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more generally made known, and in a manner proved by a diftinguished mem ber of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris; for, from his ingenious experiments, it appears that 15 grains of inflammable air, put in combuftion with 85 grains of vital air, decompofed and condensed both in fuch a manner as to produce an equal weight, or 100 grains of common water *. In applying this important discovery to the fubject of Hurricanes, may not one reasonably suspect, Sir, that fuch extraordinary aerial convulfions are caufed by the occafional eruptions of inflammable air, not only from the islands, but even from the bottom of the gulf they inclofe, and in fuch quantities as are capable of fuddenly converting into water an enormous mafs of air?-Hence a vaft fpace muft neceffarily be left occupied by an air extremely attenuated, into which the circumjacent and more denfe air would neceffarily rush from all fides with irrefiftible impetuofity, and rife in the center of its fphere greatly above its natural level; and then, after a short paufe, like, a wave thrown upon the shore, defcend and return with equal velocity, and continue in a state of ofcillatory diftur bance until its equilibrium would be reftored.

If this is an exact representation of things, as I verily believe it is, and that my inferences are juft and confonant to the ordinary courfe of nature; the extreme impetuofity of the winds, their variations, the exceffive fall of rain, and the other phænomena upon fuch occafions, feem not difficult to be accounted for.

And here, Sir, perhaps it may not be fuperfluous to remark, that the Typhon, that Tornado fo juftly dreaded in the Eaftern parts of the world, and which, in its deftructive fury, fo much refem bles the Weft India Hurricane, has probably a like origin; for it is rarely met with but in the Japanese fea, which abounds with volcanic ifles.

Upon the whole then, Sir, would you devote a few minutes in weighing, com

• See the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Paris, for 1781, pages 269, 468, &c.

+ Perhaps of diminishing or destroying its clafticity; but in whatever manner these exhalations may operate, whether in altering the volume, or the refiftance of the air, the effects will ftill be the fame, viz. a violent disturbance in the atmosphere.

paring, and combining, the several fore going particulars, and in attentively confidering their analogy, their natural operation, and probable effects; I fhall hope, that the conjectures I now venture to fubmit to your fuperior judgement will not be found altogether chimerical; in which cafe, Sir, you will difpose of them as they may deferve. I have thehonour to be, with all imaginable confideration, deference, and refpect, Sir, your mofl obedient fervant,

HENRY ELLIS.

To the PRINTER.

SIR, THE numerous inftances that are recorded in the course of a few months, of my fellow-creatures undergoing premature death, are truly diftreffing to a man of any fenfibility; more efpecially, as almoft the laft 20 years of my life have been unremittingly devoted to the ftudyand practice of faving the lives of mankind. One week prefents to my mind an only child fuffocated in a turn-up bedftead, when my pupils well know, that I have for several years, in my Course of Lectures on Sufpended Animation, devoted much time to the prevention of fuch dreadful accidents, and an earneft addrefs that the Faculty would exert their influence to have abolished fuch beds. Another week presents to my view a man ftruck dead by the fofhionable boxers; although the vital parts are uninjured, yet no means are employed to recal that life, which, in all probability, is only fufpended. Another day informs me, that a man has hanged himself; and although the body remains warm, yet no means of refufcitation are employed. The various inftances of apparent death from cafualties, and internal derangements of the fyttem, amount to an immenfe number annually; and therefore if Ganeral Receiving Houses were once established for the recovery of the seemingly dead, an immenfe number of lives would be annually faved. The greateft, the wifeft, and the beft characters are liable to fyncope, or the apoplectic fit, in the public kind; and it is an undoubted truth, that ftreets, as well as the lower class of manmany under fuch an alarming state might be restored to fenfe and motion, to the Public, and to their families, provided the plans that I have long propofed were, with proper attention and due energy, carried into execution. An individual,

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Clermont. He married a lady of Neufchatel, of the name of de Leynard. His for tune was small, and his father's marrying a fecond time, left him but little to expect. The failure of fome mercantile concerns in which he engaged having encroached on the fortune he received with his wife, he repaired to Paris, leaving his wife and four children with a relation in Switzerland. Here they lived peaceably, till Madame de Pelleport learnt that her husband was put into the Battile for a pamphlet againtt the Count de Vergennes and the Sieur le Noir, entitled " Le Diable dans un Bénitier," "The Devil in a Holy-Water Pot." Flying to his affiftance, the spent fix months in fruitlefs folicitations for his liberty, when the faw herself left withont refource, by the death of the relation who fupported her. Thrown into despair at the thoughts of her husband in prison, and her children at the point of wanting bread, preferring death to begging it from a ftranger's hand, and every day obliged to reject offers which in a corrupt town but too frequently put virtue to the blufh, fhe knew not which way to turn her eyes, when M. de Launay perfuaded her to folicit the Chevalier de Pawlet for the admiffion of her fons into the military orphan fchool. The Chevalier, not being at liberty when Madame de Pelleport waited on him, went in the evening to her lodging, and found her fitting in the midft of her four children, whom she was embracing, and bathing with her tears. At the appearance of a stranger the rofe haftily, and retired to wipe away the traces of her affliction. The Chevalier, affected at the fight, fays to one of the children, "What is the matter with you? why do you cry fo?"-" Mamma tells us," replied the child," that we must all die, for fhe has no more money; we have eaten nothing thefe two days, and we cannot hear that the fhould die too." Madame de Pelleport, having a little recovered herfelf, returned; when the Chevalier, informing her that her fon had acquainted him with her fituation, offered her a lodging near his school, where she might take care of the children.

