Justice of Sultan Mamood.. 190 1. The torporific eel, caught by a hook, violently shocks the perfon holding the line. 2. The fame eel, touched with an iron rod, held in the hand of a perfon, whofe other hand is joined to that of another, &c. communicates a violent fhock to ten or a dozen perfons thus joining hands, in a manner exactly fimilar to that of an electric machine. 3. A perfon holding his finger in the water, at the distance of eight or ten feet from the fif, receives a violent fhock, at the inftant the fish is touched by another perfon. 4. This eel, when enraged, upon elevating its head just above the furface of the water, if the hand of a perfon is within five or fix inches therefrom, frequently communicates an unexpected fhock, without being touched. 5. No fhock is perceived, by holding the hand in the water near the fish, when it is neither difpleafed nor touched. 6. This eel is eat by the Indians when dead; and, 7. The fhock is more violent when the fifh is highly enraged. From thefe particulars it is apparent, that the shock is produced by an emiffion of torporific, or electric particles, That their emiffion is voluntary, depending on the will of the animal, who einits them for his defence, either when touched or enraged. That the existence of these particles depends on that of the eel, and terminates with its life. And That they are equally emitted from every part of the body. From whence it is felf-evident, that either the mechanism and properties of the torpedo and thofe of the torporific eel are widely different, or that Monf. de Reaumur has amufed the world with an imaginary hypothefis: and, from my own obfervagions, as well as the information which April I have been able to obtain on this fub- Juftice of Sultan Mamood. 66 A felf From felf into the presence, called loudly for juftice. The king ordered him to explain his complaint, which he thus did: That, unfortunately having a handfome wife, the king's nephew had conceived a paffion for her, and came to his houfe every night with armed attendants, beating him and turning him into the street, till he had gratified his adulterous paffion. That he had frequently complained to those who ought to have done him justice, but that the rank of the adulterer had but their ears against him. The king, upon hearing this, was fo much enraged, that tears of refentment and compaffion ftarted from his eyes; he reprimanded the poor man for not making fooner his complaint to him. The man replied, that he often attempted it, but could not gain admittance. He was then commanded by the king, to return to his houfe, and to give him notice the first time that his nephew was guilty of the like violence; charging those who were prefent, upon pain of death, to let nothing of this complaint tranfpire, ordering him to be admitted at any hour. Accordingly the man returned to his house, and upon the third night following, the king's nephew, as ufual, came, and having whipped the huf band feverely, turned him into the ftreet. The poor man haftened to the king; but the captain of the guards would not give him admittance, say. ing, that his majefty was in the Haram. The man immediately began to make a violent outcry, fo that the porter fearing that the court might be disturbed, and that the noife might reach the king, he was under the neceffity to conduct him to the eunuchs of the bedchamber, who immediately acquainted the fultan with the affair. The king immediately followed the man to his houfe. He found his nephew and the man's wife fleeping together in one bed, with a candle ftanding on the carpet near them. The fultan, extinguishing the candle, drew his dagger and fevered his nephew' bead 1759. Of the Cultivation of barren Lands. head from his body: then command ing the man to light the candle, he called out for fome water, and baving taken a deep draught, he told him he might now go and fleep with fafety, if be could truft his own wife. The poor man fell down at the fultan's feet, in gratitude to his juftice and condefcenfion, but begged he might tell him why he put out the candle, and afterwards called out fo vehemently for water. The king replied, That he put out the candle that pity might not arreft his hand in the execution of juftice, on a youth whom he tenderly loved; and that he had made a vow to God, when he first heard his complaint, that he would neither eat nor drink till he had brought the criminal to justice, in fo much, that he was upon the point of dying of thirst." Of the Cultivation of barren Lands, and thereby increafing the Number of People. French anonymous writer judi caufe to fear in France (and the fame may justly be faid of us in England) the misfortune which Pliny complained of in his time, when he fays, that large farms had ruined Italy, and now even the provinces. "Six men here in Rome," adds he, "were poffeffed of the half of Africa, when Nero put them to death." At the fame time he be tows on Cn. Pompey the commendation he well deferved, for "a great nefs of mind peculiar to him, which reftrained him from ever purchating land bordering on his eftate." He alfo obferves how contrary the having of large farms is to the opinion of the ancients, who laid it down as a maxim, that the fize of farms fhould be particularly attended to, feeing that it is most advifeable to low little, and plough well."