plantations in America, for a limited time. A bill for discontinuance of the duties on hog's lard and grease, and for the free importation of hams, bacon, and all sorts of salt provisions, from any part of Europe, for a limited time. The East-India Company presented a petition to the House of Commons, relative to the bill depending in that house, to restrain the company from appointing sepervisors, &c. Lord Viscount Townshend, late lord-lieutenant of Ireland, waited on his majesty at St. James's, when he kissed the king's hand, on being appointed master-general of the ordnance. This day the sessions 17th. ended at the Old-Bailey; at this sessions the twelve following prisoners were capitally convicted. viz. William Simpson, George Turner, Joseph Harrison, John Mitchell, James Crompton, William Griffiths, (this last robbed the Rev. Dr. Dodd and his lady, of a purse of money, and discharged a pistol into the carriage) for high way robberies, John Ragnall, Francis Booth, Michael Boyle, John Law, and Nathaniel Bayley, for returning from transportation; and Benjamin Bird, for forgery. Edward Bockett, for being one of the ringleaders in the riot at Guildhall last lord-mayor's-day, after a trial of four hours, was acquitted. Among the persons acquitted at this session, was an apprentice to a grocer in Wapping, for shooting the maid-servant through the head with a pistol, charged only with gunpowder and wadding. Only three bills were found true by the grand jury, out of seven that were presented against the rioters at Guildhall. This day came on in the Court of Chancery a final hearing of the lead-mine cause, between Lord Pomfret and Mr. Smith of Gray's-Inn, when the court ordered his lordship's suit to be dismissed with costs. During the five years the above cause was in agitation, there were three several appeals to the House of Lords. The two first were actually heard, and the third withdrawn only a few days ago" besides which there have been two trials as law, one of them at bar each of which lasted two whole days, and the whole cost of each party are said to amount to little less than 10,000l. The third reading of the 18th. East-India supervision bill came on, when Mr. Impey and Mr. Adair attended a counsel in behalf of the company, against it, and spoke for near three hours; but after a long debate the house divided, when the numbers were, for the bill 153, against it 28. [L2] His