For four years she had employed herself in foliciting the liberty of her husband, and per forming the duties of a mother to the youngeft children of the school, when M. de Villedeuil came into the miniftry. Urged by the Chevalier de Pawlet to confider the charges against M. de Pelleport, he found, that if he had taken liberties with the Count de Vergennes, he was guilty of nothing against the ftate, and obtained from the King an order for his liberation.

M. de Pelleport had spent fome time at Stenay after his enlargement, when business called him to Paris, where he arrived the day before the Bastile was taken. He had just been to vifit his children at the school, when paffing by the Place de Greve he saw M. de Launay put to death, and M. de Lofme dragging to the place of execution. Struck with the fad fpectacle, he recalled to mind, that M. de Lofme, a man of probity and humanity, had ever ftudied to confole the prifoners, and had frequently fhewn much concern for him. Liftening only to the voice of gratitude, he flew to the unfortunate Major, whom the enraged mob were dragging along, with a fury that would have intimidated the ftouteft heart, and catching him in his arms, cried out to them to defift: "You are going to facrifice the worthieft man on earth: five years was a prisoner in the Baftile, and he was niy only comfort." Thefe words roufed de Lofme, and lifting up his eyes, with the coolnefs of a spirit truly Roan, not to be expected in a man whom the mob were almost tearing to pieces, he faid, "Young man, what are you doing? Withdraw; you will only facrifice your own life, without faving mine." The Marquis de Pelleport perceiving the mob were deaf to his exclamation, cried out, Begone: I will defend him against you all." Forgetting he was unarmed, he began to beat. them off with his hands, when a favage gave him a blow in the neck with a hatchet, which occafioned a large wound, and struck off his hat: the fellow was aiming another blow at his head, but was knocked down by the Chevalier de Jean, who had accompanied the Marquis. Though he was thus faved from a blow which must have inevitably killed him, the Marquis did not escape thus. Attacked on all fides, wounded by fome with fabres, by others with bayonets, he seized a musket, and, raging like a lion, knocked down every one near him. His musket was at length torn from him, and he was on the point of perishing; but by new exertions he forced his way through the mob, and efcaped to the Hotel de Ville, on the steps of which he fell fenfelefs. He was conveyed thence to a place of fafety, where his wounds were dreffed, which, happily, were not mortal. Europ. Mag.

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PAR

PARLIAMENT. [vol. 51. p. 531.]

SESSION 7th.

A Greeable to Royal proclamation, parliament met at Weftminster, on Thursday, January 21. His Majefty went to the Houfe of Peers in the ufual ftate; and after being robed and feated on the throne, the Gentleman Ufher of the Black Rod went to the Houfe of Commons, and addreffed the Speaker in the following words: "The King commands this Honourable Houfe to attend his Majefty immediately in the Houfe of Peers." The Black Rod being returned with the Speaker and many of the Members, the King opened the feffion with the following Speech.

"My Lords and Genilemen, Since I laft met you in parliament, the continuance of the war on the continent, and the internal fituation of different parts of Europe, have been productive of events which have engaged my moft ferious attention.

While 1 fee with a juft concern the interruption of the tranquillity of other countries, I have at the fame time great fatisfaction in being able to acquaint you, that I receive continued affurances of the good difpofition of all foreign powers towards these kingdoms; and I am perfuaded that you will entertain with me a deep and grateful fenfe of the favour of Providence in continuing to my fubjects the increafing advantages of peace, and the uninterrupted enjoyment of thofe in valuable bleffings which they have fo long derived from our excellent conftitution,

Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I have given directions that the cftimates for the present year should be laid before you, and I rely on your readiness to grant fuch fupplies as the circumftances of the feveral branches of the public service may be found to require.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The regulations prefcribed by the act of the laft feffion of parliament relative to the corn-trade not having been duly carried into effect in several parts of the kingdom, there appeared reafon to ap prehend that fuch an exportation of Corn might take place, and fuch difficulties occur in the importation of foreign corn, as would have been productive of the moft serious inconvenience to my subjects. Under thefe circumftances it appeared indifpenfably necessary to take immediate measures for preventing VOL. LII.

the exportation and facilitating the importation of certain forts of corn; and I therefore, by the advice of my Privy

Council, iffued an order for that purpose,

a copy of which I have directed to be laid before you.