-Laudato ingentia rura, exiguum colito, fays Virgil, doubtlefs meaning, that however pleafingly large farms may ftrike the unthinking many, a wife man will cultivate only a fmall one. My French author proceeds to declare, that if the nobles and other confiderable owners of land could be induced to divide their large farms amongst a number of induftrious hufbandmen, the fate would gain by the better cultivation of the land, and by the increase of that most useful clafs of people which constitutes the ftrength of the nation. The land owners would not be lofers by it, but might even increase their income by fo doing. I know, continues he, several inftances of this; but hall at prefent quote only that of the Count de Maurepas, who has informed me exactly of the whole of his procedure. The count had experienced, in the year 1761, how profitable it was to extirpate the rabbets of an extenfive warren, and to fettle it with about an hundred and eighty farmers. He had in the fame neighbourhood of Pontchartrain a large farm, confifting of about three hundred arpents (three hundred and fixty acres) of arable and meadow. He divided this farm among the inhabitants of an adjoining village, in which lived a confiderable number of induftrious people. He gave to each family a fmall portion of land, with houfes fit for carrying on their profeffions, at a rent agreed upon ed into fhares, which were drawn for by lots. Twenty-four new families were added to the village, on thefe conditions; and more offered themfelves. Thus the country in general is greatly benefitted, as well as the owner of the land. The author of The intereft of Scotland confidered, &c. propofes that, in this manner, houfes, with eight or ten acres of ground to each, ought to be let out in feu or fee-farm for ever, to manufacturers or tradefmen for country work. "Thefe grounds will be futficient for the maintenance of a horfe to carry their commodities to market, for a cow or two to ferve them with milk and butter, and for breeding of fowls, &c." He inftances (p. 47.) the good effects of this method, by the fuccefs attending it in the barony-town of Ormiftoun in East Lothian. It is an undoubted truth, that the improving of wafte land is making an acquifition of fo much new territory, together with an increase of people, and an addition to the revenue and ftrength of the nation and yet how many barren fpots do we fee in England, even when the complaint of a want of provifions is universal! The inftances above quoted are an evidert demonstration of these advantages. Hifi, Nat. Lib. 18. c. 6. 192 Method of increafing the Number of People. It is no less true, that the richest foil may remain uncultivated through the want of labourers, and that the poorelt foil may be rendered fruitful by industry. The different encouragement given, must be the caufe of both. If fuch conditions are impofed on the rich foil, as are not within the reach of the many, the few that offer will not be fufficient to improve it; whereas a barren fpot, on which induftry is excited by means within the reach of many; will foon become cultivated by the conftant labour of the many. Large and fmall farms form, in this refpect, a remarkable contraft. As on the large farms few of the fervants are ever in fuch eafy circumftances as to be induced to marry, a want of hands is foon feverely felt. This truth was woefully experienced laft autumn, when a great deal of corn was loft on large farms, whilft all was got in in good condition on middling ones. Small farms, being within the reach of industry, are, on the contrary, a temptation to many to fettle, to increase, and multiply. The author of Le Commerce de la Hollande obferves (Vol. III. chap. 23.) that in the province of Gueldres, and particularly in the districts of Zutphen, Bois-le-Duc, and Breda, there are immenfe spaces of waste land, which might be turned to good account, and, as he infers, from the two following inftances, might afford fettlement for 40,000 families. A nobleman in Holftein, poffeffed of a large domaine, an enemy to flavery and a friend to mankind, gave, in 1739, to a peafant, who was his val fal, a tract of waste land, in fee-fimple to him and his pofterity. The nobleman built upon it a farm-house for the peafant to live in, furnished that houfe, ftocked the farm with cattle, and likewife advanced the neceffary implements of hufbandry, provifions, and feed. In less than five years, the farmer reimbursed his benefactor, and found himself in quite eafy circumitances. From that time, the fame nobleman has established every year one or two fimilar farms, which have had the fame fuccefs. He has ex . 1 April tended thefe fettlements to thirty families, whom he has rendered happy¡ and who have converted a defart into a rich country,-If a single person, poflefled only of a lordship, and whole lands and abilities are of courfe much limited, could do this, what might not a government do, by adopting the fame principles, and following the fame method?-It cannot be denied, that the ftate can do in great, what this nobleman did in fail with fuch excellent fuccels. If, continues my author, we are not convinced by this example, what great things might be done on fuch foils, the following inttance, now actually exifting in the townfhip of Boisle-Duc, mult appear a fatisfactory evidence. A private gentleman, M. Rey, captain in the reduced regiment of Pepin, petitioned fome years ago for a grant of a part of the heath situated between the town of Bois le Duc and the village of Tillebourg, about fourteen miles from the former and one mile from the latter of thefe places. This heath being common, bis request was refufed by the magiftrates of that dif trict; but afterwards granted by the States General of Holland. M. Rey cleared the ground, built himfelt a houfe upon it, and bought feeds and cattle. Thefe beginnings could not but be extremely weak on the part of a man whofe whole fortune confifted in his captain's half-pay. Notwithftanding this, bis firft fucceffes infpired others with confidence in his undertaking, and procured him credit enough to borrow thirty thousand florins. He now keeps fifty cows, and other cattle in proportion, upon the demefne he has formed, which he ceafes not to improve, and he pays of every year a confiderable part of the money lent him. This demeine, which did not exist ten years ago, is now worth upwards of an hundred thousand florins: and yet it is wholly the fruit of an understanding and induftry which have not been encouraged.-Many other examples might be produced, of lands which have been cleared and brought into filth, Happy it would be for this nation if we had the wisdom to dispose of our halfpay officers in this manner, rather than fend them, and the many bands which are no w jo much wanted at home, to cultivate the dreary wafies of North-America. but 17697 BRISTOL INSTRUCTIONS. but which yet remain in a languid condition, or at best make but an extremely flow progrefs towards good cultivation, merely for want of en. couragement." To the Right Hon. Lord Viscount Clare, and Matthew Brickdale, Efq; Gentlemen, WE E the freeholders and freemen of the city of Briftol, dutifully affected to his prefent moft gracious majesty, and zealously attached to his illuftrious houfe, having determined to hand down inviolate to pofterity thofe facred rights and privileges derived from our ancestors, do, agreeable to antient ufage, and our undoubted rights, tranfmit you, as our reprefentatives in parliament, the following INSTRUCTIONS; being the fenfe of your conftituents, on the prefent ftate of public affairs. I. We require you to use your utmost endeavours, that all trials for libels, and other criminal processes, be carried on agreeable to the known rules of the law, and that you zealously difcourage all proceedings by information and attachment, as contrary thereunto. II. That you unweariedly purfue every legal meafure for fecuring the ineftimable privileges we enjoy from the Habeas Corpus act; and that you Arictly enquire, if any means have been taken to pack or influence juries, by which juftice has been eluded, or fevere punishments inflicted: And if fo, to bring the offenders, however dignified, to fignal and exemplary punishment. III. That your utmost efforts be exerted to have a committee appointed, during the fitting of parliament, for critically examining whether the public money has been appropriated to the uses for which it was granted; and that you will also be minutely informed how the deficiency in the civil lift was incurred. IV. That you mok earnestly promote a bill, or bills, for the fhorten ing the duration of parliaments; li-, miting the number of placemen; excluding all penfioners and contractors; and that the bribery oath be admiriltered to the candidates as well as electors. V. That you exert all your abilities 193 to fupport and extend the trade and manufactures of this nation in every branch: That you will heartily join in all meafures for reconciling the differences unhappily fubfifting between that you will be ftrenuously active in this kingdom and it's colonies; and obtaining a repeal of the laws, impofing duties on British manufactures exported to America, which has been found highly prejudicial to the nation in general, and to this city in particular. VI. We request you to ufe all your influence, to recommend fuch justices of the peace, as are men of fortune and approved integrity, thereby to put the civil magistracy on a respectable footing; as we apprehend this will be the most effectual means for preferving a due obedience to the laws, and thereby prevent the military from becoming dangerous to our civil li berty. VII. That you be particularly attentive to preferve your