I have only further to defire, that you will continue to apply yourselves to those objects which may require your attention, with the fame zeal for the public fervice which has hitherto appeared in all your proceedings, and of which the effects have been fo happily manifested in the increase of the public revenue, the extenfion of the commerce and manufactures of the country, and the general profperity of my people."

As foon as his Majesty retired, and the Commons withdrew, Lord Kenyon read the fpeech; and Lord Falmouth, after a fhort introductory preface, moved an addrefs to his Majefty, which was feconded by Lord Cathcart, who_alfo fpoke fhortly to the fubject. The Duke of Leeds then faid a few words refpecting that part of his Majefty's fpeech which related to the exportation of corn, when the motion was carried nem. dis.

We give a few extracts from the addrefs, viz.

"We are fenfible of the importance of the events produced by the continuance of the war on the continent,and the internal fituation of different parts of Europe, which have naturally attracted your Majefty's most serious attention. While we fee with a juft concern the interruption of the tranquillity of other countries, we feel the trueft fatisfaction from the affurances your Majefty has been graciously pleafed to give us of the good difpofition manifefted by all foreign powers towards thefe kingdoms; and we entertain, with your Majefty, a deep and grateful fense of the favour of Providence, in continuing to thefe kingdoms, the increasing advantages of peace, and the uninterrupted enjoyment of thofe invaluable bleflings which your Majefty's most faithful subjects have so long derived from our excellent conftitution. We return your Majefty our dutiful thanks for the communication which your Majefty has been pleased to make to us of the reafons which induced your Majefty to take fuch immediate measures as appeared indif penfably neceffary for preventing the exportation and facilitating the importation of corn; and for your Majefty's gracious condefcenfion, in directing to

B

be

be laid before this Houfe a copy of the order which your Majefty, by the advice of your privy council, thought proper to iffue for that purpose."

In the Houfe of Commons, Lord Valletort moved the addrefs. In the courfe of his fpeech, his Lordship drew a comparison between the fituation of other European ftates and our own. At home all was peace, happiness, and profperity; abroad almoft a general fcene of diftraction. In France fcarcely a province was free from anarchy and confu fion; the old laws had been extinguished without being as yet replaced by new ones; the capital was at the will of a licentious mob, who had already prac tifed the most unexampled cruelties, and the King was almost a prisoner in his own palace. In the Netherlands the ftand ard of independence had been erected, and there appeared to be a general determination in the inhabitants to withdraw their allegiance from the fovereign under whofe government they had so long continued. If we turned our eyes to the north, we fhould see the northern powers equally involved in all the horrors of war. In the midft of these jarring interefts, in the midft of this fcene of general warfare, foreign and domestic, we had the happinefs to find, that all the European powers were united in one fentiment, that of a pacific difpofition towards Great Britain, We therefore ftood almoft the fingle example, of a country enjoying all the bleffings of peace, with thofe its moft beneficial effects, an uninterrupted commerce, and daily extending trade, to the manifeft advantage of our manufac tures, the confiderable increase of our revenues, and the moft flattering proof of our growing profperity. He next adverted to the measure taken to prevent the exportation of corn, at a moment when there was reafon to apprehend a fcarcity of that effentially neceffary commodity; and appealed to the Houfe, whether they could enough admire the paternal care of his Majefty, and the wisdom and prudence of his mini fters, exemplified in the fteps taken on that occafion. His Lordship concluded with reading his motion for the addrefs, which was, as ufual, an echo of the fpeech, and which was feconded by Mr Cawthorne.

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As the Speaker was putting the que ftion, Mr Pitt rofe to fay a word or two on that part of the fpeech which related to the order of council relative to the ex

portation of corn. From the reafons that there had been to apprehend that fuch an exportation of corn would take place, as would occafion great difficulties and inconveniencies to his Majefty's fubjects, thofe who had the honour of advifing his Majefty, had thought it their duty to recommend the meafure that had been adopted, in order to prevent the evil apprehended. At the fame time they were confcious, that the mode in queftion was not ftrictly conformable to law; but they had adopted it, relying on the candour of parliament to measure the neceffity of the case with the irregularity of the proceeding, and to give them the fecurity of a bill of indemnity, if, upon a due confideration of all the circumftances, when they should hereafter come before the Houfe, it should appear proper that fuch a bill ought to pafs on the fubject. He could not avoid taking the earlieft opportunity of ftating these particulars, left it should for a moment be conceived, that his Majesty's minifters thought their conduct in refpect to the proclamation alluded to ftrictly legal; or that the judgement of parliament ought not in all fuch cases to be appealed to.