own liberties, and thofe of the people, by fecuring to the latter their right of judging whom to choose for their reprefentatives; and that all returning officers, who have, or fhall attempt to defeat that choice, by false returns, be brought to their deferved punishment. Finally, We leave it to your own confideration, whether the giving up the privileges of any of your own members, however fpecious the pretence, will not create dangerous precedents," that may hereafter affect the liberties of all the Commons of England. THE following is a copy of the tranfmitted with the inftructions of the freeholders and freemen of the city of Briftol to their reprefentatives. Bristol, March 15, 1769. To Lord Clare, and Matthew Brickdale, Efq; "AT a numerous meeting of the freeholders and freemen of this city, on the 8th inftant, in the Guildhall, the inclofed instructions were approved of, and figned by a very great majori ty of your conftituents then prefent. I have the honour to tranfmit them the fpirit of faction;-tend not to to you; they are not dictated by inflame, and contain nothing but what even a venal achainiftration would B b blush 194 Letter relative to the Bristol Inftructions. blush to oppofe, and what every Briton Your very humble fervant, SAMUEL PEACH, chairman." A merchant at Briftol has received a letter from a noble 1-d, of which the following is tranfmitted to us as a copy. "SIR, I received a letter from you by yefterday's poft, directed to Mr. Band me, accompanying certain inftructions figned by you and others, under the title of fubfcribing freeholders and freemen of the city of B-1. But I could not help remarking, that the names of a very great majority of the most respectable of our fellow citizens are not to be found among the fubfcribers. During the course of near fifteen years fervice, approved by five unanimous re-elections, I have often confulted, and have always been open to the opinions of my conftituents; when their reafons have convinced me, as they frequently have, however my former fentiments might have differed from theirs, I have yielded to and acted upon fuch conviction; nor do I recollect an inftance of ever having been mifled when directed by their concurrent opinions. When they have difagreed among themselves upon points of important and difficult decifion, which still remained doubtful and uncertain in my apprehenfion, I trufted to the authority of those who advifed me, with every proper caution, and in forming my judgment, gave to their various characters, fituation, abilities, and temper of mind, that credit which they respectively deferved. I fhall continue to obferve the fame conduct upon the prefent occafion, which becomes the more neceffary, as feveral points contained in the inftructions from fome of my conftituents feem to hint at evils which in my opinion do not exist, and other parts prefcribe remedies of at least a doubtful nature; while it appears to me, that neither have the fanction of a general concurrence in opinion among your felves. April This I will fay with confidence, becaufe I fay it with truth. No one of my fellow-citizens, refpectable as many of them are, can fet a jufter value upon liberty, and hold the commerce of this kingdom in higher eftimation than I have ever done. With thefe fentiments, and a diligent difcharge of my duty to my king, my country, and my conftituents, I fhall continue to approve myself a faithful reprefentative of the unfubfcribing and fubfcribing freeholders and freemen of BI am, fir, G-G-S-, Your humble servant, March 18, 1769. C." Borough of SUDBURY, Suffolk. W proclamation of the 22d of this inftant March, hath strictly charged and commanded the Lord Mayor and juftices of the city of London, and the juftices of the city and Liberty of Westminster, and other juftices, to use their utmost endeavours to prevent and fupprefs all riots, tumults, and unlawful affemblies, and to put in due and ftrict execution the laws and ftatutes made for preventing and for the more fpeedy and effectual fuppreffing the fame; and whereas divers tumultuous and diforderly meetings have been held in the said borough of Sudbury, particularly on the 9th day of this inftant March, when many perfons, to the number of two hundred and upwards, affembled and gathered themselves together, going about the streets in a riotous and diforderly manner, with a drum beating, and affaulting and throwing dirt at feveral of his majefty's liege fubjects, who behaved themfelves in a quiet and peaceable manner, attended by a gentleman, who is, or calls himself, one of his majefty's juftices of the peace of the faid burgh of Sudbury, and who, contrary to the duty of his faid office was encouraging the faid mob: I do therefore hereby give notice, that if any fuch tumultuous and diforderly meeting fhall for the future be held in the faid burgh, that I will ftrictly put in execution the laws made for the preventing, fuppreffing, and punishing of riots, tumults, and unlawful affemblies: and I do hereby call upon Tho mas |