Mr Alderman Sawbridge faid, he was very happy to have heard what had juft fallen from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and hoped, when the fit time came, Minifters might be able to justify themfelves, fince, if no notice had been taken of the circumftance, he should have thought it his duty to have rifen, and declared that he did very greatly object to the mode that had been adopted refpecting the exportation of corn; because, what was it but to fay, that when parliament has carried through a bill for the purposes that it was to answer, and that bill in practice was found to be inadequate and defective, then the fole remedy was to be an arbitrary proclamation from the crown? That proclamation appeared to him to have been unneceffa ry; there were other modes of curing the grievance; parliament might have been called together, and a new law made, by which means no unconftitutional irregularity would have been prac tifed. He wished therefore that Minifters might be able to fhew fuch reafons for their conduct in this particular, as should be found to be fatisfactory. The addrefs was unanimoufly agreed to.

Gracious answers were returned to both addreffes.

Mr

Mr Pitt, Jan. 22. laid before the House copy of the order of council relative to the exportation and importation of corn; and Mr Grenville prefented several papers from Quebec relative to corn. The Houfe went into a committee on the corn-laws on the 25th, when Mr Rofe moved for leave to bring in a bill to indemnify" all perfons who have been concerned in advifing, or carrying into execution, certain orders of council refpe&ting the importation and exportation of corn and grain, and also certain orders iffued by the Governor General of his Majefty's colonies in America, and for preventing fuits in confequence of the fame, and for making further provifions relative thereto." Leave was given.

On the 25th the Houfe agreed, on the motion of Mr Wilberforce, to go into a committee on the flave-trade on Wedneíday the 27th. Accordingly, on that day, the House in a committee, Mr Wilberforce rofe, and said, he trufted, that although some differences of opinion had arisen on the mode he had suggested, no ferious oppofition was intended to the measure itself, the fole object of which was to bring it to a speedy conclufion. It was, he admitted, neceffary that a certain number of gentlemen should be named to compofe the committee; but nevertheless he wished that the committee should be open to every member who may chufe to attend, which, he hoped, would obviate the principal objection which had been urged againft it. If they were to judge from experience, it was not to be expected that, in the tedious detail of examination at the bar of the House, gentlemen would give their attendance; nor was it neceffary, as the evidence would be printed, and they would then have an opportunity of reading and weighing it at their leisure. The business which they had already gone through formed but a small part of the whole; the committee had only confidered that which regarded the trade in Africa; but the whole detail of that which related to the middle paffage, and the interefts of the Weft-India islands, yet remained to be difcuffed. No man felt the importance of the subj‹ & more than he did; but he was convinced, that the most vigorous and effe&ual mode of proceeding would be to refer it to a committee above stairs.

As it had been infinuated that his fentiments on the fubject of the African Dave-trade had undergone fome change,

he begged leave to take this opportunity of declaring, that his conviction of the injuftice and impolicy of it was rather increased than diminished, and that no exertion of his fhould be wanting to refcue this country from that load of dif honour which it incurred from participating in a traffic so infamous and inhuman.

He concluded with moving, “That à committee be appointed, to examine the evidence called by such persons as have petitioned against the abolition of the African flave-trade.”

After fome debate the motion was agreed to.

In a committee of supply, Jan. 28. Mr Hopkins moved the navy-eftimates, on which, he faid, it was unneceffary to enter into any explanation, as they were the fame as last year, viz. 20,000 feamen, including 3860 marines.

Sir Grey Cooper observed, that as they had been augmented from 18,000 to 20,000, owing to a particular circumftance, he had conceived hopes, from his Majesty's afsurances from the throne, of the friendly difpofition of foreign powers, that the number would this year have been reduced to the old peace-establishment. We were now arrived at the year 1790, the promised millennium of the finance-committee with regard to expence, and he did not fee that any deduction had yet been made. Since the year 1786, the expence of the navy had exceeded the estimate by 483,000l. a-year; and the navy, army, and ordnance together, included an annual increase of 900,000 l. He did not mean, he said, to prefs the Chancellor of the Exchequer to explain whether the causes which had originally called for the additional feamen ftill existed, or whether the situation of foreign powers made it impoffible to reduce our naval force; but mentioned thefe particulars to call the attention of the Houfe to the estimates of the year.

Mr Pitt in reply faid, the causes that originally called for the 20,000 feamen did certainly ftill exit. It was fill neceffary to keep a fleet in the Eaft Indies, and a greater fleet than had been usual, till lately, in the Mediterranean; and, unless the situation of Europe was fuch as to admit of a reduction of other parts of the fervice, the fame number of feamen must be wanted this year as had been employed the last year.

The refolution for 20,000 seamen was carried.

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